Csonka’s AEW Dynamite Review 1.08.20

Csonka’s AEW Dynamite Review 1.08.20

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Kenny Omega & Adam Page defeated Private Party @ 12:40 via pin [***½]
– AEW Women’s Title Match: Champion Riho defeated Kris Statlander @ 9:35 via pin [*½]
– Sammy Guevara defeated Christopher Daniels @ 5:50 via pin [**½]
– Cody & Dustin Rhodes defeated The Lucha Bros @ 10:25 via pin [***¼]
– The Jurassic Express defeated Best Friends @ 10:50 via pin [**½]

---

– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– We open with highlights from last week’s show.

– Memphis legend Dave Brown has joined commentary this evening.

Kenny Omega & Adam Page vs. Private Party: Page and Quen begin, locking up and Page looks to work the arm, they work into counters and end in a standoff. Lockup and Page follows with chops, but Quen counters into a dropkick and Kassidy follows with a double stomp and takes out Kenny. He follows with chops on Page, double teams follow and Page fights them off and tags in Kenny. They double team Kassidy, and are on the same page to begin as Kenny hits a backbreaker for 2. Page in, hits a knee strike and Kenny tags back in. Kassidy dumps Page, but Kenny cuts him off until Kassidy hits a slingshot flatliner. Quen tags in and hits a high cross, suicide dive, and then topes as he runs wild. Back in and Kassidy tags back in, double teams and a Spanish fly follow for 2. Kassidy springboards into a big boot by Page, fall away slam on Quen and Kenny tags in as double teams follow. Page hits a German, powerbomb and Kenny hits V trigger for 2. Snapdragon on Quen, Kassidy cuts off Kenny and silly string follows for 2. Quen now misses the shooting star press and Page gets run into Kenny, Page then lariats Quen for 2. Kenny tags in and Kassidy cuts off doomsday and gin and juice follows for 2. Page dumps Kassidy, Kenny accidentally tosses Quen into Page, but they battle back and the buckshot lariat and one winged angel follows for the win. Kenny Omega & Adam Page defeated Private Party @ 12:40 via pin [***½] This was a very good opener with a hot crowd as the continue the slow burn to a Page heel turn.

– Backstage, Pac lays out Nakazawa and demands his rematch from Kenny.

AEW Women’s Champion Riho vs. Kris Statlander: Shida & Baker are at ringside. Brandi Rhodes joins commentary. Riho attacks with strikes and Statlander then mows her down and covers for 2. Statlander trips her up, misses a leg drop and Riho hits a RANA. The 619 is blocked but Riho hits an arm drag, but is cut off with a backbreaker for 2. Statlander follows with a slam for 2. She grounds the action, but Riho fires back, hits double knees and gets cutoff as Statlander hits an electric chair drop and axe kick for 2. She heads up top and the moonsault misses. The northern lights by Riho gets 2. Riho up top, cut off and Statlander follows with the delayed superplex. Kong & Cruise make their way to the ring, Riho fires back and follows with a knee strike. Statlander cuts her off with the big boot. Riho gets pulled to the floor and Cruise attacks. Statlander wipes her out with a dive. Statlander wipes out Kong as well, Brandi heads to ringside and a bald dude appears from under the ring and it’s Jericho’s pal Dr. Luther. Kong attacks and Statlander is down. Statlander is rolled back in and Riho hits a high cross onto Luther. The double stomp misses but she cradles Statlander for 2. The crucifix bomb follows that for 2. Riho misses a knee strike, lariat by Statlander and big bang theory gets 2. Kong trips up Statlander and Riho retains. Champion Riho defeated Kris Statlander @ 9:35 via pin [*½] There was a lot of really good work here that was completely ruined by the Nightmare collective bullshit. In the end, the match wad bad and it was a really bad segment overall. Kris & Riho didn’t deserve this. A perfect example of “story” ruining a match instead of amplifying it or making it better.

– The Nightmare Collective attack post match but Shida makes the save as Baker just sits in her seat. Big Swole & Sonny Kiss also arrive.

