AEW Dynamite 11/20/2024

AEW Dynamite 11/20/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/aew-dynamite-11132024.html

We are in Reading, PA.

We get a November Rain video package on various events that have lead up to Full Gear.

Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Mark Davis and Powerhouse Hobbs vs Lance Archer, Konosuke Takeshita, Brian Cage and Kyle Fletcher

This is Mark Davis' first match back after injury. He's still wearing United Empire gear. The fight starts in the entrance way. Cage and Kyle get thrown into the rails. The match then officially starts with KT having Mark in a side headlock.

Mark and KT shoulder battle. KT is caught in the air and dropped backwards. Mark then sentons him. Ric fosbury flops outside and Cage lariats Mark. Hobbs and Kyle fight on the buckles but Hobbs is pulled down. Lance puts Hobbs between the steps and the side of the ring then Will is thrown into the steps.

Lance rams Ric into the steps and Hobbs gets checked out then walked to the back. Will tries to follow Hobbs and is confused. Ric hurricanrana's Lance then springboards into him, getting knocked away. Lance does like a crackerjack on Will as Will stands on the ropes. Ric is caught off a springboard and chokeslammed onto his partners outside.

We go to PiP break and return. KT and Ric trade forearms. Ric rolls him up for 2. Ric handspring back elbows him. Will and Kyle go at it. They trade forearms. Will handspring corkscrew kicks him. KT eye rakes Will. Mark throws KT into a kick from Will. KT is lifted and Will cutters KT for 2. Will takes a facekick + german combo.

Mark takes a neckbreaker + death valley driver combo from Cage and Lance. Will is double yanked into a blue thunder from KT for 2. Kyle stomps on Will in the corner and foot chokes him. Hobbs then limps back in. Kyle goes after Hobbs and is knocked over. Hobbs is tagged in and he lariats KT.

Hobbs throws Kyle in. Hobbs hits a double lariat on Cage and Lance. Hobbs hits corner attacks on his opponents. Hobbs powerslams Lance. Mark facekicks KT and KT forearms him. KT is dropped with a forearm and KT back body drops him. Mark blocks a pumping knee and hits an enzugiri. Mark then does a nasty looking piledriver on KT.

Kyle slaps Markand is taken down. KT forearms Mark. Ric springboard lariats KT. Cage pop-up powerbombs Ric. Hobbs spinebusters Cage. Lance chokeslams Hobbs. Will springboard forearms Lance.

Will and Kyle go at it. They trade forearms. Will takes a superkick then hits a standing spanish fly. Will hidden blade's Mark on accident then Kyle topes Will. KT pumping knees Mark and pins him.

Thoughts: It's Mark Davis so who cares, but Mark really shouldn't be losing in his return match back. It was a fast paced 8-man with lots of big moves and people coming in and out. I have no idea what the Hobbs stuff was about as it didn't play any factor here. It was okay but the wrong choice for an opener.

The Death Riders talk from the back of a truck or a closet. Mox calls OC a snake. He says OC is a threat to his people when the bell rings at Full Gear and he says he will destroy him. He says OC may make it to Full Gear in tact but Darby's body is up for grabs. Claudio says he wants to end Darby tonight.

Darby talks from the loading deck. He says Mox pulled the trigger on Bryan's career. He says The Death Riders will have their day and today is Claudio's day. 

Renee interviews The Hurt Syndicate as they arrive in a car. MVP says he has a special treat and it's an announcement that Bobby Lashley will be in action tonight. Swerve then nails Lashley and runs off.

Thoughts: If you are going to use Lashley on TV for the first time, you should build the match up and not do something random like this.

Adam Cole comes out to talk. He's using that stupid spray tan stuff but forgot to put it on his hands, so he's two different colors. He says he wishes he was getting his hands on MJF on Saturday but he's not. He says MJF succeeded but so did Roderick Strong. He said he and Strong want to give MJF the whooping of a lifetime.

Kyle O'Reilly comes out. Kyle said their had their second match ever against each other 14 years ago here. He says being associated with him has given him some highs and lows. He says the crusade with MJF has to end before someone gets hurt. He says he doesn't have a good feeling about any of this.

Kyle says MJF is three steps ahead of him and is pulling everyone's strings. He said dealing with MJF is like playing with fire and he doesn't want his friend to get hurt. He says MJF is more of an evil b@stard than Cole will be and says that's a good thing.

