Part 1 of back-to-back shows tonight features two huge title matches:
- Chris Jericho vs. Hook
- Deonna Purrazzo & Thunder Rosa vs. Mariah May & Toni Storm
- AEW Continental Crown: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
- I Quit Match for the AEW TBS Championship: Christian Cage (c) vs. Adam Copeland
AEW Dynamite 3/20/24
Live from the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! Tony Schiavone is in the ring and he welcomes the CEO… Mercedes Mone!
Mone wants us to say hello to our new… CEO. Mone says she missed the ring, the ropes, the fans, everything. Mone is so excited to be here in AEW. Mone tells us she suffered a near-career ending injury in NJPW Strong, and asks the truck to play a video she put together showcasing who she is, and what she’s about.
The video plays.
Minor setbacks lead to major comebacks. Mone is here to lead a global REVOLUTION, and to face the best women in AEW and all over the globe. Mone says that she’s close with Willow and…
The lights go out! Lights come back on and Julia Hart is on the ramp, but Skye Blue attacks from behind. only to eat a Backstabber. Hart and Blue grab a pair of chairs and hit the ring to make the save, but the lights go out again. The lights come back on and Willow has a chair ready to crack Sasha in the back, but drops it as Sasha warns her, and walks off…
Match #1. AEW Continental Crown: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
Renee is speaking to Eddie Kingston during his music from the ramp, in a different looking presentation that’s pretty cool. The crowd is on fire for this one and we start with a lock up. Kingston’s leaned up and looks to be in good shape. Snap mare by Kingston and some chops to the chest. Kingston chases Okada around the ring but Okada attacks him once he rolls back in. Okada in control now, working on the neck of Kingston. Both men trade shoulder blocks and Kingston wins that battle. Crowd is split down the middle with Lets Go Eddie/Okada chants. Straightjacket by Okada and a knee to the gut. Snap mare by Okada and a running low dropkick. Okada in control throughout the commercial with a DDT and a neck vice, before taunting Kingston with some light boots to the face. Kingston fights back with some hard chops and looks for the Stretch Plum, but Okada blocks it. Double overhook belly-to-belly by Kingston and a running STO. “F him up Eddie, f him up” chants now ring out throughout the arena. Clothesline in the corner but Okada blocks the Exploder, however gets German suplexed instead. Sliding elbow smash by Kingston gets two. Kingston runs into the big dropkick! Air Raid Crash neckbreaker by Okada! Two count. Okada goes up top but lands on his feet, charges Kingston, and walks into the spinning backfist! Two count. HARD chops by Kingston bring Okada to a knee, but Kingston blocks a Rainmaker attempt and hits a clothesline of his own. Kingston looks for the half-and-half suplex but Okada gouges the eyes. Ghetto Blaster by Kingston. Spinning powerslam by Okada. Rainmaker! One, two, three!
Winner and NEW AEW Continental Champion: Kazuchika Okada
Rating: ***1/4. Well, I don’t know if anyone expected Okada to lose here, but I expected more from the match. Kingston was an outstanding champion and I think this could have gotten some more time.
The Young Bucks are shown in Gorilla Position in the back, celebrating, right next to Tony Khan.
“The Bastard” Pac is here, and we’ve got our next challenger.
Renee is with Swerve and Prince Nana. Swerve has a history of choking people out too, but Samoa Joe is ducking him. Swerve says he’s offering up an open challenge tonight, inspired by Mike Tyson.
Willow, Kris Statlander, and Stokely are here. Willow says she’s a different person when the bell rings, but here’s Mercedes Mone. Mone says it’s nice to meet Statlander, and Willow has done enough.
Match #2. Chris Jericho vs. Hook
Hook with a quick duck under and a T-Bone suplex. Jericho looks injured as the referee steps in, but Hook doesn’t care and lays in some chops. Jericho fights back with some more chops but once again, Hook ducks under and dumps Jericho with a high crotch suplex. German suplex by Hook! Deadlift German suplex by Hook now, and Jericho has been dumped on his head four times. High Angle German suplex by Hook and that’s five. Make that six. Seven. Jericho elbows his way out of an eighth.. momentarily, but Hook dumps him anyway. Nine. Ten. Jericho rolls through another attempt but Hook runs into a big boot in the corner. Shoulder block by Jericho. A second. Jericho heads up to the top for an axe handle but Hook catches him… Exploder. Clothesline by Hook. Jericho fires back with a big boot. Lionsault by Jericho gets only a two count. Hook charges Jericho in the corner but Jericho tries an overhead belly-to-belly but Hook lands awkwardly on his face. Jericho sets Hook up on the top rope and then punches him a bunch. Hook locks in the RedRum on the top rope but they’re in the ropes. Jericho walks off the ropes with Hook on his back and Jericho breaks the grip. Ground and pound by Jericho and Hook fights off the Walls of Jericho with a series of elbows and a victory roll for the win.
