wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s AEW Dynamite Review 11.13.24
Hey there, Sickos! It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means! It is time for the Dynamite to EXPLODE, and tonight is going to be very interesting.
While we are getting some good in-ring action, including Adam Cole (BAYBAY!) vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Lio Rush vs. Swerve Strickland, and The House of Black vs. FTR in a tag team title contender’s series match, we’re also getting the appearance of Mina Shirakawa. Oh, and Jon Moxley is seizing TBS, the channel that hosts Dynamite, and who knows what Moxley and The Death Riders have in mind.
So, how are my Sickos doing tonight? I have a new music review on the way for an album that I have been expecting/anticipating since it was announced. The result that reached may or may not surprise you, considering how you feel about said band in question.
So, sit back, relax, and enjoy, as Dynamite is just around the corner!
We are LIVE tonight from Bridgeport, Connecticut! Our announcers are Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Nigel McGuiness!
We are wasting no time tonight, as we jump into the opening tag team match!
Christian Cage (W/The Patriarchy) & Hangman Adam Page vs. Switchblade Jay White & Juice Robinson
Page and White to start us off. White overpowers Page into the ropes, gives a clean break. Another tie-up, White shoots off Page into a headlock takeover. Both men are up, White with another headlock, but Page throws him off. He stomps away on Jay in his corner, and Cage tags himself in. Cage with a chop, but he is whipped chest first into the turnbuckle. Robinson tags in as he circles with Christian. Lockup, Juice gives the clean break. Christian is like nah man and kicks Juice. Juice back in it with the punches, but Page intervenes, allowing Cage to hit a neck breaker on Robinson. Juice sent to the outside, and Nick Wayne kicks Robinson while he is done.
Back in the ring, and Page tags in and he chokes Juice out in the corner. Robinson is now sitting as Page pulls him up and lays in some chops. Christian in now as he continues to break Juice down with another neck breaker. Cover for a two count. Christian wrenches on the neck of Juice, but Robinson back to his feet. It’s all in vain, as Cage chucks Juice back out of the ring. Wayne eyeing up Robinson, but here comes HOOK to drag Nick over the barrier! Cage is distracted as Juice hits the reserve DDT!
Cage is thrown into the ring, but he takes in Page, as White get tags in. Both men trade in the middle of the ring, White gets the better of it as he hits a Dragon Screw Leg Whip on Page! One for Cage as he enters the ring! White charges, elbow up by Page, but White with the DDT! Cage in, tries the Killswitch, but Jay with another DDT! Front Chancery throw by White into the corner on Page, a cover, two count. Juice is back in, White throws him into Page, Jay with the knee breaker, CANNONBALL by Juice! SHEER DROP BRAINBUSTER BY ROBINSON, cover, just a two! Christian pulls Juice out, but he punches his lights out. Robinson back in, to the top, Page sweeps out his legs. White digs the thumbs into the eyes of White and knocks him off the apron and to the floor.
Hangman goes up top, gouges the eyes of Robinson and grabs his beard. AVALANCHE FALLAWAY SLAM BY PAGE! THE COVER, JUST TWO! LIGER BOMB BY HANGMAN! WHITE BREAKS UP THE PIN! White puts Hangman on the apron, Page looks for the Buckshot Lariat, misses. Juice in with the left hand of God to Christian! To the outside, BLADE RUNNER BY WHITE TO CHRISTIAN ON THE BARRICADE! Juice with the big punches to Hangman in the ring. Juice is Loose is countered by Hangman, but Juice rolls through. Mama Wayne distracts the ref as Sabian hits Juice in the face. Dead Eye by Page and that’s our match!
WINNER: Hangman Adam Page & Christian Cage
TIME: 11:35
THOUGHTS: Fun, action packed match with no commercials, and advances the stories towards Full Gear.
RATING: ***1/4
We run through the rest of Dynamite, and Full Gear matches.
The Remarkable Renee Paquette is waiting for Mercedes Mone and Kamille. Mone says don’t even ask that question, you know what’s up. Mone cuts off Renee and says it wasn’t her fault that Kamille almost ran over Kris Statlander. She is not afraid of Kris, she made her beg for mercy. Kris is here, though, as Mone yells for Kamille. Kris throws her into the wall, as Kamille gets Mone away from Statlander. Kris spears both Mone AND Kamille through the wall! SHE’S HARDCORE! SHE’S HARDCORE!
We’ll hear from Will Ospreay after the commercial break!
