wrestling / TV Reports
Pantoja’s AEW Dynamite Review 6.14.23
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...AEW Dynamite
June 14th, 2023 | Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.
I’ve been trying to avoid doing reviews that other people on the site already take care of. Typically, there’s no need for three reviews of Raw, NXT, Smackdown, Dynamite, or Rampage. So, I’ve been sticking to PPVs and shows in Japan. However, New Japan is quiet in the build to Forbidden Door and ahead of the G1 and STARDOM’s streaming service is awful and about three weeks behind in terms of uploading shows so here I am.
World Title Eliminator: Adam Cole (8-0 on Dynamite) vs. MJF (3-0 in 2023)
Adam Cole is coming off of a FREEZING cold feud with Chris Jericho. That’s the only kind Jericho has these days to be honest. MJF toyed with Cole early, taunting him and taking a powder outside to kill some time. MJF put the focus on the arm when he got on offense, looking to set up his Fujiwara Armbar. He also had most of Cole’s signature stuff scouted, avoiding things like the Panama Sunrise. Following a big Tombstone on the apron, we went through the commercial break and on the other side, the pace picked up. Superkicks, trading submissions, and even a table spot that saw MJF hit an elbow off the top. That’s not really his style so it helps show how he has to dig deep against Cole. Cole beat the countout which infuriated MJF and caused him to lash out at the referee, opening him up for a German suplex on the apron. We soon got our closing stretch, which saw MJF try the Eddie Guerrero DQ trick on Cole but the referee was down for longer than expected, so he blew it. Cole cracked him with the title and hit the Boom but the ref moved slowly so MJF survived. Max went low and tried to use his ring gimmick but got stopped. That allowed Cole to pounce with Panama Sunrise and the Boom only for time to expire as he neared a three count. It actually went 29:54. Fantastic wrestling. I’ve been down on most of Cole’s work outside of his spectacular NXT stint and this AEW run hasn’t changed that but this was NXT Cole. This is what I want from him. Meanwhile, Max continues to be incredible. I can’t put him above the likes of Bryan or Gunther but there aren’t many better than him right now. [****½]
Cole wanted five more minutes but MJF bailed. Fair enough, he has no reason to give five more minutes.
A vignette aired to hype the return of FICKLE PHIL this Saturday.
Sammy Guevara made his return (he was gone for like two weeks only) for an in-ring promo with Renee Paquette. AEW is still trying to make him work as a babyface for some reason. Darby Allin quickly showed up and said the crowd is starting to love Sammy again (to which the crowd responded with mostly boos). He suggested that Sammy leave the JAS to be his own man, which triggered a Chris Jericho arrival. He was annoyed that Sammy didn’t come to him for advice ahead of his World Title match and the two traded some barbs before Jericho suggested they work as Le Sex Gods again to remind Sammy of what they are together. Darby dissed Jericho for being a wizard with no magic left in the ring and when Jericho threatened a beating, we got Sting. Jericho and Sting did a dueling bats thing before Jericho backed off.
SANADA issued an open challenge for his IWGP Title at Forbidden Door.
Darby Allin, Keith Lee, Orange Cassidy and Sting vs. The Mogul Embassy
Watching Keith Lee’s AEW run has me thinking being named Bearcat might’ve been the better option. And how have they STILL not booked Lee vs. Swerve? This quickly started with a brawl and went to commercial. Upon return, Darby was getting isolated until he made the hot tag to Lee who did BIG BOI THINGS. Orange Cassidy got involved a bit too but it was all to set up the tag to Sting, which is what the crowd wanted most. He didn’t look his best out there but he did well enough. A frantic finish led to Sting beating Cage with the Scorpion Death Drop in a fun 8:46. I don’t care about the Embassy outside of Swerve and really only Sting and OC on the face side but they put on an enjoyable tag here. [***]
Backstage, the Gunns didn’t confirm or deny if they’re down with Bullet Club Gold but call themselves the best brother team in AEW so they want to go after the Hardys next. Sounds….riveting. I don’t like this new, more serious version of the Guns sporting beards to try and look tough. I miss them as the funny goofs with The Acclaimed.
