By Jake Barnett, ProWrestling.net Co-Senior Staffer (@jakebarnett)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 279)
February 5, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia at Gateway Center Arena
Simulcast live on TBS and Max
Jay White was interviewed by Renee Paquette at the top of the show. She asked about his relationship with Adam Copeland. He said the Death Riders have forced him to rely on people he wouldn’t ordinarily rely on, including FTR and Adam Copeland. Just as he was about to say more, the Death Riders appeared. FTR and Copeland then appeared behind them, and a brawl broke out that spread all over the arena. Marina Shafir walked off with Renee Paquette over her shoulder.
Things then pilled into the arena and everybody brawled near the ring and into the crowd. Yuta walked into a Blade Runner in the ring. White nearly got Moxley with the Blade Runner, but Pac bailed him out. Claudio and Pac helped Moxley regain control, and they put the boots to Jay White in the ring. Copeland got back into the game and attempted to deliver a spear to Moxley, but Claudio stepped in front to take it from him.
Copeland grabbed a microphone and reiterated his challenge for Revolution. He asked Moxley if he still had a set of nuts. Moxley said he deserved nothing, and he would get nothing, so his answer was no. Jay White then tossed out another challenge for a No Rules “Brisbane Brawl” tag match at Grand Slam. He wanted himself and Copeland to face Moxley and Castagnoli. No answer was given by Moxley and company. The announce team ran down tonight’s card, including Will Ospreay vs. a Callis Family member and Hounds of Hell vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher.
Video was shown of Buddy Matthews challenging Kazuchika Okada for the Continental Championship. He refused, and Matthews called him a bitch. Okada vs. Matthews was then confirmed for Grand Slam Australia. Back in the arena, WIll Ospreay made his entrance for the first match.
My Take: Copeland got some chants and a solid reaction from this Atlanta crowd. The Death Riders continue to struggle to be exciting for me.
Don Callis made his entrance and introduced Ospreay’s opponent, former member of Aussie Open and “Ospreay Killer” Mark Davis.
1. Mark Davis vs. Will Ospreay: Callus joined on commentary and said that Mark Davis had seen the light and joined the Callis family. Excalibur made it sound like Callis bought his contract and Davis was doing this under duress. The pace started off a bit slower and Davis landed some power offense. He made a cover for a two count after a running elbow strike in the corner. He followed up with some chops and a vertical suplex. Davis placed Ospreay on the turnbuckle and landed some palm strikes. He then set up for a Superplex, but Ospreay escaped and dumped Davis to the floor…[c]
Ospreay fired up and landed a springboard splash onto Davis on the floor. Back in the ring, he landed some kicks and an Oscutter for a near fall. Don Callis nearly broke the fall before Davis kicked out. Davis avoided a hidden blade attempt and landed a lariat. He followed up with a piledriver and covered for a close near fall. Davis removed the turnbuckle pad, but was eventually discovered by the referee. The ref admonishment set up Ospreay to land a Hidden Blade to get the win.
Will Ospreay defeated Mark Davis at 13:21
After the match. Ospreay grabbed a microphone as the crowd chanted for him along to his music. Ospreay thanked the crowd for their enthusiasm and then turned his attention to Callis. He said he had a new friend he’d like to introduce to the party pooper Don Callis. Kenny Omega made his way out to the ring, but Don Callis ran off before he could get there.
Kenny Omega addressed Don Callis and called him a coward. He then confusingly said he would make his AEW in ring return in Brisbane with Will Ospreay in a few weeks time. Fletcher and Takeshita walked out, but Callis prevented them from walking down to the ring. Omega then said their match in Brisbane in a few weeks wasn’t to prove who the better wrestlers were, it would prove that the future of AEW belongs to them and not Fletcher and Takeshita. He then did his good night bit, and seemed a little surprised by the pyro that came at the end of it.
A video package then aired that focused on the program between Ricochet and Swerve Strickland…[c]
My Take: Omega is still pretty awkward on the microphone, even misspeaking at times, but he has a quirky charm about him and the crowds are still into it despite it all. Ospreay and Mark Davis was well worked, but it was very much an “AEW Special” as Jason Powell has termed it. It dragged on longer than you’d expect for a match that had zero doubt about the outcome.
The Hurt Syndicate made their entrance in suits for a promo segment. MVP said this was an official announcement from the Hurt Syndicate. He demanded the crowd stand in respect for the new AEW Tag Team Champions. MVP said he would make it short and sweet since they had a jet to catch the Super Bowl. He called Private Party talented, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time against the most dominant tag team in all of professional wrestling. He addressed the rest of the roster holding Championships, and told them to get ready.
MVP then said when they decided they wanted more gold, they would go after their next victims and hurt them. In the meantime, if anyone wanted to challenge them, they were open for business. The lights then dropped out and The Gunn Club made their way out to the ring. Colten said they were business men and wanted to get in the ring to do business. MVP told them they didn’t look or dress the party, but they were handling themselves like men so they could get in the ring.
