AEW Dynamite 5/25/2022

AEW Dynamite 5/25/2022

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/aew-dynamite-5182022.html

Steel Cage Match - Special Ref: MJF - Wardlow vs Shawn Spears

MJF pats down Wardlow and is wearing short shorts with his gear pattern for the ref stripes. The match starts with Wardlow handcuffed. MJF can't find the keys for the handcuffs and Spears jumps Wardlow. MJF finds the key and kicks Wardlow himself. Wardlow then gets double teamed.

Wardlow makes a comeback with a back body drop and a kick on Spears and MJF dares Wardlow to hit him so he gets DQ'd. MJF spits on him then Wardlow breaks the handcuffs. Wardlow throws Spears into the cage. Spears tries to climb out then Wardlow throws him off the ropes and top rope sentons him. MJF then refuses to make the count.

We get a "ref you suck" chant as MJF dares Wardlow to hit him. Wardlow tries to powerbomb Spears but MJF low blows Wardlow. Spears then hits a death valley driver and MJF tries to fast count him. Spears exits the cage to get chairs. MJF holds up Wardlow for a chair shot and Spears nails MJF. Wardlow recovers and then grabs Spears for powerbombs.

Another ref comes down and Wardlow hits a powerbomb on the chair and wins it.

This was very well done and I enjoyed this.

Wardlow goes to powerbomb MJF then security comes down and gets nailed one by one. MJF escapes the cage. Wardlow throws one of the security guys into the cage and he falls down it, hitting his face off the apron. Wardlow then climbs the cage and poses as MJF stares on.

The JAS is in the back and walking. They run into someone wearing a Moxley t-shirt. Lee asks if he knows what happens when you are a Moxley fan and Jericho fireballs him.

We have a face to face with Adam Page, CM Punk and Tony Schiavone. Page says there is nothing Punk can do to take the title from him. Punk says this is business and not personal. Page said he told him he would annihilate and destroy him but said that didn't mean it was at Double or Nothing, but right now. Page said he imagined himself lighting up a pipe bomb and watching it blow up in Punk's face. Page then says now that they are here, he can't do it.

Page says he pities him and says being a champ is more than what happens in the ring, but what happens outside of it. Page says he is at home in AEW and is defending AEW from him. Punk says he still doesn't know why he is so angry. Punk says if he is upset about him being here, he will have to do something about it at the PPV. Punk said the road Page traveled to get here was paved by him and said his home was constructed with lumber by trees he chopped down.

Punk tells Page that he will shake his hand right now. Punk pushes him then Page punches him. Page then leaves.

I didn't really get this segment. It was all over the place and they didn't really explain what was going on here well.

Anna Jay does a video promo on Jade Cargill. She said she learned from the best while she was out and said she will become the champion. Jade says you better bet on Jade because she is money. Jade thinks she doesn't deserve another shot after she beat her up once.

The Jericho Appreciation Society comes out. They cut off their music and say the fans don't deserve to sing their music.

Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley vs Private Party

Eddie is wearing shorts, leg sleeves and nike shoes. Eddie spears Kassidy on the ramp and Mox hits corner punches on Quen. Quen top rope moonsaults him then Eddie punch flurries him in the gut. Eddie powerbombs him and hits a double underhook suplex.

Quen hits an enzugiri on Mox then he and Kassidy double dropkick him. Mox gets some offense in and we go to PiP break. 

We return and Quen springboard crossbodies Mox. He dropkicks Eddie off the apron then does a pop-up dropkick on Mox. Quen then tope cone hilos Eddie and Kassidy dives on Mox. Kassidy hits a 2nd rope cutter on Mox then Quen top rope ssp's Mox for 2.

PP does the silly string then Mox lariats Kassidy. Eddie puts Quen in a stretch plum then Mox hits an elbow flurry on Kassidy. Mox then hits the paradigm shift on Quen to win it.

The JAS jumps Mox and Eddie after, then Santana, Bryan Danielson and Ortiz make the save. Everyone brawls to end the segment.

ROH Tag Titles - FTR vs Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero and Trent Berreta)

Caprice Coleman is at the commentary booth. Cash and Rocky start us off Cash shoulderblocks him and Rocky knocks away a dropkick into a pin attmept. Rocky then does a bodyscissors into a cross armbreaker but Cash rolls out of it. Dax shoulders Trent over and they trade corner chops. Dax drops Cash on Trent for a legdrop then Trent does a release half dragon suplex on Cash.

We go to PiP break with Vice hitting a double suplex on Cash and return. Cash backdrops Rocky then tags out. Dax hits both opponents with punches then is thrown chest first into the buckles. Trent germans Dax twice then Dax reverses him for germans of his own. Vice hits a double jumping knee on Dax. Dax then gets put over the top rope and Rocky dropkicks him off the top as he hangs.

Trent has Dax up for a peach sunrise then Rocky top rope dropkicks him. Jeff Cobb and Great O'Khan then run down and attack and cause the DQ. Cobb and Khan botch a samoan drop into a cutter then Cobb does a tour of the islands slam on Rocky. Cobb then gutwrench powerbombs Dax through a table. Khan tries to claw slam Trent through a table off the apron but Trent bumps before it happens driving himself through the table in a hilarious spot.

