By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 249)
Calgary, Alberta at Calgary Stampede Saddledome
Aired live July 10, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] The show opened with a recap of MJF attacking Daniel Garcia on last week’s Dynamite and included footage from MJF’s follow-up promo from Saturday’s Collision…
AEW International Champion Will Ospreay made his entrance while the broadcast team of Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Nigel McGuinness checked in. Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced Ospreay, who was handed a mic from ringside.
Ospreay sat on a top turnbuckle while the fans chanted his name and then thanked them for doing so. Ospreay said he was appalled by what took place at the end of Dynamite. He said he’s heard rumors that MJF is one of the most insecure men in pro wrestling. Ospreay said MJF showed it by attacking Garcia, who earns every opportunity he gets.
Ospreay said Garcia was at home with no feeling in his arms and is unsure when or if he will be able to return to pro wrestling. Ospreay took issue with MJF blaming the fans. Ospreay recalled MJF using ADD as an excuse. Ospreay said he has ADHD and that doesn’t give him an excuse to be a little prick.
Ospreay said he’s only had a few interactions with MJF and he can tell that MJF doesn’t like him. Ospreay said the bidding war of 2024 didn’t go MJF’s way for a few reasons. Ospreay said Tony Khan would rather spend money on guys who will elevate AEW rather than bury it. Ospreay recalled MJF referring to him as a talentless hack. Ospreay said he has more talent in his left nut than MJF has in his entire body.
Powell’s POV: Men always talks about their left nut. Why doesn’t the right nut get any love? Anyway, back to the show.
Ospreay said he doesn’t make AEW all about himself and labeled MJF “a selfish little prick.” Ospreay said he feels like he has been cleaning up someone else’s mess since he arrived in AEW. He said he found the guy that he’s been cleaning up after. Ospreay said the scumbag version of MJF is said to be the best version. He said it’s been the same shit for five years. Ospreay called out MJF.
MJF’s entrance theme played, but he did not come out. MJF was shown on the big screen seated in a chair with a glass of wine in his hand. He said the people don’t deserve the privilege of being that close to his greatness. MJF said he’s beaten the favorites of everyone the fans labeled a top guy.
MJF said he doesn’t have to murder himself. He said Ospreay is the toy monkey of the fans. He said the fans will get tired of it and they will throw him out in the trash like they tried to do to him. MJF said he is not replaceable, whereas the fans will move on from Ospreay and call the next “flippy guy” the best in the world.
MJF played up Ospreay wanting to fight him tonight. MJF said no. He said he doesn’t wrestle for fun. MJF challenged Ospreay to face him next week for the AEW International Championship. MJF said that for the first time in his life, Ospreay won’t be wrestling for stars, he’ll be punched in the face until he starts seeing them. “Adorable,” Ospreay said after the video ended. “Max, I’ll see you next week, you little bitch”…
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised they are not saving the first Ospreay vs. MJF match for All In. Of course, next week could turn out to be more of an angle than a match. Either way, I really like that AEW is following up the tournament finals with a big advertised match for next week, and then the Blood & Guts match will be held the week after that.
A video package set up the men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament final. Special enforcer Jeff Jarrett made his entrance and stood on the stage next to the trophy. Bryan Danielson made his entrance and headed to the ring while Jarrett remained on the stage. Jarrett looked at the heel entrance tunnel when Hangman Page’s entrance theme played, but Page came out through the babyface entrance tunnel…
1. Bryan Danielson vs. Hangman Page in the finals the men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament with Jeff Jarrett as special enforcer. Justin Roberts delivered in-ring introductions for the match. Jarrett sat in a chair at ringside in front of the entrance ramp. Excalibur said Taz was in Calgary, but Chris Jericho lobbied the EVPs to have him banned from the building. Page ran Danielson into a turnbuckle, causing Danielson to fall to the floor heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Danielson was bleeding heavily from the forehead coming out of the break. McGuinness badmouthed Danielson. Schiavone said Danielson and McGuinness had four of the best matches he’s ever seen. Excalibur said Tony Khan informed him that Ospreay vs. MJF for the AEW International Championship will open next week’s 250th edition of Dynamite.
Danielson caught Page in a crossarm breaker and transitioned into the LeBell Lock. Page reached the ropes with his foot to break the hold. Danielson threw kicks at Page, who blocked one and then hoisted up Danielson, who hit him with elbow strikes.
