SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Kenny Omega vs. Alan Angels – HIT
A nice Kenny Omega style match to kick-off Dynamite. Some people will be displeased that Omega went about 10 minutes with Angels, but Omega dominated most of the match. Angels put up a good fight and there were several false finishes where Angels continued to kick out. Eventually Omega hit him with multiple V Triggers leading to the pin. He grabbed a chair afterwards and went to attack Angels before Hangman made his way to the ring. Hangman made the save and told Omega he will be losing the championship in 10 days. A solid continuation of the feud. On the go-home show, Hangman will need to cut a killer promo with likely one last face-to-face with Omega to solidify it as the top feud going into Full Gear.
C.M. Punk Promo – HIT
Bye, bye happy Punk and hello serious Punk. He started out his promo addressing the news of Jon Moxley entering treatment. It was a heartfelt and real message to Moxley and everyone watching to seek out help. Punk alluding to himself not getting the help he needed and leading down a negative path. I’m glad that AEW isn’t shying away from this and is using it to do good. Punk then transitioned into challenging Eddie Kingston face-to-face on Rampage. Fans were hoping he’d cut straight to announcing the match, but he wanted to confront Kingston for disrespecting and interrupting him. It feels like a weak reason for a feud, but the follow-up is key.
Superkliq – Jurassic Express Brawl – HIT
A chaotic brawl that would later set up a 6-man tag match for Full Gear. I like segments that start out backstage then spill out to the staging area. It was met with major reactions from the crowd seeing Jungle Boy launch himself off the stage and Christian Cage hitting Adam Cole with a conchairto. The Elite have done some dastardly things to Jurassic Express, but this felt a bit much and it’s typically a move that would take someone out of action for weeks to sell the injury.
Samuray Del Sol & AeroStar vs. FTR – HIT
Forget Kalisto, here’s Samuray Del Sol! He was tremendous in his first match outside of WWE showing how much he’s capable of when he’s given some free reign. He was able to hit his flips and dives while allowing FTR to hit their stuff as well. FTR is an old school type of team, but they can mix it up with any style. They also came out to a remixed version of the Midnight Express’ music giving them more of a nostalgic feel coming to the ring.
The Inner Circle and American Top Team Segment – HIT
I know we want to see the stars on the pay-per-view, but wouldn’t Inner Circle prefer to pick the no names on American Top Team over UFC veterans in Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski? They stacked the odds against themselves, but proved they’re not cowards. They also picked Dan Lambert himself because he insisted he was the first member of ATT. While the segment had it’s ups and downs in terms of comedy landing, it was an overall good setup with the continuing antagonization of Paige Van Zant and the way Lambert sold being apart of the match.
Anna Jay vs. Jamie Hayter – MISS
Anna Jay isn’t as confident as she was before her injury. She still shows plenty of promise, but there is hesitation when she’s in the ring. This match against Jamie Hayter was passable, but far from good. The TBS tournament is just heating up with the better workers advancing to create more intriguing matchups.
MJF Promo – HIT
MJF is damn good on the microphone. It’s nothing new, but I liked that in this promo he moved away from the funny insults and made it about how he is a great wrestler and will prove that to Darby Allin. Allin sat in the stands taking in MJF’s braggadocious approach. When MJF said he would beat Allin with a headlock takeover, that’s when Allin snapped and went after him. Sting came down the ramp to limit MJF’s escape options leading to Allin getting his hands on MJF. The crowd ate it up creating a feeling that this is one of the hottest programs going into Full Gear.
Cody Rhodes vs. Andrade El Idolo – HIT
A very good match between these two with Cody Rhodes continuing to be hit with a barrage of boos. Cody had his moments where he won the crowd back, but overall the fans just want to see him turn. Cody lost the match after FTR popped out from under the ring to hit him with the belts. Tully and Arn had a cool face to face moment which always gets a major reaction when the former Four Horsemen members tie it up. Lastly, the Lucha Bros came out to make the save and clear the ring.
Orange Cassidy vs. Miro – HIT
We may never know what was in store for Miro before being inserted into the tournament, but this was about the best back-up plan tying into his existing story. Miro who is on the rise went into this match and destroyed Cassidy who was still selling a rib injury from Matt Hardy. Miro will go on to face Bryan Danielson in what could be the best 1-on-1 match on Full Gear. Miro could go all the way to win the tournament, but it’s also likely that Danielson wins and either faces Page or Omega in a rematch. Without overcomplicating the booking to subvert expectations, it seems like the winner of that match may indicate the direction of the main event.
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