AEW Dynamite Results 3/8/23

Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt are banned from ringside by the referees. Headlock takeover by Cassidy to start. Another one. Lethal escapes the hold, and the ring, and thinks about it on the outside. Lethal breaks the count a few times but Cassidy follows. Lethal heads back in the ring looking for the Lethal Injection but Cassidy counters with a satellite DDT, countered into a cradle for two. Cassidy now focuses the attack on the arm and shoulder of Lethal, posting Lethal on the outside. Lethal returns the favor and throws Cassidy into the steel steps, knee-first. “Let’s go Lethal/Lethal sucks” chants from the crowd. Cassidy charges Lethal in the corner but Lethal crotches him on the top rope and then connects with a running chop block that sends Cassidy to the outside. Lethal hits the Frago Strut in the center of the ring. Lethal now realizes he can’t win the title on a count out, so he heads to the outside and picks up Cassidy in a shin-breaker and drives him into the ring post. Lethal firmly in control now, working over the knee with a stump puller submission. Lethal mocks Cassidy but Cassidy kicks him in the injured shoulders. Cassidy counters a Lethal suplex with a big brainbuster and both men are down. Cassidy goes up top but Lethal catches him with some chops and heads up top himself. Cassidy fights Lethal off and comes off the top with a Diving DDT! Satellite DDT by Cassidy gets a long two count. Elbow pad comes down and Cassidy looks for the Orange Punch, but Cassidy’s knee buckles and Lethal dives on the figure four! Cassidy rolls to the ropes and finds himself on the apron, where Lethal meets him. Lethal lays some chops into Cassidy now, as Cassidy responds with some Orange chops and a clothesline that sends Lethal into the ring. Lethal catches Cassidy jumping in the ring in a fireman’s carry into a military press which Lethal plants Cassidy on his feet, jamming the knee! Smart wrestling. Lethal looks for the figure four but Cassidy rolls him up for a two count. Superkick to the knee of Cassidy and Lethal Injection, but Lethal collapses under the weight of his damaged shoulder! Orange Punch to Lethal gets it done!

Winner and STILL AEW All-Atlantic Champion: Orange Cassidy

Rating: ***1/2. Just a clean, entertaining wrestling match between two really good wrestlers. Nobody is hotter than Orange Cassidy in AEW right now (win/loss wise, that is) and Jay Lethal will ALWAYS deliver a solid match. Really good stuff.

After the match, Lethal distracts Cassidy and the referee, which allows Jeff Jarrett to show up from behind and hit The Stroke on Cassidy! Guitar shot to the injured knee of Cassidy! Jarrett hightails it when the Best Friends show up.

Renee Paquette is with Powerhouse Hobbs. Hobbs tells Wardlow his life is in shambles, especially after his car was broken in to and everything of his was stolen, including the TNT Championship. Hobbs will take the only thing Wardlow has left, and that is the championship moniker.

Ricky Starks is here and he lets us know that he’d had a pretty good week. Everyone wants to know what’s next for him but…

Bullet Club.. for.. LIFE.

Juice Robinson is here and he hits Starks with the big left hand, before planting him with the headlock driver!

Wardlow is here with Tony Schiavone, wearing a 7* FTR shirt. Since Wardlow doesn’t have any gear, he wants to do it anything goes. Sounds good.

Ruby Soho is here with Renee. Ruby trashes the AEW “homegrowns” and blames the fans that booed her when she beat Britt Baker, calling them “fat, neck bearded, trolls.” You can’t build on a broken foundation, so you have to destroy it and start from scratch. Ruby now calls out her opponent.

Match #2. Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue

Soho gets the jump early and puts the boots to Blue on the outside. Step up enziguiri by Soho followed by a big elbow. STO by Soho gets two. Ruby in control throughout the break and a Saito suplex as we return. Ruby misses a charge and Blue hits her with a elbow and a step-up knee strike. Enziguiri by Blue. Crossbody off the top by Blue gets two. Ruby counters Blue with a hair pull right in to Destination Unknown and this one is over.