Page suplexed Danielson, who battled back and went for a top rope headbutt that Page avoided. Page put Danielson in a crossface until Danielson reached the ropes with his foot as they went to another PIP break. [C] Danielson performed a springboard flip dive onto Page on the floor.
Danielson sold his neck, which he’d been doing throughout the match. Danielson blew off referee Paul Turner and threw kicks at Page, who ducked the finale pick. Page performed a piledriver on the floor. Turner, trainer Doc Sampson, and Jeff Jarrett all checked on Danielson.
Page went after Danielson, but Jarrett intervened. Page pie-faced Jarrett and returned to the ring. Danielson struggled to get to his feet. Back in the ring, Page removed the athletic tape from the neck of Danielson. Schiavone said Danielson missed last year’s All In after breaking his arm. McGuinness mocked Danielson for missing the show over breaking just one out of 206 bones. Funny.
Danielson hit Page with a Busaiku Knee, but he was too weary to go for the cover. Danielson and Page traded headbutts. Danielson got the better of it and then kicked Page before suplexing him, but Page landed on his feet. Page suplexed Danielson, who did the same. Danielson went for a Busaiku Knee, but Page avoided it and Danielson took out Turner. REF BUMP!
Page turned Danielson inside out with a clothesline and then removed his belt and whipped Danielson with it. Jarrett entered the ring was shoved to the mat by Page. Jarrett pulled himself up and removed his t-shirt to reveal a referee shirt with the arms cut off. Danielson rolled up Page and Jarrett made the two count.
Danielson tried to put Page in the LeBell Lock, but Page escaped and hit the Deadeye. Page covered Danielson for a two count made by Jarrett. Page hit Danielson from behind with a Buckshot Lariat. Page went for a standard Buckshot Lariat, but Danielson avoided it and rolled him into a pin for a two count.
Page put Danielson in his own LeBell Lock finishing hold. McGuinness yelled that Danielson was out. Jarrett checked Danielson’s arm, but it did not drop. Danielson rolled Page into a pin and got the three count.
Bryan Danielson defeated Hangman Page in 25:50 to win the Owen Hart Cup tournament to earn an AEW World Championship match at AEW All In.
Page glared at Jarrett and then stormed to the back. Jarrett went to the stage and hugged Martha Hart. Jarrett and Martha walked to the ring together. Hart spoke briefly. and then presented Danielson with the trophy and the title belt.
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland made his entrance with dancing Prince Nana heading into a standard break. [C]
Powell’s POV: A pay-per-view main event level match that concluded with a clean finish to open the show. It felt like the match would have gone either way given that Danielson is wrapping up his full-time career, and Page and Swerve have the most heated feud in company history. That was a blast and it sets the stage for the big All In main event.
Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana were in the ring coming out of the break. Swerve recalled Will Ospreay looking him in the eye and telling him that the best in the world was the person who holds the championship. Swerve said he is the best in the world now that he’s beaten Ospreay and he is still AEW World Champion.
Swerve congratulated Bryan Danielson for winning the Owen Hart Cup and said that it would be an honor to face him in the main event at All In. Swerve said it still bothers him that Danielson holds a pinfall victory over him. Swerve said they are at two different points in their careers. Swerve said Danielson is on the downslide whereas he is the most dangerous man in AEW.
Swerve recalled The EVPs attempting to recruit him to be on their Blood & Guts team. Swerve announced that he will be in Blood & Guts for Team AEW. Swerve said he would step up and lead the team. He said he would do two things that Danielson failed to do this year – beat Ospreay and lead Team AEW to victory over The Elite.
Swerve challenged Kazuchika Okada to face him and said the world champion would show him how to make it rain. Swerve said he would see Danielson at All In. Swerve promised Danielson that it would truly be his final countdown…
Powell’s POV: Meh. Swerve has had better promos. He didn’t say anything that Danielson can’t shoot down in a rebuttal promo and perhaps that’s what Swerve was setting up, but I don’t want to hear that the challenger for the world championship on AEW’s biggest show of the year is on the downslide. I’m happy that Swerve is on Team AEW in Blood & Guts, but his challenge to Okada came out of nowhere.