Winner: Hook
Rating *3/4. This didn’t do anything for me. It was somewhere between the Brock Lesnar matches of yesteryear and Jericho vs. Andretti. Hook gained nothing from dumping Jericho on his head a thousand times and having to win with a cradle.
Adam Cole is here and he says he hates the feeling of being disappointed, and Wardlow disappointed him last week. Wardlow had one job, and he failed. Taven and Bennett need to keep the titles, and so does Roderick Strong, and that’s Wardlow’s new job.
Renee catches up with Jericho in the back. Jericho says Hook is a bad man, and he’ll be a future champion. Next week, Jericho has a proposition for Hook.
Tony Schiavone welcomes Will Ospreay, bruv. Ospreay apologizes for what he did the last time he was in Toronto, at Forbidden Door. Ospreay wants to give Canada elite levels of pro wrestling, but he wants some maple syrup. Ospreay addresses Bryan Danielson. Danielson said Ospreay couldn’t walk in his shoes, and Ospreay saw them in Japan.. and Danielson’s shoes were too small. Ospreay elevated wrestling in Japan and lists his accomplishments. Ospreay wants to prove himself against Katsuyori Shibata next week on Dynamite. Ospreay has wrestled Shibata before, seven years ago, and he beat the piss out of him. Ospreay is 30, kids, dogs, wife, mortgage, and a point to prove. See you next week, Shibata.
Match #3. Mariah May & Toni Storm vs. Thunder Rosa & Deonna Purrazzo
Hair whip and dropkick by May to Purrazzo. Storm is in and the double team is on, but Deonna fires back with a double clothesline. Thunder gets the tag and launches off the back of Purrazzo with a forearm. Sliding lariat to Storm for two. Thunder focuses on Luther on the outside and Storm sends her crashing to the mat with a running hip attack. Quick tags now as May plants Thunder with a spinning sidewalk slam. Storm with the tag and a backbreaker and a two count. Thunder ducks underneath a double clothesline and comes off the top with a crossbody taking out both women. Purrazzo in the ring now, a house of fire with clotheslines and a Russian Leg Sweep to May. Shotgun dropkick but May blocks the armbar. Thunder tags herself in much to the chagrin of Purrazzo. Death Valley Driver to May but Storm is here with a snap German suplex. Running hip attack in the corner by Storm! Storm wants Storm Zero but Thunder jackknifes her for the three!
Winners: Thunder Rosa & Deonna Purrazzo
Rating: **1/2. Feels like this match was just hitting that second gear, but the crowd was up for it and it was a blast while it lasted. Thunder Rosa getting the clean pin on the champion was a surprise.
Match #4. Swerve Strickland vs. The Butcher
Butcher answers the challenge and Swerve headbutts him to start the match. Snap mare and a diving European uppercut off the middle rope. Swerve runs in to a shoulder and Butcher comes back with a half nelson backbreaker. Both men trade elbows and Swerve delivers some Kawada kicks. Straight right hand by Swerve and a double stomp to the head. Housecall by Swerve. Swerve Stomp. Swerve grabs the arm and locks in a strange looking bicep slicer for the tap.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
Rating: NR.
Swerve has the mic and calls out Samoa Joe. Swerve says that he had the utmost respect for Joe before he met him, but now he’s close to hating him. Swerve wants to take his chain and hang Joe over the rope from his big ass neck. Swerve will take out security week after week until he gets what he wants.
Enter Samoa Joe.
What to do with someone like Swerve? Logic dictates that Swerve gets moved down the ladder since Joe beat him. However, Swerve is filled with belief and unfortunately that forces the people to believe they can be great too, but that’s not reality. However, Joe wants to give Swerve exactly what he wants, and heads to the ring…
Enter Don Callis.
