Nov 10, 2022
AEW Dynamite Review — 11.9.2022 —Danielson vs Guevara, Two Out Of Three Falls
Danielson vs Guevara 2/3 Falls, Jamie Hayter vs Skye Blue, MJF & Moxley Speak
Following one of the most interesting episodes of AEW Dynamite last week, which saw Colt Cabana return to AEW TV in a Ring of Honor World Title Match against Chris Jericho, Jeff Jarrett debut to attack Darby Allin, vignettes for the returning House of Black and The Elite, and New Japan’s Katsuyori Shibata challenge Orange Cassidy, AEW would return this Wednesday for another weekly edition of Dynamite. Featuring Bryan Danielson vs Sammy Guevara in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, Jamie Hayter vs Skye Blue, and Swerve In Our Glory + The Gunn Club vs FTR & The Acclaimed, this show would serve as a reminder that we are one week away from AEW Full Gear! Would this week’s episode be able to live up to some of the best episodes of AEW Dynamite? Let’s talk about it!
So sit back, and enjoy this review of AEW Dynamite from November 9th, 2022! SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE OF AEW DYNAMITE AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Swerve In Our Glory & The Gunn Club vs The Acclaimed & FTR
Pairing two of the key tag-team rivalries in AEW together for the opening match of this week’s episode, both the ROH & AEW World Tag Team Champions would team up to take on their respective challengers, with FTR & The Acclaimed putting their differences aside to face off against the dissension-ridden Swerve In Our Glory and Gunn Club. If it wasn’t obvious before this match, FTR & The Acclaimed are two of the most over acts in all of wrestling. Max Caster would be in peak form tonight as well, dropping lines referencing Kyrie Irving, Tom Brady, and all-around scum of the earth, Herschel Walker! Prior to the bell, Daddy Ass would jump Swerve Strickland in an attempt to get some revenge for his kidnapping a few weeks back, though he would be be escorted out of the ringside area before things got under way.
During picture-in-picture, W. Morrissey of The Firm, or Big Boot Jones according to Taz, would nail Dax Harwood with a boot to the face to give the advantage to the Gunn’s side. Dax would eventually fight out of the numbers advantage, making the hot tag to Anthony Bowens who would run wild on Swerve & Austin Gunn before taking Colten out with an over-the-head leg drop for a two count! Following a close call after the Gunns nailed Bowens with their own Big Rig, both sides of the ring would face off before engaging in a big brawl, with it coming down to The Acclaimed & Swerve In Our Glory. Lee would powerbomb Bowens onto the back of Caster before nailing a big double-team maneuver, as Strickland would then top that with a huge corkscrew dive similar to AJ Styles’ Spiral Tap to the floor! With everyone down on the outside, Dax and Colten Gunn would find themselves both climbing for a top rope move, though Harwood would bring Gunn down onto the pack with a huge superplex to the outside.
In the closing moments, Austin Gunn would pay tribute to The Road Dogg before getting locked in the Sharpshooter. The Acclaimed & FTR would nail all of their finishers on Austin to finish things, with FTR & The Acclaimed taking the victory.
My Thoughts:
This was a very fun opener! It was not the most exciting match-up in the opening spot of Dynamite, but the crowd really elevated this thanks to all four of the teams being over in their own ways. Everyone hates The Gunns and they play their roles to great effect, Swerve is becoming a top heel before our eyes, Keith Lee is still very well-liked, and FTR & The Acclaimed are super-duper friggin’ over with AEW fans. The finish was decisive, protected Swerve & Keith, and also teased a future match between FTR & The Acclaimed for down the line. Very effective stuff! As of writing this out, Swerve in Our Glory vs The Acclaimed is set for Full Gear next weekend, though FTR vs The Gunn Club has not been signed.
