AEW Dynasty 2024 4/21/2024

AEW Dynasty 2024 4/21/2024

Pre-show:

AEW Trios Titles and ROH Six-Man Tag Titles - Bullet Club Gold vs The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

Jay White got the win over Billy here. At one point Billy got hit with a bat in the back yet still was able to fight on. It got a lot of time thought it was just an average match. I don't like titles being unified on a pre-show. That makes the belts look lesser. That should have been done on a PPV instead. It also should have been a bigger deal with two sets of titles being on the line. It is time the belts got unified though as they did not need both sets of titles.

Main card:

AEW Continental Title - Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Pac

Renee said she spoke to Pac earlier in the day and he's sick of everyone saying Okada is God's gift to wrestling.

Okada trips him and waistlocks him. Pac flips out of it using the ropes and side headlock takeovers him. Pac flying headscissors him then fosbury flops on him outside. Okada is sent into the rails.

A bit later on and Okada footslaps him. They trade forearms. Pac slingshots over Okada and takes a big dropkick. Pac is ddt'd on the floor. Okada chinlocks him then is pulled over the top. Pac top rope moonsaults outside onto Okada. They trade forearms and Pac flying forearms him.

They trade uppercuts and Pac rebound germans him. Pac then takes a john woo in the corner. Okada does an over the back neckbreaker on the knee then top rope elbow drops him. Okada teases the rainmaker pose then gives the crowd the middle finger. Pac cradles Okada for 2.

Pac superkicks Okada then hits a big lariat. Pac deadlift germans him for 2. Pac misses a black arrow off the top thne Okada tombstones him. Pac tries a pin off a rainmaker attempt then rolls him up for 2. Pac puts himt in the brutalizer and Okada gets his knees up on a black arrow. Okada rainmakers him and gets the win.

It was a long 20+ minute opener here. It was an okay match but not great. The crowd really liked it. Pac took some real nasty bumps here during this one and Okada hit Pac so hard on the rainmaker that Pac kicked him in the back of the head. The result here was a lose-lose as neither one of these guys really needed the loss.

The House of Black vs Mark Briscoe, Adam Copeland and Eddie Kingston

Mark and Black start us off. Mark snapmares and shoulders him. Black armdrags him then Buddy top rope double stomps Mark's arm. Mark side headlocks Budyd then Adam lariats Buddy. Buddy takes a double shoulder. Adam hits corner punches on Buddy then Buddy is flapjacked.

Eddie and Brody trade chops. Brody misses an elbow drop then takes a kick and chop combo. Eddie enzugiri's him then hits machine gun chops. Brody hits a sidewalk slam then cannonballs him. Buddy basement dropkicks Eddie then Black baseball slides Eddie.

Eddie and Black trade. Eddie germans him. Mark flying forearms buddy. Buddy hits kicks on him then Mark uppercuts him. Mark back enzugiri's Buddy then dropkicks through the ropes. Eddie is thrown in the rails. Mark and Buddy fight on the apron then jumps off a chair over the post and lands on Brody.

Brody death valley drivers Mark into the rails. Black stomps on Mark and back elbows him. Black abdominal stretches Mark and Eddie breaks it up. 

Adam is tagged in and facekicks Brody in the corner. He face kicks Buddy off the apron and flying body blocks him. Adam hits forearms on Brody up top and bites him. Eddie falls over after a chop on Brody. Eddie and Mark take double powerbombs then Adam superplexes Brody. Buddy top rope meteora's Adam then Eddie lariats Buddy. Blakc high kicks Eddie then Mark top rope dropkicks Black. Brody spinning lariats Mark. Eddie uraken's Brody then Adam implant ddt's Brody. Mark top rope froggy bow's Brody.

Black and Adam stare down then everyone pairs off and fights. Black jumping knees Mark. Brody splashes Adam. The HoB go for a triple corner attack on Adam but Adam's team intercepts them all. Adam goes for the spear, Black mists him then hits a spinning high kick to win it.

It was good trios match here. It was basically a Collision style main event on the PPV here, which is okay as those are usually decent too. Black misting Adam should probably be the start of a feud and give Adam something to do.

TBS Title - Julia Hart (c) vs Willow Nightingale

Skye Blue and Kris Statlander are banned ringside due to House Rules. Willow's family is here.

Willow running boots her then hits forearms on her. Willow bangs Hart's head off the buckles then Hart superkicks her while she's on the buckles. Willow is thrown over the rail into the time keeper's area. Hart bangs Willow's head off the mat. We see Mercedes Mone watching as Hart headscissor chokes her around the ropes.

