AEW Dynamite: September 11, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. WrestleTix estimates attendance at 2,791. Tony Shiavone, Excalibur, and Taz are on commentary.
Jon Moxley rants to the camera. He's kind of lost his mind and is irate that AEW is now full of egos. Mox is sick of doing things Bryan Danielson's way and now he's chosen war.
Darby Allin arrives via skateboard.
Tony Shiavone hosts Christian Cage and The Patriarchy in the ring. Christian has a MITB-style contract, which only proves he's carrying AEW on his back. He puts Killswitch over a killer that “belongs to me.” Fans chant “Luchasaurus.” He's going to become champion, yada yada. Kip Sabian is spotted sneaking away from the front row. This was kind of a nothing burger.
Renee Paquette visits with the Don Callis Family backstage. Don proposes that Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher team up in tonight's Casino Gauntlet Match. Will would rather not, but he owes Don a favor.
Jack Perry arrives via Scapegoat Mobile.
TNT Championship:
Jack Perry © vs. Lio Rush (with Action Andretti)
Perry attacks before the bell. Rush shakes it off for a step up rana. Perry shoves Andretti, Rush blocks a draping DDT. Rush misses a moonsault and gets flapjacked onto the apron. Back from commercials, Andretti blatantly interferes and gets ejected. Rush capitalizes with a flurry of offense, including a pair of heat seeking topes. Standing Spanish Fly by Rush gets 2. Jack answers with a human lawn dart into the buckles. Perry hits a pair of Dragon suplexes, Rush counters into a poison rana. Lio tries his springboard stunner, but Perry counters with a pair of knee strikes to win at 8:41. Lio was allowed some very slick looking token offense before Perry got the decisive win in this glorified squash match, **¼.Winner and still TNT Champion: Jack Perry
Alex Marvez ambushes Perry for an interview. People like Jack are crucified in this life so they can be worshiped in the next. He rides the Scapegoat Mobile into the night.
Hangman Adam Page video promo. He's had a busy week, first burning down Swerve's house, then leaving him in a heap at All Out. Back in the present, Renee Paquette asks Hangman about his mental health. Page would have spent an eternity punishing Strickland if the cage was never lifted. He vows revenge on anyone who ever helped Swerve. He bumps into the Dark Order, who don't even know who he is anymore. Jeff Jarrett warns Page that he'll regret his actions, so Page smashes him onto a chair cart.
Private Party (Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy) with Kommander (with Alex Abrahantes) vs. The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Pac, with Marina Shafir)
The BCC attack before the bell and lay waste to the opposition. Pac grabs a mic and declares that AEW is broken. They are a product of this festering environment, and Pac has finally found his purpose. Mox can't spot Darby anywhere so they head out. While it stings seeing Private Party and Komander used as patsies, I'm glad the first BCC match after All Out wasn't them having a competitive match with lower card guys.No Contest
The Learning Tree arrive in the HI GUYS! Mobile and talk to the camera. Jericho still wants his 7k from Orange Cassidy.
Ricochet vs. Sammy Guevara
Ricochet is on a quest to pick up wins and eventually challenge Will Ospreay. Fans chant for Ricochet at the bell. They flip around jockeying for position. They exchange shoves , Ricochet scores a head scissors takedown. Ricochet nails a twisting plancha outside. Sammy smashes Ricochet into an entrance tunnel, then hits a moonsault from the top! Fans chant “holy sh!t!” Seems like Sammy really wants his TV time back. They return from commercials with Sammy dodging Ricochet's flying antics. Sammy knocks Ricochet into the barricade and nails a tornado senton. Fans chant “flip forever!” Ricochet springboards over the barricades to nail a somersault senton. Phenomenal Forearm by Ricochet, then a standing SSP for only 2. Fans chant “This is awesome!” Sammy reverses a DVD into a Destroyer, then nails a flying cutter. Ricochet kicks out! Sammy misses an SSP but recovers with a knee strike. Ricochet blocks the GTH and nails a brutal ax kick. Ricochet blasts his Vertigo driver to win at 10:54. Good little stunt show, but the stunt bumps on the stage felt out of place, ***.Winner: Ricochet
The Beast Mortos spears Ricochet. Sammy chases Mortos away with a chair and makes peace with Ricochet.
Video recap of Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale's street fight at All Out.
Renee congratulates Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada on his success. He pretends to cry while describing All Out as the hardest night of his life. Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita interrupt. Okada says Takeshita will be a champion, just not Continental Champion...b!tch. Please let this be a WrestleDream match.
Darby Allin is here and wastes no time calling Moxley out. Mox and Shafir arrive upon request. They're not pretending to be “superstars” because they both came from nothing. When Darby was homeless, he kept looking for a role model until he found Moxley. Jon simply wants Darby to give him his title shot. Darby wonders if Mox has been drinking again. Mox sets a challenge for Grand Slam with Darby's title shot on the line. Darby accepts, if Mox is going to burn AEW to the ground, he'll be pulled into the fire. Darby still isn't a great in-ring promo, but this was fine.
Alex chats with Christopher Daniels, who is concerned by Darby's risk taking. Nigel McGuinness wants an off-camera word with Daniels.
