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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
READING, PA. AT SANTANDER ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TBS
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reported late today that 2,627 tickets had been distributed so far. The arena has a capacity of 9,000 spectators when configured for concerts.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Dan Kuester review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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[HOUR ONE]
-The Guns ‘n’ Roses “November Rain” music video aired recapping developments heading into AEW Full Gear this Saturday.
-They cut to the arena as Excalibur introduced the show and hyped Dynamite matches and Full Gear.
(1) WILL OSPREAY & “POWERHOUSE” HOBBS & RICOCHET & MARK DAVIS vs. KONOSUKE TAKSHITA & KYLE FLETCHER & LANCE ARCHER & BRIAN CAGE
As the wrestlers made their entrances, Excalibur said Hobbs’s management contract with Don Callis expired and he said it was “a masterstroke” for Ricochet to bring Hobbs into the fold. Excalibur noted this is Davis’s return to the ring after more than a year out with an injury. When the heels assembled on the stage, the babyface team charged up the aisle and attacked them on the stage. It settled into Takeshita and Davis in the ring to officially start the match 7 minutes into the hour.
Archer put Hobbs’s leg behind the ringside steps against the ringpost. Brian Cage threw Ospreay into the steps, jamming Hobbs’s leg. A ringside doc checked on him. He was helped to the back with a visible limp. Ricochet went at Archer in the ring. Archer tossed Ricochet onto a crowd of wrestlers at ringside. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
The heels dominated during the break. Davis and Ospreay made a comeback against Takeshita and scored a near fall after a double-team cutter. Archer and Cage gave Davis a double-team neckbreaker a minute later. Takeshita scored a near fall on Ospreay.
Fletcher tagged in and smiled as he stalked Ospreay on the mat. Hobbs limped back out at 10:00. He plowed past Fletcher in the aisle, then got the quick hot-tag from Ospreay. He fended off Cage and Archer’s double-team attempt and landed a clothesline on both. Hobbs powerslammed Archer a minute later and then tagged in Davis. Davis dropped Takeshita with a big right roundhouse punch. Davis then landed a leaping piledriver on Takeshita. Fletcher broke up the cover at two.
Fletcher got in the face of his former partner Davis. He slapped him. Davis tackled him. Takeshita surprised Davis with a punch. Ricochet leaped into the ring. Cage followed with a powerbomb of Ricochet. Hobbs then gave Cage a spinebuster. Archer chokeslammed Hobbs. Ospreay springboard forearmed Cage.
Ospreay and Fletcher went at it. They countered each other. Ospreay gave Fletcher a Spanish Fly. When he charged Fletcher, Fletcher pulled Davis into the path of his Hidden Blade. Fletcher superkicked Ospreay and then dove onto him at ringside seconds later. Takeshita delivered a knee strike to a vulnerable Davis for the win.
WINNERS: Takeshita & Fletcher & Cage & Archer in 14:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: It would be ridiculous for Davis to hold it against Ospreay that Ospreay hit him with the Hidden Blade considering it wasn’t intentional and Fletcher literally pulled him into the path, but why else would they do that spot unless they were heading toward Davis siding with Don Callis sooner than later? The match had a lot of good action. Hobbs leaving with a leg injury and then returning worked as a spot to pop the crowd.)
-Moxley stood backstage with Claudio Castagnoli, Marina Shafir, and Wheeler Yuta. Mox said his objective remains the same which is retaining the AEW Title and taking out Orange Cassidy whom he called “a threat to my people.” Yuta sat and stared ahead almost like a wax figure as Mox and Claudio talked.
-Darby walked up some steps in the back with a skateboard in his hand. He said each of the Death Riders will have their day. He said this is Claudio’s day.
-Excalibur hyped the Continental Classic starting next week.
-A commercial hyped tickets for Full Gear on Saturday in Newark, N.J. and Dynamite next week in Chicago, Ill. They showed aerial scenes of both arenas. [c]
-Renee Paquette interviewed MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley as they got out of a white Suburban outside the parking lot. MVP announced that Lashley would have an unannounced match on Dynamite tonight. Swerve attacked Lashley from the side with a chain. Renee fled. Swerve retreated as MVP and Shelton checked on Lashley.
