Acero’s AEW Dynamite Review 12.28.22

It’s our last day together, and while I sit here sipping champagne with a red silk two piece pajama suit, I can’t help but think of all the good times we’ve had. To echo the sentiment from days past, I’d like to reiterate what I shared with y’all Monday night.

We’ve lost some friends this year, and I don’t even know how many have left us without us even knowing. To those people, I give a solemn Rest In Peace and thank you for inviting me into your life even if just a little bit. IN a lot of ways, we are but a masquerade party, with only the music that is wrestling keeping us all in line. I recall when I released my book of poetry, I had people from Wales, from the Philippines, from the UK all buy my shit, and it blew my mind that I had a reach that far. But it was wrestling, and it was 411 that got me there. Had it not been for this site, I undoubtedly wouldn’t have an outlet to speak to a number of people from all over the world about this medium of entertainment. So this is a cheers and a Happy New Year to all of you. The common folk that join me every Monday and Wednesday, and the long-term fellows who have been here as long as I have. We’ve made it this far, let’s see if we don’t got another run.

It’s Wednesday, you know what that means…

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Before the opening contest, MJF is in the skybox with some hottie.

This distraction allows Ethan Page to attack Daniel Bryan.

The bell rings off the attack.

Match 1: Daniel Bryan vs Ethan Page

Page with a body slam to Bryan. Uppercuts from Page, he gets a side headlock, hits th ropes, shoulder tackle off of the ropes. Big body slam toss. Crowd firmly behind Bryan. Flying elbow from. Bryan. Corners Page. Huge chop to Page in the corner. Kick to the mid, chop to the chest, another chop, Page sends Bryan into the corner and hits his own chop. Bryan chops Ethan back into the corner then hits some Yes kicks. Whip to the ropes, huge knee sends Page down to the mat. Bryan locks up the legs from behind, pulls on the nose, then stomps on the back of the knees. He turns the ankle, presses it on the mat then steps on the heel. Page stands, hits a huge back elbow, then beats down on Bryan in the center of the ring. Body slam to Bryn again. Page corners Bryan, sits him on the top, goes for a superplex, but Bryan with some punches. Headbutt to Page sends him flying. Bryan stands up high, and flies with a dropick to the chest! Bryan kips up and the crowd is HAWT.

There is a cameraman that is noticeably covered up and not really filming anything…he’s also kind of tall. Hmmmmm.

Stokely hops on the apron to point aggressively to Bryan. Bryan slaps the hat off of Stokely, Page nearly runs into Hathaway, but he stops himself. Bryan sends Page to the outside. He hits the ropes, suicide dive to Page! Bryan rolls Page into the ring then turns to Stokely. Page uses the distraction to attack as we go to PIP.

WE ARE BACK! Page has control in the middle of the ring. He lets Bryan pull himself up as we get a view of MJF with his lady friend. Lockup, reversal from Bryan, GERMAN from Bryan! Uppercut from Bryan, elbow strike from Page, they go back and forth, but Page ends it with a big hit to the eye. Drop toe hold from Bryan. Bryan chops Page in the corner, kick, chop, kick, chop, he sits Page up in the corner. Rana off the top! Page flips to his knees. Bryan with a kick! Another! Another! The kicks are in! Bryan backs up, swings and misses with a kick! Page shoves him, Bryan holds the ropes, Page falls to the outside. Dropkick from Bryan! He runs with a knee to Page but Stokely moves out of the way! Page sends Bryan into the steps HARD!!! Page pulls Bryan up by the arm onto his shoulders and hits a Powerslam!!! Ouch! Nice! He rolls Bryan into the ring.

