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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
FEBRUARY 7, 2024
PHOENIX, ARIZ. AT FOOTPRINT CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reported this afternoon that 5,103 tickets have been distributed so far; arena is set up for 5,205.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
-They went right to the arena with a wide shot of the biggest crowd they’ve had in a while (over 5,000) as pyro blasted on the stage. The upper deck was completely darkened, but the spotlights highlighted a largely full lower bowl from the wide angles they showed. Excalibur introduced the show and hyped the opening match.
(1) “HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE vs. “SWERVE” STRICKLAND (w/Prince Nana) – Winner faces Samoa Joe for AEW World Title at the AEW Revolution PPV
They showed Hangman backstage heading to the entrance stage and then making his way to the ring. They did the same for Swerve and Nana. When Excalibur pointed out that Swerve has never defeated Hangman “fair and square,” Taz countered that a win is a win. The LED ring apron and ringside barricades bring the look of the ring area out of the 1990s and into the 2020s. The bell rang at 4:00.
Hangman and Swerve leaned foreheads against each other. Swerve shoved Hangman against the ropes, then backed away clean when the ref instructed him to do so. They went forehead-to-forehead again, then Hangman slapped Swerve. Swerve tackled Hangman and they rolled out of the ring. Swerve reverse-whipped Hangman over the barricade. He followed with a running dive right near a little kid around age 4 wearing sound-blocking headphones wandering a bit away from a guardian to get a close look at Hangman. A loud “AEW!” chant broke out.
Hangman took control back in the ring and punched away at Swerve. The crowd was pro-Swerve and anti-Hangman from the start, and that intensified here. Excalibur hyped upcoming matches and segments including Tony Khan’s “major announcement.” Hangman attempted a top rope sunset bomb, but Swerve flipped out of it and almost landed hard on his head. Hangman armdragged Swerve and then landed a leaping sitout powerbomb for a nearfall.
Taz noted that Hangman was “getting booed out of the building” and he said he thinks he doesn’t give a rat’s ass. Swerve ducked a Buckshot and then Swerve hit a Buckshot a second later. Fans popped. Swerve then leaped off the top rope with a double stomp for a dramatic near fall. (Ending the match there would have gotten a huge pop and really established Swerve at a higher level.)
The action spilled to ringside and the crowd seemed to exhale. Swerve set up Hangman for a move on the security barricade. Fans backed away, but were smiling. Hangman turned Swerve’s set-up into a DDT and they tumbled back to ringside. Excalibur threw to a double-box break at 18:00. [c/db]
Hangman set up a table during the break. He rammed Swerve’s head into it as the ref told them to get back into the ring. Hangman threw Swerve into the ring and then climbed the steps and re-entered the ring himself. Excalibur said Hangman opted against a countout victory in order to set up a table at ringside.
Swerve took over and leaped off the top rope with a double-stomp on Hangman on the ring apron. Hangman dropped onto the ringside table, and the legs weren’t locked so the table collapsed. Swerve assessed and looked under the ring for another table. Nana pointed out where one was and Swerve dragged it around the ring. Swerve locked the legs properly, then threw Hangman back into the ring. Swerve went for a 450, but Hangman lifted his knees and scored a near fall.
Hangman then hit a regular lariat and a Buckshot Lariat for a near fall; Swerve draped his boot over the bottom rope before three. Hangman gave Swerve a Dead Eye on the ring apron. Nana did his dance at ringside. Excalibur said he was trying to motivate him. Swerve rolled into the ring to beat the count. Hangman slidekicked Swerve to the floor. He picked up a chair and was going to hit Swerve, but instead he turned and hit Nana across the back. Swerve then surprised Hangman by kicking the chair into his face.
Back in the ring, Swerve landed a top rope double stomp. He grabbed his left ankle after landing. Hangman yanked and twisted his ankle. They fought onto the ring apron. Swerve shoved Hangman into the ringpost and then landed a leaping piledriver through the table, breaking the table in half. “Holy shit!” chanted the crowd. Swerve went for another top rope stomp, but Hangman moved. Hangman then went for another Buckshot Lariat, but Swerve avoided it and hit his JML Driver. He made the cover but the bell rang right as the ref was counting signaling a time limit draw.
WINNER: Time limit draw in 30:00.
