Wrestling Recap: AEW Dynamite 10-16-19

The third episode of Dynamite is looking to be its biggest one yet, with two tag team tournament matches, a women’s title match and an AEW championship match to close out the show. Plus, with Mox and Omega finally coming to blows, it’s looking like this is going to be an explosive show… Pun slightly intended.

SCU Vs. Best Friends

Before the match even starts, The Lucha Bros ambush Daniels and Kazarian before they can hit the ring! Penta hits a Packaged Pile Driver on Daniels on the ramp, but before Fenix can do any more damage to Kaz, Scorpio Sky runs out for the save! The refs are throwing the X up, so it looks like Daniels is out of the match considering he’s being stretchered out. Maybe he’ll pop right up with a Mandible Claw? Can a match end in DQ before it starts? I think I’m sensing how Jurassic Express beats the Lucha Bros later tonight assuming my prediction is correct.

To avoid having the match called off, Sky takes Daniels’ place. Best Friends quickly take over the confusion by maintaining control of Sky while neutralizing Kaz. Trent and Chuck Taylor are showing much more aggression compared to their previous matches, with a foot bite being followed up with a standing double stomp to the outside on Sky’s back. Kazarian tries to escape their corner, but is met with a Stacked Superplex for his troubles. Sky finally gets the hot tag, hitting an impressive athletic flurry despite fighting in slacks and one shoe. Chuck stops a dive attempt, but has his own countered when Sky pulls Trent in the way. Sky hits his own dive to both opponents before throwing his only shoe into the crowd. The crowd throws it back for some reason, then erupts in what sounds like a “We got a shoe!” chant. Kaz returns to hit a double team DDT before tagging back in, but Best Friends gain control briefly. Their signature hug spot gets broken up by Sky, getting SCU their first boos of the night. Best Friends retaliate by knocking Sky off the apron, then resume their beatdown on Kaz. Trent goes for a Piledriver onto the apron, but Sky returns to pull Kaz’s legs down, allowing them to hit a backdrop on Trent. Kaz and Sky then hit a sloppy looking Powerbomb / Dropkick combo for an anticlimactic finish to an otherwise great match.

I’m surprised to see SCU win here given the pre-match angle. It’s cool that the confrontation from the first episode between them and the Lucha Bros is going somewhere, but it also made the segment kind of pointless in retrospect since Sky opted out of being in the tournament initially. With SCU winning, the experience argument that was meant to exclude Sky proved to be ultimately pointless since they won with the “weaker” combination. Still, the pieces seem to be falling into place, allowing my picks, the Jurassic Express, to win the whole tournament. I’m guessing SCU attacks the Luchas during their match, then the favor will be returned when SCU loses in the next round.

Santana and Ortiz vs. Local Talent (John Silver and Alex Reynolds)

History is being made here as AEW’s first jobber match. The screen in screen during the commercial was dedicated to showing the local talent coming down to the ring, which I doubt was effective in keeping anyone from changing the channel unless watching people walk is your idea of entertaining TV. This is a total showcase for The Inner Circle’s resident tag team, showing off their athleticism and aggression as they dominate their opponents. Ortiz pops the crowd with some odd claw poses before hitting the age old Back Rake, then the two hit their Doomsday Device / Blockbuster combo for the win.

Chris Jericho is shown backstage and cuts a promo putting over his team, issuing a challenge to The Young Bucks on behalf of Santana and Ortiz at Full Gear. Citing them as the most dangerous team The Bucks have ever faced, you can comically hear Ortiz screaming “The Best!” repeatedly in the background. The promo was good, but it was a little hokey between the background screaming being almost as loud as Jericho and being able to see the camera man in the reflection of Jericho’s glasses. Is this why WWE has their wrestlers stand crooked during interviews?

