AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming
December 15, 2021
by Doc Allen
Live from the sold out Curtis Cullwell Center in Garland, Texas. Our hosts are Tony Shiavone, Taz, and Excalibur.
AEW World Championship:
Hangman Adam Page © vs. Bryan Danielson
This match getting the opening slot makes me think they're giving us a time limit draw. Hangman's young title reign is in serious jeopardy. They certainly pace themselves as if they have a lot of time to fill as they work a collar and elbow lock up while the hot crowd chants stuff. Bryan bridges back to reverse a wristlock into a suplex. Hangman hits a shoulder block, but Bryan scrambles for space and mockingly jump and jacks. Page has trouble keeping his temper in check when Bryan repeatedly hides in the ropes. They trade head scissors and Hangman scores a boot to the chest. Page rejects a handshake and manages a scoop slam and dropkick. Bryan recovers and goes to work on the legs and lower spine. He uses the Romero Special to set up a Dragon Sleeper. Page shakes off some chops and knocks Bryan into the buckles. Bryan slows things down to resume attacking the legs. Danielso signals a dive, but Page cuts him off with a big boot. Page nails a slingshot plancha, but his ax handle is blocked by a kick to the guts. Bryan's diving knee to the head gets 2, and they cut to commercials.
They return with Hangman reversing a surfboard stretch into a power slam. Some fans seem to be booing Hangman and others chant "This is awesome." Page counters with a fallaway slam, pleasing about 60% of the crowd. Hangman crotches Bryan on the ropes for a springboard lariat! Page hits a tope, followed by a top rope moonsault to outside! Bryan blocks a low lariat, but Hangman lifts him into a DVD for only 2! They battle on the top rope until Page misses a moonsault, Bryan's roll-up gets 2. Page blocks the Labell Lock, Bryan blocks Dead Eye and applies the ankle lock. Bryan goes for running corner attacks, but Page pops up for a mean spinebuster for 2. Page signals the Buckshot, but Bryan slips out. Hangman tries another super moonsault but gets pushed onto the apron. Bryan traps Hangman's arms around the ring post and thrusts his shoulders and head into the steel! Danielson soaks up the crowd's hatred while Hangman blades and it's time for more ads.
Back from commercials, 30 minutes are gone, and the fans are mad that the action stopped for Hangman to get cleaned up. Bryan insists on restarting and hits a flying knee to Hangman's open wound. Bryan relentlessly wraps Page's arm around the post and punches the forehead. Page is dazed, almost hits a slam, but Bryan nails a German suplex and applies Cattle Mutilation! Bryan hits several chest kicks before hitting the post when Page ducks. Hangman lifts Bryan and thrusts him knee first into the post. He hangs Bryan's leg up on the rails for a running boot! Single leg atomic drop by Page, and then a Figure Four! They cut to a third commercial break. They return just in time for a FIGHTING SPIRIT slugfest. Bryan counters a powerbomb into a rana for 2. Bryan tries a triangle sleeper, but Page dead lifts him into a slam! Bryan won't let go of the sleeper and elbows the head, Page gets the ropes. Hangman absorbs more arm work but hits a sudden Tombstone Pilediver for only 2! Bryan blocks a superplex and hits a flying clothesline to the arm. Bryan targets the shoulder with a suplex and then nails an avalanche back suplex! Danielson's late cover gets 2. Page desperately counters into Dead Eye on the apron! Page flies from the top rope but Danielson swats him away and into a table!
Back from more commercials, they only have about 10 minutes left. Page escapes a chinlock and hits a wild German suplex. Bryan is hobbled but hits YES kicks. Page's bad arm provides a weak lariat. Danielson goes for a super German but Page lands on his feet and blindsides with a last resort lariat! They both go down for an ovation. They stumble up and trade rapid counters. Danielson blasts a roundhouse kick for 2. Bryan traps the arms and kicks Page the same way he did to all the Dark Order guys. Page desperately counters with Dead Eye but BRYAN KICKS OUT! Hangman traps Bryan's arms and returns the favor by stomping his head in. Page tries the Buckshot, but Bryan reverses into the Lebell Lock! Hangman escapes with a catapult, Bryan skins the cat and runs into a LARIAT! Page hits the BUCKSHOT but the time limit expires at 60:00! Crowd boos that result, but the broadcast moves on without entertaining any possibility of overtime. So, they tore the house down for 60 minutes and left the crowd wanting more. How can this be anything other than *****?
No Contest
Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and the Young Bucks talk to the camera. They are pleased with themselves for beating up Best Friends on Rampage. Maybe it's time to end Trent's mom's career. Cole teases a Christmas gift for his enemies. Could it be Kyle O'Reilly in a box?
Wardlow (with Shawn Spears) vs. Matt Sydal
Ah, poor Sydal is stuck on JTTS duty with no entrance. Sydal looks spry early and connects some roundhouse kicks. Wardlow awkwardly counters a leg lariat into a slam. Wardlow hits a powerbomb, Spears needlessly takes the mic and orders him to give a second powerbomb. Wardlow doesn't like being told what to do, but dishes out a second powerbomb anyway and wins at 1:27. Not a great squash, but fine as a palette cleanser from the 60 minute opener.Winner: Wardlow
Wardlow impatiently stands by while Spears beats Sydal down with a chair. Spears gets a call from MJF, and they are needed for a celebration.
