Dynasty is in the rear view mirror and the era of Swerve begins… now!
- Mina Shirakawa vs. Anna Jay
- Casino Gauntlet Match
- AEW World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
AEW Dynamite 4/24/24
Live from Daley’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida! Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Taz are on commentary. The Elite arrived with the gold and… the Scapegoat!
Orange Cassidy’s music hits and Trent blasts him from behind! Trent beats on Cassidy up the ramp and into the ring, and here comes Chucky T. Trent grabs the mic and says they wasted their time hugging and on Orange Cassidy, and it’s time for Chuck to join the right team.
Chuck takes the mic, feigns a hug, and says he always knew that Trent was a piece of S… before hitting him in the face with the mic! Chuck says he wants a fight, but not in the ring, in the parking lot.
Moxley says he’s acutely aware of the danger that lays ahead tonight with Powerhouse Hobbs.
Match #1. Swerve w/ Prince Nana vs. Kyle Fletcher
Don Callis joins the commentary table. Early crucifix by Fletcher but Swerve counters to an armbar. Swerve gets sent to the apron and dumped with a leg lariat. Fletcher follows but gets back body dropped on the floor. Back in the ring, reverse neckbreaker by Swerve gets two as we head to PIP. Regalplex backbreaker by Swerve as he focudses the attack on the arm. Fletcher counters the shoulder breaker and connects with an overhand palm strike. Superkick by Fletcher and a Michinoku Drover as both guys are down. On the apron now and Swerve comes off the top with a double stomp! Swerve lands hard on his ankle, too. Fletcher blocks the Housecall and locks in a standing ankle lock in the middle of the ring. Swerve fights to the ropes, barely. Round kicks by Fletcher and both guys trade elbow strikes before fighting for the suplex but Swerve connects with an upkick to the face. Rolling Thunder facebuster and a brainbuster! Swerve wants a tombstone but Fletcher shifts his weight and he looks for the tombstone. Back to Swerve. Back to Fletcher… and he nails it! Two count. Callis stands up and screams “Melbourne” from the announcer’s table. Fletcher takes the sign and looks for a table but decides against it and hits a running leg lariat in the corner. Both guys fight to the top rope but Swerve shoves Fletcher off, and he gets stuck. Swerve Stomp to a prone Fletcher! Two count. Housecall by Swerve and this one’s over!
Winner: Swerve Strickland
Rating: ***1/2. Super fun stuff here, however I’d love about 15 more minutes. Fletcher is well on his way and Swerve’s reign started properly.
Renee is with Thunder Rosa. Thunder says she’s not here to make excuses, while bringing up Deonna Purrazzo’s name. Deonna is here and thinks all Thunder does is bring her up. Security quickly breaks up the skirmish.
Match #2. Anna Jay vs. Mina Shirakowa w/ Mariah May
Both women taunt to start but Anna kicks her in the face. Drop toe hold by Mina and a knee drop to the knee. Knee breaker by Mina and an attempted spinning toe hold. Head scissors into a Russian Leg Sweep by Mina, before continuing the work on the knee. Mina tries a Figure Four but Anna kicks her off to the apron. Anna drops Mina with a neckbreaker over the middle rope for two. Anna squares up with Mariah May on the outside and tell her to kiss her behind, before rolling back in the ring. Anna with some hard elbows in the corner and a snap suplex for two. Both women trade elbows but Mina gets the better of the exchange after a rolling elbow. Mina clasps hands with Anna and drives the knee from the top rope on the chest of Anna and rides her hard to the mat. Noshigami by Anna out of nowhere! Two count. Mina catches a kick and responds with a dragon screw leg whip. Missile dropkick by Mina and a running enziguiri. Two count. Mina looks for the Glamorous Driver but Anna counters into the Queenslayer. Anna seems to get distracted by Mariah and Mina reverses into what she calls the Glamorous Collection, which looks like a seatbelt, for the pin!
Winner: Mina Shirakowa
Rating: **3/4. Strong match from these two women, and the influx of Stardom is already paying off for AEW.
Anna attacks both Mina and Mariah after the bell, but Toni Storm is here to make the save! Anna retreats but Serena Deeb appears on the ramp, presumably challenging Toni.
Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway are here to welcome the new AEW TBS Champion, Willow Nightingale! Caprice Coleman is on commentary for this and Stokely said Statlander’s intro was two packs of ass. Amazing. Two years ago, Willow debuted as a rookie in AEW. Tonight, she’s the face of TBS.
C E O. C E O. C E O.
Mercedes Mone has arrived! Mercedes says she’s here to congratulate Willow, and to enjoy her celebration while it lasts. In 32 days, Mercedes will become the new face of TBS. Until then, Mercedes wants to know who attacked her a few weeks ago. Everyone knows it was Julia, obviously. Willow wants to know if Mercedes blames her for the injury? Mercedes says Willow doesn’t want the answer. Willow acknowledges there was an asterisk next to her title reign when she beat Mercedes the first time due to injury, but the TBS championship… there is no asterisk. Mercedes says enjoy it, because Willow can’t beat her. Mercedes tries to leave and Statlander grabs her arm, but Mercedes thinks it’s Willow, and slaps her in the face.
Alex Marvez tries to get a word with The Elite, but nobody talks to him… except for Matt Jackson. Matt says that Tony Khan has agreed to meet with Jack Perry in the ring… tonight!
A video package of Jack Perry’s recent actions in NJPW and AEW is shown.
Match #3. Casino Gauntlet Match
Entrant #1 is Jay White. Entrant #2 is Dante Martin. This is sudden death, by the way. Hip toss and a dropkick by Martin. One count. White rolls to the outside and Martin cartwheels over the top rope, right into a huge chop. Rising knee strike by Dante. Entrant #3 is Penta el Zero Miedo. White sends Martin to the floor with an exploder. Crossbody by Penta to White and Slingblade. Slingblade to Martin. Martin runs into a superkick. Twisting DVD by Penta, who fights his way to the ramp with Jay White. Penta runs and launches off the back of White into the ring into a Destroyer to Martin! Big back body drop by White to Martin. Entrance #4 is Kyle O’Reilly. Kyle with arm breakers to everyone. Overhand palm strike and a foot sweep to White. Straight armbar to Martin as White tries to break it up with a boot but Kyle grabs the leg and sinks in an ankle lock. Entrance #5 is Will Ospreay. Oh boy. Kyle and Ospreay stand toe-to-toe and the crowd is on their feet. Phenomenal forearm by Ospreay. Handspring Pele to Martin and Penta. White and Ospreay square off! Crowd goes nuts. Hard chops by both men. and White bails to the outside. Spanish Fly to Martin by Ospreay for two. Entrant #6 is Lance Archer. Archer knocks out Ospreay with an elbow! Archer chokeslams Martin on to White. Shoulder block to Penta. Chokeslam attempt by Archer but Kyle counters with a guillotine… but Archer dumps him. Archer has Ospreay up for the Blackout but he instead dumps him out to the floor on top of everyone else. Everyone brawls to the outside as Archer sets up a table. Chokeslam to White on the apron! Archer looks for a chokeslam off the apron through a table, but… Entrant #7 is Komander. Komander hits the ring and hurricanranas Archer off the apron through the tables. Ospreay and Komander trade head scissors and back flips and amazing things, but Komander goes around the world twice and spikes Ospreay with a DDT! Two count as White breaks it up. High angle Uranage to Komander! Ospreay plants White with a Liger Bomb and thinks about Hidden Blade, but… Entrant #8 is Jay Lethal. Lethal Combination to Martin. Lethal Injection to Penta! Sleeper suplex by White to Lethal. Springboard dropkick by Martin. Axe and smash to Martin by Kyle. High kick to Kyle by Ospreay and a rebound by Kyle, into a floatover powerbomb, but Kyle lands on his feet. Rolling elbow by Ospreay! Kyle rebounds off the bottom rope right into a front Hidden Blade! 2.9999. Ospreay thinks about Tiger Driver 91, but doesn’t do it, since he retired it. Kyle counters with an armbar but Komander sees it, walks the ropes, and crushes Kyle with a rope walk Shooting Star Press! Komander covers but Ospreay’s Hidden Blade connects!
Winner: Will Ospreay
Rating: ***1/2. I really liked this concept. It was different, it was something new, and it made for some really interesting scenarios. The right guy won, but man, every guy in this match got their chance to shine and I come away from this wanting Ospreay vs. Kyle ASAP.
As a reminder, the winner of the Gauntlet receives and Internatinoal Championship match at Double or Nothing, so here’s the Undisputed Kingdom to face off.