Tony Schiavone is in the middle of the ring as we come back, and he introduces Will Ospreay to the ring! Tony knows that Will is focused on getting back the International Title, but what does he think about Kyle Fletcher and Don Callis? Will asks Tony to leave the ring as he calls out Fletcher for a chat. Here comes Fletcher, with his own mic. Don and the family begged him not to come out on his own, but he wants to prove he isn’t a coward. Two weeks ago, Kyle called Will out and he stated at home, but he is here to go face to face with Will. The Family will send him home for longer than three weeks if he pulls anything funny. Will says he has been in the family meetings, and he knows he isn’t alone. He tells Kyle to empty out his pockets, and he throws the screwdriver in the ring. Will throws it out and it lands right in the mat! Nice! Will let Kyle live with him during the pandemic, United Empire took over the world. Kyle knows everything about Will, where he goes to the gym, and he has even picked up his kid at school. Kyle says Will is taking credit for his success, but Don opened his eyes to the truth. Yes, he left his home open to him and fed him, but Kyle things Will was doing it for himself. It’s all about Will, he wanted to make Kyle into a clone of Will, but he wouldn’t let him succeed like Will did. He is selfish and a hypocrite. Kyle says look what Will did to Okada and Omega. Will cuts him off, pick a lane, are you nothing like Will, or are you an Ospreay clone? Will owns it, he stabbed Okada and Omega in the back, but he’s held gold everywhere. What have you done, Kyle?
The past? What about now? Kyle is going to accomplish everything Will did and will surpass it. Kyle throws out the challenge, Kyle vs. Will for Gull Gear! This is what this is all about? Kyle wants his five minutes of fame, he wants a PPV match. Will is called Mr. PPV!
(I think RVD would like to have a word with you)
Will accepts, and says he has no idea what damage he has done to him. He couldn’t even feel his son’s hand when he was holding his! Will is putting the carrot in front of Kyle, and he will be the motherlover to take it away from him! You think the Tiger Driver and the screwdriver were bad? Kyle is going to finish the job at Full Gear. Brian Cage and Lance Archer come out to back up Fletcher, but here comes Mark Davis and Powerhouse Hobbs to back up Ospreay, and the fight ensues! The Undisputed Kingdom theme hits, and here comes Roderick Strong! Archer is up the ramp to meet him, but Strong from behind with the kendo stick!
Falls Count Anywhere match: Roderick Strong vs. Lance Archer
No long after Archer tries to put Strong through a table, we go to our first PIP break.
PIP Thoughts:
-Same TBS Christmas stuff.
-Red One does look great, NGL.
-Cars.com, it gives you a beard, too!
-Downey smells good!
-Go for the handful, but let her take them, or you’ll never hear the end of it!
-Keep it Twisted!
-KFC with a non-dramatic commercial!
-Invincible Fight Girl is fun, check it out if you haven’t!
We’re back, as Archer and Strong are in the crowd now. Strong ducks a kick attempt from Archer and rams the head of Archer into the wall. Here comes Brian Cage, though, as he brings Strong back over to where Lance is. Archer and Cage try to hit Roddy with their finisher, but here comes Matt Taven and Mike Bennett to save Roddy and fight off Cage. Archer grabs Taven, and chokeslams him on top of two security guards. Archer back to Strong, Lance gets crotched by Roddy! Two chair shots to the head of Lance by Roddy. Roddy over the barricade with the knee and that’s it!
WINNER: Roderick Strong
TIME: 6:39
THOUGHTS: As above, so below for Lance Archer. Beat jobbers, lose to better talent. Strong is now in the match with MJF at Full Gear, but this match did nothing for me.
RATING: **
Strong on the mic. MAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX! At Full Gear, this all ends, and he will finish his ass! Konosuke Takeshita from behind! He pounds away on Strong, but here comes Adam Cole (BAYBAY!). They face off, and we go right to it!
Adam Cole (BAYBAY!) vs. International Champion Konosuke Takeshita
Funnily enough, Cole’s theme song plays as Cole throws Takeshita out of the ring, and Cole is able to do the BAYBAY pose! Nice! The music ends, and Takeshita floors Cole with a huge elbow! PIP time!
PIP Thoughts:
-Wipeout might be okay, but worth it to see Camille Kostek!
-Reindeer in Target is cool, but I’d love to have the Target dog!
-Home Depot > Lowes
-Did you know it’s almost Black Friday? Kays knows!
-Kitchen masher kneader stirrer smasher devourer.
-Geico has a new one with the Caveman. He’s awfully close to that dude on the couch, IJS.
