home | wrestling | flashback_reviews | aew

AEW Dynamite - September 7, 2022

by Doc Allen

This is the Dynamite after All Out 2022. Unfortunately, the big story coming out of the weekend is the 23 minute tirade of verbal pipebombs that CM Punk unleashed afterwards at the press conference. With baked goods in hand, Punk verbally tore apart Colt Cabana, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, paused to call Adam Cole a sweetheart, and MJF. Tony Khan sat beside him with a deer-in-the-headlights expression while Punk said things like "the EVP's couldn't manage a Target", buried Hangman for going into business for himself and not accepting his veteran advice, and MJF for sh!tting where he eats by demanding more money. Immediately after the press conference, Punk ended up in a confrontation with the Bucks and Omega, and while no one knows for sure what happened, a backstage brawl erupted that has so far resulted in Ace Steel, Christopher Daniels, The Bucks, Omega, Brandon Cutler, and Michael Nakazawa suspended. Some reports indicate that Kenny was just trying to keep Punk's dog, Larry, safe, while other reports claim that Ace bit Omega on the forehead (and may have just been trying to protect his wife, who was present for some reason). We're all still waiting for the dust to clear and find out what Punk's ultimate fate in AEW will be, but we might have to wait because he tore his triceps in the All Out match with Moxley, so he's going to be out for 8-9 months anyways. Personally, I think this entire situation stinks, is a poor reflection of just about everyone involved, and is a total black eye for AEW. I feel like too many guys in the AEW locker room have worked themselves into shoots, and are letting their emotions get in the way of business. I know I went to bed on Sunday feeling all warm and fuzzy, having enjoyed All Out thoroughly, so I was pretty dismayed to wake up on Monday and find out about Punk's rant.

Live from Buffalo, New York. Our hosts are Tony Shiavone, Taz, and Excalibur.

Tony Khan appears (to boos) on the big screen to announce that the AEW World Championship and Trios Championship have been vacated. New Trios Champs will be crowned tonight, while a Tournament of Champions tournament will decide a new World Champ at Grand Slam.

MJF comes out (to an ovation) to talk. He returned as "the joker" in the Casino Ladder Match at All Out, and easily won when Stokely Hathaway and friends retrieved the poker chip for him. He admits that he said some offensive things in the past, but he was just kidding, he loves AEW and the fans are NOT stupid marks. MJF is all about working smart, not hard, so he's glad to not be in the Tournament of Champions because he can get a title shot anytime he wants and a big bag of money. He declares himself to be better than Moses and better than the fans, who love him anyway. This brings out Jon Moxley, who looks p!ssed after losing the AEW title. Moxley thinks MJF is full of crap, and MJF proves him right by taking back all the nice things he said about Buffalo earlier. MJF teases that he'll win the AEW title and take it to a real wrestling company, maybe defend it against a real superstar like "Cody Rhoadster." He refers to "The Game" as his personal hero, and thinks that would be "best for business." Mox has no patience for this and intimidates MJF out of the ring. Moxley admits he's p!ssed to not be champion, because that title represents passion, heroes, dreams, freedom, and taking the dark and ugly side of the business and letting it die with another generation. He gets fired up saying the AEW title represents everything he loves about wrestling. Mox puts over the Tournament of Champions and feels ready to take another shot. "This is time to be a legend." Moxley's promo is one of the greatest I've ever heard, I kid you not.

World Trios Championship:
Death Triangle (Penta El Zero Miedo, Rey Fenix, and Pac, with Alex Abrahantes) vs. Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Berreta, with Danhausen)