Winner: Ruby Soho

Rating: NR

After the match, Saraya and Storm hit the ring with spray paint, but here’s Willow to make the save. Willow tries to talk some sense into Ruby, but that doesn’t work and it’s No Future to Willow.

Renee is with Hangman Page. Page says he’s done with Moxley after Texas Death, and if anyone wants a piece of Page, he will take them to hell.

Tony Schiavone welcomes FTR to the ring. Cash tells us that 2022 was one of the best wrestling years of their life, and 2023 was one of the worst. FTR lost three sets of tag titles in a month and also lost a best friend in Jay Briscoe. FTR couldn’t sit at home in good conscience watching The Gunn’s call themselves the best tag team in the world. Dax tells us how much he cares about the fans. The fans never left FTR. Pro wrestling never left FTR. FTR loves the fans too. Dax says the Gunn Club ruined the memory of their last match with The Briscoes, so it’s time for retribution. FTR want the tag titles.

Renee is with Jade Cargill, who says she’s run through every woman in the US, so she issues an open challenge to a “whack ass Canadian” for next week in Winnipeg.

Match 3. Trios Match: AR Fox & Top Flight vs. Jericho Appreciation Society

Fox and Jericho start. Clothesline to Jericho in the corner as Fox skins the cat with a pair of boots. Jericho rolls to the outside but Fox follows with a running no-hands plancha. Guevara gets the tag as he body slams Fox. Double shoulder block to Fox as Le Sex Gods stand tall. Darius makes the blind tag but Guevara tags Garcia. Arm drags by both men as Garcia gets dumped to the outside and moonsaulted on by Dante Martin. Springboard in the ring by Dante but Garcia catches him with a straight right hand after a distraction by Angelo Parker at ringside. Jericho cuts the ring off as the JAS corners Darius, but Darius escapes to the top rope and catches Jericho with a cross body block and everyone is down. Guevara gets the tag and Darius tags in Fox. Pair of clotheslines by Fox and a Fox Cutter to Garcia. Fox sends Jericho to the outside and dives through the ropes with a dropkick as he dives over Guevara. Fox catches both Geuvara and Garcia with a springboard cutter from the middle rope. Cutter to Garcia and a German suplex by Darius. gets a two. Garcia goes to the ears and tags Jericho, who runs in to a Spanish Fly by Darius! Pele kick off the middle rope by Darius gets two. Dante takes Garcia out with another suicide dive. Imploding senton by Fox to the outside takes out everyone. Jericho catches a leaping Darius with the Walls of Jericho but Darius rolls him up for two. Thrust kick by Darius but Jericho distracts referee Aubrey Edwards, which allows Hager to hit Darius with Floyd from behind. Darius stumbles into the Judas Effect and this one is over.

Winners: Jericho Appreciation Society

Rating: **3/4. Entertaining trios match here, as the attention being paid to this division immediately makes the title feel more important.

JAS deem themselves number one contenders for the AEW World Trios Titles, but wait..

The Elite are here! Kenny Omega takes issue with Jericho talking about the trios titles, but here’s Don Callis. Callis says The Elite are next in line for the titles, and Chris Jericho is only the second-best wrestler from Winnipeg.

Malakai Black appears on the screen and says they all deserve to be humiliated in their hometown. Next week, if you want the titles…

Lights go out.

Lights come on.

House of Black are standing between the JAS & House of Black!

Tony Khan is here and he announces Orange Cassidy vs. Jeff Jarrett for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship, but it will be the last defense of the title. In conjunction with Warner Brothers Discovery, the title will now be referred to as the AEW International Title. In association with Shazam: Fury of the Gods, of course.

Bryan Danielson always thought he was doing this for his kids, but Danielson realized MJF was right. Danielson realized he had nothing left, he could not feel his arm, he could not feel his leg. Danielson was putting himself before his family, and that was more shameful than tapping. Danielson thinks it’s time for himself to go home.

