By Jake Barnett, ProWrestling.net Co-Senior Staffer (@barnettjake)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 133)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Peterson Events Center
Aired live April 20, 2022 on TBS
[Hour One] Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone chimed in to welcome the TV audience to the show. CM Punk’s music hit, and Excalibur jumped in on commentary to say that CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes seemed like an impossibility not that long ago. JR said it was a match he should win, but stranger things have happened in AEW. Dustin Rhodes was out next for the opening match.
1. CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes: A CM Punk chant rang out as the two men circled each other. They shook hands and the match began in earnest. Dustin got out front with a shoulder block. They then traded arm drags and stood up face to face. The announce crew ran down tonight’s crowd, including the Coffin Match between Andrade and Darby Allin, and Tony Khan’s major announcement. Dustin applied a head scissors, and Punk escaped into a bow and arrow stretch and didn’t quite work.
Dustin escaped to his feet for an arm drag, but Punk recovered quickly and picked a leg for a take down. He then transitioned into a cover for a one count. Both men traded quick reversals. Dustin pulled Punk down with an arm drag. Punk battled to his feet and sent Dustin into the ropes. He missed a cross body attempt and flew out to the floor.
The ref checked on Dustin and then began to count him out. Punk followed to the outside as Dustin hobbled on one knee. Punk targeted the knee immediately. He placed Dustin’s leg on the ropes and dropped his weight on the knee. Punk remained in control and targeted the knee as the show went to break…[c]
During the break, Dustin dumped Punk to the floor over the top rope. He pursued onto the apron, but Punk swept his leg and he crashed and burned. Punk rejoined him on the apron, but Dustin used his legs to send Punk into the ring post. He then dropped to the floor and used an arm ringer to pull Punk face first onto the apron. Back in the ring, They traded strikes in the ring, and both men looked fatigued.
Dustin landed a back body drop and a flurry of strikes. He followed Punk into the corner and then landed some mounted punches from the second rope. Dustin’s knee gave out when he jumped down from the second rope. Dustin avoided a running knee strike from Punk, and replied with a Code Red for a near fall. He followed up with a powerslam a moment later for another close near fall.
Dustin then set up for a reverse DDT, but Punk escaped and chop blocked his bad knee. Punk then applied a Figure Four. Dustin was counted twice while on his back, and forced to kick out. Both men traded punches while locked in the hold. Dustin tried to reverse the pressure, but was stopped. He was able to turn over in the other direction, and Punk reached the ropes to escape.
Punk went for a springboard lariat, but Dustin landed a punch to the gut. Dustin then landed Cross Rhodes and a piledriver for a close near fall. Both men got to their feet and Dustin attempted a flip, flop and fly, but Punk landed a kick to the head. He then went for a GTS, but he grimaced in pain and Dustin slipped out the back. He attempted a sunset flip, but Punk slid down into a leverage pin and got the win.
CM Punk defeated Dustin Rhodes at 17:30
After the match, both men shared a hug and shook hands. Dustin then raised Punk’s hand. Excalibur plugged the Coffin match and Owen Hart Tournament qualifiers. Hangman Page’s music hit, and he walked out to confront Punk at the top of the ramp. They had a staredown, and the crowd chanted Cowboy Shit…
My Take: A very good opener. Punk and Dustin worked a very different pace than your usual AEW match, and the crowd ate it up. It was interesting to see the crowd side with Hangman Page immediately during the post match confrontation.
Wardlow was shown arriving earlier in the show. Mark Sterling interrupted him with security, and told him that from now on he’ll be escorted by security to his locker room, and then to the ring, and then back out of the building when he’s done wrestling. He then asked him to wear handcuffs around the arena, and passed a message along from MJF that called him a pig…
In the arena, Brian Danielson made his ring entrance. He was followed by Wheeler Yuta and Jon Moxley, and their opponents were already in the ring…
2. Brian Danielson, Wheeler Yuta, and Jon Moxley vs. Dante Martin, Brock Anderson, and Lee Moriarty (w/Arn Anderson): William Regal was on commentary. Wheeler started the match with Dante. He controlled the early going and tagged in Danielson. Dante gave Danielson problems immediately because of his speed, and he had to tag out quickly to Moxley. Brock Anderson tagged in for his team. Moxley landed a half and half suplex on Anderson and tagged Danielson back in. Moxley placed Anderson on the top rope, and Danielson knocked him to the outside with a kick…[c]
Moxley and Danielson continued to take Brock Anderson apart during the break. Anderson landed a spinebuster on Moxley. Danielson and Moriarty tagged in. Lee got fired up with the hot tag and took out Yuta on the apron, and landed a flying kick to Danielson. They traded hard shots, and Moriarty landed an arm capture suplex. Moxley and Martin tagged in, and Martin’s quickness backfired when he jumped right into a bulldog choke. Moriarty tried to break it up with kicks, but Moxley refused to break.
