AEW Dynamite 1/17/2024

AEW Dynamite 1/17/2024

Last week's show is here:  https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/aew-dynamite-1102024.html

We see Hook arriving to start. They say Hook is looking to win his first world title but isn't the FTW title a world title?

TNT Title - Christian Cage (c) vs Dustin Rhodes

We have a ring skirt and rails with "Suicide Squad" on it. Dustin backs him up against the ropes twice then stares him down. CC hits uppercuts and punches then Dustin powerslams him. CC goes out and is pulled into the post. CC's head is banged off the commentator's table then he is thrown into the steps. Dustin comes off the steps and lariats him.  

Dustin hits corner punches then uppercuts CC on the buckles. CC comes off the top and crossbodies Dustin outside. We go to PiP break and return. CC drops down and Dustin goes flying out. CC misses a top rope headbutt and they trade shots on their knees.

CC takes a manhattan drop and a face kicks. Dustin then bulldogs him for 2. Dustin catapults him into the buckles then hits a code red for 2. CC stands on Dustin's neck over the middle rope. Dustin goes for a tope and is hit. CC top rope frogsplashes him for 2. CC grabs the TNT title, the ref takes it then Dustin cradles CC. Nick Wayne reverses the cradle for 2. CC goes up top and is crotched on the 2nd rope. Dustin hits shattered dreams on him. Dustin superplexes him and then hits a cross rhodes for 2.

Nick distracts Dustin then Killswitch grabs Dustin. Dustin canadian destroyers Nick on the floor. CC sends Dustin into the 2nd buckle then spears him. CC hits a killswitch for 2 then a second killswitch to win it.

It was an okay match with both putting in a good effort here. I think one of the buckles was supposed to be pulled off here but they couldn't get it off. 

Renee interviews Swerve Strickland who is wearing eye shadow. He said he has his eyes everywhere and would be foolish not to pay attention to the main event. He said he has been laser focused on the AEW title and said he is on the top of everyone's mind. He said that means it makes him the most dangerous man. Renee asks about Adam Page. Swerve said he has eyes everywhere and talks about people Page beat. He said Page still can't beat him though. He said he beat him twice and has nothing to prove by doing it again.

Chris Jericho is interviewed. He is asked where he and Sammy go from here. He said Takeshits and Hobbs caused them to lose to Starks and Bill and took what was theirs. He said Takeshita hit him with a kendo stick and he will have to hit him with something in revenge. He said he will seek and destroy him. Matt Sydal walks in. He said he is losing it over his loss and said he needs to get in that ring with someone who beat him like he did. Jericho said maybe he does and said maybe they need to do it on Rampage. He tells him to be careful what he wishes for.

Trent Beretta and Orange Cassidy vs Penta El Cero Miedo and Kommander

Penta hits leg kicks and they trade armdrags. Both miss moves and OC goes for a ddt. OC then tries to put his hands in his pockets and is superkicked. Trent double throat thrusts Penta then Kom top rope lariats Trent. Kom topes OC then takes a release german from Trent. 

We go to PiP break and return. OC slides out, missing a tree of woe attack. Kom headscissors Trent out then pushes OC into the buckles with his feet. Penta sling blades OC. Kom tope con hilos Trent and Penta hits a made in japan on OC for 2. OC spinning ddt's Penta then Trent forearm flurries Kom.

Kom rolls up Trent for 2 twice. Penta jumps off of Kom's back and canadian destroyers Trent. Kom rope walk splashes Trent for 2. Kom spinning high kicks OC then Trent flying knees him. Penta superkicks Trent then OC beach breaks Penta. OC hits an orange punch on Kom then Trent hits a b-driver on Kom to win it.

I didn't like the canadian destroyer not meaning anything as usual. Other than that, they didn't do any OC comedy and it was better than I expected.

