By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 267)
Bridgeport, Connecticut at Total Mortgage Arena
Aired live November 13, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] Excalibur checked in on commentary and noted that he was joined by Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone. Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
Christian Cage made his entrance with Kip Sabian, Nick Wayne, and Mother Wayne. Hangman Page’s entrance followed. Jay White and Juice Robinson made their entrance together…
1. Jay White and Juice Robinson vs. Hangman Page and Christian Cage (w/Kip Sabian, Nick Wayne, Mother Wayne). Page put White down and started putting the boots to him when Christian tagged himself into the match. Page didn’t looked pleased.
Robinson tagged in and was dumped to ringside. Nick Wayne kicked Robinson while Christian distracted the referee. Back in the ring, Page performed a belly-to-belly suplex on Robinson for a two count. The heels isolated Robinson.
Robinson was dumped to ringside. Nick Wayne stood by the barricade and acted like he was about to kick Robinson, but Hook showed up and pulled Nick over the barricade and then both men fought out to the concourse area (cameras did not follow them).
White tagged in and fought out of Christian’s Killswitch attempt and put him down with a DDT. White got a two count on legal man Page before tagging out. Robinson hit a cannonball in the corner. White performed a brainbuster on Page and then Robinson covered him for a near fall.
Page bit Robinson’s head while both men were on the ropes and then hit a fallaway slam for a near fall. White performed suplexes on both opponents and then went to ringside and executed a Bladerunner that sent Christian into the barricade.
In the ring, Robinson rolled Page into a pin, but Mother Wayne stood on the apron and distracted the referee long enough that Robinson only got a two count. The referee was distracted again moments later while Sabian hit Robinson with Christian’s contract case. Page hit the Deadeye on Robinson and then pinned him…
Hangman Page and Christian Cage beat Jay White and Juice Robinson in 11:35.
Powell’s POV: A decent match with yet another finish that did more to make the referee look bad than it did to put heat on the heels.
Excalibur ran through some of the Full Gear matches and also hyped upcoming segments for Dynamite…
Backstage, Renee Paquette spoke with Mercedes Mone while Kamille stood by. Paquette brought up their failed attempt to hit Kris Statlander into a car. Mone complained about Kamille’s driving and then ordered her to take her jacket into the locker room. Mone said she’s not afraid of Statlander, who then showed up behind her. Mone ran away once she spotted her. Kamille came out of the dressing room and was run into a wall by Statlander. Mone went after Statlander, who picked her up. Kamille pulled Mone down and then Statlander speared them through a wall…
Excalibur hyped Will Ospreay appearing after a commercial break. An ad hyped upcoming AEW television events… [C]
Tony Schiavone stood in the ring and introduced Will Ospreay. Schiavone spoke about Konosuke Takeshita stealing the AEW International Championship from him and asked about Kyle Fletcher’s antics. Ospreay dismissed Schiavone so that he could call out Fletcher.
Kyle Fletcher made his entrance and spoke as he walked toward the ring. Fletcher said The Family is never far behind and threatened that they would send Ospreay home for a long time if he laid a finger on him. Ospreay assumed that Fletcher brought a screwdriver out with him, which Fletcher did. Ospreay tossed the screwdriver to ringside.
Ospreay spoke about his friendship with Fletcher. Ospreay said Fletcher knows everything about him including where he lives and where his son goes to school. Fletcher said Ospreay gave him a place to stay and fed him when he needed it, but he accused Ospreay of doing that for himself.
Fletcher said Ospreay wanted to mold him into an Ospreay clone so that he would do his dirty work and would never be as successful. Fletcher called Ospreay a selfish hypocrite. Ospreay told Fletcher to decide whether he’s nothing like him or a clone.
Ospreay asked Fletcher what he’s done and emphasized that he didn’t mean what he and Mark Davis did together. Fletcher said it’s about what he’s going to do. Fletcher said he will surpass Ospreay and he wants to prove it at AEW Full Gear.
Ospreay said Fletcher wanting a pay-per-view match is what this is all about. Ospreay accepted the match. Fletcher said that if Ospreay thought the Tiger Driver or the screwdriver to the back of the head were bad, he’s not coming for a piece this time, he’s coming for everything.
Brian Cage and Lance Archer entered the ring. Ospreay said he had friends too. Powerhouse Hobbs and Mark Davis entered the ring. Ospreay was censored and then the two sides fought. Fletcher and Davis backed into one another, but did not get physical with one another.
Roderick Strong’s music played. Archer went to the stage and waited for him, but Strong came out the other tunnel and hit him with a kendo stick. They fought to the back and it was tough to see.