A vignette would air featuring MJF speaking on Pardon My Take about The Firm’s attack on him. Max says that his doctors told him that if he wants to wrestle at 100% at Full Gear, he should not be traveling on the road weekly. He says that his crowning moment could come at Full Gear, and that it may be the biggest moment in wrestling history, as he follows in the footsteps of Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Bruno Sammartino, and John Cena. He doesn’t like Jon Moxley, but he respects him. He respects him because he had to work his ass off to become the man he is today, wrestling in small independents and making little to money all while becoming the best wrestler on the planet. On November 19, Moxley loses that title, because MJF was born for greatness. He can wave the flag of AEW and pro-wrestling as he brings the sport back to what it should be, the talking point of the world. Every since he joined AEW, all of his spotlights were taken away from him. His first PPV match was stolen by a neck tattoo, his first title match was stolen by Matt Hardy’s bad fall at All Out 2020, Chris Jericho stole a calendar year from him, and his return to AEW was stolen by a press conference. At Full Gear, the Devil gets his due.
Absolutely phenomenal promo from MJF, and a great way to continue to sell this match. For those unaware, MJF is currently off television filming for the A24 Von Erich Family biopic, The Iron Claw, starring Zac Efron.
A vignette from Stokely Hathaway would air, airing his dirt with MJF and saying that without MJF he can continue on this path and he does not need him. Regardless of who wins at Full Gear, he’ll see Max in hell.
Eddie Kingston vs Ethan Page — AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament
Despite not being on TV for some time, Eddie Kingston remains very, very over with AEW fans and would make his return to AEW Dynamite for the first match of the ongoing AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament! Facing off against The Firm’s Ethan Page, this would be yet another chapter in a long-term feud between Kingston & Page across the North American independent scene. Being the only first-round match of the tournament to feature on Dynamite, these two would get a big-time spotlight with this being the return to TV for Eddie and Ethan’s first match since turning on MJF. Heading into picture-in-picture break, Ethan would take control thanks to a big suplex on the floor.
Returning from break, Page and Kingston would light each other up with strikes for the “yay, boo” reaction from the crowd. Kingston would get the Stretch Plum locked in, though thanks to a distraction from Hathaway, the referee would miss the tap out! Eddie’s backfist would miss, as Page would level him with a huge karate kick! Both men would end up on the top rope, with Ethan crotching the bigger man before getting him up for an Avalanche Ego’s Edge! An absolutely insane ending visual, and Ethan Page picks up one of the biggest wins of his All Elite Wrestling career! Page moves on to face the winner of RUSH vs Bandido.
My Thoughts:
As a fan of both Ethan Page and Eddie Kingston, no matter who won this, I was going to be happy. While I would have loved to see Eddie win this and get a huge title match against MJF later this year, or I guess Moxley, Ethan Page is in the process of being elevated thanks to The Firm, so it made more sense than anything to put over the younger guy. The Avalanche Ego’s Edge was insane and the crowd reacted to it as such. This tournament belongs to either Ethan Page or Ricky Starks, as these two feel like two talents being elevated into main event status right now. Very exciting stuff!
Backstage, RUSH would be meeting with Dark Order backstage. Jose speaks, saying that RUSH is going to win the tournament and is going to win the AEW Championship at Winter is Coming. When that happens, he will give the first title shot to 10. RUSH still wants to recruit 10 away from Dark Order and says that this is his final offer.
Ari Daivari arrives in the ring and says that he is willing to pay Wardlow for the TNT Championship by giving him his butler as his personal servant. A random TNT Championship Match is set.
Wardlow vs Ari Daivari — TNT Championship Match
Wardlow would take out the butler out of the gates before nailing Daivari with a headbutt, the wind-up lariat, and the Powerbomb Symphony! Wardlow shockingly retains the TNT Championship. Following the match, the champion would call out Powerhouse Hobbs, who would come out onto the stage to come face to face. Wardlow says that Hobbs isn’t getting the TNT Title, as it belongs to him. He is never going to lose the belt and in fact,he’s going to win every belt in the company. Before he can continue, Samoa Joe chokes Wardlow out until he passes out as Hobbs watches on, refusing to get in the ring as Joe and Hobbs stare each other down.
