By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 250)
Little Rock, Arkansas at Simmons Bank Arena
Aired live July 17, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] MJF made his entrance and was introduced by ring announcer Justin Roberts. The broadcast team was Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone. Will Ospreay made his entrance…
1. Will Ospreay vs. MJF for the AEW International Championship. MJF left the ring and hopped the barricade and doused the fans with water. MJF took a fan sign and tore it before returning to the ring. MJF did an early strut while Ospreay smiled, and then Ospreay returned the favor with a strut of his own.
MJF was tripped and then sat up before ducking an early Hidden Blade attempt. Both men locked up and then MJF told the referee that Ospreay pulled his hair. Ospreay clotheslined MJF to ringside and set up for a dive, but MJF walked away. Ospreay followed and hit him with a dive anyway.
Back inside the ring, Ospreay suplexed MJF and covered him for two. MJF ducked under the ropes. When Ospreay approached, MJF pulled him face first into the middle turnbuckle pad. When the wrestlers locked up again, MJF pulled Ospreay’s hair and sent him to the mat.
MJF hit a Stunner for a two count. Ospreay came back with a kick and then hit a flying forearm from the middle rope. MJF went to the floor. Ospreay performed a handspring into a dive over the top rope onto MJF with a flip dive.
Ospreay hit a standing shooting star press for a two count, then followed up with a sky twister press for another two count. MJF rolled to ringside. Ospreay dove over the top rope and struck MJF on the floor.
Ospreay grabbed a table and placed it next to the barricade while MJF returned to the ring. MJF begged off and then Ospreay worked him over with chops. MJF came back with a kick, but Ospreay stuffed a piledriver.
MJF sold a knee injury. When Ospreay went for the knee, MJF countered into a piledriver and got a two count. MJF looked into the camera and mocked Daniel Garcia’s dance before targeting the left knee of Ospreay.
Ospreay fired back with chops before he was backdropped. MJF applied the Figure Four and then slapped Ospreay before wrenching back on the hold. Ospreay eventually reversed it, but MJF did the same, causing Ospreay to grab the rope to break it.
MJF whipped Ospreay toward a corner of the ring, but Ospreay sold his knee and collapsed. MJF looked into the crowd and smiled. MJF chopped Ospreay and raked his back. MJF sent Ospreay toward the ropes, but Ospreay’s knee gave out again.
Ospreay sat on the apron and checked his knee until MJF gouged his eyes. Ospreay came back with punches and chops. Ospreay tried to run the ropes, but MJF chop blocked him and covered him for two.
Both wrestlers went for simultaneous clotheslines and stayed down for a moment. When Ospreay stood up, MJF drove his shoulder into Ospreay’s bad knee. Ospreay came right back with a Stundog Millionaire and an OsCutter. MJF rolled to ringside to avoid being covered.
Ospreay went for a move from the ropes that MJF avoided while on the apron. Ospreay sold a shoulder injury heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C] Ospreay turned a torture rack into a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall.
MJF left the ring and hopped the barricade and walked up the steps. Ospreay caught up to him and clubbed his chest with forearm strikes. Ospreay threw punches at MJF, who was seated in a fan’s chair.
MJF walked down the steps and then threw a drink in Ospreay’s face. Ospreay put MJF’s head inside a trashcan before both men returned to ringside. Schiavone commended referee Bryce Remsburg for not counting them out and letting them fight.
Ospreay placed MJF on the table next to the barricade and went up top, but MJF rolled away. Both men reversed pin attempts and then Ospreay hit a Poison Rana. MJF came back with a Panama Sunrise for a near fall.
MJF placed Ospreay on the table at ringside and went up top, but this time Ospreay rolled off it. MJF went to the floor and chopped Ospreay and then bit his arm. MJF looked into the camera and asked Daniel Garcia whether he could feel anything in his arm.
MJF ran Ospreay into the barricade and then gouged his eye. MJF delivered a running kick and then stood on the timekeepers table and posed for the booing crowd. MJF took a drink of water and threw some at the fans.
Ospreay jumped onto the barricade and then performed an OsCutter on the floor. Back inside the ring, MJF set up for CrossRhodes, but Ospreay reversed it and then hit the move and got a two count. MJF pulled the referee in front of him and then poked Ospreay’s eye. MJF hit a hammerlock DDT for a near fall.