Page to the apron. Bryan stands, Page flies into the ring with a cutter off the ropes! Cover for 1..2…NO!!! Page grabs the arms with both hands, but Bryan switches the grip and pushes him down, looking to stomp the head in. Page kicks him though, puls Bryan up, but Bryan with a Tornado DDT! Bryan up! He kicks the side of the head! Cover for 1..2…NO!!! LaBell Lock!!!! Page scoots over to the ropes and we get a break! Bryan wobbles to the corner. He heads to the top rope. Page stirs. He clips the legs and crotches Bryan! Page grabs the head from in front of Bryan, but Bryan drives the elbows into the chest. Page traps the arm, grabs the head, POWERSLAM TO BRYAN OFF THE TOP ROPE!! COVER! 1…..2…..NO!!!! Page lifts Bryan for a possible Powerbomb, but Bryan cant even get up. He tries again, Ego’s Edge attempt, but Bryan slinks off, hits the corner, ducks under a right, hits the knee!

Bryan’s NOT DOE!!! He grabs the wrists! Bryan KICKS HIS FUCKING HEAD IN!!!! Bryan locks in a submission, but Page is ALREADY KOed! Ref calls it!

Winner:
What an opener. Good shit from both guys, as Page played his part well and showed that he is more than just a consistently good hand. I, unfortunately, did not think even a little bit that Page was going to win, but we got a good match nonetheless. I also enjoy the fact that not a single pin attempt was made until about the twelve minute mark. It’s a little thing, but mattered.
Total Rating: ***3/4
Match Time: 16:21

We get a pre-recorded Samoa Joe promo then head to Wardlow live where he says talk is over, he wants action.

Here comes Joe with a lead pipe to clock Wardlow on the knee, screaming that he did this to Wardlow, he did it

WE head backstage where Hangman Adam Page is being checked out by a doctor. The Dark Order is here as well, and here comes Renee to ask him how he is. Page offends her with a, “Well, of course you would want to know,” then apologizes for his brash reply. The doctor tells Page that he may be ok in two weeks, but not if he keeps wanting to go attack at every mention of Moxley’s name.

Speaking of Moxley, he’s up next with Claudio…

But first….

HAPPY BIRTHDAY METALLIAN2014!!!

Top Flight somehow think it’s a great idea to attack before the bell with some dives, but Moxley catches Darius and sends him into the barricade just as Claudio catches Dante and does the same. Jon sends Darius into the ring and we start the match proper.

Match 2: Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs Top Flight

Moxley locks the knuckles then tags in Claudio. He stomps a bit, then tags in Jon. He hits a chop then the ropes, then a kick to the chest. Cover for 1…NO! Tag from Claudio. He gutwrenches the kid and walks into the center of the ring, then tosses Darius. Claudio removes the hoodie and kicks it out of the ring. Punch from below, Darius with an uppercut. Claudio with a quick body slam. Tag to Jon. Claudio holds the arms, kick from Jon. Knee to the face, antoher, a third knocks the kid down. Jon puts the boot to the face in the corner. Jon rubs his beard against the face of Darius, and the crowd calls him a Sick Fuck. Jon sits Darius up in the corner, Darius kicks Jon away, then dives off with a dropkick. Tag to Dante, hwho flies with a cross body, in comes Claudio, Enziguri to him, dropkick to Jon, standing Moonsault, cover for 1..2..>NO!!! Dante kicks the back of the leg, again, another. Elbow, then a Saito Suplex to Dante. Jon pulls the hair and gets Dante into the center to drive some elbows down into the chest. Jon locks the head, in comes Darius who clips the knee of Jon HARD. Damn.