A video package spotlighted the women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament final… [C]
[Hour Two] A new Acclaimed music video aired with Max Caster rapping about The Elite… Excalibur reminded viewers that The Acclaimed are still owed a shot at the AEW Tag Team Titles… Entrances for the Stampede Street Fight took place…
2. FTW Champion Chris Jericho (w/Bryan Keith) vs. Samoa Joe in a Stampede Street Fight in a non-title match. Jericho wore a cowboy hat to the ring. Joe removed the hat and held it by Jericho’s face and then punched it. Joe ducked a clothesline and then dove through the ropes and hit Keith with a flying forearm. Joe tossed Keith over the barricade. Jericho missed a dropkick through the ropes and then punched Joe before hitting him with a chair.
Jericho pulled out a black bag and then poured horseshoes in the ring. Jericho tried and failed to suplex Joe, who ended up slamming Jericho onto the horse shoes. Joe performed a senton on Jericho and covered him for a two count. Jericho came back with a low blow kick. Jericho put Joe in the Walls of Jericho heading into a PIP break. [C]
Joe and Jericho fought into the crowd and eventually into the backstage area. Jericho threw coffee at Joe, who then avoided the Judas Effect and put Jericho in the Coquina Clutch. Big Bill showed up and hit Joe with a chair from behind. Keith showed up and joined Bill in beating on Joe. Jericho hit Joe a belt with a buckle that was given to him by Martha Hart. Bill chokeslammed Joe onto a pallet on a forklift.
Jericho looked into the camera and said “Hi, guys” before driving the front of the forklift through a wall. Colt Cabana and others showed up to check on Joe. It was announced that the doctor stopped the match…
Chris Jericho beat Samoa Joe via ref stoppage in 12:35 in a Stampede Street Fight.
Powell’s POV: The makeshift wall consisted of some drywall and looked really bad. The intensity eventually picked up, but I was surprised that Joe came out looking like he would for any other match given the beatdown that he, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata took last week. Jericho seemed more sinister than he’s been since The Learning Tree nonsense started.
Joe was stretchered into the back of an ambulance. Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith were shown waving at the ambulance while Excalibur said Jericho has lost it…
3. Claudio Castagnoli (w/Wheeler Yuta) vs. Kyle Fletcher vs. Pac vs. Tomohiro Ishii in a four-way for a shot at the AEW International Championship. Don Callis sat in on commentary. None of the entrances were televised. Castagnoli performed an early dive over the top rope onto all three opponents heading into a PIP break. [C]
Pac performed a nice Poison Rana on Fletcher. Castagnoli hit Pac with an popup uppercut. Ishii put Castagnoli down with a lariat. Fletcher hit a tombstone piledriver on Ishii for a near fall. A short time later, Castagnoli did the giant swing to Fletcher and then applied a Sharpshooter.
Pac went up top and dropped an elbow on Fletcher while he was in the Sharpshooter. Pac put Fletcher in the Brutalizer while Castgnoli had him in the Sharpshooter. Ishii hit Castagnoli, who released the hold. Ishii put Castagnoli down and then broke up the submission hold by taking out Pac. Ishii turned Fletcher inside out with a lariat.
Castagnoli took out Ishii and then performed a Neutralizer on Fletcher. Pac pulled Castagnoli off the pin. Pac and Castagnoli bickered. Ishii suplexed Castagnoli. Pac suplexed Ishii and then Castagnoli. Fletcher caught Pac in an inside cradle for a two count. Pac caught Fletcher with a big boot and then hit him with a Dark Arrow. Pac applied the Brutalizer and the referee called for the bell.
Pac defeated Kyle Fletcher, Claudio Castagnoli, and Tomohiro Ishii in a four-way in 11:10 to earn a shot at the AEW International Championship.
After the match, Pac sat in a corner of the ring and said things have not been going well for him recently. Pac got to his feet and said he’s made many bold promises and suffered many humiliating failures. Pac said he didn’t know what he was going to do next, but it was All In season and he won’t be denied his Wembley moment. Pac said he was drawing a line in the sand. “The Bastard will be back,” Pac said…
Powell’s POV: A crowd pleasing match, but it looked rough when Castagnoli was on his feet and clearly didn’t make much of an effort to break up the submission hold at the end. Excalibur made it seem like Pac would “potentially” go for the AEW International Championship at Wembley. Why not just state that if that’s the plan?
Renee Paquette was talking backstage about Bryan Danielson winning the Owen Hart Cup tournament when Hangman Page walked past her. Paquette tried to talk to him, but he ignored her. Paquette barked at him about showing some respect for what she was trying to do.