-Tempur-Pedic reduces snoring? Where do I sign up?
-Wear your work shirt again as long as you use Downey beads!
And we’re back, as Cole peppers Takeshita with forearms. Cole has Takeshita up, over the shoulder neck breaker! Cole for the cover, only a two count. Cole looking for a suplex, Takeshita fights it off. Takeshita catches Cole with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count! Takeshita taunts Cole with some boot scrapes. Cole tries to fight but Takeshita puts him back down. Cole tries again, he tries the kick, countered. Takeshita with a pump kick, but Cole with an Enzigiri. Cole looking for The Boom, but Takeshita with a forearm. Cole comes back with a brain buster, cover, just a two! Cole to the corner, looking for the Panama Sunrise, Takeshita blocks, front face slam into a release German Suplex. BIG KNEE BY TAKESHITA! Cover for a two! Takeshita looks for another one, but Cole hits him with a Superkick! Panama Sunrise! Cole is looking for the BOOM, but Konosuke to the floor. He takes out the Dynamite Diamond Ring that MJF gave him! Cole approaches, Takeshita knocks out Cole with the ring! Takeshita back in with the cover and…that’s it?
WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita
TIME: 11:00
THOUGHTS: interesting ending, with Cole not getting into the match with MJF at Full Gear. But hey, at least they didn’t “job Konosuke out” to Cole.
RATING: **3/4
Post match, Strong hits the ring, but Takeshita hits a low blow on him. Takeshita looks to take out Roddy with the ring, but here comes Kyle O’Reilly with a chair. Takeshita leaves up the ramp, but Ricochet is here too greet him, as he chases the champ to the back. In the ring, Roddy and Adam want to shake hands with Kyle, but O’Reilly leaves up the ramp, looking back at his former friends.
To the parking lot, as Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir arrive in the black truck. That will take us to commercial break.
We’re back, as Renee has The Hurt Syndicate. Renee asks Bobby Lashley if he is ready for Swerve Strickland at Full Gear, but MVP cuts her off. MVP asks Bobby what it will feel like to end the career of Strickland in less than two weeks. Bobby says he will hurt Swerve as MVP says Bobby is in action tonight. They walk off.
To the arena, and Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta are beating up JD Drake with a chair! Moxley and Shafir enter through the crowd. Moxley in the ring now as the group grab a camera man and drag him into the ring. Jon’s been thinking about Orange Cassidy a lot these past few days.
(Ah, how sweet!)
Chuck Taylor is drinking his food through a straw and Yuta belongs to Jon, he couldn’t save them. Pressure is building on Orange, but he is cool as a cucumber, so Jon has to make an example out of Cassidy at Full Gear. Jon will brutalize Cassidy so bad his own mother won’t recognize him. Moxley commands the AEW World Title and THEY have the power.
Cassidy’s music hits, and Orange comes out with a mic. Mark Briscoe and Rocky Romero come out. Cassidy came out to say that he agrees with Jon He believes he can do all the things that he says he can do. Jon holds the symbol that represents everyone and everything that wrestling can be. For a guy who doesn’t like to wrestle, Cassidy does it a lot and he’s good at it. He reminds Jon that he beat him once, and at Full Gear, he will beat Jon again and take the power back. he needs to take care of some pawns, and Yuta is one of them. Next week, Cassidy and Yuta will wrestle, and he will take the pawn that allows him to take the King. Jon says we will see if Orange has the guts to pull the trigger on someone, he considers a friend. Jon says at Full Gear, Abandon All Hope.
(Ye Who Enter Here? No? Okay.)
Jon and the Death Riders leave through the crowd, but Darby Allin is hiding on the balcony and jumps onto everyone! Here comes Cassidy, Romero, and Briscoe to fight, as Marina helps Jon escape. The camera follows Jon, Marina, and Claudio trying to leave, but Allin jumps into the back of the truck bed! Claudio grabs Darby and swings him into the garage door! Yuta finally catches up as the group leave.
Switching gears a bit, we revisit the events of last week, with the Fight Without Honor six-man match between The Learning Tree and The Conglomeration. To the back, Renee has The Learning Tree! Tomohiro Ishii has challenged Jericho for the ROH Title in two weeks. Big Bill waxes poetic, and Jericho goes into a story about Ishii being a young boy in Tenryu’s company in Japan. Jericho has gone on to bigger and better things, so he is going to invoke the legend of former ROH Champions
Bryan Keith: Ishii, in the Windy City, Jericho is going to blow your dumbass away!
THANKS GUYS!
