AEW Dynamite 2/15/2023

AEW Dynamite 2/15/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/aew-dynamite-282023.html 

They had a graphic for Jerry Jarrett, who died today. He was one of the best bookers ever and ran Memphis during its prime.

The Acclaimed, Billy Gunn and Orange Cassidy vs Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, Jeff Jarrett and Sonjay Dutt

Max did a rap referencing Jerry Jarrett, who passed away today. I don't think that was right to do at all and thought it was low brow crap.

This was not good at all and had nonsense with Dutt and OC goofing around. Bowens ended up picking the win over Dutt with a legdrop to the nuts. The Gunn's came out after and talked trash at them from the ramp.

 

Bryan Danielson did a promo on MJF. He said he can't go 60 minutes like he can and said what he did was the end of a scared and desperate man who knows that the boogeyman is coming to take his AEW championship.

Texas Tornado Match - Rush and Preston Vance vs Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli

They started fighting in the crowd. We went to PiP break as soon as it started then returned. Mox had Rush in a figure four on the floor. They got in and Mox got beat up then Cesaro hit his 2nd rope corkscrew euro. Claudio hit the alphamare waterslide for 2 and Rush was catapulted into the rails. Vance was thrown into a chair in the corner then Rush took a double boot and a Mox tope. Mox was then speared off the apron by Vance onto Claudio and Rush. Claudio then had a chair chaired into him.

We returned from break and Mox was bleeding like usual. Vance hit him with a chain for 2. Claudio got the chain and hit Vance with it. Vance then got put in the giant swing.  Everyone got a move in with Vance hitting a spinning lariat on Mox for 2. All four men brawled at the same time then Rush and Claudio had a stare down. Jose hit Claudio with a chair then Wheeler Yuta came down and beat him up.

Claudio took a bad looking belly to belly into the buckles then did a flying spear to Rush for 2. Rush did a plancha and was hit by Claudio on his way down. Mox then did a chain choke + and armbar to tap out Vance.

I liked this one. It was all over the place with the brawling and was a pretty wild fight.

Adam Page was then beat up by Kip Sabian, The Butcher and The Blade after.

Wardlow was interviewed by JR. He put over his dad and said he wasn't in his life for all of his life. Wardlow then said his dad got cancer and was hospitalized. He said he promised to be a better man and then was told he died. Wardlow said this made him grow his hair and said Joe took it from him by cutting his hair. Wardlow then said Joe would not survive him. I wasn't a fan of this one at all. Sob stories are not things people like Wardlow should be doing. 

 

Josh Woods vs Mark Briscoe

Mark was beat up by Nese and Ari Daivari early then the lucha Bros made the save for some reason. Woods hit a twisting suplex off the apron and we went to break. We came back and neither guy was bothered anymore by the apron suplex. Mark facekicked him through the ropes then did a jump off a chair into a tope con hilo. Josh then took a razor's edge which of course didn't end the match either.

Woods hit a chaos theory german for 2. Mark hit an enzugiri then took a pump kick. Mark hit a rolling death valley driver then a top rope froggy bow to win.

I hated this one. They did way too much here and Josh Woods has never been treated as a serious guy, so Mark needing so much time to get rid of him didn't help things out much. I also don't think they did a real great job introducing Mark to people who don't watch indies. 

Renee interviewed Adam Cole. He said he was excited and is almost back. He said he is having small victories like not feeling like throwing up. He said he's happy and has some ideas for opponents, but he didn't want to name anyone.

MJF came out to talk. He called himself the devil and said Bryan was a worthless sack of trash. He said he knows Bryan will give him the match of a lifetime and do everything for the people. He said he would be victorious though and said he is the best wrestler in the world, not Bryan.

MJF brought out Christopher Daniels. Daniels said he was paid a bunch of money to rip Bryan. He then said he wasn't the person he used to be. He put over Bryan and talked about ROH. He said there wouldn't be an MJF without Bryan and ROH. He said Bryan is the best wrestler in the world and said MJF is just a fraud. MJF slapped the mic away then Daniels slapped him. Daniels then took a lowblow and was put in an armbar. Bryan then made the save.

This was long and not particularly interesting. Daniels is still wearing the black contact in his eye and it's still ugly to look at.

The Gunn Club did a promo talking about all the things that were said about them. They talked about how they didn't work the indies for $10 a pop and said Welcome to the Gunn Show at AEW Revolution.

Jungle Boy vs Brian Cage

Cage took a shotgun dropkick in the corner to start then JB dropkicked him out. JB tope'd him and had his tope con hilo caught. JB was then powerbombed on the apron. JB took a big boot to the face then dropkicked him. Cage hit a stiff sitout alabama slam, then a buckle bomb and an F-5. JB of course then kicked out at 2.

Cage was hung over the top rope and was double stomped then JB springboard splashed him for 2. JB then hit a crucifix bomb and a lariat to the back of the head to win.

I hated this. They did way too much here and Cage did the job as he always does.

Christian Cage then appeared on the ramp. JB ran up to him then got sprayed with something. CC then took his arm out of the sling and hit a killswitch on the ramp.

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn interrupted Renee. Bowens said they were screwed and cheated out of the tag titles. They said they are invoking their rematch clause at Revolution and will make the match a 4 way. They said they would take home what is theirs.

The Elite were together goofing around with basketballs. They said it's NBA All-Star weekend then Top Flight and AR Fox walked in. They said they beat them and asked for a rematch. Don Callis said they lost and everyone saw it. Dante said they like to play with balls but don't have any of their own. Matt then hit Brandon Cutler in the nuts with a basketball for some reason as Kenny agreed to the match.

Kip Sabian vs Hangman Adam Page

Page took a suplex into a stunner then Kip hit a cannonball. Kip did cowboy dances and was kicked in the face. Page then hit a fallaway slam and took a baseball slide. Kip did an arabian moonsault to the outside on Page as we went to PiP break.

We returned and Page lariated him over the top. He then threw him into the rails. Page then did a sky high for 2. Page did a lariat and a deadeye for the win.

Not great or anything but it was simple and okay enough.

The Blackpool Combat Club came down after. Mox said he wasn't afraid of him and has his number. Mox said he would never get beat by him again. Page said he wasn't happy with their last match. Page said this ends at Revolution. Mox said Page had no friends then Evil Uno, silver and Reynolds came out. Uno shoved Mox and said he wasn't afraid of him. Mox challenged Page to a Texas Death Match at Revolution. AEW's Texas Death Matches are not real TDM's though as they have different rules.

The JAS were interviewed. Jericho said no more matches with Starks then Garcia said he would be fighting Starks. The JAS called him names and Garcia said he would expose him as an absolute fraud.

We saw Stokeley Hathaway get grabbed by Hook and Stoke said he was injured by Hook. The firm did a promo. Stoke said Hook broke his arm and he wants justice. He said Hook should be fired. Stoke said he was on conference calls with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Tony then said Hook was suspended pending investigation. 

Britt Baker vs Toni Storm vs Ruby Soho

This was the usual three way and it wasn't good. They had a stupid spot where Saraya spray-painted Toni's butt and Toni rammed it in Ruby's face. There was lots of shenanigans with Saraya and Jamie Hayter at ringside and then both Saraya and Hayter pulled on Suby after to get her to go with them. Ruby picked up the win here.

Overall thoughts: Not a good one. AEW is in a real funk right now. None of the angles are clicking at all and it feels like Tony is running on auto pilot. But that's what happens when the norm is for shows to have debuts and big matches - the shows that don't have these things feel second rate.