AEW Dynamite: September 1, 2021
by Samoa Rowe
Live from the Now Arena in Chicago, Illinois. This is the 100th episode of Dynamite. Our hosts are Jim Ross, Tony Shiavone, and Excalibur.
FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, with Tully Blanchard) vs. Santana and Ortiz
This rivalry has been put on the backburner since Wheeler suffered a horrific cut, and it's refreshing to see these guys in the featured opening spot. Dax and Santana tear into each other like old enemies. Santana and Ortiz deliver slick stereo dives and then pile FTR against the rails for shotgun dropkicks and an assisted senton. FTR make a blind tag to confuse Ortiz, and Wheeler sends him into the turnbuckles (while clutching his bad arm). FTR manage to corner Ortiz until he hits a desperation lariat. Santana gets the hot tag and stacks FTR for a spinning neckbreaker, and then the 3 Amigos. Frog Splash by Santana only gets 2. Santana and Ortiz hit a tandem cutter and sitout powerbomb, but Cash breaks up the cover. Cash's uppercut sets Ortiz up for Harwood's brainbuster for 2 (clever callback to Fight for the Fallen). Santana breaks up a double suplex with a spear. Wheeler guts out a Gory Special for 2. The crowd gives them a dueling chant while the match breaks down. Santana and Ortiz string together a series of tandem moves and finish Wheeler with a front slam at 13:36! Strong make-good match after the botched first outing, though the fans seemed to drift in and out in terms of interest, ***¼.Winners: Santana and Ortiz
2.0 and Daniel Garcia talk to the camera. The 2.0 guys are doing well to get themselves over as obvious wannabe tough guys, compared to the dead serious Garcia, who is cast as a wrestler capable of competing with anyone. They don't intend on allowing Darby Allin to make it to All Out.
CM Punk comes to the ring to talk. Most of these fans were in attendance for his return less than 2 weeks ago, but are ready to go crazy for him again. Punk quips by asking the fans if they're sick of him yet. He confesses some nervous feelings about getting back into the ring at All Out, and gets a premature "You've still got it" chant. He's interrupted by a 2.0 and Daniel Garcia run-in. The trio gets many shots in before Darby Allin and Sting arrive to help Punk clear them out. The crowd pops big for a Coffin Drop, Scorpion Death Drop, GTS sequence. With the jabronis out of the way, Darby and Punk stand forehead to forehead. Sting talks about his respect for Punk and regret that they never crossed paths until now, and he thinks all three of them can agree that the Allin/Punk match needs to happen. Sting will not be at ringside, to leave them to go to war. The segment ends on a pleasant note.
Kenny Omega hype video. All the smartest people in AEW gush over how great Kenny has been as AEW Champion.
Earlier today, Tony Shiavone sat down with the most disgusting, despicable human being he's ever met, MJF. MJF mocks Tony's lack of professionalism and then puts over Jericho's legacy in wrestling. Having said that, MJF is going to take Jericho's place. He thinks Jericho is going down the path of Muhammad Ali, in that he is keeps coming back at the expense of his physical health. It will be a privilege for MJF to end Jericho's career.
Orange Cassidy (with Best Friends) vs. Jack Evans (with Matt Hardy)
Matt Hardy attacks OC before the bell and gets ejected. Evans takes advantage and cuts Cassidy down with his educated feet. Cassidy back drops Evans over the ropes and then delivers a tornado DDT for 2. Evans slips out to avoid an Orange Punch, and eats a tope suicida instead. High crossbody by OC gets 2, as does a Michinoku Driver. Cassidy tants with some sloth kicks (Shiavone helpfully explains that the kicks are not supposed to hurt, I'm dying). I was hoping they'd go right to a finish, but instead they cut to picture-in-picture commercials. Shockingly, Cassidy takes a bigtime beatdown but finishes Evans with a small package DURING the commercial at 5:48. I guess if this were a shoot, that would happen from time to time. **Winner: Orange Cassidy
Matt Hardy returns to beat up Cassidy. The Best Friends make the timely save, but they fall to the far greater Hardy Family Office numbers. Jurassic Express make the final save, giving the fans a chance to sing and dang to "Tarzan Boy."
Eddie Kingston talks to the camera about his TNT title match against Miro. He isn't buying that Miro is God's favorite, but he might send him to heaven. Miro isn't scared.
Hype video for Jon Moxley vs. Satoshi Kojima at All Out. Moxley thinks the fans are in for a treat, because once the bell rings, he has respect for no body and will do everything he can to destroy the New Japan legend.
Jim Ross hosts Chris Jericho in the ring. J.R. is worried that Jericho is making a big mistake by putting his AEW in-ring career on the line against MJF. Jericho puts over J.R. for starting his main event career by "recruiting" him about 22 years ago. Also, MJF is a piece of sh!t, and his 3 losses to him are burned into his mind. Jericho is glad he took a chance on AEW, because their success was not guaranteed, but here they are after 100 episodes of Dynamite. Still, he can't live with himself unless he takes another chance, and finally defeats MJF. Jericho is living his dreams, and he will not let MJF take it away from him.
Darby Allin video promo. Darby would not have been a CM Punk fan as a kid, because he left wrestling. Darby was the first on Punk's list, when he should have been the last, so he might as well defeat Punk in Chicago because "what the hell?"
