By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 255)
Taped earlier in the day in Cardiff, Wales at Utilita Arena Cardiff
Aired August 21, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] Excalibur welcomed viewers to the show and was joined on commentary by Taz. Tony Schiavone stood in the ring with a contract signing table and introduced Britt Baker and then TBS Champion Mercedes Mone, who was accompanied by Kamille.
Schiavone noted that Mone and Baker agreed to no physicality. Mone played to the crowd, which responded with boos. Mone said she will force Baker to tap out on Sunday and said it would prove that Baker is the past while she is the future. Mone signed the contract.
Baker recalled Mone sitting in the crowd and using crutches while watching her at last year’s All In. Baker said that before there was a CEO, there was a DMD. Mone said the fans like Baker because they see themselves in her – a loser.
A “shut the f— up” chant broke out. Mone called the fans rude and told them to be quiet because they paid to see her. Mone said this is Baker’s dream match. Mone said she inspired Baker to be a wrestler and questioned whether she was really all in.
Mone boasted that she’s been putting women’s wrestling on the map and said that’s all in. Mone said Baker doesn’t have the guts to go all in like her and will never be her, nor will she beat her on Sunday.
Baker said she has the guts, the heart, and the balls. Baker referred to herself as the gold standard. She said Mone was one of four whereas she is one of one. Baker said she is the baddest bitch on the block.
Baker said she admired Mone and wanted to be her. Baker said Mone walked so girls like her could run. Baker said Mone made a difference, but the person she was no longer exists.
Baker said Mone is a smug, arrogant ass who cares more about being the highest paid female than being a role model. Baker said she doesn’t know where that Mone went, but she hopes she finds her. Baker said that’s the girl she wants to be able to say she beat.
Baker stood up and told Mone to relax. Baker said she would follow the rules they agreed to and wouldn’t hit her. “But this bitch is getting on my nerves,” Baker said before clunking Kamille over the head with the microphone.
Baker tossed the contract folder at Mone, then slammed Kamille’s head on the table. Baker hopped on the table and dove onto Kamille, who fell backwards onto Mone. The heels fled the ring while Baker held up the TBS Title belt…
Powell’s POV: A solid segment with the babyface looking strong heading into the title match. It’s nice to see Dynamite playing to a hot crowd. WrestleTix listed the building as being set up for 4,236 and the show sold out.
Renee Paquette interviewed Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith in the backstage area. Jericho gave the “Hi, guys” line and was booed. Jericho said something bothered him on the flight to “Cardiff, England.”
Jericho questioned what gave Tommy Billington the right to refer to himself as Dynamite Kid. He questioned whether Billington is as good as his uncle. Jericho said he hoped that Hook was watching his match because he what he would do to Billington he would do sevenfold to Hook at All In…
Jericho, Bill, and Keith made their entrance and were introduced by ring announcer Bobby Cruise. Tommy Billington made his entrance…
1. FTW Champion Chris Jericho (w/Big Bill, Bryan Keith) vs. Tommy Billington. Schiavone joined the broadcast team. Billington hit Jericho with an early missile dropkick. Jericho rolled to the floor and Billington followed. Billington slammed Jericho’s head on the apron and then ran him into the barricade.
Billington headbutted Jericho and then tossed him back inside the ring. While the referee was focused on Jericho, Keith pulled Billington off the apron and then Bill ran Billington into the post heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Billington dropkicked Jericho and then bodyslammed him. Billington went for another dropkick, but Jericho held the ropes. Jericho performed a Lionsault for a near fall. Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho, but Billington reached the ropes to break it.
Billington executed a snap suplex and then hit a tombstone piledriver. Billington went up top and dove onto Keith on the floor. Bill charged Billington, who sidestepped him, causing Bill to crash into the barricade. Billington went up top and dove at Jericho, who caught him with a Codebreaker and scored the pin…
FTW Champion Chris Jericho defeated Tommy Billington in 9:25.
After the match, Jericho got a mic and called Hook a stupid bastard. Jericho claimed he would rip Hook apart branch by branch if Hook was in Cardiff.
Hook made his entrance and still had his left eye covered. Hook entered the ring and went nose-to-nose with Jericho. Bill hit Hook from behind and then chokeslammed him… [C]
Powell’s POV: Jericho going over was logical. Billington was protected nicely due to the interference and then getting caught up in going after Bill and Keith on the floor. Conversely, Hook looked like a chump for taking the bait and being manhandled by Bill, though we’ll see how Hook looks coming out of his match with Bill later in the show. Update: The Hook vs. Big Bill match will actually take place on Collision. My apologies for the error.
Entrances for the AEW Women’s Championship match took place…
2. Toni Storm vs. Saraya (w/Harley Cameron) for the AEW Women’s Championship. Saraya rolled Storm into an early pin attempt and got a two count. Saraya went to the apron and then traded screams with Storm, who approached her and was clotheslined over the top rope.