Chuck Taylor comes down after then The Undisputed Kingdom come out. The two groups stare down. Strong said he came down to say something to OC's face and tells him to take the sunglasses off. Strong goes to pull them off when OC refuses. Strong said they could end them right now if they wanted to. Strong says OC has been a fighting champion but wrestled in a tag match instead of defending his title. Strong asks if it's becoming too much or if he has nothing left in the tank. Strong then asks if it's because he is coming for it and OC can't face it. Strong says the title belongs to him. OC says lets do the match right here and right now. Strong then says not right now and says OC will have to wait until March 3rd. He said he wants him to live for the next 6 weeks knowing that OC is keeping the title warm for him.

This was stupid with Strong having a shot at OC who just wrestled and turning it down after requesting it.

Renee interviews Adam Page. Page says he will win the title in 2024 and keep it for as long as he can. He said he doesn't think of Swerve as much as he thinks of him. He said it doesn't matter as Swerve is not the world champ but Joe is, or Hook may be later.

Mark Briscoe and the Briscoe family come out. Mark said Jay Briscoe passed away a year ago. He said his nieces were injured in the car with him and were told they won't walk again but are now walking. Mark says we dem boys and said we can't stop and won't go nowhere. He then hugs them.

We then get a video on Jay Briscoe, showing his family and stuff. 

Renee interviews The Young Bucks. One of them asks Renee to call them Nicholas and Matthew Jackson. They said they are EVP's and it's time to take this job more seriously. Renee talks about rumors and they talk about them maybe not all being true. They ask what she would do to protect her life's work or her kid. They say she's welcome for her paycheck this week and Renee wants to talk about Sting. The Bucks said they lost their way and said the perception of the company is different. They said they were leaning on yesterday's self-serving superstars. They say it's about what Sting represents and said his image is not in line with what they wanted to do in AEW as he represents the past. They said they will have to say goodbye to Sting and everything that represents Sting.

We'll see where it goes, but I'm not a fan of this new gimmick so far.

ROH World Six Man Tag Titles - The Mogul Embassy (c) vs Bullet Club Gold

Toa backs up Jay in the corner then Jay hits chops. Jay hits lariats then is chopped down. Kaun slingshot swantons Jay then Jay dragon screws him. Colten stomps Kaun in the corner. Austin misses a splash and does a punch combo with part of Nana's dance in it. Cage superkicks Austin, corner enzugiri's him then germans him. Nana then does his dance at Austin. Kaun codebreakers Austin then Toa elbow drops him in that position.

We go to PiP break and return. Austin makes the hot tag to Colten. Colten cleans house and dropkicks Toa out. Colten splashes Cage then euro step neckbreakers him. Colten half-nelson slams Kaun. Toa pounces Colten then Colten is double swung into a Cage powerbomb. Kaun air raid crashes Colten.

Toa goes over the rail on a failed running move. Cage is pushed into the post. Colten back body drops Kaun then Jay chops Kaun. Jay uranages Kaun the takes a spinning lariat from Cage. Cage takes a 310 to Yuma then Kaun dropkicks both Gunn's. Nana trips Jay then Kaun firemans carry gutbusters Jay for 2.

Nana tries to hit Jay with the belt. Bowens comes down and grabs the belt. Kaun rolls up Jay for 2 then Jay bladerunners him for the win.

This was a lose-lose as neither team should have lost but one of them were going to. We have yet another pair of ROH trios champs here who don't appear on the show. It was a fast paced match and what we saw of it was good but it could have easily had another 10 minutes or more and been even better.

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn ask to scissor from the ramp after. 

Adam Cole and Wardlow do a promo. Cole said Wardlow hasn't scratched the surface of what he's capable of. He said he will go down as the most dominant man and will run down opponent after opponent until there is nobody left. He said he will then win the title, which will then be the property of The Undisputed Kingdom. Wardlow then says, "boom".

Deonna Purrazzo vs Anna Jay

Toni Storm is on commentary and Luther/Mariah are behind her. Deonna posted a bikini picture of her this week but the love handles somehow weren't there like they are here. Deonna rolls out of a wristlock and poses. Deonna rolls her up for 2 then Anna puts her in la magistral. Deonna euros the arm then stomps it into the mat. Anna neckbreakers her over the middle rope.

