Y’all ready to see some footage of CM Punk trying to fight Jungle Boy?
- Anna Jay vs. Mariah May
- LionHook & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions
- AEW World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
- AEW TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta el Zero Miedo
AEW Dynamite 4/10/24
Live from the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia! Taz, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary and we’re starting with the champ!
Match #1. AEW World Championship Eliminator: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Before the match could even start, Swerve is here and he attacks Joe on the ramp during his entrance! The two brawl to the side of the ramp and Swerve puts Joe through a table with a spear. The medical team checks on Joe as we have to pivot off the expected match.
A video package of the demise of the Best Friends is shown. Orange Cassidy will speak on the situation this Friday at Rampage.
PIVOT. PIVOT. PIVOT.
Match #2. AEW TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta el Zero Miedo
Unrelated, but I saw a video on Twitter of Penta meeting with a fan who was going in for a very serious, high-risk surgery and he just seems like a really good human (I’ll link it here if I find it). Spear by Penta out of nowhere gets two! Diving double stomp off the top also gets a two count. Copeland escapes the Fear Factor but eats a superkick and he gets clotheslined over the top. Penta feigns a dive but Copeland moves. Penta with some leg kicks and a brutal chop to the chest. Both guys fight to the outside as Copeland finally fires back some right hands and some chops before sending Penta into the LED board. Back in the ring and Penta fires back with a running enziguiri in the corner. Tieres by Copeland! A second one as Copeland hangs on to a head scissors, but Penta pops out and superkicks him in the face. Both guys trade leap frogs and head scissors. Double clothesline. Double clothesline. Double dropkick. Both guys are down. Trading overhand chops from the knees now but Penta is up and connects with a Slingblade. Copeland rolls to the outside but Penta follows up with a tope con hilo! Copeland barely makes it in before the ten count and Penta is on the attack with a running punt to the head of Copeland off the apron! Penta in control throughout the PIP now. Backstabber by Penta gets a two count. Copeland ducks under a charging Penta and picks him for the Electric Chair Drop. Copeland locks in an inverted Sharpshooter and Penta has to fight to get to the ropes, but eventually does. Stalling dropkick by Penta to Copeland in the corner gets two. Penta wants the arm breaker but Copeland sits through and locks in the Crossface. Penta gets to the ropes. Enziguiri by Penta and he looks for the double jump Destroyer on the apron, but Copeland connects with a big boot as both guys now fight on the apron. Penta looks for a Fear Factor on the apron but Copeland shoves him into the turnbuckle. Penta throws up a superkick and charges Copeland, who powerslams him on the apron! Both guys are now down on the floor. Copeland charges for the spear on the floor but Penta moves and Alex Abrahantes gets depleted! Both guys on the inside now up on the top rope. Avalanche Code Red by Penta! Long two count. Copeland ducks a clothesline as Penta springboards off the ropes right into a HUGE spear! One, two, three!
Winner and STILL AEW TNT Champion: Adam Copeland
Rating: ***3/4. I feel like Copeland was on the offensive for about 7% of this match, but he was there when it counts. The story of Penta throwing everything at Copeland but Copeland as the veteran waited for his moment. Great stuff.
After the match, the lights go out and here’s Julia Hart and Brody King. King boots Copeland beats him in the corner as Hart prepares the mist, but here’s Willow to make the save. Brody squares up with Willow but Copeland makes the save as Brody and Julia head to the back.
LionHook and Renee are here, as well as Shibata. Jericho says it’s time for Shibata and Hook to sit under the learning tree, as Jericho lays out the entire match and their plan for victory. Shibata wants to know what Jericho’s deal is, but Hook says to trust him. Shibata likes Renee’s necklace.
Renee is with Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston. Briscoe says he’s feeling amazing, but he’s in pain. Kingston said he’s beat up but… it’s pro wrestling. Adam Copeland shows up with Willow and Big Stoke. Willow wants to team up with Adam Copeland next week to take on Julia Hart and Brody King. Stokely apologizes for saying that Eddie Kingston smells like Burger King and Newports.
The Young Bucks are here with the footage, so let’s get to it. Matthew demands context. Nicholas talks about the history of FTR, including All In. The biggest show in company history. Matthew lets us know there was an incident between Jack Perry, loveable kid from Southern California, and the other individual… he tried to make this entire show about himself. This individual happens to be good friends with FTR, and maybe FTR were the masterminds behind the entire thing. Matthew says Nicholas can’t say that because he didn’t know it as fact. Matthew says the locker room was in disarray and this threw off the Bucks performance against FTR. Matthew says there should be an asterisk next to the match. The incident itself isn’t even the worst part, but the ramifications itself was worse.
The footage shows Punk approaching Perry and then being the one to throw the first shot, before Samoa Joe breaking it up.
FTR hit the ring to zero fanfare. Cash wants to know why even bother showing the footage, other than having a built in excuse as to why they lost at Wembley? Cash is sick and tired of talking about it. Cash wants the Bucks to put on their EVP caps and listen. Cash is sick of the petty little bitches. Dax says the scary thing is he doesn’t disagree with some of the things the Young Bucks say, as Dax might still be Cash’s back. Dax says FTR has become the best team on the planet. At one point, the Bucks cared about AEW but they lose that, and the only thing letters they care about are EVP. Dax says they can put the company on their back and carry it forward. Top guys, out.
