wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s AEW Dynamite Review 9.25.24
Image Credit: AEW
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Hello, one and all, to tonight’s LIVE coverage of Dynamite! But this is no ordinary Dynamite, as this episode marks the start of the company’s annual Grand Slam trio of shows. Dynamite might be the biggest show of the three, the flagship if you will, but let’s not forget about Grand Slam Rampage being a two-hour episode this year, and we can’t forget about Grand Slam Collision, either!
So, how are the SICKOS this evening? Hope everyone is having a great Hump Day, and let’s have a blast during Dynamite tonight!
For me on a personal level, the Phillies have officially made the post-season and won their first NL East title since 2011. Let’s just hope they do something with it this year unlike the past two years!
All that to say, we’re only a few minutes to go-time!
As has been the case since the inception of Grand Slam, we are LIVE from Flushing/New York City, and we have the power trivium of Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone! Oh, and Jim Ross is here as well! Noice!
We’re wasting NO time at all, as Nigel McGuiness is on his way to the ring! It’s interesting that Justin Roberts (welcome back, by the way) says that this match will go 60 minutes. Kind of weird to me. The music for Bryan Danielson plays, but he doesn’t come out. Nigel on the mic. American Coward just dropped the ball. He demands the ref to count him out, and he wants Bryan stripped if the World Title.
But wait! The Final Countdown begins instead, and here is the Champion! American Coward my arse, Nigel!
Non-Title Match: AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuiness
There is the bell, and the crowd is already alive for this one! Both men stare each other down, they circle one another. LOCKUP!!! Uppercut by Nigel and he posses. Counterstrike by Danielson. Nigel works the arm of Bryan. Bryan escapes but eats another uppercut.
Nigel: Too Easy, Tony! Too Easy!
Danielson with a kick to the small of Nigel’s back, and both men get in each other’s face. Both men trade wrist locks and counters, and the crowd appreciates it. Danielson with a hammerlock, McGuiness breaks and lands some open-handed shots. Danielson responds with one his own, as Nigel smiles in delight. A slap by Nigel is answered by a Danielson uppercut. Back and forth we go! Danielson with a kick to the inside of the thigh, and McGuiness tries to sell it as a low blow. McGuiness catches Danielson and mounts punches. Danielson rolls over with some of his own. Nigel back on top! Bryan back on top! Who is getting the advantage? No one is! Danielson locks in the Labell Lock! Nigel breaks the hold with is foot on the rope, with Bryan noting he has until five! McGuiness low bridges Danielson to the floor. Bryan eats the ring steps, as Nigel stands the steps up. He breaks the ref’s count, Nigel drop toe holds Bryan into the ring steps. Nigel attempts to kill Bryan’s arm with the ring steps, but Danielson avoids it. McGuiness eats the ring post, as both men stretch each other out around the ring post. McGuiness returns Danielson to the ring. McGuiness locks on the Dungeon of London submission, but Danielson gets to the ropes. Nigel blocks the corner suplex, follows Nigel to the other corner with a dropkick. Danielson with the YES kicks in the corner, hits a back arch suplex! Danielson to the top, but he’s caught, Danielson back down, BUSIAKU KNEE! But Danielson can’t cover him, both men are spent!
The match resets, and Danielson with more YES kicks in the middle of the ring as we have more audio issues for whatever reason. Danielson finishes with the round kick to the cover, that’s a two count. Danielson sends him to the corner, McGuiness handstand in the corner! DANIELSON TRAPS NIGEL’S HEAD IN THE TURNBUCKLE! Danielson chops him, but Nigel over the top, falling DDT for a two count. Danielson tries the LaBell Lock again, but Nigel fights out of it quickly. Danielson hits McGuiness with an uppercut but he used his injured arm. Nigel back with the recoil clotheslines, cover, ONLY A ONE COUNT! DANIELSON IS FIRING UP! Nigel with a thumb to the eye, ripcord lariat for a two count! Bryan keeps fighting off Nigel’s Dungeon of London submission, so Nigel does the BCC elbows to the neck. Nigel with the TOWER OF LONDON, but it’s only a two count! Another submission by Nigel, as he goes over to another form of it. Danielson finally escapes, elbows to the neck, Nigel is flattened out.
