AEW Dynamite 10/2/2019

AEW Dynamite 10/2/2019

This is the first episode of AEW Dynamite. I definitely saw it when it aired but I never reviewed it. It's pretty frustrating as I'm not a big AEW fan and despite seeing most of the shows from their first year, I don't have anything to show for it yet. I'd like to eventually get every episode of Dynamite reviewed plus any PPV's I missed.

Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur are on commentary.

We get a video on the Sammy Guevarra vs Cody Rhodes match. Cody says he doesn't want to overlook anyone and doesn't want to get embarrassed. Sammy says it's the biggest match of his life. Sammy says he's the best ever. Sammy looked like a kid here especially with a panda hat on.

Sammy Guevarra vs Cody Rhodes

Cody has Brandi with him. Sammy side headlocks him then flips over him while he's down. Sammy rolls him up and Cody goes out. They pose at each other. Sammy backflips over Cody then dropkicks him. Sammy then backrolls into a moonsault on Cody. Cody side headlock takeovers him.

Cody shoulders Sammy over then Sammy slaps him. Cody does a drop down punch then powerslams him. Cody figure fours him and Sammy ropebreaks. Cody armbreakers Sammy's arm. They trade chops and Cody gordbusters him.  Sammy spin kicks him then Cody hits a nasty looking cody cutter for 2.

Sammy enzugiri's Cody from the apron then does his own cody cutter variation for 2. Cody facekicks Sammy off the apron. Cody goes to tope Sammy and Brandi is pulled into Cody's way. Sammy running ssp's him for 2.

Sammy is tripped into the buckles and Brandi hits Sammy. Cody hits a disaster kick for 2. They go up top and Cody hits a reverse suplex off the top for 2. Cody back elbows Sammy. Sammy jumps up to the top and hits a spanish fly off the top for 2.

Sammy goes for a top rope SSP, Cody gets his knees up and wins.

Thoughts: It was flippy as expected. I thought they could have leaned more into the heel vs face roles or Cody being the vet over Sammy. It wasn't awful but it could have been better.  

Cody hugs Tony Schiavone in the ring. Sammy interrupts Cody and asks for a handshake. Chris Jericho then attacks Cody from behind then lariats him. Jericho then codebreakers Cody twice. Jericho hits Cody with the AEW Title. He grabs a camera from a fan and takes pictures.  Jericho chairs Cody outside. Cody is powerbombed onto two seated chairs.

Jericho gets on the mic and says he's Jericho and he's the champion of AEW.

MJF vs Brandon Cutler

MJF cuts off his own music. He says he's the youngest and fastest rising star in the history of wrestling. He says we get to see a star be born against Cutler and says Cutler got lost on his way to his seat behind the guard rail. He calls him a complete loser and says he's better than him. He then brings up him playing Dungeons and Dragons.

They lock up and MJF trips him. BC flips over him then slaps him. BC does a slingshot code red for 2. MJF eye rakes him and sends him into the post shoulder first. MJF slams him and yanks on the arm.

MJF is thrown out then BC topes him. BC then pounds on him outside. BC goes up top then comes down and has trouble moving his knee. MJF hits a big forearm then taps him out with an armbar.

Thoughts: It was a short, one-sided match as expected. MJF worked the arm some here before getting the arm submission so I was fine with this. MJF really buried Cutler though on the mic beforehand.

Chris Van Vilet interviews Jay and Silent Bob. They talk about a film Chris Jericho is in with them and shill it.  Jack Evans and Angelico interrupt and says Morris Day and The Time suck (they do not). Jay says Jack and Ange aren't good enough to win a match. Private Party then get involved but leave before really doing anything.

They talk about next week's AEW World Tag Title Tournament.

We see SCU goofing around outside The White House. Scorpio Sky says they have done extensive research and said DC is the worst town they have ever been in. Kaz says they are bringing So Cal love to those who haven't experienced it. They then do an SCU cheer and leave.

SCU are interviewed on the stage. Sky says they will walk out of the tournament with gold around their waists and says Daniels and Kazarian will represent SCU in the tag tournament. The Lucha Brothers walk in. Fenix says he will remind them why they are the best tag team in the universe. Penta just says "zero meido". SCU says "SCU" and Penta spits something at Daniels. They then fight and it gets broken up by security. Penta throws some horrible looking shots at Daniels.

Thoughts: This and the segment leading up to it weren't good. SCU came across as pretty juvenile and limited despite longtime vets at this point.

We see The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega getting ready in the back.

We see Jericho talk to Ortiz and Santana. Jericho talks about it being the biggest night in AEW history.

"Hangman" Adam Page vs Pac

Pac stalls outside. They trade forearms. Pac spin kicks him in the gut then Page facekicks him. Pac pump kicks him then Page hits a nice spinning lariat. Pac is thrown into the rails outside. Page topes Pac. Page fallaway slams him and running SSP's him. Pac asai moonsaults him outside.

