AEW Dynamite 11/16/2022

AEW Dynamite 11/16/2022

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/aew-dynamite-1192022.html

Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli

They all hockey right to start then trade strikes in and out of the ring. Jericho is sent into the rails then CC goes in. Bryan and CC do stereo elbows on the JAS. Sammy goes his leapfrog routine on CC then dropkicks him. Sammy takes a delayed vertical suplex from CC, Jericho takes a suplex then CC splashes both. Bryan hits kicks on Sammy then is eye raked. Bryan stomps on Jericho's head then CC euros Jericho and does a grounded octopus to him.

Danielson takes a double shoulder then Jericho and Sammy pose. Bryan hits flying kicks on Sammy in the corner then is tripped into the 2nd buckle. Jericho hits Bryan with his bat and we go to PiP break. We return and Bryan is taking a delayed double vertical suplex. Bryan makes his comeback on Jericho and does a flying elbow. CC gets in and flurries with euros on Jericho. CC hits a springboard twisting euro. Jericho comes off the 2nd rope and rolls CC into a crab while Sammy does a phosbury flop to the outside on Bryan.

Bryan sends Sammy into the post then top rope dropkicks Jericho. Sammy hits forearms from Bryan then takes a spinning forearm. Sammy pumping knees Bryan then Bryan goes for a LeBell lock, but is stopped. Sammy cutters Bryan off the ropes then Jericho lionsaults Bryan. Bryan topes Sammy and CC giant swings Jericho while he has his bat. Jericho tries to hit CC with the bat but CC taps him out with the sharpshooter and wins it.

It was long for an opener and it wasn't anything too special. 

We got a video for Mox vs Jericho. Mox calls MJF a child. They say MJF has never done anything in AEW on his own and say Mox proved he is the best wrestler. Mox said he has stared in the void of death and laughs at the idea of MJF doing anything to him.

We get a quick Darby video with him saying it's showtime.

Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and crew say Full Gear won't be showtime, but will be the last time for Darby.

The Acclaimed came out and debuted their new music video with the Big Show dressed up as Captain Insano. We had people pretending to be Swerve and Lee, cutting just as bad of a promo as Lee usually does. 

 

Swerve Strickland vs Anthony Bowens

Billy Gunn jumps Swerve on his entrance. Bowens hits Swerve off the steps and Bowens jumps over his back and drops the leg over his neck. swerve kind of handstands and headscissors down Bowens then dropkicks him. Swerve then runs and backflips over the top on Bowens. Swerve pump kicks him from the apron then drops him on the rail as we go to PiP break.

We return with Swerve armlocking Bowens and doing pushups. Swerve is swept while on the ropes and comes down. Bowens running shoulders Swerve over then olympic slams him. Swerve suplexes bowens then jumping kicks him.  Swerve gets the win with a half nelson sitout driver.

I didn't think this was too good as Bowens just seemed slow and the two styles just didn't mix. Bowens also had a bloody mouth here.

Tony Schiavone interviews Samoa Joe. Joe says Wardlow failed to recognize Joe as the baddest man in the room and because of it, paid the price. He says he refuses to wait around and become a victim. Powerhouse Hobbs comes out and offers to kick Joe's @ss and Joe tells him to come on in. Wardlow then comes out and spears Joe. Hobbs pounds on Wardlow then a bunch of people like the Dark Order, Butcher (of all people), Tony Nese and others try to break it up. Wardlow does a tope con hilo over the top and nails everyone then celebrates in the ring.

Britt Baker does a promo on Saraya. She says Saraya told her she doesn't have what it takes to be a star. Britt says she became a leader in the last three years in AEW and became her own role model. Britt says she didn't wrestle in MSG, but did wrestle in Daily's Place with no fans. She said that's an era Saray will never know. She said Saraya may have paved the ground that she walks on, but that's in the past. She says she is hte heart and osul of AEW and if she thinks she is above that, she can get out.

Top Flight and AR Fox vs Death Triangle

This is AR's Dynamite debut and there was no introduction for it. This was also Darius Martin's return and again, no hype video or anything for it.

Rey Fenix walks the ropes early and he and Darius roll. Fenix goes over the top but gets back in. Fenix back rolls, gets armdragged and they do a kung-fu spot then shake hands. Dante flips over Penta then ddt's and dropkicks him. Pac flips over AR then AR flips over him. They do some rolls and Pac spin kicks him  then AR kips down out of a lariat and then gets up and enzugiri's him.

AR rolls him into a cutter then he runs the apron and flips off the post to moonsault him. AR then top rope swantons Pac for 2. Penta runs into a Darius flatliner then Pac is double launched into a cutter. AR takes kicks and a triple dropkick. Fenix is then rolled onto AR while Pac does a standing moonsault.

