AEW Dynamite 5/3/2023

AEW Dynamite 5/3/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/aew-dynamite-4262023.html

Adam Cole, Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong and Bandido vs Jericho Appreciation Society (Jake Hager, 2.0 and Daniel Garcia)

Strong and Garcia starts off by trading shots. Garcia is stomped on in the corner then Cole stomps on Parker in the corner. Bandindo powerslams Parker then Menard shoulders him over. We have an 8 man stand off then a brawl. People get sent ino the rails and Cole has his head banged off a table. OC wraparound ddt's Hager then tries to tope him, but is caught and put into the post. Bandido then does a tope con hilo. Cole heads up the ramp to go after Jericho but gets nailed along the way. Bandido double suplexes 2.0

We go to break and return. Garcia dances then Hager bearhugs OC and shoulders him. Strong gets the hot tag in and beauts up on the heels, slamming Parker onto Garcia's back. Strong olympic slams Hager then Garcia puts OC in a sharpshooter. Cole superkicks Garcia then Bandido one arm gorilla presses Menard. Everyone starts hitting moves. OC screws around with slow motion chops then he and Bandido tope opponents. Cole hits a knee from behind and wins it.

Cole then heads up the ramp and spears Jericho through a curtain and pounds on him. They fight and security has to break it up.

This was a long one, going north of 15 minutes. OC did his usual goofing around here in what was supposed to be a grudge tag match and Strong really wasn't featured that much despite this being his AEW debut. Cole picked up the pinfall here when Strong should have. Nobody really cared that much about Strong.

Darby Allin and Jungle Boy were interviewed. JB said they don't like each other but they have a lot in common - they worked hard and have been here since Day 1. They said they never main evented a PPV either and Darby said he didn't care how they got there, but they are walking into Double or Nothing as #1 Contenders.

We went to break and returned to Adam Cole being kicked out while in his wrestling gear and Britt Baker slapping Chris Jericho. Britt pulled his shirt down and Jericho fell down in a lame moment.

The Blackpool Combat Club did a promo. We couldn't hear the first part of it due to sound issues. Bryan said he was better than Bret or other legends were. He said there will be wrestlers better than him because of what they built. Bryan said he hoped Yuta would be better than him and called him, "that little sh!t". Bryan said he wants AEW to be the best wrestling company ever. Mox said The Elite should thank them for sharpening them just as they sharpen each other.

Saraya vs Willow Nightingale

Willow hits shoulders early then dropkicks her off the 2nd rope. Willow hits a chop in the corner then Toni grabs Willow's boot. Saraya kicks Willow from the apron. Willow gets beat up outside by Toni and Ruby and we go to break.

We return and Willow rolls her up. Willow death valley drivers her but Toni and Ruby get on the apron. Willow throws Ruby in then pounces her. Saraya lifts Willow up like a suplex and does a stiff ddt on her to win.

This was mostly all cheating and it was kind of short.

Willow gets beaten up after. Hikaru Shida comes out for some reason and makes the save in Japanese style sandals where you can't run fast. She hugs Saraya and the outcasts. Shida is given spray paint. Britt and Hayter come out and Shida sprays the Outcasts and hits them with a kendo stick.

The House of Black do a promo. They say change starts when people act. They say welcome to the open house and say no shortcuts, escapes or mercy. They talk about the rules of the battle royale.

Tres De Mayo Trios Battle Royale

The Acclaimed ended up winning this one. It went a little longer than it needed to, but it didn't have the confusing rules that these AEW battle royales often have. The lucha guys tried to do some flying here even though the ring was very crowded. It was just a battle royale for the most part and one of AEW's least offensive ones.

Sammy Guevara was interviewed. MJF walked in as he started to talk. Sammy said MJF left him in the car and said friends don't leave friends. MJF teared up and said he has chronic back pain from carrying the company on his back and needed to lay down in the back seat. MJF said he's a horrible friend and Sammy deserves better. Sammy kisses him on the head and said he should have never doubted him. Sammy then called everyone marks and MJF said Sammy would lay down for him at Double or Nothing. they then hugged in a stupid segment.

Kenny Omega did a promo with Don Callis. Don complained about the scar he got from Mox and said everyday he thinks about him. He said Mox may have the heaviest hands, but loses in a battle of will and talent. He said he's a sociopath and said it's all coming to the end. Kenny said everything comes to an end in Detroit and said he made htis personal. Kenny did his usual low energy promo here not even sounding like he cared.

