By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 237)
Indianapolis, Indiana at Indianapolis Farmers Coliseum
Aired live April 17, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] Excalibur welcomed viewers to the show and was joined on commentary by Taz and Tony Schiavone. New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley was introduced by ring announcer Justin Roberts. Moxley made his standard entrance through the crowd on the main floor and walked up the steps to play to the fans before heading to the ring.
Moxley recalled winning the first championship he ever won in Indianapolis. Moxley said a lot of people told him then what he could and could not do. He said his message 20 years later is the same now as it was then – kiss his ass. Moxley said it’s not about what others say, it’s what a person has inside.
Moxley showed off his new championship and it drew the obligatory “you deserve it” chant. Moxley said he chased the title for five years. He said five years ago people said him holding the title and holding it on Dynamite was impossible. Moxley said it wasn’t impossible if they had known what was inside him. Moxley said it’s about how deep you can dig and how far you are willing to go to prove the doubters wrong. Moxley said that’s what AEW is all about.
Moxley turned his focus to the Don Callis Family. Moxley said Callis is a creep and he has no time for him. Moxley said Callis is feeding his guy lines and they are buying them. He said the Callis Family tried to injure his teammate Bryan Danielson. Moxley said if you put a target on Danielson’s back, you might as well put one on his.
Moxley asked if they wanted to get violent. Moxley said he would be there all night. Moxley spoke about how he hit them with tire irons or a car, but he didn’t think they would learn anything. Moxley said he would instead pick the biggest of all of them.
Moxley challenged Powerhouse Hobbs to face him next week in the main event on Dynamite. Moxley said Hobbs would find out how out of his depth he is. Moxley said he wouldn’t make it quick or easy. He said he would drag Hobbs to the deepest waters there are and then Hobbs will learn the difference between them. Moxley said there are a lot of great wrestlers in the world, but there’s only one Moxley…
Powell’s POV: A good return promo. Moxley feels fresh again after taking a little time away. It’s also nice that his character cares about titles again now that he has one. I wasn’t a fan of the Blackpool Combat Club making it seem like they care about fighting more than winning championships. I also like that they set the table for next week by announcing the show’s main event a week in advance even though they have a pay-per-view on Sunday.
Mercedes Mone spoke on the backstage interview set. She said she can’t wait to pay back the bitch who attacked her. Mone assumed it was Julia Hart and then said maybe it was someone who wanted her to think it was Hart. Mone said she would be watching the mixed tag team match. Mone said there’s a price to may when you mess with her…
TNT Champion Adam Copeland made his entrance for the mixed tag match. Willow Nightingale’s entrance music played. The cameras cut backstage where Willow was being tended to by Kris Statlander, Stokely Hathaway, and a trainer. The lights in the arena went out. Brody King attacked Adam Copeland from behind while Copeland was focused on Julia Hart on the entrance ramp. King set Copeland on a chair against the barricade and then hit him with a running crossbody block. Copeland crawled to the ring and the referee called for the bell to start the match after checking on him.
1. TNT Champion Adam Copeland and Willow Nightingale vs. Brody King and TBS Champion Julia Hart in a mixed tag match. King knocked Copeland down heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C] Copeland knocked King off the ropes after biting his forehead coming out of the break. Copeland jumped from the ropes and clotheslined King.
Copeland hit King with a series of strikes in the corner and was unable to put him down until he performed an Impaler DDT for a near fall. Copeland performed a Blockbuster from the middle rope. Copeland played to the crowd and then went for a spear, but King cut him off with a clothesline. King went for a cannonball in the corner that Copeland avoided.
Willow Nightingale walked out with Kris Statlander and Stokey Hathaway, who did not accompany her to the ring. King set up for a move on Copeland, who lifted his foot, which Willow used to tag in. Willow hit King with a crossbody block. Copeland speared King. Willow hit King with a cannonball in the corner. Hart wrapped a chain around her fist and hit Willow with it while the referee’s back was turned. Hart put Willow in Hartless and the referee called for the bell.
Brody King and Julia Hart defeated Adam Copeland and Willow Nightingale in 8:45.
Mercedes Mone made her entrance with a chair in hand, which caused Hart to exit the ring. Mone looked at Willow while holding the chair. Copeland returned to the ring and then Mone dropped the chair. Mone shook hands with Copeland…
Powell’s POV: An enjoyable match with Copeland and King doing the bulk of the work. Willow’s offense on King was really well received by the live crowd. My guess continues to be that Kris Statlander will be revealed as the person who attacked Mone and now Willow. I wish they were going with Copeland vs. King for the TNT Title at Dynasty as opposed to the trios match.
