AEW Dynamite 2/16/2022

AEW Dynamite 2/16/2022

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/aew-dynamite-292022.html

CM Punk was in the ring to talk. He congratulated MJF for beating him twice. He challenged him for the Revolution PPV. He said cage matches are easy and he learned the most in matches he lost. He brought out a dog collar and asked if he would "be my valentine?". He called him out and showed an old picture of MJF as a kid with Punk. He said that was MJF's best day of his life but was just a normal day for him. He then said Revolution would be a normal day for Punk, but the worst day of MJF's life. He said the mat would be stained with his blood. It was a good promo.

Jurassic Express did a promo. Tony said Revolution will have a 3 team match for the tag titles and there will be a battle royale and a casino royale to find the opponents.

Bryan Danielson vs Lee Moriarty

Danielson won here with a triangle choke where he posed during it. They did a Japanese style rookie vs vet match with Lee getting some moves and hope spots in between his beating, before he eventually lost. It was fine but whatever AEW is seeing in Lee, I'm not. I think they have a dozen guys who could have done this same match.

 

Bryan got on the mic after and said he came to teach Lee about violence. He asked if Lee passed or failed then said that is why he doesn't trust the American public with anything. He said he wants to teach people about violence why is why he wants to team up with Moxley. He then asked Mox for an answer.

Moxley came out. He said he was like Lee a long time ago when he was poor, angry and had nothing to lose. He took forever to get to the point and said he isn't saying yes or no. He said he is leaving it up to Bryan and said he won't stand side by side him until he bleeds with him first.

Keith Lee did a promo. He said the Face of the Revolution ladder match is part 2 of his plan and part 3 is to win the AEW title (Part 1 was to arrive and beat Isiah Kassidy I guess).

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match – Qualifier: Wardlow vs. Max Caster

He called Wardlow "MJF's b*tch boy" and did not mention Cody. Bowens grabbed Wardlow's boot and we went to PiP break.

Max hit Wardlow with a chain to avoid a powerbomb then top rope elbowed him. Wardlow knocked Max into Bowens on the apron then hit powerbombs for the win. This was just a squash.

Bowens jumped him after and powerbombed Bowens. Spears then chaired both guys.

Britt Baker and crew and Mercedes Martinez were interviewed. Britt said no losing and told her to finish the job and Rosa. Some guy (Martin Cove) then said to finish her and no mercy. This was supposed the karate coach from Cobra Kai.

Adam Page came out and was immediately interrupted by Adam Cole. Cole said his reign would come to an end soon. Page said it must be hard for Cole to watch his friends build a wrestling empire without him. They argued about friendship and Cole said Page is just "the other Adam". Cole said let the best man win when they finally fight. Red Dragon then jumped Page and Cole jumped in. Security tried to break it up then the Dark Order finally did. 10 of the Dark Order then beat up the security guards and threw one over the top on everyone.

Darby and Sammy did dueling promos and both said the other wouldn't beat them.

Chris Jericho and Jake Hager vs Santana and Ortiz

Eddie Kingston came out to support S&O. Santana hit a flying corner forearm on Jericho and dropkicked him in the back of the neck from the 2nd rope. Jericho was atomic dropped and DDT'd, then Santana moonsaulted Jericho off Ortiz's back. Ortiz was popped up and thrown down by Jericho then was double shouldered.

Hager beat up on Ortiz and then hit a nice overhead belly to belly on him. Hager then hit a vader bomb for 2. We went to PiP break. We came back with Ortiz hitting a lariat on Jericho and Santana got the tag in and cleaned house. Jericho hit a codebreaker on him then Hager hit a big slam for 2. Hager was backdropped to the floor then Jericho bulldogged Santana. Jericho was russian leg sweeped off the ropes for 2. S&O hit a powerbomb/blockbuster combo on Jericho for 2.

Santana did a cannonball of Ortiz's back on Jericho in the corner but was caught and put in the boston crab. Santana rope breaked though. Eddie got on the apron and Jericho springboard dropkicked him. Santana hit a spinning lariat on Jericho for the win.

This was fun little match with S&O getting a lot in. I thought maybe Eddie costing Jericho the match might have been a little more interesting.

Jericho and Eddie brawled for a second before it was broken up.

Undisputed Era and The Young Bucks talked. They said maybe both teams can win spots in the 3 way at Revolution. They then argued over who had better looking kids and Brandon Cutler asked which way Cole will go as they left in different directions. Cole told him to shut up.

No DQ - Mercedes Martinez vs Thunder Rosa

Rosa chairs a pipe out of MM's hands. Rosa is wearing yellow Bruce Lee gear and Rosa is thrown into the steps. MM is then thrown into the rail and it faills back and MM takes a nasty looking fall on concrete. MM is thrown into stuff and Rosa jumps off the rails on her. We go to break and return and MM suplexes Rosa onto a table off the apron that dents and doesn't break.

Rosa hurricanrana's MM off the top and throws a trash can at her. She then puts the can on her head and dropkicks it hard. Rosa goes up top and is hit with a trash can lid. MM then spider german suplexes her. She slips of the top and hits a nasty elbow off the top. Rosa came back with a emerald fusion on the chair and won it. This was sloppy and mostly all weapons shot with little else to it.

They showed each other respect after and Britt Baker and crew came out. Rebel and Hayter jump Rosa as the Cobra Kai guy says "I told you she was weak, finish her". They give MM the pipe and Hayter nails MM as Britt nails Rosa. This thing didn't help MM and she's not off to a hot start in AEW.

The House of Black do a vignette. Black was playing with cards and I think someone new was behind him.

Jay White did a video. He said if Kenny Omega had stayed in NJPW, there would be no AEW. He said it is still his era.

TNT Title - Sammy Guevara vs Darby Allin

They shake hands and do some counters and reversals to start. Sammy backflips over Darby and gets dropkicked. Darby gets dropped on the top rope then flips over the ropes to the floor in a wild bump. Darby then is laying on the top rope and Sammy sentons him and makes him bounce to the floor.

We go to a long PiP break and return and Sammy takes an irish whip into the buckles and smacks his face off it. Sammy is put in the tree of woe but ends up hitting a spnish fly on Darby off the top. Sammy then sold his knee off of it. Sammy tries for a springboard but Darby puts him in the figure four. Sammy and Darby slap each other in the figure four.

Darby blocks a GTH then hits an over the back stunner soon after. Darby then tries to tope him but takes a stunner on the floor. Sammy goes up top and ends up sentoning the apron with no one there. Andrade's assistant came out and Sting got rid of him. Andrade then hit Darby with a tablet. Sammy then hits a GTH and wins it.

I didn't like this one. This was a very dangerous spotfest. They tried an injured knee story here but gave it up to do spots. The Andrade/Darby angle is not working at all and this did little to help that. Sammy's going to have to start bringing something more to the table though besides matches soon.

Matt Hardy ran down after and beat up Darby. Sammy made the save and Andrade hit him with a tablet.  

Overall thoughts: It was alright and was a very heavy wrestling focused show. I thought the Inner Circle match was good and the opener was okay, just not great. I also did like the Punk promo to start, Moxley's promo with DB didn't do it for me.