wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s AEW Saturday Night Dynamite Review 08.22.20
Brodie Lee
Loading...-It’s a special Saturday edition of AEW Dynamite as the NBA playoffs interrupted The Wednesday Night War. I am a fill in this week as I was asked to cover this with the knowledge that I consider myself a NXT guy. That’s not to say I don’t watch AEW as I usually catch the West Coast feed and read the weekly show reviews. Let’s get to it!
-Show Opening and PYRO!
-Commentary Team: JR, Tony Schiavone and Taz
-Taped: Jacksonville, FL
FTR vs. Private Party
-Nearly joined in progress as both teams are in the ring and ready to go as the bell sounds just after the pyro finishes. Tully Blanchard is at ringside as we flashback to what happened last week with FTR. Slow start as Dax gets caught with several dropkicks and then as the pace picks up they head to the floor to talk with Tully. Dax heads back in and catches Quen with a few shots. Private Party rally and catch Dax in their corner as they make quick tags in and out. Things slow down again as Quen grounds Dax with a hammerlock. He is able to power Quen to his corner though, but FTR can’t get out of gear as they bail to the floor again. Quen finally gets caught with a double clothesline as the tag is made to Cash. He fires off some sweet chops and chokes Quen on the middle rope. Tag back to Dax and he drops an elbow off a drop toehold by Cash. Quen eats a knee and gets his face rubbed across the top rope. To the corner for more chops as Quen tries to fight to his corner, but no go at this time. Dax grounds Quen with a chinlock but Quen escapes and nearly gets to his corner, but Dax cuts him off. Quen does get a sleeper but Cash makes a blind tag and FTR use some more double team offense for a two count. Cash now sets in with a rear chinlock as this is dragging a bit. Quen finally creates space with a belly to back suplex, but the hot tag is cut off by Dax. Cash tries a dive on the floor but eats guardrail and that gives Quen the chance to make the hot tag to Kassidy. He is a house of fire and runs wild on both members of FTR. He gets a two count on Dax, but nearly gets caught with a slingshot suplex. Quen tags himself in and gets a crossbody off the top for two. On the outside Cash takes Kassidy out leaving Quen with Dax. Quen gets two near falls off a roll-up and small package. A jack knife cover is turned into a bacslide for two. FTR get another blind tag and Quen gets murdered with a spinebuster, but Kassidy makes the save. This one is starting to pick up a bit. Kassidy tries a plancha, but Tully pulls Dax out of the way. Back in the ring The Goodnight Express finishes at 12:55 to move FTR to 6-0.
Winners: FTR via pin at 12:55
-Started very slow and was just a basic match but picked up a good bit towards the end. Solid tag formula action that never hit a second gear, but was a good representation of what FTR is all about. **3/4
-Moxley backstage for a promo and he mentions we need to talk to his wife as she will give us a 2 page list of all his faults. Hmmm! Tough guys usually don’t have to say a lot as they don’t hide behind their words. He wants to know what MJF is hiding. Moxley wants this company to succeed for 25 years and hopes MJF is that leader. He wants him to fill all his potential. One day MJF will move out of his parent’s basement and lose his virginity and be Champion. That won’t be at All Out though as Mox promises to beat the hell out of him. The whole world will find out what MJF has been hiding.
-Commercials!
-Back with MJF backstage continuing his campaign. He namedrops Genghis and Napolean as they were homicidal maniacs, but are nothing compared to dictator Moxley. Last week he attacked him from behind and those actions have consequences. MJF wants to have a family one day and he wants to play with those kids, but he can’t because Daddy is mangled. He calls the Paradigm Shift an abomination and is nearly brought to tears. MJF’s lawyer brings up that The Paradigm Shift is a dangerous move that could possibly be deadly. Apparently 5,000,000 people signed their petition to have The Paradigm Shift banned. A contract has been made for The Paradigm Shift to be banned for their match at All Out. They know Mox will sign because he is a badass and if he doesn’t sign it, he will be sued. They will take his money, house and cars and then Max will take his Title.