Powerhouse Hobbs (with Hook) vs. Brian Cage
Cage ambushes Hobbs before the bell, like any good babyface would. Cage sends Hobbs into the barricade, but Hook takes away his advantage by getting in the way. Hobbs puts Cage down with a body avalanche. Now is as good a time as any for a picture-in-picture break. They return with Hobbs hitting shoulder thrusts against the buckles. Cage answers with a Flatliner to buy some time. Cage puts together a string of shots and an exploder suplex. Mean German suplex by Cage gets 2. Hobbs responds with an Anderson Spinebuster for 2. F5 by Cage, and then a step up vertical suplex! Hook distracts the ref while Ricky Starks clocks Cage with the FTW title, allowing Hobbs to gain an easy victory at 7:22. They were dragging the initially disinterested fans into this before the bullf*ck finish, **¼.Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs
Malakai Black video package. He feels he's been pretty generous with the amount of mercy he's shown his enemies, but won't extend that courtesy to Lee Johnson.
QT Marshall and The Factory think it's a good idea to call out Paul Wight to force an apology out of him. Wight marches in and makes short work of all the Factory goofs, but is unable to get his hands on QT. The Gunn Club run in even though Wight already won the brawl. If that seems suspicious, it's because it is, as Billy Gunn turns on Wight with a chair shot. That's funny, usually Wight is the guy turning for no reason. QT is shocked but is happy to send The Factory back in to pick up the scraps while fans chant "@sshole." Odd segment to build up a popcorn match for the PPV, but the real tragedy is that now we'll never get a Show-Gunn reunion. Don't they know the early 00's are back in vogue?
Tony Shiavone interviews AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker, Rebel, and Jamie Hayter backstage. Britt announces her entourage for the Women's Casino Battle Royal at All Out, and if they win, they'll roll over for her. Britt teases a big free agent signing, and no it's not her boyfriend, but Britt herself. She will be a part of AEW for a long time to come.
Penelope Ford (with The Bunny) vs. Tay Conti
Conti can't wait to start and jumps off the apron onto Bunny and Ford. Bell rings, Conti hits a Judo throw, and then traps the head for a series of strikes. She hits a novel backbreaker by pulling Ford backwards, and then a tilt-a-whirl facebuster. Pump kick by Conti gets 2. Ford knocks Conti off the top rope to send us to commercials. They return just in time for Tay's comeback. High crossbody by Conti, and then a swinging powerbomb for 2. Ford sends Tay's neck into the ropes and puts her into an Indian deathlock. Tay reverses into a calf slicer, Ford gets a rope break. Tay hits a trifecta of pump kicks, but Ford no sells and hits a double knee gutbuster for 2. Fans chant "This is awesome." Bunny interferes, so Conti knocks Ford into her and wins with a roll-up at 8:30. Decent match, with a few narrative hiccups here and there, **¼.Winner: Tay Conti
Ford and Bunny attempt a post-match beatdown, only to get chased off by the returning Anna Jay!
Backstage interview with Thunder Rosa about the Casino Battle Royal. They're immediately interrupted by Jade Cargill and Vickie Guerrero. Rosa won't be intimidated, but she gets beaten down by Jade and Nyla Rose. Mark Sterling stops Nyla and Jade from brawling, because they can make more money on Sunday.
Hype video for MJF vs. Jericho at All Out. This feud started on the first Dynamite after last year's All Out, so this has truly been a year in the making.
Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy, with Marko Stunt) and Lucha Bros. (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix with Alex Abrahantes) vs. AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson, with Don Callis and Brandon Cutler) and Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows)
Luchasaurus and Gallows start with a hoss brawl. Luchasaurus reverses a vertical suplex. Tags are made, the Young Bucks and Lucha Bros. both try superkicks, and the match breaks down. The Elite cut off Penta to send us to commercials. During the break, things got wild with Jungle Boy taking a powerbomb on the apron. Fenix gets a hot tag and holds on to Nick's wrist while superkicking other Elite members, and then hits a massive flipping armdrag to a monstrous ovation. Lucha Bros. swarm Nick and hit a missile dropkick to his groin. Nick answers with a flying armdrag, but he and Penta go down with stereo KO kicks. Hot tag to Luchasaurus, and he chokeslams Nick onto the Elite at ringside. Jungle Boy slides off Luchasaurus' back for a splash onto the field. Standing moonsault by Luchasaurus gets a great nearfall. Cutler sprays Fenix in the face, and Good Brothers hit a Magic Killer, but Luchasaurus breaks the cover! Fenix dodges the BTE Trigger and hits the Bucks with a double cutter. Bucks catch Fenix in a springboard crossbody and nail the Meltzer Driver to win at 9:55! Crazy stunt show that delivered the action the Chicago fans were hungry for while also giving the Bucks one more F-U victory ahead of their cage match, ***½.Winners: The Young Bucks and Good Brothers
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega joins his friends for a beatdown on Jurassic Express and Lucha Bros. Luchasaurus takes a Magic Killer through a table. Christian Cage's run-in fails and he gets beaten down with kendo sticks. Kenny orders Callis to lower the steel cage so they can continue the assault uninterrupted. Many other babyface wrestlers try and fail to get in to help. Cage eats a BTE Trigger and the stage has been set for All Out.
Final Thoughts: Really strong go-home show for All Out, especially in terms of top notch interviews from Chris Jericho and MJF. It would be easy to make fun of the Gunn Club turning on Paul Wight, but too many other parts of this show clicked, which more than evens it out.
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