MJF had Ospreay seated on the top rope when he jumped from the ropes and clotheslined him, which led to a near fall. Both men stuffed moves on the apron. Ospreay superkicked MJF and then performed a Styles Clash on the apron, causing both men to tumble to the floor while the fans chanted “holy shit.”
Ospreay rolled MJF back inside the ring and covered him for a near fall. Ospreay used his good arm to perform a powerbomb for another near fall. Both men were down heading into another PIP break that became a full screen break. [C]
Footage aired of Ospreay having his left arm pulled back into socket by the trainer during the commercial break. MJF continued to target the arm. Ospreay threw chops at MJF, who blocked one and then wrenched his bad arm to drive his shoulder into the mat. Ospreay sent MJF to ringside.
Ospreay set up for a move on the apron, but MJF tripped him up so that his face hit the apron. MJF boasted that he’s the smartest wrestler in the world and then was blasted with a Hidden Blade from behind. The referee decided to count for some reason even though they battled into the crowd earlier, but they both returned to the ring where Ospreay got another near fall.
Ospreay went up top. MJF hit the ropes to crotch Ospreay. MJF went for a huracanrana, but Ospreay blocked it and then hit a Styles Clash from the ropes. Ospreay was slow to make the cover and MJF was able to grab the bottom rope.
MJF put Ospreay on top of the table at ringside and then went up top. MJF performed an elbow drop that put Ospreay through the table. Both men stayed down. The referee checked on them rather than counting this time around as they went to a PIP break that became a full screen break. [C]
MJF had Ospreay in an abdominal stretch and used the top rope for leverage when the referee was shielded. The referee caught MJF using the rope and kicked his hand off the rope. Ospreay hip-tossed MJF. Ospreay went for a few pins and got two counts.
Ospreay went for a huracanrana, but MJF powerbombed him onto his knee and then covered him for a near fall. MJF had a nasty bruise on his right thigh. MJF mugged for the crowd once he got to his feet and then signaled for the Kangaroo Kick, which was booed. MJF went for the move, but Ospreay stuffed it.
Ospreay got MJF standing on the middle rope and then went for a Poison Rana, but MJF blocked it. MJF mounted Ospreay on the ropes and gyrated in front of him. MJF went for a huracanrana, but Ospreay flipped onto his feet.
Ospreay did a Maxtrix move to avoided an MJF shot. MJF poked his eye and then flipped off the hard camera. Both men traded strikes. Ospreay hit a step-up enzuigiri and then used a sunset flip to get a two count. Both men reversed pin attempts.
Ospreay went for an OsCutter, but MJF caught him with a superkick. MJF set up for a brainbuster, but Ospreay countered out of it and performed a huracanrana. MJF blocked a Storm Breaker, but then Ospreay hit him with a standing Spanish Fly for a near fall.
[Hour Two] The broadcast team spoke about the possibility of the match going to a draw and noted that the champion would retain in that scenario. Ospreay seated MJF on the top rope and set up for a move, but MJF got him in position for a tombstone. Ospreay broke it with his legs and then performed an OsCutter and a Hidden Blade that led to a near fall.
With two minutes remaining, Ospreay went for a Hidden Blade, but MJF ducked and avoided it. Ospreay grabbed a kneeling MJF by the neck. MJF spat in his face. Ospreay headbutted MJF. Ospreay set up for the Tiger Driver and hesitated before hoisting him up for the move. Ospreay dropped MJF and shook his head.
MJF shoved Ospreay into the referee. REF BUMP!!! MJF punched Ospreay with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. The referee recovered and made the three count with two seconds remaining on the clock.
MJF defeated Will Ospreay in 59:58 to win the AEW International Championship.
The Dynamite Diamond Ring was shown lying on the ringside floor. The referee called for the trainer when both men stayed down. Multiple trainers entered the ring and tended to both men. They put an oxygen mask on MJF and helped him up. MJF held up his title belt and then stumbled around. MJF took breaths through the oxygen mask and said his name and then said you can thank him later…
Powell’s POV: A killer match. The live crowd seemed fully invested from start to finish even with the threat of it going to a time limit draw. I’m happy they went with Ospreay not using the Tiger Driver in this match as opposed to making that a big part of the finish of his AEW World Championship match at Forbidden Door. The Dynamite Diamond Ring finish was perfect for MJF’s character and protected Ospreay.
