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AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT
DECEMBER 18, 2019
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX.
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur
[HOUR ONE]
-They went to a wide shot of the ring as Ross welcomed fans to the show. Justin Roberts introduced the opening tag match from mid-ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: With NXT advertising an ad-free NXT Title match at the start, AEW is getting right to it without an intro theme or any backstory beyond the commentators providing it as the match progresses. I still think that’s ultimately counter-productive because it denies viewers the context that gives all the athletic moves to follow meaning, and while for some fans all they want are dazzling high spots, many many fans need to hear from the wrestlers themselves set the stage for the matches they’re in. This where two shows going head to head battling for the slice who channel flip fails to optimally serve the vast majority who pick one show and stick with it from the start.)
(1) KENNY OMEGA & “HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE vs. LUCHA BROS. (Rey Fenix & Pentagon Jr.)
The announcers talked about how Omega and Page patched things up on social media after the tension last week when Page blind-tagged himself in. Ross talked about the Lucha Bros. doing media in the area before this event. Excalibur plugged their social media early in the match as Fenix and Omega battled. Omega turned his back when Pentagon tagged in. Pentagon chose not to hit him as he slowly walked over to tag in Page. Schiavone talked about how there is something behind how Page has been acting, but they can’t put their finger on it. Page and Pentagon chopped each other. Omega landed a running dive a minute later onto both Lucha Brothers. Excalibur plugged the ticket sales launch this Friday for the Feb. 29 Revolution PPV in downtown Chicago. Omega went for a moonsault, but Pentagon raised his knees. The Lucha Bros. double-teamed Omega, then dragged him to the floor where Fenix dove through the ropes and speared him into the ringside barricade. Page then hit some dives onto both Lucha Bros. on opposite sides of the ring. Eventually the Lucha Bros. took over on Page and used creative double-team moves to score some two counts on Page.
Ross noted they were 15 minutes into the match with a 20 minute time limit. Excalibur quickly corrected him and said it’s a 30 minute time limit. Omega got a hot tag and rallied. A minute later Page mistakenly clotheslined Omega. The Lucha Bros. then landed a package piledriver for the three count. Schiavone said mistakes can happen between partners who don’t team together as much as the Lucha Bros. have.
WINNERS: Lucha Bros. in 18:00.
-After the match, Omega and Page eyed each other. Then they stood and eyed each other and started shoving each other. Then the director shifted to a full screen shot of Pac backstage calling out Omega. He said he asked him a question and has yet to receive an answer. He said it’s time to remind him what he is capable of. He asked the cameraman to follow him. He turned and walked into a locker room where Michael Nakazawa was sitting. Somehow Excalibur knew it from seeing him from behind by a big distance. He noted that’s one of Kenny’s best friends. Pac entered the room and closed the door. Kenny ran from the ring to the back to try to save his friend. They cut to split-screen when Kenny entered the room. No one was there. Kenny frantically looked for him, but then was attacked by the Lucha Bros. Page made the save. [c]
-They showed Darby Allin backstage walking the hallway with his skateboard.
-After the break ended, they went to the announcers on camera who hyped the matches scheduled for the rest of the show.
(2) CODY & DARBY ALLIN vs. THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE (w/The Bunny)
The heel trio came out first. They showed a kid in the crowd with Darby Allin face-paint on. Ross said families are present enjoying Dynamite tonight. Schiavone talked about Cody competing in tag team action two weeks in a row as part of his quest to get his hands on “that little jerk – and I shouldn’t say little because he’s a big guy – MJF.” (Yes, Tony shouldn’t be saying he’s a “little guy.”) They cut to a break a few minutes in with the heels on offense against Cody. They stayed with the acton on split-screen. [c]
Fans chanted, “We Want Darby!” as Cody continued to take a beating. Cody collided mid-ring with a crossbody with Butcher. Darby then hot-tagged in. He landed a Code Red on Blade, but Butcher had blind-tagged in so the ref refused to count. Cody and Blade batted at ringside as Butcher and Darby battled in the ring. Darby landed a flip into a stunner, then tagged in Cody. Cody landed Crossroads on Butcher. Bunny distracted the ref on the ring apron. Cody turned to yell at her and the ref. Blade tagged in and went after Cody, but Cody tossed him out of the ring. Cody and Darby then stereo dove through the ropes onto Butcher and Blade. Darby did his Coffin Dive onto Butcher on the ring apron. Blade and Cody battled in the ring. Cody landed a springboard cutter for the 1-2-3.
WINNERS: Cody & Darby in 11:00.
