AEW Dynamite 3/20/2024

AEW Dynamite 3/20/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/aew-dynamite-3132023.html 

We see wrestlers like Edge and Okada arrive.

Mercedes Mone comes out to talk. Tony Schiavone gives her the mic and exits. Mone says to say hello to your new CEO. She said she's on a high from Big Business and said she missed all of this. She said she almost had a career ending injury against Willow.

We get a video on Mone. She said she was doing good all over the world then it got taken away from her. She said she needed to be here and said minor setbacks make for major comebacks. She said she's not here to lead a women's evolution but a woman's global revolution. She said she's here to face the best women all over the world.

She said Skye Blue and Julia Hart must have not heard that she has unfinished business with Willow. She said anyone that messes with her business will get bankrupt.

The lights go out. Julia Hart distracts Mone. Skye Blue goes to attack Mone. Mone stops Blue then goes to hit a move on Hart but Skye stops it. Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander then come out to help. The lights go out again and the heels are gone. Willow then has a chair and holds it up at Mone. She drops it though as Mone catches her. Mone asks her if she was going to hit her with it then Mone leaves.

Alex Marvez interviews The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada. The Bucks say he needs to show more respect next time by speaking Japanese to Okada. One of the Bucks asks if he heard of duolingo and said he's doing well at the app. The one Buck puts over Okada and said he has a big Continental Title match tonight. He said Okada rises to the occasion. The Bucks say they can't be out there due to new Continental rules but will be Okada's produces. Okada then talks in Japanese and says he's coming for Eddie's title. Alex if asked if he got the first part, he says no, The Bucks tell him to study and call him a "dumb@ss". 

I guess The Continental Classic rules about seconds not being allowed out there now apply to matches for The Continental Title? It might have been nice to explain that.

AEW Continental Title - Eddie Kingston (c) vs Kazuchika Okada

Renee said she spoke to Eddie and said Eddie said there's a 50/50 chance of winning and said he will dispell the myth of Kazuchika Okada

Eddie has a new long ring jacket on. It looks silly with his pajama pants and t-shirt. Eddie is backed up on the ropes then he hits chops and kicks on Okada. Eddie clubs Okada's chest then Okada goes out. Okada goes back in, Eddie chases him and is hit.

Eddie shoulders him over. Okada goes out and ddt's Eddie on the floor. We cut ot the back and The Bucks are talking about the match with Tony Khan. Okada neckbreakers Eddie inside then stranglehold chokes him inside. Okada baseball slides Eddie's back and we go to PiP break.

We return and Eddie hits chops. Eddie does a standing stretch plum then belly to belly suplexes him. Eddie hits a running STO for 2. Eddie germans him and hits a sliding d. Okada dropkicks Eddie then hits an over the back neckbreaker. Eddie urakens him. Eddie blocks a spinning clothelines but goes down anyway.

Eddie lariats him out of the corner. Okada grabs the ref then gouges Eddie's eyes. Eddie enzugiri's him in the shoulder then Okada hits a spinning emerald flowsion. Okada then hits a rainmaker and wins it.

I thought it was longer than it needed to be, slower and just not great. I really don't get the point of only having a match for the Continental Title. One would assume there's more money and prestige on the line with 3 titles and the whole point of it was to make a triple crown. That's now off the table.

Pac comes out after on the ramp. Okada holds his title up at him.

Swerve Strickland is interviewed. He said his intention is the AEW title. He said Joe tried to choke him out so he brought a chain out. Swerve said he wants to spar with someone since Mike Tyson is doing a fight and it inspired. him. He said he's doing an open challenge tonight and said to send a big man.

Willow, Kris and Stokeley are interviewed. Willow said she will have been in more street fights than anyone else on the AEW roster after tonight. She said she's a different Willow with a weapon in her hands. Kris said it's the end tonight for Julia and Skye. Mercedes Mone walks in. She thanks her for having Willow's back. Mone said she's excited to see the street fight, payback's a b*tch and said good luck out there tonight. Willow goes to talk and Mone said Willow has done enough. Stoke goes to say something and Mone ignores her, then Stoke reminds Willow she broke Mone's ankle.

