By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 146)
Duluth, Georgia at Gas South Arena
Aired live July 20, 2022 on TBS
[Hour One] Pyro shot off on the stage while the broadcast team of Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz checked in. They hyped that it was the start of Fyre Fest week two… Entrances for the opening match took place with Justin Roberts serving as the ring announcer…
1. Darby Allin vs. Brody King. Sting walked out with Allin, but he did not accompany him to the ring. Allin dropkicked King when the bell rang, which sent him to ringside. Allin performed a suicide dive, but King stuffed it and tossed him into the barricade. Allin came back by running King into the ring post.
Back inside the ring, King put Allin down and performed a pair of sentons. King grabbed Allin by his pants and ended up spinning him around and letting him fly into the ropes. Allin rolled to the floor and King followed. King threw Allin into the barricade again. The shark cage could be seen hanging above the crowd and the barricade had “Shark Week” advertising for Discovery.
King continued to dominate when he brought Allin back inside the ring and then tossed him back to the floor heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C] The PIP break included an ad for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson serving as the “Master of Ceremonies” for Shark Week.
King remained in control coming out of the break. Allin wrapped his belt around the legs of King to trip him and pulled him to the floor. Allin had a burst of offense. King caught him in a sleeper and then put him in a tree of woe and worked him over. King went for a cannonball, but Allin sat up to avoided it.
Allin put King down with a Code Red for a near fall. Allin sat on King’s shoulders while pulling his arms back, then transitioned into a sleeper hold. King stood up and performed a cannonball with Allin on his back to break the hold. Allin exposed the turnbuckle and slammed King’s head onto hit.
King caught Allin in a sleeper while they were on the apron and then dropped him, just as he did to win the Royal Rampage match. Allin beat referee Paul Turner’s count at nine. King immediately hit him with the Gonzo Bomb and pinned him…
Brody King defeated Darby Allin in 12:35.
After the match, King put Allin in a sleeper hold while facing the stage. Sting walked out. King released the hold and motioned or Sting to bring it. Sting entered the ring and was thrown into the corner, but he avoided a charging King.
Sting set up for a Scorpion Death Drop, but the lights went out. The broadcast team said they heard a noice and assumed that Sting hit the move. When the lights turned out, Malakai Black and Sting were face to face in the ring while King and Allin were down. King recovered and put Sting in a sleeper hold and then Black sprayed mist in his face.
Miro’s entrance music played and he walked out wearing shades. Miro walked toward the ring and closed his eyes while Black and King glared at him… [C]
Powell’s POV: A hot match to open the show. King looked like a badass while Allin came off like he had a ton of heart for absorbing punishment from a much bigger opponent. The post match angle with Sting, Black, and Miro was solid. I wonder if they are building toward a six-man tag with Miro teaming with Allin and Sting to face the House of Black or if they are going in a different direction. By the way, I’m filling in for the vacationing Jake Barnett, who will return next week.
Cole Karter was about to be interviewed by Tony Schiavone on the backstage set when he was interrupted by opponent Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs. Starks said he’s been FTW Champion for well over a year and he doesn’t see that changing. Karter vowed to beat Starks for the title…
Powell’s POV: Carter is fresh off of being released from a contract with NXT, where he worked as Troy “Two Dimes” Donovan. Given the “policy violation” reports, I’m surprised that AEW didn’t wait a little longer to bring him in.
2. Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and ROH Pure Rules Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. “Best Friends” Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor. The entrances of both teams were televised. William Regal and Orange Cassidy sat in on commentary. Regal spoke while Cassidy lounged in his chair.
After an early exchange with Beretta, Yuta motioned for Taylor, whom the broadcast team said was his mentor. Cassidy said “allegedly” a couple of times in response to something Regal said. The production team dropped the ball when they felt the need to show the broadcast team while something happened with Yuta after he backed Taylor into the ropes. Worse yet, they didn’t even replay what happened, so television viewers only heard the crowd react.
Yuta was taken to ringside and run into the barricade by Taylor. Moxley chased Taylor away heading into a PIP break. [C] Daniel Garcia, who will challenge Yuta for the ROH Pure Championship at the Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view, was shown watching the match on a backstage monitor.
