By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 90)
Taped in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place
Aired June 18, 2021 on TNT
[Hour One] Split screen shots aired of Jake Hager with Chris Jericho, and Wardlow with Shawn Spears while Tony Schiavone hyped the cage fight… The Dynamite opening aired… Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Taz were on commentary, and Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
Entrances for the cage fight took place. There was an MMA style cage set up at Daily’s Place. A referee checked both fighters before they entered the cage in MMA style. Wardlow turned his back when Hager entered the cage…
1. Jake Hager (w/Chris Jericho) vs. Wardlow (w/Shawn Spears) in an MMA cage fight. Roberts noted that the match was scheduled for three five-minute rounds. Both men wore MMA gloves. There was a countdown clock in the corner for the rounds. Hager threw a punch at Wardlow, who eventually came back by tossing Hager across the cage.
Hager got up and took Wardlow down. Hager stood up and backed up to let Wardlow stand up, then took him down again. Hager threw punches, but Wardlow quickly kicked him off and they both got back on their feet. Wardlow caught Hager’s leg when he went for a kick and then dropped him with a punch. Wardlow took Hager down and threw punches.
Hager escaped and got back to his feet. Both men traded punches. Wardlow got the better of it and shoved Hager into the cage, when jumped up and kicked off the cage before hitting Hager with a Superman punch. Wardlow threw repeated punches at Hager to end the first round. The broadcast team agreed that Hager was saved by the bell.
Wardlow took Hager down and then threw some weak looking punches. Wardlow applied a cross arm breaker. Hager rolled out of it and mounted Wardlow. Hager applied a triangle. Wardlow tried to pick him up to slam him, but he really didn’t get him up. Hager applied an ankle lock. Hager eventually escaped and performed some pro wrestling moves. Hager came back and applied a triangle. Hager performed a uranage slam and reapplied the triangle. Referee Aubrey Edwards stepped in and stopped the fight with 47 seconds remaining in the round. The broadcast team emphasized that Wardlow did not tap out…
Jake Hager defeated Wardlow in an MMA cage fight.
After the match, Hager offered a fist bump. Before Wardlow could respond, Spears hit Hager with a cheap shot. Jericho fought Spears, then Wardlow and Hager fought again. MJF ran out and attacked Jericho. MJF removed the brace from Jericho’s injured elbow and then applied his Salt of the Earth submission hold. MJF released the hold.
Dean Malenko ended up in the cage and spun MJF around. MJF teased hitting him and eventually did punch him out. Sammy Guevara ran out and hopped over the cage and chased off the Pinnacle members…
Powell’s POV: AEW did a really nice job of making this feel like an MMA fight via the presentation. The only things I would have done differently as far as presentation would have been to use a recognizable MMA referee or an MMA legend instead of a regular AEW referee, and introduced three judges to give it a more realistic feel. The wrestlers did well aside from some very soft punches, especially once they blew up as the match went on. From a booking standpoint, Wardlow was protected by Hager being saved by the bell in the first round. The post match angle was solid and added to the heat between the feuding factions.
Backstage, Eddie Kingston, Frankie Kazarian, and Penta El Zero Miedo delivered a promo about their six-man tag match against Matt Jackson and The Good Brothers. Kazarian quoted the Bible about not seeking revenge. He said he doesn’t always agree with the lord and vengeance would be his. He said he is a man who is done being decent in indecent times. Kingston told their opponents to pray and hope that he takes their soul…
The broadcast team hyped the previously advertised matches and noted that the six-man tag match would be the main event… [C]
Backstage, Taz, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and Hook delivered a promo. Taz told Starks that he’s a vital part of Team Taz, but the issues between him and Brian Cage had to end soon. Starks was going to respond, but Hobbs told him to stop and pointed out that he and Cage left him hanging. Taz said Hobbs was right and that Hangman Page and 10 were able to beat him in a two-on-one situation. Taz challenged Hangman Page to face Hobbs in a singles match next week on Saturday Night Dynamite…
2. Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky in a handicap match. The entrances for both sides were televised. Allin got the better of Page to start. Sky tagged in and was immediately taken down by Allin, who rolled him into a pin for a two count. The heel duo eventually took offensive control heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Allin eventually rallied and performed a Coffin Drop on Sky. Allin had the pin, but Page pulled him to ringside and roughed him up. Page went back to his corner and tagged in. Page placed Allin on the top rope in a seated position. Allin stuffed a superplex attempt and then bit the hand of Page and shoved him off the ropes. Allin set up for another Coffin Drop, but Sky crotched him. Page performed the Ego’s Edge on Allin and pinned him…
Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky defeated Darby Allin in a handicap match in roughly 11:45.
