AEW Dynamite 4/17/2024

AEW Dynamite 4/17/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/aew-dynamite-4102024.html

Jon Moxley comes out with the IWGP title. Mox said the first title he won was at the Salvation Army community center in Indianapolis. He said he's always been swimming upstream and never had help. He said people told him what he could and couldn't do and he says kiss my @ss. He said being great is about what's in you, not what others say.

He said he's been chasing the IWGP title for 5 years and said some said it wasn't possible. He said digging deep from within is what AEW is all about. He says Don Callis is a creep and says he has no time for him. He said he's feeding his family lies. He said his family tried to injure Bryan Danielson. He said if you are going to put a target on Bryan's back, you might as well put it on his back. He said he will be here all night. He suspects he's not their type though.

He said he could hit them with a tire iron or run them over with a car. He said he's going to pick the biggest, baddest one, Powerhouse Hobbs. He said he will challenge him to a match next week on Dynamite. He said Hobbs will find out just how out of his depth he is. He said he won't make it quick or easy. He said he will drag him to the deepest waters and said he will know the difference between them. Mox says no one can touch him and there is only one and will only be one.

Mercedes Mone does a promo. She said someone attacked her in the dark and said she can't wait pay back that b!tch who did that. She names Julia Hart and said it sounded too familiar. She said maybe Julia doesn't want to face her and said she is putting the women's division notice. She said there's a price to pay when you mess with Mercedes Mone.

Willow Nightingale and Adam Copeland vs Brody King and Julia Hart

Willow is being checked on by trainers in the back and says she is okay. She doesn't come out when she is supposed to. Brody King then appears behind Adam and throws him out. Adam is sent into the rails then Brody hits forearms. Brody crossbodies him against the rails.

The match then officially starts and we go to PiP break. We return and Willow is still not here. Brody and Adam fight on the 2nd rope. Adam bites him then flying lariats him off the top. They trade forearms for chops. Adam lariats him then face kicks him in the corner. Adam hits an impaler ddt for 2.

Adam 2nd rope blockbusters him then runs into a big lariat. Brody misses a cannonball then Willow comes out.Willow taps Adam's foot and they consider it a tag. Willow 2nd rope crossbodies Brody. Julia backs off and Adam spears Brody. Willow then cannonballs Brody. Julia hits Willow with a chain and Adam lariats Brody over the top. Julia then submits Willow with hartless.

There was so much wrong with this. Adam got hit before it started. The ref didn't care. Willow didn't come out. The ref started the match anyway. Willow made a tag using Adam's foot. The ref also allowed the women to hit the men. This broke pretty much every rule in the wrestling book and was awful because of it.

Mercedes Mone comes out to help Willow after. Julia leaves to avoid Mone. Mone, Willow and Adam all look at each other and Mone stares down Willow.

Renee interviews Samoa Joe. Joe said he viewed Swerve as a worthy adversary at first but now sees him as a nuisance. He said Swerve keeps standing up after he knocks him down. He talks about Nana touching his title and said he was worried it may have needed disinfected. Joe said Swerve is a choke artist who has come up short on various title shots. He said history will repeat itself at Dynasty. He calls Swerve a choke artist. He said he doesn't have to worry about it as he will choke Swerve out instead.

The Young Bucks say to cut a video package. They say Dynamite is stacked and they have to cut the segment. Okada and Tony Khan are there. They say they are fighting a 6-man tonight and it's a tune up for Dynasty. They say they will become the first 3x champs. Okada says Pac will not make it to Dynasty and is a deadman. Okada looked like such a dork here.

The Elite (The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada) vs Daniel Garcia, Pac and Penta El Zero Meido

Pac gets nailed from behind and triple teamed to start. Pac hits kicks on a Buck then running boots him in the head. Nick takes a double hiptoss then a leg drop + standing moonsault combo. Matt hits mounted punches on Penta. A Buck is back body dropped over the top then the other one is lariated and underhook suplexed by DG.

DG hits a corner lariat then hits mounted punches. Okada trips DG from the outside then DG is kicked by Nick. We go to PiP break and return. Matt is on a mic for some reason and DG backdrops Nick. Matt gets in the ring with the mic and piefaces DG. He tells him to show him something then DG backdrops him.

Pac flying forearms Matt then rebound germans both Bucks. Pac hits a double dropkick off the top then moonsaults off the top onto them outside. Pac takes a triple team in the corner then Okada hits an over the back neckbreaker on his knee on Pac. Penta top rope crossbodies Okada then hits slingblades. Penta hits a made in Japan on Okada. Penta rolls himself into a double ddt attempt and ends up taking a double suplex.

DG gets hit with a ddt then Pac does a slingshot cutter on Matt. Okada and Pac trade forearms. Pac superkicks him then Pac is knocked off the top by Matt, taking a nasty bump down. DG hits forearms on Okada then Okada dropkicks him. DG takes a double enzugiri in the corner then Okada tombstones him. Okada tombstones Penta. DG takes a double superkick and a rainmaker. Okada then wins it.

I didn't like The Bucks goofing around here but that's like asking a clown not to be silly. It was just an average tag. Pac almost got hurt here with a bad bump off the top. 

DG takes an EVP trigger after. DG is slammed on a ladder. Pac saves him from getting crunched in it.

Chris Jericho and Hook come out. Taz is there as well. Jericho said he pulled him off the apron to get his attention. He said he wasn't listening as much as he should. Jericho said everyone who has come through The Jericho Vortex has become a better performer and wrestler.  Jericho said he wants them both to get to the top of Wizard Mountain. He says he knows he can get him to the top. Jericho asks if Hook is ready to put the animosity aside.

