AEW Dynamite aired live form the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois tonight. In addition to the takeaways below, Ray Fenix defeated Trent in a very solid match tonight on Dynamite. It was also announced that The Young Bucks will face Santana and Ortiz next week in a Street Fight.
Here are 6 takeaways from the show:
AEW’s Audio Issues Detracted From The Opening Match
The Young Bucks & Dustin Rhodes battled Santana & Ortiz and Sammy Guevara in the first match of the night. Once again, the audio was all screwed up at the start of the show. One cannot claim that NXT is the minor leagues when All Elite Wrestling has not figured out their audio issues for weeks now.
The Young Bucks dominated the match early as muffled “AEW!” chants could be heard through the audio on the broadcast. Matt planted Sammy Guevara with several German Suplexes. Inner Circle battled back and isolated Matt Jackson. Dustin hit a Crossbody onto Inner Circle as the audio was finally fixed ten minutes into the show.
Sammy Guevara hit Dustin with a 630 Senton but Rhodes kicked out at two. Nick tagged in and connected with a Bulldog on Sammy. Matt leveled Sammy with a Spear. Nick hit Ortiz with a Superkick as Sammy brought Matt back into the ring. Sammy started vlogging and went for a Shooting Star Press but leaped right into dueling Superkicks from the Young Bucks. Young Bucks and Rhodes hit a Senton/ Piledriver combo for the pinfall victory.
While this was a fun match, it is inexcusable for AEW to still have these issues with the audio. AEW clearly wanted to start this show off with a great match but the audio issues made it a tough watch.
Cody Challenged MJF
Cody joined Tony Schiavone in the ring tonight on Dynamite. Cody pointed at the scar above his eyes and said it serves as a reminder of his failure to capture the AEW Championship.
Rhodes brought up The Blade and The Butcher attacking him last week and how nobody is around to help him. Cody suggested a match against Butcher and Blade and added that they can even pick his partner.
Cody stated that he needs to wrestle MJF and claimed that his scarf is fake and joked that he does the worst Cross Rhodes in all of wrestling. Cody said that MJF was nothing but a NWO version of Chris Jericho.
He then said that MJF could have his truck, his watch, his shoes, and a briefcase full of money for a match. Cody added that he still believes MJF is the future but an education is a passport there. Cody stated that all MJF has to do is name his price for the match to happen.
Cody had another excellent promo tonight and this feud with MJF should be very entertaining. MJF responded to Cody with a video posted on social media. MJF stated that he bought the assistance of Bunny, Butcher, and Blade and boasted about winning the Dynamite Diamond ring. MJF bragged about costing Cody his chance at the title and announced that he will pick Cody’s partner in his upcoming match against Blade and Butcher. It was later announced that Cody’s partner will be QT Marshall.
Jericho Will Face Jungle Boy In Two Weeks
AEW Champion Chris Jericho came down to the ring with Jake Hager to begin the 2nd hour of Dynamite. Hager held a bottle of A Little Bit Of The Bubbly as Jericho blasted the crowd for not being as successful as him.
Jericho boasted about 12,000 bottles of A Little Bit Of The Bubbly sold before complaining that he was contractually obligated to have one more match in 2019. Jericho added that because he was champion he gets to choose who is going to face on December 18th.
Chris brought a new list entitled “The Lexicon of Le Champion” and said it was everyone who he refuses to wrestle in 2019. Moxley, Young Bucks, Scorpio Sky, Omega, and Kenny from South Park were on the list. Moxley appeared on the list several more times before the Jurassic Express interrupted.
Jericho stated that dinosaurs and little children were also on the lexicon. Luchasaurus stated that he has a Masters degree in medieval history and that dinosaurs have been marginalized for 65 million years. Luchasaurus added that Marko Stunt is more man than Jericho will ever be.