The match was okay but nothing too special before the finish. I don't know if having Khan come in and do this was the best move since nobody knows him. Cobb had been in AEW before and infamously lost on his debut and was never seen again. This was not a good debut for Khan with two things getting botched.

The Hardy's do a promo. They said they and the Bucks had similar humble beginnings. Matt says the Bucks are seen as Hardy cosplayers. Jeff says they aren't in their prime but their overprime. He said this is their final run and will be their best run. Jeff then says they want to become the AEW tag champs. Matt says the Bucks will never be better than them.

Ricky Starks vs Jungle Boy vs Swerve Strickland

Stakrs goes outside to watch and Swerve shakes hands with JB. Starks then comes in and pushes Swerve into JB. Starks pushes Swerves boot into JB's face then Swerve headscissors him over. JB tries to walk the top ropoe with Swerve's hand, but he pulls him down. Swerve then puts JB on his shoulders and throws him into a hurricanrana on Starks.

JB then dropkicks Swerve and headflips. Starks evades his opponents on the outside. We go to PiP break and return. Swerve kicks Starks from the apron then JB jumps over the top to hurricanrana Swerve to the floor. JB then running back elbows Swerve and kind of does a fisherman's olympic slam on Starks.

Everyone goes on the buckles and Swerves is pushed off onto the floor. JB poisonrana's Swerve off the top but Swerve lands on his feet. Swerve has JB up for a usplex and Starks spears Swerve. Starks the michinoku drivers JB. Starks hits the roshambo on Swerve then JB STF's Starks. Swerve breaks it up then Swerve top rope footstomps Starks to win it.

Hobbs comes down right after and lariats Swerve then slams JB. Luchasaurus comes down to even the odds then Keith Lee comes down. Hobbs, Lee and Lucha go at it and Lee tornillo's both outside and thuds hard on the ground.  Lee then holds up Swerve's arm.

Three ways are usually spotfests and this wasn't much different. They kept it moving, did their spots and didn't blow anything but there wasn't much logic or anything else to it.

Lambert, Sky and Page do a promo. Lambert said Sky getting his TNT Title broken by Sammy and Tay won't get them a title shot. Lambert said he ordered Sky a new title belt already and said he would have a custom made belt for him on Rampage.

Tony Schiavone interviews Thunder Rosa on the stage. Rosa is wearing red cowboy gear. She says she has worked and earned everything she has. Rosa says Deeb is not a champion. She said Deeb should blame herself and says she doesn't look up to her anymore. Rosa said she will teach her a lesson in respect at the PPV.

Tony interviews Red Velvet. Ruby Soho intervenes when she hears Red say her name. Red gives Ruby a notebook that she implies has tips on beating Kris Statlander. Ruby said she knows Kris is injured but she doesn't need the tips on fighting her.

Owen Hart Women's Tournament Semi-finals - Britt Baker vs Toni Storm

They trade basic holds to start. Toni baseball slides her and hits her with a forearm outside. Toni then rams her into the post and Britt bangs Toni's head off the apron. Britt flatliners Toni on the steps. We then go to PiP break. 

We return and they are trading forearms. Toni then tornado ddt's her and Britt hits a schwein. Jamie Hayter comes down. Britt says no then Toni rolls up Britt. Britt then twisting neckbreakers her for 2. Toni german suplexes her then tornado ddt's her on the floor. Jamie gets on the apron and is knocked off. Toni goes for something, Britt goes over her back and rolls her into a pin while holding the ropes to win it.

This was not good with the two being sloppy and Toni got her nose busted open here. 

Owen Hart Tournament Men's Semifinals - Kyle O'Reilly vs Samoa Joe

They trade strikes to start and wrestle a bit. Joe hits a big chop then some punches. Joe hits a big slam then does an elbow drop. Joe headbutts him and hits a hard back elbow. He then suplexes him for 2. Kyle then twists the arm of Joe and slams it down on the mat. Kyle then hits some knees.

Joe hits another back elbow then Kyle dragon screws him through the ropes. Kyle then knee drops the shoulder from the top. We go to PiP break and return with Kyle hitting kicks on Joe. Joe then kind of steamrollers him in the leg.

Joe hits an atomic drop and sentons him. Joe then hits a stiff lariat for 2. Joe hits some slaps and Kyle armbars him. Joes hits a knee to the face then an enzugiri but Kyle comes back and PK's him. Kyle rolls up Joe but Joe reverses it and chokes him. Joe then gets the win off of it.

Joe is out of shape and doesn't look healthy at all. He was sucking a ton of wind here and was sweating all over the place. Some of the striking was okay but Joe isn't in good enough shape for this right now.

Adam Cole comes out after and poses.

Overall thoughts: The United Empire's debut was a disaster, Joe does not look healthy right now, the Punk/Page stuff didn't really work and Britt/Toni wasn't good. The Wardlow cage match was well done though. I really only blame Tony for the Punk/Page stuff and while the show did have issues, it wasn't the worst or anything but I wouldn't really call it good either.