Hart camel clutches Willow then Willow hits shots to the gut. Willow sleepers her then Hart kicks her while in it. Willow spinebusters her then back splashes her in the corner. Willow misses a dropkick off the buckles then Hart puts her in hartless. Hart superkicks her twice and Willow no sells it.

Hart double boots her in the corner then Willow gets her feet up on a top rope moonsault. Willow lariats Hart then doctor bomb's her. WIllow then wins it.

Hart got hurt in her last match, so I strongly suspected a title switch here. It was a shorter match here and definitely not the usual fare. It was fine for what it was and it leads to the Willow/Mone match I guess.

Kris and Stokeley celebrate with Willow after. Mercedes Mone comes out and dances and Willow holds the title up at her.

AEW International Title - Roderick Strong (c) vs Kyle O'Reilly

Strong is backed up into the ropes then wristlocks him. Kyle trips him then Strong side headlocks him. Kyle rolls him off . Strong hammerlocks him then Kyle goes for the armbar and nakle lock. Strong backbreakers Kyle and Tony calls Kyle "Kyle Reilly". Kyle strike combos Strong then Strong backs off. Strong jumping leg lariats him.

Strong's arm is pulled down over the top and Kyle arm whips him down. Strong backbreakers him and hits chops. Strong backbreakers him on the top buckle. Kyle goes for a triangle and they trade chops for forearms. Strong hits multiple backbreaker variations for 2. Kyle hits another strike combo ending in a legsweep.

Strong olympic slams him then Strong runs the ropes and hits forearms. Kyle kicks Strong on the ropes then knee drops him while he hangs. Strong kicks out of a leg lock. They hold hands and trade forearms then Strong backbreakers him. Strong superplexes him and they both try pins off of it. They then lariat each other at the same time.

They trade chops for chest kicks. Kyle backdrops him then axe kicks him. Strong jumping knees him. Kyle arm wringers him down on the apron. Wardlow comes out then Kyle cradles Strong. Kyle crucifixes him then Strong gutbusters him. Kyle then rebound lariats him. Kyle brainbusters him for 2 then stomps on him. Strong leg lariats him then does a suplex into a backbreaker to win it.

The work was fine but it went a lot longer than it needed to. The match also often repeated itself several times with strikes from Kyle then various backbreakers from Strong before doing it again.

Adam Cole is wheeled out after in a wheelchair. Cole walks down and they all celebrate together.

 FTW Title - Hook (c) vs Chris Jericho

They pound fists. Hook takes him down and is wristlocked. Hook side headlock takedowns him and they trade chops for forearms. Hook bends over and catches him with a suplex, then hits another. Took then lariats him over the top to the floor. Hook comes off the apron and mostly mises him. Hook hits a german on Jericho on the floor and a table gets set up.

Hook hits him with a trash can lid. Hook gets kicked during another trash can lid shot and is ddt'd on the lid. Jericho boots him inside then Hook hits a weird exploder off the apron through a table. Hook germans Jericho as the crowd chants "go home Jericho".

Jericho boots him out of the corner and 2nd rope hurricanrana's him. Hook germans him. Jericho has a trash can put on his head and Hook kendo stick shots in. Jericho then takes an exploder with the trash can on his head. They trade shots and Jericho boots him. Hook northern lights suplexes him, Jericho no sells it and codebreakers him. Jericho lariats him then misses a fist drop off the buckles.

Hook gets on his back for a redrum and Jericho drives him back through a table. Hook ankle locks him and Jericho crabs him. Hook cradles him and Jericho low blows him. Jericho hits a judas effect for 2. Jericho hits a running judas effect for 2. Jericho says something like don't make me do this while holding a bat. Hook flips him off then Jericho hits him with it and wins it.

It went longer than it needed to, was slow and they did too much here. Jericho kind of had to win this one to continue the story, but I don't know how much most people wanted this story to continue. They had a lot of issues with the various suplexes here as Jericho either couldn't get up or Hook couldn't lift him.

Jericho's graphic says "The Learning Tree" Chris Jericho after and Taz comes out with doctors to check on his son. 

AEW Women's Title - Toni Storm vs Thunder Rosa

I am not dying to see this one especially after that last match. Rosa wore a mask out and had some nice new gear. They hockey fight to start. Toni hits shots in the corner. Toni running boots her then steps on her face. Toni throws her by the hair then Rosa spinning headscissors her. Rosa top rope tornillos her and Luther off the top. May stares down Rosa outside.

