By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 233)
Toronto, Ontario at Coca-Cola Coliseum
Aired live March 20, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] Separate shots aired of Adam Copeland and Christian Cage arriving separately at the building. Another shot aired of the arrival of a sports car, which Kazuchika Okada exited… The Dynamite opening aired… The broadcast team was Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone, and Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
Schiavone stood inside the ring and introduced Mercedes Mone. Excalibur hyped Rampage as airing after Dynamite and said it would be headlined by the women’s street fight. Mone danced at ringside and then joined Schiavone inside the ring.
Schiavone told Mone that the floor was hers and then handed her the mic and left the ring. Mone told the fans to say hello to their new CEO. She said she was on a high from Big Business and missed “all of this.” Mone said she was excited to be in AEW. The fans responded with CEO chants.
Mone said it was all almost taken away from her when she suffered an injury during a New Japan Pro Wrestling match with Willow Nightingale. She directed fans to watch the video screen while saying she put together a video to give them a little tasted of Mone. The video showed footage of her backstage as well as of her in the ring for NJPW.
Mone said she was rocking and rolling all over the world before it was all taken away from her. She said setbacks make for major comebacks and how she’s here as “your CEO.” Mone said she wasn’t in AEW to lead a women’s evolution because she’s done that before. Mone said she was there to lead a women’s global revolution both in AEW and all over the globe.
Mone said Julia Hart and Skye Blue must not have heard her last week when she said she had unfinished business with Willow Nightingale. Mone closed out her promo and then the lights went out.
TBS Champion Julia Hart stood at ringside and smiled. Skye Blue attacked Mone, who quickly put her down with a Backstabber. Hart ran in, but Blue had to save her by pulling her to ringside. Hart and Blue grabbed chairs.
Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander ran out with chairs, which kept the heels at ringside. The lights went out again and then Hart and Blue were gone once the lights turned on. Willow stood behind Mone with a chair in her hand and then dropped it once Mone spotted her. Mone was upset with Willow and left the ring. Mone told Willow from the floor that her eyes are on her…
Powell’s POV: Mone delivered a solid promo and the overall segment did an effective job of setting up Hart, Blue, and even Nightingale as her future opponents. I continue to be encouraged that AEW has given more time to promos on Dynamite since the season premiere edition a couple weeks ago.
Footage aired from earlier in the day of Alex Marvez talking with Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson, and Nicholas Jackson. Nicholas commended Marvez for saying Okada’s full name, then told him to show more respect by speaking to him in Japanese.
Matthew shifted the focus to Okada challenging for the Continental Championship. Nicholas pointed out that he and Matthew would not be allowed at ringside. Matthew said they would be backstage with the headsets on and would have Okada’s back.
Okada spoke in Japanese and then stated in English that he’s coming for Eddie Kingston’s title. Matthew asked Marvez if he understood the Japanese part. Marvez said no. Matthew called him a dumbass and told him to study up by next week…
Kazuchika Okada made his entrance. Renee Paquette stood at the bottom of the entrance ramp and said she spoke with Kingston earlier and Kingston said he would dispel myths about Okada. Kingston made his entrance…
1. Eddie Kingston vs. Kazuchika Okada for the Continental Championship. Okada backed Kingston into the ropes and teased chopping him. Kingston went right at Okada and got him in a seated position before drilling him with a chop to the chest. Both men ended up at ringside where Okada put Kingston down with a DDT. Okada flashed a sinister grin while surveying the damage.
Cameras cut backstage where the Jacksons were watching the match next to Tony Khan. Back inside the ring, Okada remained in offensive control once they returned to the ring and the show cut to the first picture-in-picture break. [C]
Kingston hit Okada with a sliding elbow strike and covered him for a two count. Kingston threw chops at Okada once both men were back on their feet, but then Okada dropped him with a dropkick. Okada performed a neckbreaker over his knee and covered Kingston for a near fall.
Okada slammed Kingston and then went to the ropes and jumped over a charging Kingston, who then caught him with a back fist for a near fall. There were dueling chants for the wrestlers as they got to their knees and traded strikes. Once they got to their feet, Kingston put Okada down on one knee with a chop.
Okada threw a big clothesline at Kingston, who put his arms up and still sold the move. Kingston came back with a clothesline and then lowered the straps on his gear. Kingston grabbed Okada from behind. Okada grabbed the referee and escaped Kingston’s grip before gouging his eye.