Danielson took out Moriarty and Yuta took down Brock Anderson. Moxley landed a high angle Paradigm Shift for the win.
“Blackpool Combat Club” Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and Wheeler Yuta defeated Dante Martin, Brock Anderson, and Lee Moriarty at 7:16
Backstage, “The Undisputed Elite” Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson were backstage talking about their recent losses and how they need to get it together. O’Reilly said he would turn things around by defeating Jungle Boy in the Owen Hart qualifier later. Cole said they were unbeatable as a group, and said they need to consider a 10 man Undisputed Elite Open Challenge for next week. Cole said he had something else to take care of, but they should think about it…[c]
My Take: Blackpool Combat Club is a lot of fun, but I hope it’s not Moxley and Danielson in Trios matches while they wait for more interesting stuff to open up. I hope there’s more in the works than what meets the eye at the moment.
A video package aired that summarized the conflict between Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, Satnam Singh, and Samoa Joe. Joe vowed to get his hands on Lethal, and Dutt said Singh would carry on the legacy of an entire country…
Tony Schiavone brought out AEW President Tony Khan, who was fired up per usual. Khan introduced the President of New Japan Pro Wrestling. Takami Ohbari. Adam Cole appeared on the screen and announced a future event in Chicago called Forbidden Door on Sunday, June 26th that would be co-promoted between AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Cole said we’d get a taste next week in an Owen Hart Qualifier between himself and Tomohiro Ishii. Cole then introduced a special guest of his own, and Jay White walked out and joined Khan and Ohbari on the stage. White took credit for selling out Madison Square Garden the last time New Japan was in the U.S., and said it was still the Era of the Undisputed Elite and Bullet Club…
Backstage, Kiera Hogan and Red Velvet stood with Jade Cargill. They said they’d be in the Baddie Section on Friday when she defends her title against Marina Shafir. Jade called herself the problem solver, and said she’d see Marina on Friday….bitch…
In the arena, The Butcher made his entrance for the next match. MJF’s music hit, and he was shown in a luxury box with Shawn Spears. MJF said he didn’t care about who the crowd booed, because they cheered for Ben Roethlisberger.
MJF called Wardlow a pig, and said he would enter without music because he’s a nobody. Wardlow was escorted to the ring by AEW security. They took off his handcuffs as he got to the ring…
3. Wardlow vs. The Butcher: Both men stood at a stalemate to open the match. They bounced off of each other a couple of times, and then started trading strikes. The Butcher went outside and pulled chairs out from under the ring. He pulled Wardlow to the floor, and battered him with Lariats on the outside.
Butcher attempted to toss him off the ring post, but it was blocked. Wardlow sent Butcher off the post, but he shrugged it off quickly. Back in the ring. Butcher hit a powerbomb and Wardlow kicked out at one. Wardlow fired up and pulled in Butcher for a powerbomb symphony. Four powerbombs later, Wardlow covered and got the win.
Wardlow defeated Butcher at 4:19
After the match, Wardlow was handcuffed again while MJF and Spears looked irritated. Jungle Boy vs. KOR is up next…[c]
My Take: The Forbidden Door show should be a lot of fun if you follow AEW and New Japan closely. Hard to say whether it will draw in anyone outside of the usual AEW audience, but there’s opportunity for a few Dream Matches that could have a lot of appeal. Wardlow continues to be dominant, as he should, but MJF’s repeat storyline of stacking obstacles in front of potential opponents is feeling a little stale.
Eddie Kingston cut a promo backstage ahead if his match with Daniel Garcia on Rampage. He said everything he would do to Garcia is meant for Chris Jericho, so he should pay close attention. Kingston mentioned that everyone else will be banned from ringside, and Garcia’s family wouldn’t recognize him when it was over…
In the arena, Kyle O’Reilly made his entrance, followed by Jungle Boy, who was joined on the stage by Christian Cage and Luchasaurus…
[Hour Two] 4. Jungle Boy vs. Kyle O’Reilly in an Owen Hart Tournament Qualifier: They worked some chain wrestling on the mat to start, jockeying for leverage. Jungle Boy attempted an acrobatic arm drag using a springboard, but O’Reilly reeled him back in with a cross armbreaker. They traded feints and reversals again until Jungle Boy landed a dropkick square in the jaw. O’Reilly recovered and tripped Jungle Boy with a leg sweet. He then applied a hammerlock, but Jungle Boy fought out of it.