You actually can’t hear Callis because the boos are so loud. Sounds like Callis is saying Takeshita should be next for Swerve, since they’ve got the same number of wins. AEW is now Swerve’s House, it’s the Don Callis Family House. Swerve says he will take Takeshita out, and then come for Joe. Next week.. on Dynamite.
Match #5. AEW TNT Championship I Quit Match: Christian Cage (c) vs. Adam Copeland
The crowd continues singing Copeland’s music once it stops, in a really cool moment. The arena chants “Holy S” before the match even starts. The fight starts and immediately spills out to the crowd. No DQ, count out, etc. as the only way to win is to make your opponent say I quit. Copeland takes a fan’s Bruins jersey and puts it on Christian, as he takes a fan’s Maple Leafs jersey, and they’re having a hockey fight in the penalty box! Amazing. The fight spills to the back of the arena as Copeland is in charge, bouncing Christian’s head off of everything. Christian tries to hide in the woman’s dressing room to no avail. Copeland fights back to the ringside and grabs a ladder! Crowd erupts in “T L C” chants. The ladder is now bridged between the guard rail and the announcer’s table and Copeland hits the Edge-o-cution! Brutal landing. Christian refuses to quit, however. Copeland sets a ladder up in the corner upside-down and drops Christian on it with a front suplex! Wow. Christian again refuses to quit as the fans chant “You sick f!” Copeland sends Christian into the ring post and pulls out a table, and the fans are thrilled. Copeland misses a spear and Christian sends him into the guard rail, drawing blood. Crossbody from the top through the table on the floor by Christian! Inside the ring, Christian catapults Copeland into the ladder and says “no” when asked to quit. Christian misses a Frog Splash and Copeland locks in the Crossface, but refuses to quit. Both guys think spear now and meet in the middle. Christian tries to retreat to the back but Copeland follows. He’s bloody, but he follows. Both men fight on the ramp and Copeland catapults Christian off the stage and on to the floor! Christian doesn’t quit so Copeland heads to the back and gets a hockey net… because… why not? Snake Eyes on the crossbar by Copeland. Christian crawls his way down the ramp and Mama Wayne comes from behind and goes low on Copeland with a hockey stick! Christian now breaks the stick over Copeland’s back. Christian stickhandles inside the ring, feigning a slapshot, and then beats on Copeland. Christian now strangles Copeland with the stick but Copeland fights out… barely. Christian goes underneath the ring and finds himself a chair, drops it, and then finds a barbed wire-wrapped chair. Christian lays Copeland’s head on the regular chair and looks for the ConChairTo with the barbed wire chair, but Copeland moves! Copeland crosschecks Christian with the stick and looks for the Crossface, with the stick in the mouth. Christian can’t give up and speak, so Copeland takes the drawstring out of his tights and chokes him with that. Christian is about to quit but Killswitch and Nick Wayne hit the ring. Mama Wayne slaps Copeland but Daddy Magic and Daniel Garcia are here to even things up. Impaler DDT by Copeland to Killswitch on the barbed wire chair. Garcia and Menard dump Wayne outside on to Killswitch, as Copeland heads up the ladder and dives to the floor! Garcia has two pairs of handcuffs and Killswitch and Wayne get handcuffed to opposing corners. Mama Wayne is alone in the ring but she makes a mad dash for the back. Christian is all alone with Menard, Garcia, and Copeland. Christian gets pinballed off everyone and speared by Copeland. Christian gets handcuffed to the far corner now and here’s Spike! Copeland kicks Christian in the groin about a dozen times but he doesn’t give up! Copeland grabs spike and hits him with it in the groin! Christian is barely hanging on, but doesn’t quit. Copeland is about to swing for the fences but Christian quits!
Winner and NEW AEW TNT Champion: Adam Copeland
Rating: ****. These two obviously know how to tell a story, and this was a great place to finish it. Christian elevated that title to the moon and Copeland will more likely than not continue his Cope Open. Great story, the violence was here, and it felt like they hated each other.
Final Thoughts: Felt like this show was kind of all over the place at times, with no real thread. Mercedes got a really good reaction, which is important to note since they are obviously not in her hometown anymore. The crowd was hot throughout the show, even if some of the wrestling didn’t feel as strong as expected. Okada got a huge win but I wanted much more out of that match. The main event absolutely delivered, however. AEW has been doing a very good job of building matches week after week, so we have a lot to look forward to for Rampage and Dynamite next week. 7.5/10.