wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s AEW Dynamite Review 1.11.23
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Hey there everyone, Winfree subbing in for Tony who was jumped in the back by parties unknown. He should be back next week. As for tonight we’ve got a pretty stacked card. Bryan Danielson begins his quest to earn his Iron Man Match against Maxwell Jacob Friedman tonight, Bryan has to wrestle every week between now and the PPV and win every match and tonight he battles Konosuke Takeshita. While the outcome is pretty obvious Bryan and Takehshita could have a certified banger of a match. There will be a women’s tag team match when Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter team up against Saraya and allegedly Toni Storm, though we all know how much AEW likes to milk surprise debuts so we might get Toni taken out by Hikaru Shida and someone else teaming with Saraya. Jungle Boy Jack Perry teams with HOOK to take in Big Bill and Lee Moriarty, and in theory we’ll get the long awaited rematch between Jon Moxley and Hangman Adam Page. Our presumptive main event is the finale of the best of seven series for the AEW Trios Titles, Death Triangle take on The Elite one last time in Escalera de la Muerte (it’s a ladder match). There’s also a decent chance that Jericho and his goons take up way too much air time again. Anyway that’s the preamble, let’s get to the action.
Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone welcome us to the show. We’re getting right to things as here comes Jon Moxley.
Match #1: Jon Moxley vs. Adam Page
They get right after it with a tie up and punches going back and forth. Moxley starts getting the better of things with elbows, but Page fights back with a corner boot and some elbows of his own. Page avoids a clothesline and lands a chop. Moxley returns the chop and we’ve got a chop off then Moxley starts getting the best of things. Page with his own flurry of strikes before Moxley slams him down on the back of his head. Well that gives Moxley the target to work on and starts working the head in the corner. Moxley puts Page on the top rope, climbs up with him and scratches the back then bites at it as well before hitting a superplex for a 1 count. Now Moxley attacks an armbar, Page rolls for a cover but only 1 and Moxley retains the armbar attack. Moxley extends the arm, but Page rolls through and Moxley changes to land a kick to the face. German suplex from Moxley, then another one. The crowd want another one, Moxley looks to oblige but Page fights him off with elbows then a suplex. Page sets for the Buckshot Lariat but Moxley knocks him off the apron and into the barricade. Moxley follows Page out of the ring and slams him again, but when Moxley looks to put Page back in the ring Page rebounds and lands a lariat. Back in the ring Page charges at Moxley but Moxley decapitates him with a lariat for a near fall as we got to picture in picture.
Moxley with some Danielson stomps to the head on the mat, then some more kicks to the head as Page looks to sit up. Page tries to fight back with chops but Moxley cuts him off with a Cutter. STF from Moxley as we come back to live action. Moxley switches to a front headlock, then takes the back and goes for a sleeper. Page is fading but fights up long enough to hit a back suplex, Moxley pops up but runs into a lariat from Page and both men are down. Moxley actually gets up first and they start trading elbows, Page seems to be fading a bit but he’s still firing back. Page catches a running Moxley with a fall away slam but again it’s Moxley who gets up first as Page’s head is still hurt. Now Page with some clotheslines in the corner then he flips out of a German suplex, Moxley blocks a lariat but Page follows up with a Western lariat. Page boots Moxley out of the ring then goes for a moonsault, which connects. Page sends Moxley back into the ring, goes for the Buckshot Lariat but Moxley counters into a Death Rider but only a near fall. Moxley goes right into the Hammer and Anvil elbows, then goes for the Bulldog Choke, then back to the elbows, back to the Bulldog choke. Page isn’t flat on his stomach so the choke isn’t fully effective yet, Page fights up but Moxley spikes him with a piledriver for a 1 count. Moxley waits for Page, then lays in kicks to the chest as Page is kneeling, but Page catches one of them and tries Deadeye but Moxley slips free and grabs a Sleeper. Page fades, Moxley tries another piledriver but Page hoists him up for Deadeye, only for Moxley to bounce up and off the ropes to hit a Rolling Stomp and both men are down. Both men wind up on their knees trading strikes as they fight up to their feet. Headbutts from Moxley now and both men are rocked, then Page lands a headbutt and they start trading slaps to the head. Knees from Moxley, who’s bleeding, but Page wipes him out with a clothesline. Buckshot Lariat from Page and that’ll do it.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Adam Page won
Rating: 3.5 stars
Impressive physicality from both men, I could have done without a few of the specific near falls as some of those moves are supposed to mean something.
