AEW Dynamite 9/6/2023

AEW Dynamite 9/6/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/aew-dynamite-8302023.html

Orange Cassidy comes out to talk. He said he was told to stay home and sadly says he will be here every single week. He then says his catchphrase and that's it.

AEW International Title - Jon Moxley (c) vs AR Fox

AR kips down out of a lariat and enzugiri's him. Mox hits chops then AR springboard dropkicks him. AR then suicide dives him. AR goes to springboard and is kicked down then Mox does a standing release suplex. Darby Allin and Nick Wayne are watching on TV in the back. Mox is then ddt'd as he leans over the 2nd rope. AR is thrown into the rail then over the rail.

We go to break and return. Mox kicks him while he's down then takes an enzugiri. AR kicks him into the gut then neckbreakers him. AR rolls him into a cutter for 2. AR moonsaults off the post with his foot onto Mox. AR 450's him for 2. Mox hits downward elbows then AR enzugiri's him. Mox hits a big lariat then a death rider to win it.

I don't like AR losing on the first match after his turn back to face. AR hit his spots here like usual and Mox didn't get a ton in prior to winning this.

AR is congratulated by Darby Allin after. We see Nick watching backstage then Christian and Luchasaurus go up to him. Christian says he owes him an apology. He says his dad was worse than he thought he was. Christian says he knows he' looking for a mentor and says maybe he should be looking at a champion instead of Darby. Christian then tells him to say hi to his mom for him.

TBS Title - Open Challenge - Kris Statlander (c) vs Emi Sakura

Emi really wanted to be on All In and wasn't, and I think this is some kind of consellation prize. This match is out of nowhere. Emi tiger drivers her then crossbodies her off the apron. Emi crossbodies her against the steps. They trade chops inside and lariat battle. They then lariat each other at the same time. Kris slingshot elbow drops her then emi reverse ddt's her. Emi double underhook piledrivers her. Kris electric chair forward drops her then running lariats her. Kris then half-package tombstones her and wins it.

It was short and it was fine. Emi got a lot in here.

The Kingdom and Roderick Strong are interviewed. He said his parents didn't know how to be parents and said the hrdest part of childhood was taking care of himself. He said wrestling gave him the chance to be himself. He said wrestling isn't just a business, it's everything to him. He said Adam Cole knew that though. He said he grew up alone and will win the Grand Slam Tournament alone.

Aussie Open vs Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara

Mark takes chops from Jericho then shoulders him over. Mark takes a double shoulder block then Sami and Jericho pose together. Mark cartwheels out of an irish whip then hits a double clothesline. Sammy takes snake eyes then Kyle slams Sammy. Sammy backflips over Kyle then dropkicks him.

Kyle takes a delayed double suplex. We go to break and return. Jericho shoulders over Mark. Jericho takes a sandwich forearm then Sammy comes off the 2nd rope to cutter Mark. Jericho codebreakers Kyle for 2. Jericho springboard dropkicks Kyle on the apron then Sammy tornillo dives outside. Jericho accidentally plancha's Sammy outside then Sammy and Jericho have their backs banged into each other.

Jericho takes an aussie arrow then Sammy standing spanish flies Mark. Jericho takes a superkick from Kyle then Kyle brainbusters him for 2. Jericho knocks Sammy off the apron on accident then hits a judas effect on Mark for the win.

It was fast paced and there was a lot of action. They followed up on the Sammy/Jericho stoyline here which was good.

Sammy and Jericho push each other and security comes down to stop it. 

Ricky Starks talks over highlights of the strap match. He said he proved a point to Danielson and AEW. He said he doesn't want to have keep pouring his heart out because it will be empty eventually. He says he is absolute and is everything he says he is.

Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita are interviewed by Renee. Don has a painting hidden there and Don says KT is the new big dog AEW. He says the next target is behind the cover on the painting and says not to reveal it yet.

MJF comes out to talk. He said he used to live in Indiana when he was on the indies. MJF said he is going back to New York for AEW Grand Slam. He then said someone needs to be taught a lesson and Samoa Joe comes out. Joe asks him what seems to be the problem and calls him kid. MJF said Joe came out here so fast because he confused his entrance music for an ice cream truck. Joe said MJF seems upset and asks him what the problem is again. MJF asks if people want to hear him be creative and he calls him the "Pillsbury Doughboy" and "Samoa Dough". Joe calls him kid again and MJF threatens to knock his teeth down his throat over it.

MJF said Joe wants to get him mad. MJF says when he was 19, he tried out for WWE and said he knocked it out of the park. MJF said he would have been signed but he was too young. MJF said he stopped replying to him and he knocked him back to where he belongs in WWE here. He said he was given a chance to be a security guard for Samoa Joe in WWE. He said Joe then shoved him into a brick wall and laughed.