Next, we get a documentary style video package focusing on Cody’s singular focus on becoming the AEW Champion. The gist of it is that he’s checked out of his Executive duties because of his focus on validating his decision to go independent by becoming AEW champion, but he still has his attention divided more than Jericho does. Despite that, his unparalleled drive makes him a threat so strong that it can make him a legend. It’s time to shelve the executive persona and become the wrestler he was always meant to be. Promos like this are one of AEW’s biggest strengths, and this was an example of why. In less than five minutes, it told you everything you needed to know about Cody’s chase for the belt, making Full Gear seem like a really big deal.

Britt Baker vs. Riho for the AEW Women’s Championship

Huge Riho chants to start. The two exchange a variety of holds and counters before Britt tries to use her weight advantage to pin Riho. The two break and seem a little lost, then a second lock up results in a Lock Jaw attempt by Baker. Riho rolls to the outside as they begin fighting on the apron. The two fight for positioning on the top rope, ultimately resulting in Riho landing a cross body. Britt rolls it into a pin, which is broken when Riho slides out from under and lands a low Dropkick. Riho hits her Roll Up into a Double Foot Stomp, forcing Britt to regroup in the corner. This gives Riho the chance to hit her Double Running Knees. She climbs the turnbuckle and goes for a top rope Double Stomp, but Britt moves and hits a Slingblade to take control. Britt’s running boot turns into a few roll up attempts from the champion, but a third roll up is revered into a Fisherman’s Neckbreaker and a Superkick for the closest two-count you’ll ever see! My heart almost jumped out of my chest for a second! They exchange strikes, then Riho ducks a Ripcord Elbow Strike into a Northern Lights Suplex, which then transitions into a Half-Crab / Ankle Lock combo! Britt reaches the ropes, but Riho wastes no time as she runs to the corner to hit her top rope Double Stomp for a 2 count! Britt refuses to stay down as Riho lands another Double Knee Strike to the back of her head, then one last attempt results in the champion running straight into the post. Baker hits her Ripcord Elbow and Neckbreaker, then hooks Riho in her her Lock Jaw submission. Riho refuses to open her mouth, but right as Britt hooks her fingers into the champion’s mouth, Riho rolls Britt into a tight pin for the win! A disappointed Baker stares down Riho before offering a handshake in a show of sportsmanship, with the announcers emphasizing that Britt will be back down the road.

This match started off a little sloppy, but once it picked up, it never slowed down. Riho is an incredible performer and while I’ve found Britt to be hit-or-miss, tonight showed why she’s been put in such a prominent position so early into this promotion’s life. I’m surprised Bea didn’t make an appearance to continue her feud with Britt, but that might just be me being used to TV title matches ending in DQ’s or interference spots. It’s nice to see definitive winners.

Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt) vs. The Lucha Bros

Wait… Luchasaurus isn’t in the match? The announcers are reporting that he’s suffered a thigh injury, completely killing the enthusiasm for this match for many I’m sure. Nothing wrong with Marko, but Luchasaurus is the clear star of the team. It’s going to be hard to accept these two beating a team like Penta and Fenix. My anticipated SCU interference better be convincing.

Seeing Marko go face-to-face with Penta is the first time time I’ve ever seen the latter look like a giant. Penta bullies him early, but Marko responds with his Floss taunt. Marko bites Penta’s fingers when the luchador does his Cero Miedo taunt, then the Jurassic Express hits some unbelievable double team offense, including some high impact DDT’s on both Lucha Bros, an outside dive and a Packaged Slam into a Splash. Jungle Boy tags in and hits a 619 / Suplex combo, but when Marko tags back in, both younger opponents are wiped out with some disgusting Superkicks. Fenix tags in and takes out both opponents with an unbelievable armdrag / top rop enziguri combo. Marko is left in the ring alone with Penta, with the smaller Stunt being slammed with a giant Pump Handle pinning combo. Marko kicks out, leading to Penta arguing with the referee repeatedly. We head to commercial as Penta continues to chop down Marko with a flurry of leg kicks.