Moxley is allegedly knocked out and the physician is in checking on him as we head to break.
Post break we get an update that Moxley might have a concussion.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring, and brings out his next guest, Adam Cole. You’d think Schiavone would appreciate being in the ring with one of the guys on the roster he’s taller than. Cole heads to the ring and gets a mic, he asks if we’re ready for story time. He’s been thinking all day about what he’d say when he got out here, this is a good news and bad news type of situation. The good news is he’s more appreciative of wrestling and his life in general. All he’s ever wanted was to be a professional wrestler, and he’s been able to do some really cool stuff. He’s also realized how much he misses getting to be here because he’s been dealing with all kinds of health issues for the last few months. He saw a lot of doctors and had a lot of tests done, but the worst thing about his head injuries was the sleep, he’d have to pace to try and handle the anxiety, and the not knowing what’s happening to him. The thing is no one knew what was happening to him either, yet people were there for him. Every day he’d read words of support from the fans, and all that support meant the world to him because professional wrestling is a give and take thing. Wrestlers give everything, and fans show appreciation. He’d given us nothing for six months but the fans were still there for him, and he’s eternally grateful for that. Now for the bad news. The thing is, the bad news isn’t for him, it’s for the AEW locker room because Adam Cole is back. He’s not going anywhere, his career was in jeopardy but he’s not done yet. He claims to have been one of the best wrestlers for 15 years (that’s a reach) but he wants to be the very best. Despite what he’s accomplished in AEW he’s not scratched the surface of what he can do. He wants us all to remember this day, the day when the new Adam Cole is born, and this Cole makes a promise that he will wear the AEW World Heavyweight Title.
In the back The Acclaimed talk, they hype up their appearance on Rampage and they’ll be put on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. OK then.
Back to the ring and here come Big Bill and Lee Moriarty.
Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Big Bill and Lee Moriarty w/ Stokely Hathaway vs. HOOK and Jungle Boy Jack Perry
Lee and Perry start us off, they tie up then hit the corner where Lee lands a chop. Perry happily returns it and they start trading chops in the corner. Lee with a kick but Perry responds with a chop and an arm drag then a drop kick. HOOK tags in and Lee takes a double back elbow. Trip from HOOK then he grabs a short arm scissor, Lee rolls through and gets free but runs into a shoulder block. Perry tags back in and Lee takes some tag team offense. Stokely trips up Perry, leading to Perry trying a suicide dive onto Bill but Bill catches him and goes for the apron chokeslam but HOOK saves him with a baseball slide. All that leads to Lee landing a kick on Perry in the ring then tagging in Bill. Bill misses a corner splash but winds up booting Perry to the floor where Lee lands a diving knee strike to send us to picture in picture.
A lot of slow control around the ringside area then Bill tosses Perry back into the ring. Lee tags in and lands some knee strikes then a kick. Some chin lock work from Lee. Perry fights up and gets caught in a triangle choke from Lee as we come back. Perry powers up Lee for a powerbomb and both men are down. Lee tries to stop the tag but can’t and here comes HOOK. HOOK runs wild and Bill has to break up a northern lights suplex. Now HOOK and Bill square off, HOOK tries a T-bone suplex but Bill shoves him off. Perry lands a kick to the face to set up the T-bone from HOOK and Bill is out of the ring. Bill is in shock. Lee with a roll up with the tights, only 2 and Perry locks up the Snare Trap as HOOK keeps Bill at bay leading to the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: HOOK and Jungle Boy Jack Perry won
Rating: 2.5 stars
Competent work but nothing really memorable.
In the back Renee interviews Orange Cassidy and Danhausen. They’ve got a guest with a Golden Globe in a box. He asks about the Best Friends, Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta walk up and claim they’re all still friends. OK, that was a use of air time I guess.
Excalibur runs down the rest of the card before we go to break.