We are BACK and Jon hits a sick ass suplex, flipping Darius mid air. Tag to Claudio, but Jon scoots over to it, his knee hurting bad. Tag to Dante. Claudio hits a right, corners him with a uppercut, another uppercut, whip and another, whip and another. Claudio shrugs and thinks why not some more! He goes CRAZY WITH THEM!!! Hits the ropes. Dropkick! Claudio covers! 1…2..NO!!! Crowd wants the swing! Darius holds the hands of his brother to stop it! He gets dragged into the ring, Claudio shoots the legs! GIANT SWING TO DARIUS!!! Dante hops over his brother, again, locks up Claudio from behind, rollup! 1..2..NO!!! Darius shoots Dante over Claudio, DDT to Claudio! Darius kicks Jon off the apron, Darius drops with a senton. Cover for 1..2.NO!!! Kick to Claudio, double team here for a suplex, but Claudio blocks and hits a suplex to both men! Darius to the apron, Dante stands up, flips off the bottom rope, kick from Darius, kick from Dante, Flatliner from Darius, cover for 1..2..NO!!! Jon breaks it up! He’s holding his knee. Jon tries to fight off both brothers ,hits the ropes, superkick from both! Big Boot from Claudio to Darius, elbow from Dante, another to the face, Claudio still standing, duks under, lifts up, pop up, Darius shoves Claudio, Dante lands on his feet, double kick to Claudio! Whip to Dante, and he flies through the ropes onto Jon! SPANISH FLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING FROM DARIUS!!! Cover for 1..2.NO!! Jon goads Darius on the apron, Claudio tries to corner, shoots him up, backslide instead of an uppercut from Darius.1..2..NO!!! Claudio locks the head up, NUETRALIZER TO DARIUS!!!! COVER!!! 1…..2……NO!!!! Claudio is pissed. HOLY SHIT chant. Claudio looks down at Darius, pissed. Claudio with elbows!!!!! Dante in the ring, he looks to attack, hits the ropes, and runs right into a KING KONG LARIAT!!! Claudio continues the onslaught! Darius is dead. Claudio lifts Darius but he falls.

ON THE OUTSIDE, Jon hit a Paradigm Shift. Claudio lifts, and again, Darius just falls. Finally, he stands and slaps Claudio hard. Claudio removes his mouthguard. Hits a HUGE uppercut! Pin. 1…..2…..3!!!

Winners: Blackpool Combat Club
Just take a small second and understand the risk they take in doing this type of storytelling. It’s so good becaue of the belief in the players involved. By all angles, Top Flight should be a team of “jobbers,” yet they’ve been built to be believable, and in doing so, AEW is effectively rewriting how we see midcard wrestlers on the hierarchy of the card, and this match is a prime example of just that.
Total Rating: ****
Match Time:

Backstage, Kip Sabian has some words for The Best Friends, Orange Cassidy, and Danhausen.

Kip says that they’ve been doing this for so long. It’s only a matter of time before Kip “peels” the title off of Orange Cassidy since he eliminated him.

Trent Baretta says by that logic, he deserves a sho since he eliminated Kip.

The best wrestler in the world says yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Trent gets a title shot before Kip. Lol.

Trent wonders if OC is sure about that, and he is, so that’ll happen on Friday.

Match 3: Hook vs Jobber McJobberson

Hook sends the dude into the corner a few times, then slaps the taste out of his mouth Judo toss, running clothesline, over the head suplex with a high lock on the face. Some crossfaces from above. He rolls into Redrum.

Winner: Hook
Sick. Fucking sick.
Total Rating: NR
Match Time: :54

Here comes Big Bill and Lee Moriarty come out with Stokely Hathaway. Stokely calls Hook the Southwest Airlines of AEW. Big Bill hops on the apron.

JUNGLE BOY’s music hits, and he runs down the ramp right into Lee with a shoulder! The crowd sings his song along as he continues to attack.

In the ring, Big Bill gets in the face of Hook. Hook doesn’t bude, not worried at all. JB stares down the ring as the crowd chants for Hook. GOOZLE!!!! Damn! Hook shoots the hips! Gos for the T-Bone! Bill escapes! Another GOOZLE!! He lifts ook! Jungle Boy with a 2×4!! He clocks Big Bill in the back, another one! He swings again, and Bi Bill rolls to the outside!

Chris Jericho has a backstage interview where he calls Ricky Starks foolish, small minded, and a flash in the pan. Ricky has the arrogance and confidence of the superstars, but not the tools. He does. On January 4th, he will school Ricky Starks. He is a wizard, he is The Ocho, he is Chris Jericho, and he always wins. Check on Andretti. He tells him not to come back. He did a great thing; he beat Jericho. Go back to the indies and stay out of Jericho’s face. As for Starks, he will embarrass him and put an end to the Starks Experiment.

