Join 411’s Live AEW Dynamite Coverage

 

Well good evening, folks! I’ll be stepping in for Tony Acero tonight who is at the show live in person! You join us on the first Dynamite post-Double or Nothing, and we start making steps towards Forbidden Door (although judging by last night’s NXT, we may have some catching up to do!). How’s everyone feeling a few days removed from Double or Nothing? Quite a mixed reception in the comments it seemed. Sure, it wasn’t the GREATEST event ever, but there was an awful lot to enjoy (Ospreay/Strong, Willow/Mone, and Cage/Swerve all delivered the goods) and I had no qualms spending my money on the product. I was damn sure entertained, at the very least!

The fallout will be felt tonight – we’ve got an update on the TNT title after Copeland’s unfortunate injury diagnosis, Swerve Strickland takes on Killswitch in some House of the Dragon promo deal, Don Callis presents a contract (…to Trent, right?), Stat & Stokely explain their turn on Willow…the show is pretty stacked! Plus we have the Casino Gauntlet, which will undoubtedly have some surprises up its sleeves, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few NJPW/CMLL faces pop up, seeing as the winner challenges Swerve at Forbidden Door.

With that in mind, let’s get on with the show…have fun with it, my peeps!

 

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Venue: KIA Forum
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone

 

We kick off the show with the new TBS champion, Mercedes Mone! Acero has already passed out in his seat, hasn’t he? Mone takes a mic in the middle of the ring, which is adorned by orange and red balloons. Mone asks for the crowd to say hello to their CEO and new TBS champion. She asks if she was worth the wait? Mone changes everything, and that’s exactly what she did at Double or Nothing. Willow gave her the fight of her life, but she’s just way too nice. Mone knew they were going to screw her over. When Willow returns, she wants her to come back better than ever and kick their asses.

Back to her celebration, she has a big target on her back now. Just 4 weeks away from Forbidden Door…Skye Blue appears on the screen. Blue says she has something for her celebration…we cut to the footage from a few weeks ago of Mone being attacked in the dark. Blue says it was some of her best work, and she’s just getting started. Skye Blue attacks from behind! Blue takes the title and holds it up with a knee across the throat of Mone.

 

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Earlier today, the Elite arrive and they are WALKING. We recap the wild Anarchy in the Arena match from this past Sunday. This transitions into a general recap of Double or Nothing.

 

[House of the Dragon Whose House match] Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana) vs Killswitch

Swerve avoids some early strike attempts, but Killswitch goozles him and pushes him backwards out of the ring. Kick to the knee and a short dropkick to the knee as Swerve tries to take the big man down. Neckbreaker connects for the champ and he rolls to the outside with Killswitch still in a cravate. Neckbreaker from the apron to the floor!

Rising headbutt from Swerve, who then climbs to the apron and goes for a kick, but Killswitch shoves him back into the buckles. He ducks a dive and Swerve goes straight into the steel steps. Killswitch chops Swerve against the barricade before both men roll back inside the ring. Thrust kick from Killswitch and some body blows in the corner, before driving the knee into the back of the neck against the ropes. Killswitch ties Swerve up in the ropes and again chops him hard. Another. Wheelbarrow suplex connects and Killswitch gets a chinlock to keep control.

Swerve attempts a triangle choke, kicks Killswitch away and gets a flatliner out of it. The champ rallies with a diving forearm to the back. Swerve reverses a suplex and gets one of his own for a 2 count. Swerve gets caught with a nice headbutt and a chokeslam, 1, 2, no. Killswitch heads to the outside, grabs a chair, but Nana pulls it away. Swerve with some kicks and the Swerve Stomp off the apron to the floor!

Swerve ascends the buckles, Killswitch sits up though. House Call attempt, caught, chokeslam and a standing moonsault gets 2 for Killswitch. Extinction attempted, avoided, German by Swerve! HOUSE CALL. It’s not over as Swerve climbs the buckles, SWERVE STOMP! 1, 2, NOOO! Killswitch kicks out! House Call out of nowhere and that gets the job done.