-Adam Cole made his ring entrance. “Who’s ready for story time with Adam Cole, bay bay.” He said he and Roderick Strong have the same goal which is to give MJF an ass-whipping of a lifetime. He was interrupted by Kyle O’Reilly, who walked to the ring, mic in hand. O’Reilly said 14 years ago in Reading, Pa. they had their second match ever against each other. “We’ve come a long way, man,” he said. O’Reilly said he’s had some real highs and lows with Cole and he’s come to know him better than almost anyone. He said he qualified to deliver some truth, which is that his obsession with MJF has to come to an end. He said he has to stop putting his friends in bad positions and he has a bad feeling about this.
Cole asked if he thinks Strong can’t handle MJF. O’Reilly said playing with MJF is like playing with fire and he doesn’t want to see his friends get burnt. He said MJF is evil and Cole will never be like him and that’s a good thing. He dropped the mic and left. Cole soaked up his words and looked blindsided by what O’Reilly said.
-Orange Cassidy spoke backstage about beating Claudio on his own. Rocky Romero, Mark Briscoe, and Tomohiro Ishii walked in. Briscoe said he has his back. Cassidy insisted that they stay away. Briscoe said, “Man, if you insist. So be it.” Cassidy said it’s five of them and one of him, “so go ahead and do whatever you’re going to do because Saturday, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”
-Menard questioned Cassidy’s mindset.
(Keller’s Analysis: Right. With an AEW World Title on the line and leadership in AEW also in play, why would Cassidy invite a five-on-one attack just a few days before the PPV?)
(2) HIKARU SHIDA vs. KRIS STATLANDER
The bell rang 37 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
Shida landed a Falcon Arrow for a near fall at 9:00. Statlander came back a minute later with a tombstone for the three count.
WINNER: Statlander in 10:00.
-Statlander helped Shida up. Mercedes Moné and Kamille walked out onto the stage. Mercedes said the Sixers are having yet another terrible season. “Embarrassing!” she sang. She gave a shout out to her Celtics “on another incredible victory.” She said she is rarely impressed by her competition. She said she has held her TBS Title longer than Statlander. She said she is the greatest TBS Champion of all time and she will never lose the title. Fans chanted, “Shut the f— up!” Mercedes ordered Kamille, whose left arm was in a sling, to go after Statlander and Shida in the ring. Kamille was reluctant. Shida and Statlander easily fended off Kamille. Mercedes went for a Back Stabber on Statlander, but Statlander blocked it and delivered her tombstone. She stood over Mercedes with the TBS Title.
-They went backstage to MVP and Shelton Benjamin who found someone wearing Swerve’s coat and attacked him. [c]
-A vignette aired hyping “Hangman” Page vs. Jay White.
-Excalibur noted White has always gotten the better of Hangman in their careers. He said even Hangman’s win over White in last year’s Continental Classic has a huge asterisk next to it.
(3) BOBBY LASHLEY vs. JOE KEYS & CHEESEBURGER
Lashley speared Cheeseburger in the corner. Schiavone said Cheeseburger is a local favorite. Keys broke up Lashley’s cover on Cheeseburger. Lashley no-sold his clothesline and then chokeslammed him. Lashley followed with spear and then a Hurt Lock for the win.
WINNER: Lashley in 2:00.
[HOUR TWO]
-As Lashley celebrated his win, Swerve’s music played. Prince Nana came onto the stage with a chair. Shelton went after him. MVP stood at ringside and looked around. Swerve came out from under the ring and attacked Lashley with the chain from behind. He then hit MVP as he jumped on the ring apron. He did the same to Shelton. Swerve delivered a House Call leaping side kick. He leaped off the top rope with a double-stomp to Lashley’s chest (after Lashley was kind enough to sit up into perfect position for it). Fans chanted, “Swerve’s house!” Swerve leaped over the top rope and walked through the crowd with a smile on his face as his music played. Excalibur said he outplayed the Hurt Syndicate.