2. Lance Archer vs. Roderick Strong in a Falls Count Anywhere match. Apparently, this was the start of their falls count anywhere match, as there was a referee that made a two count while both men were fighting backstage. [C]
The brawl was shown in picture-in-picture throughout the break. Excalibur said Strong was seeking his third consecutive win to earn a spot in the potential three-way involving MJF and Adam Cole. Strong slammed Archer’s head against a barricade.
Brian Cage showed up and attacked Strong in the crowd. Archer and Cage set up for their finisher and then waited until Matt Taven and Mike Bennett showed up to save Strong. Archer stood on a table and set up for a chokeslam. A group of security guards showed up and then Archer chokeslammed Taven onto them. Strong battled back and hit a knee strike off a barricade before pinning Archer on the main floor…
Roderick Strong defeated Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
MJF was shown smirking as he watched from his now usual room. Strong entered the ring and got a mic. Strong said he would finish MJF at Full Gear. Konosuke Takeshita attacked Strong from behind. Adam Cole made his entrance…
3. AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. Adam Cole in a non-title match. A referee entered the ring and called for the bell while Cole and Takeshita fought while Cole’s entrance theme played. Cole cleared Takeshita from the ring and did his Boom and “Adam Cole Bay Bay” bit. Takeshita returned to the ring. Cole went for a Panama Sunrise, but Takeshita drilled him with an elbow strike heading into a PIP break. [C]
Cole caught Takeshita with a pump kick and a step-up enzuigiri. Cole went for his Boom finisher, but Takeshita avoided it and drilled him. Cole came right back with a got a near fall. Cole went for the Panama Sunrise, but Takeshita caught him, spun him around, and performed an inverted piledriver followed by a release German suplex and a lariat for a near fall.
Takeshita lowered his kneepad and went for a knee strike, but Cole avoided it and caught him with a superkick. Cole hit the Panama Sunrise, but he didn’t go for the pin. Cole lowered his kneepad and set up for The Boom, but Takeshita rolled to the floor.
Takeshita put the Dynamite Diamond Ring on his finger. The referee tried to block Cole from approaching Takeshita and was pushed aside. The idiot referee just walked toward a corner of the ring so that he could miss Takeshita punching Cole with the ring and then he turned around and made the three count.
AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita defeated Adam Cole in 9:40 in a non-title match.
MJF was shown laughing while the broadcast team said there would not be a three-way match due to Cole’s loss. MJF will face Roderick Strong at Full Gear instead.
Roderick Strong ran in and was kicked in the balls by Takeshita, who then put the ring on again. Kyle O’Reilly ran out with a chair, causing Takeshita to leave the ring. Takeshita went to the stage and played to the crowd.
Ricochet came out and hit Takeshita, who fled. Ricochet picked up the AEW International Championship that Takeshita left behind. In the ring, Cole offered O’Reilly a handshake, but O’Reilly opted to leave the ring…
Powell’s POV: The match was enjoyable until the awful finish. It’s bad enough that they keep making the referees look bad with these finishes, but this one wasn’t even logical unless the referee is turning heel. Seriously, there was just no reason for the referee to keep his back turned as long as he did. Meanwhile, MJF vs. Strong is less appealing than MJF vs. Cole or even the three-way match. Finally, I still couldn’t care less about the never ending drama involving the current and former Undisputed Kingdom members. They’ve been doing this in three companies now. Move on.
“The Death Riders” backed their black truck into the parking area. Marina Shafir opened the door and then Jon Moxley got out, and they met up with Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta… [C]
Renee Paquette stood backstage and interviewed “The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, MVP and Shelton Benjamin. Paquette tried to ask Lashley if he felt prepared to face Swerve Strickland, but MVP interrupted and reframed the question to put over Lashley.
[Hour Two] Lashley said Swerve is dangerous to everyone else, but he will make an example out of him. Lashley said he will hurt Swerve. MVP said Swerve would be in action later in the show and they will be watching…
On the stage, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta brought out JD Drake and worked him over with a chair. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir made their entrance through the crowd. Moxley spoke about Chuck Taylor eating through a straw because Orange Cassidy couldn’t save him. He also said Cassidy couldn’t save Yuta.
Moxley said he would turn Cassidy into hamburger meat. He said all of the potential contenders will see it and will run and hide. Moxley said his group will continue to do their thing because they have the power.
Orange Cassidy made his entrance and stood on the stage. Castagnoli and Yuta stood guard at ringside while Moxley stood in the ring. Mark Briscoe and Rocky Romero joined Cassidy on the stage. Cassidy said he agrees with Moxley and believes him when he says all of the things he intends to do.
