AEW Dynamite Review – March 20, 2024
Kicking off this week’s Dynamite with Tony Schiavone is in the ring and immediately brings out Mercedes Mone’. Mone’ tells Toronto to say hello to their new CEO and talks about how she missed all of this and how excited she is to be here in AEW. She continues about how all of this almost got taken away from her 10 months ago in her match against Willow Nightingale with a career-threatening injury. She knows this is in the past and a lot of people might know who she is, so she cuts to a video that she put together to get a taste of Mone as we see clips of her in Hollywood, runways in Paris and her time in NJPW & Stardom. Mercedes talks about how she was kicking butt all over the world until it got taken away from her and she needed to be here as minor setbacks make for major comebacks. She says she’s not here to lead a women’s revolution as she’s done that before but to lead a women’s global revolution. She continues talking about last week with TBS Champion Julia Hart & Skye Blue attacking Nightingale who is her business and with anybody that messes with her business you have a price to pay.
The lights go out but when they come back Julia Hart is on the outside as Skye Blue tries to attack Mone but Mone fights her off. Hart tries to attack Mone but as Mone tries to hit Mone’ Maker Blue pulls her off. Blue & Hart go to grab chairs as Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale run out with chairs to stand with Mone. The lights go out again and when they come back on Hart & Blue are gone as Nightingale is standing there with a chair facing Mercedes. Mercedes catches Willow who drops it as Mone asks if Nightingale was going to hit her before leaving Nightingale & Statlander.
We see Alex Marvez from earlier today who was trying to get a word with Kazuchika Okada, but Young Bucks cut him off and told him to show more respect next time and speak his native tongue of Japanese. They talk about crushing it in Duolingo as Okada & Matthew Jackson start talking in Japanese. Matthew continues about how handsome Okada is and if there is anyone who can rise to the occasion it’s Okada for the Continental Title tonight and they can’t be ringside as they will be being the curtain with headsets on being Okada’s personal producers. Okada says to Eddie Kingston that he’s coming for his title.
Renee Paquette is at ringside with a report and said she spoke to Eddie Kingston earlier today and said he will dispel the legend of Kazuchika Okada.
Continental Title Match
Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
Match starts off with a lock up as Kazuchika Okada corners Eddie Kingston on the ropes but that pisses off Kingston & he goes to town on Okada with chops and strikes.
They go back & forth before taking it to the outside where Okada suckers Kingston in just to take him out with a DDT on the mat.
Back inside Okada takes control with a dropkick as we head to picture in picture.
After the break Kingston catches Okada off the ropes into an abdominal stretch.
Kingston catches Okada in the corner with Machine Gun Chops before hitting a German Suplex and a sliding elbow for a two count.
Okada takes control here by taking Kingston down with a body slam and heads to the top rope but Kingston is able to dodge him and hit Uraken but is too slow to make the cover as Okada kicks out at two.
They start trading strikes while on their knees as we get some back & forth before Okada hits Rainmaker but Kingston has his arms up when taking it.
As Kingston has Okada he grabs the referee distracting him before hitting an eye rake on Kingston.
Okada ducks Uraken and hits a slam followed by Rainmaker to get the win.
Winner & New Continental Champion: Kazuchika Okada (NEW CHAMPION!!!!) (Recommend)
After the match PAC comes out to the ramp & stares down Okada.
Backstage Renee Paquette with Swerve Strickland & Prince Nana & Strickland says his intentions are still the same the AEW World Title. AEW World Champion Samoa Joe tried to choke him out and humiliate him but Strickland has a history of choking people out himself. Strickland says he’s been inspired by Mike Tyson’s sparring so he wants to spare tonight and offers an open challenge to anybody to come face him.
After the break Renee Paquette is in the back with Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale & Stokely Hathaway and says they are familiar with Street Fights but asks how tonight will be different. Nightingale says after tonight she’ll be in more Street Fights than anyone else on the AEW roster. Statlander says tonight this will be the end as Mercedes Mone’ steps into the picture. Statlander thanks Mone for having Nightingale’s back as Mercedes says a CEO stands up for what she believes in and says it’s nice to meet her. Nightingale tries to get a word with Mone but she cuts her off and says she’s done enough as Hathaway puts his hand out just for Mone to walk away. Hathaway says there is nothing for her to worry about as she broke her ankle.