Both men are down, and this match resets yet again. Both men are up, Nigel with chops, Bryan with kicks, then chops. Nigel drops Bryan. Nigel kicks Bryan into the ropes, recoil, CLOTHESLINE BY NIGEL ON THE REBOUND! THAT’S A TWO COUNT! With Nigel on his stomach, Bryan attempts the LaBell Lock again. THIS IS AWESOME chants from the crowd, and I agree! Danielson with hammer punches trying to open up McGuiness. Nigel tries to escape, but he won’t let go. TORQUE! Will Nigel give up? YES! THAT’S IT!
WINNER: Bryan Danielson
TIME: 20:43
Thoughts: Fantastic match between two men who have done this dance a long time ago. I was engrossed, and more to the point, I am glad that this was no bait and switch. Every bit as good as it could have been, or had any right to be.
Rating: ****1/2
Post match, the music of Christian Cage hits, here he comes with the contract. Kip Sabian sneaks out and steals the pen. Cage gives chase, but he sees Claudio Castagnoli and PAC and he bails.
We run down some more matches, HOOK and Roderick Strong is up next after…
THE COMMERCIAL BREAK!
And we’re back, the HOOK signal goes up in the sky, and the champion comes down to the ring!
FTW Championship: HOOK (C) vs. Roderick Strong
The bell rings, and we have the LOCKUP! Both men trade arm locks, and I notice that Jim Ross is gone. It was cool to have him there for the opening match, anyway. Strong to the ropes to break the hold from HOOK, as the Undisputed Kingdom hype up Strong on the outside, HOOK breaks between them like a skilled skater through two defensemen and attacks Strong. Roddy turns the tables as he chucks HOOK into the barricade. Strong with a Kendo stick, he misses, HOOK smacks all the members of the UK. Stick assisted Russian Legsweep on Strong into the barricade. T-Bone Suplex for Mike Bennett. Strong slams HOOK into the ring steps and the ring post as we take our first PIP break.
PIP thoughts:
-Dang, Shiana Twain still looks like a (fine) woman!
-The Applebee’s commercials with Dan Campbell, Brock Purdy, and Saquan Barkley are funny.
-Kaley Cuoco!
-Always love Petsmart commercials!
-Even if I had a Galaxy Flip, I still wouldn’t try that hot of food lol.
And we’re back, as Roddy is in control UNTIL HOOK hits a couple of suplexes to counter. HOOK in the corner, clotheslines, body shots, and a headbutt! Northern Lights with the bridge for a two count! Matt Taen slides Roddy a chair, he wedges it, but HOOK from behind with the Red Rum, but Strong smacks him against the chair. A running knee, reserve Angle Slam for a two count! Strong sets up two chairs in the middle of the ring, cause everything is legal! HOOK reverses, Sainagi throw into the chairs for a two count! Strong muscles up HOOK, Gut Buster into the chair. SICK KICK! But that’s only a two! End of Heartache is countered into the Red Rum! STRONG TAPS OUT!!!
WINNER: HOOK
TIME: 9:01
Thoughts: Paint by the numbers HOOK match, whether you find it a good thing or a bad thing. Roddy gave as good as he got, but in the end, the numbers games weren’t to the advantage of the UK.
Rating: **1/2
Post match, the Undisputed Kingdom confront HOOK, but Roddy wants a handshake. They hug it out! Okay?
Here is Schiavone with a mic. He waxes poetic about the original of the FTW Title. HOOK says all good things must come to an end. HOOK would like to thank every wrestler who has competed for the FTW Title, and he wants to thank the fans who have supported the title. From this very moment, the FTW Title is officially retired!
HOOK hands the title to Taz, and they hug it out. Taz looks a little bit sad. I wonder what this means for HOOK moving forward.
Next up is the AEW World Tag Team Title match post commercial break!
