Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly AEW Dynamite hits and misses series.
Last night’s Dynamite went down at Lexington’s Rupp Arena in Kentucky. Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, Mariah May, Adam Page, and The Elite appeared on the show.
Here’s what went down on the September 11 episode of Dynamite.
Hit – TNT title match on AEW Dynamite
Jack Perry defended his TNT title against Lio Rush in the opening contest. Rush had Action Andretti at ringside. Perry and Rush went back and forth. Ref Aubrey Edwards ejected Andretti after she caught him trying to interfere. Perry picked up the win following a running knee strike.
This was a good opening match between two awesome athletes. Perry’s TNT title run has been fun so far. He’s constantly put on great matches and isn’t afraid to take huge risks. The ambulance entrance and exit made for some entertaining television.
Miss – Post-match shenanigans featuring Orange Cassidy and The Learning Tree
Chris Jericho, Big Bill and Bryan Keith squashed Iron Savages in under three minutes. The Learning Tree called out Orange Cassidy after the match. Jericho opened Cassidy’s backpack to reveal a picture of Best Friends. OC appeared on screen and had Mark Briscoe and O’Reilly spill coins on Y2J’s new ride.
The six-man tag team match and post-match angle both didn’t do it for me. Jericho wanted Cassidy to return him his $7k. Instead, he got his brand-new ride splashed (not destroyed) with coins. They could’ve used the forklift to turn the car upside down, or something more exciting. This feud needs to end next week.
Hit – Ricochet vs. Sammy Guevara on AEW Dynamite
Ricochet took on one-half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions, Sammy Guevara, in singles action. Both men delivered a thrilling match-up that featured tons of great spots on AEW Dynamite. Ricochet picked up the win following a Vertigo. Beast Mortos attacked AEW’s newest signing before Guevara made the save with a steel chair.
This was the match of the night in my opinion. Ricochet and Guevara went all out inside the ring. Sammy’s is smooth with his fantastic aerial offense. Ricochet is one of the best high-flyers of this generation. I’m looking forward to how Tony Khan books his looming match against Ospreay for the International Championship.
Miss – Nigel McGuiness calls out Bryan Danielson
Nige McGuiness had a paper in his hand. McGuiness said he had to watch Danielson from the sidelines take his career to new heights. He mocked Danielson before telling the world Tony Khan had booked a match between the two former rivals for AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. He capped off his promo by calling Danielson “The American Coward.”
There was nothing wrong with McGuiness’ delivery. He’s one of the very best from his generation when it comes to mic skills.
However, a few things just don’t make sense. Jon Moxley previously said the AEW World Champion couldn’t compete at Grand Slam due to the All Out assault.
McGuiness said Tony Khan booked the match between him and Danielson. He could’ve said EVP Bucks instead of Tony because the Bucks are heel authority figures on AEW TV. Naming them would’ve made more sense storyline-wise.
Despite the confusion about Danielson’s status, I’m still looking forward to the match because McGuiness was my top pick for 5 Best Challengers For Bryan Danielson’s AEW World Title.
Hit – AEW Dynamite main event
The main event of Dynamite pitted several tag teams against each other in a Casino Gauntlet match. This match featured FTR, The Kingdom, The Outrunners, The Righteous, Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher and more. Ospreay and Fletcher picked up the win after Fletcher pinned Dante Martin – courtesy of a Hidden Blade from Ospreay.
This was a fun tag team main event featuring some of the best tag teams in AEW. The Outrunners got some great pop from the crowd. The high-flyers were brilliant. FTR worked with their usual tactical precision. The Acclaimed had some noted moments as well. Ospreay and Fletcher face the Bucks for their titles at Grand Slam.
Honorable Mentions
- Adam Page and Jeff Jarrett exchanged blows after both men ran into each other backstage. They had a great match during the Owen Hart Tournament. Page has been on a path of destruction since returning to AEW and he won’t be stopping anytime soon.
- Okada has this amazing ability to switch between emotions. He’s just having fun in his AEW role. The Rainmaker had a solid Continental Championship defense at All Out. I’m looking forward to Okada vs. Takeshita.
- Jon Moxley and Darby Allin had the best promo battle of the night. Darby questioned Mox’s actions at All Out. Mox challenged him to put his world title shot on the line at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam. The match is official.
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