Hook vs Chris Jericho

Hook suplexes Jericho on his neck to start. Jericho is holding his head and the ref backs off Hook. Hook pounds on Jericho in the corner. Jericho hits chops then Hook does another suplex on Jericho. Jericho hits chops then takes a german. Hook hits a slow german.

We go to PiP break and return. Hook germans Jericho on his head. Jericho boots him then shoulders him over. Jericho comes off the top and takes a northern lights suplex. Hook lariats Jericho over then Jericho misses a boot that Hook sells anyway. Jericho asai moonsaults him.

They botch an overhead belly to belly on Hook. Jericho hits punches while up top then Hook puts redrum on him on the top. Jericho goes for the walls of Jericho then Hook rolls him up and wins it.

I don't like Jericho taking all of these losses lately. It makes him look weak and may hurt him going forward.  Each loss is also starting to mean less. I thought it was a dangerous match with both dudes taking nasty looking bumps on their necks.

Hook and Jericho pound fists after.

Adam Cole does a promo in some fancy room. He said he hates the feeling of being disappointed and said Wardlow disappointed him. He said Wardlow failed in the title match and said he should be champ. He said Wardlow needs to make sure, Taven, Strong and Bennett keep their titles. Then maybe they will forgive him. Cole says he wants what's best for him and says don't screw it up.

Chris Jericho is interviewed in the back. Jericho said he wanted to face Hook for a reason and said he got what he was looking for. Jericho said Hook showed him something and said he's a future champ. Jericho said he has his respect. He said he has a proposition for him next week.

Will Ospreay is interviewed by Tony Schiavone in the ring. Will said he was a naughty boy the last time he was in Canada and is a naughty boy. He said he needs some maple syrup. He talks about Bryan Danielson and said Japan is the place where Bryan wanted to be a big star. He said he could never fit in Bryan's shoes because they were too small for him. He said he elevated wrestling and talks about the titles he won in Japan.

He mentions Shibata and speak in Japanese. He said he wrestled Shibata and Shibata beat him up. Will said it's been 7 years and he has a point to prove. He said he wants a match with him next week and wants Danielson to watch.

Will is in a heel faction so he should be a heel, but he's basically trying to do face promos here.

Mariah May and Toni Storm vs Thuder Rosa and Deonna Purrazzo

The faces run in the ring and hit mounted shots on the heels. DP hits shots on MAry then lariats her. Rosa and Toni fight outside. May throws DP back then basement dropkicks her. DP lariats both opponents. Rosa jumps off of DP's back and hits Toni. Rosa sliding lariats Toni.

Toni is tripped into the ropes and Ros leg lariats her there. Luther tries to sweep Rosa from the apron then Toni hip attacks Rosa off the apron. We go to PiP break and return. Rosa comes off the ropes and double crossbodies the heels. DP lariats and spin kicks May.

DP russian legsweeps May then pump kicks her. Rosa tags herself in and they argue. DP pump kicks Toni and Toni pump kicks Rosa May headbutts DP. Rosa death valley drivers May. Toni germans Rosa then hip attacks her. Rosa jack knifes Toni and pins her.

It was a different type of match than usual with things starting before the bell. They were aggressive here and it felt like it was an important match. It ended early though and I was surprised to see Toni get pinned so quick. 

Swerve Strickland vs The Butcher

They stare down and Swerve headbutts him. Swerve stomps on him in the corner then running face kicks Butcher. Butcher's head is banged off the buckles. Swerve then 2nd rope euros him in the back of the neck. Butcher half-nelson backbreakers Swerve. Swerve hits Kawada kicks on Butcher. Swerve then hits a straight punch. Butcher lariats him then Swerve double stomps his back. Swerve top rope double stomps him then keylocks him to win it.

I don't really get the point of Swerve winning with a keylock here. They said it was his first submission win. This was just a squash.