Winner: Swerve Strickland

Time: 11:44

Rating: ***1/4 – Pretty shocked to see Killswitch kick out of the Swerve Stomp, that was a great nearfall. Competitive match, although the House of the Dragon branding didn’t add anything.

Swerve with a pair of scissors after the match and he cuts off one of Killswitch’s locks (hairy scales?). Swerve poses with this new souvenir.

 

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Back live, Tony Schiavone recaps the earlier events, and confirms that Mercedes Mone will defend the TBS championship TONIGHT against Skye Blue!

We head backstage to catch up with Jon Moxley. Mox says he feels calm. Is it a smart idea to take this Eliminator match tonight? No, it’s a very bad idea, but when is he ever 100%? That’s what champions do, they show up. It’ll be the same as it’s always been, he will be the man that stands atop AEW and New Japan and anywhere else he goes.

Back to ringside, Big Bill introduces TV Time with the Learning Tree, Chris Jericho. Of note, the Learning Tree setup features seemingly the next iteration of the JeriTron 5000!

Jericho asks, who wants more TV time? You know he does! Big Bill says if there’s one thing Chris has taught him, the leaves that fall will grow back stronger and brighter than ever. Jericho thanks him for those kind words. He also wants to thank the Branches (the fans) that have sat under the learning tree. He was able to retain the title at Double or Nothing. Many are called, only few answer. Many talk the talk of wanting to sit under the learning tree, but few walk the walk. So please welcome someone who did walk the walk on Sunday…the Bounty Hunter Bryan Keith.

Keith extends the hand and shakes with Jericho. Jericho says let’s hear it for Bryan. Jericho asks what made Keith want to get sucked into the Jericho Vortex. Keith says he notices a lack of respect for Jericho. 8 time world champion, 30 years travelled, and the longest reigning For The World champion in history. He can’t believe more people didn’t jump at the opportunity. Keith says these people are lucky enough to breathe the air of Jericho.

Jericho says this isn’t a yelling moment, it’s a teaching moment. He respects that BK is a bad man, and Big Bill chips in that he’s a Bad Apple. And the Bad Apple doesnt fall far from the Learning Tree. The music of Hook hits as the former FTW champion makes his way out. Security intervene but Hook takes them out…and Samoa Joe comes out and gets in the face of Hook!

Joe whispers in the ear of Hook…and moves aside, with Hook following behind him back up the ramp. Joe talking sense to Hook it would seem?

 

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We get an introduction to Stephanie Vaquer, who apparently now has her sights set on AEW.

 

[IWGP World Championship Eliminator Match] Jon Moxley (c) vs Rocky Romero

Romero with a cheapshot to Mox as he enters the ring! They battle to the outside as Rocky whips the taped up arm off the announcer’s desk. Inside the ring, Rocky kicks the arm, but Moxley manages to get a release suplex and a kick to the back. Hammer and anvil elbows, he sits Romero on the top buckle, but Rocky grabs the hand and pulls the fingers apart. Arm wringer by Romero, dropkick to the shoulder. Moxley rolls to the apron but gets a quick sleeper until Romero grabs the arm and wrings it over the ropes, following up with a springboard dropkick.

Romero hyperextends the arm over the bottom rope. Hammerlock applied, whips Moxley into the top turnbuckle. Mox tries to whip Romero into the steel steps, Rocky reverses and Mox is sent shoulder first into them. Back in the ring, Moxley bites the head of Rocky, gets a one-armed superplex. Clothesline with the other arm and some mounted punches, but a kick to the bad arm puts a stop to that. Rocky fires off some kicks to the arm, but Moxley nails a cutter out of nowhere. Tornado DDT from Romero gets a 2 count, straight into a jujigatame, but Moxley blocks it. Moxley rolls out of it, knees to the head! Bulldog choke…Romero escapes into a hammerlock and snaps the left arm back!

