AEW Dynamite aired live from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was the final episode of Dynamite in 2019. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
PAC Played Mind Games With Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega and Hangman Page battled the Lucha Brothers tonight on Dynamite. Omega and Hangman started off in control as the crowd chanted “cowboy sh*t!”. Page and Pentagon traded chops and then Omega hopped in the ring. Kenny and Hangman leveled the Lucha Brothers with a series of chops and then Omega tagged in.
Omega flipped onto Lucha Brothers outside the ring and took a jog up the entrance ramp as the crowd chanted “AEW!”. Hangman Page tagged in and Pentagon sent him to the apron. Fenix grabbed Page’s legs and Pentagon leveled him with a Superkick. Fenix hit Page with a Double Stomp and then Pentagon went for the cover but Omega broke it up.
Fenix took out Hangman ringside and followed it up with a Suicide Dive onto Omega outside the ring. Back in the ring, Fenix caught Kenny with a kick to the face but Omega shrugged it off and connected with a Powerbomb. Omega followed it up with a running knee to the face and both men fell to the canvas.
Pentagon ran into the ring and shoved Hangman off the apron and into the barricade. Fenix distracted referee Aubrey Edwards and Pentagon hit Omega with a cheap shot. Hangman tagged in and hit Fenix with a Fallaway Slam and followed it up with a Crossbody onto Pentagaon.
Hangman knocked Fenix to the outside and hit a Suicide Dive as another “cowboy sh*t!. Back in the ring, Page set up the Lucha Brothers in opposite corners and hit them with a couple of Splashes. Lucha Brothers took back control and isolated Hangman in the ring.
Page battled back and planted Pentagon with a Fallaway Slam off the second rope. Omega joined the party and Powerbombed Fenix onto Pentagaon in the corner. Omega hit Pentagon with a Spinebuster for a near fall. Pentagon battled back with a Slingblade but turned around into an elbow from Page.
Kenny planted Fenix with a Snap Dragon Suplex and hit Pentagon with a knee to the face. Omega held up Pentagon and Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Pentagon ducked and Page leveled Omega. Lucha Brothers then knocked Page to the outside and hit Omega with a Piledriver/Double Stomp for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Hangman got back into the ring and started arguing. Kenny and Hangman started shoving each other when PAC appeared on the screen. PAC stated that it was time to remind Kenny exactly what he is capable of. PAC entered Michael Nakazawa’s (Kenny’s best friend) dressing room and Omega sprinted backstage as Dynamite went to a commercial break. During the break, the Lucha Brothers attacked Omega backstage until Hangman made the save. Hangman and Omega then went to Nakazawa’s dressing as Darby Allin was shown skateboarding.
Darby Allin Earned His Rematch With Cody
The Butcher and The Blade (accompanied by The Bunny) battled Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin this week. Allin hit Butcher off the apron with a Dropkick and followed it up with an Arm Drag that sent Blade out of the ring.
Butcher and Cody tagged in and Bunny hopped on the apron for a distraction. Blade knocked Cody to the outside, tagged in, and rolled him back in. Butcher tagged in and hit a Leg Drop for a near fall as Dynamite went to a break.
Butcher hit Cody with a Fallaway Slam and Rhodes rolled out of the ring. The Bunny shoved Cody into the ring post as the referee was distracted. Back in the ring, Butcher applied an Arm Bar to Cody in the middle of the ring as Allin fired the crowd up.
Blade tagged in as the crowd chanted “we want Darby!”. Both Blade and Cody went for a Crossbody and both men crashed to the canvas. Allin and Butcher tagged in and Darby didn’t see it. Butcher capitalized with a massive Backbreaker and knocked Cody off the apron. Butcher locked in a Cloverleaf as Cody launched Blade into the steel steps.
Darby escaped and hit Butcher with a Stunner. Cody tagged back in and hit Cross Rhodes but Bunny hopped back up on the ring apron for another distraction. Blade tagged in and Cody sent him out of the ring. Cody and Allin hit dueling Suicide Dives onto Butcher and Blade outside the ring.
Cody brought Blade back in the ring and hit Butcher with a Disaster Kick on the apron. Allin hit the Coffin Drop on Butcher as Cody hit Blade with a Cutter for the pinfall victory. With the win, Darby Allin earned a rematch with Cody. Cody and Allin faced each other at Fyter Fest and the match ended in a draw.
This week’s episode of Dynamite started off with two solid tag matches. Omega, Page, and Lucha Brothers had a terrific match that lasted over twenty minutes. I’m looking forward to seeing the rematch between Darby and Cody.
Jericho Couldn’t Put Jungle Boy Away
AEW Champion Chris Jericho faced Jungle Boy in a 10-minute challenge tonight on Dynamite. Jungle Boy’s family was in the front row for the match and Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt were ringside.
Jungle Boy rolled up Jericho for a one count and followed it up with a Dropkick. Jungle Boy hit Jericho with an Arm Drag and rolled up Chris for a two count. Jericho took control and hit Jungle Boy with a couple chops in the corner.
Jericho hit Jungle Boy with a Codebreaker and decided not to cover him. Jericho threw Jungle Boy to the outside and Jake Hager slammed him into the barricade. Luchasaurus and Jake started trading punches and Marko leaped off the apron but Hager knocked him out with a punch.
Aubrey Edwards kicked out Jurassic Express and Hager from ringside. Jungle Boy went for another roll-up but Le Champion kicked out at two. Jungle Boy hit Jericho with two Suicide Dives and flipped onto Jericho outside the ring. Back in the ring, Jungle Boy connected with a DDT for a near fall.