We go to PiP break and return. Darius hits lariats on Pac then running PK's him. Darius suplexes him then Darius ddt's Pac off of Fenix and Fenix takes a cutter from Dante. Darius topes on the outside then Dante springboard dives outside. AR then does an inverted 360 springboard dive outside. AR does a seated spanish fly off the top on Fenix then hits a 450 for 2.

Fenix hook kicks AR then double stomps him into a Penta package piledriver. Fenix tope con hilo's Top Flight outside then Pac does his black arrow corkscrew ssp and wins it.

It was what you would expect with tons of flips and highspots. Tons of highlights here, but if you are looking for something with some meaning to it, this wasn't it. Darius losing on his return was dumb and AR losing on his Dynamite debut was dumb.

Pac talks on the mic after. He basically calls out The Elite without saying their names. He says it's ridiculous if they think they can come in and beat them. They say Death Triangle runs from nobody. Penta and Fenix say some stuff in spanish then we see a graphic saying The Elite will challenge for the titles at the PPV.  Pac says they may think they are coming for them, but they have been waiting for them. This was a really bad way to announce The Elite's return.

Ricky Starks does a promo on Lance Archer. He says he will beat him this week on Rampage and not much else in a short promo.

AEW World Title Tournament Eliminator 2nd Round - Bandido vs Ethan Page

Page says he is walking through Bandido then will be the world champ whether it's Mox or MJF.

Bandido headflips out of a wristlock and does a gun hand sign at him. Bandido flips over his back then handsprings and headscissors him. Bandido deadlift suplexes Page and Stokeley Hathaway grabs Bandido's foot. We go to PiP break with Page pounding on Bandido.

We return and Page is tripped into the middle buckle. Bandido leg sweeps him and baseball slides him out. Bandido moonsaults off the post onto Page then tornillo's him off the top. Bandido gets a cutter from the bottom rope for 2. Page goes for a 2nd rope razor's edge but Bandido turns it into a hurricanrana then does a one arm gorilla press slam. Bandido then frogsplashes him for 2.

Bandio is brought down off the buckles and takes a hard bump down. Page slams Bandido off the 2nd rope then flying shoulders him from there. Page hits a razor's egde and wins it.

This was just missing something. I thought it was a little short and Page got a bunch of offense in when Bandido probably should have been the one getting that in.

We get a video on Jungle Boy vs Luchasaurus.

Saraya is interviewed. She said she feels fantastic and said she wanted to be here. She said she doesn't want to talk about this anymore and will see her at the PPV.

We get promos for Eddie Kingotn/Ortiz vs Akiyama/takeshita. Eddie talks about how he wanted to fight Akiyama and Takeshita says he will show us DDT Pro Wrestling style. Eddie tells them to bring it.  

AEW Interim Women's title - Toni Storm (c) vs Anna Jay

The Bunny was supposed to be in this one over Anna. Anna avoids Toni early and poses then takes a side headlock. Toni chest kicks Anna then monkey flips her. Anna does her roll into a headkick. We go to break and return with Toni hitting a Thesz press on Anna. Toni lariats her then does a perfectplex for 2. Toni hip attacks Anna off the apron onto the floor. Toni then is sent into the steps and takes a gori special drop out there. Anna does another gori special drop in the ring for 2. Toni dropkicks Annathen running hip attacks her. Toni puts her in a texas cloverleaf and wins it.

This wasn't good and the crowd didn't care at all.

Jamie Hayter, Britt and Revel come out after. Jamie goes up to Toni and they argue. Toni holds up her belt and go face to face.

Mox and Regal come out. Mox says he has taken everyone on and is the best champion in the world. He said he is sick in the head, loves pain and you can't get in his head. 

Mox says MJF has beaten one person in the last few months, he rips him for winning his title shot with help in the ladder match and says he isn't shaking in his boots. He says MJF is living in fear and challenges MJF to show some guts. Stokeley Hathaway and The Firm come out and jump Mox and Regal.

MJF comes out and beats up The Firm then threatens them if they don't leave. MJF said he didn't save him because he likes him, but because he doesn't want any excuses being made for when Mox loses. MJF said he's tougher now than when he was last time they fought and said he needs the belt more than anything. He does his usual nonsense with talking about the devil and tries to say his line at Mox, then Mox interrupts him. Mox says the training wheels come off at the PPV and they go face to face to close the show.

Overall thoughts: It was a wrestling heavy show with questionable booking decisions as usual like Darius Martin and AR losing in their return/TV debut. Bandido shouldn't have lost and MJF is the only real heel in the company, yet is trying to be a face. It has been a cold run up to the PPV for AEW and hopefully things can get back on track next week.