Both Lucha Bros take turns slaughtering Marko during the break, including Penta pressing Marko over his head with one arm before throwing him into Fenix for a mid air Superkick. There’s something odd about listening to a pleasant voice try to sell me medication while a child is being mauled in the next screen over. With the way the announcers are talking, it sounds like the Luchas are heels, flying in the face of their popularity. Marko finally manages to squeeze in some offense with a Sunset Roll-Up around the corner post, then tags in Jungle Boy. “Jungle Jack Perry” as JR calls him shows off his surprising strength by suplexing Fenix all over the place, then tags in Marko to go for their double team finish. The Lucha Bros cut them off, with Marko being spun around by the hair like this was a Cesaro match. Penta breaks Marko’s arm, then hit the Double Stomp / Package Piledriver combo for the win.

Well… My prediction died a fiery death. The match was really well done from a moves standpoint, but while Jurassic Express were impressive, there was rarely a moment where you thought they might win. Couple that with Marko immediately tagging back in after getting beaten down for almost 10 minutes straight, and you have a situation where the action doesn’t match the events of the fight. Still, I enjoyed it overall, I’m just disappointed that Luchasarus is either really hurt or given a kayfabe injury to keep him from eating the loss.

PAC and Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page

This will be an interesting match since PAC and Moxley don’t seem to like each other all that much despite being on the same team. After Kenny’s incredible match against Joey Janela on AEW Dark from last week, it’ll be great to see him finally gain some momentum.

Mox cuts a pretaped promo dismissing both PAC and Omega while reestablishing the pecking order in AEW, declaring that he’s hunting his Elite opponent heading into Full Gear.

Once The Elite hits the ring, the pairs of wrestlers split off into their respective feuds, with the legal men starting consisting of Mox versus Omega. The crowd quickly switches from a “Happy Birthday” chant for Kenny to a “Fuck em up Moxley” chant within about a minute, rivaling The Big Show for the fastest turn in wrestling. PAC tags himself in and gets in a few shots on Omega before tagging Mox back in for some double team offense in the corner. For two guys who don’t like each other, they seem to work together really well!

Omega is able to create some distance and tag in Page. He takes on both opponents, springboarding into PAC to knock him off the apron, then hits a flying lariat on Mox. Moxley escapes a Deadeye attempts, but when Page climbs the corner for a Moonsault attempt, PAC distracts him, which allows Moxley to knock him to the outside with a brutal back bump onto the apron. As we head to commercial, PAC hits a dive over the top rope as their team shifts their focus to Omega.

We come back from commercial with Moxley continuing the assault on Page’s back with a Clover Leaf. Omega breaks it up, but PAC quickly throws him out. Page misses the Buckshot Lariat, then tries to hit a standard clothesline that Moxley no-sells. Mox takes him down with his own, which results in a brief double-down before both legal men tag in their partners. Omega dominates PAC with his signature Fireman’s Slam into a Moonsault, then nails Mox with a Dragon Suplex when he tries to cut off the momentum. Omega lands his dive to the outside on PAC, but when Omega tries to capitalize, Mox hits both his opponent and his partner with a running dive. Page sees his opportunity to hit his Moonsault, taking out his opponents in the process. PAC is thrown in the ring and hit with a series of fast paced double team offense, but Mox breaks up the pin attempt with a Dropkick to Page’s head. Page begins working on Mox, but PAC hits a series of brutal boots. Page quickly turns things around as he throws PAC to the outside and lands a Suicide Dive that King Cuerno would be proud of. That leaves Moxley and Omega in the ring alone, leading to them flat out brawling. The two both go down when they take each other out with a running knee / lariat exchange, but the match begins to go off the rails as Omega and Mox grab their barb wired broom and bat from last week. Mox gets the better of the exchange, but PAC breaks up the fight and throws the weapons out of the ring to avoid the DQ. Mox flips him off and hits his own partner with a Paradigm Shift DDT, then storms off into the back! PAC is all alone, allowing Page to get a measure of revenge for the last few weeks with a Buckshot Lariat. Omega hits a running V-Trigger into a Deadeye from Page for the win.