Storm ended up at ringside. Cameron ran Storm into the barricade while Saraya distracted the referee. Saraya performed a cannonball dive onto Storm heading into a PIP break. [C]
Storm used a fisherman’s suplex to get a two count. Saraya caught Storm on the ropes and performed a sunset bomb. Saraya put Storm down with a good looking DDT and had the pin, but Storm grabbed the ropes to break the count.
Storm came back with a Sky High for a near fall. Cameron climbed on the apron. Storm ducked a slap from Cameron and then kissed her on the lips. Storm ducked Saraya trying to hit her from behind, causing Saraya to knock Cameron off the apron. Storm kissed Saraya and then put her down with Storm Zero and got the three count.
Toni Storm defeated Saraya in 8:40 for the AEW Women’s Championship.
After the match, Mariah May ran in while Storm was celebrating and hit her with a high heel shoe. May cradled Storm’s head and then rolled around on the mat seductively…
Powell’s POV: An enjoyable match followed by a simple, yet effective attack by May to put more heat on her heading into the AEW Women’s Title match at All In. Saraya and Cameron have become a good act. Saraya’s run in AEW has been a bit underwhelming, but perhaps it’s time to start doing more with her and Cameron.
Renee Paquette interviewed Orange Cassidy, Willow Nightingale, and “The Conglomeration” Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, Tomohiro Ishii in the backstage area. Briscoe delivered one of his wild man promos about All In… [C]
Will Ospreay made his entrance dressed in non-wrestling attire and received a big ovation. The crowd sang the Ole song using Ospreay’s name once he was in the ring, which got a big smile from him.
AEW American Champion MJF made his entrance dressed in American flag attire. Security stood around the ring. Ospreay asked the fans to give MJF a warm welcome, which resulted in loud boos.
Ospreay said it was unusual for an Englishman to be so loved in Wales. He compared it to a British sitcom called “Gavin & Stacey”. Ospreay made another British reference that got over with the crowd.
MJF said jam packed arenas chanting his name twice as loud as they’ve ever chanted for Osprey. MJF demonstrated that it only took the Kangaroo Kick pose. A “shut the f— up” chant broke out. MJF told the crowd no.
MJF said he came back from injury before he was fully rehabilitated. MJF said he did so because he was begged by top brass in AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery to clean up Ospreay’s mess. MJF called Ospreay an arrogant little prick.
Ospreay told MJF to look in the mirror if he wanted to see an arrogant prick. Ospreay said everyone giggled when they saw MJF as the AEW World Champion. Ospreay said he was laughing too, but the joke went on too long and it culminated at Wembley Stadium.
Ospreay said no one talks about MJF having an epic match at All In, they talk about how two wrestlers jerked each other off. Ospreay claimed that Tony Khan asked him to put on a good wrestling match at last year’s All In because he couldn’t count on his world champion to do it.
Ospreay said his match with MJF isn’t just about restoring the AEW International Championship. Ospreay said it’s about restoring the feeling and said that he is the feeling. MJF said he doesn’t care about catering to the people because they are meaningless.
MJF said the only thing he cares about is what American’s do best. “We win,” MJF said. MJF recalled Tony Khan telling him that the company would be safe in Ospreay’s hands while he was out injured.
MJF asked Ospreay who the hell he is. MJF said everyone knows who MJF is and everyone loves him. MJF said everyone agrees that he’s the best pro wrestler and wondered who told Ospreay he was the best in the world. MJF mocked the idea of the fans saying it and said the fans know nothing about pro wrestling. MJF said he knows that’s true because the fans like Ospreay’s matches.
[Hour Two] MJF said that when they talk about this generation of pro wrestling, he will be the ace and Ospreay will be second. MJF said he comes from the only country in the world that matters.
MJF said the Tiger Driver is only move Ospreay has that can beat him, but Ospreay isn’t man enough to pull the trigger. MJF said Ospreay and his fans can feel all they want, but he is the facts and facts don’t care about feelings.
Ospreay said record books can be rewritten, but you can’t rewrite how people feel. Ospreay said MJF has never inspired anyone to want to do this. Ospreay people in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States all say he’s the best in the world.
Ospreay said it took MJF four years to win over the fans whereas it only took him four beats. Ospreay said the fans used to love MJF and they don’t love him anymore. MJF got fired up and said they loved him until Ospreay showed up and ruined it.
MJF said Ospreay is a great husband and a father. He said that in every way he fell short of being the face of AEW, but Ospreay stepped up and did it. MJF said he had a chance to hang out with Ospreay’s wife and child.
Ospreay got fired up, but MJF said he was putting him over. MJF said Ospreay’s wife was in a prior relationship and had a child, and Ospreay has stepped up and raised the child as if he is his own.