Rosa stands on Toni in the corner then suplexes her. Rosa clubs on Toni then Toni backbreakers her twice. Toni stands on Rosa's back. They fight on the buckles and Rosa running powerbombs her for 2. Rosa top rope dropkicks her then samoan drops her. Rosa crucifix bombs her then dropkicks her against the ropes. Rosa death valley drivers her on the apron.

Toni goes up and over in the corner then 2nd rope backcrackers her. Toni tornado ddt's her then fisherman suplexes her for 2. Rosa rolls her into a double stomp then hits a sky high for 2. They trade shots and Toni headbutts her in the chest. Rosa step up enzugiri's her then Toni germans her. Rosa germans her back.

Mariah May gets on the apron then Deonna Purrazzo attacks May. Deonna throws Luther into the steps then trades with May. Rosa gets distracted by it then takes a german and a hip attack. Toni then hits a storm zero for 2. Toni puts her in a texas cloverleaf. Rosa backcrackers Toni then sits on her back with a cobra clutch.

Toni grabs the ring skirt then low blows Rosa. Toni hits a storm zero and wins it.

This was longer and slower than it needed to be. I really didn't get the point here of having Deonna fight with May/Luther and not have it be related to the finish. Rosa could have got distracted from it and had an out for the loss along with a reason to feud with Deonna. Instead, they had to do a low blow spot to save her. 

Will Ospreay vs Bryan Danielson

They mat wrestle and Bryan clean breaks him. Bryan side headlocks him. Bryan takes him down by the arm and they stand off. They evade each other and block kicks. Will handsprings and flips over his back then misses kicks. They then stand off again.

Will grabs the leg and Bryan gives him the finger. Bryan cravates him and rolls with it. Will low dropkicks him and flying headscissors him. Bryan hits strikes on the ropes. Will running face kicks him then plancha's him. Will springboards and is kicked in mid-air.

Bryan leglocks him and hits shots. They chop each other. Bryan flips over him then Will handspring corkscrew kicks him. Will springboard forearms him. Will hits Kawada kicks then step up enzugiri's him. Will top rope corkscrew moonsaults him. Bryan tiger suplexes him for 2. Bryan hits downward elbows then puts him in cattle mutilation.

Bryan flying dropkicks him in the corner and Will flips out of a 2nd rope hurricanrana. Will tiger drivers him for 2. Will is crotched up top then takes a top rope tiger suplex. Bryan slaps him then is forearmed down. Bryan hits kicks while both are on the apron then he is superkicked. Will os cutters him onb the apron. The crowd chants "we're not worthy" and Will hidden blades Bryan off the apron.

Will springboard dropkicks him then powerbombs him for 2. Will gets caught on a back springboard then Bryan does a la mistica drop into a lebell lock. Bryan hits kicks to the chestthen buzzsaw kicks him. Bryan jumps at him and hurricanrana's him for 2. Will flips out of a german and Bryan flying knees him.

Bryan hits reverse curbstomps then Will hits mounted forearms. Bryan triangles him and hits elbows to the head. Will lifts him and hits a styles clash. They headbutt battle on their knees and trade forearms. Bryan hits a slap combo then does a backdrop. Will no sells it and hits a hard hidden blade. Will springboards into Bryan's flying knee. Will hits a hidden blade then hits a tiger driver 91. Will hidden blades him as the ref calls for a doctor. Bryan then wins it.

I didn't like the top rope tiger suplex. That's too big of a move to mean nothing and it meant nothing in this one. I've already seen "best match ever!" remarks on this and I didn't think it was anything close. There was no real story here and there was some no selling. They matched up well better than I expected but it was a moves and action based match more than anything else. The crowd tried everything they could to make this come off as the best match ever but I didn't really find some of their reactions to be genuine. I liked it overall, but it was far from the best they could have done.

Bryan sells like he is really hurt after and medical staff checks him out.

AEW Tag Title Tournament Final Ladder Match - The Young Bucks vs FTR

They pair off and fight to start. Cash hits a double flying clothesline and they go for ladders. The fight goes outside. Dax is hit with a ladder then Cash baseball slides the ladder into the Bucks. Cash has a ladder rammed into him into the rails and then he takes a step up enzugiri there.

All four fight inside and FTR take superkicks. Nick is thrown onto a ladder from the buckles then Matt is back body dropped onto a ladder. Cash is bridged onto a ladder on the apron then he takes a flipping senton off the apron. Dax is bleeding and takes a chair to the back.