Page knocked on a dressing room door. Kazuchika Okada answered the door and asked if he could help him. Page tried to walk past Okada, who stopped him and repeated the question. Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson walked out of the room. “I’ll do it,” Page told them, presumably referring to the Blood & Guts match…
TBS Champion and NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone made her entrance. Mone wore her TBS Title while the NJPW title belt was on a belt holder that was on a table in the middle of the ring. Mone told Calgary to say hello to their CEO and thanked the EVPs for making sure she would not be interrupted.
Mone boasted that she’s the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be, which drew good heat from the Calgary crowd. Mone said Britt Baker should wake up from her fantasy about facing her at All In. Mone said Baker would have more than herniated disks and a stroke because she would leave her for dead. Mone tried to lead a toast for herself.
Britt Baker’s entrance music played and she walked out wearing a cowboy hat. Security guards tried to stop Baker, but she hit one and superkicked the other. The additional security guards parted and let her walk past them while Mone fled to ringside…
Excalibur hyped the main event as coming up next… [C]
Powell’s POV: There wasn’t much to that segment, but it was fine for what it was. There’s a lot of time left before All In and they will need some basic segments like this one to avoid having the feud peak too soon.
Brandon Cutler was lying on the ground asking for mercy. The camera showed Darby Allin, who hit Cutler. Allin grabbed the camera and recalled Jack Perry saying we all have to make sacrifices. Allin said Cutler just made his. Allin mentioned next week’s Dynamite 250 and said they were just getting started…
Mariah May made her entrance with Toni Storm and Luther. Willow Nightingale came out alone…
5. Willow Nightingale vs. Mariah May (w/Toni Storm, Luther) in the finals the women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament. Justin Roberts delivered in-ring introductions for the tournament final. Schiavone said he had some great news and then said the show would have an overrun (it has an overrun damn near every week!). Willow and May shook hands.
Excalibur announced AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland vs. AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada in a champion vs. champion match for next week’s Dynamite. Willow punched May off the apron and then hit her with a cannonball dive from the apron heading into a PIP break. [C]
May hit Willow with a missile dropkick and then followed up with a hip attack in the corner. May DDT’d Willow and covered her for a two count. Storm was shown rooting for May from ringside while Luther used his hands to fan Storm. Willow came back and put May down with a spinebuster for a two count.
A short time later, Willow set up for the Pounce, but May headbutted her and both women fell to the mat. A person wearing a hooded sweatshirt climbed on the apron and was grabbed by Willow while Storm bickered with the distracted referee. Kris Statlander showed up and booted Willow. The hood came off the mystery person, who was revealed to be Stokely Hathaway.
Storm drilled Willow with a knee strike for a good near fall. Willow came right back with two near falls of her own. Willow hit May with a cannonball in the corner and then set up for a move in the middle of the ring, but May rolled her into a pin and got the three count…
Mariah May defeated Willow Nightingale in 12:00 to win the women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament to earn a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship at AEW All In.
[Overrun] After the match, Willow congratulated May before leaving the ring. May jumped into the arms of Storm, who spun around in celebration. Storm and May left the ring. Storm skipped and followed May to the stage. May grabbed the pink title belt and drilled Storm with it. May worked over Storm with the belt.
When Luther tried to intervene, May beat him with the belt. Storm came up bleeding. May hit Luther with another belt shot that knocked him off the stage and through tables on the floor. May grabbed one of Storm’s heels and beat her with it, then raked the heel part into her bloody forehead. May kissed the bloody forehead of the crying Storm and then held her head while looking to the crowd. Excalibur called May a psycho and said what she did was despicable…
Powell’s POV: A solid main event. It was so nice that the finals of both tournaments felt like they could have gone either way. I actually picked Danielson and May to win once the brackets were announced, but I grew less confident once the finals for both tournaments were set. I’m surprised they pulled the trigger on May’s turn now rather than waiting until we get a little closer to All in. I’m curious to see whether the London fans will cheer the popular Storm or hometown heel May.
Overall, a good episode that was carried by those two tournament final matches. I will have a lot more to say about this episode in my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Dynamite by grading it below.
Hot shot booking reaps of desperation
Another good episode of dynamite. Loved the end shot of storm. That angle wont be bettered this year in any company. Loving all the fed drones in here crapping on it. You are all so sad its funny. Go and watch mami and liv fight over that little child. Waited to turn May? May got what she wanted … and now she wants the title. All In is really starting to come together.