He then rolled up O’Reilly for a pin, but only got one. O’Reilly fired back with a series of butterfly throws for a near fall…[c]
Both men traded heavy strikes as the show returned. Jungle Boy got the advantage with a series of running forearms and an uppercut. He then dumped O’Reilly to the floor as he charged in. Jungle Boy then dove on O’Reilly on the floor, and landed a hard lariat. O’Reilly fired back with a dragon screw leg whip, but Jungle Boy shook it off pretty quickly. He attempted a Guillotine, but O’Reilly escaped and landed an exploder suplex.
Jungle Boy fired back with a lariat out of the corner. O’Reilly got back on offense with a wrist lock in the corner. Jungle Boy escaped, but O’Reilly gouged his eyes in desperation. Jungle Boy hung O’Reilly in the Tree of Woe, but the ref had to pull off Jungle Boy twice to keep him from disqualifying himself. He set up for a running knee strike, but O’Reilly avoided it and landed a kickboxing combination. Jungle Boy replied with a superkick, but O’Reilly applied an Ankle Lock a moment later.
Jungle Boy reversed out of the hold and applied his Snare Trap submission, but O’Reilly crawled and reached the ropes. He then went up top, but O’Reilly kicked out his leg. O’Reilly landed a superplex, and then another brainbuster in the ring. O’Reilly went up top and dropped a knee on Jungle Boy and got the win.
Kyle O’Reilly defeated Jungle Boy at 12:45 to qualify for the Owen Hart tournament
Jungle Boy looked dejected. O’Reilly celebrated with a bloody mouth. Christian Cage walked out and gave him some consolation…
MJF was shown backstage and said Butcher couldn’t get the job done, but there was a lot more money where that came from. He told Wardlow he was a snake, and it doesn’t matter how big you are, all it takes is one little bite. Jake Roberts then walked on screen and took an envelope full of money. He talked about money being what the world runs on, and it’s what he chases instead of titles and women. He talked in circles for a second, and Lance Archer appeared and said he didn’t want the money, he just wanted a fight with Wardlow…
In the arena, Hook made his entrance. Anthony Henry was already in the ring…
5. HOOK vs. Anthony Henry: Hook applied a single leg crab right away, but Henry reached the ropes. Hook then landed some strikes and a judo throw, followed by another overhead throw. Tony Nese was shown in the crowd. Danhausen appeared to curse Hook as he landed crossfaces to Henry. Hook was unaffected by the curse, and applied Redrum for the win.
Hook defeated Anthony Henry at 2:12
After the match, Danhausen said he was tired of seeing Hook fight these hard bodied fools. He said if Hook refused to be cursed by Danhausen, he would have to fight Danhausen. Hook largely ignored him and walked away…
Backstage, Frankie Kazarian intended to make a challenge to Sammy Guevara, but was interrupted by Scorpio Sky, who recounted some history between them and said he needed one more favor. Sky asked him to hold off on his challenge so he could go to the ring and demand a rematch for his TNT Championship, and promised Kazarian the first shot when he wins it back. Kazarian said he’s always had his back, and he always will, and agreed to the terms…[c]
My Take: Lots of stuff without breaks tonight. O’Reilly beating Jungle Boy was a bit of a surprise, but I don’t think they wanted to go with Jungle Boy vs. Samoa Joe just yet, so it makes sense. Hook continues to be an exciting prospect, but AEW needs to do a better job of introducing the audience to Danhausen. Hopefully this will be a vehicle for that.
Sammy Guevara was in the ring with Tay Conti and gloated about capturing the TNT Championship for a third time. He said that the people turned on them the first chance they got, and why, because his girlfriend is hotter than theirs?
Scorpio Sky, Dan Lambert, and Ethan Page walked out. Sky called out Sammy for being a punk, and Lambert said he threw everything away because he can’t keep his tongue out of his girlfriends’ mouth. He said he could give them the title rematch, or Ethan and Scorpio could go to the ring and give him a pounding his girlfriend dreams about. In exchange for the title match, Sammy wanted a mixed tag match down the line. Lambert agreed, and Guevara said he and Sky would have a ladder match next week. They were short on time and Guevara’s music started playing early…
A House of Black Vignette aired. Black said they said they would be in action next week (the show is going very quick so I missed some of it)…
In the arena, Danielle Kamela made her entrance, followed by Britt Baker with Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth of the Pittsburgh Steelers…
6. Britt Baker (w/Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth) vs. Danielle Kamela in an Owen Hart Tournament Qualifier: Baker landed a suplex and got the crowd fired up early on…[c]
My Take: This show is booked way too tight. They are rushing every segment to get everything in, and I assume that probably means a shortened Main Event. Baker only got about 15 seconds in total for her entrance. Guevara and Conti are getting the expected reaction. Hopefully it doesn’t end up as total go away heat before it’s over.