In a completely different location, Swerve Strickland and The Mutants from The Dark Knight Returns want to share some words, but Wheeler Yuta comes to challenge Strickland to a match on Friday.

We quickly switch to another area of the arena and The Elite and Death Triangle have already got the party started.

Match 3: The Elite (2) vs Death Triangle (3)

We area already backstage, and the are already destroying furniture. Pac flips off of some scaffolding, Nick sends Rey into a table, and we are just goin wild. Ok, so Penta looks to powerbomb Matt onto a table, but Nick flies off of some scaffolding with a senton, landin on Penta. Matt turns his attention to Pac. Omega and Rey are nowhere to be seen. Nick and Matt fight Pac and Penta all the way towards the ring, stopping at the top of the ramp to exchange some kicks and punches. HERE IS REY!! He’s standing atop the tunnels! Pac and Penta runs into Superkicks! FENIX FLIES OFF THE STAGE ONTO THE BUCKS!! But here comes Omega with a V-Trigger!!! Omega goes after Pac! Piledriver attempt, Pac lands on his feet, kick to the mid, lockup from behind, GERMAN ON THE RAMP!!! Cover for 1..2..NO!!!! Matt there to stop it! He and Pac fight, Pac misses a right, NORTHERN LIGHTS! Matt flips! Another! He is flipping down the mat!!! He keeps going!!!! Rey runs up, NICK FLIES OVER MATT ONTO PENTA!!! DOUBLE NORTHERN LIGHTS!!!

WE ARE BACK! Pac is stomping Omega out. In comes Penta to kick the bck of the leg. Rey grabs a trash can and hands it to Pac. Death Triangle has Omega hurtin in the ring. They put the trash can over his head. Triple dropkick to Omega. Cover for 1..2.NO!!! Matt on the apron, Rey tries to kick him off. Omega fights from his knees. He’s attacking Penta, Penta hits a chop, Rey and Pac are waiting for something. Omega sends Penta to the outside, Rey flies, hets sent to the outside. Pac kicks, Whip to Omega, He rolls over Pac, in comes Nick to kick the head, again, locks the head, Penta with a slingblade! Destroyer to Matt! Frog splash from Rey! Omega with a snapdragon! GOOD GOD!

Pac and Omega left in the ring.Omegae with a trash can. He puts it over pac’s head. Omega hits the roeps! V-Trigger to the trashcan!!! Pac slinks like a dog with dead legs. Gutwrench. Omega lifts into a powerbomb onto the trash can! Cover for 1..2…..NO!!!!Omega calls for the end. One-Winged Angel. Penta grabs the ankles of Omega! Pulls him out! Powerbomb set up. Rey on the apron. FEAR FACTOR ON THE OUTSIDE!!! Cover for 1..2..N!O! Bucks stop it! Knee to Rey!! They send him inside! Rey escapes some moves Cutter to Nick!! He dives over the top rope onto Omega!!! Nick on the apron! Penta with a superkick on the apron! Penta locks the head! Fear factor attempt but Nick hits a back body drop!!! MELTZER DRIVER TO PENTA!!! Cover! 1..2….NO!!! Pac stops it! He sends Matt into the ring. Huge kick to the face! Pac to the top roep! FIGHT FOREVER chant! Pc stands! Nick in the ring with a chair! Pac lands on his feet! Nick just throws the chair at Pac! He tosses it into Penta’s face!!! BTE TRIGGER!! Cover! 1…2….NO!!!! Kick to the back of the head of Pac! Pac turns! BRUTALIZER TO MATT!!!

On the outside! Omega is standing tall on some scaffolding! One Winged Angel ONTO SOME TABLES!!!!!! Kenny covers! We get a split screen of the pin and Pac with the submission! Matt is shown tapping, but it was after the pin!

