Hall’s AEW Dynamite Review 10.30.24

Dynamite
Date: October 30, 2024
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

It’s Fright Night Dynamite as we have the Halloween episode. The big story tonight is the Tag Team Titles are on the line with the Young Bucks defending against Private Party (again) with Private Party’s career as a team also being defended. Other than that, Orange Cassidy is doing to do something about Jon Moxley so let’s get to it.

We get a special video previewing tonight, with something of a spooky/horror theme.

We get a video on the Blackpool Combat Club, talking about how Jon Moxley built this company but Orange Cassidy says cut it off. Cue Cassidy to say this isn’t who he is, but last week he saw his best friend’s neck crushed by a steel chair. He was surrounded by people who shouldn’t have been there. Those people were very young because he was surrounded by the future of AEW. They were in danger because of people like Jon Moxley. See, Moxley doesn’t need AEW, but Cassidy certainly does.

Without him, there is none of this, so now he knows what he needs to do, meaning he has to cut his head off the snake to make sure no one else gets hurt. The sunglasses come off and Cassidy issues the title challenge. Let him know, because he isn’t hard to find. He’s Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy, he’s the next AEW World Champion, and he still doesn’t need a catchphrase. That ending was a bit too goofy, but this was exactly what the promo needed to be and gives Moxley a good first challenger, albeit one who has very little chance of winning.

Mercedes Mone says Kamille isn’t going to need luck against Kris Statlander tonight.

Adam Cole vs. Buddy Matthews

Feeling out process to start with the much bigger Matthews slowly powering him into the corner. A shoulder takes Cole down as he seems a bit ginger. Matthews knocks him outside where Cole limps around a bit and has to stretch the ankle out a bit. The distraction lets Matthews hit a big kick off the apron as we take a break.

Back with Matthews hitting a superplex but Cole snaps off a neckbreaker. A DDT onto the apron drops Matthews and leaves them both on the floor. Matthews is back with a hard shot to the ankle, which is sent into the steps. The medic comes out to check on him and Cole teases leaving, but Matthews laughs at the “new” Cole for leaving like a little b****.

That brings Cole back to the ring and they slug it out, with Cole hitting back to back superkicks. The leg gives out on the running knee though and Matthews hits a Stomp for two. Cole knees him in the face a few times for two but Matthews buckle bombs him and hits another Stomp for one. A superkick and a pair of Panama Sunrises, including one on the floor, set up the Boom for the pin at 15:30.

Rating: B-. Well that was certainly a Cole match, with a bunch of superkicks, Panama Sunrises and silly kickouts. He’s such a weird case as he has star power and feels like he should be a star but then it doesn’t exactly work out that way in the ring. Maybe it’s that he feels like the Modern Style Greatest Hits guy, but this wasn’t exactly great.

Post match we get a handshake but the lights go out. They come back up and Cole is shaking hands with Malakai Black instead.

Christopher Daniels is with Private Party, who are risking everything for the Tag Team Titles tonight, for a pep talk. They’ve got this.

Adam Cole is in the trainer’s room with the Undisputed Kingdom. Cole says his ankle is fine and he’s ready for Malakai Black. He goes on a rant about how MJF has betrayed a bunch of people but Cole needs the fans, while MJF only cares about himself. That was almost the same promo Cassidy did half an hour ago.

Here is Don Callis to bring out Kyle Fletcher for a chat. Fletcher calls out Will Ospreay, who isn’t here because he’s a coward. Instead here is Mark Davis, Fletcher’s long injured partner, to ask what Fletcher has been doing. They were part of an empire but Fletcher betrayed everyone. Fletcher says Davis is going to have to make a decision, but Fletcher has no problem cutting out the past. I mean…points for acknowledging it but Davis could have been completely forgotten and very little would have been lost.

Hangman Page talks about his history with Jay White and how they have fought each other so many times. We know what White is going to do, but Page could do anything in their match at Full Gear. Maybe he’ll even burn White’s house down.

Here is the Blackpool Combat Club, with Jon Moxley saying he challenged Orange Cassidy last year because he wanted to hurt Cassidy. Moxley accepts the challenge, saying he’ll fight Cassidy in the valley, which is where Cassidy will die. We get an example, with the Club jumping Yuta and wrapping a chair around his neck.

Cassidy makes the save, with Yuta jumping him, only or the Dark Order to come out and get beaten up again. Darby Allin repels from the ceiling for the brawl, with Top flight and Action Andretti running in for the real save. The Young Bucks come out and the scheduled title match is right now. This was another case of the villains being chased off by a group more than twice their size, which doesn’t exactly make AEW look great.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. Private Party

The Bucks are defending and Private Party has to split up if they lose. A springboard dropkick takes Quen down to start but Kassidy is in to send the Bucks outside. Some dives to the floor have the Bucks in trouble so Matt grabs the ring bell. Quen takes it away…and knocks Kassidy silly by mistake. Nick uses the distraction to kick Quen in the face and we settle back down inside.

The already busted open Kassidy is sent into the steps, followed by a falcon Arrow off of those steps. A superplex gets two on Quen and we take a break. Back with Kassidy coming in to clean house as everything breaks down. The Bucks clear Quen out and Risky Business gets two on Quen.

