SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Housekeeping
• Bodyslam.net reported that Britt Baker is seeking to get an early release from her AEW contract. It’s unlikely she gets it given how much time is left, not that Britt leaving would be a huge loss. The AEW Women’s Division has blown past Britt Baker’s skill level and that was never more apparent than at All In last year. Couple that with her well-documented backstage issues and I could imagine AEW deciding she’s more trouble than she’s worth.
Intro
300 episodes. Just ten days out from its biggest show of the year, AEW presents Dynamite 300. While a strange number to celebrate, 300 episodes is an achievement. When AEW was first announced, the idea of a wrestling company succeeding the way they have seemed crazy, but here we are.
Tonight’s show, which will likely be main evented by a WrestleKingdom rematch, should hopefully lay out the rest of the card for All In while building up the major matches more. I’m expecting at least one major return but we shall see. Until then, join me in raising a toast to 300 episodes of Dynamite.
AEW Avengers: Power Stripping
Latest Developments
Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland challenged The Young Bucks to a match at All In in effort to strip them of their EVP power. Meanwhile, Jon Moxley attempted to “Hangman” Page of his life power by choking him out with a chain
Analysis
Following the Toni Storm-Mercedes brawl, The Young Bucks popped up on the screen and flexed their EVP power by moving Ospreay & Swerve’s match against Blake Christian & Lee Johnson up to right then. Christian and Johnson looked to have had advanced notice while Ospreay and Swerve were scrambling to get to the ring. Ospreay was literally taping his wrists and tying his boots as he sprinted to the ring which was a nice touch. The match was fine, but was more a set up for the post-match promo.
After dispatching of Blake Christian with a House Call, Swerve got on the mic and challenged the Bucks to a match against him and Ospreay at All In. Ospreay chimed in upping the ante by asking the Bucks to put their EVP power at stake.
The Bucks as heel authority figures fizzled last year without a real resolution. Bringing it back around to clear it up once and for all makes sense and adds stakes to what should be a fantastic match. The one hitch is that the Bucks should extract something of comparable value for Ospreay and Swerve to put up. The thing that comes to mind is banning them from ringside for the main event. The Bucks have been working with the Death Riders for the last few months. It would make sense that they would want ensure that Hangman has all the odds stacked against him. I ask expect them to propose this offer to Swerve and Ospreay tonight.
Speaking of Hangman, he defeated The Beast Mortos in good match yet odd choice for a main event. It was really in that slot so that the show could end with Hangman getting jumped by the Bucks and having the life choked out of him with a chain by Mox until Ospreay and the Opps made the save. (Swerve had been kicked out by the Bucks earlier.)
I do think it’s important that we go into all in with good heat on Mox. Hangman is the conquering hero, he’s Captain America. Like any good Marvel movie the hero needs to feel like he’s in peril going into the climactic fight scene. The chain attack does that although it probably could’ve been achieved through less overtly dangerous means.
Grade: B+
The Golden Star Lives
Latest Developments
Kota Ibushi defeated Trent Beretta in his return to the ring and then went face to face with Okada
Analysis
There was a lot of speculation as to what Kota Ibushi would look like once the bell rang for his match with Trent Beretta. It turns out that the time off to heal did wonders for Ibushi. He looked the most like his old self that he is in AEW. He moved well; his strikes were crisp and stiff. Trent was a good choice for his first opponent although it was intentionally uncomfortable watching two guys with histories of neck injuries dump each other on their head. In the end, Ibushi won with a kamagoye.
Kota Ibushi probably doesn’t have it in him to be a major player in AEW, but he can be a good special attraction and that’s what we’re getting for Dynamite 300. Okada came down to the ring after the match and stared down Ibushi. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Okada and Ibushi would square off for the first time since WrestleKingdom 14 in 2020.
Tony Khan can be accused of a lot of things, but nobody can say he doesn’t know his audience. Putting Okada and Ibushi on “free” TV feels like something of a thank-you for supporting 300 episodes of Dynamite. Sure these guys are older, different versions of themselves but they’re going to want to bring it. Okada defeating his PPV opponent’s closest friend not only gives him good momentum, it also sets up the return of Omega which I fully expect.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the “All Elite Conversation Club” with Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Let The Games Begin
Latest Developments
Mercedes attacked Toni Storm just as Dynamite went on the air leaving the champion lying on the stage.