Kingston performed an enzuigiri. Okada ducked another spinning back fist attempt. Okada hit Kingston with the Rainmaker clothesline and then pinned him clean.
Kazuchika Okada defeated Eddie Kingston in 15:55 to win the Continental Championship.
The Jacksons were shown celebrating the win next to Khan in the backstage area. Pyro shot off on the stage while Okada celebrated his win inside the ring.
Pac made his entrance and paced on the stage while Okada motioned for him to come to the ring. Pac stared Okada down and then headed backstage…
Powell’s POV: A competitive match with a clean win for Okada. I like the idea of putting a title on Okada in short order, but I really don’t understand why the match was for one of Kingston’s three titles. And now that the Young Bucks were shown sitting with Khan, it feels like we really need an explanation for why Khan’s television character allows the EVP characters to act like d-bags.
Paquette interviewed Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana on the backstage interview set. Swerve said Samoa Joe tried to humiliate him by choking him out two weeks ago. Swerve said he has his own history of choking people out and said Joe has been running from him. Swerve said he was inspired by Mike Tyson getting ready for his fight and wanted his own fight tonight. Swerve said they better send a big man and closed with his “Whose House” line… [C]
Paquette interviewed Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Stokely Hathaway and noted that they would be in the street fight main event against Julia Hart and Skye Blue on Rampage. After Willow and Statlander spoke briefly, Mercedes Mone showed up.
Statlander thanked Mone for having Willow’s back last week. Mone said a CEO stands up for what she believes in. She said she would be watching the street fight and said payback is a bitch. Mone shook Statlander’s hand and thanked her for having her back.
Willow tried to speak to Mone, who told her that she’d done enough. After Mone walked away, Hathaway asked Willow why she was worried about Mone and laughed while saying that Willow broke Mone’s ankle. Willow walked away…
Powell’s POV: Good follow-up to the opening segment with a nice tease that Mone would be watching the Rampage main event, which plans the seed with viewers that she could pop up later tonight.
Hook made his entrance. Chris Jericho made his “Lionheart” entrance…
2. FTW Champion Hook vs. Chris Jericho in a non-title match. Hook suplexed Jericho, who stayed down for a moment and held the back of his head once he stood up. Hook fired shots at Jericho, who responded with chops. Hook suplexed Jericho again and covered him for a two count.
Hook continued to take Jericho to Suplex City with additional suplexes. Jericho was down and holding the back of his head going into a PIP break. [C] Hook suplexed Jericho again. Excalibur said it was “a lopsided affair.”
Hook performed another German suplex and then played to the crowd. Jericho finally blocked a suplex attempt and rolled Hook into position for the Walls of Jericho. Hook fought free before Jericho could apply the hold. Jericho caught a charging Hook with a boot and then put him down with back to back shoulder blocks.
Jericho went up top and jumped toward Hook, who suplexed him again. Jericho came back and hit a Lionsault. Jericho held his head before covering Hook for a two count. Hook charged at Jericho, who tossed him into an awkward landing.
Jericho sat Hook on the top turnbuckle and started throwing punches at him while the fans counted. Hook put Jericho in Redrum while both men were on the ropes. Hook maintained the hold while Jericho got to his feet and walked to the middle of the ring. Jericho escaped the hold and went for the Walls of Jericho, but Hook caught him in an inside cradle for the three count.
FTW Champion Hook beat Chis Jericho in 10:50 in a non-title match.
Taz noted that it may have been Hook’s first pinfall victory. Jericho approached Hook and held out his fist, which Hook bumped with his own fist. Jericho exited the ring while Hook played to the crowd…
Powell’s POV: I wasn’t crazy about Jericho escaping Hook’s finisher, but he obviously made up for it by taking the pin. Is this leading to a Jericho heel turn? He definitely needs to do something fresh and this felt like the start of something.
Adam Cole sat in a chair on what appeared to be the same room they used for his fairytale promo from a week earlier. Cole said he hates the feeling of being disappointed and last week Wardlow disappointed him. Cole said Wardlow failed when he challenged Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship.
Cole said Wardlow had one job and he failed. Cole said he, er, Wardlow should be the AEW World Champion. Cole said Wardlow’s new job is to make sure that Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong keep their titles. Cole said if Wardlow does that, they might forgive him. Cole said he cares about Wardlow and wants what’s best for him. Cole said he wants Wardlow to reach his true potential and told him not to screw it up… [C]
Powell’s POV: Wardlow is back in the same spot that he was in with MJF. The difference now is that they haven’t established that he’s stuck in this spot due to the type of contractual arrangement that he had with MJF, so there should be nothing stopping him from telling the Undisputed Kingdom to piss off.