The broadcast team hyped upcoming matches… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good handicap match. Allin works so well from underneath because he’s able to generate sympathy. Darby got his hope spots and looked strong in defeat, but the heel duo had to go over for credibility sake and did.
3. Orange Cassidy (w/Trent, Chuck Taylor, Kris Statlander) vs. Cezar Bononi (w/Ryan Nemeth, Peter Avalon, and JD Drake). Bononi’s entrance was not televised, but he and the rest of The Wingmen had a brief pre-taped promo that aired before the match. Bononi picked up Cassidy by the collar of his jacket and tossed him into the corner to start the match. Bononi powered up Cassidy and threw him across the ring while Cassidy kept his hands in his pockets.
Cassidy rolled to ringside where Nemeth sprayed his chest and then sent him back inside the ring. Rinse and repeat, only this time Avalon sprayed his hair and brushed it. Nemeth put his jacket on Cassidy and then rolled him inside the ring. Cassidy came back briefly and Bononi rolled to ringside.
Cassidy tried to dive onto him, but Bononi caught him and threw him back in the ring. Taylor and Trent entered the ring while Statlander distracted the referee. The Best Friends duo gave Cassidy a boost into a flip dive onto The Wingmen at ringside. Back inside the ring, Cassidy worked over Bononi and then hit his Orange Punch to knock Nemeth off the apron. Drake ran in and also took an Orange Punch. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch on Bononi and pinned him…
Orange Cassidy defeated Cezar Bononi in 4:10.
Powell’s POV: A solid Cassidy spotlight. Bononi got some offense in, but there was no reason to believe that this would be anything other than a clean win for Cassidy.
Alex Marvez tried to interview Jungle Boy in the backstage area, but Kenny Omega, Don Callis, and Michael Nakazawa showed up on a golf cart. Omega pointed out that he wasn’t wearing a suit or jewelry and didn’t bring his belt. He said Jungle Boy embarrassed him last week and tarnished his image.
Omega said he was going to give Jungle Boy a chance to prove how tough he was. He said he didn’t think Jungle Boy had ever been in a street fight in his life. Omega clenched his fists. Jungle Boy said he’d rather beat Omega in the ring for the championship next week. Omega closed his eyes and put his hands behind his back. He said the first punch was free.
Jungle Boy took off his jacket, handed his phone to Marvez, and started to put his hair up, but Nakazawa hit him from behind with a chair. Omega attacked Jungle Boy, who quickly turned the tables. Nakazawa threw Jungle Boy off. Omega and Callis climbed onto the golf cart. Nakazawa tried to join them, but Omega turned him into a sacrifice by kicking him toward Jungle Boy, and then Callis drove away…
Powell’s POV: I love that Omega sacrificed Nakazawa to save his own ass. Fun heel work.
The broadcast team hyped next week’s AEW Championship match and the next match… [C]
Marvez interviewed Matt Hardy while Private Party, The Blade, and The Bunny stood by. Marvez asked Hardy about Christian Cage, who eventually showed up. Cage was held back by security. The Blade shoved Hardy into a fenced area and locked him inside. Hardy spoke to Cage through the fence and said he would give Cage an out. He told him to retire and go home with his daughter. Hardy said he would end Cage’s career if he keeps coming after him…
Powell’s POV: Hardy was more straight forward and less hammy than he’s been lately while speaking to Cage through the fence.
[Hour Two] Cody Rhodes made his entrance at the top of the hour and was joined by Brock Anderson and Arn Anderson after his pyro shot off. Their opponents followed…
4. Cody Rhodes and Brock Anderson (w/Arn Anderson) vs. QT Marshall and Aaron Solow. Anderson had a brief exchange with Solow. Marshall checked in and called for Rhodes, then tagged out when Cody entered the ring. Brock checked in a short time later and hit a gut-wrench suplex on Solow, then turned into a spinebuster by Marshall, who looked at Arn before covering his son or a two count. [C]
Anderson was isolated by the heels. He tagged in Cody, but referee Paul Turner didn’t see it and wouldn’t allow it. Brock eventually made the hot tag to Cody, who roughed up Solow. Cody put Solow on the ropes and was setting up for a move when Marshall approached from behind. Cody hit a Code Red from the ropes on Marshall.