Dax is put between the ladder and is chaired. Cash has a chair thrown at his head. Cash is thrown into a ladder in the corner and bounces. A ladder is bridged and Dax is sent face first into the side of it. Cash pushes a ladder into The Bucks then moonsaults off the bridged ladder. Cash is crotched on the rungs of a ladder.

Cash takes an EVP trigger on the ladder. The Bucks take stereo suplexes in from the apron and Cash back body drops a  Buck. Cash powerslams a Buck then FTR hit a double team bulldog from the top. Cash sharpshooters Matt while Matt is under the ladder. Dax hits a slingshot sitout powerbomb. Cash spears Matt off the apron through a table and into the rail.

Dax is hurricanrana'd off the top through a table. They fight on top of a ladder and FTR is knocked off. Matt loses a shoe and is pulled down into a shatter machine. FTR takes chairs to the gut and back. FTR hit a powerplex off the ladders. 

Cash is knocked off a ladder onto the ropes then Nick 450's him off the top through a table. Matt is piledriven on top of a bridged ladder. Nick hits a sunset bomb off the ladder onto Fax. Cash tries to a tope a Buck outside but the Buck moves and he goes into a table and the rail. The crowd chants "please be careful". Dax is alone up-top a ladder then someone in a Sting mask pushes him over. To the surprise of no one, it turns out to be Jack Perry. The Bucks then win the match.

It was your usual spotfest ladder match full of dangerous spots and little selling.  The finish wasn't a surprise to anyone with a brain. As I said a few weeks ago when the Punk/Perry thing aired, Perry has never been pushed as a friend of The Buck's on TV. He has openly feuded with them and has never been seen with them even though in real life, he is one of their friends. Trying to connect him, The Bucks, FTR and Punk all together is a very loose connection at best and it's hard to see where things are going to go from here. Jack can't keep rehashing the Punk stuff. Jack needs a partner to fight FTR or FTR is going to need partner to fight The Bucks, Perry and maybe Okada. It's like the telephone game - the more people you involve, the more you lose whatever the original meaning of this thing was supposed to be.

AEW World Title - Samoa Joe (c) vs Swerve Strickland

Joe hits a hard knee to the gut early and chops him. Joe walks away from a move on the buckles. Swerve dropkicks him out. Joe catches a tope and uranage's him on the commentary table. Swerve fosbury flops outside. Joe powerbombs him on the floor.

Joe hits punches inside. Swerve punches back and Joe legsweeps him. Joe does some kind of chinlock to him then hits strikes. Joe knee drops him then running back elbows him. Joe lariats the post outside when Swerve moves. Swerve germans him then rolling flatliners him for 2.

Joe is sat up top then Swerve 2nd rope stroke's him. Joe buckle bombs him then muscle busters him for 2. Joe gets distracted by Nana outside then takes a kick. Swerve 450's him on the back while he's over the bottom rope. Swerve then top rope double stomps him for 2.

Nana gets on the apron and Joe grabs the title belt. Swerve misses a belt shot then Joe grounded chokes Swerve. Swerve stomps Joe's arm back. Swerve hits a house call kick for 2. Swerve powerbombs Joe off the buckles then top rope double stomps him. Swerve then wins it.

It was an afterthought and a by the numbers match. The result was never in doubt here. AEW wanted a Black champ since it started and now they finally made one. I think Swerve's an average talent and the best part about him is his theme music.and Nana's dance. He has an okay look. He has average matches. He has an average personality. He's of average height and weight. He will probably hold the title until they go to Wembley when Will Ospreay will beat him. He's not going to be a big ratings draw and if he was, he would have been already. He was not in the most intriguing match on the show here either. It's not clear whether he's a heel or face right now and it's not clear who the next obvious opponent is for him since Adam Page is on his bi-yearly vacation. He's really going to need strong booking behind him and I just don't see that happening.

Overall thoughts: It was your typical AEW PPV with 4 hours of non-stop wrestling. Everything got enough or more than enough time and they did try to provide good wrestling here. It was long and a challenge to sit through for me. The crowd was basically at work here trying to make everything seem like the greatest thing ever. The main was an afterthought with an obvious outcome. The ladder match was your usual spotfest with Jack Perry interfering as expected. Will/Bryan is your overhyped best match ever (until the next best match ever). I liked it but, it would not even make my Top 10 so far this year as it had no real story and selling issues. The women's match wasn't anything special and Deonna not being involved in the finish was odd. Hook vs Jericho was rough. I liked Strong/Kyle. Willow won the TBS Title in a quick one. The trios match was fine and Okada/Pac was fine. It was a good show overall, but I really wish they could cut these things to 3 hours or less.