Boot to the face from Moxley, uppercut by Rocky, who climbs the buckles with him and gets a flying jujigatame. Bad arm hyperextended! Moxley fights it and stomps Rocky in the face to break the hold. Clothesline by the IWGP champion. Big roaring lariat from Moxley connects. DEATH RIDER, even with the bad arm! 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Jon Moxley

Time: 10:39

Rating: ***1/4 – Odd having Romero play heel here when he’s been presented as a face in the past few weeks during the OC-Trent feud. Good match here though, with some enjoyable arm work from Romero. I also like Moxley racking up some Eliminator wins to make it seem even more of a big deal when someone finally earns a title shot.

Renee Paquette tries to get a word from Samoa Joe and Hook backstage. Joe says that truly dangerous men exist on their time.

 

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When we return from commercial, Don Callis is making his way to the ring, and he has something important to tell us.

Callis holds something more valuable than gold or diamonds…it’s a contract to work with the Don Callis Family. One of the great pleasures of his life is to scout talent like Orange Cassidy. When he sees Orange, he sees himself. OC’s music hits as Cassidy heads to the ring.

Callis says this is the moment the world has been waiting for. He puts his hands in the pockets. Callis calls OC a star wherever he goes. Callis will work with him, and it’s his pleasure to welcome him to the Don Callis Family with this contract. Callis has even already filled it out for him. OC takes the contract and rips it in half in the face of Callis.

Callis picks up the pieces as OC says ‘no’. Callis says no one says no to him…and what the hell is OC going to do about it? From the back, here comes Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander. Stokely doesn’t like a single thing about OC…and he’s just like Willow Nightingale.

Kris Statlander says on behalf of her friend, she hereby accepts the contract for OC! Trent Beretta is in the ring and now jumps Cassidy. Trent rains down right hands on Orange, screaming ‘I hate you’ as he does so. Callis pulls Trent off of OC but backs away…Trent stretches out the arms…CALLIS AND TRENT give the people what they want and hug in the middle of the ring.

Don Callis raises the hand of Trent and hugs him again as Orange Cassidy lies bleeding on the mat. Callis starts putting the boots in to OC too before they both leave.

Signed for Collision this Saturday, Will Ospreay vs Kyle O’Reilly for the AEW International Championship….NOICE!

Renee Paquette is with Daddy Magic and Daniel Garcia. Garcia says this place is full of killers. He feels like he’s trudging through mud. He needs to take those muddy boots and drag them towards the International championship. He will climb up the rankings, take the title, and make those international flights a little lighter for Ospreay.

 

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[AEW TBS Championship] Mercedes Moné (c) vs Skye Blue

Moné takes Blue corner to corner, bashing her head against the turnbuckle padding. Knee to the jaw and a Mexican arm drag connects. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors from the champ as Blue recuperates on the outside. Sliding kick and a Meteora off the apron! Cover, 1, 2, no. Suplex attempt blocked, small package from Blue for 2. Kick to the side of the head from Skye and she gets a draping neckbreaker for a 2 count as we head to PIP.

Skye drives the boot into the throat of Moné. Rear chinlock applied, but Moné gets to her feet and backs her into the corner. Basement dropkick, but Blue comes back with an enziguri. 1, 2, no. Chinbreaker from Moné helps her escape from another hold, leg scissors from Moné sends Blue face first into the middle buckle, and a running Meteora. Backstabber gets 2 for Moné. But Blue with a Cheeky Nandos. Hurracanrana from Moné, Blue with a Full Nelson spinning slam, which just gets a 2.

Knee strike from Mercedes, Blue with a thrust kick, goes for Code Blue, Moné escapes into the Moné Maker! 1, 2, 3.

Winner and STILL AEW TBS Champion: Mercedes Moné 

Time: 7:37

Rating: **3/4 – Fine for what it was, and a nice surprise to have a championship match like this added to the card. Didn’t do much to raise Blue’s profile sadly, but she held her own in the time given.

Stephanie Vaquer is here in person! She stands on the ramp and holds up her NJPW Strong Women’s Championship as Moné raises the TBS championship.