Cassidy spoke about how the AEW World Championship represents the wrestlers, the people, and everything that pro wrestling can be. Cassidy said they could fight all over the building, but the only way to become world champion is to wrestle. Cassidy said he’s pretty good at wrestling and recalled beating Moxley.
Cassidy said he and Moxley will wrestle at Full Gear and he will beat him again. Cassidy said he would take the power back. Cassidy recalled Moxley talking about how Cassidy was playing checkers while he was playing chess. Cassidy said there were a couple of pawns to get rid of.
Cassidy said he would face Yuta next week to remove the pawn that lets him take the king. Yuta said he’s no one’s pawn. Moxley questioned whether Cassidy would have the guts to pull the trigger on someone he thinks is his friend. Moxley said his message to Cassidy and anyone else who wants to take what he has is abandon all hope.
The Death Riders tried to make their exit through the crowd. Darby Allin wore a pink mask as he dove from a balcony onto the heels. Allin threw punches at Castagnoli. Cassidy, Briscoe, and Romero showed up and joined the fight that seemed to conclude quickly.
The broadcast team spoke at their desk and then the cameras cut to Moxley, Shafir, and Castagnoli entering the truck. They started to pull away, but Allin jumped in the bed of the truck. Castagnoli got out and ran Allin into a garage door. Castagnoli swung Allin into the garage dor and then got back in the truck. Yuta climbed in back of the truck and then the heels took off.
Cassidy and Briscoe arrived while the truck was leaving. Allin got back to his feet and yelled, “I’m still standing”…
The broadcast team recapped Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii beating Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith in a Fight Without Honor…
Backstage, Paquette spoke with Jericho, Bill, and Keith. Paquette noted that Ishii challenged Jericho to an ROH Championship match in two weeks in Chicago. Jericho said he has a soft spot for Ishii because they’ve known one another for nearly 30 years.
Jericho said Ishii was his young boy who got him coffee, carried his bags, and washed his back in the shower. Jericho spoke about his “classic match” with Ishii in Chicago two years ago while brief highlights aired. Jericho accepted the challenge and once again mentioned Jay Briscoe. Keith said Jericho will blow Ishii’s ass away in the Windy City…
Excalibur said the Continental Classic will start in two weeks on the Thanksgiving Eve edition of Dynamite in Chicago…
4. Britt Baker vs. Penelope Ford. Both entrances were televised. Ford jumped over the ropes and dropped her knees on Baker, who was lying on the apron, heading into a PIP break. [C]
Baker hit a sling blade and then stood over Ford in the corner and did her DMD bit. Ford slipped under Baker and pulled her face first onto the turnbuckle. Ford hit a handspring move in the corner and then licked Baker’s face. Baker came back with an elbow strike.
Ford did a Matrix duck of a Baker shot and then hit her with a cutter for a near fall. Ford went for a top rope moonsault that Baker avoided. Baker superkicked Ford and then followed up with a neckbreaker. Baker pulled out her glove and played to the crowd and was hit from behind again. Ford applied a Muta Lock, but Baker countered into the Lockjaw and got the win.
Britt Baker beat Penelope Ford in 8:55.
After the match, Serena Deeb walked out with her flag and had a long distance staredown and some jawing with Baker…
Powell’s POV: A decent match. I have never been a fan of babyfaces playing to the crowd and being hit from behind because it makes them look arrogant and foolish.
Mina Shirakawa was interviewed by Paquette in a backstage area. Shirakawa said she was excited for Mariah May’s match with Anna Jay match on Collision. She said she’d be drinking champagne until then.
Harley Cameron showed up and took a glass of champagne and slammed it. Both women ended up shaking their breasts and a graphic listed Shirakawa vs. Cameron for Saturday’s Collision…
5. Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) vs. Lio Rush. Both entrances were televised. Swerve went for a flip dive and landed on his feet at ringside while Rush did a backflip off the apron and landed on his feet. Rush gouged the eyes of Swerve, who then ran him into the apron. Swerve went up top, but Rush kicked the ropes, causing Swerve to tumble to the floor going into a PIP break. [C]
Rush jumped from the ring steps and hit a Poison Rana. Rush returned to the ring and followed up with a suicide dive. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Rush performed a top rope splash for a near fall. Rush rolled Swerve into a pin and was caught holding the bottom rope. Swerve stuffed a Poison Rana attempt and then hit the JML Driver for the win.
Swerve Strickland defeated Lio Rush in 10:00.
Swerve delivered a post match promo and spoke about how Lio Rush and Shelton Benjamin tried to make names from themselves at his expense. Swerve spoke about facing Bobby Lashley at Full Gear. Swerve called out Lashley.
