AEW Dynamite 4/19/2023

AEW Dynamite 4/19/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/aew-dynamite-4122023.html 

Jungle Boy comes out to start the show. He goes to talk and Sammy Guevara comes out. Darby Allin the comes out and does the same thing. Darby said he likes Sammy the most of the pillars but said he is the least qualified to fight for the title. Darby tells him that Chris Jericho is holding him back. Darby said JB had to work the least hardest to get here as he was part of the California clique. He said he was jealous of him and said nothing about him intimidates Darby.

JB said he sees kids with Darby's facepaint on and said if only kids knew what he was really like. JB said Darby is rude, anti-social and unfriendly. JB said he's onnly here because he didn't make it as a skateboarder. JB said we don't have the time to talk about what a dirtbag Sammy is and JB said he respects Sammy the most because what you see is what you get. JB says he's still a scumbag POS though. Sammy says JB hates MJF but is just like them. Sammy says both were picked to be here. Sammy said he and Darby ill do whatever it takes to make it.

Sammy talks about both of them winning the TNT title and jumping off of high things. Sammy said they will sit back and watch him become the champ.

MJF comes out and says there will be a pillars tournament. He said the winner of it gets to fight him for the title at Double of Nothing. MJF said Darby Allin gets a bye in the first round and said we will get Sammy vs Jungle Boy tonight. He said they both suck and good luck beating up each other.

This segment wasn't any good. It was just more of the usual whining and "shooting" on each other and talking about things we didn't see on TV.

Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker vs Toni Storm and Ruby Soho

Saraya sprayed Britt's mom while coming out and tried to take her terrible towel.

They fight on the ramp and Ruby is thrown down it. Jamie is thrown into the apron and shouldered over. Jamie double shoulders both of them then hits a double suplex from the ddt position. Toni gets driven into the rails outside then Jamie waves around a terrible towel. Britt jumps off the apron for a panama sunrise but ends up taking an STO off of it.

We go to break and return. Jamie neckbreakers Toni over the knee and tag in the hometown girl, Britt Baker. Britt gets the hot tag in and hits lariats then hits a sling blade. Britt superkicks Ruby then neckbreakers her over the 2nd rope. Britt sto's Toni into the 2nd buckle then takes a german from Toni. Britt hits an air raid crash for 2. Ruby is thrown out then Toni takes a sandwich spinning elbow. Britt double underhook suplexes Toni then Jamie does a sliding lariat for 2.

Toni running hip attacks Britt in the corner then Saraya hits Britt with the belt. Toni hits a short piledriver for 2. Britt is stuck up top and throws Soho down then does a panama sunrise for 2. Britt gets another 2 count and puts Ruby in the lockjaw and submits her.

The match was fine and made sense. Britt of course was going to be the big face here and needed to get the win, and she did. 

Wardlow is interviewed. They say this is his hometown too. Wardlow said he reached out to a horseman to even the odds tonight and brought out Arn Anderson. Arn said they took his cards and waller and then they took his title. Arn asked if he wanted to do Horseman type of stuff and said they are going to start playing chess.

The Elite come out. I think Kenny is wearing makeup. He said he wished he could have put the screwdriver in Mox's face instead of the buckle. Kenny said they want them in the ring to settle this like men. Bryan Danielson gets on the mic on the tron. He calls them amateurs and says nobody wants to see them talk. The Blackpool Combat Club then jump the Elite. One of the Bucks dives on Claudio, a Buck is caught calling a spot, then Claudio is superkicked over the barricade and dove on. Matt Jackson does his stupid locomotion northern lights suplexes on the floor. Mox chokes Kenny and Kenny throws him into the rail. Kenny hits a bunch of punches then Yuta hits the injured Bucks' arm with a title belt. Claudio hits a big gutwrench powerbomb on a Buck then Mox hits a death rider on Kenny. Bryan Danielson comes out then Don Callis follows with a chair. Bryan asks what he is doing then Don runs away.

Bryan says Kenny needs to be gone then Don Callis brings out Konosuke Takeshita. Takeshita hiptosses CC over the top. Yuta then takes a knee into a blue thunder and Mox is lariated over the top. 

There was some good, bad and confusing here. Kenny wore make-up for some reason. The Bucks calling spots on camera sucked and the locomotion suplexes were poorly thought out. I really don't get why Adam Cole, Jay White, Brandon Cutler, Nakazawa or others didn't come out to help over Takeshita. The actual fighting had some good parts to it though.

AEW TNT Title - Powerhouse Hobbs (c) vs Wardlow

Wardlow hits corner spears then takes 3 belly to belly suplexes. Hobbs is thrown into the rails outside and goes over them. They go into the seats and Hobbs is thrown over over the barricade. They go to PiP break and Wardlow spears the steps. Hobbs hits forearms then does a top rope frogsplash for 2. Hobbs hits mounted punches and chokes him. They go up top then Wardlow hits a top rope swanton. They trade forearms and lariat each other.

Hobbs hits lariats to the front and the back then takes a running lariat. Wardlow germans him then headbutts him. Wardlow wins up with a clothesline then he girl with QTV gets on the apron. QT Marhsall cutters Hobbs then Hobbs spinebusters Wardlow for 2. QT is in the ring then Arn Anderson gets in. He makes a gun sign with his fingers then Penta superkicks QT. Arn then ddt's QT and Wardlow powerbombs Hobbs. Wardlow hits another powerbomb on Hobbs and wins it.

I don't really see what the Arn and QT stuff added to this. This was kind of a lose-lose situation as neither guy needed to lose and someone was going to. Wardlow getting the TNT title before hurt him and it forces another situation where he will eventually have to lose it or give it up. The match was good with the two mostly sticking to hoss stuff.