The Natural Nightmares and Jurassic Express vs. The Lucha Brothers and The Butcher and The Blade
-Everyone starts hitting everyone even before the teams can be announced. Stereo dives from the Lucha Bros and they hit Marshall with some chops. Back in the ring Marshall gets double teamed by The Butcher and The Blade. QT comes back with heavy blows and looks for a dive but Butcher cuts him off. Marshall gets a tag to Dustin and he fires off right hands and then a clothesline to The Blade. He goes to work on the arm, but gets caught with a knee to the back from the apron. Dustin gets triple teamed on the floor and then tossed back to The Blade. He chokes away with his knee and then makes a tag to Butcher. Dustin is caught in the wrong corner and then eats some leg kicks from Pentagon. We head to commercial, but have picture in picture though I’ve never been a fan of this as it’s obviously harder to see the action, so I won’t bother recapping what is happening in the smaller box. There is a commercial for DC FanDome and I am quite pumped for the 2 newest DC Video Games. It’s been too long since Arkham Knight was released.
-Back with Dustin making the tag to Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy flies in as well and hits a dive on the floor. He comes back in and then hits another dive and then another on to The Butcher and The Blade. Pentagon eats a kick in the ring and then a chokeslam followed by a standing moonsault for two. Blade comes back as I have no clue who is legal anymore and as I type that here comes Blade. QT is back with a slow motion cutter and next is Jungle Boy but he eats a dropkick. Dustin gets an ugly looking Canadian Destroyer as again I am begging to know who is legal The Blade and Pentagon start arguing and Pentagon pushes him into a roll-up by Jungle Boy for the pin at 9:49.
Winners: The Natural Nightmares and Jurassic Express via pin at 9:49
-The break ate a good bit of this (mostly Dustin’s heat sequence) and then it was everyone get whatever they can in before the roll-up finish thanks to heels not getting along. It wasn’t boring though!**1/2
-Eddie Kingston is out to make peace as he talks about them all being on The Indys. They are on TNT now and TNT knows Drama. They don’t need drama. Nobody can beat them unless they fight against each other. He asks what they are doing and puts over all of them. He wants them to all come walk with him and they can have everything they want.
-Earlier today Dr. Britt tries to cut a promo, but tells Kip and Ford about the dangers of exchanging human saliva. She offers them free dental care for a year if they can help her with Big Swole! She makes her match with Swole a handicap match and wants them to join her team. They agree, but go back to making out. Britt is great!
-Commercials!
-Back with Tony Schiavone in the ring and he brings out Orange Cassidy. This is going to make me uncool, but I just don’t get Orange Cassidy. I mean credit to him for finding a different character and running with it but it’s just not for me and there’s nothing wrong with that. Tony congratulates him on the win last week and before he can answer, Chris Jericho is out to interrupt. He apologizes for the interruption and congratulates Orange Cassidy on the win last week. He has only been pinned 3 times in AEW since their debut show. He admits he is embarrassed to an extent but deep down he is proud of Orange. He proved that he has heart, courage and has proven he can be a Main Event star in AEW. He brings some of The Bubbly and wants to offer a toast to Orange. He thinks they need a 3rd match since they are at 1-1. Jericho mentions he is the genius that came up with a gimmick match involving a briefcase and a ladder. So he has a new creation, The Mimosa Mayhem Match! Jericho throws to a video package describing what the match will be as they will mix The Bubbly and Orange Juice and the only way to win is by pin fall, submission, or throwing your opponent into an 80 gallon vat of OJ and Bubbly. Okay then! Cassidy gives the thumbs up and that makes it official. Jericho brings out the entire Inner Circle for the toast to Orange. The IC hit the ring and beatdown OC and The Best Friends. They hold OC upside down and soak him with more of The Bubbly. The match sounds silly, but should be fun. I don’t know why they don’t just forget about the pin and submission part and have the only way to win be to toss someone into the vat, but perhaps that would be too much like a Hog Pen Match or Buried Alive Match, or Casket Match, or whatever else.
-Commercials!