-Afterward, Swerve asked for five more minutes. Hangman laughed and said Swerve had to beat him tonight to become the no. 1 contender, and he didn’t. “You will not be the World Champion,” he said. “For you, it is over.” He rolled out of the ring. Schiavone told everyone to hang on one minute. Schiavone stood and said Tony Khan has said this is not done because they now have two no. 1 contenders, so that means at Revolution, there will be a three-way match for the AEW World Title against Samoa Joe. Hangman was upset. Swerve smiled and then broke into laughter as Hangman continued to protest.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match. It felt intense and personal start to finish and the crowd was really into it. It seems difficult to imagine Swerve not being a full-fledged babyface going forward, and Nana seemed to fit in as an amusing friend instead of an agitating agent of interference. The time limit draw to set up a three-way makes sense. Hangman declaring he would be no. 1 contender unless Swerve won didn’t seem justified.) [c]
-Renee Paquette interviewed Joe backstage for his reaction. He said it was a draw and thus on one deserved to be in the ring with him. He said they are celebrating mediocrity. He yelled and fumed that at Revolution, he will walk out as champion. He said they will both suffer.
(2) “TIMELESS” TONI STORM (w/Mariah May, Luther) vs. RED VELVET
Deonna Purrazzo made her ring entrance and joined in on commentary. The bell rang 45 minutes into the hour. The announcers asked Purrazzo if she saw this delusional change in personality coming. Purrazzo said she is delusional and it’s shocking. “I don’t even know who this person is. She’s a stranger to me.” After a near fall by Storm, they cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
Velvet took over by ducking a clothesline and landing a boot to the face right after the break. She landed a standing moonsault and scored a two count. Storm took over and landed a running hip attack in the corner followed by a DDT for a two count. Storm eventually applied an anklelock and got a tapout win.
WINNER: Storm via tapout in 7:00.
-Storm stared down Purrazzo afterward. Purrazzo entered the ring and they had a staredown. Storm smelled her face. Luther stepped between them. Storm retreated to the floor. Luther eyed Purrazzo accusingly. Purrazzo waved him out of the ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: Solid TV match and more build for Storm vs. Purrazzo.)
-Renee interviewed Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, and Rocky Romero. Renee asked Cassidy about facing Tomohiro Ishii on Collision after having a six-man tag on Rampage against Undisputed Kingdom. She asked about wear and tear on his body Friday before his match on Saturday. He said he’d be fine. She asked for an update on Chuck Taylor’s injury. Cassidy said he’s there and getting checked out tonight. As usual, things got a little awkward at the end given Cassidy’s cadence and casualness, which they played up. [c]
-They showed the exterior of the arena.
-Blackpool Combat Club made their ring entrance to Jon Moxley’s theme song. They walked out through the crowd. They showed several Luchadors at ringside including Mistico.
[HOUR TWO]
(3) JON MOXLEY & CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI & BRYAN DANIELSON vs. VOLADOR JR. & MASCARA DORADA & HECHICERO
The bell rang 2 minutes into the hour. After a few minutes of pairing off and battling, the action spilled to ringside after Mox leaped through the ropes and knocked Volador into the ring barricade. The ref separated everyone as they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Back from the break, after several more minutes of action, Voldaro and Hechicero dove onto Mox, Danielson, and Claudio at ringside. Dorada then leaped off the middle rope with a shooting star press onto the crowd below. Bodies were lying everywhere at ringside as fans chanted “This is awesome!” Hechicero scored a near fall on Claudio. Claudio shoved him into the ref in the corner. Claudio landed a low blow kneelift and then scored the three count.
WINNERS: Claudio & Moxley & Danielson in 15:00.
-Afterward, the three Luchadors at ringside led by Mistico jumped onto the ring apron. When Taz said it was six-on-three, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Matt Sydal, and Christopher Daniels ran out. The announcers said they don’t all get along, but they have pride in being part of AEW.
-They cut to the back where Undisputed Kingdom were beating up Chuck Taylor. [c]
-Tony Khan announced that AEW will be running a special episode of Dynamite in five weeks in Boston, Mass. at TD Garden Arena titled “Big Business.” He said it’s going to be “one of the biggest events in the history of AEW” that people will remember. Excalibur said tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10 a.m. The “Boston” graphic played into “The BO$$” nickname, by the way.
(Keller’s Analysis: So Tony’s big announcement was, largely, announcing that tickets are going on sale for an event and that the event will be a big deal. Not sure how fans will feel about a “big announcement” boiling down to “something big is going to happen in five weeks.” That said, it’s a date to circle. Keep in mind that Mercedes Monet, formerly known as Sasha Banks, is from there.)