Renee Paquette is outside the doctor’s door, but Stokely and Kris take the mic from her. Stokely says the catalyst to the issues with Willow was the four-way match back in March where Kris said she desperately wanted to be champion again, but Willow didn’t listen. Stokely introduces the new and improved Kris Statlander. She can’t believe that she gets booed for making the right decision. She’s tired of having to clean up everyone’s messes. She’s done being the protector, now everyone will need protecting from her.

 

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We get a video recapping the return of MJF. Not just the return of MJF the man, but MJF the legacy. The narrator takes us through a whistle stop tour of MJF’s greatest hits. We head back to ringside and everyone is expecting MJF to come out now…and the Elite’s music hits. Hahaha the groan of disappointment from the crowd is tremendous.

Nicholas and Matthew Jackson make their way to the ring, with Kazuchika Okada following suit, and Jack Perry completing the picture. Okada is the first to take the mic. He tells everyone to ‘shut up, bitches’. LOL. This man is a menace.

Jack Perry takes the mic and says the Elite run this shit. Tony Khan and Kenny Omega hand picked their dream time, and they pulled out the stops, even setting him on fire. But Perry took his piece of the dragon when he pinned Bryan Danielson. Nicholas says it’s been a fantastic week for the Elite, with the Reebok Pump out now. The Bucks have gifts for Okada and Perry because of their efforts on Sunday. They have a fancy Lamborghini for Okada and all Okada can say is ‘omigod omigod omigod’. Okada starts mock crying and says ‘i love you guys’ and then drops the act with a deadpan face, haha amazing.

Matthew Jackson informs us that Adam Copeland was badly injured. Matthew says it’s his fault as he told Adam to go ‘break a leg’ when he was backstage before the match. As EVPs they have to make the tough decisions. So Adam Copeland is hereby stripped of the TNT title. But the network need a new champion, and they know just the guy. After the biggest pinfall victory of his career, they present the NEW TNT Champion…the Scapegoat Jack Perry.

We hear “Wait just a minute” from backstage and it’s Christopher Daniels, who comes out and says he’s been named the Interim Vice President by Tony Khan, which means that the decisions he makes come straight from the top. Daniels says we’re not just giving that TNT title away – Perry will have to earn it. They will have qualifying matches over the coming weeks – no seconds, no managers, no outside interference. The Vacant TNT title will be fought for at Forbidden Door in a Ladder match. The first match will happen this Friday on Rampage.

Matthew wants to go and tell CD how happy they are to have him back in AEW…but here comes The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass. Both teams briefly face off on the ramp.

 

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We go backstage, and Swerve Strickland is with Prince Nana, who says nobody can see him in that ring. Swerve had to give Killswitch a ‘killshot’ and so he took his hair. Swerve says there are some nice surprises lined up for the Casino Gauntlet. Who will be stepping into Whose House? Swerve’s House. He’ll be watching.

We get a graphic that MJF returns to Dynamite next week.

Rush is backstage! He congratulates MJF on his return. But remember, if you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

 

[Casino Gauntlet Match – Winner challenges Swerve Strickland at Forbidden Door]

‘Switchblade’ Jay White is entrant #1. He starts off agains entrant #2, Pac! Nice pairing to get us going.

Pump kick to White as he enters the ring and Pac lays into White immediately. White still has his ring jacket on, which Pac uses to choke him out, as we’re told that anything goes in this match. Pac runs White into the barricade and bounces his head off the apron. White fights back with a chop, headscissors from Pac sends White back outside again, and he hits a twisting dive to the floor. Back inside, a shotgun dropkick gets a 2 count for Pac.

#3 is Mistico! Mistico with arm drags to both men, before heading to the top rope, crossbody off the top to the floor! Mistico brings White back into the ring, but White attempts to undo the mask. Mistico and White trade strikes, thrust kick gets a 2 for Mistico. White again goes for the mask, coupled with elbows to the back of the head. Pac in, hard whip into the buckles takes White down and to the floor. Pac goes out after him as Mistico rallies the crowd in the ring.