This match felt like it was executed as well as it could have been, with every story layer being addressed across the 15-ish minutes that the match went on for. PAC and Moxley eventually imploded, while Mox is established as someone who’s more interested in inflicting violence on his enemies than winning. PAC on the other hand takes pride in his win record and doesn’t want his partner to ruin that for him, all while Omega and Page managed to work together without letting their personal grudges get in the way of getting the win. It teased us with what we can expect from the eventual encounter between Omega and Mox while adding a wrinkle to PAC’s championship storyline, all while creating a new feud between PAC and Moxley. Just well done all around.

Next week will feature Private Party vs. The Lucha Bros, The Dark Order vs. SCU, Britt Baker’s homecoming, The Young Bucks in action and PAC vs. Moxley. They don’t waste time at all, do they?

Darby Allin vs. Chris Jericho in a Philadelphia Street Fight for the AEW Championship

I’m sure I’m not alone in seeing Darby as a real revelation on the AEW roster. Riding down on a deck declaring himself as the next AEW champion, I’m hoping Jericho makes him look like a million bucks, although we’ve seen he has no problem doing that himself.

Darby starts off hot, out-brawling the champion before hitting him with an incredibly fast dive under the second rope. Jericho lures him back into the ring and kicks down the young challenger, then begins wearing him down with some offense in the corner. Darby rallies back with some lightning quick offense before working Jericho down into a Canadian Destroyer that he really had to work for. Jericho slows him down with a Clothesline and begins to taunt his opponent, then throws Darby through the ropes into the corner at full speed, resulting in a nasty bump to the outside as we go to the last break of the night.

As the break ends, Jericho beats Darby down with a Kendo stick, eventually smashing Allin in the ribs. Jericho tries to hit him with it from the top rope, but Allin lands a punch to the gut. He reverses a lariat into a crucifix pin, then gets some revenge by smashing Jericho in the back of the head with the kendo stick after the kickout. Allin then transitions into a crossface submission, but Jericho powers out and turns it into the Walls of Jericho. Darby gets the ropes, but there’s no break since it’s a Street Fight. Despite that, ref Aubrey Edwards forces the break (?), leading to Jericho arguing with her as Draby recovers. Allin hits a cross body off the top, but Jericho goes for a pin that’s broken up by the ropes once again. Jericho then goes for a chair and begins dismantling his pain loving foe. The Painmaker props the chair into the corner and goes for a Lawn Dart, but Darby turns it into a Stunner! Jericho overpowers him once more and goes for the Walls of Jericho a second time, then sinks it in deep before Darby reaches the ropes once again. The crowd begins turning on the match, chanting “it’s a street fight” due to all the rope breaks, and to be honest, I don’t blame them.

Jericho’s desperation begins to show as he duct tapes Allin’s hands behind his back. Allin is ragdolled around the ring as the announcers tease a referee stoppage, (lol), but Darby rallies with a Lionsault and a suicide dive with his hands taped behind his back! He hits a spinning moonsault off the top rope for a two, again, with his hands behind his back. The crowd is back into it with a “this is awesome” chant, but Jericho kills his momentum by powerbombing Darby into his skateboard. Darby kicks out at two with less than a minute left to go… Could we be going to a time limit draw!? Jericho swings and misses with a chair shot, then Darby dropkicks it into his opponent. He goes to the top for a Coffin Drop, but Jake Hager uses the no DQ rule to his advantage by knocking Allin off of the corner. Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho one more time, with the ref calling the match for the submission win. The show closes with The Inner Circle coming down to the ring to celebrate with a little bit of the bubbly.

Continuity issues aside with the rope breaks, that was a fantastic match between a focused underdog and an arrogant veteran who was completely overlooking his hungry opponent. This show made a star out of Allin, Scorpio Sky and to a degree, Marko Stunt, putting on a really good show that flew by before I realized it. It left me eagerly awaiting Darby’s next shot, where Moxley goes against PAC and what will happen when the Lucha Bros and SCU eventually clash, which is the type of anticipation you want as your show comes to a close. Apparently, Luchasaurus is really hurt at the worst time possible, but I’m sure Jurassic Express will be back in a big way .They’re too popular to ignore.

All in all, that was another solid showing for AEW! What were your favorite parts of the show? Any highs or lows you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!