Back from break and here comes Konosuke Takeshita. After him here comes Maxwell Jacob Friedman with a mic. MJF insults the crowd as he gets in the ring then greets Takeshita. He’s not going to lie, the people like Takeshita and MJF is proud of him despite not seeing a single second of his stuff. MJF only watches the parts of the show that matter, the stuff with him in it. He mispronounces Takeshita’s names and says he needs him to win tonight. Takeshita speaks Japanese to him, confused MJF is kind of funny, and he thought Bryan Danielson was a bad speaker. He says they speak American here. Takeshita switches to English to translate, he told MJF to kiss his ass. They shove and the ref separates them. MJF again insults the crowd, calling them nerds. He claims he’s not afraid of Bryan or lasting an hour, unlike the crowd who should ask the women in their lives how long MJF can last. He claims to be the real ironman of professional wrestling, he’s about putting shoulders on mats and banging rats. Next he insults the fans for liking Bryan Danielson, but it makes sense as they’re just as irrelevant as Bryan. MJF points out Ken Jeong in the crowd, who you might remember from The Hangover, 20 years ago. Well they could watch Dr. Ken on ABC right, well not because it was canceled. Freddie Prince Jr. is here, and MJF can’t believe there’s a “Freddie” chant. We might remember Freddie from She’s All That, but MJF doesn’t because he was born in 1996 and the only thing he knows Freddie from is playing a supporting role to a CGI’d dog, and Freddie is nothing but a Scooby doobie douchebag. Bottom line is all our heroes suck and Bryan will let us down tonight. Because MJF is better than us and we- he’s cut off by Bryan Danielson. Bryan sprints to the ring and MJF sprints to the back. That rambled a bit too much, and I like MJF in general but pointing celebrity guests is kind of a waste of everyone’s time.
Match #3: Bryan Danielson vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Takeshita charges Bryan, Bryan avoids him but eats a shoulder block. They hit the ropes, then Bryan counters a Blue Thunder Bomb with a headlock takeover then Takeshita escapes and we get a standoff. Another tie up, Bryan goes for an arm wringer, Takeshita escapes to grab one of his own which Bryan counters into a Romero Special attempt. Bryan gets the arms, and a few “whoa’s” later he’s got Takeshita up in the Special then switches to a Dragon Sleeper. Takeshita rolls through and counters into his own Dragon Sleeper then switches towards a Stretch Plum but Bryan fights up into some elbows from Takeshita. Bryan lights him up with chops in response, which Takeshita smiles at and they start trading strikes. Bryan with kicks now, then calls on Takeshita. Takeshita responds with a flurry of elbows then hits the ropes to land a flying clothesline. Bryan avoids a brainbuster and grabs a short arm scissor. Takeshita rolls into Bryan’s guard and lands elbows but Bryan sweeps him into a LaBell Lock attempt but Takeshita gets the ropes right away. Bryan with chops and kicks in the corner then a running drop kick, and another one, but Takeshita counters a third one into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Takeshita with a chop to a kneeling Bryan, Bryan approves and calls for another which Takeshita gives. Another chop from Takeshita drops Bryan. Bryan flips out of the corner then hits a running elbow, and lays in a chop. They start trading chops as we go picture in picture.
They keep trading chops and kicks, the Bryan back drops Takeshita to the floor over the ropes and hits a suicide dive to follow up. Back in the ring Bryan heads up top, but Takeshita punches him and then climbs up top with him. Takeshita wants the top rope superplex, but Bryan slips free and attacks him, putting him in the tree of woe. Bryan with kicks to the chest then he puts Takeshita up on the ropes again and goes for the super back suplex, but Takeshita fights him off and we come back to Takeshita landing a lariat while both men are on top, which leads to a 2 count. We see MJF watching TV in the back at an odd angle. Bryan with a hurricanrana over the top rope, then they screw up a diving move and Bryan’s left leg is messed up. Takeshita catches a kick and hits a wicked brainbuster on the floor. Back in the ring Takeshita tries a springboard Swanton Bomb but Bryan gets the knees up then grabs the LaBell Lock. Bryan cranks on the hold, Takeshita scoots towards the ropes and breaks the grip but Bryan switches towards a Rings of Saturn as Takeshita gets to the ropes with his feet. Kicks from Bryan but Takeshita blocks the Buzzsaw kick and lights Bryan up with an elbow. Bryan responds with an elbow and they start trading stiff shots. Takeshita lands an elbow to counter a rolling elbow, then hits a discus lariat to floor Bryan. Bryan avoids Zahi and hits the Hammer and Anvil elbows, but Takeshita catches on and counters into a fireman’s carry, Bryan tries a Victory Roll but Takeshita counters with a package Tombstone then a Wheelbarrow suplex but all for a near fall! Bryan flips out of a German suplex then avoids a Zahi and hits the Busaiku Knee, only a near fall! Bryan fires up and goes for the stomps to the head, then the Regal Stretch and Takeshita goes out.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bryan Danielson won
Rating: 4 stars
Would have been higher without that botched spot on the floor, this was a little more deliberately paced than the opener but I think it helped the match overall.
Post match Bryan raises the hand of Takeshita, because Takeshita is awesome.