Winners: The Elite
What a joy to watch. I will say the ending was a biiiiiit contrived, as the split screen really telegraphed what we saw but then again, how does one present that? Pretty solid entry to a series that got a little stale last week. Looking forward to the final match.
Total Rating: ***3/4
Match Time: 17:12

The Acclaimed have a music video dissing Jeff Jarrett. It’s solid.

Match 4: Tay Melo and Anna Jay vs Willow Nightingale and Ruby Soho

Melo ducks under a lock up and mocks Willow. They go again, and again Melo escsapes and twerks a bit. Willow stops it short, effectively becoming a heel. Waist lock switch and Willow tosses Melo away. Rope work and Willow holds on, kiks, then a double chop to the chest. Blind Tag from Ruby, and Willow did NOT like that. Melo tags in Jay. Ruby drops Jay hard and mounts with some right hands. Ruby with a side headlock. Into the ropes, shoulder tackle and Ruby mounts with more rights. Whip to the corner, forearm and a hesitant tag to Willow. Ruby whips Willow into Anna with a clothesline .Kic ktothe spine from Ruby. Willow with a body slam. She tags in Ruby. Ruby gets assisted into a splash and a cover for 1..2.NO!!! Tag to Willow who airplanes into a splash. Snapmare and a kick to Jay. She hits th ropes, Willow with a splash. Cover for 1..2.NO!!! Melo pulls Ruby off the apron. She rushes back to her corner, gets a tag. Willow locks up from behind, Tay escapes a German with a hard right to the back.

We are back and Willow is hurting in the heel corner. Tay gets tagged in, and whipped to hit a back elbow. Tag to Jay, who rushes the corner with a swinging leg lariat. Cover from jay, mocking Willow. She gets a 1..2..N!O!! Willow attacks the midsection, hits a big clothesline. Willow reaches for a tag, gets it! Tag to Tay. Ruby with a SPEAR!!! She mounts with some punches. Both girls up, right from Ruby, Tay misses one, Ruby with a bunch over and over dropping Tay to th her knees. Huge forearm from Ruby. Ruby pulls Tay up, whip to the corner, Ruby misses a right, drives Tay face first into the buckle. Jay on the apron, Ruby chases her, Anna back in the ring, Ruby with an STO. Tay attacks from behind, but Ruby with No Future! Cover for 1..2………NO!!!! Willow is backup. She hits a clothesline to Jay. Big boot from Tay! All four girl are down. Anna up at 5, Willow sends her to the outside, Tay kicks, Willow swings the kci kto Ruby, knee, Enziguri from Willow, Ripcord from Ruby, kick from Willow, cover from Ruby for 1..2..NO!!! Anna Jay stops it and drops Willow onto the apron. Kick to Ruby, Tay locks the head, DDTAY to Ruby! Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Willow tackles Anna ONTO the pin! Willow and Jay to the outside. Suplex to Anna!

IN the ring, Ruby and Tay go at it. Ruby hops, Tay cohps, Ruby headbutts, Tay with one of her own, They hit each other with one, both girls down into a pin by Ruby! 1…2…NO!!!! Anna Jay posts Willow shoulder first, and she is hurt. Anna looking for something under the ring. She grabs a chair. She swings, misses, kick from Willow, Anna looks to swing but Aubrey is there to grab the chair!!!

Tay has her own hair, tosses it to Ruby, and pump kicks the hair into Ruy’s face. Tay with the TayKO. Cover for 1…2…3!!!

Winners: Tay Melo and Anna Jay
I mean, it wasn’t BAADDD, but it also wasn’t all that great. A majority of Tay’s moves looked far too choreographed throughout the entire match, and I really thought this feud was over. I’d like for it to be. I know people are high on Willow, and she was the strongest competitor here, but this certainly lacked a level of quality.
Total Rating: **
Match Time: 11:56

The Gunn Club or whatever they’re called, are still in party mode and are leaving the arena.