Private Party hit some dives but the Bucks fight back and drag Quen up to the stage….where Kazuchika Okada gives him a Tombstone. The Bucks hit Gin & Juice for two on Kassidy and the shoes are pumped up for the Superkick Party and two more. The EVP Trigger is loaded up but Kassidy falls down, only for the second attempt to have them ram knees. A small package gets two on Nick and now the EVP Trigger connects for a near fall. The V rigger int a One Winged Angle gets two as Quen dives back in for the save. Kassidy crotched Nick on top and a poisonrana int Gin & Juice is good for the pin and the titles at 18:06.

Rating: B+. My issues with Private Party aside, this was a heck of a match and the title change felt like a big moment. AEW needed to do something like this and that’s exactly what they gave us. It had emotion and came at the right time, and even though I have zero reason to buy Private Party as a top level team, it was an awesome moment and one of the best things AEW has done in a good while.

Post match the Bucks hand over the titles and Private Party celebrates in the crowd. That’s the start of the Bucks’ face turn isn’t it?

Moxley vs. Cassidy is set for Full Gear.

Jamie Hayter and Penelope Ford have agreed to not get physical before their match next week. Ford says people have forgotten who she is (A decent at best star who was never close to the top of the division?) but Hayter says this is all over something that happened two years ago. Hayter is fine with beating her up next week.

Here is the Learning Tree to brag about Chris Jericho’s win last week. Jericho brags about winning the title and getting four stars in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plus for carrying Terrifier 3 to the top of the box office. So just sit back and enjoy the Nueve’s title reign. I really could go for never hearing about Dave Meltzer or the Observer in a wrestling promo again.

Video on Anna Jay.

Daniel Garcia yells at Jack Perry over being entitled. Perry goes to the Elite’s locker room where the Young Bucks are shredding documents.

Kamille vs. Kris Statlander

Mercedes Mone is here with Kamille and gets her own entrance. Kamille runs her over to start but Statlander nips up for a dropkick. A hard clothesline drops Statlander again and we take an early break. Back with Statlander dropping her for a change but missing a 450. Kamille’s torture rack powerbomb gets two but Statlander is right back with Wednesday Night Fever for the pin at 6:25. Not enough shown to rate, but that’s a really fast first loss for Kamille.

Post match Mercedes Mone yells at Kamille and takes out Statlander.

Video on Kip Sabian seemingly joining the Patriarchy.

Christian Cage promises to deal with Hook.

Mark Briscoe, with the Conglomeration, is upset at losing the Ring Of Honor World Title, but he isn’t sure why Chris Jericho doesn’t care about his own health. The word of the day is instability because Jericho brought up Jay Briscoe again. The challenge is on for a six man Fight Without Honor for next week, because I guess we’re having an ROH match on AEW TV.

The Young Bucks leave, despite Christopher Daniels’ protests. The place is too violent and chaotic so they’re out. Brandon Cutler, carrying a box, tries to catch up, but gets beaten down by the Blackpool Combat Club. Daniels has to watch as Claudio Castagnoli uses a hammer to crush….something about four inches away from Cutler’s hand. That looked TERRIBLE and made me laugh at how terrible they screwed it up. I get that you can’t actually crush his hand, but put the camera in a better place.

Swerve Strickland vs. Shelton Benjamin

Prince Nana and MVP are here too. Swerve makes the mistake of trying to wrestle Benjamin to start so they’re quickly on the floor. Benjamin can’t manage to post him so Swerve cranks on the arm in the ropes. A kick of the apron is cut off and Swerve is tripped down, followed by a toss back to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Swerve hitting a kick to the back and getting in his dance, setting up the middle rope elbow to the back of the neck. Benjamin grabs a Kimura but Swerve slips out, only to get caught with a DDT for two. Swerve drops him for a 450 but Benjamin sends him flying with a German suplex. The rolling Downward Spiral hits Benjamin, who pops up to run the corner and catch Swerve on top. Swerve slips through the legs though and hits the Swerve Stomp for the pin at 14:38.

Rating: B. Another solid back and forth match here with Swerve getting a win over someone with a reputation. Swerve needed something like this to get back on top and Benjamin’s first loss coming to a former World Champion isn’t going to hurt him. Granted this is pretty clearly setting up the next big opponent for Swerve so it only means so much.

Post match MVP calls someone…and Bobby Lashley is here. The staredown is on and Benjamin’s distraction lets Lashley beat Swerve down. Nana gets taken out as well and, after being loudly told THIRTY SECONDS LEFT, MVP says look who’s back in business to end the show. This is one of those situations where it was clear what was going to happen and that’s not a bad thing.

 

Results
Adam Cole b. Buddy Matthews – Boom
Private Party b. Young Bucks – Gin & Juice to Nick
Kris Statlander b. Kamille – Tuesday Night Fever
Swerve Strickland b. Shelton Benjamin – Swerve Stomp

 

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8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

This show started a bit slow but got better as it kept going, with some stuff that makes me want to see what happens next. It had some problems, but there were enough things on here that kept my interest along with action to back it up. Pretty easily the best Dynamite in a good while and certainly something they needed. Unfortunately the show is likely going to get smashed in the ratings because of baseball, but they needed this show after some lackluster weeks.