Renee Paquette conducted a sit-down interview with AEW World Champion Samoa Joe in a backstage area. Joe said Swerve Strickland will keep standing up after he knocks him down. Joe called him a punching bag. Paquette recalled Joe being upset when Swerve held his title belt last week while highlights were shown. Joe said he was worried that his property was in the wrong hands.
Joe said Swerve is a choke artist who has come up short in all of his title matches. Joe said he will cement his legacy as the greatest AEW World Champion. Joe said Swerve is a choke artist and he’ll be the one who chokes Swerve out on Sunday… [C]
A video package aired on the FTR vs. Young Bucks ladder match at Dynasty. Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson called for “Tony” to cut that. The Bucks and Kazuchika Okada were shown. Matthew said he was sorry they had to cut FTR’s segment and said he would make sure it ends up on social media. Okada said Pac won’t make it to Dynasty and referred to him as a dead man. The camera pulled back and showed Tony Khan was seated in front of them at the Gorilla Position.
Powell’s POV: Are they ever going to explain why Tony Khan’s television character doesn’t stand up to the EVP characters?
The Young Bucks made their entrance while Schiavone said The Elite hijacked the show. Kazuchika Okada’s entrance followed. The babyface trio made separate entrances…
2. “The Elite” AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson, and Nicholas Jackson vs. Pac, Daniel Garcia, and Penta El Zero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes). All six wrestlers were fighting at ringside heading into an early PIP break. [C] Matthew had Garcia down and berated him over the house mic by asking why they even hired him. Garcia picked up Matthew for a suplex. Matthew said they were good before Garcia followed through with the move. Pac tagged in and hit a top rope moonsault on the Jacksons, who were standing and waiting on the floor.
Pac returned to the ring and looked at Okada, but one of the Jacksons hit Pac from behind. Okada checked in and performed a triple team kick in the corner and a neckbreaker. Okada covered Pac, but Penta ran in and broke up the pin. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Okada and Pac squared off and traded forearm strikes. Pac put Okada down with a superkick. Pac went up top, but Matthew cut his legs out from under him. Garcia tagged in and ate a dropkick from Okada. Garcia came back with a jackknife pin for a two count. The Jacksons hit Garcia with kicks in the corner. Okada performed tombstone piledrivers on Garcia and then Penta.
Okada held Garcia in place while the Jacksons hit him with a double superkick. Okada hit Garcia with a Rainmaker clothesline and then pinned him…
“The Elite” Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson, and Nicholas Jackson defeated Pac, Daniel Garcia, and Penta El Zero Miedo in 12:20.
After the match, the Jacksons hit Garcia with an EVP Trigger. Nicholas brought a ladder inside the ring while Matthew took out Penta on the apron. Nicholas slammed Garcia on top of the ladder. The Jacksons placed Garcia in between the ladder rungs. Okada and Matthew held the ladder in place while Nicholas went up top, but Pac ran off The Elite with the ring bell hammer… [C]
Powell’s POV: Please tell me they are not going back to having Pac use the stupid ring bell hammer as a weapon again. Anyway, it was another case of one step forward and two steps back for Garcia, who seems stuck in place in AEW despite the way they always talk about him as a future star. Does Rick Knox have the night off? He typically works the Young Bucks’ matches, but Paul Turner was the referee for this match.
NASCAR Funny Car driver Austin Prock was shown in the crowd…
Taz stood inside the ring while Chris Jericho made his “Lionheart” entrance dressed in non-wrestling attire. Hook made his entrance dressed in non-wrestling attire and had the FTW Title belt with him. Jericho thanked Hook for coming out and received some boos.
Jericho said Katsuyori Shibata was collateral damage last week. Jericho said he didn’t think Hook was listening to him as much as he should. Jericho said some people say he’s the greatest of all-time and then referred to himself as The Learning Tree. Jericho said everyone who has listened to him has gotten to the next level.
[Hour Two] Jericho said everyone who has entered the Jericho Vortex has come out the other side a better performer, a better wrestler, and a better person. Jericho said he wants that for Hook. He said he wants to get to the top of Wizard Mountain where they can breathe in the rarified air of Jericho.
Jericho asked Hook if he was willing to put aside the animosity and sit under the learning tree. Hook said no. Taz chuckled. Hook said he doesn’t need Jericho’s help. Jericho told Hook not to be stupid. Taz told him to relax. Jericho told Taz to stop. He said he was giving the kid the proper guidance that Taz should have given him.