Pac springboard 450's Page. Page basement dropkicks him in the corner. Page 2nd rope fallaway slams him (Excalibur calls it an avalance blockbuster for some reason). Page dropkicks him in the corner and does a weird slam lift into a cutter.

Page is sent shoulder first into the post and goes out. Page is sent into the rails outside. Pac dropkicks Page off the top. Pac boots Page around.

Page makes his comeback and spinebusters him. Page rolls him into a deadeye attempt. Pac springboards and takes a spinning forearm. Page pop-up powerbombs him for 2. Page top rope moonsaults Pac outside. Pac low blows him. Pac hits a black arrow off the top then taps him out with the brutalizer.

Thoughts: They did too much here with a 2nd rope fallway slam not meaning much. I've never been a big fan of the black arrow into the brutalizer finish. The middle portion of this when they were to break was not very exciting. Pac's eye got busted open here.

I will not be covering the next match with Riho.

The Elite come out. Kenny says they are just getting started and asks if the crowd is ready for the main. Omega says to send the people home happy. They start an AEW chant. 

Chris Jericho, Ortiz and Santana vs The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks)

CJ teases coming in but slides out. Kenny hits forearms on Santana. They are pushing that Kenny has been in a slump and has had a mental collapse. Kenny dropkicks Ortiz in the knee then does an over the back bulldog.

Kenny takes chops from CJ and CJ takes a double superkick on a powerbomb attempt. A Buck corkscrew dives over the other. Jon Moxley comes in and attacks Kenny. Kenny is thrown out and sends him over the rails. They fight in the crowd.

CJ lariats a Buck. Why this wasn't stopped due to Mox's run-in is unknown. Mox and Kenny fight to the back. Kenny uses a mop on Mox and hits him with it. Mox throws Kenny into a door then hits forearms. Mox hits a death rider ddt through a glass table on Kenny but he probably went through it more than Kenny so it looked stupid.

We go to break and return. CJ's team has the edge and CJ grabs a mic. CJ has a hot dog and asks, "Who threw a wiener in the ring?". Ortiz beats up a Buck outside. A Buck takes a back elbow from CJ then CJ chinlocks him. CJ is rolled up then hits a lariat. 

A Buck gets pounded on then suplexes by Santana. Santana is thrown over the top then Matt spears Ortiz. Ortiz sentons a Buck and splashes him, also helping Santana do a moonsault on a Buck.

CJ does a lionsault but Matt gets his knees up. Matt does a corkscrew into a cutter from the buckles. Matt northern lights suplexes Santana then ends up doing a double northern lights suplex on Santana and Ortiz.  Nick hits kicks on Ortiz and Santana then does a bulldog + lariat combo.

Nick kicks CJ from the apron then double stomps Ortiz outside. He then runs up the buckles and corkscrew dives outside. A Buck springboards and catches a CJ codebreaker off of it. Santana jumps off of Ortiz's back and hits a cannonball. CJ hits a judas effect on a Buck and wins.

Thoughts: I thought it was a stupid match. Mox interfered and the ref could have cared less. And even though there was clearly no way of getting DQ'd here, the heels didn't cheat or anything and still were losing despite having the advantage. And instead of doing the interference at the end of the match, where we would have gotten the full match, they did it early making this a handicap match.

Cody Rhodes comes out and beats up Jericho's crew. Sammy Guevarra low blows Cody and pounds on him. Dustin Rhodes comes out and helps. He low blows Sammy. Jake Hager then nails Dustin from behind and powerslams him.  JR puts Jake over like he's the biggest star ever. Jake vader bombs Cody.

The heels get the edge on the faces. Cody is held for slaps then Dustin is doctor bomb'd through a podium. Cody gets slapped by CJ more then takes a judas effect. The heels stand triumphant to close the show.

Overall thoughts: First shows are always hard because there's a lot of work to do and limited time to do it. AEW has never been great about introducing wrestlers to new fans didn't do a good job of it here. You were just kind of expected to know Jack Evans, Private Party, Santana, Ortiz and others. 

The opener went a little long and was kind of indy. MJF buried Brandon Cutler in his win. We had a bad segment with Private Party and Evans/Angelico then another bad two segments after with SCU. Pac vs Page was kind of what you would expect and I thought they overdid it some. The main was stupid as Mox interfered and the ref just let it go on a 3v2. Despite there clearly being no rules, the heels didn't take advantage of it and took a while to put down The Bucks. There was then a big fight after the match with multiple people coming down and the heels being put over. Kenny was also pushed as someone who was down and on a losing streak and that's a problem when he's one of your top stars who people are getting to know for the first time.

I didn't like the show that much. I think it really gave a good preview of the issues AEW has always had. If I redid this show, I would have cut Sammy vs Cody down some. I would have not done the Private Party segment. I would have filled this show with a lot more interviews and video packages on people. The main could have had the same outcome, but they should have had the big blowaway match then had Mox run in at the end.