Tay Conti video promo. She's sick of The Bunny and Penelope Ford getting into her business and challenges Ford to a submissions-only match. Ford is offended by the notion that she needs brass knucks to win and accepts.
Malakai Black video vignette. He lurks around his home, organizing tarot cards and admiring his antique furniture. A masked servant hands him a robe and religious document. Black sprays black mist onto his servant, in a dark baptism type ritual, and puts a chain around his neck. I wonder which free agent is under the mask.
Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida
Shida tosses her kendo stick at Deeb and it bounces off her midsection. Aubrey Edwards restores order for the bell, and they aggressively tear into one another. Shida hits a nifty dropkick from the corner. Shida tries a springboard crossbody from the middle rope, but Deeb reverses into a heel hook. Shida misses a running knee into the buckles, and Deeb locks a Figure Four around the ring post! Some spots never get old. Cue the commercials! They return with Shida angrily unloading punches. Shida's step-up enziguri gets 2, so she hits a vertical suplex. Shida slowly climbs the ropes, allowing Deeb to apply a hanging heel hook. Deeb exposes a steel turnbuckle rod and hangs Shida on it! Stacking powerbomb by Deeb gets 2, so she applies a Last Chancery. Shida hits rolling neckbreakers and a deadlift Falcon Arrow to give them a breather. They trade counters until Deeb gets a half crab. Deeb exposes a turnbuckle, but Shida ends up kicking her headfirst into it. Shida's jackknife ends it at 12:26! Satisfying grudge match, with Serena's dirty tricks coming back to bite her, and Shida pulling off a gutsy win despite an injured leg, ***¾.Winner: Hikaru Shida
Varsity Blondes tell Tony Shiavone that Julia Hart has been traumatized after getting black mist sprayed in her face. Brian Pillman Jr. tells Griff Garrison to not let Malakai Black get into his head. Griff pushes back, Julia is their sister, how can Brian not be as upset as he is? Garrison threatens to break Black's jaw, but it looks like there's some dissension among the jocks.
Highlights of Hook's debut on Rampage. Hey, did you know that his plain white T-shirt that simply states "Hook" is the new best selling shirt on Pro Wrestling Tees? Well, now you do.
Eddie Kingston talks to the camera about his issues with 2point0 and Daniel Garcia. Since Eddie's usual pals are away, he's teaming up with Lucha Bros. and Proud and Powerful to face the trio and two partners of their choosing on Rampage. Sounds like a fun party.
MJF comes to the ring for the main event, but first has some vulgar words for the GD dump that is Garland. He says Texas is anti-education and pro-!ncest. The fans chant for CM Punk, so MJF mocks Punk for his low brow promo last week, where he "made fun of local sports teams for 10 minutes." MJF compares Punk's complaining to Ryback, crowd gives him an ooo for that one and then chants "Shut the F up." MJF was born in 1996 and is the only young talent that matters in AEW. He's about to become a 3-time Dynamite Diamond winner, because he doesn't claim to be the Best in the World, he just is.
Dynamite Diamond Match:
MJF vs. Dante Martin
MJF tries to win with a simple side headlock takeover, but Dante breaks free. MJF stomps the back and does the Flair strut. Dante lights him up with slaps and sends him into the ropes for a monkey flip. Martin hits a Rolling Thunder knee drop! Taz pretends to be glad that "snakey" Dante is out of Team Taz. Dante signals a dive, MJF walks away to lure him into a trap, Dante dodges an elbow drop, but MJF shoves him off the top and into the rails. MJF is in the driver's seat, so it's time for commercials. They return with Martin reversing a powerbomb into a victory roll. Martin springboards onto MJF's shoulders and takes a powerbomb, but Bryce Remsburg catches MJF's rope assisted cover. Missile dropkick by Martin, the fans chant his name. Martin backflips over MJF's charge and then nails a soaring dive to outside. MJF stalls for time, but Martin catches him with another backflip dive. MJF stalls again, so Martin hits a springboard SSP and nearly totally misses MJF, but catches him with his knee! MJF walks away from a double springboard attempt, so Martin cold-cocks him in the face. Martin scores a series of close nearfalls, but MJF comes back with a side headlock takeover. Martin breaks free and hits a sunset flip for 2. They trade more pinning predicaments, and Martin uses the side headlock to his advantage. MJF uses some surprising technical technique to counter into a Liger Bomb, but DANTE KICKS OUT! Dante answers with his double springboard moonsault, but Ricky Starks shows up to put MJF's foot on the ropes in a cover. MJF locks on the Salt of the Earth and wins at 12:35! That finish makes sense considering what Dante did to Team Taz, and I appreciate that at least it wasn't a typical distraction finish, there really was nothing Dante could do. Everything leading up to that was tremendous, playing to both guys' strengths. It's become a well kept secret that MJF is a serious in-ring worker, ***¾.Winner: MJF
FTR join MJF to celebrate, but out go the lights. The fans buzz, probably thinking that a free agent is about to debut, even going as far to turn on phone lights, but instead we get Sting and Darby Allin. They get a bit of a mixed reaction from the fans who wanted Windham, but they shift to chanting for CM Punk, who arrives to save Darby and Sting from a beating. Punk clears the ring with a bat and stands tall with the Stinger. The official match for Greensboro will be Punk, Sting, and Allin vs. MJF and FTR. Hopefully that will sell some tickets.
Final Thoughts: 3 great matches, including an easy MOTYC. And they set up a bunch of big stuff for later. Go watch this now.
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