The Learning Tree is here, and by that I mean, Chris Jericho. New music, and all. Jericho says FTW no longer means eff the world, it means “for the world”, because Jericho is for the people. Jericho says Hook still needs to learn, and to stop listening to guys like Taz. Jericho is continuing to teach, just like his mentor Terry Funk told him to. Jericho said he’s excited that Hook will still be learning.
Enter Big Bill.
Bill says he only has one thing to say…
Bill needs the guidance of the Learning Tree! Bill says that Jericho is the Socrates of pro wrestling, and he’s always willing to give advice, and to give a hand. There nobody bigger than Bill, and nobody better fit than Bill, for the Learning Tree. Bill is the best fit for the tree.
Jericho says he’s going to think about what Bill said, and he’s going to keep an eye on him to make sure what he’s saying is true.
Renee is in the back with Don Callis, Will Ospreay, and Kyle Fletcher. Callis wanted Ospreay to hit the Tiger Driver 91, but Ospreay reminds him that he retired the move and Kyle O’Reilly had neck injuries. Callis doesn’t care how bad Kyle’s neck is, because Roderick Strong has a broken neck too, and he’s going to need it to beat him. Fletcher intervenes and reminds Callis that Ospreay won the match, and Callis isn’t happy.
Match #4. IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Back suplex by Moxley but Hobbs rolls right through, and then sends Moxley to the floor with an exploder of his own. Hobs misses a big boot on the floor and gets stuck over the railing, allowing Moxley to hit a big boot of his own. The fight goes through the crowd early as Hobbs gets the upper hand, planting Moxley on the apron with a pair of World’s Strongest Slams as we head to commercial. Back from break as Hobbs eats a few chops in the ring and eats a boot. Moxley tries for a running cutter but Hobbs shoves him aside. Hobbs charges Moxley in the corner but Moxley moves and Hobbs lands awkwardly on his knee. Suicide dive by Moxley! Hobbs is struggling on his knee as Moxley turns up the aggression, battering Hobbs in the corner with mounted punches. Paradigm Shift by Moxley gets two. Moxley quickly transitions into a rear naked choke. Hobbs tries to fight it off but eventually goes to sleep.
Winner and STILL IWGP Heavyweight Champion: Jon Moxley
Rating: **1/4. Really not what I was expecting here. A short, seemingly one-sided victory for Moxley here.
The doctor’s check on Powerhouse Hobbs in the ring after the match, and if the injury is legitimate, that could be the reason why the match went the way it did.
Konosuke Takesh*ta appears on the ramp, seemingly challenging Moxley for the title.
Renee is with Shibata. Next week, Shibata wants to challenge Jericho for the FTW Championship in his hometown. “Those rhinestones make a heart…that’s fun.” – Shibata to Renee. Amazing.
Tony Schiavone welcomes Jack Perry to the ring. “Ohhh, cry me a river” chants from the fans. Perry says he’s had some of the best nights of his life in Jacksonville. Perry wants to handle business right now, and he welcomes Tony Khan to the ring. Perry says it’s been a long road. Almost five years ago, AEW changed the world. Perry says they’ve had their ups and downs, but from the bottom of his heart, Perry swears he’s only wanted what’s best for AEW. Perry asks TK to shake his hand and reinstate him, and continue to change the world together. TK shakes his hand as both guys hug. Perry then pulls away and hits TK in the stomach with the microphone! The Elite hit the ring and pull Perry off, but The Bucks tease an EVP Trigger, but Okada gives them the thumbs up… MELTZER DRIVER ON TK! Referee’s and security run from the back to make the save for TK as we go of the air.
Final Thoughts: Man, this episode was really all over the place, in a good way. First things first, I loved the ending. Seeing TK, the man who FEARED FOR HIS LIFE, DAMNIT, laid out like that by The Elite… did not see that coming. The entire storyline is really intriguing and is further proof that, in my opinion, airing the footage from All In was the right move. The crowd seemed to eat it up, too. I also really liked the Casino Gauntlet match. It was something new and the increased urgency made it feel different and like you couldn’t take your eyes off of it. Also, I’m shockingly intrigued by The Learning Tree stuff and I think pairing Jericho with Bill is a great idea. The IWGP Title match left a lot to be desired, and let’s hope Hobbs isn’t truly injured. 8/10.