Solow rolled up Cody for a two count. Solow got up and dropped Cody with a spin kick and covered him again, but Anderson broke it up. Anderson tagged in again after Cody tossed Marshall over the top rope. Cody dove onto Marshall. In the ring, Solow kicked Anderson and set up for a move, but Anderson reversed it into a pin for the win…
Cody Rhodes and Brock Anderson beat QT Marshall and Aaron Solow in 10:00.
Powell’s POV: Anderson still has a ways to go in order to look the part. Yes, he looks like his father, who was never gifted with a great physique and I’m not expecting Brock to be a body guy, but his build screams enhancement wrestler at this point. I believe he’s only 23 and I’m sure he’ll fill out. I am a big fan of his father’s work and I look forward to following Brock’s progression. The actual match was laid out well in a way that didn’t ask Brock to do a ton, yet let him go over in his debut match.
Lance Archer and Jake Roberts checked in from an undisclosed location. Roberts said he had to reconnect with Archer. He said Archer has no patience. He asked if he was supposed to bitch slap Archer to make him stop, then acted terrified of Archer before saying he had to go…
The Jim Ross sit-down interview with Andrade El Idolo was shown. Ross asked why he chose AEW. He said there were many stars and he is a superstar. Ross brought up the AEW Championship and the TNT Championship and said he assumed they are on Andrade’s radar. Andrade said he deserves opportunities for both titles. Ross asked Andrade about his relationship with Vickie Guerrero. He said she understands the business and spoke about her lineage while saying that’s why they have a great connection. Andrade said he and Vickie have a surprise…
Schiavone hyped upcoming matches… [C]
Powell’s POV: I like the surprise tease at the end. Otherwise, this was just sort of there.
Marvez interviewed Hangman Page, who was hanging out with The Dark Order. Marvez asked Page if he accepted the match with Hobbs. Page said Hobbs almost beat him and 10 by himself and seemed to accept. He also spoke about drinking beer with his friends. Marvez brought up that Page is second ranked and assumed he’d have an eye on next week’s AEW Championship match. Page spoke about John Silver returning soon and then toasted to Evil Uno putting up a good fight in his TNT Title match last week…
Powell’s POV: I’ve never really understood Page’s on-air friendship with the Dark Order members. He came off like he was more concerned with them than going after the AEW Championship. Is that by design?
5. Julia Hart (w/Brian Pillman Jr., Griff Garrison) vs. Penelope Ford. Ford was in offensive control heading into an early PIP break. [C] Ford performed a nice gutbuster. Ford followed up with a moonsault attempt, but Hart rolled out of the way. Hart went for a splits leg drop, but Ford avoided it. Ford applied an Indian Deathlock and got the submission win.
Penelope Ford beat Julia Hart in 6:45.
Ford held onto the submission hold after the match and eventually released it. Pillman and Garrison checked on Hart. Miro came out and said it wasn’t fair that Ford was outnumbered three to one. Miro said Ford has had it tough with the wedding and with her husband being injured.
Miro entered the ring and clotheslined Garrison before tossing him to ringside. Pillman performed a springboard dive onto Miro. Referees quickly intervened. Miro got up and was laughing at Pillman while referees held him back. Miro broke free and attacked Pillman. They continued to fight as they cut to another segment…
Powell’s POV: It was nice to see Ford get a rare win. She has been underutilized in the women’s division. It’s too bad it was immediately overshadowed by Miro attacking the Varsity Blonds.
Tony Schiavone tried to interview Britt Baker, who was accompanied by Rebel. Vickie Guerrero quickly interrupted and said she wants the AEW Women’s Championship around Nyla Rose’s waist. Baker said she wasn’t playing games. Guerrero said she brought Andrade to AEW and Tony Khan owes her a favor. She announced that she would team with Rose to face Baker and Rebel. Once Vickie left, Baker and Rebel laughed…
Excalibur announced Baker and Rebel vs. Rose and Guerrero, Miro vs. Brian Pillman Jr. for the TNT Championship, MJF vs. Sammy Guevara for the Wednesday, June 30 edition of Dynamite…
Ross and Excalibur hyped the Saturday, June 26 show featuring Kenny Omega vs. Jungle Boy for the AEW Championship, and Hangman Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs…
A video package on the rivalry between FTR and the team of Santana and Ortiz… Excalibur hyped the main event six-man tag match… [C] Schiavone hyped AEW coming to Newark, New Jersey and Queens, New York…
Mark Sterling and Jade Cargill announced a partnership with the Toronto Four Seasons. Cargill said it was a place her opponents could stay once she knocked them out…
Powell’s POV: Meh, I’d be more impressed if Sterling and Cargill had been able to strike a deal with Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia.