My Thoughts:
Don’t have much to say about Daivari being murdered by Wardlow. What did anyone expect? What I am excited for however is Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Samoa Joe. Joe continually proves to be an over act with the crowd, despite not wrestling all that often this year, and now cast in a killer heel role, this could be great. This seems to be setting up a hoss three-way, possibly for both the ROH and TNT Championships (or just the TNT belt, that remains to be seen), and if that’s the case, we are in for a treat! It doesn’t seem like its Hobbs’ time, though a Triple Threat could allow him to steal the win while Joe and Wardlow begin a blood feud of some kind.
Renee Paquette is backstage with The Baddies, as it is established that Jade Cargill vs Nyla Rose for the AEW TBS Championship is set for Full Gear and this week on Rampage, Jade is coming to get her belt back during Nyla’s “open challenge”.
Britt Baker & Saraya’s Face To Face
With Britt Baker refusing to sit down with Saraya & Renee Paquette last week, the segment would be set for this week with the two facing off in the ring. Saraya would reveal that two weeks ago she got her final tests done and that unfortunately for Britt Baker, Saraya is officially cleared and AEW is her house. The crowd would give her a great reaction and she would get a great reaction. Baker then questions if there is anyone more fickle than an AEW fan? She questions if Saraya even knows how to wrestle anymore and wonders why she has been targeting her since coming in. Britt built this division from the ground up, into the home that superstars like Saraya wanted to move into, and she is damn proud of it. Pride turns into resentment quickly when Saraya skipped in here calling it “her house” despite not laying a single brick here. Britt says that the reason Saraya is obsessed with her, is because Baker is everything she wishes she could be. She left her house (WWE) and walked into Britt’s (AEW), and they don’t take walk-ins, so… b*tch, take an appointment!
Saraya would state that Britt got her position handed to her by Tony Khan, was fed trainees, and has only been on TV for three years. Britt has no idea what it takes to be a superstar, let alone a star. She got hit by a car and wrestled the same day because she loves this business, and that she was selling revolutions before there was a twinkle in Britt’s eye. She’s done Madison Square Garden, The O2, & The Tokyo Dome, she’s been humiliated in front of millions, she publically battled her drug addiction, and Britt has done nothing. This is going to be Saraya’s comeback story, but it’s also going to be the biggest match of Britt’s career, as she lays down the match for Full Gear. Saraya vs Britt Baker! Britt would look to blindside Saraya, though the British star would lay her out with the Ram-Paige!
My Thoughts:
I… loved this? I thought this was a return to form for Britt Baker, who hasn’t had a segment this good since last year’s feud with Ruby Soho. Saraya also got extremely emotional during this, adding to the authenticity of it. Hearing her talk about her injuries, her past, her drug addiction, and her leaks with so much confidence and power over her troubles was genuinely great to hear and knowing she’s now cleared and will get to continue her wrestling career on her own terms only added to the greatness of this. I have no idea how this match will end up, as Britt is often a mixed bag and Saraya hasn’t wrestled in several years, but it will be a big-time test for both women next weekend at Full Gear.
Jay Lethal’s group would be seen backstage paying QT Marshall & The Factory for Cole Karter’s services last week. The Best Friends would arrive and two matches would be made, with Orange Cassidy vs Lee Johnson for AEW Rampage and Trent vs Jay Lethal.
Jay Lethal vs Trent Beretta
During his entrance, Trent would be taken out with a chop block from Lethal on the entrance ramp, with Jay dominating him in the early goings, targetting the leg with dragon screws and kneebreakers. Danhausen & Chuck Taylor would make their way to ringside to send the match into the commercial break to make the numbers even against Satnam & Sonjay. Back from the break, Beretta would have control of Lethal in the corner, though commentary noted that during the commercial, Jay managed to get the figure four locked in to do more damage to the leg. Going to the top, Trent would send Lethal flying with a huge half-and-half suplex before looking for the Strong Zero. Sonjay would distract Trent as Danhausen would take out Sonjay only to get headbutted by Satnam Singh. The Lethal Injection would seal the deal, as Jay Lethal would pick up the win.
