AEW Dynamite 7/3/2024

AEW Dynamite 7/3/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/06/aew-dynamite-6262024.html

I lost my whole review of this which I am not happy about. Here is what I thought of the show: 

Daniel Garcia is interviewed with Matt Menard to start. MJF says he will be in his corner. DG wants to talk about what happened last week with Will but MJF doesn't want to.

Men's Owen Hart Tournament Semifinals - Bryan Danielson vs Pac

I thought this didn't have any real story to it but was an okay wrestling match as expected. They got a bunch of time for it and the goal was clearly to have a good match.

Willow did a bad promo on Kris ahead of their match and talked about how you just need to smile and ignore everything.

Mark Briscoe announced himself for Blood and Guts on Team AEW's side. His inclusion in this is totally random. This lead to Kyle O'Relly and The Elite coming out with The Elite leaving the faces laying until The Acclaimed made the save.

Toni Storm and Mariah May did a promo on Hikaru Shida that was hard to hear due to audio issues. May did the "watch for the shoe" line.

Women's Owen Hart Tournament Semifinals - Kris Statlander vs Willow Nightingale

I didn't like this one at all. They didn't act like they hated each other at all when they are actually currently feuding. Kris no sold a 2nd rope german and they didn't work Willow's size into the match much.Kris was throwing her around like nothing and Willow ended up winning. I'm not real sure what the play is here but Kris winning might have been the better option. 

Britt Baker returned. She said she had a mini-stroke and couldn't feel the right side of her body. She's a face now. The Elite interrupted and had Mercedes Mone get in the ring for a championship celebration while Britt was still in the ring. Britt and Mone had words. It wasn't clear if they set up a match or not though as Mone told her to get to the back of the line. I thought it was a good segment here and should have been the segment Mone debuted with.

Will Ospreay announced he was leaving The Don Callis Family. Don took it well and hugged him, but obviously, he's gonna screw him somehow.

Chris Jericho had Taz kicked out of commentary and took his place. 

Katsuyori Shibata, Samoa Joe and Hook vs The Cage of Agony (Brian Cage, Toa Liona and Kaun)

It was an okay tag here with The CoA losing like they always do in anything that isn't a squash. 

Jerichos' crew jump Shibata, Joe and Hook after. Hook gets chokeslammed through a table by Bill and is later attacked then nailed with a fireball from Jericho. 

Men's Owen Hart Cup Quarterfinals - "Hangman" Adam Page vs Jeff Jarrett

Page was the mystery man here. He has new music and pants and was real serious. They unfortunately had him beat Jeff here, who cut one of the best AEW promos ever about Owen. I don't know why they didn't pivot on this one as Jeff getting to the finals would have been a great story and much more interesting than whoever ends up making it to the finals.

Adam Page is interviewed. The Bucks walk in and congratulate him. They said they ended his suspension and said they will scratch his back if he scratches theirs. They say they need a 5th man for Blood and Guts. Page says he's not The Elite's man and said he doesn't need any more of their games. Page says he is in The Owen Hart Tournament and will win. He then pushes the other Buck.

AEW International Title - Will Ospreay (c) vs Daniel Garcia

Will shoulders DG over. DG shoulders him and snapmares him. Will chops him over and MJF says that ain't nothing. Will slides under DG's leapfrog. DG hiptosses him. Will side headlock takeovers him. Will tries to handstand out of a headscissors and kind of is piledrivered.

DG cravates him and basement dropkicks him. DG corner lariats him then hits corner punches. Will superkicks his head against the top rope and planchas him. MJF and Will stare down.

We go to PiP break and return. Will hits chops and DG hits a punch flurry. Will facekicks him. DG hits twists and shouts. DG ddt's him then hits another twist and shout for 2. Will springboard forearms him. Will hits Kawada kicks. DG hits him in the face with hits balls in a gross spot then Will standing spanish flies him.

DG hits a deadeye. Will powerbombs him then hits a styles clash. DG grounded chokes Will and Will throws him off. DG piledrivers him. MJF hands DG his Dynamite Diamond Ring to use. DG grabs it and Will backrolls him. DG tries a pin and Will rolls him up for 2. DG lariats him.

MJF tells DG to use the ring. DG gives it back to him. Will hits a hidden blade and wins.

Thoughts: It was okay for what it was but Garcia should not be in this position. At least he lost here as expected. It made sense some with DG working as the underdog and turning down the chance to cheat before losing.

DG cries in the corner and Will has words for him. MJF hugs DG after and raises his hand. MJF then kicks him in the balls. MJF knocks Menard off the apron then spits on DG. MJF hits DG with the ring. He then busts him up and hits mounted punches. MJF 2nd rope tombstones DG. Daniels and officials try to stop him but can't. Daniels asks why he did that and MJF beats up on DG. Will Ospreay comes down the ramp and MJF runs from him. DG gets carried out on a stretcher to end the show.

Thoughts: At least this makes MJF a heel again and gets him out of the face role. I wouldn't have done this. I just don't see the main event potential in Garcia that AEW does and I don't think anyone will care quite to the level they think they will. I also don't think this program will help MJF.

Overall thoughts: As usual, there were a lot of questionable booking decisions. I'm just not seeing the main event talent in Garcia that AEW sees. I thought they blew a great chance to do something good with Jarrett by having him lose to Page, who really didn't need to be there. I liked the Mone/Britt segment. I did not like the Kris/Willow match. Danielson and Pac was okay but it didn't do much besides provide for a good match. The Bucks and Jericho were also all over this show which was not a positive. I also don't get why they didn't have Swerve on this considering he's champ and supposed to be the biggest star in the world. That does not put him over. I thought the show was average overall.