Moxley threw Taylor over a table at ringside and then returned to the ring where he ran into a Beretta elbow. Beretta went to the ropes and dove at Moxley, who caught him with a cutter on the way down. Taylor returned to the ring and performed piledrivers on Moxley and then Yuta. Beretta followed up with another piledriver on Yuta and only got a two count.
Yuta and Beretta traded blows. Beretta hit the Dead Eye on Yuta and had him pinned, but Moxley broke it up. A short time later, Yuta caught Taylor in a submission hold. Moxley pulled Beretta to the floor and put him in a figure four. Taylor suplexed Yuta into the corner to break the hold. Yuta countered a Taylor move attempt into a pin for the three count…
Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta beat “Best Friends” Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor in 11:50.
Powell’s POV: A good match. I was surprised to see this be more about Yuta’s issues with Best Friends while the Interim AEW World Champion felt a bit in the background.
A video package spotlighted Jonathan Gresham vs. Claudio Castagnoli for the ROH Championship, which will be held at Saturday’s Death Before Dishonor. The brief video included comments from Gresham and Ian Riccaboni…
Chompie the Shark Week mascot stood next to Excalibur and Taz at the broadcast desk…
Tony Schiavone stood in the ring and introduced new AEW Tag Team Champions Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee. They walked past a small table with a cake and champagne on it. Once in the ring, Swerve pointed out rapper Kevin Gates, who was in the crowd. Lee wanted to toast to their title reign, but he was interrupted.
Mark Sterling and Tony Nese walked out. Sterling spoke about his petition against Swerve. Nese put some frosting on his finger and then drank some of the champagne. Sterling wanted Gates to sign his petition, but Gates declined. Sterling said that just like Swerve, Gates is untrustworthy and his music sucks.
Gates hopped the barricade. Nese stood in front of Gates while Sterling threatened to sue Gates if he got involved. Gates dropped Nese with a punch. Swerve picked up the cake and threw it in the face of Sterling…
Powell’s POV: As if Sterling’s petition wasn’t sports entertainment enough, now we have cake tossing. Be an alternative.
Backstage, Schiavone interviewed the teams of Jon Silver and Alex Reynolds, and The Butcher and The Blade. Silver and Reynolds had “Butch” shirts for Butcher as a lame gag. Butcher and Blade rightfully beat the shit out of Silver and Reynolds until Hangman Page showed up with a chair and ran them off…
3. Christian Cage and Luchasaurus vs. “The Varsity Blondes” Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison. The entrances for both teams were televised. Cage teased starting the match, then tagged in his partner. Luchasaurus destroyed both opponents. Cage tagged in and pinned Pillman without doing anything else during the match.
Christian Cage and Luchasaurus beat “The Varsity Blondes” Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison in 2:00.
Jungle Boy made his entrance and he walked out with a chair in his hand. Luchasaurus went to ringside and blocked his path. Luchasaurus stepped aside and stood next to Jungle Boy, who then entered the ring, causing Cage to exit the ring. Jungle Boy chased Cage into the crowd…
Backstage, Billy, Austin, and Colten Gunn were interviewed by Lexi Nair. Austin challenged Max Caster to face him in a rap battle on Friday’s Rampage with the winner deciding the stipulation and location of a future match between them and The Acclaimed…
Jim Ross made his entrance to the Oklahoma fight song.
[Hour Two] Entrances for the FTW Title match took place…
4. Ricky Starks (w/Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. Cole Karter for the FTW Title. Taz said Starks is the fourth FTW Champion in the history of the belt and was preceded by Brian Cage, Sabu, and himself. They cut to an early PIP break. [C]
Karter performed a cutter coming out of the break. The broadcast team questioned his decision not to go for the cover. Karter went for a top rope move that Starks avoided. Starks speared Karter and pinned him…
Ricky Starks defeated Cole Karter in 6:05 to retain the FTW Championship.
After the match, Starks got a mic and said he had a little more left in the tank after winning his open challenge match. Starks called for another challenger.
Danhausen made his entrance to a strong crowd reaction and said he wanted to accept the challenge. Starks said he didn’t mean that the match would take place immediately. Starks called for the match to take place next week on Dynamite…
Powell’s POV: Before the Danhausen haters lose their shit over him challenging for a title, lighten up and remember that it’s just the FTW Title.
