AEW DYNAMITE HITS & MISSES 8/25: Jericho shows he’s one of the best on the mic, Punk continues to soak in moment, more

Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Hardy – HIT

Orange Cassidy finally gets his win over Matt Hardy. Cassidy came off like the bigger star of the two and worked Hardy to a crowd pleasing finish. Hardy unfortunately had his face inadvertently busted open again. He’s been put through the ringer during his time in AEW, suffering through more accidental injuries than anyone else on the roster. Perhaps it’s a sign that his body is trying to communicate with him or he’s been very unlucky throughout.

Chris Jericho Promo – HIT

A solid promo from Chris Jericho as his feud with MJF inches closer to the climax. AEW could’ve made Jericho’s tap out loss on Dynamite as the final match, but Jericho challenged MJF to one more at All Out. Jericho said that if he can’t beat MJF then he will retire from in-ring action and move to commentary full-time. Rumors have circled around the idea that Jericho might be nearing retirement. Whether there’s any validity to the speculation or fans are drawing conclusions from their observations of Jericho’s performances, the stipulation adds another level of interest over reheating a match with a definitive conclusion.

Lucha Bros vs. Varsity Blonds – HIT

A good match with the right team advancing in the tag tournament. The Lucha Bros move on to face Jurassic Express to determine who will face The Young Bucks at All Out. Rey Fenix has worked his way back into a title match after dealing with an injury and spending much of the last month tagging with Penta El Zero Miedo on Dark and Elevation. Their previous match with The Young Bucks have been incredible, so if they are to advance to the championship match you can expect a show stealer.

Red Velvet vs. Jamie Hayter – MISS

This match missed the mark with several botches throughout. It was successful in showcasing Hayter as a more vicious wrestler with Red Velvet bumping like a rag doll. Despite its positives, this isn’t anywhere near the quality of a Dynamite match.

C.M. Punk Promo – HIT

C.M. Punk is still floating on cloud nine hearing the roar of the crowd as he makes his way to the ring. This time, he was interviewed by Tony Schiavone to build up his match with Darby Allin. Punk announced his mission of wanting to face the young wrestlers in AEW to see if he is still the best in the world. He put Darby over as someone that Punk himself would’ve been a fan of when he was younger. While it’s not the most ideal situation of Punk going up against a heel fans want to see crushed, Punk did his best to boost the intrigue of seeing how he does against one of AEW’s rising stars.

Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, & Darby Allin vs. JD Drake, Cesar Bononi, & Ryan Nemeth – HIT

A straightforward faces versus heels six-man tag with the star baby faces going over strong. Darby Allin won with the coffin drop then was beat down by Danny Garcia after the match. It feels strange to go from the Punk promo to Darby winning then Darby being beat down by someone much much lower on the card. I’m sure Darby will easily defeat Garcia, but the juxtaposition took away from the events that happened before it.

Kenny Omega and Christian Cage Promo – HIT

Christian Cage came out to confront Kenny Omega and Don Callis again. Callis played a video of Christian getting his start in Winnipeg then playing up that Callis fired him after one match. Christian said that this just proves what kind of person Don Callis is. Callis embraced the accusation of nepotism and compared himself to the likes of Bill Watts, Vince McMahon, and Verne Gagne. Callis continued to get heat then The Elite attacked Christian before Frankie Kazarian came out for the save. Callis has been fantastic in his performances and it has led to the crowd seeing Christian as a firm babyface in this position.

Billy, Austin, & Colten Gunn vs. QT Marshall, Nick Comoroto, & Aaron Solo – MISS

Bad match with a terrible finish. Paul Wight sat at commentary and distracted QT Marshall allowing him to be rolled up for the pin. These are the finishes WWE gets ridiculed for and AEW took it right out of their playbook. This did nothing to build any interest in QT’s match with Paul Wight.

Malakai Black vs. Brock Anderson – HIT

Considering Malakai Black destroyed Cody Rhodes in short order, one had to think this might be over in a blink of an eye. Anderson tried to take down Black early, but Black proved to be too much and put Anderson away. This is far from what fans are accustomed to in the main event slot, but this certainly sent the message that AEW views Black as a star. It continues to put heat on Black as he runs through the Nightmare Family before Cody returns from filming the Go Big Show.

CATCH-UP: 8/25 AEW DYNAMITE TV RESULTS: Keller’s detailed report and analysis of C.M. Punk’s Dynamite debut