After the match, Sonjay Dutt introduces Jeff Jarrett… MY WORLD HITS BABY! Jeff comes out and tells the crowd to shut the hell up, saying that The Last Outlaw is in AEW to help Jay Lethal and his friends. How are the four of them connected? Jarrett signed Lethal to his first contract, Sonjay and him have taken over promotions, and Satnam is a one in a million level talent. He warns Sting and Darby for tonight, next week, or Full Gear before getting into it with a crew member and threatening to level him with the guitar.
My Thoughts:
Don’t have much to say about the match, but the post-match stuff did give a genuine explanation as to why Jeff Jarrett came to help and side with Lethal, Sonjay & Satnam. It’s still definitely going to be polarizing to some, but as a Jeff Jarrett fan, I love it and can’t wait to see what happens with him & Sting in the future. OLD-SCHOOL TNA LIVES ON!
Renee Paquette interviews Jack Perry, as he says that last week what happened between him & Luchasaurus is only the beginning. Friday, he has a challenge for Christian & the big man.
Jon Moxley Speaks!
Moxley details more of his history with William Regal, saying that when they first met, Mox wanted to step up to Regal, picking a fight with him, though it did not go well for him, as Regal tortured him. Moxley said that in his second attempt to take down Regal, he ripped his ear off to impress him and Regal told him that the real work began afterwards. Moxley & Regal agree that the behavior Moxley showed in his youth reminds them both of MJF.
Moxley says that MJF calls himself a pillar, but he has no idea what it means to be one. He calls himself the devil, and both Moxley and Regal laugh it off. Moxley says that he has met the devil, he’s done bad things, he’s seen bad things, and Max is not that guy at all. Regal & Moxley want him to be the guy he claims to be, they want him to be the one that puts the company on his back, but next weekend, when Max comes out on his home turf, he needs to remember that everything in Max’s career before this was easy.
My Thoughts:
Thanks to MJF filming for The Iron Claw, this week’s episode featured a pre-taped promo from MJF, which was sensational, and an in-ring segment from Moxley, which was pretty solid too. It’s a shame that they didn’t get to go face-to-face for this, but there’s always Dynamite & Rampage next week to bring things to a head. Regardless, the main event of Full Gear feels like a big-time match and should MJF win the belt, it will be a huge moment in AEW’s history for years to come.
Another mysterious vignette for The Elite airs, with it featuring the Full Gear graphics. It seems their return will be happening next weekend in Newark… which I will be in attendance for!
Jamie Hayter vs Skye Blue
With Jamie Hayter coming out to yet another great reaction, she would also be escorted by Britt Baker & Rebel. Skye, not wanting to be fully outnumbered, would have the AEW Interim Women’s Champion, Toni Storm serve as her valet for the match. Despite getting sent head first into a ring post, Jamie would dominate bubbly Skye Blue, out-powering her and showcasing her strength ahead of her title match against Toni at the PPV. Back from commercial break, Skye would fight off both Rebel and Britt before climbing up and nailing a great-looking diving crossbody onto Jamie for a two count. Roll-up superkick gets looked for from Skye, but Jamie blocks only to eat an Enzuigiri. Skye busts out a Code Red from nowhere for a two count, that also got a pretty solid reception from a fairly quiet crowd. The final moments would have the crowd alive for this, as Jamie would light up Skye with huge elbows, though the smaller girl would bash Hayter with her own and a superkick for good measure! With Skye in the corner, Jamie would hit a pair of chops before getting Skye onto her shoulders, only to bring her down into a brutal ripcord lariat. Jamie Hayter wins!