Chris Jericho was interviewed by Paquette in the backstage area. Paquette asked if Hook earned Jericho’s respect. Jericho said Hook lived up to what he was hoping for. Jericho said Hook is a future world champion and every bit the bad man that everyone says he is. Jericho said he would have a proposition for Hook on next week’s Dynamite…
[Hour Two] Will Ospreay made his entrance and was interviewed by Schiavone inside the ring. Ospreay said he was a naughty boy the last time he was in Canada, but he’s changed and is now for the betterment of AEW. Ospreay mentioned something about wanting maple syrup in return, which led to “Bruv” chants.
Ospreay recalled Bryan Danielson saying he was grateful to be getting in the ring with him, but then he also said Ospreay couldn’t walk in his shoes. Ospreay said he couldn’t fit in Danielson’s shoes because they are too small for him. Ospreay said that what Danielson did in Japan was great, whereas he elevated professional wrestling while he was in Japan.
Ospreay ran through the titles he won in Japan. Ospreay said he would prove he could walk in Danielson’s shoes. Ospreay brought up Katsuyori Shibata and recalled that Shibata beat the hell out of him. Ospreay said he was a 23 year-old kid and is a different man now and has something to prove. Ospreay challenged Shibata to face him next week on Dynamite. Excalibur said Tony Khan just made the match official…
A video package recapped the AEW feud between Christian Cage and Adam Copeland. A tweet from Cage said he didn’t need a has-been to remind him of who he is. Cage told Copeland to bring his “crutch” and said he would be waiting in the middle of the ring alone…
Entrances for the women’s tag team match took place…
3. AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm and Mariah May (w/Luther) vs. Thunder Rosa and Deonna Purrazzo. May was dressed in rocker Storm attire. Luther took a swipe that Rosa jumped over while on the apron. Storm took advantage of the distraction and knocked Rosa down to the floor heading into a PIP break. [C]
Purrazzo was in the middle of the ring when Rosa walked over and tagged herself in (where’s the tag ropes?!?). Storm hit a hip attack on Rosa in the corner. Storm set up for Storm Zero, but Rosa countered into a jackknife pin and got the three count.
Thunder Rosa and Deonna Purrazzo defeated Toni Storm and Mariah May in 7:20.
After the match, Purrazzo was upset with Rosa for tagging herself in…
Powell’s POV: Only referee Rick Knox would allow a tag to count when it happened on the middle of the apron. Seriously, it’s as if someone backstage wants to make Knox look bad every week. Putting that aside, the focus should have been on Rosa pinning the AEW Women’s Champion, but it felt like it was more about Purrazzo being upset with Rosa. It was a strange tag so I’m not sure how they want viewers to feel about it.
Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana made their entrance. The Butcher made his entrance as Strickland’s opponent. Swerve smiled…
4. Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) vs. The Butcher. Butcher jawed at Swerve, who looked to the crowd and then headbutted his opponent. Excalibur announced that there would not be an episode of Collision on Saturday due to the NCAA basketball tournament. The show will return on March 30.
Butcher turned Swerve inside out with a clothesline. Swerve popped right up and performed a standing double stomp. Swerve hit a House Call and then a top rope double stomp. Swerve applied a modified short-arm scissor submission hold and got the win. The broadcast team said it was the first time they could remember Swerve winning a match via submission in AEW.
Swerve Strickland defeated The Butcher in 3:25.
After the match, Swerve stood in the ring with a chain around his neck. Swerve got a mic and said he had a lot of respect for Samoa Joe before he met him. He said he felt indifference once they met, and then he started to dislike him. Swerve said he’s now he’s close to hating him.
Swerve spoke about choking out Joe with the chain, but he said Joe’s neck is so big that he doesn’t have enough chain. Swerve said he would take out Joe’s security every week until Joe gives him what he wants.
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe made his entrance dressed in a suit. Joe stopped at the bottom of the entrance ramp. Joe said logic would dictate that he could completely ignore Swerve because he beat him at Revolution. Joe said you couldn’t do that with people like Swerve.
Joe said Swerve’s biggest problem is that the impossible is possible. Joe said the problem with that belief is that it’s infectious and the people start to believe it. Joe said he knew what to do with Swerve, which would be to give him exactly what he wants. Joe slammed the mic down and started walking toward the ring.