Athena, Kris Statlander, and Willow Nightingale were interviewed by Schiavone backstage. It was noted that Statlander had to sit the match out (it was changed from a six-woman tag to a regular tag match). Nightingale said it was time to crush some Baddies… [C]
Schiavone stood inside the ring and introduced “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, who came out wearing their AAA Tag Titles while wearing the ROH and IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles over their shoulders. Wheeler spoke about facing Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe. Wheeler said he and Harwood respect the Briscoes, but they would have to take their title belts from their cold, dead hands.
Harwood spoke about a five year-old girl who had an irregular heartbeat. He said the doctor found a hole in the bottom of her heart. Harwood said a few years later, she went back to the same cardiologist and the hole was closed. Harwood said that eight-year-old girl is his daughter.
Harwood spoke about how hard his daughter fought and how he would do the same on Saturday to bring home a legacy that she can be proud of. An FTR chant broke out. Harwood told the crowd that he loved them too. Harwood said he will fight like an eight year-old girl on Saturday and he’s going to beat the Briscoes’ ass…
Backstage, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh were interviewed by Lexi Nair, who tried to bring up something Christopher Daniels said. Dutt cut her off and said he doesn’t care about Daniels. Lethal started to talk, but he was interrupted.
Daniels showed up and told Lethal that Samoa Joe would do his talking on Saturday. Daniels said that if Lethal is anxious to get in the ring, he’ll be in the ring on Friday’s Rampage waiting for him. Lethal took exception with having his promo time interrupted and said Daniels was on…
Jade Cargill, Kiera Hogan, Stokely Hathaway made their entrance along with hip hop artist Jermaine Dupri. Hathaway said Leila Grey was not medically cleared, but a lawyer made sure that Kris Statlander was banned from ringside. Cargill took the mic and spoke about being born and raised in the area. Athena and Willow Nightingale made their entrance…
5. TBS Champion Jade Cargill and Kiera Hogan (w/Stokely Hathaway, Jermaine Dupri) vs. Athena and Willow Nightingale. Hathaway and Dupri sat in chairs at ringside. A couple minutes into the match, Willow performed a double Blockbuster from the apron onto both opponents who were at ringside. Athena followed up by diving onto Cargill and Hogan heading into a PIP break. [C]
Cargill and Athena squared off and traded forearms. Cargill avoided a dropkick and then booted Athena. Cargill charged Athena, who caught her with a boot. Athena dove from the ropes, but Cargill caught her and gave her a fallaway slam. Athena came back with a meteora.
Cargill rolled to ringside and Athena followed. Hogan ran at Athena. After struggling to get her up, Athena slammed Hogan on the apron. Hathaway got in Athena’s face, and then Cargill hit a distracted Athena. Cargill tagged in and was caught in an inside cradle by Nightingale for a two count. Cargill came right back with a near fall of her own off of a twisting slam. Cargill followed up with Jaded and scored the pin…
TBS Champion Jade Cargill and Kiera Hogan defeated Athena and Willow Nightingale in 9:25.
Backstage, Schiavone spoke about Fight For Fallen next week and said it will benefit a non-profit dedicated to defending marine life and oceans around the world. Schiavone interviewed Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm. He said Rosa will defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Miyu Yamashita. Rosa cut a brief promo.
Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter showed up. Baker said they need fewer Rosa promos and asked Schiavone to take the mic away from her. Baker said people want her and Hayter on this week’s Rampage…
Powell’s POV: So AEW is fighting for fallen fish? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. It’s a good cause.
Excalibur hyped the following matches for Friday’s Rampage: The Butcher and The Blade vs. Hangman Page vs. Jon Silver, Lee Moriarty vs. Dante Martin, Max Caster vs. Austin Gunn in a rap battle, Jay Lethal vs. Christopher Daniels, and Baker and Hayter in action…
Excalibur hyped the ROH Death Before Dishonor show and added Allysin Kay vs. Willow Nightingale to the “Zero Hour” pre-show. He also announced “The Righteous” Vincent, Bateman, and Dutch vs. Dalton Castle and The Boys for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles for the main card…
Excalibur hyped Thunder Rosa vs. Miyu Yamashita for the AEW Women’s Championship, and Ricky Starks vs. Danhausen for the FTW Title for next week’s AEW Dynamite. He said additional matches will be announced on Saturday…
The broadcast team spoke and set up a trailer for “Return To Westeros” for HBO Max while the crew set up for the main event… [C]
Justin Roberts had barbed wire wrapped around the microphone while he handled introductions for the main event. Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker made their entrance and entered the shark cage, which is above fans, not above the ring (no matter how many times Excalibur claimed otherwise). Ruby Soho was at ringside and was in control of the shark cage…
Chris Jericho made his entrance in his Painmaker persona. Eddie Kingston followed and immediately attacked Jericho. Kingston used the barbed wire on the microphone to cut Jericho early on.