Wardlow vs Logan Larue

Wardlow gorilla presses him into a spinebuster then does a wind-up lariat. Wardlow powerbombed him multiple times and got the win in an easy squash.

Wardlow got on the mic then said he's not done yet. Wardlow called out Luchasaurus. Lucha came out with Christian and they talked about Christian getting a title shot. Wardlow issues an open challenge even though he's the champ and it was accepted. Christian said he would be getting the shot though and not Lucha. This was a weird segment that didn't make any sense.

Jay Lethal and crew went to Mark Briscoe's house. They came to apologize for the misunderstanding and came to help out on the farm. Satnam Singh and Sonjay were wearing overalls. Jarrett was playing songs on the guitar for Mark's kid then Papa Briscoe came in. Papa said Lethal is okay but to keep an eye on the rest of the clowns, especially the idiots in the overalls. Dutt said they got Mark a singles match and it sounded like they set up a Lethal/Jarrett vs FTR match at Double or Nothing. This was good segment and Papa Briscoe was great.

Juice Robinson vs Ricky Starks

Starks nails Juice and hits punches. Starks lariats him over the top and Juice goes hard into the rails with his head whiplashing. Starks back body drops Juice on the floor then Starks gets sent into the steps. Juice slams Starks on the floor then Starks goes up the ring steps and slams Juice on the floor.

We go to break and return with Juice taking a big back body drops. Starks tornado ddt's him then suplexes him. Stakrs comes off the top and Juice gets his knees up. Juice cannonballs Starks in the corner then hurricanrana's him off the top. Juice then lariats him for 2. Juice hits a double chop to the throat then Stakrs spears him. Starks hits a roshambo and wins it.

I didn't like this one. That slam from the steps looked really lethal and meant nothing here. This was also on the shorter end with the break eating up a lot of this.

Jay White jumps Starks after. Starks gets the edge and goes for the roshambo but Juice has to save Jay White. If they see Jay as a top star, they are not booking him like it.

We get a montage of the Firm vs Hardy's and Kassidy segments to hype up their Firm Deletion match on Rampage this week.

Jungle Boy is getting hyped with Darby in the back. Darby leaves and MJF comes in. He says JB is twice the wrestler Sammy is and tells him to betray Darby tonight because he is not world champ material. He said he will give him a spot next to the throne. JB says no and says he will be the champ at Double or Nothing. Darby Allin then walks in and asks what this is all about. JB says we got this and Darby says, "I got this".

Four Pillars Tag Team Match - If Darby and JB win, they get in the Double or Nothing Main Event - Jungle Boy and Darby Allin vs MJF and Sammy Guevara

Sammy shoulders over JB then JB flips off the ropes and armdrags him. Darby and MJF go at it. Darby rolls him up and springboard armdrags him. MJF goes out to stall with Sammy. Darby and JB double elbow MJF. Sammy knees Darby from the apron and MJF blindsides Darby. Sammy chokes Darby with a scarf then Darby chokes Sammy and later MJF with the scarf. Darby does a stunner over the top of MJF then MJF throws JB into the rails outside.

We go to PiP break and return. MJF tries to hold Sammy's arm during an abdominal stretch and the ref kicks MJF's arm, sending him falling to the floor. JB top rope crossbodies his opponents then lariats boht at the same time. JB topes MJF then topes Sammy too. JB hits more dives on both then Darby topes Sammy into the rails. JB hits a stiff tiger driver on Sammy for 2. Sammy top rope spanish flies JB for 2.

MJF tries to throw Sammy off the top on JB, but JB moves. Darby code red's Sammy after strikes then tries to do the same to MJF but takes a stiff sitout powerbomb. JB puts MJF in the STF, but Sammy breaks it up.MJF and Sammy tease doing stereo dives but MJF doesn't dive with Sammy. MJf hits a very stiff hammerlock ddt for 2.

Sammy swantons JB and MJF steals the pinfall attempt for 2. MJF had tagged himself in then Sammy tagged himself in as MJF hit a powerbomb on his knee. Sammy and MJF argue. MJF slaps him and Sammy superkicks him. JB rolls up Sammy then superkicks him. Darby blind tags himself in  then Darby top rope coffin drops Sammy for the win.

I liked this one. I didn't like the top rope spanish fly spot but they did a nice job of establishing the various rivalries going on here and kept things interesting.

Overall thoughts: I liked the main and the farm vignette, but that's about it here. OC did his usual goofing around ins his match, the battle royale wasn't anything special like usual, the girls weren't good and Starks/Juice had issues.