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Hall’s AEW Dynamite Review 5.31.23
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Dynamite
Date: May 31, 2023
Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz, Bryan Danielson
We’re done with Double Or Nothing and that means we have less than a month to go before Forbidden Door. While there were some hints at where things are going at the media scrum, it’s time to really set some things up this week, as they’re kind of running out of time. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Blackpool Combat Club vs. Lucha Bros/Bandido
The Club starts the brawl fast and take everyone to the floor before the bell. The Club beats them up on the floor before it’s Yuta throwing Bandido back inside to officially get started. Bandido gets a sixty second (and yes he counted) brainbuster for two on Yuta as the Bros have Claudio and Moxley’s arms. With that broken up, it’s an assisted piledriver on the floor to drop Bandido and we take a break.
Back with Moxley choking Bandido but Bandido slips away and brings Penta in to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s back to Bandido for two off a splash, with Danielson sounding relieved when Yuta kicked out. The rapid elbows knock Bandido silly and the seat belt finishes for Yuta at 10:58.
Rating: B. This was a match that made sense as while the Club is better, they should have had this much trouble with a team as talented as Bandido and the Lucha Bros. It was a competitive match and that Bandido suplex was incredibly impressive. The Club probably isn’t done with the Elite but for now, they got a nice win after the big one at Double Or Nothing.
Post match Danielson is so pleased with Yuta that he goes to the ring and raises his hand.
The Young Bucks and Hangman Page are banged up from Double Or Nothing and Kenny Omega is back in Canada. They’re not done yet and can’t believe how far they went….and here is Evil Uno to talk to Page, because that relationship must continue for all time and eternity.
Here are Juice Robinson and Jay White for a chat. They remind Ricky Starks that he lost the International Title battle royal and then move on to FTR, who are jut kind of stupid. Cue FTR, with Robinson and White knowing that they’re here to join Bullet Club Gold! All they have to do is ask nicely, but a roll of coins to the chin drops FTR and the beatdown is on. Ricky Starks runs in for the save and he issues the challenge to White to finish it next week.
Tony Khan has a big announcement: CM Punk will be on Collision. Well….yeah. It’s nice to have it officially announced.
Big Bill vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Trent Beretta
Strickland bails to the floor to start but he’s back inside so Bill can hit a bunch of running clotheslines in the corner. Bill knocks Swerve to the floor and boots Trent down as we take a break. We come back with Bill being knocked to the floor and Trent moonsaulting down onto him. Swerve hits the running boot off the apron to drop Trent before everyone heads back inside.
A rather nice double superplex puts Bill down but he’s right back up with a Boss Man Slam. Swerve breaks that up with a kick to the head for two on Bill, followed by the rolling Downward Spiral on Trent. The Swerve Stomp misses and Trent hits the running knee into a piledriver for two as Bill makes a save of his own. Swerve kicks Bill to the apron and stomps him down, followed b a crucifix to finish Trent at 8:53.
Rating: B. This was a heck of a lot better than I was expecting and it’s very nice to see Swerve get the win. Swerve was the intelligence going through all of the mental aspects, Trent was flying around a bit and Bill was the monster. They worked well together and hopefully this means Swerve gets to move up the ladder a bit, as it’s long past due. Much like him facing Keith Lee in a singles match.
Video on Kris Statlander returning and winning the TBS Title. Statlander talks about how great it means to be back and to have a title that means something. She’ll have the best title reign ever.
Acclaimed and Billy Gunn are here after losing their shot at the Trios Titles. They win as a team and they lose as a team, but Bowens says a legend like Billy deserves to be a champion one more time. The fans seem to approve.
Here are Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita, with Callis hoping that the fans are booing Kenny Omega. Callis takes credit for all of Omega’s success as the fans boo him out of the building. He says he lost a nephew but gained a son in Takeshita, who is the best athlete he has ever seen. He’s even better than Okada! Takeshita promises to destroy the Elite, with Callis promising to do the same as he builds a new family. Like the story or not, the crowd heat here was off the charts and that’s why this is the top angle in AEW today.
Wardlow and Arn Anderson are happy with the win at Double Or Nothing. If Luchasaurus wants to be next, Wardlow is happy to finish the job.
Gates Of Agony vs. Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy
The Gates jump them to start and Cassidy is knocked down hard. Allin tries a springboard but gets shouldered out of the air. Cue Brian Cage and the rest of the Mogul Embassy to watch from the stage, with the Gates running both Allin and Cassidy over on the floor. We take a break and come back with Allin getting crushed with a backsplash on the apron.