Chris mocked Jungle Boy Jack Perry for not winning a match in AEW and called him a piece of shit. Jericho claimed that Jungle Boy couldn’t last ten minutes with him. Jungle Boy grabbed the microphone and vowed to kick Jericho’s ass and a brawl broke out. Jericho and Hager then retreated out of the ring and Chris threw another tantrum.
Kris Statlander Defeated The #1 Contender
Kris Statlander battled Hikaru Shida tonight on Dynamite. Statlander cartwheeled around the ring and poked Shida in the forehead. Shida hit Kris with a Dropkick as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Statlander and Shida were battling on the apron. Hikaru hit an Enziguri and followed it up with a running knee of the apron. Back in the ring, Shida hit another Dropkick and went for the cover but Kris kicked out at two.
Shida connected with a Suplex for another near fall. Statlander hit a Clothesline and lifted Shida up in the Electric Chair and dropped her face-first to the canvas for a two count.
Hikaru rolled up Statlander for a two count and followed it up with a knee to the face for another near fall. Statlander battled back and planted Shida with a Tombstone Piledriver for the pinfall victory.
After the match, the lights in the arena went out and Awesome Kong and Brandi Rhodes appeared on the entrance ramp. Brandi said that people loath what they cannot understand because it scares them. Rhodes stated that they make up the Nightmare Collective and told Statlander that she was all up in her business.
Brandi suggested that Kris Statlander join the Nightmare Collective and that she will have a home with them. Awesome Kong and Statlander had a stare down before someone in the crowd shouted that she wanted to pledge. Awesome Kong cut off some of her hair as Dynamite went to a break.
Pentagon Picked Up A Win
Christopher Daniels battled Pentagon Jr. tonight on Dynamite. Daniels attacked Pentagon before the match on the entrance ramp and went for a Piledriver but Pentagon countered into a Back Body Drop.
Pentagon Clotheslined Daniels back into the ring and the match officially started. Daniels perched Pentagon up on the top turnbuckle but Pentagon escaped. Pentagon connected with a Double Stomp to Daniels’ midsection.
Pentagon planted Daniels with a Slingblade and went for the cover but Chris kicked out at two. Daniels hit Pentagon with a Dropkick that sent him to the entrance ramp. Daniels went for a Moonsault but tripped up and fell on the back of his head. Daniels hit the Angels Wings but Fenix ran down to the ring and distracted the referee. Pentagon capitalized with a low blow and a Piledriver for the pinfall victory.
Jericho Sent A Message To Moxley To Close The Show
Jon Moxley squared off against Joey Janela in the main event of this week’s Dynamite. Joey got in some offense early but Moxley battled back with a Clothesline as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
Janela sent Moxley into the barricade when Dynamite returned. Back in the ring, Moxley slammed Janela to the canvas and posed for the crowd. Janela planted Moxley with a DDT on the entrance ramp and followed it up with a Suicide Dive. Joey climbed to the top rope but Moxley caught him with a punch to the face.
Joey connected with a Crucifix Bomb for a two count. Moxley unloaded several knees to the face and leveled Joey with a Clothesline. Janela slammed Moxley’s head onto the turnbuckle and Jon rolled out of the ring. Joey connected with a Splash off the top rope through the timekeeper’s table and rolled Jon back into the ring. Janela hit an Elbow Drop off the top rope and went for the pin but Moxley somehow kicked out at two.
Janela climbed back up to the top rope but Moxley popped up. Jon connected with the Paradigm Shift onto the top turnbuckle and followed it up with another one for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Chris Jericho’s music hit and Jericho was shown on the steps in the crowd. Inner Circle surrounded Jericho as Chris smirked and raised the AEW Championship to close the show.
This week’s Dynamite was fun to watch and was a much better show than last week’s episode. Moxley interrupted Jericho last week after his victory over Scorpio Sky and Jericho returned the favor tonight. Cody’s promo tonight was excellent and Statlander vs. Shida was a great match. Nyla Rose Powerbombed an official through a table and AEW hilariously spoofed Britt Baker’s crowd shot at WarGames.