MJF said that he got a feeling that after the conversation he had with Ospreay’s wife, the next kid she has won’t be Ospreay’s either. Ospreay turned and asked Tony Schiavone if he had Tony Khan in his ear.
Ospreay asked how much the fine would be if he hit MJF. Schiavone said it was $127,000. Ospreay said it was worth it and then punched MJF. Security rushed the ring and pulled both men apart. Ospreay fought free and threw kicks at MJF until he was pulled back.
MJF hit Ospreay with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and then took out some security guards before posing on the ropes. MJF threw more punches at Ospreay. “I’m the best in the world,” MJF said before performing a brainbuster. MJF covered Ospreay and made his own three count.
Excalibur pointed out that Ospreay was clutching his neck after taking the brainbuster. MJF set up for the Tiger Driver, but Christopher Daniels and security entered the ring and stopped him. Ospreay bled from the forehead…
Powell’s POV: A strong go-home segment with good mic work from both men. I didn’t get all of Ospreay’s references, but the live crowd ate them up.
Renee Paquette stood backstage and said that she was told that there was an incident in the office that led to Hangman Page being asked to leave the building. Page showed up and said he is in the Casino Gauntlet match and will run over anyone who is in the match.
Evil Uno was passing through when Page stopped him and asked if he knew anyone who was in the Casino Gauntlet match. Uno said he was just informed that he would be in the match. Page grabbed a chair and hit Uno with it. Page said he will run over anyone because he wants to make sure “his joy, his happiness, and his dreams go up in smoke.” Page walked away with his rolling suitcase to exit the building…
Powell’s POV: Page was good here and I like the idea of him attacking Uno because Uno is in the gauntlet match. But it felt really contrived and lavy that Uno just happened to walk in the small area behind Page during a live promo. Why not just have Page spot Uno off camera and call him into the shot?
Entrances for the AEW Continental Championship match took place…
3. Kazuchika Okada vs. Claudio Castagnoli for the AEW Continental Championship. Okada dropped Castagnoli with an elbow heading into an early PIP break. [C] Castagnoli clotheslined Okada over the ropes and tumbled to the floor with him. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Okada drove Castagnoli into the ring post going into another PIP break. [C]
Okada dropkicked Castagnoli and then followed up with a bodyslam. Okada followed up with a top rope elbow drop. Okada played to the crowd and teased the Rainmaker, but flipped off the hard camera and the fans instead.
Castagnoli got back to his feet while Okada was clowning around. Castgnoli took Okada down and gave him the Giant Swing. Schiavone said it’s “truly one of the most amazing moves in AEW.”
Okada stuffed a Neutralizer and countered with a neckbreaker. The crowd chanted “AEW” while both men stayed down for a moment. Okada used a backslide to get a two count. Castagnoli drilled Okada with a popup uppercut. Okada tried to exit the ring.
Castagnoli tried to pull him to the center of the ring, but Okada held the bottom rope. Castagnoli kicked Okada and then pulled him to the middle of the ring and covered him for a two count. Moments later, the time limit exited.
Kazuchika Okada fought Claudio Castagnoli to a 20:00 draw in an AEW Continental Championship match.
The crowd chanted for five more minutes. Jack Perry and “The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson walked out. Nicholas congratulated them on a tremendous match. Matthew asked the crowd if they wanted five more minutes. The crowd cheered.
Matthew said that wouldn’t be happening because the contract that was signed for the match said Okada had to wrestle 20 minutes, not 25 minutes. Matthew said that he and Nicholas are EVPs and are sticklers for the rules. Matthew said they didn’t want to do it, but they would physically remove Castagnoli from the ring if he didn’t leave.
Darby Allin’s entrance theme played and he made his entrance. FTR followed and they all headed to the ring…
Powell’s POV: Twenty minutes for a title match? Yes, it was listed by the ring announcer prior to the match, but it still seemed brief for a secondary title. In fact, I was hopeful when the match was announced that they put it on Dynamite rather than All In because they intended to give these guys a lot of time. The actual match was well worked and yet actually a tad underwhelming considering the talent involved.
4. Darby Allin and “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. Jack Perry and “The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson, and Nicholas Jackson. Yes, of course Rick Knox was the referee. Allin was isolated heading into a PIP break. [C]
Allin and FTR applied simultaneous Scorpion leg locks at one point. Perry and the Bucks left the ring and grabbed their title belts while threatening to leave. Wheeler hit a suicide dive.
FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Perry. Harwood superplexed Matthew and then Wheeler followed with a top rope splash. Legal man Allin hit Matthew with a Coffin Drop and pinned him…
Darby Allin and “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated Jack Perry and “The Young Bucks” Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson in 9:55.
After the match, “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens walked onto the stage with Billy Gunn. Caster played to the crowd and then called FTR court jesters and said the Young Bucks are his two favorite princesses.