Analysis
As Toni Storm arrived at the beginning of Dynamite last week, Mercedes Moné sneak attacked her, throwing her around backstage before dragging her out on the stage and putting her in a messy Statement Maker. It didn’t look like she ever had it on completely, but Toni sold it well nonetheless. Mina Shirakawa came to Toni’s aid and that led to Mercedes and Mina being made for tonight.
On Collision, Mercedes cut a promo recounting everything she’s accomplished in her time and AEW and how winning the AEW Women’s World Title would be the cherry on top of the sundae, so to speak. Toni responded in the only way she knows how – cutting a promo backstage with Lexy Nair in which she threatened to “play snooker (a type of pool) with Mercedes’ snatch.” Mina interrupted and asked that Toni not get involved in the match regardless. Toni agreed, but asked that Mina leave Mercedes alive.
The intensity in this feud has ratcheted up nicely. Toni’s at her best when she’s intense and focused. Mercedes did a nice job tying everything she’s done in the last year back to her mission statement of leading a global women’s wrestling revolution and how beating Toni would be the capper. Now it feels like this match has some increased gravitas.
As for Mina, she and Mercedes had a very good match earlier this year at WrestleDynasty so I expect much of the same tonight in what will be Mercedes’ 1000th match.
Grade: B
Double Fisting It
Latest Developments
The Hurt Syndicate dealt with a few different irons in the fire as Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin beat up Jet Speed and MJF verbally sparred with Mark Briscoe and took a trip back to his past to get his hands on Mistico again.
Analysis
Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey, a/k/a Jet Speed, defeated the makeshift team of A.R. Fox & Ricochet. Credit to them for showing a video explaining how Fox and Ricochet came to team up, but the pairing still felt random and ultimately Ricochet abandoned the match and Fox.
After securing the victory, Jet Speed got on the mic and called out the Hurt Syndicate for a tag team title match at All In. The Hurt Syndicate came out and responded by summarily beating the brakes off Jet Speed culminating with Bobby Lashley spinebustering Bailey through Kevin Knight through a table.
MVP officially accepted the challenge on behalf of the Hurt Syndicate, but Jet Speed are going to have to get one over on Lashley & Benjamin at some point between now and next Saturday so it seems like they have some kind of chance to win.
MVP passed the mic to MJF who took a cheap heat jab at the crowd before moving on to discussing the Casino Gauntlet match which he said he would win and get one step closer to getting back the AEW World Title. Enter Mark Briscoe.
Briscoe was ready to get his four-way match for the number spot in the Casino Gauntlet match underway and asked MJF to step aside. MJF ran down Briscoe as nothing more than a loser and called him a “blue collar bitch.” Briscoe responded by telling the crowd to have empathy for MJF because he had to go around with a “teeny, tiny, kosher pickle” in his pants. MVP kept MJF from going after Briscoe who then went on to win the four-way match.
This interaction was certainly unexpected. MJF didn’t mention Mistico at all, although it seemed like a reasonable possibility that their feud would continue. Instead he started something up with Mark Briscoe. Briscoe, being the likable guy that he is, played well off of MJF. Watching it in real time, it felt like this interaction was designed to set something up for the Casino Gauntlet match. Things changed on Thursday night, though.
Mistico was wrestling at an MLW event when he was attacked and low-blowed by an assailant dressed up as a member of the Contra faction Mistico had just fended off. The assailant removed his mask to reveal a Mistico mask. Removing that mask, the assailant revealed himself to be MJF, making his first appearance in an MLW ring for the first time since 2019.
The fact that MJF crossed promotions back to where he got his start just to get his hands on Mistico is proof this feud isn’t over. The big question is: Does Mistico show up tonight? It’s not totally clear if the participants in tonight’s four-way match are already in the Casino Gauntlet and just vying for the number two spot or if it’s a qualifying match. If it’s the latter, MJF vs Mistico at All In is still on the table. If it’s the former I expect Mistico in the Casino Gauntlet and the one-on-one showdown to be held off until Forbidden Door in August.
Grade: B+
Random Questions
• We’re getting a Statlander/Willow reunion, right? The Death Riders have been courting Statlander up to and including helping her win the number one spot in the Casino Gauntlet match. Stat’s been frustrated that Willow won’t forgive her. My guess is that Stat ultimately chooses not to join the Death Riders, who are the downslope anyway, and attacks them instead. That would prove to Willow that she can be trusted.
• Can we get the TNT Title off Adam Cole ASAP? He’s basically Prince Iaukea at this point. A guy with talent, who’s moderately over but doing nothing for the TV title he holds. The sooner the belt is around Kyle Fletcher’s waist the better.
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