Jericho said he was trying to help Hook get rid of the dead weight he’s been surrounded by for his entire life. Taz told Jericho to calm down. Jericho told Taz to stop. Jericho told Hook that he’s not as good as he thinks he is. Taz tried to speak, but Jericho pushed him into the ropes and then Taz fell down. A “You f—ed up” chant broke out.
Hook dropped his mic and pushed Jericho into the corner. Jericho held the mic while Hook held him in the corner. Hook told Jericho that he liked him, but he crossed the line. Hook said if Jericho wants to see how good he is, he would face him any time, any place, and anywhere. Hook told Jericho to get out of his ring. A guy in the front row held up a “Who Booked This?” sign while others in the crowd sang the goodbye song while Jericho left the ring…
Powell’s POV: Taz has avoided physicality for many years due to his neck injury, so they really should have saved him getting involved for a bigger moment than this turned out to be. The Hook and Jericho story has really sped over the last two weeks. It’s also been dumbed with Jericho acting so oblivious to how over the top his character is being. All of that said, I think it’s working, as the fans want to boo Jericho and they clearly like Hook.
Renee Paquette conducted a sit-down interview with Swerve Strickland and asked for his reaction to Samoa Joe’s comments. Swerve asked if Paquette thinks he’s a choke artist. She said no and then Swerve said he didn’t thinks so either. Swerve said he’s stumbled, but he’s always fallen forward into success.
Swerve said he always gets back up. He said it’s his military upbringing and his warrior ethos. He said Joe could call him a punching bag, a choke artist, and a parasite. Swerve said that Joe will be calling him the new AEW World Champion on Sunday. Paquette asked Swerve what makes him so confident that he can beat Joe. Swerve said it’s not something he should be answering to her. Swerve stood up and removed the mic and his jacket and said he would tell Joe to his face inside the ring later tonight…
Entrances for the women’s match took place…
3. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mariah May (w/Toni Storm, Luther). May had Purrazzo down at ringside heading into a PIP break. [C] Purrazzo caught May in a Fujiwara armbar, but May reached the ropes to break the hold. Purrazzo went for a powerbomb, but May slipped away awkwardly and then headbutted Purrazzo. May hit the hip attack in the corner and a DDT for a near fall. May went for her finisher, but Purrazzo countered into a pin and got the three count.
Deonna Purrazzo beat Mariah May in 8:00.
After the match, Storm entered the ring and put the boots to Purrazzo. Thunder Rosa ran out in non-wrestling attire and cleared the heels from the ring Purrazzo recovered and shoved Rosa, who shoved her back. May pulled Purrazzo to the floor. Storm snuck up behind Rosa and then kicked her. Storm set up for Storm Zero, but Rosa escaped and punched her. Rosa put Storm in Camel Clutch position and then smeared lipstick all over Storm’s face…
Powell’s POV: Storm smears lipstick all over her own face sometimes, but I get what they were going for.
Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn spoke with Paquette on the backstage interview set. White called for The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to put their AEW Trios Titles on the line and said they would put the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles on the line in a winner take all match at Dynasty… [C]
Powell’s POV: Here’s hoping that the match ends in a double pin and then both sets of titles are shot into space and are never seen again. It’s a little thing, but why are the heels issuing a winner take all challenge?
Billy Gunn and “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens stood on the interview set and accepted the challenge issued by White and the Gunns. Billy said he beat Jay White’s ass and he has beaten the hell out of his sons since they were kids. Caster challenged The Gunns to face him and Bowens in a standard tag match on Collision…
Schiavone announced that Tony Khan made the AEW Trios Titles vs. ROH Six-Man Tag Title match official for the AEW Dynasty Zero Hour pre-show…
4. Orange Cassidy vs. Shane Taylor (w/Anthony Ogogo, Lee Moriarty). Excalibur played up Cassidy not having any backup while Taylor had his allies in his corner. Taylor sent Cassidy to ringside and then distracted the referee while Moriarty worked over Cassidy. Moriarty tossed Cassidy back inside the ring. Taylor hit Cassidy in the corner heading into a PIP break. [C]
Cassidy took out the sidekicks and then went for an Orange Punch that Taylor ducked. Taylor threw a clothesline that Cassidy ducked and then Taylor threw another clothesline and put him down. The broadcast team announced The Elite vs. FTR and Pac for Saturday’s AEW Collision. In the ring, Cassidy connected with an Orange Punch and scored the pin…
Orange Cassidy defeated Shane Taylor in 8:00.