They got in the ring and played to the crowd. Austin congratulated them on doing their jobs hurting people, and said they’d like to do their job and win their titles back. MVP replied that they do business, and told them next week it would be The Hurt Syndicate against a couple of ass boys. Lashley stared down Colten as they left the ring and laughed at him. Austin did their guns up shtick before they left the ring.
There was a video of Harley Cameron winning her first TV match on Collision. Renee Paquette was set to interview Mercede Money when Harley Cameron appeared with her Mercedes Mone puppet. She had a conversation with the puppet briefly about getting a title match, when Mercedes appeared from the room behind them. She mocked Harley for lacking accomplishments, and recalled winning her first title at 23. She said she has done nothing to deserve an opportunity against the Money Tree.
My Take: The Gunns being back is good news for the Tag Division. I hope Colton finds a way to stop avoid yelling as his default voice. It’s like he’s always talking in all caps.
Renee Paquette interviewed Hangman backstage. She asked if he felt any remorse about what had happened with Christopher Daniels, and if that’s why he was looking for Swerve last week. He said no, he did exactly what he said he would do and Christopher Daniels accepted the match. Max Caster interrupted and said he had been waiting for a chance to interview, and Page was irritated. Caster said he likes what Hangman is doing, and it would be great if he put Anthony Bowens or Billy Gunn in the hospital.
Hangman said they weren’t there, but Caster was and he’d love to put someone in the hospital. Caster said he’s good and he would head out to his rental car. Hangman said he would follow him out there. In the arena, Takeshita and Fletcher made their entrance.
2. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher vs. The Hounds of Hell (Brody King and Buddy Matthews): Fletcher and Matthews started the match. Fletcher avoided some kicks from Matthews early on and made a tag out to Takeshita. King made a blind tag behind Takeshita and surprised him with some big strikes. Fletcher tried to intervene, but King chopped him down as well. The action spilled to the floor where all four men brawled around the ringside area. King hit a running splash on both Fletcher and Takeshita as they were sitting in office chairs near the ring, and then followed up with a second…[c]
My Take: Hangman telling Caster he would follow him to his car in the parking lot to kick his ass got a laugh out of me.
Takeshita avoided a back elbow from King and delivered a big boot to send Matthews off the apron. He landed an elbow strike and a big german suplex to King, but he popped right back up. Both men collided with a double clothesline and got right back to their feet before collapsing onto the mat. Matthews and Fletcher tagged into the match, and Mathews gained control. He landed some elbows and sent Fletcher to the floor. He then landed a somersault dive onto both Takeshita and Fletcher at ringside.
Back in the ring, Matthews delivered a Meteora and covered for a near fall. Fletcher landed a half and half suplex, but Matthews recovered with a knee strike a moment later. He then climbed to the top rope, when Kazuchika Okada’s music played in the arena. The distraction allowed Fletcher to recover momentarily. King tagged in and landed a running Senton in the corner on Fletcher. Takeshita broke up the fall with a top rope senton of his own.
The match broke down as King applied a sleeper on the apron on Takeshita. Takeshita broke free and Fletcher landed a brutal draping DDT for a close near fall. Takeshita then entered and they delivered a double brainbuster on King to get the win.
Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita defeated The Hounds of Hell at 14:15
After the match, we got some video of The Patriarchy getting the best of Hook and Samoa Joe on Collision. They approached Christian’s locker room backstage. It looked like a coat closet on the inside. Kip Sabian and Nick Wayne answered, and Joe decided to leave a message for Christian and beat them up. Christian walked in the room and took over before being noticed by Hook or Joe. He then reappeared a moment later and asked them what happened.
In the arena, MJF made his entrance for a promo. He addressed “geriatric” Jeff Jarrett and said all he had to do was stay out of his way and he couldn’t do it. He said the E in AEW stands for All Elite Wrestling and not All Elderly Wrestling. MJF said that now that Carny Jeff Jarrett is out of his way, he is one step closer to getting back his BBB. Max Caster got in the ring suddenly and he was still running away from Hangman. Page made his way down to the ring and got in MJF’s face before taking off to chase down Caster.
MJF called Hangman a hack and said nobody is on his level. Dustin Rhodes then made his way down to the ring. Dustin said all MJF can do is degrade people, even his lost friend Owen Hart. He told him to stop insulting people’s wives and bringing up their pasts with drugs and alcohol. Dustin said he’s been to hell and seen the devil, and Max is no devil. He told him he has all the potential in the world but he chooses to go to the dark places.
Dustin continued and said he has been through everything that MJF could think to do to him, and he’s already survived it. He then said he was better than MJF and his punk bitch ass already knows it. MJF replied and said all his years as a worthless addict must have turned his brain to swiss cheese if he believes that. He then told Dustin he spent the first 37 years of his life crawling out of the shadow of father, only to end up back in the shadow of his little brother.