I have to admit I'm relieved that we're not wasting time with Interim champions this time. Cassidy and Penta start by exchanging mind games, but Penta explodes into a flurry. Cassidy counters with a tornado rana. The match immediately breaks down, and Death Triangle get backdropped to ringside so Best Friends can launch Cassidy onto them! Back from commercials, we learn that Taylor scored a dive off the stage. Now, Death Triangle are working Trent over in their corner. Trent desperately counters with a double stomp into Pac's chest. Cassidy gets a hot tag and HE'S GOING TO TRY! Pac's back elbow stops Cassidy dead. Danhausen threatens to put a curse on Pac, but is forced to curse Abrahantes instead. Pac takes out Danhausen, which allows Cassidy to retake control with a low dropkick. Pac blocks the Orange Punch, but takes Stundog Millionaire. Chuck tags in and manages to pile Lucha Bros. in the corner. Penta answers with a backstabber, and wheelbarrow slams Fenix onto him for a nice nearfall. Chuck saves himself with Sole Food, and Trent helps with the Sole Food/Half n' Half suplex combo. Tornado DDT by Trent, but Fenix no-sells to pop up for a cutter. The match breaks down again until Death Triangle's thrust kick/Code Red combo gets a red hot nearfall. Fans chant "This is awesome!" Best Friends get another dramatic nearfall after they hit stereo piledriver/Awful Waffles. Death Triangle hit triple Canadian Destroyers. Lucha Bros. take out Cassidy and Trent with dives, leaving Pac to finish Trent with the Black Arrow at 13:00! All action, zero selling, but a barnburner none-the-less, ****.
Winners and new World Trios Champions: Death Triangle

Tony Shiavone has a word with the Dark Order, who were too injured to compete tonight. Jose the Assistant tries to make them an offer, but John Silver doesn't trust someone with a last name like "the Assistant." Andrade El Idolo hands them some crutches as some kind of message.

Penelope Ford (with Kip Sabian) vs. AEW Interim Women's Champion Toni Storm

Storm's reign is off to a bumpy start after the Chicago crowd at All Out decided that Jamie Hayter was the only proper winner, and gave Toni a flat response. Storm looks for a quick rollup, but Ford has her scouted. Storm headstands her way out of a headscissors and hits a shoulder block. Ford offers sarcastic applause and lures Storm into a handshake ambush. Storm shakes her off for a shotgun dropkick, then a baseball slide dropkick. Ford bumps her into the ring steps to send us to commercials. They return with Ford missing a back handspring attack and hitting the buckles. Ford makes a routine comeback to little crowd response. Storm hit a DDT and wins at 5:47. Most of the match took place during the commercials, **.
Winner: Toni Storm

2point0 video promo. Angelo Parker failed to win the FTW title from Hook at All Out, and rapper Action Bronsen got physically involved. This is leading to a likely tag team match at Grand Slam.

The Acclaimed (with Billy Gunn) come to the ring to a big pop after stealing the show at All Out. They don't have time to rap because Swerve Strickland interrupts their "stupid rap jokes." Crowd HATES Swerve and calls him an "@sshole." Anthony Bowens reveals that they'll get their rematch at Grand Slam, because everyone loves The Acclaimed, and SCISSOR ME DADDY @SS! This might sound silly (because it is) but it's getting over big.

Tony Shiavone is backstage with Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Tay Melo, and Anna Jay. Jericho is glowing after a gigantic win over Bryan Danielson. Ponce de Leon couldn't find the Fountain of Youth, but Jericho has, and he's beaten Danielson at his own game. Jericho vows to become World Champion for an 8th time, because this is HIS f'n locker room, and NO ONE IS TAKING IT AWAY FROM HIM! Sammy Guevara vows to beat Darby Allin's turtle-@ss on Rampage, because the JAS doesn't like turtles. Sammy loses focus because of how sexy they all are and that's a wrap. I like this direction for JAS.

TNT Championship:
Wardlow © vs. Tony Nese (with Smart Mark Sterling)

I happen to agree with the criticism that Wardlow hasn't been featured on Dynamite enough in recent weeks, so I'm happy to see this course correction. Wardlow instantly hits a lariat and follows with the Powerbomb Symphony to win at 1:25. This squash gets my approval.
Winner and still TNT Champion: Wardlow

Wardlow tries a powerbomb on Sterling, but Josh Woods pulls his boss to safety. Wardlow grabs a mic and addresses the internet narrative that he's lost momentum. He puts the locker room on notice because he's still the TNT Champion and this is still Wardlow's world.

Video promo building up Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara on Rampage.