We return, as Will Ospreay and CS22’s favorite wrestler Kyle Fletcher make their way out to challenge for tag team gold!
AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (C) vs. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher
Rick Knox is our official, because he always is for the Bucks. Nicholas and Will start us off, Matthew comes in to rip down Will from behind. Both Bucks take out Will, Kyle in, reverse back elbows, and they do the pose! Kyle and Will take over, tripping Matthew face first into Nick’s groin, and Will does a standing moonsault off the back of Kyle. Both Bucks to the floor, and Will and Kyle hit dives off the top to the floor as we head for PIP!
PIP thoughts:
-I don’t want an I-Phone, but it’s comforting to know I can trade a broken one for a new one.
-This lady in the Thursday Night commercials is nice!
-WHOOPER WHOOPPER WHOPPER!
-I don’t see many Firehouse Subs commercials, so that’s pretty cool.
-I like to sing to my dog too. Oh, wait.
And we’re back, as Kyle hits a DDT and a reverse DDT on both of the Bucks. Kyle tags out to Will, and Will with chops to Nicholas, off the ropes, a kick to both Jackson’s. Sky twist press on Nicholas for a two count. Will with the Hidden Blade, it misses, Nicholas with the corkscrew kick. Tag in, Matthew with standing Sliced Bread, cover for a two count. Nicholas drops Will on the top rope, Senton Power bomb for the pin, Kyle in for the save. He gets thrown out the ring, as the Bucks isolate Will. EVP Trigger is countered, Will off the ropes, DOUBLE OSCUTTER! The cover, Knox is slow to count, it’s a two count. The Bucks go for a double Super Kick, they miss, Kyle with the power bomb, reversed into a face buster by Matthew. HIDDEN BLADE from Will on Matthew! EVERYONE IS DOWN! Kyle and Nicholas up, they trade shots. Matthew pulls Kyle out of the ring. Kyle is set up for a TK Driver on the apron, and Fletcher gets STUFFED.
(Somewhere, I am sure CS22 is happy).
The Bucks are content to take the count out, but Kyle barely makes the count at nine. Drive by kick courtesy of Matthew as we head for more PIP!
PIP Thoughts:
-That Anime looks pretty cool. Too bad it isn’t until January.
-I need Sketchers Slip ins from that lady in the commercial!
-The 🐧!
-Someone said it in the chat, but Flo with curly hair is pretty darn nice!
-PayPal enlisting Everywhere, I dig it.
-Still don’t like that Pimento Chicken from Chick-Fil-A.
-I also need Allegra from that girl in the commercial!
And we’re back, as the Bucks try another TK Driver, but Will cuts it off! DOUBLE STYLES CLASH BY WILL AND KYLE! KYLE FOR THE COVER, THAT’S A TWO! Will tags in. HIDDEN BLADE! STORMBREAKER!!! NO, NICHOLAS WITH THE SAVE Woo! Will has Matthew, thinking Tiger Driver 91, but that’s cut off. Kyle in with a Half and Half suplex. Kyle to the corner, he’s cut off, and the Bucks take over. Looking for More Bang For Your Buck, Will intercepts, but he’s thrown out. They try it again but WILL OFF THE ROPES WITH A SPRINGBOARD CUTTER!! TK CUTTER BY THE CHALLENGERS, BUT IT’S ONLY A TWO COUNT!!!! COREOLIS!!! NO! IT’S TWO! Kyle has Matthew up, TURNBUCKLE BRAINBUSTER! NO, NICHOLAS WITH THE SAVE!!!
Ay yi yi!
Fletcher off the ropes, knocks Nicholas off the apron. Kyle with the tope suicida! Callis is up, he gives Kyle the screwdriver. Callis op on the apron to distract Knox. Kyle is contemplating. Will is in, he takes the screwdriver and hands it to Knox, but Matthew in with the title belt. He clocks Will with it first, then Kyle. That’s a two count. SUPERKICK PARTY! EVP TRIGGER, AND THE BUCKS RETAIN!