Hook says no. Jericho asks what he's talking about. Hook said he doesn't need his help. Jericho said don't be stupid and Taz says relax. Jericho said he's doing what Taz should have done 30 years ago and giving him some proper guidance. Jericho said he needs to help him get rid of the dead weight surrounding him his entire life. Taz tells him to call down and Jericho says to stop.

Jericho tells Hook he isn't ready and isn't as good as he thinks. Taz interrupts and Jericho pushes him. Hook stares down Jericho then backs him up in the corner. He says Jericho crossed the line. He said he will show him how good he is anytime, anyplace, anywhere. He tells him to get out of his ring. Jericho then leaves.

Renee interviews Swerve Strickland. Swerve laughs at being called a choke artist and Renee says he doesn't think he is one. Swerve said he has stumbled but he has fallen forward into success. He said he was stapled, but in a coffin, covered in barbed wire and hit with a chain but he got back up. He said that's his military upbringing. He said Joe will be calling him AEW champ at Dynasty. Swerve said he should be answering this to Joe and says he will tell it to him in his face in the ring tonight.

Mariah May vs Deonna Purrazzo

They lock up then pull each others hair. DP knee lifts her then russian legsweeps her. May hits DP on the floor then sends her into the rails. May takes a bridging single arm ddt for 2. DP is pushed off the top to the floor. We go to PiP break and return.

DP knee drops May's arm off the ropes then lariats her. They trade shots and DP throws her over her back. DP fujiwara armbars her and May rope breaks. DP pump kicks her and May headbutts her. May hip attacks her in the corner then tornado ddt's her for 2. May has her own her shoulders, reverses her with a pin attempt then is pinned by Deonna.

It was too short and didn't have time to really develop.

Toni helps beat up Deonna after. Thunder Rosa comes out and clears off the heels including Luther. Rosa and Deonna push each other. May pulls Deonna out and trades with her. Toni then is dropped with a Rosa forearm. Rosa camel clutches Toni and puts lipstick all over her face.

Bullet Club Gold are interviewed in the back. Jay says they will fulfill their destiny at Dynasty. They say The Acclaimed and Gunn should face them in a title for title match at Dynasty.

I support this. Bullet Club are never on ROH anyway and nobody needs two sets of trios titles.

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn do a promo. They agree to a title for title match. Max said they should do Acclaimed vs The Gunn's on Collision this week.

Orange Cassidy vs Shane Taylor

Shane's crew are on the apron and Shane tells them to get down as he has got this. OC puts his hands in his pockets early, goofing around and dropkicking him. Shane bridging stunners OC then Lee stomps OC outside. Lee sends OC into the rails. Shane chops him and we go to PiP break.

We return and OC bangs Shane's head off the buckles. OC fights off Shane's buddies and chokes him with both arms. OC stunners Shane out of the suplex then he topes Lee and Ogogo outside. Shane lariats OC for 2. Shane knees him then OC hits an orange punch. OC hits another orange punch and wins it.

I didn't like OC doing his usual pockets routine here and I didn't like him beating Shane with a punch. It made Shane look bad.

Lee Moriarty grabs OC after then Ogogo punches OC in the gut.

Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal come out to help but Trent chairs them. Trent throws a chair at Sydal's head. OC gets put in a border city stretch by Lee. 

Claudio Castagnoli vs Will Ospreay

CC goes for the quick pin. Will escapes a ricola bomb then  CC backbreakers him. Will hits chops on CC then CC euros him. Will hurricanrana's him off the ropes and kicks him out of the ring. Will chops him outside then Will is sent into the rails. Will jumps over the rail then springboard forearms him. Will gets hit on a springboard attempt then CC double stomps him. CC backbreakers Will. They trade shots. Will satellite headscissors him. Will is caught on a plancha and slammed on the apron.

We go to PiP break and return. Will flips off of CC and step up enzugiri's him. Will handspring corkscrew kicks him. Will running face kicks CC in the corner then springboard forearms him. Will backslides him then sharpshooters him.

CC sharpshooters him. CC springboards and takes a superkick. Will tiger drivers him for 2. Will hits Kawada kicks then CC eye pokes him. CC hits euros then short arm lariats him. They trade shots and Will enzugiri's him. CC euros him then Will hurricanrana's him. Will back springboards and is caught with a reverse attitude adjustment.

Will standing spanish flies him for 2. CC pop-up euros Will for 2. Will stops a giant swing with a ddt then Will this a skytwister press off the top. Will hidden blades him and wins it.

It was an okay wrestling match. Not great or anything and not much of a story but they kept it interesting and didn't overdo it here.

Takeshita, Hobbs and Fletcher beat up CC after. Mox hopes the rail and goes after Hobbs, then takes a 3v1. Mox and Hobbs trade as it becomes a 1v1. The Callis Family then walks off when they basically had a 4v2.

Swerve Strickland comes out after. He said he's facing Samoa Joe at Dynasty. He said he knocked Joe down and he scurried on the floor like a b!tch. He said Joe had fear in his eyes and was quivering. He said Joe was scared. He gets Joe to come out.

Security tries to stop Joe then Swerve jumps off the top onto all of the security guards. He stares down Joe then they fight. Swerve is sent into the steps. Joe backs up Nana in the corner then takes kicks from Swerve. Joe crotches Swerve up top and headbutts him. Joe muscle busters Swerve and poses over him.

Overall thoughts: I didn't like the opener for multiple reasons. The trios match was average and FTR surprisingly weren't involved. The Jericho/Hook stuff is still ongoing and it's not clear where it is headed. May/Purrazzo did not get enough time. The trios titles getting merged was good news. I didn't like OC/Taylor but I did like the main. It is just not a real exciting time for AEW with so many people being out and the focus being on CM Punk and various dream matches.