– We get a Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford video package.

Sammy Guevara vs. Christopher Daniels: They lockup and Daniels hits a shoulder tackle, follows with arm drags and Sammy takes him to the ropes and delivers strikes. Daniels hits a hip toss, slam and delivers chops. Sammy hides behind the ref, cheap shots Daniels and follows with a flying double stomp for 2. Daniels celebrates, struts and maintains control as he grounds things. He follows with a spin kick, heads up top and rolls through on the 450 as Daniels hits an XPLODER. Daniels hits a backdrop, dropkick and clotheslines. The blue thunder bomb follows for 2. Angel’s wings is countered and Sammy hits the knee strike and standing shooting star press for 2. They trade pin attempts and work into a double down. Daniels hits an STO but Pentagon arrives and dares him to do the Arabian press. Sammy attacks, hits a knee strike and wins. Sammy Guevara defeated Christopher Daniels @ 5:50 via pin [**½] This was ok, I like the Daniels story, but the finish was absolute shit.

– Dark Order arrives and Uno puts him over, but says the fans don’t believe in Daniels anymore. They think he lost a step but Uno can make him the man he once was again. He offers Daniels a Dark Order mask, Daniels takes it and throws it at him. They attack and kick the shit out of Daniels until SCU arrives and the Buck join them to make the save. They all beat down Grayson, and clear the ring as Sky follows with a tope. They beat down Reynolds and Daniels hits the BME.

Cody & Dustin Rhodes vs. The Lucha Bros: Arn Anderson is at ringside. Pentagon & Cody begin as Pentagon fucks around with his glove, talks shit and Cody attacks and they tease finishes as Fenix tags in and Dustin joins him. They work into counters and all four are in. Fenix attacks Cody from behind with a superkick and Pentagon follows with leg kicks. Cody fires back, tags in Dustin and Dustin is dumped as Fenix follows with the suicide dive. Back in and pentagon hits the top rope double stomp. He follows with strikes and chops, Fenix tags in and grounds Dustin. The Luchas follow with double teams, more leg kicks from Pentagon and he struts around. He then starts attacking the knee, and dumps Dustin. Fenix attacks and back in, they continue to isolate Dustin. Pentagon grounds him with leg kicks, Dustin keeps fighting and delivers strikes. he dumps Fenix and Fenix gets a chair, Arn takes it away and Dustin hits a spinebuster. Tag to Cody and he hits an avalanche RAN on Pentagon, snap slam on Fenix and follows with a dive. He follows with corner strikes on Fenix, Fenix fights off cross Rhodes, hits a superkick and a rolling cutter. Tag to Fenix and they look for MDK, Cody fights it off and is cut off with double teams and the Penta driver follows. Thy work over Dustin but he fires back, hits a snap slam and destroyer. Cody cutter to Pentagon and Dustin hits final reckoning for the win. Cody & Dustin Rhodes defeated The Lucha Bros @ 10:25 via pin [***¼] This was a good and fun tag match that I enjoyed, but I just wish the Lucha Bros had a real direction.

– Post match, Tony interviews Cody about MJF’s demands. Arn says MJF has no stroke and he doesn’t like him. Cody wants the match and will answer next week.

– Lanny Poffo is here to honor his father and brother. He spent the day with other legends and put over AEW. More legends stuff will be on AEW Dark next week.

– MJF arrives with the Wardlow. MJF calls Cody a coward who is afraid to face him. He gives him until 10 to accept his demands and face him like a man. Cody doesn’t come out and MJF calls him a bitch. DDP arrives and MJF is not amused. He says if you told him 19-years ago he’d be on TNT live again and with AEW, he would have thought you were smoking crack. He’s here to address his issues with MJF from a few weeks back. He mocks he and Ward “blow,” and hypes his social media and teases coming back for one more match. MJF says enough and says in DDP’s prime he couldn’t lace him boots and today can’t hold his jock. The Butcher & Blade arrive and the Bunny is with them. MJF reminds him WCW is dead, like the average age of his fans. DDP can kiss the ring and leave, or they can send him to hospice, MJF can lay down a diamond daughter and BANG. Diamond cutter on Butcher, one for Blade and MJF low blows DDP. QT Marshall & Dustin make the save. MJF was good here, but that’s about it.