WINNER: The Young Bucks (Still champions)
TIME: 20:04
Thoughts: Despite the ending of it and the needless Callis interference that backfired, this was a fantastic match, with all the guys playing the hits and then some. Fantastic showing by Kyle and Will, but tonight wasn’t the night.
Rating: ****
To the back with The Remarkable Renee Paquette and the Conglomeration. Orange Cassidy says that Rocky Romero is officially a member of the group and gives him a shirt. Mark Briscoe says that five miles down the road is where him and Jay had their last tag team match together. Everyone else leaves as Cassidy stands by with Renee for a minute.
Tony is on the ring entrance as Prince Nana is out to give us an update on Swerve Strickland. Tony runs down the bad run that Strickland had over the past month plus. Nana says it is good to be back in New York City. Nana says there is nothing mentally that can stop Swerve. But physically, he is not cleared to return. But he is getting better every day. WHOSE HOUSE?
MVP IS HERE! COMPLETE WITH THE CANE! MVP agrees with Nana that Strickland is the most dangerous man in AEW. He says Swerve’s 2024 will be highlighted and studies. He lists all the men Swerve beat this year. But he also saw Swerve lose the AEW Title at All-In. He also saw his house get burnt down. Audio issues again. MVP says Swerve losing is not on Strickland, but on his management. He tells Nana to tell Swerve when he is ready to come back, to give him his business card, and he’ll be ready to talk business.
Taz and Excalibur discuss MVP showing up, and that takes us to our Draft Kings spot!
Rando thought: NHL on TNT. Can’t wait!
We’re back with a promo for The Scapegoat Jack Perry. We see him riding the Scapegoat Bus across the bridge and to the city of New York.
The Magical Girl Yuka Sakazaki is here for her title match, and I am disappointed that Justin didn’t do the rapid fast announcement for her.
AEW World Women’s Title: Mariah May (C) vs. Yuka Sakazaki
Yuka wastes no time as she hits a splash from the top onto May on the floor! Yuka smacks Mariah’s face off the apron and hits her with a kick from the apron! Both ladies are in the ring and Yuka goes for the pin for a two count. Both ladies trade open handed slaps. Yuka breaks that trend with the rolling elbow! Looking for the “area code” shot but Mariah gets out of the ring. She drags Yuka to the floor, runs up to her and hits her with a dropkick. Back in the ring, May with a spinning side slam, that’s a two count. Mariah chokes Yuka in the ropes, across the ring, hits a dropkick to Yuka’s back. Into the cover for a two count. Mariah puts Yuka on the top, double chops, Yuka cuts off the Hurricanrana. She does a version of the Tarantula! Mariah recovers, looks for May Day, it’s countered into a roll up for a two. Yuka counters another attack with the backslide for a two count. Yuka does the pinwheel spin around the ring, goes for the cover, and that’s a two count. Yuka has Mariah up, merry-go-round lock, countered, Mariah with a German Suplex, covers for a two count. Mariah plants Yuka with a face plant, another count, for a two. She looks for a knee, Yuka rolls through, thrust kick. Yuka with the Nothern Lights Bomb! Yuka to the top rope, Magical Girl Splash, May gets the knees up, BIG knee to the gut. May with the STORM ZERO, and that’s all she wrote!
WINNER: Mariah May (Still champion)
TIME: 6:44
Thoughts: Good defense by May. A lot of offense for Yuka, perhaps a little bit too much depending upon who you ask.
Rating: **3/4
Post match, May looks to clock Yuka with the title belt, but here comes Willow Nightingale! But wait, there’s more, as Mina Shirakawa has arrived! May hits Willow with the belt and runs up the ramp! She swings Mina around as Mina looks upset. Yuka up the ramp, she runs Mariah up the tunnel, as Mina and Yuka come to a standstill. Got to love all of that!
Darby Allin and Jon Moxley is the main event, and we’ll get that after…
COMMERCIAL BREAK TAKE!
We return to see Moxley and Marina Shafir arrive through the crowd. So, Justin can’t do Yuka Sakazaki four times fast, but he can stretch out JOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN? Weird. BTW, Good Ole JR is back, BAH GAWD!