#4 is Will Ospreay! Ospreay with a crossbody to Mistico, White tries for a sleeper suplex but Ospreay shrugs him off. Ospreay and White go at it, White tries to run away but Pac sends him back in. Handspring pele connects, Pac from behind with a rollup on Ospreay, 1, 2, no. Pac and Ospreay get taken out by a crossbody from Misitico, who also hits a La Mistica on Ospreay, but here comes #5, Shota Umino! Umino attacks Mistico, and sends him into Jay White, knocking both men to the floor.

Umino and Ospreay duke it out now, avoiding each other’s strikes in a SWEET exchangem with Umino getting the better of him! Leaping DDT over the ropes to the apron, and another tornado DDT from Umino gets a 2. White back in, chops to Ospreay and Umino. #6 is out and it’s Claudio Castagnoli! Claudio goes for White and they run around the ringside area until an uppercut connects on Pac. Stomp to Mistico. Clothesline to Ospreay. Pop up uppercut to Umino! 1, 2, White breaks it up.

Spinebuster on White from Claudio, and he signals for the Giant Swing, hits it! Claudio with another Swing to Mistico. Now it’s Ospreay’s turn! Umino attacks Claudio from behind, then puts his hands behind his back, asking for Claudio’s strikes. They trade blows, Umino goes for a Death Rider, but Claudio sweeps the legs and gets a Giant Swing on him instead. Claudio is giddy after all those swings. Claudio catches Pac on a dive…another Giant Swing! Claudio goes for a Giant Swing on Bryce Remsburg to a HUGE pop! But he sees sense. #7 is Lio Rush!

Lio faces off with Claudio. Woah we get some serious speed here. Handspring kick sends Claudio to the floor, Rush with an enziguri to the face of Umino, and they get double clotheslines, only for Claudio to come back in with a double clothesline to take them both down. #8 Orange Cassidy is here! His head is taped up and he stumbles down the ramp. Satellite DDT attempt but Claudio puts on the brakes…Stundog Millionaire connects! Satellite DDT follows and he kips up but OC stumbles again, feeling the effects of the earlier attack. Ospreay is there, looking for the Hidden Blade, but OC sees it. White in, half and half suplex on Ospreay, uranage to OC, 1, 2, no.

#9 is HECHICERO!! YESSS. Hechicero and White tee off, oh god a glorious sequence with Ospreay, but OC rolls him up for 2. Hechicero to the apron, up top, springboard elbow to Ospreay. Mistico with a hurracanrana to Hechicero now.Lio Rush suicide dives to Hechicero. This is insane. Mistico with the deja vu to Claudio. Diving hurracanrana to the floor! Orange Punch to Umino! Pac escapes a pinfall attempt from OC. White misses a Bladerunner on Pac, but here comes Juice Robinson to push Pac off the buckles. Sleeper suplex on OC. Ospreay with the Hidden Blade to White but OC REVERSES THE STORMBREAKER! Oscutter from on Orange Cassidy! 1, 2, 3!

Winner and new Number One Contender: Will Ospreay

Time: 22:11

Rating: **** – Good Lord this rocked. It became a bit takey-turny with various guys sitting out and of course it’s all focused on the spots and the big pop for each entrant, but when it’s all this much fun, that is absolutely forgiven. Some great sequences here, way too fast to properly convey. Really happy to see Hechicero back in the US too – hopefully all those CMLL visa issues are all sorted and we can see these guys regularly in the run up to Forbidden Door. As for the winner, count me shocked – I thought Ospreay vs Swerve would be the big All In match for Wembley, so this is a surprising turn of events!

Swerve Strickland makes his way onto the stage to lock eyes with Ospreay. He heads down the ramp, climbs into the ring and smiles as Ospreay points at the World championship on Swerve’s shoulder in our closing moments. Good night everybody! Thanks for joining us, as always.