-Renee interviewed Mariah May and Mina Shirakawa backstage. Renee said they’ll be teaming together on Rampage and then they can have their champagne celebration. Mariah held up her belt. Shirakawa said she’s proud of Mariah and will give her a celebration she’ll never forget. Then they danced and gyrated.
(4) DARBY ALLIN vs. CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI
Darby came out first, then Claudio through the crowd. The bell rang 6 minutes into the hour. They fought to ringside. Claudio landed a running uppercut to knock Darby over the ringside barricade at 2:00. Claudio lifted Darby vertically and walked him up the steps and into the ring where he dropped him over the top rope into the ring. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Claudio dominated during the break. Darby leaped through the ropes onto Claudio and took control at 8:00. Claudio knocked Darby off balance on the top rope and then gut-wrench suplexed Darby to the mat leading to a two count. Darby surprised Claudio for a leverage two count. They slipped and lost balance on a spot that led to Claudio lifting Darby, but Darby countering with a Code Red for a near fall at 10:00.
Claudio swung Darby into the ringside steps and then he tossed him over the announce desk. The announcers fled. Claudio put Darby on the announce desk. Schiavone asked what he was trying to do. Claudio pressed Darby over his head while standing on the table and then tossed Darby onto another table. Darby was covered by a tablecloth. The ref checked on him.
Claudio returned to the ring and the ref began to count Darby out. Darby got up and dove into the ring to beat the ten count. Claudio hit him with a running lariat for a three count.
WINNER: Claudio in 14:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Interesting choice to have Claudio beat Darby clean. A wild match, although on two occasions it looked like Claudio struggled and lost his balance on power lifts.)
-Renee interviewed Private Party backstage. They were joined by a man and a kid who everyone was supposed to recognize.
-MJF drove up in a luxury sports car. He threw a coin and told a homeless man to chase it down. MJF muttered, “Disgusting.” He then went off on Roderick Strong’s upbringing in a trailer park. “Your own mother shot your father right in front of you,” he said. “That’s traumatizing.” He said Strong do anything for Adam Cole because he makes him feel the positive things he lacked as a kid. He said that’s why he trusted Cole, but for him, Cole “was a mirage of what I wanted him to be.” He said he thinks deep down, Cole does care about Strong. He said therefore he’s happy Strong won because Cole has to watch a man he cares about suffer. He said he’s sending Strong back to his grimy little trailer park. He said he’ll be in so much physical anguish that he’ll wish his mother shot him instead of his father. [c]
-Renee interviewed the man and the boy, identified as Big Justice and Big Boom A.J. She said his match against Q.T. Marshall on the PPV pre-show is a match 20 years in the making. Renee asked about how his body will hold up after 20 years since his last match. He said he will bring the boom and powerbomb him through the ring.
-Schiavone stood on the stage and introduced Roderick Strong who was accompanied by Mike Bennett and Matt Taven. Strong said he hasn’t been able to sleep because he’s so excited to get his hands on MJF. He yelled “Max!” He asked if he’s really supposed to be ashamed of his upbringing. He said Max made him feel like he was in elementary school again where that was when kids made fun of him. He said he learned that to get the most out of life, you have to earn it. He said that’s what he’s done ever since he was a kid. He said MJF has been spoon-fed everything. He said he throws a tantrum like a baby whenever things don’t go his way. He said he wanted MJF to look in the mirror and think about all of the manipulating and using and back-stabbing. He said at Full Gear, he’ll make him pay for all those sins.
-A video package aired on Jack Perry attacking Matt Menard and Daniel Garcia on Collision last Saturday.
-They cut backstage where Garcia and Menard had tied up Perry to a chair. Garcia threw a bucket of water over Perry. Garcia said he just wants to wrestle, but “this place is full of savages.” He said he has to take the power from Perry. Perry said everybody’s got a code and cares about right and wrong until it costs them something and they have to sacrifice. Garcia grabbed Perry’s face and said he has no idea what he’s had to sacrifice to get where he is. Perry laughed. Garcia said he’s got something for him. He showed up with a crow bar. He smashed a “Scapegoat” shuttle bus headlight with the crow bar. Perry said, “That’s it?” Garcia told Menard to leave with him. Menard asked where he was going and then followed him.