Don Callis interrupted over a mic and walked onto the stage. Callis said that Swerve and Konosuke Takeshita have the same number of wins, but Takeshita is undefeated outside the Callis Family. Callis said Takeshita could show Swerve what it’s like to lose to the Family. Callis said it’s not Swerve’s House, it’s the Don Callis Family’s House. The fans booed loudly.
Swerve said if he wasn’t distracted, he would burn the Don Callis Family tree down to a crisp. Swerve said he would face Takeshita and once he finished with him, he would be coming for Joe. Excalibur announced that Takeshita will Swerve for next week…
Powell’s POV: The match was a solid showcase for Swerve that didn’t overstay its welcome. Will Takeshita be the last hoop that Swerve has to jump through before they make Joe vs. Swerve official for AEW Revolution.
Excalibur announced the following matches for next week’s AEW Dynamite: Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita, The Young Bucks vs. Private Party in an AEW Tag Team Title tournament quarterfinal match, and Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata…
Excalibur said the main event was coming up next… [C] Entrances for the main event took place. Adam Copeland came out first. Once he was in the ring and his entrance theme stopped playing, the fans continued to sing the lyrics until Christian Cage’s entrance theme interrupted them. Cage made his entrance without any of his usual sidekicks…
5. Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland in an I Quit match for the TNT Championship. Excalibur gave the usual spiel about how they would stick with the match as long as they needed to on TBS and on TSN in Canada. The fans chanted “holy shit” to start.
Copeland and Cage fought into the crowd. Copeland removed a Boston Bruins jersey from one fan and put it on Cage, then grabbed a Toronto Maple Leaf jersey from another fan and put it on himself. Copeland and Cage threw punches in hockey fight style and continued to brawl in the crowd heading into a PIP break. [C]
Copeland tried to place a ladder over the barricade and apron, but the ladder was too small. Copeland placed the ladder over the barricade and the broadcast table instead. Cage fought back and climbed onto the ladder. Copeland threw punches at Cage and then joined him on the ladder and pulled him backwards onto the ladder. Copeland also sold the effect of landing on the ladder.
Copeland brought the ladder inside the ring and set it up upside down. Copeland picked up Cage and dropped him on the ladder’s inner braces. Ouch! A “you sick f—” chant broke out. Copeland pulled a table out from underneath the ring and leaned it against the barricade.
Copeland tried to spear Cage, but Cage leapfrogged him and poked his eyes before running him into the ring post. Copeland bled from the forehead. Cage went up top and dove at Copeland, who crashed through the table that was leaning against the barricade.
Cage set up the ladder over the middle ropes and then catapulted Copeland into it. The referee checked on Copeland, who did not quit. Copeland came back with a submission hold. Cage gouged Copeland’s eyes to escape the hold. Cage and Copeland performed simultaneous spear attempts and their shoulder collided. Both men were down heading into a PIP break. [C]
Cage tried to leave during the break, but Copeland caught up to him on the stage before he could leave via one of the tunnels. Copeland catapulted Cage off the stage to the floor just as the show returned from the break. The referee checked on Cage, who declined to quit.
Copeland picked up Cage and dropped him on a hockey net that was sitting next to the side of the stage. Why? Because it’s Canada, so shut up. Cage started to beg off once they made it to the bottom of the entrance ramp.
Shayna Wayne ran out with a hockey stick and low-blowed Copeland with it. Cage broke the hockey stick over Copeland’s back and then threw him back inside the ring. Cage used the bottom half of the broken stick to beat Copeland with. Cage flexed while Shayna fanned herself at ringside.
Cage jabbed Copeland’s throat with the stick. The referee checked on Copeland, who did not respond when he was asked if he quit. Cage went to ringside and pulled out two chairs, then pulled out another chair that was wrapped in barbwire. Cage placed Copeland’s head on a standard chair and wound up with the barbwire chair, but Copeland moved out of the way to avoid it.
[Overrun] Copeland picked up the chair and charged Cage, who avoided it. Copeland picked up the broken hockey stick and caught Cage in the throat with it. Copeland placed the stick in Cage’s mouth and wrenched back, but Cage still didn’t give up. Copeland choked Cage with another object.
Killswitch and Nick Wayne hit the ring and attacked Copeland. Killswitch and Nick held Copeland in place while Shayna entered the ring and slapped him.
