The first round of the TNT Championship Tournament wrapped up during tonight’s Dynamite. Sammy Guevara squared off against Darby Allin in the first match of the night. Dustin Rhodes faced Kip Sabian in the main event. Dustin vowed to retire if he could not defeat Sabian tonight.
AEW Dynamite Results (4/22)
- Darby Allin def. Sammy Guevara to advance in the TNT Championship Tournament
- Kenny Omega def. Alan Angels
- Orange Cassidy def. Jimmy Havoc
- Wardlow def. Lee Johnson
- Brodie Lee def. Justin Law
- Dustin Rhodes def. Kip Sabian to advance in the TNT Championship Tournament
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s Dynamite:
Darby Allin Advanced In The TNT Championship Tournament
Darby Allin battled Sammy Guevara in a Quarter Final match of the TNT Championship Tournament.
Match Recap: Sammy flipped onto Darby during his entrance and followed it up by throwing him into the ring apron. Guevara launched Darby into the barricade and grabbed a ladder from under the ring.
Guevara set up a ladder from the barricade to the apron and put Allin on top of it. Sammy climbed to the top rope and hit Allin with a Splash that sent both wrestlers to the floor outside the ring.
The match officially started in the ring and Sammy beat down Allin in the corner. Sammy perched Allin up on the top rope but Darby battled back and tied up Sammy in the ropes.
Darby pulled off Sammy’s boot and started twisting his ankle. Guevara collapsed to the mat and Darby continued to target his ankle. Sammy planted Darby with a Cutter and went for the cover but Allin kicked out at two.
Sammy dropped Darby with a spinning back-fist and followed it up with a knee to the face for a near fall. When Dynamite returned, Darby went for a Suicide Dive but Sammy got out of the way and Allin crashed into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Sammy hit a Splash for a two count. Sammy went for a knee strike but Allin countered into the Last Supper for the pinfall victory. Darby will face Cody in the Semifinals in the TNT Championship Tournament.
Matt Hardy Challenged Sammy Guevara To Come To His Compound
Matt Hardy appeared on tonight’s show from his compound. Hardy stated that Jericho was trembling in fear during last week’s episode of the Bubbly Bunch. Matt pointed out that Sammy Geuvara was the only one that had the testicles to mention his name.
Hardy challenged Sammy to come to the compound if he wants to take Jericho’s place. Matt suggested that Jericho speak to the mortal vessel version of himself. Regular Matt Hardy then showed up and said that Jericho was so angry when he had the back of the Elite.
Matt claimed that Jericho was so mad because if he is able to knock out all the pillars in AEW, it creates an opportunity for Chris to sit at the top. Hardy stated that AEW is not a platform for Jericho, it is a platform for the future. Matt vowed to kick Sammy’s ass and every ass in Inner Circle until he gets to Jericho.
Orange Cassidy Picked Up A Win
Orange Cassidy faced Jimmy Havoc tonight on Dynamite. Trent and Chuck were ringside for the bout.
Match Recap: Jimmy controlled the match early and ripped off Cassidy’s jacked. Havoc choked Orange with it before throwing it out of the ring. Havoc then ripped off Orange’s shirt and hit him with a chop to the chest.
Jimmy threw Orange Cassidy out of the ring and then threw him to the barricade. Jericho joked that Jimmy is beating Orange Cassidy to a pulp as Havoc connected with another chop.
Havoc planted Cassidy with a Suplex before bringing back in the ring. Orange tried to fight but Havoc leveled him with a Clothesline for a two count. Cassidy finally battled back and hit a Dropkick. He followed it up with a Crossbody and then a Tornado DDT for a near fall.
Orange Cassidy hit a lazy Splash off the top rope for a two count. Cassidy hit a Superman Punch and got fired up. Penelope Ford hopped on the ring apron but Chuck tripped her up. Penelope did a split and Kip Sabian came out of nowhere and hit a flip. Orange Cassidy then rolled up Jimmy for the win. After the match, Jimmy Havoc planted Orange Cassidy with a Cradle DDT. Kip got in a couple of stomps before Best Friends made the save.
Wardlow Dominated & MJF Revealed Why He Hasn’t Been On Dynamite
MJF spoke from outside his “rat’s” house in Cape Cod about not being on Dynamite recently. He pretended to get choked up and claimed that he suffered a very serious injury while gambling during his last appearance on Dynamite. MJF stated that he suffered a hangnail that became life threatening. MJF vowed to return to Dynamite soon. MJF’s arm was in a sling and his finger was wrapped in a scarf.
Wardlow then battled Lee Johnson on Dynamite. Wardlow showed off his power and hit a ridiculous Powerslam before launching Johnson across the ring with a release Suplex. Wardlow planted Lee with an Airplane Spin for the quick victory.
Opinion: Wardlow has been very impressive in the couple of matches he has had so far on Dynamite. As for MJF’s promo tonight, it was great as always. His splint wrapped in a scarf was a great touch.
Dustin Rhodes Advanced In The TNT Championship Tournament
Dustin Rhodes faced Kip Sabian in the final match of the first round of the TNT Championship Tournament. Rhodes said he will retire if he cannot defeat Sabian tonight. Brandi Rhodes and Penelope Ford were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Dustin tried to shake Kip’s hand before the match but Sabian declined. Rhodes controlled the action early and locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Sabian broke free and booted Rhodes in the face for a two count as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Sabian was still in control and was targeting Dustin’s knee. Kip stomped away on Dustin’s knee on the corner before hitting a Dropkick for a near fall.
Rhodes battled back with a punch for the face and went for a Slam but his knee gave out. Sabian fell on top of him for a two count before applying an Arm Bar. Sabian missed with a Dropkick but caught Rhodes with a Lariat for another two count.
Kip applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but Dustin was able to battle to his feet. Rhodes unloaded some punches but Kip sent Dustin back to the canvas with a boot to the head.
Dustin hit a Spinebuster and followed it up with a Clothesline. Rhodes connected with an Atomic Drop and then a Bulldog. Rhodes planted Kip with a Powerslam and went for the cover but Sabian kicked out at the last moment.
Kip connected with a DDT for a two count. Sabian taunted Rhodes before unloading several punches to his face. Referee Aubrey Edwards broke it up as Brandi and Penelope battled in the ring. Brandi hit a Spear and rolled Penelope out of the ring. Rhodes capitalized on the distraction and hit the Code Red (Destroyer) for the pinfall victory. Dustin Rhodes advanced to the semifinals and will face Lance Archer next.
Opinion: This week’s episode of Dynamite was another solid show. The wrestlers acting as the crowd continues to make a difference and the TNT Championship Tournament provides a reason to tune in every week. As of now, it seems likely that Lance Archer and Cody will meet in the finals of the tournament. In order for that to happen, Cody will have to defeat Darby Allin and Archer will have to defeat Dustin Rhodes.
If Archer beats the hell out of Dustin, it would make his rivalry with Cody even more personal. Darby Allin is a fan favorite and he showed his frustration recently by slapping Cody after suffering a loss in a tag team match. There are several layers to the TNT Championship Tournament and I think it has been very well done so far.
