wrestling / Columns

Stew’s AEW Dynamite Thoughts 9.7.22

September 7, 2022 | Posted by Rob Stewart
AEW Dynamite Toni Storm Image Credit: AEW

Life comes at you fast in the world of 2022 professional wrestling.

In the wake of AEW’s All Out pay-per-view, I wrote up a summary of what thoughts I had leaving the show. I considered it my State of AEW thoughts.

Well it turns out that since I wrote that, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED.

There was a vitriolic press conference. A backstage brawl. Suspensions and talks of possible firings. We have multiple title holders on the outs with the company and each other. Tony Khan has promised to address the status of those titles tonight on Dynamite, and most of AEW’s biggest names and stars are now off the show.

All Out was Sunday night! AEW has had a very eventful, like, 2 days between then and now!

So the anticipation for their weekly show tonight is high. It may be for all the wrong reasons, but Dynamite is essentially must-see TV. And I’m here to take you through it, moment-by-moment like I usually do with my pay-per-view reviews. Let’s see if AEW starts spinning this rotten straw into gold… or if they feed it to a horse and then shoot the horse.

I… yeah, that analogy wandered away from me at the end there. And a poor hypothetical horse had to pay.

You know what else I’ve been thinking, though? At the 411Mania year end awards, there’s always a News Story Of The Year award or something to that effect, and 2022 has a ton of crazy offerings for that category!


7:45pm: Okay, this was a stupid time to start rewatching Young Justice on HBO Max, I guess, but I got four minutes into episode one, and now it’s saved for me to watch later. When later? I have no idea. Maybe after I’ve hit my 300th movie for the year and will have more time for TV. That reminds me: I’ll need a New Year’s Resolution for next year, and I’m NOT shooting for 400 movies!

8:02pm: The opening segment shows MJF’s return from All Out, including challenging for the AEW World Title… and we do not see hide nor hair of CM Punk. Intriguing!

8:05pm: Okay, so Tony Khan announced that the Trios and AEW World titles are both vacated, but again… no mention whatsoever of the men involved. EVEN MORE INTRIGUING! But we are getting a World Title tournament with Jericho, Moxley, Danielson, Hangman Page, Guevara, and Darby. That should be fun! I hope Danielson wins, and I’m also sure Page will beat him tonight. Oh well; I’ve gotten used to AEW constantly booking the people I want to win to lose.

8:19pm: Haha, so AEW just casually opens up the show with back-to-back promos from–and a confrontation between–MJF and Jon Moxley, giving them about fifteen minutes to just get the crowd going and forgetting, even if just for a moment, about all of the drama swallowing the company whole right now. Smart!

MJF got to toy with being a babyface for a few minutes just to show exactly how responsive the crowd would be to such a thing. That was fun, even if it never felt genuine. That said, I was surprised he revealed it was all a ruse by the end of the shtick. I was hoping he’d stretch it out at least to the show’s conclusion.

8:26pm: Is this the first commercial break of the night? Or was there one after Khan’s announcement? I don’t recall. But the show just keeps going strong to open up. Best Friends Vs Death Triangle for the vacant Trios Titles! I really want Orange to win a title, but honestly? I love Death Triangle. This will just be a fun ride.

I have to confess some disappointment that AEW isn’t immediately trying to make money off of what happened this week, but it might be too soon. I am surprised they aren’t saying anybody’s names. Maybe they don’t know what everyone’s status will be in a week or so. Or maybe I’m being worked to some degree. Oh well!

8:37pm: Death Triangle ends up winning, and it’s not like they don’t deserve it. So I ain’t even mad. And commentary reminds me that PAC now has TWO belts. Because even though I remembered in my post All Out review, I had already forgotten the All-Atlantic title exists.

8:50pm: Penelope Ford and Toni Storm had a match that happened. Look, this show started with 37 minutes of great. Sometimes you need to take a breather.

8:52pm: Hahaha, Swerve Strickland interrupts Max Caster before he can start rapping when we were all VERY curious what he might have to say tonight. Fair play, AEW. More heat for Swerve!

The Acclaimed are getting a rematch for the tag titles in a few weeks because everyone backstage at All Out clearly heard the crowd reaction and realized these guys winning will generate a pop that might create world peace.

8:57pm: Did… did I just see a commercial for Reddit? Does… Is… Has Reddit had commercials before?

8:59pm: Chris Jericho just completely no-sold the existence of Hangman Page by saying he is going to beat Bryan Danielson again next week.

9:03pm: Wardlow continues to just exist by obliterating Tony Nese in seconds. Within seconds of my typing that, he hilariously calls out… people online this past week for saying he’s not doing anything important right now and that he should be doing something else.

I’m blushing; I didn’t know Wardlow was reading my All Out article! I’m a big fan, big man!

9:06pm: OH SHIT, It’s Danielson/Page time already!

9:15pm: My favorite commercials in the world are the ones for prescription medications that say stuff like “Don’t take Pillzilla if you are allergic to Pillzilla or any of its ingredients”. I mean, yeah. Thanks, I guess? Don’t take being stung by a bee if you are allergic to being stung by a bee. Ask your doctor if being stung by a bee is right for you!

9:20pm: Page hit his… top-rope, spinny, flippy, backwards powerslam pin, and I’m reminded how weird it is that there are so many moves in wrestling that should be finishers, but aren’t. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley is still using Riptide as a finish, and… *shrug*

9:30pm: Bryan Danielson wins! Disappointment averted! Not that anyone could be disappointed after that match. I mean… “fight forever” and all, I know, but I feel like Danielson and Page have marvelous chemistry and hopefully they have a match down the line to break the 1-1-1 record they now share.

9:39pm: I was just making a sandwich, but I heard through my headphones that Stokely Hathaway did not get around to explaining his [brief?] alliance with MJF. Nuts! They could cancel Garcia/Yuta and let Stokely talk the rest of this episode; I’d be okay with that.

9:51pm: Approximately the last 37 moves in this match have been German Suplex.

9:59pm: Confetti cannons fire for Daniel Garcia winning AEW’s *check notes* tenth most important title.

10:00pm: The Daniel Garcia / Chris Jericho / Bryan Danielson love triangle story continues, with Bryan putting the strap around Garcia’s waist while Jericho has a conniption fit in the aisle. Oh, Bryan. Garcia is totally costing you the semi-finals match against Chris, isn’t he? Sigh.


And that’s it! The eagerly anticipated AEW Dynamite where they did not directly address any of the things we were eagerly anticipating. Instead they just decided to just give us a pretty rad show. So, I mean, six of one good thing, half-a-dozen of another, right?

In the matters relating to the fallout of AEW Gone Wild, I’m happy to see Death Triangle get a well-deserved championship run, and I think this World Title tournament is going to produce a slew of bangers. I’m hoping for Danielson in the finals, presumably over Moxley, but… I think this Garcia stuff is setting The American Dragon up to get screwed.

So what did YOU think of AEW Dynamite tonight? Disappointed they didn’t tackle the news head-on? Happy with what the product offered regardless? Let us know in the comments!

Until next time everyone… take care!

article topics :

AEW Dynamite, Rob Stewart