Daniel Garcia and Matt Menard ran out and fought with Killswitch and Nick. Copeland planted Killswitch on the barbwire chair with a DDT. Nicki was tossed over the top rope and his foot hit Killswitch. Copeland climbed onto a ladder in the ring and dove onto Killswitch and Nick on the floor.
Copeland rolled Nick inside the ring where Garcia was waiting with handcuffs. Copeland cuffed Nick in one corner and then Garcia and Menard cuffed Killswitch in another. The babyfaces surrounded Shayna, who left the ring.
Garcia and Menard punched Cage and then Copeland speared him. Garcia and Menard handcuffed Cage in another corner of the ring while Copeland went to ringside and grabbed Spike, his board with nails. Copeland kicked Cage in the balls repeatedly, but Cage still didn’t give up.
Copeland opened the case and pulled out the weapon, which he slammed into Cage’s groin. The screen went black and apparently this was now Rampage. Copeland wound up with the weapon and then Cage gave up.
Adam Copeland defeated Christian Cage in 25:50 in an I Quit match to win the TNT Championship.
Copeland flipped off Cage and left the ring with his title belt and his weapon…
Powell’s POV: A wild brawl that started stronger than it ended. It became a little too much with all the interference and handcuffs. And you had to know the match wouldn’t conclude until Copeland brought out Spike. Overall, a good episode. AEW continued the recent trend of finding a better balance of in-ring action and promos/storytelling. Here’s hoping that continues. I will be back later tonight with my audio review of AEW Dynamite and Rampage for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Dynamite by grading the show below.
Join me for my live review of AEW Rampage in a separate post available via the main page.
Jericho has a proposition for Hook? I hope Hook has enough sense not to go into Jericho’s hotel room
We know he won’t be shit on at least
If he made him listen to him sing it would be just as bad. Poor soft AEW mark had his feelings hurt over a joke.
TK has never understood the fine line between top talent elevating others vs top talent being brought down by others. Mone’s going to suffer from this feud as compared to Willow being elevated. Cena vs Waller would elevate Waller, Cena vs Otis would bring down Cena.
Cena is willing to put talents over and is a much bigger star than Mone. What do you think is going to happen if she’s asked to put someone over? She’ll cry and take her inflated ego and opinion of herself home
I’m not a big Mone fan, but she put over Mayu Iwatani in Stardom which is literally the last match she worked prior to the one that injured her. So based on that, I guess if asked to put someone over, she…probably would?
How many people saw this? There’s a big difference between jobbing in Japan and jobbing here in the states
Just like Cena vs. Theory elevated Theory, right?
So it didn’t work. Cena was willing to put Theory over on the biggest show of the year and that’s my point. I’m not sure Mone will do that a bigger stage
I will NEVER understand that program. Sure Cena finished the night looking up at the lights, but he dressed-down Theory so brutally he never recovered. I really thought Theory was something special, but the damage may be perm.
Good show, and it really seems as if, FINALLY, AEW is having some storylines which is really the only thing they were missing (the talent is great). Hopefully this trend continues, and we have some storylines that last different lengths of time.
Only sensible comment on here. Willow was the natural first feud for Mone. People crying and trying to pour cold water in her and she has not wrestled a match yet. This womens division has the most depth than any womens division. The E drones still crying Mercedes told them where to shove their 8 figure offer.
Also agree , this was a great show. Good in ring, good promos. Before the main event pretty much all the action between the ropes. The show built nicely toward the main event. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing Copelands run as tnt champ.
This isnt getting any better at all.
Edge is dead, and Adam Copeland looks like a washed up janitor. (this kills me as Edge is in my top 5 of all time faves)
Speaking of washed up janitors, Jehrico needs to disappear – period. He reminds me of Roddy Piper at the end, not able to admit its over (Piper, btw, was my all time fave until he couldnt walk away)
My final janitor comment falls to Eddie Kingston, who for some reason last night only defended one of his three toy belts (he has always defended the three simultaneously up until now) – with no explanation. Wow I bet Okada is excited to be the new 24/7 champ!
And then we have poor Adam Cole. This is a good example of why injured stars should sit out until they are ready to get back in the ring. His stock has plummeted to the point where I don’t even care when he comes back. His whole crew looks like they might me mid carders on this weekends charity event at the local Lions club.
Instead of coming here and complaining every week like another poor soul here, just don’t watch. Not that hard to avoid, unless you just like being negative…
>> (where’s the tag ropes?!?)>>
Ummm…you might want to pay attention to how many times that “tag rope” isn’t used nowadays in every wrestling company….