-Renee sat between Chris Jericho and Ishii backstage for their contract signing. Jericho waved and said, “Hi, guys!” He said his legal team has to read over the contract before he signs it. Renee said it was sent to him last week. Jericho got up and left with the contract. The camera followed him and he stopped at a poster image of himself on the wall. Ishii then pursued him. Jericho made a comedic worried expression and slow-walked away. He knocked over a plastic garbage can and shoved a guy in the path half-heartedly. He walked up the steps. Ishii followed behind.
They ended up in a concourse where a camera was conveniently stationed. Ishii continued to follow him. Fans had been held to the side by security in anticipation of this unforeseeable circumstance. Ishii then walked down the arena steps as Jericho made his way to the ring. Ishii entered the ring. Jericho asked for a mic. He told Ishii that he’d sign the contract, but he doesn’t have a pen. Ishii pulled a pen out of his trunks. He handed it to Jericho who then signed the contract. Menard said he’s signing it under duress. Bryan Keith and Big Bill jumped Ishii in the ring. As Jericho threatened him with a pen, Briscoe charged out to his music. Romero joined in the fight. Briscoe, Romero, and Ishii beat up the three heels. Ishii then picked up the clipboard and the pen and signed the contract. [c]
-Renee interviewed Jamie Hayter. She asked for her reaction to getting cut off last week. She said she has never had anything to do with Julia Hart, so she wondered why she did that. She was interrupted again by another Julia Hart video where she shot an arrow which landed in her own chest and another hit a bullseye. It was interspersed with horror movie images.
(5) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. WHEELER YUTA
Cassidy made his ring entrance first. Schiavone said the match is so important, they’re going to stick with it as long as it takes. (He said that as if this was some exception to the usual format.) Yuta walked out through the crowd to the Death Rider theme song. Yuta jumped Cassidy before the bell, and the ref rewarded the pre-match attack by calling for the bell 48 minutes into the hour. They reset a minute in and both stood in opposite corners, then approached each other for a lock-up. Wheeler backed out of it, but Cassidy took over and landed a dive through the ropes into Yuta at ringside. Yuta gave Cassidy a brainbuster onto the top of the ringside barricade. Cassidy held his neck. Schiavone noted Cassidy was wearing black jeans. Excalibur said that symbolizes the attitude and intensity of Cassidy going into this match and Saturday’s at Full Gear.
Yuta and Cassidy battled on the ring apron next. Yuta landed a DDT on Cassidy on the ring apron. They cut to a double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
Cassidy made a comeback after the break and fired up. He landed a brainbuster suplex for a two count at 8:00. Yuta dropped a barrage of elbows on Cassidy and applied Cattle Mutilation. Cassidy draped his leg over the bottom rope to force a break. Yuta went after a chair at ringside. Cassidy ducked the swing and rolled up Yuta for a leverage three count.
WINNER: Cassidy in 12:00.
[OVERRUN]
-Yuta was joined Claudio, Pac, Moxley, and Shafir. They wrapped Cassidy in duct tape with his hands by his side and tucked into his pockets. Excalibur said there needs to be a concerted effort by the locker room to stop Mox and his Death Riders. Mox punched Cassidy, who dropped. Claudio lifted him back up. Mox slapped him again. They surrounded Cassidy. Cassidy did some slo-mo kicks, which some fans reacted to. Mox dropped Cassidy again. Shafir stepped on his face. Mox left the ring and his crew followed.
Briscoe, Ishii, Romero, and O’Reilly came out to check on Cassidy. They snipped off the duct tape. Cassidy stood and had an intense look. The camera showed Moxley in the crowd observing Cassidy standing. Schiavone called Cassidy “defiant.” Cassidy put his hands in his pockets and stood as his music played. Mox glared at him.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Dan Kuester review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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