AEW Dynamite: July 10, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from the ScotiaBank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. WrestleTix estimates attendance at 4,500. Excalibur, Taz, Tony Shiavone, and Nigel McGuiness are on commentary.
Video package splicing MJF's promo on /wrestling/flashback_reviews/aew/collision/aew-collision-070624"pCollision with footage of his attack on Daniel Garcia.
AEW International Champion Will Ospreay comes out to talk. Rumor has it that MJF is one of the most insecure guys in pro wrestling. Daniel Garcia is stuck at home with no feeling in his arms. Ospreay scoffs at MJF for blaming the fans for his choices. Ospreay speculates that MJF is jealous of Will's contract and talent. Ever since Ospreay signed with AEW, he's been cleaning up someone's mess, and he's starting to think it was MJF. Will puts out a challenge for tonight. MJF appears on the jumbotron from an undisclosed location, enjoying a glass of wine. He tears Ospreay's act apart, he kills himself for popularity, he's more like a dancing toy monkey for the fans. MJF is irreplaceable, but when Ospreay is done, everyone will move on to the next flippy guy. MJF refuses to wrestle tonight, but will be happy to take away Will's International title next week. This felt like a really well executed Raw segment. They may have gotten a bit too cute playing to the dirt sheet audience.
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals:
Bryan Danielson vs. Hangman Adam Page
Special Enforcer: Jeff JarrettThese guys had an underappreciated feud for the AEW title in early 2022, but the dynamics are wildly different now. Hangman has emerged as a ruthless heel and Bryan has settled into playing the sentimental favorite on his retirement tour. They start by exchanging holds in a manner that suggests they know each other well. Danielson hits a tope and bonks his head against the barricade. 2 minutes in and I'm already worried for him. Danielson delivers a missile dropkick, Hangman misses a leaping lariat, but recovers with an ambush lariat. Back from commercials, Hangman is having a field day attacking Danielson's head. Bryan is busted open but throws some kicks. Hangman answers with the swinging sleeper. Bryan goes for an armbreaker, transitions to the LeBell lock, quick Hangman rope break. Hangman recovers with a Saito suplex! Bryan responds with a BRUTAL spider German suplex, Hangman took a hideous bump on his head. Danielson misses a flying headbutt (please don't do that) and Hangman grabs a crossface, quick Danielson rope break. Back from MORE commercials, Page bonks Bryan's forehead into an exposed buckle and maneuvers into a Tombstone piledriver. Bryan kicks out! Bryan shoves Hangman outside and hits a springboard somersault senton! He aggravated his neck injury along the way. Hangman absorbs some YES kicks and nails a piledriver onto the floor. Bryan beats the countout, Hangman rips off his kinesio tape. Danielson hits a Bu Sai Ku kick out of nowhere but is too hurt to make a cover. They exchange head butts until Bryan hits a roundhouse kick. They each block German suplexes, Bryan misses a Bu Sai Ku knee and takes the ref out! Brutal lariat by Page, he then attacks with his belt. Jeff Jarrett puts a stop to it, Page shoves him down. Jarrett reveals a ref shirt, Bryan rolls Page up for a nearfall. Danielson grabs the LeBell lock, Hangman reverses into Deadeye! Bryan kicks out! Hangman hits a Buckshot to the back of Bryan's skull, but his second Buckshot is reversed into a pinning predicament. Hangman grabs another crossface, Bryan almost passes out but rolls Hangman over for the pinfall at 25:46! That was NOT the outcome I was expecting. The booking seemed to suggest that Hangman was going to ALL IN to challenge his archnemesis, Swerve, but instead we're getting Bryan trying to fulfill his quest. They might be pivoting to Jarrett vs. Page part 2 at Wembley, which would be another rare case of a Jarrett match I want to see. As for the match itself, Danielson and Page have insane chemistry together and put together one of the best matches of the year, ****¾.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Page is irate and demands answers from Jarrett. Fans celebrate with YES chants while Hangman leaves to sulk. Jarrett and Dr. Martha Hart award the Owen trophy to Danielson, all around cool moment. AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) interrupt the celebration to give Bryan the main event staredown.
Back from commercials, Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana are alone in the ring. After defeating Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door, Swerve proclaims himself to be Best in the World. He congratulates Bryan for winning the Owen tournament and is honored to be facing him at ALL IN. He's not happy that he once got pinned by Danielson and admits to holding on to grudges. In other business, Swerve announces he'll be a part of Blood and Guts, but on Team AEW, NOT the New Elite. Probably not a smart move to disrespect the EVPs.
Video package hyping tonights' main event of Mariah May vs. Willow Nightingale in the Owen Hart finals. Each competitor is on their own journey.
The Acclaimed premier a new music video, dissing the Young Bucks and pumping themselves up for Blood and Guts.