In two weeks, the Continental Classic kicks off! Yes!
To the ring, here comes Dr. Britt Baker D…M…D!
Dr. Britt Baker vs. Penelope Ford
Early crucifix pin attempt by Baker gets a two count. Ford takes arm control of Baker’s arm, but Baker counters with wrist control. Reversals galore! Baker whips Ford and hits the neck breaker. Ford to the floor, she baits Baker to the floor and gets back into the ring. Ford leaves the ring again, as Baker grabs her by her hair. Ford drags Baker to the floor, hits an elbow strike. Back in the ring, and Ford leaps over the corner and lands a double knee to the gut of Baker, PIP break!
Sorry, but as I8MyPants would say, I am watching this for scientific research, so no PIP thoughts!
And we’re back, as Baker gets to her feet and trades with Ford. Baker reverses Ford and whips her into the corner. Baker with a clothesline. Another one. Baker comes around the corner with the sling blade. Baker mounts Ford in the corner, but she escapes and drops Baker. Handsping elbow by Ford, and she follows with a running boot. Baker on the shoulders of Ford, she fights out. Ripcord lariat attempted, but Ford takes down Baker. Ford up to the very top for the moonsault, but the pool is empty. Thrust kick by Baker, slap, back heel kick, and into a neck breaker. Baker going for the glove, you know what that means! But Ford isn’t having any of it as she drop kicks Baker in the back. MUTA LOCK by Ford, but Baker counters out into the Lock Jaw! Ford gives it up!
WINNER: Dr. Britt Baker D…M…D.
TIME: 9:00
THOUGHTS: You knew Britt wasn’t going to lose again, and she didn’t. It was a fine match, but nothing exceptional.
RATING: **3/4
Post match here comes Serena Deeb. She seems to call out Baker without saying a word.
In the back, Renee introduces Mina Shirakawa! Mina says she is here to have a big champaign celebration with Mariah May, but here comes Harley Cameron! She drinks champagne, spits it out, and challenges Mina for a match at Collision. Tit for tit, rack them up, and may the breast woman win! Both May and Shirakawa shake their um, gifts, as Renee breaks it up!
(Well, I don’t know how to follow that up!)
Oh yes, another match. Okay, let’s go to that, Cotton!
Swerve Strickland vs. Lio Rush
The bell rings, as we get WHOSE HOUSE, SWERVE’S HOUSE. Strickland taunts Rush in the middle of the ring, Rush shoves him, as Strickland looks to strike, but Lio slides out of the ring. Back in the ring, Swerve has Lio up, but Lio slips out/ On the apron, Lio ducks Swerve, but Swerve follows Lio out of the ring as they come face to face. Lio gouges the eyes of Strickland but Swerve slams Lio into the ring apron. Swerve rolls him into the ring, as Strickland goes up top. Rush kicks the ropes, as Strickland crashes to the floor. PIP Break!
PIP Thoughts:
-Mina! Harley! Shaking breasts!
Ere, I am sorry guys, I am still wrapping my brain around that awesome segment. We’ll try this again later.
And we’re back, as both men are back on the apron. They trade punches, as Swerve fakes out Rush and hits him with the drive by kick. Back in the ring, and Swerve with a vertical suplex for a two count. Strickland up top, he hits the uppercut to Rush, Swerve sets up Rush, but Lio catches him with the Spanish Fly for a two count. Strickland to the apron, but here comes Rush. Rush off the announce table, tries a hurricanrana, caught by Swerve. Looks for a powerbomb, but Rush lands on the ring steps. He jumps off and hits a poisonrana on Swerve, and then a shoulder tackle to the floor on Swerve. Lio rolls him back in, up top, hits the Frog Splash! Two count only! Rush looking for the stunner off the ropes, Strickland fends it off. Big Pressure is countered by Rush with the roll-up, Lio grabs the rope, but the referee sees it. Rush tries another poisonrana, countered into Big Pressure and that’s ball game!
WINNER: Swerve Strickland
TIME: 9:35
THOUGHTS: Really good match between two talented guys. Again, we knew Lio wasn’t rushing, but Strickland was going over, and Rush looked good.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, Strickland wonders why everyone is trying to come after him and make a name off of his name. Lio Rush failed, so did Shelton Benjmain. That brings him to Bobby Lashley, and Swerve says he wants a fight in Stamford. Obviously, we’re in Bridgeport, and you can hear the boos.