Orange Cassidy is in the back. He says he will make an example out of Wheeler Yuta tonight. He says he will beat Moxley alone this Saturday. Briscoe, Romero and Ishii walk in. Mark says he's here for OC. OC says no one else will get hurt. Mark says they got his back and are ready to scrap. OC makes Mark promise to stay away and he agrees. OC says Mox will need all the help he can get at Full Gear.

Kris Statlander vs Hikaru Shida

They shake hands. Kris wristlocks her. Shida headflips out and hammrlocks her. Kris side headlock takeovers her. Shida headscissors her. Kris throws her down off the waistlock. Shida armdrags her. Shida flying knees her in the corner then hits corner punches.

Kris legsweeps her then standing moonsaults her for 2. Shida flying headscissors Kris and Kris cartwheels out. Kris shoulders her over. Kris pulls Shida's arms back. Shida straightjacket chokes her then 2nd rope dropkicks her. 

Shida running knees Kris as she hangs off the apron. We go to PiP break and return. Kris and Shida trade forearms. Kris powerslams her. Kris hits a flying knee in the corner then hits a ki krusher variation for 2. Shida rolls her up for 2 then pumping knees her.

Shida lariats her. Kris does a reverse slam on her then Shida backslides her. Shida hits a falcon arrow for 2. Shida flying knees her then germans her. Kris hits a single leg package tombstone and wins.

Thoughts: It was an okay match here with the two hitting a lot of high impact moves on each other. Kris was the favorite in this one. 

Mercedes Mone comes out after with Kamille. Mone says to say hello to your CEO. Mone says The 76ers have had another embarrassing season and shouts out The Celtics. She says she's rarely impressed by her competition but Kris had a good win tonight. She says she has held the TBS Title longer than Kris. She say she won't lose as she is The CEO.

Kamille gets in ring, tries to hit Kris then is hit by Shida and Kris. Kamille then thrown out. Mone jumps on Kris from behind and can't hit the backstabber. Kris then hits a tombstone off of it after having trouble doing the spot.

The Hurt Syndicate are in the back. They grab someone who looks like Swerve but isn't. They realize it's not Swerve and beat him up anyway. 

Jay White says him and Page are on the same path, going for the same prize. Page asks if Jay knows who he is. He says they named the PPV after him. Jay says he will make him tap and Page says he can't make him tap out if his @ss depended on it. Jay says he has always been ahead of Page.

Bobby Lashley vs Joe Keys and Cheeseburger

We got Team ROH here, eh? Bobby throws Cheese in then hits a corner spear. Bobby does a flatliner + ddt combo. Keys is thrown out and Bobby lariats Cheese. Bobby hits a dominator on Cheese for 2. Joe hits some shots on Bobby. Bobby spinebusters Joe. Bobby spears Joe then taps him out with the full-nelson.

Thoughts: It was a quick squash as expected here and wasn't much of note.

Swerve Strickland's music hits and Prince Nana comes out with a chair. Swerve appears from under the ring and hits Bobby from behind with a chain. He then hits MVP and Shelton with it. Swerve hits a house call kick on Bobby then top rope double stomps him. 

Renee interviews Mina Shirakawa and Mariah May. May says no champ deserves a celebration more than her. She says her reign will be historic. She says in her division, you hold the title or die. Mina says she's proud of her and will give her a celebration she will never forget. May says they will turn Rampage into Glampage. They then shake their chests.

Darby Allin vs Claudio Castagnoli

Darby is seated as the bell rings. CC comes out alone. Darby side headlocks him then springboard lariats him. Darby comes off the 2nd rope and is caught. Darby back rolls him the bottom rope twisting springboard crossbodies him. Darby hits a top rope coffin drop but is caught and thrown. CC pounces Darby into the rails then euros him over it.

CC lifts Darby like a suplex and carries him up the steps, throwing him into the ring. We go to PiP break and return. CC throw Darby into the corner then throws him into the rails. CC throws Darby into the ring from the outside. 

Darby bites CC outside then hits a tope. Darby then hits another tope. Darby is crotched up top. CC hits a top rope karelin's lift for 2. Darby rolls him up and they botch a spot. Darby hits a code red for 2.

CC hits euros and punches to the gut. CC facekicks him off the apron. CC giant swings him into the steps outside. CC throws Darby over the commentary table. CC gorilla presses Darby on the commentary table onto another table.

Darby somehow gets in before being counted out. CC flips him with a lariat and wins.

Thoughts: This took a surprising turn here with CC just deciding to beat the crap out of Darby in the last part of this. It could have been a little better and faster but I liked it. Darby took a bunch of nasty looking bumps as usual and really took a whooping here.