Backstage, Arkady Aura spoke with Mark Briscoe, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens. Caster made his pitch to Briscoe for The Acclaimed to join Team AEW in Blood & Guts. Briscoe said they had his back a couple weeks ago when The Elite jumped him. Briscoe said it’s not just up to him.
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana entered the picture. Swerve said he’s had issues with Caster over the years, but he knows what he’s are all about. Swerve asked if they were ready to get violent and they all put their hands together. Briscoe yelled into the camera about how they are coming for The Elite…
Excalibur hyped Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship at AEW All In and the champion vs. champion match for later in the show…
Big Bill stood in the ring with The Learning Tree set and introduced Chris Jericho, who came out with Bryan Keith. “Hi, guys!” Jericho said to a flat reaction. Jericho spoke about the crime in the city and said they can do better than that.
Jericho noted that it was Dynamite 250. He said he’d been on almost every show and vowed that he wouldn’t miss another one. Jericho said he would be on every episode until episode 500. Footage aired of their recent attacks on Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata. Jericho asked who would be crazy enough to not listen to The Learning Tree or his teachings.
Minoru Suzuki made his entrance and entered the ring. “Next week,” Suzuki said before holding up a contract. Keith took the contract from him and read that it was an official order from AEW that banned him and Big Bill from ringside when Suzuki challenges Jericho for the FTW Title at Blood & Guts. Suzuki headbutted Jericho. Suzuki waved to the crowd in Jericho fashion and left the ring…
Powell’s POV: At least they kept it short and to the point. I’m not really sure how they can enforce Bill and Keith being banned from ringside during an FTW Title match when those matches are essentially anything goes and the title isn’t even officially recognized by the company. Then again, I couldn’t care less about the FTW Title or Jericho’s act these days, so whatever. That being said, Suzuki facing Jericho could be fun.
Backstage, Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, and Kazuchika Okada delivered a promo. Nicholas said it was ridiculous that The Acclaimed think they will be the next tag team champions. Matthew spoke about how they will have all the gold and all the power. Nicholas pointed out they don’t have the world championship.
Mercedes Mone showed up and thanked the EVPs for banning Britt Baker from the backstage area during Dynamite 250. Okada had Mone do her dance. Once she left, Okada acted like he was overheating…
Powell’s POV: Great, so now Okada is horny in addition to saying bitch every week. Amazing character development, guys.
TBS Champion and NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone made her entrance to a flat reaction. Nyla Rose made her entrance to a slightly better reaction…
2. Mercedes Mone vs. Nyla Rose for the TBS Title. There were small “Let’s Go Nyla” and “CEO” chants. Rose held up Mone for a vertical suplex and gyrated, but Mone slipped away. Rose placed Rose on the top rope. Rose went up top and hit her with a flying knee, which led to a two count heading into a PIP break. [C]
Rose suplexed Mone coming out of the break. Rose clotheslined Money and then splashed her in the corner. Rose performed a cannonball splash and then covered Mone for a two count. Mone came back and performed a meteora from the middle rope for a near fall.
Mone pulled out a glove that had CEO written on it and put it on her right hand. Mone mocked Baker’s DMD by saying CEO and then applied the Lockjaw. Rose bit Mone’s hand. Mone slammed Rose’s head on the mat several times and then applied her Statement Maker and got the win…
Mercedes Mone defeated Nyla Rose in 9:15 to retain the TBS Title.
After the match, Mone grabbed a fan sign that read “DMD>CEO” and tore it up. The “fan” who brought the sign wore a Sting mask and pie-faced Mone before removing the mask to reveal herself as Britt Baker. Mone ran away. Security quickly intervened to keep Baker away from Mone. The broadcast team said Baker was banned from the back, but not from buying a ticket and being at ringside…
Powell’s POV: You could see that one coming a mile away when they said Baker was merely banned from the backstage area. Can anyone explain why Tony Khan doesn’t just overrule the EVPs? Anyway, the crowd did pop once Baker removed her mask. It looked like Rose was treating Mone with kids gloves at times during the match for some reason.
A video package aired on Mariah May’s attack on Toni Storm and pushed their AEW Women’s Championship match for Wembley Stadium… [C]
TNT Champion Jack Perry delivered a backstage promo. He said Darby Allin only had to ask for his attention. “Do you think I give a shit about Brandon Cutler?” Perry asked. The camera showed an injured Cutler on the floor. Perry roughed up Cutler, then told Allin to find him tonight and he’d show him what a real sacrifice looks like…
Mariah May made her entrance dressed as “Timeless” Toni Storm. Once in the ring, May held the mic in front of her face without saying anything initially. “Let’s be honest, you all saw it coming,” May said. “Everyone saw it coming except Toni Storm.”