We go to PiP break and return. Deonna shoulders and lariats her. Deonna running knees and russian legsweeps her. Anna then gets a 2 count on her before being pump kicked. Anna backcrackers her then goes for a sleeper. Deonna rolls her up and armbars her. They trade forearms and Deonna puts her in a double armbar. Anna then taps out.

It didn't have enough time and was just average.

Toni rubs Ian's hair on commentary after.

Renee interviews Deonna. She tells her Toni wants to meet with her. Deonna said she doesn't know what has gotten into Toni. She said they used to be like sisters and said she has changed. Deonna said she has changed too and said she has not met the virtuosa, the greatest technical wrestler. Toni gets on Luther's shoulders and takes offense to this. Toni said she's an artificially tanned hag. She said her past is none of Deonna's concern. She then said she should do something to her but they are going to commercial. She then says watch for the shoe and throws a shoe at her. They then throw the shoe back and forth and Toni points at her.

Private Party vs Top Flight

This is Private Party's first match back. Darius side headlocks Zay then Zay side headlocks him. Zay trips him and facelocks him. Darius hammerlocks him and Zay bridges out of a pin. Zay armdrags him, takes an upkick and both kip up at the same time. All 4 stand off in the ring then pound fists.

Quen avoids an armdrag from Dante. Quen trips him then is armdragged. Quen grabs the ankle. Dante kicks him in the gut then Quen headscissors him. Zay springboard crossbodies him. Zay cutters Darius over the top rope, banging his neck off of it.

We go to PiP break and return. Zay boots Dante in the corner and knees Darius. Quen topes Darius and then suicide dives Dante. Quen tope con hilos Darius then tornillos Dante. Quen 450's Dante off the top for 2. Dante jumping knees him then superkicks him. Darius flatliners him off the bottom rope.

Darius flips off the buckles to kick Zay then Quen pop-up dropkicks Darius. Dante pop-up knees Quen then Zay corkscrew kicks Dante. PP hit Gin n Juice on Dante and Quen uses the ropes to pin Darius.

I'm glad Private Party won on their return. Quen put on some weight and isn't 100% as he definitely was slower and hesitated here at times. There was a lot of flying here though the spots weren't too out of control.

Action Andretti comes down after and talks to Top Flight.

We get a video on Darby Allin and Sting. 

AEW Title - Samoa Joe (c) vs Hook

 

We got the Hook Signal again here. Hook runs at Joe with forearms then hits corner punches. Joe throws him out. Joe chops him. Hook is sent into the rails but jumps off of them and forearms Joe. Hook hits punches on Joe then a big running back elbow. Joe hits punches then chops him in the corner. Joe back enzugiri's him in the corner and asks him if he understands yet.

Joe snapmares him and chops him in the back of the neck. Joe kicks him. Joe hits a knee to the body then Hook trips him. Hook hits a sliding lariat then forearms him off the apron. Joe hits a nasty uranage on Hook on the edge of the announcer's table with Book banging his head off of it. Joe asks him if he understands yet. Hook flips him off then Joe apron powerbombs him.

Hook gets back in and Joe powerslams him. Joe death valley drivers him for 2. Joe hits a muscle buster and Hook kicks out at 1. Hook flying lariats him several times. Hook suplexes him then goes for red rum. Joe throws him over and chokes him out on the mat to win it.

It was a good match and exactly what it needed to be. Hook got beaten up and got to make some comebacks before finally being put down. This was short, aggressive and action packed.  

Hook asks Joe if that's all he had got after. Joe comes back in, kicks him in the nuts and muscle busters him. Hook gets back up then Adam Page's music hits. Page comes down and Joe backs off. Swerve then appears in the crowd. Page helps Hook up after and Hook motions that he is okay.

Overall thoughts: It was an acceptable show with a good main event.