Swerve gets on the mic after. He said he was indifferent to Samoa Joe and now is getting close to hating him. He said he dreams of hanging him around the post but said he doesn't have enough chain for his neck. He said he will take out Joe's security until Joe gives him what he wants.

Samoa Joe comes out. He said what should he do with him. He said he beat him at Revolution and Swerve is shoved down the championship ladder. Joe said Swerve believes the impossible is possible. He said then someone like him shows up, smashes you in the face and takes everything you have. He said he will give him exactly what he wants.

Don Callis comes out on the ramp. He said when you're in Swerve's house, you can book yourself into a world title match. He said Takeshita is undefeated outside of The Don Callis Family and said Takeshita needs to teach Swerve what it's like to lose to The Family. Don says this isn't Swerve's House but The Don Callis Family House. Swerve said he will burn the Callis Family tree down to a crisp. He said he will take down Takeshita and then is coming for Joe.

Joe said he wouldn't be giving out title shots, but he was just about to do that here. I was surprised Adam Page didn't come out. 

TNT Title - I Quit Match - Christian Cage (c) vs Adam Copeland

They stare down and trade shots. CC hits punches in the corner then CC is sent chest first into the buckles. Adam baseball slides him then sends him over the rail. He send shim into the hockey boards and punches him in the penalty box out there. He takes off a fan's hockey jersey. He puts it on Christian, who puts it on then Adam puts on a Maple Leaf's jersey. They hockey fight and Adam hits punches.

We go into PiP break. Adam beats up CC in the stands. CC's head is banged off a table in the concession area and beer goes flying. CC is sent into a rollaway door. They go into the women's bathroom and women run out of it. CC is sent into a wall.

Adam punches and headbutts him on the steps. Adam grabs a ladder as they get to ringside. CC stands on a bridged ladder then CC is pulled down backwards on the ladder. CC is dropped gut first on the ladder connector in the middle. CC's shoulder is rammed into the post. 

A table is set up against the rails. Adam gets sent into the post after leapfrogging a spear. CC goes up top an dives on Adam, sending him through the table. Adam is bleeding now. Adam is catapulted face first into a ladder. CC misses a top rope frogsplash and is put in a crossface. They spear each other at the same time.

We go to PiP break and they fight up the stage. CC's head is banged off the lighting rig in the entrance way. CC is catapulted off the stage to the floor. CC is dropped on the top of a hockey goal then thrown into it. Shayna Wayne hits Adam low with a hockey stick.

CC hits him over the back with the stick. Adam is choked with the hockey stick. CC grabs a barbed wire chair and misses a conchairto. Adam runs at him and hits him with the stick. Adam then crossfaces CC with the hockey stick.

Nick Wayne and Killswitch come in and beat up Adam. Matt Menard and Daniel Garcia came out to help. Killswitch took a lifting ddt on a barbed wire chair then Nick was thrown out, kicking Killswitch hard in the head. Adam then dives off a ladder onto Killswitch and Nick. 

Killswitch and Nick get handcuffed in the corners. CC takes shots from the 3 faces then a spear. Adam kicks CC in the nuts but CC Refuses to quit. Adam hits a kick flurry to the nuts then Adam grabs his spike 2x4 named Spike. CC gets hit in the nuts with it and refuses to quit. Adam teases hitting him in the head with it then CC quits. Adam wins.

It was a good and long hardcore match. The quitting part didn't play much of a factor until the end here. We had some blood and some creative spots with CC being catapulted off the ramp, CC getting hit in the nuts multiple times and people getting sent into a hockey goal. 

The crowd sings Adam's theme after.

Overall thoughts: The Mercedes Mone stuff was average. Okada/Eddie was slow and Okada only wanting a crack at one title instead of 3 didn't make too much sense. Hook/Jericho was slow and dangerous. Will Ospreay, despite being a heel in a heel faction, basically did a face promo and challenged Katsuyori Shibata of all people. The women's tag match wasn't bad, the Swerve squash was just that and the main was good. The show overall had a really different feel to it and was not done in the way the show usually is done. I'd put this one in the middle with some good, some bad and some average stuff.