Match #4. Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. The Dark Order

Claudio and Moxley attack both guys early, isolating Silver in their corner. Claudio with a big clothesline over Silver, as both men are legal. Suplex attempt by Claudio but Silver reverses with a suplex of his own. Claudio tags Moxley, who grabs Silver and puts the boots to the midsection. Claudio wants back in and locks in a rear chin lock on Silver. European uppercuts by Claudio but Silver catches him charging in with a snake eyes in the corner. Reynolds gets the tag and clears hair with a pair of back elbows. Rolling elbow to Claudio and a suicide dive to Moxley. Reynolds heads up top but Claudio throws him off, hitting the apron on the way down. Moxley roughs up Reynolds on the outside before throwing him in to a waiting Claudio. Claudio with a wear down hold through the commercial break here. Claudio charges Reynolds in the corner but misses a big knee that sends him to the floor. Claudio rebounds before Reynolds can make the tag, however. Double stomp by Reynolds and Silver is in! Round kicks to Moxley and a pump kick! Pump kick to the back of the head by Silver and a German suplex gets a two count. Moxley with some round kicks of his own but Silver hits a power double leg and some ground and pound. Triangle choke by Moxley but Silver rolls through into a giftwrap cross face. Knees now by Silver but Claudio breaks it up. European uppercuts to Silver now, as Claudio is heated. Claudio charges Silver but Reynolds elevates him into a European from Silver. Moxley blocks a stunner and grabs a rear naked choke before turning it into a half and half suplex. Claudio tosses Silver to the outside and Moxley finishes this one with a D’Arce choke!

Winners: Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli

Rating: **3/4. Another entertaining tag match here, as it seems like the Blackpool Combat Club are 100% bad guys now, in a nice wrinkle.

Moxley transitions into a bulldog choke now as the BCC keep the attack going after the bell. Hangman Page is here to make the save! Page blows by Moxley but the entire Blackpool Combat Club jump Hangman!

The Acclaimed are with Renee Paquette, and Angelo Parker and Matt Menard are here to interrupt. Menard loves rap music. Parker invites The Acclaimed to join the JAS… and gets laughed at.

Match #5. Falls Count Anywhere for the AEW TNT Championship: Wardlow (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

The fight starts in the parking lot now, as Wardlow back body drops Hobbs on a windshield. Both men take turns strangling each other before Wardlow throws Hobbs through some sort of wood structure in the back. Garbage can shot to the back by Wardlow as the men finally make their way to the arena floor. F-5 by Wardlow gets a two count. Spoinebuster by Hobbs, who pushes Wardlow into the ropes, and hits another spinebuser. Two count. Hobbs tosses Wardlow through the steel guard rail as Hobbs looks to set up a table. Wardlow throws a drink in Hobbs face and sets him up on the table. Wardlow goes up to the top rope… senton off the top rope through a table on the floor! One, two, no! POWERBOMB ON THE RAMP! Referee Paul Turner is administering the ten-count, but Hobbs is up. Wardlow brings Hobbs to the top of the ramp for another powerbomb, but QT Marshall is here and hits Wardlow in the back with a chair, a low blow, and a brutal chair shot to the head! QT picks Hobbs up as both men superbomb Wardlow off the stage! Turner is counting.. 8… 9… 10!

Winner and NEW TNT Champion: Powerhouse Hobbs

Rating: **. I’m not sure what’s happening here… but it feels weird. The match was okay, some cool spots, including a picturesque swanton by Wardlow, but the rest of it just felt… odd. QT Marshall having anything to do with a title in the main event of a post-PPV show is a bold choice, that’s for sure.

Final Thoughts: Not the best episode of Dynamite ever, that’s for sure. Some good storyline progression with Danielson teasing retirement, the BCC turning heel, FTR returning, and Ruby Soho cutting a heck of a promo but… eh, I don’t know. Not the show I was hoping for tonight. The matches were alarmingly average aside from the opener, and it was certainly a choice to not have MJF on the show at all. 5.75/10.