My Thoughts:
Okay! This was way better than expected. I fully assumed Jamie Hayter was going to be running through Skye here, but instead, we got a fairly competitive match that showcased Skye as one of the youngest upcoming stars in the company. Jamie & Toni is a huge match next weekend, but Skye looked solid enough here. Thumbs up for not having this be super-duper short and/or one-sided, and another thumbs up for Jamie Hayter, Toni Storm, Skye Blue, Rebel, and Britt Baker all being on-screen at the same time.
Dante Martin and Brian Cage share words in pre-taped promos for their upcoming AEW World Title Eliminator Match on AEW Rampage. Lance Archer would be seen backstage, taking Ricky Starks out by slamming him into the garage doors head first!
Sammy Guevara vs Bryan Danielson— Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match
Bryan Danielson would take control of the match out of the gates, and while looking for a suicide dive to Sammy on the floor, Tay Melo, Sammy’s lovely wife, would step in the way to prevent it. Forcing Danielson to head to the floor… at which point, Sammy Guevara would launch a steel chair at Bryan’s head, disqualifying him for the first fall of the match, before brutalizing his opponent with Justin Roberts’ microphone at ringside to send the match into commercial break. Before the break, Sammy would be embraced by Boston with very, very loud “F*ck You Sammy” chants. Wonderful heel stuff here.
Back from commercial break, Sammy Guevara would still be in dominant control over Danielson, nailing him with the knee and busting Bryan open, pinning him to tie the match up 1–1. Guevara would manage to get his own version of The Lebel Lock locked in on Bryan, rolling through an escape attempt from Danielson, right back into it. Sammy would brutalize Bryan around ringside, eventually getting him back in the ring, though Bryan would score a massive nearfall that would see Tay Melo pull Bryce out of the ring to break the fall. After parading around the ring, she would be thrown out, as Sammy & Bryan would do the fighting spirit spot, trading blows from their knees and back to their feet.
Danielson would nail Sammy with a suplex into the corner, with Guevara impressively landing perfectly in the Tree of Woe position, allowing The American Dragon to light him up with kicks before sprinting across the ring with a dropkick in the corner. With both men up top, Sammy would pull off a huge leaping knee strike to send Bryan to the floor before FLYING WITH A SHOOTING STAR PRESS TO THE FLOOR! Double-Jump Cutter from Sammy Guevara, but Danielson caught him in an armbar before transitioning into the Lebel Lock, though Sammy would get the rope break! Finally, the crowd would come to life, with Bryan landing the buzzsaw kicks and Sammy nailing another flying knee before looking for the GTH. DANIELSON WOULD ESCAPE BEFORE PLANTING SAMMY WITH A POISONRANA! With the crowd behind him, Danielson would fly out of the corner with the Busaiku Knee as Sammy caught him in the Walls of Jericho, but again, the rope break would come out as Danielson made it to the bottom rope. “This is Awesome” Chants would fill the arena as Sammy failed to get the GTH again, with Danielson nailing the Busaiku Knee! SAMMY WITH A SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT DDT, FOLLOWED UP WITH A SENTON, BUT DANIELSON GOT THE KNEES UP! Crucifix hold locked in from Bryan as he unloads elbows into Sammy’s neck, locking in the Lebel Lock in the center of the ring, adjusting to a crossface… Sammy Guevara taps out!
My Thoughts:
This Boston crowd will go down in the history books as one of the worst AEW Dynamite crowds of all-time. With that being said, they finally really came to life for the main event. Whether it be their hatred for Sammy, their love of Bryan, Tay Melo’s presence, or the greatness that was on display by both men, they came to life. Bryan and Guevara delivered a great spectacle here, with ferocity from Sammy that hasn’t been seen in a long-time and yet another wonderful in-ring performance from Bryan Danielson. Sammy delivered a classic human-highlight-reel-style performance here, with that Shooting Star Press and the Springboard-Moonsault-DDT being things of beauty. Danielson also got a decisive win heading into the PPV next weekend, which was needed. I don’t see either men winning the ROH World Championship next weekend, but hopefully, after a rough 2022 for Sammy Guevara, 2023 can be a strong return to form for him while Bryan continues to rebuild himself after the poorly-timed injury from this past summer. Fantastic main event though, high marks for all involved.