Cassidy gets knocked to the floor and Allin gets planted down for two more. Allin finally slips over and brings in Cassidy for the tornado DDT and a near fall on Kaun. Cassidy gets crushed between the Gates but he’s fine enough to hurricanrana both of them. It’s back to Allin to pick up the pace, including various running shoulders in the corner. A missed charges sets up the Coffin Drop to finish Toa at 11:34.
Rating: B-. Nice stuff here as Allin and Cassidy are going to get a positive reaction no matter what they do. The Gates have a great look and feel like they could be monsters against anyone, but it might help if they ever won a match against any serious opponents. When your biggest win is against a team who split up during the match, I’m not sure how much value you really have, great look or no great look.
Post match Brian Cage comes to the ring but Sting makes his return to clear the ring.
MJF brags about his win and says he’s running out of competition.
Tony Schiavone brings out Hook for a chat. Before Hook can say anything though, here are Dralistico and Preston Vance to interrupt. They’re tired of not getting any chances so they’ll take one now, meaning the beatdown is on. Jungle Boy makes the save with a chair and Jose the Assistant gets suplexed so the heroes can stand tall.
Toni Storm and the Outcasts are happy with the Women’s World Title win and she’ll be at the House Rules live events.
TBS Title: Nyla Rose vs. Kris Statlander
Rose is challenging. Statlander slugs away in the corner to start and hits a running dropkick. Rose wins a battle over a slam but misses a backsplash, allowing Statlander to grab a bodyscissors. Back up and Rose suplexes her into the corner as Taya Valkyrie is watching backstage.
We take a break and come back with Rose missing a splash, allowing Statlander to go up top. Rose is able to knock her down though and they head outside, with Statlander being whipped into the barricade. A cannonball against the barricade crushes Statlander and a chokeslam gives Rose two back inside. Statlander is right back with a knockdown though and the 450 retains the title at 7:58.
Rating: C+. This was a way to give Statlander a clean win without the shenanigans before the match. If nothing else, it’s nice to have Statlander back so she can have a regular match instead of everything going fast. Rose still feels like a monster so a win against her means something, making this rather logical all around.
Here’s what’s coming on various shows, including an all title match Rampage. Now granted none of those titles are from AEW, but it’s all title matches.
We look at Adam Cole beating Chris Jericho via referee stoppage at Double Or Nothing.
Chris Jericho/Saraya vs. Adam Cole/Britt Baker
Cole takes Jericho into the corner to start and chops away before knocking him outside. Back in and the women come in, with Baker hitting a quick Sling Blade into the Air Raid Crash. Jericho trips Baker down though and we take a break. Back with Saraya knocking Baker to the floor so the Outcasts can run in and beat her down. Cue Hikaru Shida for the save with a kendo stick, allowing Baker to get two off a rollup.
It’s back to the men with Jericho knocking Cole down and hitting the Lionsault (BIG reaction and a Y2J chant for that one) for a near fall. Baker comes back in and knocks Saraya off the top, but Jericho covers Saraya so Baker can’t hit a splash. Baker does it anyway, driving Jericho onto Saraya for two. Cole comes back in and is caught in the Walls…but Baker makes the save with the Lockjaw.
Jericho is in trouble until Saraya makes the save, leaving the guys to slug it out again. A double clothesline puts both of them down and it’s Saraya coming back in to plant Baker with the fisherman’s DDT. Jericho brings in the bat but walks into Cole’s superkick. Baker superkicks Saraya and a double superkick drops Jericho. The Boom finishes Jericho at 13:13.
Rating: B-. That more or less has to be it for the feud as there is nothing left for Cole to prove over Jericho. Baker and Cole do not get together very often in a match and it worked pretty well here. I would assume this is a way to move Cole up to the main event and thankfully this was a lot better than the Double Or Nothing match. Good main event here and hopefully it wraps everything up for the feud.
Results
Blackpool Combat Club b. Bandido/Lucha Bros – Seat belt to Bandido
Swerve Strickland b. Trent and Big Bill – Crucifix to Trent
Darby Allin/Orange Cassidy b. Gates Of Agony – Coffin Drop to Toa
Kris Statlander b. Nyla Rose – 450
Adam Cole/Britt Baker b. Chris Jericho/Saraya – Boom to Jericho