Shitty Russo lesbian angle with blood drinking. I’m sure Owen Hart would be proud to have his name associated with this crap. Way to go Dr. Martha. Grab that bag! Khan with hot shot booking for next week weeks for a one week bump that may or may not work is pure desperation. The term fed drone is so clever too. You’re one of those bots that cocaine Khan likes to talk about aren’t you? About 3 or 4 times more of the people watching this gross angle will see the mami/liv stuff by the way. Summerslam in Cleveland has sold more tickets that wembley. Still no rights renewal deal with WBD yet but everything is just great. Shall I go on?
“I’m surprised they are not saving the first Ospreay vs. MJF match for All In.”
Tony Khan is equal parts shitty booker and fucking moron.
Another good episode of dynamite. Loved the end shot of storm. That angle wont be bettered this year in any company. Loving all the fed drones in here crapping on it. You are all so sad its funny. Go and watch mami and liv fight over that little child. Waited to turn May? May got what she wanted … and now she wants the title. All In is really starting to come together.
Copy/paste of your other comment.
Nobody is watching this shit. The year over year trends are atrocious. They’re appealing to the lowest common denominator and making that number shrink. Kudos on liking something that nobody with a functioning adult brain is watching.
I don’t need to see a woman gurgling up blood up close. Really gross. I guess I am not a “sicko”.
What’s worse is the blood means nothing because someone is always bleeding multiple times on the show every week. Save it for big angles so it actually means something
I’m with you on this. I have never been all that comfortable with seeing women bleed, and don’t know why we need to see people smearing it or getting it anywhere near their mouths. It’s gross.
There are times obviously when someone does get bloody and it’s meant to enhance some hardcore feud or something. But it seems every week someone or multiple someone’s are bleeding in AEW and so it doesn’t mean anything and ends up just being gross.
Overall though, some actual attempts at storytelling and building some feuds. This will make me more likely to pay to watch All In if they can make us care about why people are fighting and not just trying to have five star matches.
Khan has out russoed Vince Russo. Someone actually thinking this garbage is good
LOOK AT THIS PATHETIC LOSER BRIAN. HE LOVES TONY KHAN MORE THAN ANYBODY, HE CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT THE GUY!
Look at this loser! Can’t stand anyone criticizing his favorite glorified indy!
Two good eps in a row.
I never think the “All-in season” or “All-in moment” stuff sounds cool or elevates the event. It just makes them sound like wannabes.
If Ishii is involved in even one thing on Aew going forward, then it further proves TK is a fanboy and not a booker. Ishii looked nothing short of awful in that match. His forearms looked like dog shit, he couldn’t even run the ropes, etc.
Producers have the champ set up an epic match at All In… and then 2 other matches to take the wind out of the All In announcement.
Looking forward to May and Storm’s promos and match. It will be interesting to see, after All In, how they exist without the other in the act.
There are two people here who constantly b*tch and moan about AEW shows.
Just think about it – you’re complaining about scripted, soap opera like wrestling shows.
Are you that unhappy in life that you sit behind a keyboard and trash wrestling? It’s sad.
I endorse this statement.
You also get intimate farm animals.
Show us on the doll where TK touched you.
What’s an intimate farm animal?
Yes I’m a sad unhappy person because I don’t like shitty wrestling and bad booking. And yet you feel the need to respond to me so what does that say about you. As far as your soap opera comment when AEW started Khan said it was going to be sports based. This crap is as far as sports based as you can get
Brian the loser still watches it every week, what a weirdo.
You’re responding to everyone of my comments and I’m a weirdo. Ok. Your mom needs to shut the Wi-Fi off. I’m glad you have a good signal in the basement
I endorse this statement as well, they come in here every week with sock accounts to complain about AEW, a company they secretly love. They gotta be crazy in the head to be watching something that they love to hate.
I wish this site would block them already.
I don’t love AEW. I just enjoy watching everyone of you fanboys that think this shit show is perfect get your panties all in a wad when someone criticizes it. Face the truth Khan can’t book and all these million dollar signings have meant all of Jack shit. Get a life loser
Desperate trash.
The initial idea of AEW was really good. I wonder what it would look like today if the Bucks/Cody/Omega had found a different money source…