Kamela controlled the pace during the break, and tried to choke Baker with a Terrible Towel. Baker fired up and landed a tackle, and then an elbow strike. She then landed a sling blade and a superkick. Baker then landed a spinning neckbreaker followed by a running stomp. Baker applied a Steeler’s Glove and applied Lockjaw to get the win.
Britt Baker defeated Danielle Kamela at 5:21 to qualify for the Owen Hart tournament
Baker grabbed a microphone and said she was in the ring with a microphone and she knows how to use it. She said the division was pathetic without her. She ran down Ruby Soho and Toni Storm. She told Toni if she thought cake to the face was bad, she’ll really be disgusted with getting her face dragged around the ring by Jamie Hayter. Baker addressed Jade Cargill and the baddie section, and said the only people who came to see Jade are the people who she gave free tickets to. She then questioned whether it was worse for Red Velvet to be a baddie, or getting her ass kicked by Britt last year. She called herself the baddest bitch on the block, and wrapped up. Harris took the mic and wanted to say something…
Excalibur plugged upcoming events in auctioneer mode, and then we got Andrade’s entrance for the Main Event…[c]
My Take: I’m not sure what Baker thinks she’s accomplishing by dragging the entire women’s division. This felt like a Triple H promo circa 2004. I did find it funny that she bagged on Thunder Rosa’s promos, and then delivered a decidedly mediocre one herself.
Darby Allin made his entrance for the Main Event Coffin Match.
7. Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo in a Coffin Match: The Blade tried to interfere immediately, but Darby avoided it and landed some shots to Andrade with the skateboard. Marq Quen then got involved and turned the tables, and Andrade set out to open the coffin. The coffin closed immediately on his fingers, which he sold in pain. The brawl then spilled into the crowd, where Sting was seated in a Sting mask, as is tradition. The match then became a walking brawl through the arena.
The action got to an open area, where Marq Quen hit Sting with a chair across the back. He shrugged it off and dove on everybody below from a concourse above. Sting is Terry Funk levels of crazy at this point…[c]
Back in the ring, Darby landed a Canadian Destroyer. He then went for a Coffin Drop onto Andrade outside, but instead he was caught. Andrade then landed a German Suplex on the floor. Andrade got the coffin open, and the lid was covered in Thumb Tacks. He dropped Darby in, but he couldn’t get the door closed. Darby blocked it, and was tabbed with tacks.
Andrade suplexed Darby on the stage, and then attempted another one onto steel grating near the stage. Darby initially blocked it, but Andrade eventually launched him onto the grates, and they didn’t give an inch. Andrade dragged Darby back towards the ring and slammed him into the steps, then tried to tear the lid off the coffin. He then picked up Darby and brought him onto the apron, but Darby escaped and hung him on the top rope. He then landed a running dive that tackled Andrade into the coffin.
Jose ran down to prevent Darby from closing the lid, but he failed as Darby dropped him onto the thumb tacks. Darby then managed to slam the coffin shut and get the win.
Darby Allin defeated Andrade at 15:34
After the match, Sting and Darby celebrated. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy walked on the stage to do some delete arm motions. Dax Harwood vs. Cash Wheeler was plugged for next week’s show in an Owen Hart Tournament Qualifier…
My Take: That was a fun brawl, but I hope we can finally put this program to rest, and maybe the Andrade Family Office along with it. Everybody involved could be much more productive in a different configuration. Overall, this show was mostly good, but it was back to complete chaos from a timing perspective. I think it would benefit Tony Khan to relax a bit and give some of these crazy matches and announcements a moment to breathe. The performers and fans would both benefit from this.
The Cross Rhodes into the piledriver should have been the finish to the opening match, instead of yet another AEW “rollup/small package/schoolboy pin out of nowhere” type of finish, but other than that it was two veterans showing that they’re still better than 95% of what’s on TV today.
Agreed, but from a standpoint of 13 “finishers” and the other guy/girl still kicks out is an ongoing problem in both AEW and WWE. Ridiculous at this point.