The Hurt Syndicate entrance theme played and then Bobby Lashley and MVP walked onto the stage. MVP told Swerve that if he wanted to fight a member of the group, all he has to do is ask. MVP said they like Swerve a lot and touted his unrealized potential. MVP said one of the lessons they wanted to teach Swerve is that there’s strength in numbers.
Shelton Benjamin attacked Swerve from behind. Lashley went to ringside and joined in on the attack. Lashely ran Swerve into the barricade multiple times. Benjamin backed Nana into a corner of the ring. Lashley tossed Swerve inside the ring and then Benjamin put Swerve down with a DDT.
MVP used his cane to hold Nana while Lashley and Benjamin continued to work over Swerve. Lashley put Swerve in the Full Nelson. A group of referees ran out. Lashley released the hold and then Nana checked on Swerve. Lashley tossed Nana into the corner…
Powell’s POV: A well worked match between Swerve and Rush. The size difference will surely turn off some viewers, but the live crowd was hot for the match. The post match angle was pretty standard in terms of putting heat on the heels.
Excalibur hyped the main event tag team match…
Backstage, Renee Paquette spoke with Jamie Hayter on the interview set. Hayter spoke brief and said she was coming after one thing.
The screen went black and then another Julia Hart video aired. Hart was lying in bed with blood on her shirt from the arrow in the last video. Hart answered a phone call from Brody King, who told her that it was time to come home. She ended up putting on her witch hat at the end of the video… [C]
Powell’s POV: I’m digging the Julia Hart return vignettes. It seems like they are simply setting up the return of her dark character from House of Black, but hopefully they have a new wrinkle in mind.
AEW Tag Team Champions “Private Party” Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy made their entrance. They walked down the ramp, then turned back and had a small area to watch the main event along with a security guard who worked the velvet rope. Entrances for the main event took place. The FTR duo stopped and drank Private Party’s champagne…
6. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. Malakai Black and Brody King in a qualifying match for a spot in the four-way match for the AEW Tag Team Titles at Full Gear. Wheeler clotheslined Black at ringside. Harwood and Wheeler sat down crosslegged next to Black to mock him heading into a PIP break. [C]
[Overrun] King hit both FTR members with a cannonball in a corner of the ring and then covered Wheeler for a near fall. A short time later, Black hit a knee strike on Harwood and then King followed up with a Baldo Bomb. The referee was watching Black go to the ropes and then turned around and made a two count.
Excalibur listed the following matches for next week’s Dynamite in Reading, Pennsylvania: Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta, and Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli.
FTR went for the Power and Glory finisher, but King put his knees up when Wheeler tried to splash him. Black hit Harwood with a top rope double stomp and then placed King on top of him for a two count. FTR came back and hit the Shatter Machine on King. Harwood struggled to push him over to cover him, and then Black pulled him to the floor to break up the pin.
Black and Wheeler fought on the apron, which led to FTR hitting a spike piledriver. King took them out with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, King got a couple of near falls on Harwood. King put Harwood in a sleeper until the referee called for the bell…
Malakai Black and Brody King defeated “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler in 13:40 in a qualifying match to earn a spot in the four-way match for the AEW Tag Team Titles at Full Gear.
Excalibur hyped The Acclaimed vs. Rush and The Beast Mortos for AEW Collision to determine the final entrants in the four-way. In the ring, Black and King pulled the FTR duo to their feet and then shook their hands…
Powell’s POV: The spooky dudes with hearts of gold? Anyway, a very good match with an outcome that caught me by surprise. This was the highlight of the night. Overall, a standard show. They creatively strung the first few matches together, which made things feel more chaotic than usual. It also made it tough to keep up with the report, so my apologies for offering less commentary than usual. I will have a lot to say about this episode during my 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.
It’s a sign of lazy and piss weak booking when referees aren’t taken into account properly in finishes that require them to miss something. The booker in these cases has to be questioned over their understanding of the whole picture. As a retired referee I was always conscious of this and made sure my involvement was logical without impinging on the match. The ending for Takeshita and Cole was such that it was impossible to be logical either way, because in that case a ref bump in those circumstances would be a DQ so how else could one miss what was planned? The booker should be sacked. Seriously.
The finish to the first match was made worse by Mother Wayne going up to the apron way too early. Page was still in position to deliver the Deadeye when she started climbing up there.
I skipped Swerve-Lio, I’m shocked to read the crowd was hot for it. I know it’s an extraordinarily high bar, but that may be the quiestest Dynamite crowd ever. I could literally hear individual people yelling things. Like hearing “Go back to Roman!” during Moxley’s promo.
On the highlight video there were a couple of small, but loud, groups doing the “Who’s House, Swerve’s House!” call and response.