In the back Renee talks with Juice Robinson. Juice is here to kick ass, take names, and win titles along the way. He calls out Darby Allin, for a title match on Rampage.
Back to the ring and here comes Toni Storm and Saraya. They’re followed by Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter.
Match #4 – Tag Team Match: Saraya and Toni Storm vs. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter w/ Rebel
Toni and Hayter start us off. They tie up, fight for position then break and Toni unloads with elbows. Hayter with a knee then chops but Toni hits a shotgun dropkick and a hip attack to send Hayter out of the ring. Saraya tags in and hits a cannonball off of the apron. Back in the ring Saraya lands knee strikes then bounces Hayter around the ropes and trips her up. Toni tags back in and they try a double suplex but Hayter blocks and hits them both with a suplex. Toni pops up and slams Hayter down, then Baker with a blind tag and trips Toni up on the apron and hits a twisting neckbreaker on the floor. Hayter and Saraya brawl a bit, Saraya sends Hayter into the ring steps. Baker tosses Toni into the barricade, then Hayter hits the same on Saraya. Hikaru Shida shows up with her kendo stick. More ringside brawling as we go picture in picture.
Back in the wing Baker works some rest holds on Toni. Hayter tags in and they work on isolating Toni. Some chops from Hayter as my feed loses picture in picture in favor of just commercials. We come back to Toni kicking off Hayter and both women tagging out. Saraya runs wild on Baker for a bit, then hits the Night Cap for a 2 count. Baker lands a kick, then tries an Air Raid Crash but Saraya rolls through and lands a knee strike to the head for 2. Toni tags in and takes out Hayter then a hip attack for Baker and a tornado DDT for a near fall. Texas Cloverleaf from Toni, but Hayter comes in to break it up. Baker and Hayter set Toni on the top rope, but Toni fights them off for a bit. Eventually Hayter cheap shots Saraya as Baker tries a second rope Air Raid Crash, it connects but only a near fall. Hayter tags back in and Toni takes some tandem offense but Saraya breaks up the pin. Baker ejects Saraya as Hatyer tries a lariat but Toni hits a German suplex then a Storm Zero but Baker saves the match. Saraya attacks Baker, they flub around a bit and Baker lands a move, then Toni kicks Baker out of the ring. Hayter and Toni start trading elbows until they both fall over. Rebel jumps up to talk with the ref, Shida slides in the kendo stick and Baker uses it to hit Toni then Hatyer follows up with the Hayterade and that gets the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter won
Rating: 3 stars
Decent match, probably didn’t need as much time as it got when it’s all said and done though.
Excalibur runs down the upcoming cards in his usual auctioneer style.
In the back Eddie Kingston and Ortiz talk about their match, they’re bickering a bit as Eddie is getting tired of House of Black and Ortiz. Eddie warns Ortiz about doubting who he is.
Here come the Jericho Appreciation Society. You’re cutting into match time guys, this better actually accomplish something. They all remove tear away pants to reveal. . . regular pants under them. Parker talks and calls them the saints of LA. Menard gets the mic and asks if we want to know what makes his nipples hard. No, no I don’t. Well he loves what they did to Ricky Starks last week. Jericho gets the mic and says this is a big week for the JAS, a couple of nights ago they invaded PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles for the surprise appearance heard around the world. On Rampage Anna Jay and Tay Melo will beat Willow Nightingale and Ruby Soho in a Street Fight. They ended the Ricky Starks experiment and sent Action Andretti back to the minor leagues. This is interrupted by Ricky Starks and Andretti, both of them have mics but stay on entrance stage. Ricky calls the ring a bunch of idiots who couldn’t get the job done as he’s still standing. Jericho asks what’s up with Oliver Twist there? Andretti tells Jericho to shut the hell up, before he takes that bat from Jericho and sodomizes him with it. Daniel Garcia objects, but Andretti didn’t know Garcia’s babysitter said he could speak. Andretti says Sami can’t keep control of his wife so he can’t lead by example, and he can’t keep control over where his wife’s hands go, as last week those hands were right between Andretti’s legs. Garcia tells him to shut up again, and says he’s on top of the world as a sports entertainer. Ricky tells them to muzzle the little boy, because this isn’t about count suckula or JAShole’s one and two, this isn’t about Jericho either and he wants Jericho to move aside for him. He tells Jericho to step aside again so he can address Gilligan with the stupid hat, Jake Hager. Ricky calls him a dumb purple helmet idiot, and says he went from top athlete to village idiot still with that stupid lisp. He wants Hager next week. Hager has a mic, and reminds us that he likes his hat. One of his hats though is undefeated MMA fighter, he knows Ricky has balls because he can see them in those white pants, and next week he’ll slap Ricky’s face off of his face. Ricky says that’s good and well idiot, but he’ll do you one better and fix that speech impediment next week. I question why that got quite so much time, and Andretti isn’t exactly fire on the mic here.