The Jurassic Express vs. Best Friends: Chuck and Jungle Boy lockup and work into counters. Lockup again and Chuck follows with arm drags, Jungle Boy hits a springboard arm drag and dropkick. Trent and Stunt tag in and Trent shoves him down. Trent takes him to the ropes, Stunt hits a RANA but Trent cuts him off but Stunt cradles him for 2. Jungle Boy tags in and double teams follow and Chuck makes the save. It breaks down and they all face off. Post break and Chuck does the deal with a falcon arrow for 2. Jungle Boy hits a desperation clothesline and Luchasaurus tags in and runs wild. He follows with kicks, Orange tags in and delivers devastating kicks on Luchasaurus and then a stunner. He follows with dropkicks and the suicide dive follows. They hug and Jungle Boy attacks wit a German and is then cut off with a spear. Orange hits the falling top rope splash for 2 as Stunt makes the save. Stunt flatliners Chuck, hits a destroyer and Luchasaurus tosses him onto the pile. Chuck cuts off Jungle Boy but Jungle Boy hits the RANA and cradle for the win. The Jurassic Express defeated Best Friends @ 10:50 via pin [**½] This was solid fun that the crowd enjoyed.

– Next week, Pac vs. Darby Allin, DDP, Marshall, & Dustin vs. MJF, The Butcher & Blade, and Shida & Statlander vs. Kong & Cruise.

Jon Moxley’s Big Decision: Le Champion Chris Jericho fresh off of his WrestleKingdom victory, arrives with Sammy & Hager. Moxley arrives as Jericho has bubbly ready in the ring. Jericho calls Moxley his friend and protégé. Jericho says Elvis is a jackass and he’s kick his ass, and the Beatles are way better. Mox will give his answer, the car is gassed up, Santana & Ortiz are ready to party all night long and none of you are invited. Will you join the Inner Circle? Mox says he’s had a lot to think about this week and a lot went into this decision. You may think you know him, including Jericho. Mox doesn’t want what Jericho offered him, he can’t be bought. He came to dominate and his answer is YES. He has an Inner Circle/Mox shirt on and says he came to dominate and no one is more dangerous than the Inner Circle and he will stand with them. Jericho says he told you so. Mox will learn from the greats like Jericho, he will stand with him and they will dominate AEW for years to come. He wants the bubbly and they look to celebrate and spray bubbly around. Jericho says they will take over AEW. Mox then says Jericho owes him the car. Jericho gives him the keys and Mox gets you sold out chants. Jericho says Mox sold out every night as Inner Circle means money, they won at the Tokyo Dome and they drink more. Mox says that he forgot one thing, he was kidding and all he wants is the title. He breaks a bottle of the bubbly over his head, hits dearth rider and piledrives Sammy.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 80. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka Backbodydrop.com’s Ian Hamilton review the two-day NJPW WrestleKingdom 14 extravaganza and then discuss NXT UK problems, & preview Takeover: Blackpool 2020. The show is approximately 210–minutes long.

* Intro
* Attendance/Two Night Move Thoughts: 2:25
* NJPW WrestleKingdom 14 (Day One) Review: 7:40
* NJPW WrestleKingdom 14 (Day Two) Review: 1:12:05
* New Year’s Dash Predictions/Thoughts: 2:31:35
* Discussing NXT UK Problems/Takeover: Blackpool 2020 Preview: 2:35:04

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite was a step backwards and easily the weakest show to date for the company. There was some good wrestling and some fine angle advancement (specifically Mox vs. Jericho), but bad finishes, some bland in ring, the overall flat DDP segment (MJF was great), and the Nightmare Collective stuff hurt the show. It was average at best but also completely forgettable and skippable this week as the overall quality and excitement level just wasn’t here for me.