Jungle Boy connected with a Backstabber for another two count. Jericho went for the Lionsault but Jungle Boy got out of his way and hit a Lionsault of his own for a two count. Jericho leveled Jungle Boy with a Clothesline with three minutes remaining. Jericho hit a Powerbomb and locked in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring with a minute remaining. Jericho kept the hold applied the entire time but Jungle Boy didn’t tap out.
Jericho flipped out and demanded that the match go on for five more minutes. Jungle Boy hit a Hurricanrana for a near fall and Jericho rolled out of the ring. Jericho left the ring and grabbed the AEW Championship. Jericho raised the title and then went backstage.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Jericho on the entrance ramp and brought Jericho saying that Jungle Boy couldn’t last ten minutes with him. Jericho shouted that he said Jungle Boy couldn’t beat him. Jericho stated that they have a giant surprise on the January 1st episode of Dynamite if he decides to join Inner Circle.
I thought this was a great way to build Jungle Boy up. He lasted a full minute in the Walls of Jericho and didn’t give up. Moxley isn’t going to join Inner Circle so their confrontation on January 1st should be great.
Kris Statlander Earned A Shot At The AEW Women’s Championship
Kris Statlander squared off against Britt Baker on tonight’s show. The winner of the match will face Riho for the AEW Women’s Championship on January 1st. Baker went for the Lockjaw but Statlander countered into a roll-up for a two count. Britt connected with a Neckbreaker as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Baker went for the Lockjaw once again but Statlander escaped. Kris connected with a running knee and made her way to the top rope. Statlander hit a Dropkick and went for the cover but Baker kicked out at two.
Britt connected with a Slingblade for a near fall. Statlander planted Britt with a Falcon Arrow and both wrestlers were laid out on the canvas. Baker hit another Neckbreaker and went for a Superkick but Statlander blocked it. Britt then hit the Superkick and went for the Lockjaw again. Statlander blocked it again and hit the Big Bang Theory Piledriver for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Tony interviewed Kris Statlander and congratulated her on becoming the #1 contender. Kris poked Tony on the nose, because she has an alien gimmick and that is how their species communicate (I guess). Brandi interrupted and asked Kris if she was going to join Nightmare Collective. Statlander waved her finger to signal no and Brandi hit her with the spike of her heel.
I hope AEW’s New Year resolution is to put more effort into their women’s division. They have some very talented performers and I’m looking forward to Statlander versus Riho on January 1st. I’d just like to see more promos and segments that explain who these wrestlers are on future episodes of Dynamite next year.
Nightmare Collective has an a great look and Awesome Kong’s entrance with Brandi emerging from behind her is excellent. However, the meaning behind Awesome Kong collecting hair as trophies hasn’t been explained and it seems like a lot of the women’s matches are booked as the cool down before the main event on Dynamite.
SCU Retained & Dark Order Showed Up To Close The Show
SCU (Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) in the main event of this week’s show.
Matt hit Scorpio Sky with a shoulder tackle and sent him to the corner. Young Bucks knocked Scorpio to the outside and isolated Frankie in the middle of the ring. Matt and Nick hit a Powerbomb/Enzigui combo.
Frankie battled back with a Backstabber as Scorpio took out Nick Jackson outside the ring. Sky tagged in and leveled Matt with a Clothesline for a two count. Dueling chants for the Young Bucks and SCU broke out as Nick tagged into the match.
Nick hit a Hurricanrana and tagged Matt back in. Matt connected with an Elbow Drop for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Nick Jackson took out SCU with a Crossbody as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
Frankie hit Young Bucks with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Hurricanrana on Matt outside the ring. Scorpio Sky flipped onto the Young Bucks and then Frankie hit Matt with with a DDT. Scorpio tagged in and went for the cover but Matt kicked out at two.
Matt leveled Scorpio Sky and tagged Nick in. Nick went for a Crossbody but Sky caught him with a Cutter. Scorpio locked in a Sleeper but Matt broke it up. Scorpio Sky hit the TKO and tagged in Frankie. They then hit the SCU Later for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Dark Order’s creepers surrounded the ring and the lights went out. Evil Uno and Stu Grayson and stated that tonight was an initiation. Uno ordered the creepers to put them down and they attacked Young Bucks and SCU. Christopher Daniels rushed the ring but the numbers game caught up to them. Omega tried to help out but there were just too many creepers, including Alex Reynolds and John Silver.
Cody and Dustin rushed the ring but the creepers beat them down as well. Excalibur pointed out that Hangman Adam Page was nowhere to be found as the rest of the Elite was getting their ass kicked. Matt Jackson was bleeding from his mouth and Evil Uno grabbed a microphone. Uno told Matt that he would never doubt him again as the show went off the air.
Young Bucks versus SCU was a massive letdown. These two teams are capable of having a much better match than they had tonight. Dark Order has been running great video packages every week trying to recruit people at joindarkorder.com. However, this fell flat on its face and it resulted in a pretty terrible ending to the final episode of 2019.
I mentioned earlier that AEW’s New Year’s resolution should be to improve the women’s division. Another suggestion would be to stop ending every other show with a brawl of some sort. I feel like I’ve seen Cody sprinting down the entrance ramp with two minutes of Dynamite left far too much already. Dynamite was still a good show tonight and I look forward to watching the show every Wednesday. They definitely have some things to improve though and hopefully that begins on January 1st.