Lee Moriarty entered the ring and put Cassidy in a chokehold while Excalibur said Rocky Romero and Katsuyori Shibata were not in the building and couldn’t help Cassidy. Ogogo threw a punch at Cassidy while Moriarty held him. They picked up Cassidy for Taylor.
Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels ran out to help Cassidy, but Trent Beretta took them out with a chair on the stage. Beretta threw a chair at the head of Sydal (why?). Beretta looked at the heels and Cassidy, then turned and walked backstage. Taylor punched out Cassidy and then Moriarty put him in a submission hold. Taylor and Ogogo draped a Shane Taylor Promotions flag over Cassidy…
Powell’s POV: It’s tough to care about Shane Taylor Promotions when they lose every meaningful match. The return of unprotected chair shots to the head in AEW and WWE is really sad. Did anyone in a leadership position pay any attention to the seminars that Chris Nowinski conducted for both companies?
A video package spotlighted the Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly storyline to set up their AEW International Championship match for AEW Dynasty…
Will Ospreay made his entrance for the main event… [C] Claudio Castagnoli made his entrance…
5. Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli. Don Callis sat in on commentary because Ospreay is still part of his family for reasons that make no sense to anyone. Schiavone assured fans they would stick with the match as long as it took and also hyped more from Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland. Roughly four minutes into the match, Ospreay dove from the ring onto Castagnoli at ringside. Castagnoli caught Ospreay and slammed him onto the apron heading into a PIP break. [C]
The broadcast team said Castagnoli dominated the offense during the break. Ospreay came back and performed a Tiger Driver for a near fall. Callis said he hated to say it, but he had Castagnoli ahead on points because he had dictated the pace throughout the match. Castagnoli put Ospreay down with a clothesline for a two count.
Castagnoli stuffed a Tiger Driver and then hit Ospreay with an uppercut. Castagnoli set up for the Ricola Bomb, but Ospreay countered into a pin for a two count. Ospreay threw kicks and then went for an OsCutter, but Castagnoli caught him and slammed him to the mat before covering him for a near fall.
Castagnoli ran the ropes and took a standing Spanish Fly from Ospreay, who picked up another near fall. Ospreay removed his elbow pad and went for the Hidden Blade, but Castagnoli cut him off and hit a popup uppercut for a near fall. Castagnoli went for the giant swing, but Ospreay countered into a DDT. Ospreay performed a Cancun Tornado for a two count, then hit the Hidden Blade and scored the pin.
Will Ospreay defeated Claudio Castagnoli in 14:30.
After the match, Powerhouse Hobbs, Konosuke Takeshita, and Kyle Fletcher attacked Castagnoli while Ospreay went to ringside. Takeshita brought Castagnoli to the floor and set him up for a brainbuster on the ramp, but he released it when Jon Moxley’s entrance theme played.
Moxley cleared Takeshita and Fletcher from the ring and then traded punches with Hobbs, who eventually ended up at ringside. “Next week,” Hobbs told Moxley from the floor. Ospreay showed frustration with Hobbs, Takeshita, and Fletcher and asked them what they were doing. Ospreay headed to the back alone.
Powell’s POV: The expected strong match with the only logical outcome given that Ospreay is facing Danielson in a top match at Dynasty.
[Overrun] Excalibur hyped Moxley vs. Hobbs for next week’s Dynamite, and then announced that Tony Khan booked Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher in a Bunkhouse Brawl for Saturday’s AEW Collision. Excalibur ran through the Dynasty lineup, which now includes Hook vs. Chris Jericho.
Swerve Strickland made his entrance and was accompanied by Prince Nana. Once in the ring, Swerve recalled asking how he would beat Samoa Joe. Swerve recalled standing over Joe last week and said Joe was quivering like a little bitch. Swerve said Joe was afraid and knows that Swerve will beat him for the AEW World Championship. Swerve called out Joe.
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe made his entrance while a group of security guards tried to stop him. The guards stopped Joe from entering the ring. Swerve went up top and performed a double stomp that took out the security guards and drew a “holy shit” chant from the crowd.