Ring entrances for the main event took place…
6. Penta El Zero Miedo, Eddie Kingston, and Frankie Kazarian vs. Matt Jackson and “The Good Brothers” Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson (w/Brandon Cutler). Don Callis sat in on commentary. The teams brawled and were fighting at ringside going into a break. [C] The teams settled into traditional match form with two men in the ring while the other four were on the apron during the PIP break. Late in the match, the babyface tiro took turns hitting big moves on Jackson. Kingston had him pinned, but Gallows broke it up.
Penta was isolated by the heel trio. Gallows picked up a near fall. Gallows and Anderson set up for the Magic Killer, but Kazarian ran in and stuffed it. A short time later, Penta hit a rough looking Backstabber on Anderson. Penta went up top. The referee was awkwardly hovering over Anderson so that he could miss Nick Jackson spraying the cold spray into the eyes of Penta. Anderson went up top and performed a neckbreaker on Penta and then pinned him.
Matt Jackson, Doc Gallows, and Karl Anderson defeated Penta El Zero Miedo, Eddie Kingston, and Frankie Kazarian in 14:05.
The Elite members celebrated and the broadcast team hyped the AEW Championship for next Saturday night to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Are they turning referee Rick Knox heel? Why would a referee hover over a wrestler on the mat in a way that blocked his opponent from leaping off the top rope while also conveniently causing him to miss the outside interference? Factor in all of the other times he’s been scripted to look oblivious and it’s hard to tell whether they just book him to look incompetent or if he really is going to be The Elite’s personal referee. I don’t think they are going there since the broadcast isn’t all over him, but they might as well at this point.
Overall, the show was entertaining even if was too busy, which is an ongoing issue. Dynamite is an action packed two hours, but there are times when it all feels like a blur when it’s all said and done because there’s just too much crammed in and key moments don’t stick with you the way they should. Let me know what you thought of this episode by grading it below.
Join me for live coverage of WWE Hell in a Cell on Sunday night.
I rarely watch AEW But it’s Friday and I figured I’d give it a chance
A fake MMA fight
A handicap match featuring a lightweight
OC (whom I usually enjoy) wasted on a match where the ref was so stupid he should be fired on the spot
All terrible
Then that silly omega interview. He is solid in the ring but a terrible promo and Callis hasn’t been relevant since, well never really
My friends always say “oh you will love AEW it’s just like the old WCW”. I guess they mean thunder?
I gave it an hour and hoped I might see something that draws me in but I just don’t get it. Im glad others enjoy it (and im always happy when the wrestlers can find good paying gigs) but this show is still not for me
It’s not for wrestling fans. It’s for a niche group within the already niche world of pro wrestling that thinks logical booking and believable matches are passe.
We had the opening “match” that was pathetic looking crap followed by the same “faction feud” that was won by the face group 2 months ago.
A 2 minute handicap match that lasted almost 12 minutes.
OC sucks and that “match” had constant interference right in front of the ref with no consequence.
Mostly bad interview/promo segments that were almost all interrupted (as usual).
The continued burial of Adam Page.
A post match schmoz after a needless women’s match.
And we finish with the AARP Bucks having another horrendous spotfest, just like every other match they’ve ever had, with Rick Knox continuing to just be awful at everything.
I don’t know how old you are, but some of your regular complaints seem generational. I remember when I started watching the AWA, which was mostly presented as a sports-like product in the very early ’80s. There were older AWA fans who complained that it wasn’t the AWA they grew up with. And they became more vocal once Hulk Hogan took off, still complaining about a product that was selling out the home base St. Paul Civic Center and elsewhere. And when Hogan went to the WWF and the product eventually became more cartoonish, the old school fans really started to complain even though we know how successful that time was. I was a big fan of the early WrestleMania years and just pro wrestling in general. I eventually started reading the newsletters. Some of the writers and especially readers in the mailbag or editorial sections just shit all over the WWF product even though it was still doing monster business.