Stampede Street Fight:
Samoa Joe vs. FTW Champion Chris Jericho (with Bryan Keith)
Joe takes away Jericho's cowboy hat and punches through it. Enziguri by Joe, fights back with chops. Joe ducks a clothesline and takes Keith out with a tope. Jericho botches a dropkick but manages to throw Joe into the barricade. Joe counters with a slam onto a pile of horseshoes. Back senton by Joe gets 2. They go to commercials while Joe is stuck in the Walls. They return with Joe STILL in the Walls, but he escapes by swinging a horseshoe. Just for the record, Joe was stuck for 2.5 minutes in the hold. Jericho counters the Musclebuster with a missile dropkick. Joe walks away from Jericho's double ax handle and hauls him into the stands. They head backstage, Jericho throws hot coffee into Joe's eyes. Joe reverses the Judas Effect with a Coquina clutch. Big Bill breaks it up with a chair! Keith returns and helps hold Joe still for Jericho's belt shot. Bill chokeslams Joe onto a forklift, Jericho grins and drives him through a wall! Well, the same kind of wall the Shockmaster would tumble through. Trainer Colt Cabana pleads with Jericho while a doctor calls off the match at 12:35! Good to see the spirit of the Attitude Era show up every now and then, ***.Winner: Chris Jericho
Back from commercials, Joe is loaded into an ambulance. The Learning Tree watch from a distance.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Pac vs. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kyle Fletcher
No entrances, winner gets a shot at the International title. The crowd is pretty into the fast paced action. Ishii and Claudio work together to remove Fletcher, then duke it out. Pac ambushes Ishii with a missile dropkick. Fletcher trips Pac but gets caught in a rana. The match breaks down into rapid sneak attacks. Claudio hits a twisting plancha onto everyone. Back from commercials, everyone gangs up on Pac, but he immediately answers with a poison rana on Fletcher. Rapid finishers lead to Fletcher almost pinning Ishii with a tombstone piledriver. Ishii head butts Fletcher, Claudio steals him for a Giant Swing. Claudio puts Kyle into the Sharpshooter, Pac hits Kyle with a flying elbow and Brutalizer without Claudio letting go. Ishii breaks up the submission party, suplexes Claudio and lariats Pac. Ishii lariats Kyle for a nice nearfall. Claudio steals Kyle for a Neutralizer, Pac tries to steal the pinfall. Ishii ambushes Claudio with a German , Pac capitalizes with consecutive Germans.Kyle tries to steal some pinfalls, Pac gives him the Black Arrow and Brutalizer for an immediate submission at 11:07! Heckuva fun spotfest, ***½.Winner: Pac
Pac grabs a mic and admits that he's been suffering humiliating failures throughout the year. He's now got an opportunity for a "Wembley moment" and the Bastard is back.
Renee Paquette aggressively demands an interview from Hangman Page but he scares her away. He bangs on The New Elite's door and agrees to Blood and Guts.
TBS and NJPW STRONG Women's Champion Mercedes Mone comes to the ring to chat. She thanks the EVPs for the extra security, ensuring that she won't be interrupted. Mercedes suggests that Britt Baker wake up from her stupid fantasy of facing her at ALL IN. She tries to lead a toast to her success, but Dr. Britt Baker shows up in the flesh. Britt fights past security and forces Mercedes to flee. This is simple, yet affective, feud development.
The cameras catch Darby Allin beating up Brandon Cutler in the parking garage. Cutler was just minding his own business, but Darby needed to sent a message to The Young Bucks.
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals:
Mariah May (with AEW Women's Champion Toni Storm and Luther) vs. Willow Nightingale
They lock up and aggressively exchange holds. Mariah grabs the ropes to block a Doctor Bomb. Willow scores a knife edge chop and shoulder block. Mariah answers with a dropkick to the face. Mariah ties Willow in the ropes for some easy offense. Willow answers with a spinning power slam and low crossbody. Willow delivers a cannonball senton from the apron! Back from commercials, May retaliates with a missile dropkick. Hip attack by Mariah, then a DDT for 2. Willow rallies and hits a spinebuster for only 2. Mariah buys time with a German suplex, Willow reverses a hard whip. Mariah hits an avalanche rana for a nice nearfall. Willow comes back with a Fisherman suplex, but Mariah blocks the Pounce with a brutal headbutt! A hooded figure messes with Willow, turns out to be Stokely Hathaway, Kris Statlander interferes with a big boot. Toni Storm had the ref distracted. Mariah hits Willow with a brutal knee strike, Willow kicks out! Toni offers some advice to Mariah, but Willow nails a lariat for another close 2 count. Willow pulls down the straps and nails a cannonball, but Mariah reverses a potential DVD into a rollup to suddenly win at 12:44! Red hot match, great sense of urgency down the final stretch, ***½.Winner: Mariah May
May appears overcome with emotion and leaps into Toni's arms. They skip up the ramp to the trophy, but Mariah smashes the Women's belt into Toni's face! Luther tries to stop the attack, but Mariah bashes him with the belt. Toni is busted open, Mariah shoves Luther through a table. Toni sobs while Mariah pummels her with the shoe heel. Haha, Mariah is turning heel by attacking with a heel. Wrestling is wonderful. Mariah shoves referee Aubrey Edwards aside and rubs her face against Toni's bloody forehead. May stands tall after a triumphant heel turn.
Final Thoughts: I thought last week's Dynamite was one of the best of the year, but this week was even better. They are really treating ALL IN like their Wrestlemania and there's razor sharp build for numerous matches. I'm really hyped and looking forward to see what happens next. Strong recommendation.
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