Caster once again claimed to be the best wrestler alive while calling Bowens the Scissors King. Caster said the belts would come home at All In. Bowens said he and Caster have nothing left to prove. He said FTR and the Bucks can’t beat The Acclaimed. Bowens said he and Caster would fight until they are the next AEW Tag Team Champions. Gunn did his “two words” bit…
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised they didn’t put opt to put some heat on the heels on the Dynamite go-home show. I’m also surprised they didn’t put this match on earlier in the show. The three-way tag title match feels cold and neither the match nor the Acclaimed promo were enough to change that. I wish they would have spent this time spotlighting the coffin match for the TNT Title.
Backstage, Renee Paquette stood in front of a bloody Will Ospreay, who was being treated by a trainer. Paquette asked Ospreay what his status is for All In. Bryan Danielson entered the picture and barked at Ospreay to look at him. “Do it,” Danielson said. “Do it”… [C]
Powell’s POV: The idea here is that Danielson gave Ospreay his blessing to use the Tiger Driver, which Ospreay has not used since he gave Danielson a storyline injury caused by the move.
Nigel McGuinness stood in the ring to moderate the final segment. McGuinness introduced AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, who made his entrance with a dancing Prince Nana.
[Overrun] McGuinness, who is anti-Danielson, asked Swerve how it felt to go into the match as an overwhelming favorite. Swerve said he’s the most dangerous man in AEW because of the pain he endures and inflicts. Swerve ran through a lit of people’s he’s defeated in AEW.
Swerve spoke about doing things to Danielson to make sure that’s he’s not capable of returning. Swerve brought up the possibility of Danielson finding his fighting spirit and doing an independent wrestling show in Washington. Swerve said he would be there to beat him down.
Swerve brought up Danielson using a mask and an alias in Mexico, but he said he would still be there to beat him down. Swerve said maybe it will get to the point where Danielson decides to have a sit-down with his family about getting back in the ring. Swerve told Danielson to guess where he would be.
Bryan Danielson’s music played and he ran to the ring. Danielson ducked a clothesline and then hit Swerve with a Busaiku Knee. Swerve ended up at ringside. Danielson got a mic and said maybe Swerve and a lot of people are confused.
Danielson said he doesn’t come out and talk about himself for twenty minutes every week. He said he knows who he is. Danielson said he’s the best goddamn (censored) wrestler in the world and he has been for the last twenty years.
Danielson said Swerve has talked about beating him, retiring him, and crippling him in front of his daughter. Danielson spoke of doing it for the fans who have paid to see him for the last 25 years and his peers he’s traveled the road with.
Danielson said that if Swerve thinks he’s going to cripple him, he’ll have to do more than that because he will leave it all in the ring. Excalibur said that’s what Jeff Jarrett and the world wanted to see is the fire in Danielson’s eyes.
Danielson said the only question left is whether he can beat Swerve for the AEW World Championship. The fans erupted with “yes” chants. Danielson said the fans know the answer and so does Swerve. Danielson dropped the mic and led more “yes” chants to close the show…
Powell’s POV: A strong go-home segment. Swerve is clearly the heel in this match, and Danielson showed the type of fire that was needed for his final promo heading into the title vs. career match. Overall, a good go-home show. Some of the segments worked better than others, but the talking segments between MJF and Will Ospreay, and Swerve Strickland and Bryan Danielson were highly effective. I will have a lot more to say about Dynamite in my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
Join me for my live review of AEW All In on Sunday.
AEW firing on zero cylinders just a few days before their biggest show of the year.
You really are thick lad … a bellend, more precisely a fed bellend. That was a hot show, infront of a hot sold out crowd (i was there) leading to wembley and a bigger crowd than summerscam. And top to bottom All In will be a better show as well. Cheerio lad.
I’m confused….whos the best wrestler in the world on this show?
All the best wrestlers in the world work for Aew lad. You can decide yourself who the best is. Or get back to drew and old man bitch slapping eachother on X and Liv telling you how deep shes getting it. You know, the stamford clown show. Your choice
Two top babyfaces saying their the best in the world on the same episode,eh?
Mercedes and Britt are 32 and 33 years old? I’m not one to take shots at talent, but they may want to try sleeping every now and again. Truly not trying to be hateful, but they look like they’ve lived as 80’s wrestlers. Or Minnesota sports fans.
They’re not their*
I mean thats got everything to do with their talent in the ring right? You sound like your clutching for anything to cry about
Your neckbeard is showing.
Holy shit, just saw the “Johnny Saint” spot from Toni and Saraya. What a fucking joke, and they’re so bad they had to do it at 1/4 speed. I’m sure the “journalists” and neckbeards will love it, but the empty buildings and shit TV ratings tell the real story.