None of this is meant to say that you are wrong in your criticisms or that AEW is going to do monster business. You view wrestling a certain way and want it to be that way. We all have our preferences. I prefer and believe in a sports-like product myself. Ultimately, though, the overall body of fans decide regardless of how you, me, or any other critic feels about it. It’s the same in all forms of entertainment. Look at the box office numbers for some of the mindless (yet fun) summer blockbusters compared to what your typical Oscar type movie does. Or the success of a shitty boy band compared to a truly talented musical artist or band.
What’s my point? Hell, I’m not even sure. I guess I’m just trying to say that despite the issues you have with the AEW product, the jury is still out with the masses. I hope you are prepared for the possibility that the younger generation will end up embracing it despite the things that you don’t like about it.
Jason. You are spot on!!!
I grew up on pre Hogan WWF and then flipped to WCCW and eventually Crocket when my backwards borough finally got cable
I never cared for the Cartoon stuff myself but it was arguably the most successful time period ever in wrestling
That said. I go back and look at the old world class and 605 shows now and they are pretty slow (but I still prefer the storytelling and lack of formal scripted promos)
Im not sure a 24 hour network or 8 US promotions with TV deals or seemingly unlimited on line product is really what’s “best for business” right now. But for wrestling addicts this may be what the remember as their glory years
I’d prefer a tighter better written and executed product (the closest we have is NXT) but I’m on the back side of the mountain and the younger generation should get what they want now. It’s their time!!
Nobody is watching, so the “younger generation” clearly doesn’t want what AEW is doing.
Dynamite is the worst drawing #1 show for a national company ever. Impact is doing worse these days, but when they had a real national outlet they were doing 2-3x what Dynamite is.
We keep being told that the younger fans want the smaller wrestlers doing a bunch of stupid flips and dives at breakneck speed, yet it hasn’t worked a single time. TV ratings suck, PPV buyrates are embarrassingly low, and live attendance was tanking for AEW before the pandemic.
There are millions of lapsed wrestling fans, and a casual audience that has shown up several times in history, that want to watch something with entertaining characters who have fights that look believable because of logically booked storylines.
“Wrestling” has never sold well, but working has, and AEW is all about “wrestling.”
….an advertised “MMA” fight that looked more scripted than an actual wrestling match. FML this was bad.
“Are they turning referee Rick Knox heel?”
All of their refs are so incompetent that it’s impossible to tell, and it wouldn’t even make a difference if they did. The announcers would have to tell you he’s the heel ref because he’s no different than the rest of them.
That “MMA” match was an embarrassment. Any casual fan that might have tuned in (or anybody accidentally flipping channels) is not going to be kept by an overly fake MMA match when real MMA exists. Not sure how anybody involved thought that was a good idea. Right up there with zombies, temper tantrums about Japanese partnerships and dolls on the list of ‘Things creatively bankrupt people woulf do if put in charge of pro wrestling industry’.
R.E. Rick Knox acting dumb, if you watch BTE then it will make sense.
I appreciate the comment and info. My bitterness with this issue isn’t directed at you. We shouldn’t have to watch BTE to understand anything that happens on Dynamite. They told us from the start that it was shoulder content. And yet Dynamite viewers are still left wondering why Brandon Cutler went from being the elaborate dragon mask guy to suddenly being the ultimate stooge for the Bucks. He plays the part well and I get a kick out of it, but why wasn’t that transition covered on Dynamite? Same goes for Nakazawa being whatever he is now. I’m all for BTE and the other shoulder content, but if they feel the need to do something on one of those shows that affects the main storylines, they really should take the time to air a recap video on Dynamite.
This is VERY insightful!!
Also. I “get a kick out of”. Maybe I am an old grump (well I am def an old grump) but I wish all wrestling (not just AEW) was a lot LESS funny (or cute). One funny character of segment per show is fine but every damned wrestler now is winking at the camera or breaking the 4th wall or being a “cool heel.” When done well it can be fun but when 2/3 of the segments are cute it turns this viewer off
Hey, aren’t you really Bruce Willis???
Agree with a lot of that PG13. I’ve not missed many shows, but am slowly tuning out due to the booking and continual nonsense/lack of rules. The show is schizophrenic at this point.