Renee interviews Private Party. They say the odds are stacked against them at Full Gear. Zay says they will leave the show tag champs. The Costco Guys come in and say they have a big announcement coming up next. Private Party then poses with them.

We see MJF arrive somewhere in a car next to a homeless person. He throws a coin and tells him to go get it. MJF says Roderick Strong has been through a lot. He says trauma is a result of powerlessness and fear. He says Cole makes him feel the positive things he lacks. He says Cole is a fraud and a liar. He says he's happy Strong won and says he will send him back to where he belongs in the trailer park. He says Strong will wish his mother hadn't shot his father but instead shot him.

Renee interviews The Costco Guys. AJ says this started with QT when he threw the double chunk chocolate chip cookies. He says his strategy is to bring the boom. He says when he powerbombs QT, there's only one guy we want to ring the bell and it's The Rizzler. They then say "bring the boom".

Roderick Strong, Bennett and Taven are interviewed in the entrance way. Strong says he has not slept since Wednesday. He says he feels like a kid on Christmas morning and finally gets his hands on MJF. Strong says he heard stuff about his parents all of his life. He says he feels sorry for MJF. He says he has earned everything he has and says MJF has been spoonfed everything.

Strong tells MJF to look in the mirror and think of the things he did to people. He tells him to realize that he will pay for all of his sins when the bell rings. He says he will go to sleep knowing he broke his back and left him humbled.

We see more footage of Menard and Garcia capturing Jack Perry on Saturday. Jack is tied to a chair and Garcia throws water at him. Garcia says all he wants to do is wrestle but the place is full of savages. Jack says everyone has a code and cares until they have to sacrifice. Garcia says Jack doesn't know what he sacrified to be here. Garcia says he has something for him and Jack asks what he's gonna do. Garcia grabs a crowbar and smashes up Jack's bus. Jack laughs and asks if that's it. Garcia then says let's get out of here.

Thoughts: I have no idea what this was all about and this wasn't good.

Renee does a contract signing for Ishii and Jericho's ROH Title match in a locker room. Chris says his legal team has to check the contract before signing it. He says to wait here until then. Chris then goes up to his picture on the wall. Ishii follows him. Chris tries to put things and people in Ishii's way. They go up steps and Chris heads through concessions and down to ringside.

Chris and Ishii get in the ring. Chris says he would sign the contract but he doesn't have a pen. Ishii gives him a pen. The Learning Tree then attacks Ishii. Chris goes to stab him with a pen then The Conglomeration comes out. The two groups fight. Rocky topes Bill outside and Mark hits a jay driller on Keith. Ishii brainbusters Chris. Ishii signs the contract.

Renee interviews Jamie Hayter. She says she's baffled as to why Julia Hart interrupted her. She says they never spoke or wrestled. She then gets cut off with another Julia Hart video. The video says it's time to come home and says The House is Hart's foundation. We then see her shooting arrows.

Wheeler Yuta vs Orange Cassidy

I would rather watch anything else than this. Yuta shotgun dropkicks OC. OC bangs Yuta's head off the buckles then he backslides him. OC cradles him and gets another pin attempt in. OC hits a stunner. OC topes Yuta. Yuta brainbusters OC on the top of the rail. Yuta pushes OC's head into the exposed buckle connector. Yuta ddt's OC on the apron.

We go to PiP break and return. They trade forearms. Yuta bites him and OC hits a kick to the head. OC PK's him then suplexes him. OC hits a german then running double chops him. Yuta angle slams him.

OC splits Yuta's fingers. OC hits a soul foot then michinoku drivers him for 2. OC back rolls him and Yuta tombstones him for 2. Yuta does a cattle mutilation. Yuta goes for a chair, OC rolls him up and wins.

Thoughts: The ending was really weak here and didn't really fit the match. They did this one mostly right too with them being aggressive with each other. I doubt it drew any ratings though.

Pac facekicks OC after and the other Death Riders come out. OC gets duct taped and Mox punches OC out. The heels push OC around and OC does his weak kicks for some reason. Mox then forearms OC over. The heels then leave and finally The Conglomeration comes out to help OC. OC then puts his hands in his pockets and puts his sunglasses on.

Overall thoughts: It was a really weak Dynamite. The show is totally lacking star power and go home shows tend to be weaker anyway. In-ring wise the show was fine but there's not a lot of interest going on storyline wise and it's really hard to care about this show. I would give this a 5 out of 10 and would not recommend it.