AEW Women's World Champion Mariah May vs. Queen Aminata
May tackles the knee, Aminata grapples to a stalemate. They exchange shoves, then slug it out. Aminata nails a clothesline, penalty kick, but misses a hip attack. May chokes her in the ropes. She targets the spine with a dropkick. Back from commercials, Mariah scores a missile dropkick. Aminata rallies with a snap suplex. German suplex by Aminata, then a running kick for 2. Draping DDT by Mariah only gets 2. Aminata answers with a body slam for 2. Mariah dodges a double stomp and nails a shotgun dropkick. May finishes with Storm Zero at 8:25. Another entertaining glorified squash. Mariah continuing to use Storm Zero keeps Toni Storm in our hearts and minds, **¼.Winner: Mariah May
May continues mocking Toni's mannerisms in the ring. She's desperate for a proper title celebration but only if Mina Shirakawa can be there.
AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks talk to the camera. They started AEW because they wanted the greatest tag team division of all time, but really, they only needed themselves. No new tag teams are good enough for them, so they booked the tag team gauntlet in hopes someone will step up.
Video recap of Jamie Hayter returning at ALL IN and instantly becoming a big problem for Saraya.
The Learning Tree vs. Iron Savages
(Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith vs. Boulder, Bronsen, and Jacked Jameson) Iron Savages enjoy a hot start due to their size, so Big Bill tags in to even the odds. Boulder hits a hard Irish whip, misses a head of steam, and eats Bill's boot. Jameson tags, but Keith hits a leaping head butt and Diamond Dust. Jericho tags and wins via cocky pin at 2:32. Flat squash with an amusing finish.Winners: The Learning Tree
Jericho is still wearing the jacket that Orange ruined four years ago and until he gets his money back, he's going to steal his stuff. Jericho reaches into Cassidy's backpack and finds a framed photo of The Best Friends during happier times. There are no friends in wrestling, if you think you have a friend, you're probably being used. Cassidy appears on the Khantron, he has spare change, but insists he has Jericho's case. The Conglomeration dump seven thousand dollars worth of pennies all over Jericho's new Bentley. Cassidy takes his change back. This was a cute idea, but it seemed to fall flat with the live audience.
Nigel McGuinness hijacks the show to complain about the lack of an AEW World title match at Grand Slam. He complains about all the years he was sidelined watching Bryan Danielson have the success that should have been his. He declares himself to be Bryan's opponent at Grand Slam and guarantees victory. Oasis will play Nigel to the ring, but will The Final Countdown play for Bryan, who may have already wrestled his last match. I'm marking out sooo hard over this.
FTW Champion Hook hangs out in a junkyard and talks about respecting Roderick Strong, but also wishing to cause him harm.
Casino Gauntlet Match:
The Young Bucks are here to find out who their challengers at Grand Slam will be. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) start against Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher! Ospreay is undefeated in Casino Gauntlet matches and nails a rana on Cash. Oscutter is blocked, FTR hit a brutal Liger Bomb. I wouldn't be surprised if Will is concussed. Fletcher hits a Falcon Arrow, Ospreay hits a moonsault from his back for 2. FTR recover with a superplex/frog splash combo on Ospreay. The Righteous (VINCENT and Dutch) enter to crickets. They hit a Bossman Slam/Swanton combo for 2. The Righteous enjoy a hot streak until Kyle hits a flying cutter on Dutch. The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) join the fun and clean house. Back from commercials, the Kingdom's dominance is ended by the arrival of The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens). Dax hits a pair of Fame-assers, but is rescued by MxM Collection (Mansoor and Mason Madden). They enjoy a hot streak and look too good for their foolish gimmick. I don't know why you'd be free of WWE and carry on the Maximum Male Models shtick, but I digress. Everyone gathers around for the ever-amusing group suplex spot. Back from MORE commercials, Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin) are next. They clean house with clever high flying offense. Dante and Ospreay find themselves alone for a showdown. The match breaks down into guys hitting drive-by attacks. FTR hit the Shatter Machine but everyone else breaks the cover. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum) hit the ring to a nice pop. The fans seem to wake up from a coma and cheer on their house cleaning sequence. Fans chant “Tag Team wrestling” as they hit stereo planchas. The Grizzled Young Vets (Zack Gibson and James Drake) are out next, but FTR meet them on the stage and brawl back through the tunnel. Meanwhile, Floyd superplexes Mansoor onto everyone at ringside. The Outrunners are poised for victory, VINCENT breaks it up. More drive-by offense in the ring until Dante hits a reverse rana on Fletcher for 2. Fletcher blocks Dante's frog splash, Ospreay sneaks in for the Hidden Blade and wins at 22:18. Probably the right decision, considering the simmering bad blood between The Elite and Don Callis Family. This was a mild disappointment with numerous cold stretches in between high spots and entrances, **¾.Winners: Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher
Final Thoughts: This was a storyline heavy episode with solid matches that served greater purposes. I enjoyed watching Moxley relish in his opportunity to freshen his act as an insane villain, rather than the forced bad guy he's been playing for the last year or so. Nigel coming back to face Bryan is a beautiful surprise, I wonder if it will have any impact on Grand Slam's attendance (which has been shaping up to be very depressing). I guess we'll find out just how much of a drawer ROH's legacy and reputation really is. Overall, this is an episode that can mostly be appreciated with Youtube highlights.
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