Lashley and MVP come out. MVP says all you have to do is ask for a fight and he’ll set it up. THIS IS BRIDGEPORT chants now. Awesome lol. They really like Swerve, but one of the things they wanted to teach him was there is strength in numbers. As if on cue, Benjmain attacks Strickland from behind. He throws Swerve to the floor, and Bobby works over Swerve. Strickland thrown back in, Shelton with the DDT to Swerve. MVP holds back Prince Nana with his cane as the Hurt Lock is applied by Lashley to Strickland. BRIDGE-PORT chants now to really sell how interested the fans are in this segment. MVP and Shelton leave, but Lashley comes back and throws Prince Nana into the ring post. The entire group leave now as they bask in the glory of their carnage.
Renee in the back, she has Jamie Hayter. What’s next for Jamie? She is going to continue to do what she said she would do. She is back to right the wrongs; she has some more in the future. For the now? She is thinking about one thing.
But she gets cut off by a new Julia Hart promo. She is in bed with blood on her shirt. The phone rings. It’s Brody King. He says it is time to come home. Julia tries to clean the blood off of her shirt, but it won’t come out. She opens a closet, and she finds her House of Black outfit. She puts it on, and we go to commercial break.
(We never did the rest of what Jamie was going to say. Cliff hangers!)
And we are back. OH MY GOD, IS THAT PRIVATE PARTY?
Yes, it is, and they are here to take in the events of the main event tonight!
Tag Team Contenders Series Match: Kings of the Black Throne vs. FTR
Harwood and King will start us off. Dax with a chop, but King wipes him out with one of his own. Harwood tags in Cash Wheeler. He gets a side headlock on King, to the corner. King whips him off, Wheeler off the ropes, but he is on the receiving end of a back body drop. Malakai Black tags in, Black with arm drags. Harwood tags in, Black takes him down via arm murder. To the corner, Harwood looks for the chop, Black evades, right back to the arm. Harwood pulls Black’s hair, Dax looks for a punch, but Black sits down on the mat. Harwood goes to kick, but Black catches the leg and rolls him up for a two count. Harwood tags in Wheeler, but Black drops them both. To the outside, Dax lures him in, and Cash with a clothesline. They mock Black as we go to PIP.
PIP Thoughts (For real!)
-Saturday Night is around for COLLIDING!
-Golden Corral with a Christmas take but it’s Thanksgiving. Eh.
-Tide works great, I approve!
-Remember guys, don’t take something if you are allergic to it. Dead people cannot sue Big Pharma. I think.
-Kinder Joy, with a small toy!
-A tire plate! Noice!
-Dogs! Iams Who I am!
-Verizon = overrated.
-Get a washer, a dryer, and a tree at Home Depot!
-I need Skecher Slip-ins…
We’re back, as Black tries to make it to King for a tag. Black off the rope with a springboard moonsault. Interesting that FTR seem to be playing the heels here.
Anyway, King tags in and proceeds to murder FTR dead. King with a double smash in the corner. Both members of FTR are down in the corner. CANNONBALL! Cover on Wheeler for a two count. King puts Wheeler on the top rope, he goes up, but he’s in the FTR corner, as Harwood tries to slow King down. He fights him off, but Wheeler sets up for a sunset flip powerbomb. He has him up, Harwood off the top with the lariat combination! Two count only! Black back in the ring, he hip tosses Harwood into King for a sitdown powerbomb. Black launches himself onto Wheeler on the floor as King goes for a cover, that’s a two count. All four men back in the ring, as King fights off Wheeler. Cash with a drop toehold in the corner to King. Both members of FTR put King on the top. Power and Glory attempt, but King catches Wheeler with the knees up. Black in with a double stomp! He drags King into a pin, but Harwood kicks out. Wheeler back in, SHATTER MACHINE by FTR! Harwood fights to roll over King, and by the time he pins him, Black pulls Harwood out of the ring. Black and Wheeler fight on the apron. Wheeler kicks Black into Harwood, SPIKE PILEDRIVER ON THE APRON! KING FLIES OUT OF THE RING AND WIPES OUT FTR!! Back in the ring, King with a huge lariat, the pin! 2.99999999! King hits Harwood with a DVD! Another two count! FIGHT FOREVER CHANTS (kind of) from the fans. King locks in the sleeper on Harwood, and that’s it!
WINNER: The Kings of the Black Throne
TIME: 13:35
THOUGHTS: Fantastic main event, and an awesome bout of tag team wrestling. Also, a good comeback for Malakai personally after he lost to Adam Cole (BAYBAY) last week.
RATING: ***3/4
Post-match, respect is shown between FTR and the House. And with that, we are done!