Tournament of Champions:
Bryan Danielson (with William Regal) vs. Hangman Adam Page

Hangman gets a mixed reaction after being targeted by CM Punk at the All Out press conference. Punk accused him of going into business for himself when he made a "workers rights" dig at Punk back in May, which I guess was referring to the rumor that Colt Cabana got moved to ROH because of Punk. A few weeks ago, Punk went off-script to call out Page, knowing full well he wouldn't and couldn't answer, and it made him look like a fool (even though at the time, I thought they were planting the seeds for a rematch). Page and Danielson feel each other out by trading holds and the crowd seems more hostile than interested. Page gets angry and chops the neck, leading to an exchange. Danielson can't get the Romero Special, so he stomps Hangman's knees into the mat. They trade stiff shots, which gets the correct response from the fans. Page sends Bryan outside with a springboard lariat, misses a plancha, and Bryan pushes his shoulder into the post. Back from commercials, Danielson is having a field day working over Hangman's injured arm. Page desperately hits a fallaway slam and then kips up for a slingshot plancha. Fans still don't like Hangman. Page hits a Death Valley Driver for 2. Danielson blocks Dead Eye and drop toe holds Page's bad arm into the buckles. Bryan hits running dropkicks, a counter rana, and head kick for 2. Bryan unleashes YES kicks, but Page answers with a top rope flipping fallaway slam! Page prepares a buckshot, but Bryan rolls to safety to send us to more commercials. They return with another chopfest. Page blocks a German suplex and nails a sitout powerbomb! Fans are now chanting "This is awesome!" Page hits a lariat, but Danielson defiantly kicks out and applies the LeBell Lock! Page escapes and catapults Bryan, who skins the cat and hits a double underhook powerbomb! Page blocks an arm submission, and they take a breather. Fans chant "fight forever!" They trade roaring elbows until Hangman hits Dead Eye for a HOT nearfall. Hangman hits a moonsault to outside and sets up the Buckshot, but Bryan counters into a rollup and wins at 22:51! This was an epic and a great example of my favorite kind of pro wrestling match. Also, kudos to them for making the fans forget about backstage bullsh!t and pulling them into an exciting story, ****½.
Winner: Bryan Danielson

Video promo with Jungle Boy Jack Perry. Christian embarrassed him at All Out by beating him in seconds after Luchasaurus betrayed him yet again.

Stokely Hathaway and his group of clients (Gunn Club, Ethan Page, W. Morrisey, and Lee Moriarty) comes out to talk. A hapless production member tells Stokely he doesn't have much time, so he gets beaten up for his troubles. I'm not going to lie, this stable feels like dead weight.

Dax Harwood is getting a shot at ROH Champion Claudio Castagnoli and he's going to win the gold FOR HIS FAMILY!

ROH Pure Championship:
Wheeler Yuta © vs. Daniel Garcia

Garcia is the hometown boy and gets a live performance of his entrance theme. BJ Whitmer, Matt Sydal, and Jerry Lynn are serving as judges. The crowd gives them a big reaction as they trade holds. No one gains an advantage, so let's take a break. Back from commercials, it looks like Garcia has been in control, but Yuta comes back with a flying lariat. Garcia slaps the face and hits a sick back suplex. Garcia hits a second back suplex, lariat, but Yuta kicks out! Yuta answers with a German suplex, and hangs on for rolling Germans! Garcia fires back with his own rolling Germans. They both go down for breathers and we take MORE commercials. They return with both guys on the mat yet again. They beat the countout and trade slaps on their knees. Crowd LOVES this. Garcia wins the exchange and puts Yuta into a Sharpshooter, er, Dragon Tamer! Garcia escapes, but Garcia reverses back into the hold! Yuta reverses into a crossface! Garcia reverses back into the Dragon Tamer and the crowd goes nuts while Yuta taps at 15:59! Man, any casual viewer turning in would think Garcia was the biggest star in AEW based on the crowd reaction to that win. Confetti falls and Garcia stands tall. It was brave of AEW to put two unproven midcard guys out there in the main event, and while they didn't hold the high rating this episode started with, this was a wise investment in the future, ****.
Winner and new ROH Pure Champion: Daniel Garcia

Garcia and Yuta shake hands like good sports. Bryan Danielson comes out to wrap the gold around Garcia's waste. Chris Jericho appears with a dumbfounded look on his face, and that's a cliffhanger for ya!

Final Thoughts: This was a fantastic Dynamite. By the end of the show, the last things on my mind were CM Punk and The Elite. Tremendous reset and strong statement for AEW moving forward.

Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!

back to AEW Index