That was a good first 35 minutes of TV and then they went to an interview with The Disputed Error and the Twatwaffle Express, where all 5 showed they have no idea how real people talk and they just brought the energy crashing down.
Is Bobby Fish just cosplaying as Marty Scurll these days?
Oh look, the “huge announcement” is just more boring shit that nobody except the neckbeard jackoff hardcore AEW fanbase cares about.
MJF and Wardlow brought the quality right back up and Kingston can cut a good promo in his sleep.
Nice close out to the hour with the only bad stuff being the gamer nerds and the coked out trust fund announcement monkey.
“ CM Punk defeated Dustin Rhodes at 17:30”
I’ll just let that sit there
Wow who’d’ve guessed TheGreatestTurd is once again setting fire to his pubes to keep himself warm.
The huge announcement only mattering to AEW and NJPW fans is precisely the fucking point. If you hate AEW then yes the announcement isn’t gonna blow you outta the water but if yer such a hardcore WWE fan then I doubt anything Tony Khan said would matter outside his core audience.
Well y’never know, maybe next time there’s an announcement Tony will confirm that due to The GreatestTurd’s self-immolation he went back and read all his comments on prowrestling.net and made ALL the changes that were recommended. Then he can change his name to Vince McMahon and his company name to WWE and…oh wait.
We see again how good Jungle Boy can be when he’s in the ring with a veteran and not saddled with El Lagarto Retardado.
Hook is special and hopefully they don’t screw him up too much with Danhausen.
Sammy is such a natural heel he turned Dan Lambert babyface. That’s an accomplishment and a half.
DMD working a match in Brittsburgh will always be special.
The “Elite,” the “big” announcement, and the unnecessary gimmick match were the shits. The other 75% of the show was good. Jacksonville Dixie needs to get the hell off TV and hire a booker who will veto the bullshit parts of the show.
There’s a really good company in there somewhere.
TheGreatestOne is the shit and needs to get off ProWrestling.net and get someone with an unbiased opinion.
I don’t watch much wrestling anymore, being in Australia and all, but in saying that I check out the reports thanks to Jason Powell and company. As a short person, I find you to be a jackass. Your comments are laughable, I grant you that, because I always get a good giggle.
You are nothing more than a troll, and yes, I am feeding you. But trolls get bored, I don’t. I can sit through Powell’s hated Ziggler theme, with a smile.. in fact, I enjoy it 😀
Watching people personally attack a person talking about wrestling and then beg and cry for that person to be the one removed is the amazing display of lack of self awareness that is expected from AEW diehards. Never outgrow your stereotype.
They are exactly the kinds of pieces of shit that they act like here. Pretty pathetic, but AEW is entirely catered to those fucking losers which is why they can’t draw anything meaningful on TV or in live attendance.
AEW caters to you too, and very successfully, as you watch it religiously.
THEGREATESTONE speaks his mind. He doesn’t trash everything and calls out what he sees is not good. I agree with some of his insights and not with some others. But isn’t that what the comment section is designed for?
If he was negative about every segment then people might have a more valid complaint. Discounting all of his comments simply because there are parts of AEW he doesn’t like is very close minded
Excuse me. He always insults the AEW fanbase. So I have no problem giving it right back. I have no problem with anyone expressing their displeasure with what they see with AEW as long as it comes from a position of neutrality. His does not. And I believe that you, and that ass-clown, D_S, are either him using a different name, or his lover.
D_S = Dipshit?
GreatestOne – I very rarely agree with you but Twatwaffle Express genuinely made me laugh!
Anyone notice that when Archer came in all in an intense huff, he seemed to cause Roberts to stumble out of screen and mutter “C’mon Man!” That was great.
And that look on MJF’s face… my god this guy is just a gigantic master heel – he’s looking at Archer and the moment Archer says “And I mean ANYONE…” MJF smiles and gives this WICKED look to the camera. It’s the little things sometimes.
MJF is the modern and more serious version of Bobby Heenan, and he can really go in the ring as well. Dude just gets it, all the way down to heeling on the company by doing podcast interviews talking about the day his contract runs out without letting Tony know. He would have been one of the richest people in the business in the territory era and he’s one of the few that has figured out how to translate that to the modern wrestling landscape.
Theweakestthreebraincells doesn’t need to know what D_S stands for because she wouldn’t be smart enough to understand it anyway. Sorry ass AEW mark getting butthurt because normal people don’t worship the lameass indie jobbers you have a crush on. What a complete joke.