Renee is here with Will Ospreay. This is on the fly. Ospreay says he heard a rumor saying that he was afraid of “the grind”, citing Triple H’s comments about him last weekend. Ospreay says he’s flying 10 hours a week and delivering some bangers, bruv. Ospreay says that the guy that said this about him is only in the position he’s in because he’s grinding the bosses daughters. Wow. Ospreay also says that what Danielson said is true, Ospreay is bigger, stronger, faster. Healthier men, younger men, better men, have tried and failed to ground the aerial assassin. Ospreay says at Dynasty, Danielson will find out why he’s the Ace of All Elite Wrestling and he’s on another level.
Match #3. LionHook & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions
Quick tags on both sides as Hook lays in some body shots on Taylor. Taylor with a huge lariat to Hook and a tag to Ogogo. Kicks to the back of Hook from Ogogo and some quick tags by STP as we go to commercial. Shibata gets the hot tag and cleans house, with a stalling dropkick in the corner to Moriarty and a front headlock throw. Moriarty sends Shibata into Jericho and he hits the deck. STO back inside the ring by Shibata as both guys are down. Jericho pulls Hook off the apron as Shibata tries to make the tag. Shibata locks in the sleeper on Moriarty but Taylor walks in and drops Shibata with a right hand. The Fang by Moriarty and that’ll do it.
Winners: Shane Taylor Promotions
Rating: 3/4*. Yeah, uh, this ain’t it. Good for STP getting the win but all the Jericho stuff just isn’t working.
Hooks tries to help Shibata and sends Jericho to the back.
Renee is with Dustin Rhodes. Joe is medically cleared to complete and it doesn’t change Dustin’s strategy at all.
Match #4. Kazuchika Okada vs. Cristiano Argento
Double leg by Okada and some ground and pound. Air Raid Crash into a neckbreaker by Okada. Dropkick by Okada. RAINMAKER.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
Rating: NR
Okada grabs the mic and says he accepts Pac’s challenge.
Enter Pac.
Pac makes his way down to the ring but the Bucks jump him from behind. FTR are here to make the save and all six men brawl. Okada grabs a chair and lays into FTR. Okada blasts Pac in the face with the chair as The Elite stand tall!
The Bang Bang Gang are here. Jay White says he had so much fun beating up Billy Gunn, he wants to do it again on Rampage and wants to find someone to fight.
The “Timeless” Toni Storm Champagne Toast is here. Renee is here with Toni, Thunder Rosa, Luther, and some champagne. Storm quickly blasts Thunder in the face with a tray and attacks her, before wiping the face paint off of her face. Here’s Mariah May and, oh yeah, she’s got a match.
Match #5. Anna Jay vs. Mariah May
Both women exchange heavy right hands here as Jay tries to go up and over but May pulls her to the mat. Jay responds with a diving neckbreaker. Both women up on the top now and it’s a double chop from May and a handstand tieres. Neckbreaker through the ropes by Jay. The fight spills to the outside where both women exchange strikes. Back in the ring, Iconoclasm by May. Shotgun dropkick from the top by May. Two count. Arm ringer into a hook kick by Jay. Facebuster by Jay for two. Jay looks for the Noshigami but May rolls her up for the win.
Winner: Mariah May
Rating: **1/4. Really not a lot to this one, unfortunately.
Anna Jay is upset so she locks May in the Queenslayer. Mina Shirakowa from Stardom is here to make the save. Mina grabs two glasses of champagne and pours one in the mouth of May, who then kisses her. Here we are.
Match #6. AEW World Championship Eliminator: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Dustin attacks early, but it doesn’t last long. Joe responds with some hard jabs before throwing Dustin outside the ring and bouncing his head off the ringpost. Dustin is busted wide open and Joe is taking advantage as we go to commercial. Joe cranks the face and drops an elbow, taking his time. Manhattan drop, single leg dropkick, and senton combo by Joe. Joe hits the ropes but runs right into a big powerslam. Code Red by Dustin! Two count. Mounted punches in the corner and a bulldog attempt by Dustin, but Joe shrugs him off and hits a huge lariat, sending him to the floor. Joe tries to post Dustin again, but Dustin reverses. Dustin grabs the title and debates hitting Joe in the face, but Dustin thinks better of it and boots Joe in the face instead. Crossrhodes by Dustin! 2.99! Right hands by Dustin as he charges Joe in the corner.. JoeANage! Joe grabs the chain from ringside but the referee grabs it, so Joe hits Dustin in the face with the title instead. One, two, three.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Rating: **3/4. Dustin does what Dustin does… shows up and overachieves when he’s booked. Joe did whatever he had to do to win, so that worked, too.
Joe locks in the choke after the bell, but Swerve pops up out of nowhere and hits Joe with the House Call. Swerve hits Joe with a fistful of chain and Joe bails.
Final Thoughts: I very much want to be done with the entire CM Punk situation. The pro wrestling fanbase has to be the most toxic in all of sports, and I can’t understand why. Everyone is to blame in this situation and let’s look past it. That said, tonight’s show wasn’t the best attempt at capturing new eyeballs, that’s for sure. The opener was awesome, but if you want to bring new viewers in who have NOT seen your product before, you need to put Will Ospreay or Mercedes on the card as well. In all honesty, this was far from AEW’s best offering, and if it’s an attempt to answer Wrestlemania, it’s a poor one. The Cope-Open started the show hot, but the rest of it just plodded around without any real direction. The main event was unnecessarily brutal, but Dustin had a good showing for himself. 6/10.