(4) CHRIS JERICHO vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (w/Don Callis, Powerhouse Hobbs)
As Jericho came to the ring, fans sang his entrance theme. The bell rang 26 minutes into the hour. They fought to ringside early. Callis gave a “motivational” slap to Takeshita at ringside after Jericho knocked him to the floor. Jericho then attacked Takeshita, but Takeshita reverse-whipped Jericho into the barricade. Takeshita then gave Jericho a brainbuster suplex on the ringside floor.
When Hobbs tripped Jericho running the ropes at 4:00, Sammy Guevara ran out and hit Hobbs in the back with a chair. Hobbs no-sold it. Guevara hit a leaping cutter off the ringside steps and then bashed him in the skull with a chair, knocking him over the ringside barricade. Excalibur noted that Hobbs’s hands were down. Back in the ring, Jericho rallied. He dropkicked Takeshita to the floor and then put on the mask and leaped off the top rope toward Takeshita. He largely missed. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Back from the break, Excalibur hyped the Boston ticket sales again. Takeshita leaped off the top rope with a senton attempt, but Jericho lifted his knees and then went for a Lionsault. Takeshita, though, lifted his knees too. They went into a series of moves and countermoves. Not everything seemed to go as planned. Both were down and slow to get up at 10:00. Takeshita stood and leaped at Jericho, but Jericho caught him mid-air with a Code Breaker for a two count. Takeshita landed a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Jericho and Takeshita blocked each other’s moves.
Jericho punched away at Takeshita in the corner, then mounted Takeshita in the corner. Takeshita slipped free and slammed Jericho face-first over the top turnbuckle. Takeshita then slammed Jericho off the top rope and landed an augmented Blue Thunder Bomb. The side of Jericho’s head hit the mat hard. Takeshita charged at a groggy Jericho, but Jericho ducked and applied a Walls of Jericho. Callis threw a chair into the ring. With the ref distracted, Callis hit Jericho in the head with the screwdriver. Takeshita then put Jericho in a Walls of Jericho. Jericho tapped.
WINNER: Takeshita in 14:00. [c]
(5) RICKY STARKS & BIG BILL vs. STING & DARBY – Tornado Tag match for the AEW Tag Team Titles
Sting and Darby came out first. Sting hugged his adult kids at ringside. They brawled into the crowd. Sting leaped off the stands onto all three brawling below him. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Sting and Bill brawled at ringside after the break. Darby leaped through the ropes at Bill, but Bill caught him and landed a turning sidewalk slam. Everyone was down at ringside and slow to get up. Bill threw Darby into the ring. Starks crawled into the ring also. Bill dropped Sting over the ringside barricade.
Later, Sting crotched Bill over the top rope and shook the top rope. Starks intervened and gave Sting a Scorpion Death Drop for a near fall, broken up by Darby. Darby threw Starks out of the ring. Sting and Darby took turns splashing Bill in the corner. Sting gave Bill a kick to the gut and then Darby hit a Code Red. Darby hit Bill with a Coffin Drop at ringside. In the ring, Sting avoided a Starks dropkick and applied a Scorpion Death Lock mid-ring.
Darby, meanwhile, had Bill in a sleeper on the ring apron. Darby escaped and then drove Bill off the ring apron through a table at ringside. Starks grabbed the bottom rope, but it didn’t count in a Tornado Tag. Sting lost his grip, though. Sting went for a Stinger Splash, but Starks moved and yanked off the top turnbuckle pad. Sting crashed into it. Sting no-sold it and pounded his chest. Starks paused and hesitated before spearing Sting for a two count. Sting then hit a Scorpion Death Drop on Starks for the win. “History is made!” exclaimed Schiavone. Taz said Sting is “fixin’ to retire.”
WINNERS: Sting & Darby in 14:00 to win the AEW Tag Team Titles.
-They cut to Sting’s kids smiling at ringside. Sting’s sons climbed onto the ring apron to hug and celebrate with their dad. Excalibur said Sting has been a champion two dozen times, and this is his 25th championship. The Young Bucks attacked Sting and his sons with bats in the ring. Darby bled and blood got all over Matthew and Nicholas’s white suits. They delivered a newly-renamed EVP Trigger to Darby. Next, they double-teamed Sting and then stood over him as they celebrated as the show ended.
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