Dustin landed a punch and they started to brawl. Refs and officials broke them up, only to have MJF sneak a kick to Dustin’s groin. Christopher Daniels started to confront MJF, only to back off. MJF told Daniels that Hangman must have really done a number on him…[c]
My Take: The Hook and Joe mentor/mentee chemistry is good. MJF going up the Mortal Kombat tower at the AEW Retirement Castle would not have been my choice for him, but he’s trying to make the best of it. I still think he’s got to find a way to add more complexity to his act than being an insult comic constantly going after the lowest hanging fruit.
Mariah May made her ring entrance in street clothes. She joined the announce team at the commentary table. Queen Aminata made her ring entrance. Toni Storm then made her entrance playing the role of “The Glamour” Mariah May. She entered using May’s music and wearing May’s gear, hairstyle and mannerisms.
3. Queen Aminata vs Toni Storm: Storm and Aminata worked back and forth for a few minutes to start the match, until Storm sent Aminata to ringside with a hip attack. Aminata returned the favor with a dive through the ropes a moment later. Serena Deeb was shown watching a screen in the back…[c]
Aminata got a near fall with a sunset flip pin. She then followed up with a German Suplex and a huge kick to the face against the ropes for a close near fall. Storm replied with a DDT and a running knee strike. She then landed a hip attack, followed by Mayday for the win.
Toni Storm defeated Queen Aminata at 9:09
Post match, Storm was interviewed and demanded to be called Mariah May. She said she stood on the necks of her competition and nobody can touch her. The actual Mariah May got on the apron in frustration. She decided better and headed to the back in a huff in frustration at being mocked. Backstage, Dustin Rhodes said he was still there after 37 years of people trying to put him in the ground. He called himself the last of his kind, and said next week in Austin, Texas he would beat MJF’s ass….bitch.
A video package then aired that recapped the feud between Big Bill and Powerhouse Hobbs. We then got a live edition of the New York Minute with The Learning Tree. Jericho addressed Bandido and told him that nobody wants him there in AEW. He said he would turn this into a teachable moment, and pointed out that there was a $100k bounty on his head, and the Learning Tree had a Bounty Hunter. Jericho said he would double the reward to $200k if Bryan Keith could do to Bandido what Big Bill had done to Powerhouse Hobbs.
Big Bill tried to get a word in on Hobbs, but he made his entrance and started brawling with the Learning Tree. The Outrunners joined him and a brawl broke out at ringside. Bill and Hobbs chokeslammed two of the security guards that came out to stop them. They ended up face to face in the ring and traded punches. They spilled to ringside and knocked over a cameraman…[c]
My Take: A fun little impersonation from Toni Storm, and May played into it about as perfectly as she could. The New York Minute stuff is boiling dumpster water, but I like the ongoing big man feud between Bill and Hobbs.
The Outrunners and Powerhouse Hobbs yelled at The Learning Tree as they were escorted from the building in the back. Swerve Strickland made his entrance for the main event. Ricochet attacked him from behind with a chair before he completed his entrance. Swerve slapped Ricochet in the face and demanded the bell to be rung.
4. Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet: After the bell ran Ricochet quickly delivered a knee strike and Vertigo for a near fall. The action spilled outside, where Ricochet delivered a suicide dive and sent Swerve into the barricade. Both men stood on the barricade and traded punches. Ricochet attempted a hurracarrana, but Swerve reversed into a powerbomb into the top of the guardrail. He then slammed Ricochet into the ring apron as the crowd chanted Swerve’s house…[c]
Ricochet got a near fall after a lungblower. Both men then traded blows and reversals. Swerve eventually delivered a powerbomb into a powerslam for a near fall. Ricochet attempted a low blow, but got stuffed. Swerve delivered a side slam and then a house call kick. He then delivered a Swerve Stomp, but Ricochet kicked out at 2.9. After a bit of a flub on the apron, Ricochet delivered a German Suplex on the apron. He followed up with a 450 for a close near fall.
He went back up top for a Shooting Star press and got another close near fall. Ricochet then lined up for Spirit Gun, but got caught with another House Call Kick. Swerve then went for another Stomp, but Ricochet caught him with a low blow. He then delivered a Spirit Gun and got the win.
Ricochet defeated Swerve Strickland at 13:50
After the match, Ricochet took Prince Nana’s robe and put it on before leaving the ring. Dustin Rhodes vs. MJF was confirmed for next week’s Dynamite.
My Take: These two work very well together and they had a very strong match. Ricochet going over was the right call, and I hope they get more promo time to really take this feud to the next level. Overall, this show was a bit chaotic. It had strong action, but the promos were a bit hit or miss from me. There was more about this show that I liked than I didn’t, however, even if I didn’t groove with everything. If nothing else, watch the Mariah May/Toni Storm segment and the main event, as they were the highlights of the show.
It took Will Ospreay 13 min to defeated Mark Davis? Lord