MJF said he's a grown man and Joe can't do that anymore to him now. MJF tells him to stay out of his way or he will kill him. Joe said he didn't think of him as a kid, he thought of him as a little b!tch. MJF slaps Joe. Joe said he will go through the tournament and beat everyone in it, then is coming for him. He tells him to have a nice day. MJF then exits through the ropes and has the ropes kicked into his crotch. MJF low blows him and stomps him. Joe hits a corner uranage then Adam Cole comes to make the save. MJf holds his neck as doctors come to help him. Joe then gets on the mic and says he will tear him into pieces the next time he gets in front of him.

Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and The Kingdom then have words while Adam goes up the ramp. He says MJF is not okay and Strong says he is not okay. 

Grand Slam Tournament Quaterfinal - Trent Beretta vs Roderick Strong

They push each other and Strong takes him down. Strong shoulders him over then Trent hits a nice jumping double knee press. Strong backbreakers him after chops then Trent tornado ddt's Strong. Strong rolls out holding his head. Trent goes outside then heads up the steps and Strong pushes him into the post. Strong then backbreakers him onto the apron.

We go to break and return. Trent germans Strong then spinning death valley drivers him. Strong gorilla press gutbusters Trent then flying single leg dropkicks him. Trent top rope hurricanrana's him and Strong rolls through. Trent gets a 2 on pin attempt then release half-nelson germans him. Trent then hits a piledriver for 2. Strong jumping knees Trent then suplexes him into a backbreaker for the win.

They didn't work this well at all. Strong's neck is injured and Trent didn't really seem to care as they had the same match they would on any other day.  What we got wasn't bad, but they had a chance to tell a story here and opted not to.

Renee interviews Toni Storm. Renee asks about Toni costing Ruby the title. Toni doesn't remember it and said they should just look forward. Renee says there's another 4-way women's match to determine who faces Saraya at Grand Slam. Toni then says chin up and watch for the shoe, then she throws the shoe.

Adam Page comes out and is interviewed by Tony Schiavone. He talks abut winning the battle royale at All Out. He talks about donating the money won to Chicago education. Prince Nana comes out and brings out Swerve Strickland. Nana said Toni has done enough and tells him goodnight. 

Swerve asks him why he's doing charity and says he has become a shelf of his former self. He says he has no shame for himself being on the pre-game show of All Out and not the main show. He said he lost his spot and seems to doesn't care anymore. He said he doesn't have any new merch and doesn't have singles matches or title matches anymore. He said he's gotten comfortable being in the backseat for The Elite. He said he'd be champ if he got the opportunities he got. He said he can either go off in the sunset so Swerve can make this his house or says he can show everyone what cowboy sh!t is all about. Swerve said he's coming for the spot Page acts like he doesn't want. Page says if he wants a match, he can go to the back and get it and says he's done with this. Swervesaid it's a shame his wife and kids have to see him walk away from responsibilities. Page then gets mad and is hit from behind by Cage. Cage then drill claws him.

I liked Swerve's promo here for ripping Page. Everything he said was 100% true though he really did bury Page 6 feet deep here.

Jay Lethal and friends do a promo about his match with Penta on Rampage. He tells him to bring everything he has got. Penta says he will break him and Alex says Penta will become AEW champ. Jeff Hardy said he has rebuilt himself and said he has beaten Samoa Joe before and needs to be world champ again.

Grand Slam Tournament Quarterfinal - Darby Allin vs Nick Wayne

Nick goes for a leapfrog and is rolled up. Nick grabs a waistlock and is thrown out then Darby misses a tope and goes into the rail and floor. We go to break and return. Nick superplexes him then holds on for a fisherman suplex for 2. Nick goes for a top rope splash and Darby gets his knees up. Darby shotgun dropkicks him into the buckles.

Darby puts him in a figure four then blocks Nick's slingshot sunset flip. They then crossbody each other at the same time. Nick hits a forearm and Darby grabs the mic and tells him to hit him harder. Darby lets him superkick him and Nick does. Christian and Luchasaurus come out and we go to break.

We return and Nick hurricanrana's him off the apron. The Kingdom and Roderick Strong are watching on from the break. Nick then does a dumb frogsplash off the top to the floor that hurt him more than Darby. Nick hits a diving cutter off the 2nd rope for 2. Nick tries to top rope cutter him but is thrown down. Nick bridge pins him for 2 then Darby springboard crossbodies him. They try pin attempts and Darby hits a code red for 2. Darby then holds Nick's arms backwards and stomps his head to win.

The finish didn't fit the match though the match was much more tame than expected and mostly okay. They didn't do as much as they usually do and I thought Darby should have bullied Nick around more. I really don't get why they had them fight here since they are friends and putting this in the main event was likely a ratings killer.

Overall thoughts: There was a lot of talking on this show. I thought they had chances to do more in the main and in the Trent/Strong match. A lot of the matches here were really just filler and this was not the strongest card with the tournament being mostly midcarders. It was an okay episode of Dynamite though overall.