Dark Order: 3, 4, and 5 vs. The Elite: The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega
-Nick stars with one of the numbers and they immediately head to the ramp. Nick escapes a head scissors and then gets a springboard arm drag back in the ring. Blind tag to Matt and he gets an arm drag of his own and then a double dropkick sends DO to the floor. Matt tries the Triple Northern Lights, but the third one gets stopped. The Elite triple team with a leg drop from Omega finishing the sequence. DO 5 is in the ring with Omega as things settle a bit. Kenny gets shoved off the top to the floor and gets caught on the floor with a chair shot to the head. A chair it set on Kenny’s chest and a DO member jumps off the apron on him. Another DO member is next, as even Taz is confusing them, and he nearly kills himself on a dive to the floor as we head to picture to picture. So based on the picture in picture all we are really missing is Kenny getting beat down in the corner and then grounded with a headlock. DO misses a stomp from the top and gets clotheslined by Omega as he makes the hot tag.
-Back from picture in picture as Nick is running wild on DO. He gets a backstabber and makes the tag to Matt. They throw some knees and kicks and get a bulldog into a dropkick combination. Schiavone was blown away by that one. The ref pretends like he is counting with so many people in the ring, but we know that’s just for show. Omega is back in and eats a German Suplex into a sunset flip for a close two count. The ref goes back to counting as the DO just stand there to keep the Bucks at bay. No matter as Omega makes his own save and makes the tag to Nick. DO hit stereo Tombstones and then The Stomp from the top gets another near fall. This is just a mess at this point with no flow. A DO member looks at both Bucks and then does a springboard while turning his back just to dive into dueling superkicks. The Indytaker and One Winged Angel finally finish this thing at 11:20.
Winners: The Elite via pin at 11:23
-This was a mess and I was not a fan. No flow and just a bunch of setups to moves. We also missed all the heat segment on Omega due to the picture in picture. Just a bunch of moves with everyone trying to cram in what ever they can and no order to what was happening. *1/2
-After the match Omega has seemingly snapped as he hits a powerbomb on a member of DO. The Bucks question his actions and I kind of side with Omega as he was hit in the head with a chair.
-To the back as it’s announced a Gauntlet Match will happen next week to determine the challengers for Tag Titles at All Out. They match will follow the Top 5 rankings with FTR being the last team involved. FTR give an interview with Tully and Hangman interrupts with a drink in hand. FTR tell him to relax as what happened last week was their own personal business and had nothing to do with Hangman. FTR smooth things over with Hangman and put the idea in his head that if The Bucks win The Gauntlet and then beat him it was undo all he has done and he will be back in their shadows. I like FTR playing Mind Games with Hagman!
-Commercials!
Darby Allin vs. Will Hobbs
-Allin jumps him before the match with a dropkick that sends him to the floor. Darby follows with a dive and we get the bell once both men get back in the ring. Allin gets caught, but goes to the legs of the big man. Will uses his power to take over and tosses Allin all over the ring. Hobbs screams that he needs this and throws heavy body shots in the corner. Hobbs pulls him out of the corner with force and gets a two count. Darby fights back with chops, but gets caught with a spinebuster for two. He preps for a powerslam, but Allin elbows out to escape. He hits a springboard back elbow and heads up top and The Coffin Drop finishes at 2:50.
Winner: Darby Allin via pin at 2:50
-No rating here as it was just a short match to get Allin on the show and continue the issues with Taz/Starks.
-Taz gets on the mic and has something to say to Allin. He has a new member of Team Taz and introduces us to Darby. It’s Ricky Starks dressed up like Darby carrying around a skateboard. Cage comes up from behind and takes out Allin with a shot from The FTW belt. Starks uses water to wipe off the face paint as he tells Allin he needs the paint to be somebody. Life is a joke and Darby is the biggest joke of them all. Starks delivers his own coffin drop from the middle rope. Taz saying “he’s so bad ass he can do it from the middle rope,” made me laugh!
-Sammy Guevara is out next as we go to picture in picture. His signs let Matt Hardy know that he is sorry. He is sorry that he put him out. He is sorry Matt can’t catch chairs. He is sorry Sammy is an idiot and Sammy is about to be broken. Cosider Him….Deleted! Sammy finally looks at the cards and realizes he has been duped as Matt is out from behind with an attack. Matt beats the crap out of his as the picture in picture rolls along. We finally go to a straight commercial.
-We are back with Matt wearing Sammy out with a chair and then he puts him through a nearby table. Inner Circle? Matt preps to throw a chair at Sammy’s head, but the refs are out to stop that. Sammy gets helped to the back by doctors as Matt says this ends when he ends him. This was great!