Overall Thoughts:
This was a bit above last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite for me, which scored a 7 out of 10. I thought it felt more coheisve and all-around delivered in-ring with a number of vignettes and promos that made sense. The women got two big spots here, with a lengthy promo battle between Britt Baker and Saraya that holds up as one of the best non-wrestling segments for the AEW Women’s Division to date, and also a strong-style bout between Jamie Hayter and the rising Skye Blue. Elsehwere, Bryan Danielson and Sammy Guevara went to war in the main event with a violent Two Out Of Three Falls Match that saw the American Dragon pick up a key victory on the road to Full Gear. Jeff Jarrett is back again and feels like he’s slotted into the midcard currently, which is a good thing. Him facing off against Sting brings me joy and I am over the moon I’ll be there live to see it. The tag team division still is not as strong as it was earlier this year, but the top teams all feel very hot right now, and coming out of Full Gear, it will be interesting to see the direction for a number of teams as WardJoe just broke up and Swerve in Our Glory seem to be teasing a break-up as well, meaning two more tag-teams will be gone. Full Gear’s card is shaping up nicely as well, with eight matches announced as of now.
Pros:
- AEW quietly announcing they will be doing United Kingdom shows in 2023
- The Saraya & Britt Baker face-to-face
- Jamie Hayter vs Skye Blue
- MJF’s Pardon My Take Promo
- Jon Moxley’s in-ring promo
- Eddie Kingston vs Ethan Page
- FTR, The Acclaimed, & Swerve In Our Glory wrestling together
- Sammy Guevara (w/ Tay Melo) vs Bryan Danielson, Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match
- Lots of vignettes! Loved the MJF, Elite, Stokely ones, and the pre-taped promo for Dante vs Cage
- LANCE ARCHER WAS ON TV!
- SAMOA JOE HEEL TURN
- SAMOA JOE VS POWERHOUSE HOBBS VS WARDLOW
Cons:
- the very not-great Boston crowd
- Jungle Boy’s backstage
- Jay Lethal vs Trent Beretta (fine match, no need for it though)
- Jade & The Baddies Being Relegated To Backstage
AEW Dynamite, November 2nd, 2022 Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
AEW Rampage — Friday, November 11th, 2022
- Orange Cassidy vs Lee Johnson — AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match
- Nyla Rose’s “TBS Championship Open Challenge”
- “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry Challenges Christian Cage & Luchasaurus
- Brian Cage vs Dante Martin — AEW World Title Eliminator Match
- Ricky Starks vs Lance Archer — AEW World Title Eliminator Match
- RUSH vs Bandido — AEW World Title Eliminator Match
AEW Dynamite — Wednesday, November 16th, 2022:
- NOTHING! A rare occurence where coming out of Dynamite, AEW has nothing announced for the go-home show next week, instead focusing on advertising the lineup for AEW Rampage this Friday.
AEW Full Gear — Friday, November 19, 2022:
- Jon Moxley vs MJF — AEW World Championship Match
- Toni Storm vs Jamie Hayter — AEW Interim Women’s World Championship Match
- AEW World Title Eliminator Finals
- The Acclaimed vs Swerve In Our Glory — AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
- Jade Cargill vs Nyla Rose — AEW TBS Women’s Championship Match
- Saraya vs Britt Baker
- Sting & Darby Allin vs Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett
- Chris Jericho vs Claudio Castagnoli vs Bryan Danielson vs Sammy Guevara — Ring of Honor World Championship Match
TICKETS ARE STILL ON SALE FOR AEW FULL GEAR AND CAN BE FOUND HERE!
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