May said Storm was so desperate for the spotlight that she didn’t realize she was giving it all away. She said the question should be, “Mariah, what took you so long?” May said she didn’t think it would last as long as it did, but she was having so much fun and wanted to see how far it would go. The fans gave her the “What?” treatment.
May said she saw Wembley and thought why take the old horse out back when she could kill it in front of as many people as possible. May said she’s been Toni Storm and now she can be so much more. “But don’t worry, Toni, I still love you,” May said. She paused for a light “We Want Toni” chant.
“Toni, I have never loved you more than when you were on your knees bleeding, crying, screaming my name,” said May. “That was your greatest performance. And my greatest performance will be at All In, because now All Elite Wrestling is All About Mariah.” May dropped to the mat and rolled around seductively…
Powell’s POV: A good promo from May despite the awful “What?” chants making their way to AEW.
Footage aired from AEW Collision of Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn saying the person who wanted to strip them of the Unified Trios Titles would have to pull them from their cold dead hands. Seconds later, they handed them over to Christopher Daniels, who said he didn’t like the decision either but it was his job to enforce the rules. They spoke briefly about facing Christian Cage, Killswitch, and Nick Wayne for the vacant titles on this week’s Collision… [C]
Excalibur pushed tickets for next week’s Blood & Guts show in Nashville while entrances for the main event took place…
Powell’s POV: It feels safe to assume that this one won’t go to a time limit draw!
3. AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) vs. AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada in a champion vs. champion match. Excalibur played up that both men will be locked inside the double cage during the Blood & Guts match. Schiavone did his usual bit about how they would stay with the action if the match went beyond the top of the hour.
A couple minutes into the match, both wrestlers traded elbow strikes. Okada stuck out his chin and pointed at his jaw. Swerve wound up with his fist and then kicked him. Okada came right back and sent Swerve to the floor. Okada followed and put Swerve down on the floor with a DDT going into a PIP break. [C]
[Overrun] Okada connected with a dropkick. Swerve came back with a suplex. Swerve went up top and was cut off and hit with a neckbreaker that led to a two count. Okada slammed Swerve and then followed up with a top rope elbow drop.
Okada teased the Rainmaker pose and instead flipped off the camera. Swerve hooked him into a pin for a two count. Swerve threw kicks at Okada, who then put him down with a dropkick. Swerve rallied, but Okada voided his top rope double stomp.
Okada performed a tombstone piledriver. Okada went for a Rainmaker, but Swerve countered into what was called a double stomp even though it didn’t look like Swerve’s feet were on Okada.
“The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson hit the ring and attacked Swerve for the DQ finish.
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland defeated AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada by DQ in roughly 12:00.
Max Caster and Anthony Bowens ran out and fought the Jackson. Jack Perry ran in to help the Jacksons. Mark Briscoe ran out. Swerve ended up being the last man standing inside the ring. Hangman Page’s entrance theme played. Page headed to the ring, but he was pulled back to the floor by the babyfaces while Okada pulled Swerve out of the other side of the ring. Security guards stood between all of the wrestlers.
Darby Allin’s entrance theme played and the broadcast team asked where he was when he didn’t come out right away. Allin rappelled from the rafters to the ringside floor and was unhooked by Briscoe. The Elite and Team AEW brawled and beat up security guards to close the show…
Powell’s POV: The main event was presented poorly and perhaps that bad finish explains why. The obligatory brawl between the Blood & Guts match was solid. It’s just a shame that Darby Allin felt the need to state in an interview that he was medically cleared and would be returning tonight.
Overall, the opening match was great. The rest of the show paled in comparison. I will have a lot more to say in my weekly Dynamite audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
I think this is going to be a 60 minute broadway
Why are they constantly talking about the humidity?
Do they not have air conditioning in the building?
Large buildings like arenas are extremely hard to apply air con to properly.
I was wrong – Just. 59:58.
Match of the Year candidate
Garbage. An hour of no selling every finishing move created for another time limit draw. All this hotshot booking for a show that’ll do less than 700000 viewers
The typically trolling with the same lame insults. There are other hobbies besides trolling people on a message board about a product you hate. Do you have any hobbies, a job, maybe a partner? Maybe spend your Wednesdays doing something productive. I have it on authority no one at AEW or that reads this columns cares about your opinions at this point.