After this break we’ll get our main event.
Match #5 – AEW Trios Titles Ladder Match: (c) Death Triangle (Pac, Penta el Zero Miedo, and Rey Fenix) w/ Alex Abrahantes vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, Nick and Matt Jackson) w/ Don Callis and Brandon Cutler
Callis has joined commentary, God help us. Everyone stares off then we get a brawl. Fenix and Nick trade on the apron as Pac attacks Omega. Omega and Pac trade strikes then Penta hits Omega with a backstabber, then Matt hits one on Pac. Penta with a Fear Factor attempt, Matt slips free and eats a super kick but Omega hits him with a clothesline before Fenix hits him with a drop kick. Nick with an X-Factor but he eats an assisted DDT and Fenix follows up with a Frog splash. Omega eats a ladder shot from Pac and Penta then Fenix dives onto him. Nick with a dive onto everyone then he and Nick get a ladder in the ring. Matt climbs the ladder but he’s cut off and Penta eats a Canadian Destroyer. Again Matt climbs but Fenix with a springboard arm drag then he climbs. Omega stops him and hits a half nelson suplex. Omega climbs, Penta stops him but eats a snap Dragon suplex for his trouble. The rule is that you only need to pull one of the belts down. Omega tries to fly but Pac intercepts him with a shotgun drop kick, but Omega hits a snap Dragon suplex on Pac. Omega sets for another dive, but Pac moves and Omega sends himself through a table. Matt hits a cross body to send himself and Pac through a table as we go picture in picture.
Fenix and Penta take turns chopping Nick, but Nick fights back before running into a double super kick. Matt is sent into a ladder in a corner, then Omega eats a double super kick. A ladder assisted drop kick to the groin of Omega follows. Penta plays with the crowd then chops the heck out of Matt for a bit. Matt and Penta fight over a ladder as we come back to action. Knee strike from Matt then he sends Fenix out of the ring. Nick with a dive onto Fenix but Penta kicks Matt in the gut. Matt avoids a suplex and back drops Penta onto a ladder. Penta gets set on the ladder then Nick tries to get involved but Fenix hits a top rope hurricanrana to send Nick into the ladder. Awkward landing from Nick there. Pac stomps on a ladder with Omega’s hands holding it and Omega sells the hand issue as Pac sets up the ladder in the ring. Pac climbs, but Omega intercepts him and tries a One Winged Angel but the hand is hurt and Pac counters with a poisoned rana. Double stomp Fear Factor to Matt then Fenix dives onto Nick. Penta starts climbing, but Matt pulls him down. Pac attacks Matt and Penta sets the big ladder in the corner. Super kicks from Nick and Mat to Pac and Penta, Fenix flies in but Matt hits him with a series of northern lights suplexes the last one going into the ladder. Nick climbs the ropes, Penta is on a table and Nick hits a 450 Splash to the outside through a table. Matt climbs the ladder but Fenix stops him, Matt kicks him off and Abrahantes has to shove the ladder over. Brandon Cutler sprays Abrahantes and Omega then wipes him out with a V Trigger. Omega sets up the ladder and looks to climb but Pac is here with a hammer and hammers the fingers of Omega. Matt tries to stop Pac climbing, but Penta climbs up behind Matt on a ladder bridge, he wants a Fear Factor on the ladder, and hits it. Fenix starts climbing, but here’s Omega again and they fight on the ladder. Fenix politely positions himself so Omega can hit the One Winged Angel from the ladder to the floor. Pac is here though with a Black Arrow, but Omega gets the knees up to stop him. Now Omega climbs, there’s no one to stop him and The Elite regain the titles.
OFFICIAL RESULT: The Elite won the AEW Trios Titles
Rating: 3.5 stars
My gripe with matches like this is that they feel too cooperative, I don’t necessarily mean choreographed because that’s inevitable but there’s just too much that feels like everyone’s working together as opposed to them engaged in some kind of contest against each other. And this didn’t feel like a contest between the parties, which I feel hurts it. That said this was a high speed car crash in the ways you want, and if you do like that kind of match style then you’ll rate this higher than I did.
The Elite pose with the belts as we end the episode.
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