AEW Dynamite was a great show, with some outstanding vignettes, good matches and a strong sense of energy ahead of All In. The highlight between the ropes was an excellent 3 way for the number one Casino spot, while the highlight beyond it was probably Mariah May’s superb and poetic vignette on Toni Storm. The show could’ve been structured better, with a lame DQ ending stunting a great tag match and vignettes and matches being lopsided in a manner that gave the show occasionally weird pacing. The Jericho Hook segment was also very poor, and some of the backstage promo work left a little to be desired. However, the show was very consistent in it’s match quality and advanced most of the big stories well ahead of next weeks PPV, so it can overall be considered a very successful show.
Tonight on AEW Dynamite, The Acclaimed finally take their shot at The Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Championships. Mercedes Mone also faces an AEW Original in Hikaru Shida for the TBS Championship. Elsewhere on the card, Wheeler Yuta takes on Swerve Strickland, Hangman Page battles Jay Lethal and Hook gives his first address. Lets get at it!
GREAT Hikaru Shida vs Mercedes Mone
This was a very solid opening match between two great talents, but one which could’ve been even better with more time. A lot of good work around meteora’s and knee work, but while the work was good it was just a tad slight considering the top quality we expect from both of them. A good match to set up a better one down the road.
Result:Mercedes Mone by Pinfall via Mone Maker
David Sheldon WR Star Rating – 3.5 Stars
GOOD Hangman Page vs Jay Lethal
This had a hot open and a good story of Lethal working from underneath. Hangman plays a great bully throwing Lethal around, and I enjoyed Lethal’s attempts to comeback, despite Hangman never seeming in any danger. I do wish there was even more comeback though just to supercharge it in the final 3rd.
Result: Hangman Page by Pinfall via Buckshot Lariat
David Sheldon WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
Excellent video package for MJF vs Ospreay showing the journey’s of both men. Really exciting way to build the match.
PAC cuts a usually brilliant promo saying he’ll face the winner of that match at All Out. I really hope he’s somewhere at Wembley though because I don’t want him to miss his chance to compete in his home country.
Another great vignette, this time from Darby Allin, which was an awesome way to further his match with Perry. This was followed up with an attack on the stage that bleeds into the backstage area. Perry gets ejected after trying to murder Perry before demanding a Coffin match. Fun stip for the big show
In the 3rd vignette in a row, Mariah May cuts this beautiful and poetic backstage vignette burning Toni Storm’s memorabilia. Probably too many vignettes back to back but another very good one here.
Mina Shirawaka reinserted herself back into the May/Storm picture, saying she just hopes no one gets hurt. She struggled with her English on a live mic, but it’s nevertheless nice to see her.
AMAZING Orange Cassidy vs Kyle O Reilly vs Roderick Strong
This was an amazing match, 3 guys that all have huge history with each other and amazing chemistry. Orange Cassidy and Kyle O Reilly are the friendly rivalry taking on the common enemy of Roderick Strong. Some incredible work here with some superb technical wrestling, and a good usage of the multi-man format for some innovation. Good ending as well that furthers Cassidy’s character. All very good stuff.
Result: Orange Cassidy by Pinfall via Crucifix
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 4.25 Stars
Claudio and Okada have a face to face. Neither of them are that great speaking in English but Claudio got the better of the exchange asking for the real Rainmaker.
BAD Hook Promo
If we’ve learned anything from this feud, it’s probably not the best idea to put Hook and Chris Jericho on a live mic together. Stilted, wooden, and with an angry crowd kinda burying the company’s biggest show, this was just a very off and stunted segment, with the only bright spark being Bryan Keith being his usual hilarious self.
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 1.5 Stars
GREAT The Acclaimed vs The Young Bucks
A great match with a shoddy and deflating ending that kneecaps it. The Acclaimed and The Bucks had really good chemistry and played the face/heel dynamic perfectly. The Acclaimed were over, the Bucks were hated, and the work was good. All set up for a 4 or 4.25 star match. And then all that was dealt a hammer blow by a shoddy ending. FTR came out and caused a DQ by attacking The Bucks, which while making some limited storyline sense, was remarkably frustrating. This tactic of causing DQ’s in 3 way feuds is brutally overdone, and we’ve gotta put the brakes on it now. A really excellent match with a very unsatisfactory conclusion.
Result: The Young Bucks by Disqualification
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 3.75 Stars
Beautiful video package for Danielson, which supercharges my interest in this main event to nuclear levels by knowing what’s at stake.
GREAT Swerve Strickland vs Wheeler Yuta
This was a match much more about the story than the action in the ring, with Swerve trying to break Yuta. The knockout ending was superb, and having Danielson cheering on from ringside was a really nice touch. This was a very brutal way to advance the story which I immensely enjoyed, but it wasn’t really the back and forth contest that demands a higher rating. Nevertheless, this made Swerve look like a monster, and continued the fantastic main event feud with Danielson
Result: Swerve Strickland by Referee Stoppage
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 3.5 Stars
Overall…
AEW Dynamite was a great show, with some outstanding vignettes, good matches and a strong sense of energy ahead of All In. The highlight between the ropes was an excellent 3 way for the number one Casino spot, while the highlight beyond it was probably Mariah May’s superb and poetic vignette on Toni Storm. The show could’ve been structured better, with a lame DQ ending stunting a great tag match and vignettes and matches being lopsided in a manner that gave the show occasionally weird pacing. The Jericho Hook segment was also very poor, and some of the backstage promo work left a little to be desired. However, the show was very consistent in it’s match quality and advanced most of the big stories well ahead of next weeks PPV, so it can overall be considered a very successful show.
Matches: 0.75/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.5/1 Stars
Atmosphere: 0.75/1 Stars
Storytelling: 0.75/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling – August 14th 2024
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here :