We head to Renee where she is standing with Ricky Starks. He is feeling a lot better than Andretti, who was a victim of fireball. Starks appreciates the compliment – he is a star, but he is not one able to be controlled by Jericho. He is not putting an end to any experiment, because there is no experiement, but there will be a Masterclass of when Starks whoops Jericho’s ass. Legend ot Legend, he has a big mouth and a bad attitude. He will take Jericho down several notches, because he can.

Before the following match, Samoa Joe says Wardlow will not be out here for the match. Joe tried to find himself an opponent, they even hit up the Broncos but they have taken too many Ls this year.

Wardlow is here, and dotors are trying to stop him. Wardlow is coming in hot, though.

Match 5: TNT Championship Match
Wardlow vs Samoa Joe

Wardlow attacks with rights, over and over. He corners Joe, hits some shoudlers, shakes off the knee attack a bit, stumbles into a whip. Shoulder tackle to Joe. Joe with. Kick to the hammy! Another! Joe hits the ropes, smirks, but SPINEbuSTER FROM WARDLOW!!! He mounts! Punches to Joe! They look kinda weak. Wardlow screams to fill his finisher meter. He lifts Joe, hard right slap. Wardlow chokes Joe up on the 2nd rope. Wardlow rushes the corner, but Joe catches him and slams him down hard. Joe hits the ropes. Huge clothesline by Wardlow! Shoulders in the corner. KNEEBREAKER BY JOE!!!

WE are BACK and Joe has the leg in his grasp. He kicks the back of the leg as Wardlow lays prone. Joe sits Wardlow on the top rope. Joe chops him, juts at the throat, then climbs up to meet Wardlow at the top. Joe locks the head. Wardlow tries to fight out. Wardlow breaks the hold, headbutt to Joe. Joe falls on his back. Wardlow to the top rope. He slaps his knee. Swanton Bomb!

They meet in the middle for some back and forth! Wardlow locks up from behind. GERMAN!! ANOTHER!!! Damn. Wardlow whips, Rushes the corner with a splash. Whip again, Joe reverses, Wardlow walks up the ramp. WHISPER IN THE WIND! Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Crowd is behind Wardlow! Both men up, Wardlow goes for the Super Chop! Joe catches him in a sleeper! Wardlow drops out of it, hits a headbutt, then a SUPER CHOP! Cover for 1..2…NO!!! Joe up, kicks the chest. Chop in the corner.Joe is all smiles. He sits Wardlow on the top rope again, then climbs. Wardlow slips down!

POWERBOMB FROM WARDLOW!!!! He captures Joe, lifts, knee buckles, Wardlow collapses! Joe clips the leg! SLEEPER! Wardlow is out!

Winner: Samoa Joe
Wardlow had a bit of a rough start there, but he got it, and I’m sure Joe helped. Good match between the two hoss boys, and Joe probably needed the win if he’s gonna help ROH.
Total Rating: ***
Match Time: 12:07

Joe looks over to Wardlow. WE think, mayhap, that he has garnered some respect for Wardlow….BUUUUUUUUT He doesn’t! He attacks Wardlow with a belt shot! Joe leaves the ring, and there is a toolbox under it! He opens it up to remove copious amounts of duct tape then tosses it aside. He sees a tray of various tools and grabs some scissors. Joe heads into the ring. He grabs the hand of the ref, pulls him in and hits a headbutt. Joe pulls Wardlow up and…..HE CUTS OFF THE PONYTAIL!!!!

RIP MAN BUN!!!

Darby Allin’s music hits!!!!! Joe stares at the ramp, but he should really know by now, because Darby is behind him with a skateboard! He slaps Joe across the back with the board, and the crowd is incredibly pro-Darby. Joe stares, wide-eyed, at Darby as he holds the TNT title in his clutches.

End Show

9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

Tonight was damned near perfect, with nothing BAD happening at all. My only gripes were the women’s match and Wardlow not having a firm grasp on selling his knee. We got some PPV quality matches AND a little bit of everything. Just a tightly knit show with entertainment throughout the entire thing. Only AEW can make me accept a squash match as a proper build. What a way to wrap up the year.