-They cut to a training video of Jungle Boy running outdoors and running and lifting weights indoors, along with a clip of him pinning Chris Jericho. The screen said, “Still to Come.” [c]
(3) AWESOME KONG (w/Brandi Rhodes, Lady with Shaved Head) vs. MIRANDA ALIZE
An inset interview aired with Brandi saying tonight is when the alien will come home to the collective if Kris Statlander wins tonight and becomes the no. 1 contender. The mystery bald man walked in and she caressed his head. Ross asked Excalibur to explain it. He said she’s trying to surround herself with like-minded individuals. Ross said that means he doesn’t know either. Excalibur admitted he was just stalling for time. Kong gave Alize her face plant finisher, but the head came out several feet before hitting the mat, yet Excalibur said she just planted her face in the mat. Anyone watching saw that didn’t even come close to happening. Kong and Brandi snipped some of Alize’s hair. Ross said there has be some significance in this ceremony.
WINNER: Kong in under 1:00.
-A sit-down interview aired with Jim Ross and Jungle Boy. JB said Jericho is a man and a legend, and he respects the legend, but the man doesn’t scare him. He said he understands the pressure and gravity of the moment, and he’s ready to tackle him and it head on. Ross asked if his dad was here to see him step into the ring with the champion, what would he be thinking. JB said he’d be proud of him. He said they talked a lot about a night like this. He said for him to be there talking to him before wrestling Jericho, he’d be very happy about it.
(Keller’s Analysis: Jungle Boy came across as a soft-spoken and humble, but read for the challenge.)
-Schiavone said they don’t say it explicitly all that often, but the late Luke Perry is Jungle Boy’s dad. Jericho was out first to his entrance theme. They cut to a break. [c]
(4) CHRIS JERICHO (w/Jake Hager) vs. JUNGLE BOY (w/Luchasaurus, Marko Stunt)
Back from the break, Ross said this kid has a chance, but the pressure is on. The bell rang 58 minutes into the first hour. Jungle Boy outmaneuvered and out-quicked Jericho in the early seconds, including landing a dropkick and then a triple springboard armdrag. Jungle Boy rolled up Jericho with a rana for a two count. Jericho soon took over and landed some chops and a kick.
[HOUR TWO]
The announcers noted that Jericho was clock-watching, and was playing with Jungle Boy like a cat to run out the clock. Hager threw Jungle Boy into the ringside barricade. Luchasaurus went after him. Hager got the better of him, shoving him away. Marko dove at him, but Hager elbowed him out of mid-air. The ref kicked Hager out of the ringside area to the back as Jericho and Hager laughed. Luchasaurus checked on Jungle Boy. Ross said he damn sure thinks Jungle Boy can last ten minutes. He began a comeback, and then avoided a Jericho dive. JB dove through the ropes and tackled Jericho. He did it a second time. And then a third dive, this one a flip over the top rope. Back in the ring, Jungle Boy gave Jericho a top rope riving DDT with 4:30 left for a two count. He landed a backstabber next for a two count.
JB avoided a Lionsault on Jericho, then landed one himself for a two count. That was a cool spot, with the crowd reacting to the sequence and near fall. Excalibur said no one has landed the Lionsault on Jericho before until now. Jericho gave JB a clothesline to take over. There was under 3:00 left on the clock. Jericho toyed with JB. JB fired back with some forearms and chops with two minutes left. Jericho came back with a powerbomb and then twisted JB into a Lion Tamer with under 90 seconds left. He held it as JB struggled to withstand the pain. He did until the ten minutes expired. Jericho let go and threw a fit, claiming that he thought JB tapped out. The bell rang because JB survived the ten minutes.
Jericho asked for five more minutes and demanded the bell ring. The bell did ring and the ref seemed okay with this decision, which seemed rather strange considering JB had no say in the matter as far as we could tell. JB scored a near fall with a crucifix. Jericho had enough and left with his belt a minute into the extra five minutes he demanded. [c]
-Schiavone interviewed Jericho on the stage to ask if he’s upset. Jericho asked why he’d be upset. Schiavone told Jericho he said JB couldn’t last ten minutes with him, but he did. Jericho insisted he didn’t last ten minutes, then yanked the mic from him. He said JB didn’t beat him, but this is more about Jon Moxley and the question they asked him last week, which is would he join the Inner Circle. Jericho said he thinks he knows the answer, but all week the Inner Circle spent all week in a palatial mansion. He said that means “big house.” Jericho said he doesn’t mean to rush him, but he knows he discussed it with his lovely wife and mother. He said next week there will be no Dynamite because it’s Christmas, but in two weeks he hopes Mox says yes. “Take your time, make your decision, choose wisely, and in the mean time, Merry Christmas from all of us here in the Inner Circle.” Excalibur called it a “very tempting offer.” (Why, exactly, is it tempting?)