AEW TNT Championship: Wardlow [c] vs. Jake Hager
Wardlow has to be a top contender for “person who was most harmed by AEW booking.” Hager jumped Wardlow during his entrance and the two big men fought down to the ring. We went to break early and Hager was in control. Like the Gunns, Hager is someone who isn’t nearly as enjoyable when he’s trying to be serious. I need the goofy “I LIKE THIS HAT” guy or the dweeb that he was in ECW. Anyway, as Wardlow made his comeback, 2.0 showed up to distract Arn Anderson. That brought out Brock Anderson (or as my friends and I stupidly call him, Barn Anderson) to help his dad and they took 2.0 to the back. Wardlow got going with a dive outside and the Swanton Bomb before winning with the Powerbomb Symphony in 7:!4. Man, even that finisher gets little to no reaction now. This was a match that happened. [**]
Post-match, Christian Cage and Luchasaurus appeared with a message but there were audio issues. Eventually, he issued a challenge for Collision for Luchasaurus vs. Wardlow. They then revealed a bloody Arn Anderson.
Hiroshi Tanahashi had a message, issuing a challenge to MJF for the AEW World Title. Renee Paquette immediately went to get MJF’s thoughts on this. He said no to the match and doesn’t want to give a title shot to a dude from a rinky-dink indie fed. He has no problem no-showing something Tony Khan booked him in.
Zack Sabre Jr. interrupted an Orange Cassidy promo to issue a challenge for Forbidden Door. Daniel Garcia also interrupted because that’s AEW’s favorite way to set up anything. He wants the Pure Title from OC’s friend Shibata. So OC said they could have a tag match next week. ZSJ didn’t love the idea of teaming with Garcia.
AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm [c] (29-6) vs. Skye Blue (11-7 in 2023)
No Saraya tonight so Ruby came out with a cardboard cutout of her. Skye’s mother was in the crowd. Man, Nikki Bella really established an aesthetic for female wrestlers with the backward hat and high socks look. Mandy Rose, Skye Blue, etc. Anyway, Skye came out with fire and even kicked Ruby at ringside. To turn the tide, Toni got in Mama Skye’s face and sprayed her with their spray gimmick but it just led to a double tope suicida. Hilariously, Skye didn’t even stop to check on her mom. After a commercial break, we got the usual shenanigans with Ruby getting involved behind the referee’s back. Skye took care of her and survived a piledriver but tapped to a Cloverleaf in 6:58. That was largely fine enough. [**¾]
Willow Nightingale ran out to save Skye from a post-match beating.
Backstage, Jungle Boy accepted SANADA”s challenge and asked Hook to have his back at the PPV. Hook agreed.
FORBIDDEN DOOR
- Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada (the best to ever do it vs. the guy people have called the best)
- IWGP US Title: Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (their first match got the full five from me)
- AEW World Title: MJF vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- IWGP World Title: Jungle Boy vs. SANADA
COLLISION
- CMFTR vs. Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Samoa Joe
- Miro in action
- TNT Title: Wardlow vs. Luchasaurus
- Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale vs. Ruby Soho and Toni Storm
- Andrade vs. Buddy Matthews (FORGET PUNK, THIS IS WHY I’M WATCHING SATURDAY)
The Blackpool Combat Club vs. Hangman Page and The Young Bucks (0-0)
Bryan Danielson was on commentary for this. The Bucks in cowboy gear looked funny as hell. I loved Moxley and Hangman just going at it to start this. That set us off for a quick start filled with action and that’s a pace they kept up throughout. Big aerial stuff from the Bucks, hard hitting offense from the BCC, and Hangman popping in from time to time doing his combo of those aspects. I’d be so down for Hangman vs. Claudio. The action stayed hot through a commercial break and remained so after the show came back. Nick took the heat and had his arm targeted before making the hot tag to Hangman for some COWBOY SHIT. I loved the touch of Bryan not even celebrating a Yuta kickout but instead being like “I’d have preferred a stronger kickout.” Things broke down after with everyone coming in and out for big moves from a Swanton to a Doomsday Device to a goddamn chokeslam. A Superkick Party took out Moxley and Claudio, leaving Yuta to eat some knees and a Buckshot Lariat that ended this in 11:53. That was a super fun main event with a ton going on. [***½]
Now, we get to the real kicker. The BCC attacked our winning team until the music of the returning Eddie Kingston hit. Our upcoming G1 Climax performer went right for Claudio but didn’t fight his buddy Jon Moxley. CONFLICT! The Bucks hit Moxley and that brought out Konosuke Takeshita to hit a bunch of people from behind and stand tall. I HEAR THE BATTLE CRY and it’s Kenny Omega time to a huge pop. The crowd came unglued for the Takeshita/Omega battle and I can’t wait for that match. Kenny and The Elite cleaned house but from out of nowhere, Will Ospreay appeared and laid out Kenny. He hit Hidden Blade and Storm Breaker to cap a phenomenal ending to the show.
