Episode 33 of AEW Dynamite came to us from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, and it was the much hyped “go-home” edition before this Saturday’s Double Or Nothing pay-per-view. The noise in the stands was as plentiful as ever in the pandemic era, and the weather made for a scenic backdrop. Let’s see how the show did.
We opened with a good hype package for this Saturday, and then we got the Inner Circle arriving in a limo. The group made fun of Alex Marvez, and said they had a surprise for The Elite tonight.
Brodie Lee led the Dark Order out to the stage, and he had Ten (I think it’s been shown as ‘10’, but I’m using the word to avoid confusion here) get on one knee. Brodie says the Dark Order is stronger now, and their execution proves why he has the title. He’s delivered some very solid promos in his short AEW run. Nothing “blow away” good yet, but this was solid. He says that Ten gets a higher rank in the group now.
Ten vs. Jon Moxley
Moxley always walks with intent, and has a tough-guy swagger than nobody else in AEW possesses. This match is short and to the point, with no wasted motion. Ten looks good in there with upper level competition, and Moxley’s offense hits well in this match. Moxley hits a Paradigm Shift, but then opts for a cradle piledriver and a Death Rider to punish Ten. Moxley wins, and then threatens to break Ten’s arm if Brodie doesn’t come out. Brodie comes up on the big screen, saying they’ll basically sacrifice Ten for the night, because he’s leaving. Great cult heel move here. Moxley backs up his words and smashed Ten’s arm with the chair. I like how everyone kept their characters protected here.
MJF vs. Marko Stunt
This was another match that was well-paced and very well booked. It didn’t linger, and it got over MJF and his match for Saturday. MJF with classic heel heat here, picking on the smaller opponent and setting up Stunt for selected offense. Very smart match, and MJF wins with the Salt Of The Earth armbar. MJF starts trash-talking Marko in a promo, and Jungle Boy runs out for the save at the end. Great stuff, and the best possible use of Stunt.
Jake Roberts and Arn Anderson were out for a debate promo in the ring, with Tony Schiavone hosting. Jake did a wonderful job of focusing his words on his client, Lance Archer. This was a unique way to put importance on Cody/Archer for Saturday, while also feeling more real and intense than a lot of today’s workers. Arn Anderson also called attention to Mike Tyson, who will present the TNT Title to the winner on Saturday. Referees pull the two apart, and this segment was very well done.
We got a quick black-and-white promo with Darby Allin playing cards with guys who were wearing the faces of his opponents on Saturday. I wish he’d speak a bit in these, but at least they’re something unique to his character.
We got a quick video promo from Pac, yelling at Orange Cassidy. I really hope he’s back live soon, AEW misses him.
Orange Cassidy vs. Fenix
This was probably my only real down-point to the show. While it still focused on two of Saturday’s ladder match participants, it lacked logic in a lot of spots. I give Cassidy credit for coming up with different pocket spots, but some of his things take too long to set up. And the way he goes back and forth from lazy to full-speed makes no sense. Fenix gets the win. Kip Sabian comes out and sits on a ladder, and that brings out seven of the nine participants for Saturday (minus Darby and the mystery opponent). Fenix does a double springboard corkscrew splash, and misses BADLY, coming up short and landing with a thud on his shoulders. Colt Cabana did a moonsault and clipped his legs on the guardrail. Really dangerous stuff here. The match on Saturday should be a fun spot-fest.
Nyla Rose/Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida/Kris Statlander
This tag match combines the two ladies’ singles matches on Saturday, so it was a natural fit here. The match itself was pretty sloppy and even a bit lackluster. Baker did a nice bit where she stayed outside and only tagged in after Nyla choked her, but that was during picture-in-picture. The brawling looked slow here and it didn’t gel, but I’m betting the solo matches will be sharper at the PPV. Britt Baker took an awkward landing on a Statlander cradle pancake slam, and clearly got injured. She crawled to the corner and had the doctor check on her before she was carried out. I really hope it’s not too serious, and I’m wondering about the state of their PPV match. Nyla pins Shida with the Beast Bomb, but Shida puts Nyla through a table to end the segment.
Moxley gets a second quick promo backstage with Alex Marvez, where he says that everything ends in violence eventually, and Saturday will be no different. His delivery is real and you can truly hear his conviction.
We get a “Shawn Spears News” segment, similar to Randy Orton’s old RNN News in the early 2000’s. Good presentation here, and I hope they give Spears more heel gossip stuff like this, as he delivers it convincingly. He says that Dustin Rhodes is retired and it’s Cody’s fault. He challenges Dustin to a match at Double Or Nothing, and he gets his wish. Spears is finally starting to be used to his potential.
We get a nice little Hardy/Guevara promo that sums up the last few weeks. AEW really shines in their packages and vignettes. If Kevin Sullivan (formerly of TNA/Impact) is behind them, he’s doing a wonderful job.
Sammy Guevara vs. Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy’s first AEW singles match is a killer main event. This is one of the best parts of a pretty fun show, as Hardy’s unhinged facials make for a good visual and Guevara bumps like a boss. They did a lot of great false finishes here, where I honestly thought the match would end. Having shorter matches all night and giving time to a longer main event is the correct formula. This felt important for a match with no stakes, and the two had nice chemistry together. Guevara is a budding star. Hardy gets the win after a third Twist of Fate, which Sammy sold well. Hardy attacked Guevara afterwards, and the Inner Circle popped up on the screen with Kenny Omega. Jericho’s group attacked Omega, and The Elite made the save. The Young Bucks and Adam Page even returned to TV for the first time in weeks. After a solid brawl on the football field, the groups ended in a standoff, with Page walking away from his team. The Elite got the end zone and mega-tron displaying their name. Great visual.
Overall, this show was very purposeful and focused. Every single segment went toward hyping a match or adding to the reel for Double or Nothing. There were no wasted moments here, and the matches didn’t run super long like they normally do. The promos did their job and the main event was a lot of fun. This did a lot to add intrigue for this Saturday’s show. I don’t think I’ll be covering DON here (due to lack of an affordable outlet with my normal party not gathering), but somebody here at Pro Wrestling Journal will have the event covered for all of you! See you next Wednesday!