And you choose to respond to me so what does that say about your life? For the record I have all of those things you mentioned plus my own house while you’re watching from your mom’s basement eating fish sticks. Imagine someone getting so irate because someone doesn’t blow everything AEW does. By the way I’m sure that billion dollar rights renewal is coming any day now with all the cost cutting WBD is doing
I only watch wrestling Wednesday night cause that’s the only free night I have. I work at a fast food restaurant and this is the only night I have free. Keep living the dream and hating.
I don’t work in fast food but I do have a job. You followed in your fathers line of work: chronic unemployment
You really have no clue. Sad. Your fed buddies couldnt put a match that good on …. ever. Youre just a sad little troll
Always gotta bring “the fed” into it. It’s all you have to defend your little indy shitshow. Just because they do every move imaginable and kick out of everything it doesn’t make it a good match. Just keep blowing the billionaires son
BRIAN THE LOSER IS BACK HERE ANOTHER WEEK. This dude swears AEW is bad, but keeps coming back for more. Only a loser keeps coming back like he does.
Only a loser keeps replying to every single post I make. Only a loser gets upset when someone criticizes his favorite glorified indy
And now Japanese grandpa shows him. I’m sure him and Jericho will set the world on fire with their combined age of 110. Khan pays millions of dollars to bring Ocody in and turns him into the modern day Funaki
Indeeeedd!!!!
I think someone choppy choppy off Tony Khan’s pee pee
LoL Funaki. I don’t always agree with you, but you couldn’t be more right about that.
Mone entering to a flat reaction says it all there.Atleast she’s getting paid right?
Holy moly I thought that was actually Toni Storm!I was wondering about that accent though..
Decent 1 hour match followed by an hour of absolute shit. The perfect definition of AEW in that occasionally they’ll do something well but it surrounded by things nobody is ever going to want to watch.
This!
Decent 1 hour match . Again, you wont see anything that good in the fed. Nothing wrong with May’s promo either. And they furthered the Mone/Baker feud. Bore off.
2/3 of the match was gymnastic bullshit instead of actual pro wrestling. There have been dozens of better WWE matches this year because they actually understand the business they’re in.
^This right here^
Facts
Darby repels from the rafters one week after the Owen tournament. Enough said
Sting did it earlier in the year. And i bet they used a pro rigging company. Enough said. You couldnt give a shit about Owen Hart, just using him to take a petty shot at Aew. Do something else with your wednesday nights … E drone
The AEW fanboy is all upset! Mission accomplished!
You seeking more attention that you don’t get living at home in your mom’s basement. No dates on a Wednesday night in the summer, so you come here, loser Brian?
You’re replying to everything I post annd im the loser? You’re an AEW fanboy so you’re the jobless virgin
Im sure Khan has so much love for Owen. Just uses him as an excuse to have a tournament every year and bring Dr Martha out in her stupid hats to get sympathy
BRIAN IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST WASTE OF AIR WALKING THIS EARTH. What a waste of life. The guy was a total loser in high school and a total loser as an adult. Pretty sad stuff if you ask me about Brian the Loser.
Psycho! Stop obsessing over me. I’m not gay and I could never fall for a 375 lb, 45 year old virgin who couldn’t find pussy with a roadmap
Good lord. Most of the comments on this show read like a petty fight between potty mouthed children. Be better.
I thought the opener was good to really good, but I’m sure most will say it was MOTY bc it was a 1 hour Ospreay match. It was consistent beautiful, crisp action, but didnt hit a crazy MOTY type of gear. Ospreay-Swerve was significantly better, imo. We’ll see in the quarter hour breakdown, but I bet many checked out and came back around the 1 hour mark to see how the match ended.
I thought the 2nd hour was lackluster. The good people of Little Rock seemed to concur.
This was the 3rd time in a row that AEW put on a great episode. Obviously, the first match was a classic, but I enjoyed the rest of the show too. Right now, the women’s division is on a 10 right now. Britt vs. Mone has been money and Mariah May is becoming a star right before our eyes.
I like the build up to Blood & Guts next week as Hangman & Swerve will be must see, that’s the best rivalry in AEW right now. Great to see Darby back, as he’s going to have a great spot next week. I’m loving Chris Jericho’s character too. HEY GUYS!! LOL!