Christian Cage comes out with Luchasaurus after and they stare at him.

Sammy Guevara is interviewed. MJF comes in and says he has always kind of liked him. Sammy asked what he wanted and MJF said he offers him a guaranteed spot in Double or Nothing if he purposely loses. He offered MJF a blank check. Sammy wrote some number on it and MJF agreed to it. MJF wanted to hug and Sammy said friends don't shake hands, they hug. Sammy then hugged him. 

Jay White vs Komander

Jay kicks him and footchokes him in the corner. Shawn Spears is shown watching for some reason. Komander spinning back high kicks him then drops knees on him in the corner. Komander springboards, flips on the top rope, comes back then does rope tricks and does a springboard dragonrana. He botched that twice then maybe botched a rope walk attempt. Komander landed on a moonsault attempt and was dropped body first on the apron.

We went to PiP break. Jay chopped Komander outside and Shawn gave it a 4 and a 6. Jay slams Komander and Shawn gave it a 6. Jay hits more chops then gets stuck up top. Komander grabs his arm and gets a finger to the eye. Komander enzugiri's him and Jay falls to the floor. Komander hits a superkick and walks the top rope into a 180 dive. Komander does a rope walk ssp for 2 then does a springboard phoenix splash for 2. Komander got on Jay's back and pulled the arm, then took a sleepr suplex. Jay then hit a bladerunner and won it.

This wasn't that good. It went long, the crowd wasn't that interested and Komander had multiple sloppy moments. Jay also didn't get a ton in. I have no idea why Shawn Spears was involved in this or why he needs to be on TV.

Juice Robinson pulls out Shawn Spears from the seats after. Spears and Juice get in the ring and fight and Jay joins. Ricky Starks then comes down and spears Juice. Starks had the silliest run in ever here as he looked like he was wearing sandals.

FTR were interviewed. We see The Trustbusters beat up Mark Briscoe. Mark is getting worked on and Jay Lethal's crew are there with him. Mark said he's ready to roll now and asks who is coming with him. FTR and Lethal's crew fight over him. Mark then said FTR should team up with Lethal and Jarrett and they agreed.

Adam Cole and Chris Jericho came out. Adam Cole's mom was out there. Cole said he had a lot of respect for him and they shook hands. Jericho said he has no respect for him and calls him arrogant. He said he's lucky he doesn't slap him right now. Cole asked him who the real Chris Jericho was. Cole said the real Jericho is an insecure, stupid, idiot.

Cole said he had his attention, so now what? They argue over whether Jericho is a jag off. Jericho said you never want to meet your idols. Jericho said he shouldn't want to have anything to do with him and said if he's smart, he will go away and get out. Jericho is asked what he will do about it, then he pushes him. Cole stomps on him then is jumped by Daniel Garcia. Britt Baker comes down to make the save and slaps Jericho. Then the Outcasts surround Britt and beat her up.

Cole is handcuffed to the bottom rope then Saraya hits Britt with a kendo stick. Britt was barely hit here which really hurt this angle. I just didn't really buy the Outcasts and the JAS working together.

The Hardy's, Hook and Kassidy do a promo. Matt said they are in charge and said to keep our phones on to find out about the Final Deletion. Jeff said he will address the crowd on Rampage and says to be there or be triangular. 

The Acclaimed have to join the JAS if they lose - The JAS vs The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

Hager is thrown into the rail by Hager. Bowens 2nd rope legdrops Menard in the crotch. We go to PiP break and return. Billy Gunn gets the hot tag in and he beats the heels up. Billy misses the fameasser and is slammed. Bowens and Menard punch each other then Bowens superkicks him. Parker hits Bowens with a loaded comb then Menard gets a 2 count off of it. Billy gets the comb and breaks it. Parker takes the arrival and the mic drop and The Acclaimed win it.

It was a short and nothing match that was mostly cut off by the break.

Pillars Tournament 1st Round - Sammy Guevara vs Jungle Boy

Sammy is immediately dropkicked out and tope'd. Sammy then corkscrew dives on him. MJF is watching on the tv then JB hurricanrana's him off the apron. JB goes up top and takes a top rope spanish fly and we see Darby is watching from the rafters. Sammy is flipped on the apron and lands on his feet then they trade shots. JB comes off the 2nd rope and takes a knee. Sammy then spanish flies him off the apron to the floor.

We go to break and return. JB hits a lariat then sunset bombs him on the apron. JB jumps off the top and catches him with a canadian destroyer for 2. JB gets crotched on the top buckle then Sammy flying back cutters him. Sammy flips JB into a ddt in one of the most dangerous looking moves I've ever seen. Of course, it was only good for a 2 count. JB blocks his GTH then poisonrana's him.

Sammy poisonrana's him and hits an elbow to the back of the head. They slap each other on their knees. JB gets up top and Sammy dropkicks him onto a table. JB nearly avoids the 10 count to get in then Sammy grabs the ref, MJF hits JB with the Dynamite diamond ring and JB is counted out.

MJF and Sammy hug after and MJF puts Sammy on his shoulders.

This was an awful indy style match where they did way too much. Lots of head bumps here and other stuff that didn't mean a thing. Interrupting the ref also means the count restarts, but the count didn't restart here.

Overall thoughts: The opening was the usual four pillars whining. The BCC/Elite fight had issues but the rest was okay enough to overcome it. Wardlow/Hobbs was good. Komander/Jay didn't help anyone. The JAS/Outcasts angle didn't work and the main was an indy spotfest.