-Tony throws it to the back where The NWA Women’s Champion, Thunder Rosa is here. We see a closeup of her Title and she says she has come here to actually put the women’s division on the map. She is going to be at All Out and is here for the AEW Women’s Championship.
-Veda Scott joins the announce team as we get the Finals of the Women’s Tag Team Cup.
AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament Final: Ivelisse and Diamante vs. The Nightmare Sisters: Brandi Rhodes and Allie (w/ Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall)
-Brandi starts with Ivelisse and Brandi catches a knee to the head. They do some chain wrestling and Brandi gets a headlock into a takedown into a quick pin. Ivelisse gets in some chops and leg kicks. She tags to Diamante and they get a double hiptoss for a one count. Brandi is able to get to her corner and makes the tag to Allie. Diamante catches her with an armdrag as we head to picture in picture less than 3 minutes into the match.
-Back to full screen as picture in picture was over 3 minutes. Allie is in control as she sets Diamante on the top rope, but Diamante fights out and gets a tornado suplex. She crawls to her corner and makes the tag to Ivelisse. Brandi also gets the tag, but she is no match for Ivelisse. A standing STO is followed by a trip for a two count. Diamante is back in and Brandi catches her with a spear. Allie gets the tag and hits The Rabbit Hole, but Ivelisse makes the save. Allie eats a back elbow from Diamante and the tag is made to Ivelisse. QT gets on the apron and eats an elbow from Ivelisse. Brandi gets a double underhook but gets backdropped to the floor. Allie is screwed as she is left alone and gets pinned at 9:35.
Winners: Ivelisse and Diamante via pin at 9:35
-Well, they were given some time, but obviously the division needs some work. Giving them chances like this will pay off in the long run. *1/4
-Ivelisse and Diamante receive their trophy, but trash the flowers they are presented.
-The announcers run down next week’s Thursday episode of Dynamite including a Tables Match between Sammy and Matt Hardy. I am good with that, but maybe could have been saved for the PPV, unless they have something else planed for that. I mean, they have used Tables and Chairs in this feud so far.
-Commercials!
TNT Championship: “The Prince of Pro Wrestling” “The American Nightmare” Cody (c) (w/ Arn Anderson) vs. “The Exalted One” Brodie Lee
-Cody gets a quick start as he attacks immediately at the bell. Lee is having none of that though and tosses Cody to the floor with ease. He fires Cody into the security railing and hits a big boot that sends Cody flying over the railing. They brawl on the floor as the ref is out there with them, so did I miss that this was no count-out? No matter as they are back in the ring with Lee mauling Cody. A release German suplex follows and a superkick has Cody wobbly. A second one gets a two count for Lee. Arn spouts advice from the floor, but not helping yet as the ass kicking continues with Lee hitting two powerbombs. Discus Lariat finishes this SQUASH at 3:12.
Winner and New TNT Champion: Brodie Lee via pin at 3:12
-A total SQUASH and an unexpected one, but also a needed one. Credit for Cody going out like that. This was Cena/Brock at SummerSlam but without the hope spot and obviously a heck of a lot shorter. SQUASH
-Lee celebrates with The Dark Order and is interviewed in the ring by Schiavone. He now has the power and it is people like Schiavone that created him by holding him down. When he had the chance he knocked it out of the park. Well, I mean he did lose to Mox in his first real chance in AEW, but I get his point.
-Cody gets stretchered out of the arena as my wife doesn’t understand pro-wrestling and questions if he is really hurt since a stretcher is involved. Cody gives a thumbs up as he is stretchered out of the arena. Dark Order attack Arn and then wheel Cody back to the ring. Lee knocks over the stretcher as officials pour out to bring any kind of order to this chaotic scene. Even in AEW babyfaces make the worst friends as nobody is out to make the save. Well, they thankfully explain why The Nightmare Family didn’t come out as The Dark Order drag Dustin and Marshall’s bodies out from the back. Kudos to them on that! Brandi is out to check on her husband and Anna Jay gets unleashed on her as she chokes her out. Brodie dumps out the old TNT Title that has been broken in pieces over Cody as we are out this week.
-Thanks for following along!
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