Joe attacked Swerve and ran him into the ring steps before tossing him inside the ring. Joe mocked Nana’s dance while standing behind Nana, who was tending to Swerve. Nana turned around and begged off in a corner of the ring until Swerve blindsided Joe. Swerve hit Joe with the House Call kick. Swerve went up top, but Joe cut him off. Joe told Swerve he’s not that man, then headbutted him and gave him a Muscle Buster. Joe held up his title belt while standing over Swerve to close the show…
Powell’s POV: I didn’t expect to see the champion stand over the challenger heading into the pay-per-view, but I enjoyed the overall build to the Joe vs. Swerve title match. Overall, Dynamite featured the usual good in-ring action, but the Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland segments were the only thing that made me more excited about AEW Dynasty than I was going into the show. It’s a shame because the lineup looks great on paper, but the storyline build for most of the matches has been underwhelming. At least they focused on AEW business as opposed to going with another Festivus Airing of Grievances editions of Dynamite. I will have a lot more to say about this episode in my weekly AEW Dynamite audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Dynamite by grading the show below.
Join me for my live review of AEW Dynasty on Sunday night.
Moxley is still not good on the mic. He just sounds like the pretend tough guy in high school who talked a lot of shit and got beaten up the first time he got in a real fight.
Mone still can’t talk at all.
And now we’ve got another backstage attack followed by lights and and jump starting a match before the bell to start the show. AEW just can’t avoid their worst tendencies at all. 15 minutes in and they’ve guaranteed that they’ll lose as much of the Sheldon bump as possible.
On the positive side, the crowd looks and sounds a lot better in the smaller building. They need to find more of the 5,000-7,500 seat arenas to hold their shows in.
Don’t worry they will get better once they return to WWE.
LLolll…shocking to see you here making negative comments about AEW…..thanks as always for making us know that no matter how bad our day is, at least we aren’t you.
The Tinker Toy Express and Blown Free Agent Push #82 vs Super Slender Boy, Climb the Ropes Slowly, and Pontiac “Blue Light Special” Fiero was just too much. I’m sure some of the 2500 in attendance enjoyed it, but they’ve got to get these obviously unwatchable indy hacks off TV for good.
Well Mone looks mid and I’ve already lost all interest in Okada so I really hope they have a plan to seriously protect Ospreay
He’s going to do every move he knows in every match, Bruv. He’s not going to sell more than 3-4 of his opponents moves per match, Bruv. He’s going to take at least 15-20 minutes to beat anyone he faces, Bruv.
And, he and Bryan Danielson are going to have a match to prove who is the best wrestler in the world despite neither holding a belt, Bruv.
Not only are they not going to protect him, but his quarter hours have seen bigger drops than either Mone or Okada so far.
I don’t understand the logic in how they booking Mone. Did no one watch Sasha in WWE and realize her weakest skills were the mic skills? All she has done is talk and dance. Should have kept her off the tv until the PPV if this all she was going to do.
And yeah, let’s say I am a casual viewer who never saw any of NewJapan other than clips online, at this rate, why would I care about Okada? What has he done to stand out as a star?
I mean, diehards say he’s amazing, but they have not shown any of it yet. Maybe there is some long game here but in the short term, already lost interest.
I really really want to root for AEW. I loved it a few years ago when Vince’s booking was so terrible and the WWE was at its low point.
But my goodness it’s a 180. WWE is straight cooking and AEW is rudderless and no one seems able or willing to take the helm and right the ship.
Hook’s fragile father was knocked down right in front of him and all he did was demand they have a match someday. Why not fight him then? These are the types of things TK doesn’t understand. Does he just have “yes men” surrounding him or does he ignore them?
I thought the same thing. If someone shoved your injured father, why would say you liked him? As you mentioned, where’s the fire?
Tony has never been in a fight or stood up to someone in his life. He doesn’t know how normal people do things.
I hope it’s Kris. Mercedes needs an opponent she can go toe to toe with, like she did against Becky.
That trios challenge, acceptance and confirmation by Tony Khan could have spread out over 3 segments, unless the producers feel the trios titles are that forgettable.
Joe is such a great talent and deserved champion. He’s a great talker. Has a real Don Muraco quality.
Unprotected chairshots in 2024. Brain damage in…
Kris would be an interesting twist to see her as a heel, and it would be suitable since she’s with Stokely Hathaway. The other option is Saraya as well. We know for sure it’s not Willow or Julia/Skye Blue, they’re red herrings in this mystery.
Somoa Joe has been booked as a great champion. People go over the flaws of AEW so much that they don’t want to give credit to the things that AEW has done right like Timeless Toni Storm and Somoa Joe’s title run. I think it’s time for Swerve to become champion, but man I didn’t think Joe’s run would be this good.