Darby’s AEW Title shot on the line: Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley
There’s the bell, annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd Darby is already dead.
LOL.
Moxley works over Allin in the corner, choke, he breaks it at four. Moxley with a Beal against the ropes as close as he can humanly be. Mozley with a kick, a stomp, and places Allin against the bottom rope. He eats the bottom rope and gets it kicked into his teeth. I’m sure that’s good Nutrional value. Oh, look, Darby is eating the middle rope now! Yummy! Moxley with a scoop slam into the ropes. And another. Moxley sits down on the leg of Allin as Darby is bleeding from the mouth, naturally. Darby tries to fight back, but Jon is having none of it, as he gets whipped through the ropes and onto the floor. Darby fights back, slams Jon into the ring apron. He jumps on the back of Moxley, but he drops the shoulder and throws Darby to the floor. Up on the apron, Darby traps the arm of Moxley in the ring post. Shafir helps Jon get his arm out of the ring post, and Darby from the top with a Coffin Drop to the floor! Allin throws Moxley into the ring, but he goes out the other side. That doesn’t work as Allin throws himself at Moxley. Darby has a chair, Marina stands between the men, as Darby goes on the apron. Body slam by Moxley on the apron as Darby crumbles to the floor. Shafir with some kicks to Allin with Jon talking to the referee in the ring. Moxley psyches himself up, and he squeezes Darby’s head against the ring rope with his foot. Somehow, that’s probably on the low end of Darby punishment. It’s time for a PIP break!
(I would mention that during the break, Darby has gotten beat down, but that goes without saying)
We’re back, and Moxley hits a lariat for a two count. Moxley with repeat back and body shots. Moxley has Darby out, stunner! Jon rolls out of the ring, he sits in the chair, Darby with a dropkick from the very top! Allin gets Moxley in the ring, CODE RED for a two count! Allin rips the turnbuckle pad off the corner, Allin tries to feed Jon’s face into it, but a Johnn WOO kick by Moxley to Allin. Yes, you read that right. Moxley into the cover, Allin with a springboard splash, and Darby works a submission. Moxley in a choke, but Moxley paint brush slaps Allin so hard he falls out of the ring! Marina rips the mat on the side of the ring, exposing the tennis court floor. Moxley talks to Marina, saying that Allin asked for this. Moxley looking for Death Rider, but Darby ducks, he drops Moxley onto the ring steps knee first. Darby into the ring, he goes for the suicide dive, but Jon moves, and Darby goes SPLAT. Moxley makes sure Darby is further killed with a release suplex onto the ring steps.
R.I.P. Darby Allin. He was kind of young.
Jon takes a seat in the corner and is content to take the count-out win. At the count of nine, Allin comes back from the dead for the ten millionth time and gets into the ring. YOU CAN’T KILL HIM chant from the crowd, and I agree, he simply will not die. Moxley charges Allin but he hits the exposed turnbuckle! Allin for the Coffin Drop but Jon catches him with the body lock sleeper! Jon rolls over, locks in the Bulldog Choke! Darby looks to be going out of it, but he wakes up, spits some orange stuff up, and gets to the ropes to break the hold. Jon up top, Darby joins him there. Darby to the very top, he bites Jon’s head like an apple. Marina now on the apron, the distraction allows for an AVALANCHE DEATH RIDER! AND… THAT’S IT?
WINNER: Jon Moxley
TIME: 18:24
Thoughts: The ending was abrupt, and made you feel like Darby was going to pull it out in the proverbial bottom of the ninth inning. Alas, it didn’t happen. A good match, if slow and plodding, match between two guys who don’t give a damn.
Rating: ***1/4
Post match, Danielson is out to choke Moxley from behind with Justin Robert’s tie from 2010! Marina attacks, as does PAC and Claudio! Here come Kommander and Private Party to help out. Danielson on the mic. He says Jon wants war, and Bryan declares war! It will be Danielson and Moxley at WrestleDream, and Bryan will kick his (RADIO EDIT)! The match is made official for WrestleDream, and with that, our show is over!