-Jen Decker interviewed SCU backstage about facing The Young Bucks later. Christopher Daniels, in street clothes, said SCU is the tag team of the moment. The Lucha Bros. interrupted and held up a phone with footage of a match. Kaz told Daniels to show them he still has it. Daniels stepped forward, but then hung his head and left. Kaz and Scorpio Sky seemed a little taken aback.
-A commercial aired for Revolution in Chicago on Feb. 29. [c]
(5) BRITT BAKER vs. KRIS STATLANDER
Baker took over and they cut to an early break, but stayed with the action on split-screen. [c]
Back live, Baker landed a running knee to Statlander’s head in the corner. Statlander took over and landed a flying dropkick out of the corner for a two count. Baker elbowed out of a fireman’s carry, although her elbows didn’t really look like they landed anywhere on Statlander’s head or body. Statlander fought back and took Baker down with a clothesline. A “joindarkorder.com” graphic appeared on the screen, which surprised the announcers. Baker superplexed Statlander out of the corner. After some back and forth exchanges, Statlander lifted Baker into a tombstone position and dropped down for the win.
WINNER: Statlander 9:00.
-Schiavone interviewed Statlander at ringside afterward. He congratulated her for being the no. 1 contender for the AEW Women’s Title. She pointed at her eyes and then Schiavone’s. Tony seemed confused. Brandi then interrupted on the mic, although it was awkward because her mic wasn’t on at first, which explains those awkward few seconds Statlander just pointed at Schiavone. Brandi walked up to Statlander and told her to relax because she comes in peace. She said she has an open-ended question – is she with the Nightmare Collective or not. Statlander then pointed at Brandi and wagged her finger no. Excalibur laughed and said the offer was rejected. Fans didn’t seem to realize it or care, as there wasn’t much of a pop. Brandi then hit Statlander with her high heel shoe as Kong and the shaved-head-lady walked down the ramp to distract her. Sadi Gibbs ran out to check on Statlander.
-The announcers hyped the main event tag match.
-Backstage Tully Blanchard and Shawn Spears talked about tag team matches mattering in AEW because they’re in the marquee week after week. Spears said that means big checks and big money. Spears told Tully to find him the right partner. Tully said the wrestler has to be palatable and able to be molded, because that is what a partnership in a tag team is. He said he and Arn Anderson could look at each other and know what to do. He said that’s the kind of mental connection they need to get, and they’ll find it. Spears liked what he was hearing. [c]
-A video package aired hyping the Bucks-SCU match focused on the Bucks declaring last February at a press conference that they wanted to give fans the best tag team division in the world. Then in a new interview (from AEW Dark last night), Matt said almost every main event in 11 weeks of Dynamite so far has been a tag team match, so they’ve lived up to their words as a company. Matt said they hadn’t been the best tag team in the early weeks of Dynamite, and a lot of tag teams have done better than them, but in recent weeks, they’ve been winning and have earned a shot at the tag titles. Matt said they’re going to show through their actions that they are indeed the best.
(6) SCU (Scorpio Sky & Kaz) vs. THE YOUNG BUCKS – AEW Tag Team Title match
Sky and Matt battled early with rapid-fire exchanges. Kaz and Nick tagged in and then four-way action broke out. The Bucks got the better of the exchanges and played to the crowd. A “Be Elite, Be Be Elite” chant rang out. Ross talked about the Midnight Express-Rock & Roll Express rivalry and said this might have a chance to become that. Nick headscissored Sky off the top rope, then Matt hit a top rope elbow on Sky for a near fall. Ross said it was a “savage-like macho elbow.” Fans chanted “This is awesome!” SCU talked at ringside. Nick dove off the top rope onto them at ringside. [c]
Back from the break SCU controlled the action including a dive by Sky over the top rope onto the Bucks at ringside. Late in the match Matt scored a surprise near fall. Sky then gave him a TKO. Kaz tagged in and they finished Matt with an SCU Later.
WINNERS: SCU to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles in 11:00.
-Afterward, the Dark Order walked onto the stage and Stu Grayson congratulated them for a hard-fought match. He said tonight is not a recruitment, tonight is an initiation. The Creepers charged into the ring and attacked both teams. Alex Reynolds and John Silver joined in the attack. Ross said it appears to be a scene from a prison yard. Daniels tried to make the save, but he was beaten down by all the men in black. Kenny Omega ran out to help. They overwhelmed him, too. Cody and Dustin ran out and helped next. Excalibur said it seems the Creepers were just multiplying. Excalibur noted that Hangman Page is nowhere to be seen. Schiavone said the last time he was seen, he was coming to the aid of Omega. Grayson handed Reynolds and Silver masks. They stood over Matt and put his hand in his mouth.
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