6. “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match. The was barbed wire wrapped around the ropes and there were tables and chairs wrapped in barbed wire. Jericho hit Kingston with the ring bell, which was also wrapped in barbed wire, but he hit him with the back of it, which had no barbed wire. They fought into the ring and eventually Jericho executed a huracanrana that pulled Kingston from the top rope onto a table covered in barbed wire heading into a PIP break. [C]
Kingston, whose back was cut and scraped from the barbed wire, suplexed Jericho off the apron and through a barbed wire table.Tay Conti ran out and fought with Ruby Soho, who through punches with her hand, which was in a brace from the car door angle.
Anna Jay ran out and pulled Conti off of Soho. SWERVE!!! Jay attacked Soho. Conti took control of the shark cage and then lowered and unlocked the structure. Daniel Garcia and Angelo Parker entered the ring and put the boots to Kingston. Hager and Menard followed and joined in on the beatdown.
Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Ortiz, and Claudio Castagnoli ran out to fight the Jericho Appreciation Society members. Ortiz hit Jericho with a loaded sock. Kingston suplexed Jericho through a barbed wire table and got a near fall. Jericho came right back and got one of his own. Jericho picked up a barbed wire chair and hit Kingston with it.
Jericho placed the barbed wire chair over Kingston and then went for the Lionsault, but Kingston through the chair at Jericho and it hit his legs. Kingston threw a spinning back fist and covered Jericho for a near fall. Kingston grabbed some barbed wire and wrapped it around Jericho while applying a submission hold.
Sammy Guevara ran in and kicked Kingston to break the hold. Garcia threw punches at Kingston while the broadcast team said it was all legal in a death match. Guevara shoved Kingston toward Jericho, who hit him with the Judas Effect with the barbed wire wrapped around his arm and scored the pin.
“The Painmaker” Chris Jericho defeated Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match in 13:10.
Jericho wanted to dish out more punishment afterward, but Kingston battled back. Following an awkward dance between Jericho and Guevara (something was off), Kingston tossed Jericho onto a pit of barbed wire that was next to the ring. Kingston sat on the apron while Jericho sold the effects of the barbed wire to close the show…
Powell’s POV: The show ran over the top of the hour by less than two minutes. The barbed wire match didn’t do a lot for me on paper, nor did it work for me in execution. That said, I’m just not a big fan of the hardcore style. The live crowd was into it and it will be interesting to see how it performs in the ratings tomorrow. Overall, this was a solid episode even if the main event and all of the interference wasn’t for me. I will be back shortly with my weekly same night audio review of Dynamite for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
So they couldn’t get the key to unlock the door as scripted but they were just able to slide right through and around the cage bars without needing to actually remove the lock. But they still waited for a little while for Conti to try to unlock the door. If that isn’t early 90’s WCW type shenanigans I’m not sure what is. Maybe Robocop could have shown up and bent the bars for them.
I am assuming some shenanigans will ensue this week and Danhausen will get taken out by Team Tazz, then Hook will replace him.
By the way, where is Buddy Matthews?
“As if Sterling’s petition wasn’t sports entertainment enough, now we have cake tossing. Be an alternative.”
I 100% back this statement. It was what was going through my mind as it was unfolding last night.
I am a huge AEW fan, but the barbed wire match was a mess. You have two guys fighting in a “brutal” match, yet you get sidetracked with two women at ringside? And Jericho should just bring cue cards and hold them up in his matches, as he calls spots in plain view of the camera and the audience. Lastly, the ending of the match was botched and terrible. I hope Tony learns from this, and I’m sure Jericho had something to do with the plan of the match, so hopefully Tony also stops believing Jericho (who I have a ton of respect for) can do no wrong.
I think, much like they did with Hart, the idea is to turn Sting heel after that blow to the eyes.
Meanwhile, I hope there’s something more to this Luchasaurus “re-turn” because that was too fast, and heel Saurus is more interesting.