Non Title Match
FTW Champion Hook vs. Chris Jericho
Hook grabs Chris Jericho and suplexes him right on top of his head as Bryce Remsburg checks on Jericho for a bit before Jericho tells him he’s fine.
Hook goes right after Jericho in the corner with punches and Jericho comes right back with chops but Hook hits a t bone suplex for a two count.
Back & forth before Hook hits 3 more German suplexes as we go to picture in picture.
After the break we see a another German suplex from Hook then Hook continues with them before Jericho eventually counters and tries to put the Walls Of Jericho on just for Hook to punch him off.
Jericho tries to jump off the top rope but gets caught right into another suplex followed by a clothesline but Jericho stops Hook with a boot follow by a Lionsault for a two count.
Jericho catches Hook in the corner and tries to toss him but Hook goes flat on his face.
Jericho places Hook on the top rope and starts punching away until Hook turns it into the Redrum as Jericho gets off the corner with Hook still on top of him with the move.
Hook brings Jericho down to the mat but Jericho is able to get out with punches and tries Walls Of Jericho just for Hook to turn it into an inside cradle for the win.
Winner: FTW Champion Hook
After the match Jericho shows Hook a sign of respect before leaving.
We go to a produced video of Adam Cole. Cole talks about hating feeling disappointed and last week Wardlow disappointed him and failed. Cole said Wardlow had one job and he failed and he should be the AEW World Champion. Now Wardlow has a new goal and that’s to make sure Roderick Strong, Matt Taven & Mike Bennett all keep their titles and then maybe they’ll forgive him. Cole wants Wardlow at his full potential and tells him not to screw it up.
Renee Paquette catches up with Chris Jericho in the back and asks if he earned his respect. Jericho talks about Hook living up to more than he expected and admits Hook is as good as everybody says he is and next week on Dynamite he has a proposition for Hook.
Tony Schiavone welcomes Will Ospreay to the ring & Ospreay says the last time he was here was a bit naughty and he apologizes as he is to give them elite levels of professional wrestling, but in return he needs some maple syrup. Ospreay talks about watching Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata and hopes everybody in the back studied that as that’s professional wrestling. And what Danielson said after though, about being grateful in one breath but Ospreay not being able to walk in his shoes in the other breath. Ospreay talks about seeing Danielson’s shoes in Japan and talks about not being able to fit in them because they were too small. Ospreay talks about elevating wrestling in Japan and lists all his accolades including winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. Ospreay asks if he wants Danielson to prove it so he brings up Shibata and how the last time he faced him Shibata beat the piss out of him. Ospreay then challenges Shibata next week on Dynamite.
Tag Team Match
Women’s Champion Toni Storm & Mariah May vs. Deonna Purrazzo & Thunder Rosa
Both teams go at it before the bell rings before it’s Deonna Purrazzo & Mariah May to officially start the match while Toni Storm & Thunder Rosa are going at it on the outside.
May stays on top of Purrazzo with a dropkick before tagging in Storm but Purrazzo fights them both off with a clothesline.
Purrazzo & Rosa keep Storm in their corner before Rosa hits a sliding lariat on Storm for a two count.
Luther distracts Rosa as Storm takes control while on the apron going into picture in picture.
After the break Rosa takes out Storm & May with a double crossbody before making the hot tag to Purrazzo & she goes right after May with a boot for a two count.
Rosa tags herself in which seems to upset Purrazzo a bit.
Rosa hits a Death Valley Driver on May before Storm takes Rosa out with a snap German suplex.
Storm follows with the hip attack and goes for Storm Zero but Rosa quickly turns it into a roll up for the victory.
Winners: Deonna Purrazzo & Thunder Rosa
Swerve Strickland vs. The Butcher
Swerve Strickland sends The Butcher in the corner with a headbutt and kicks in the corner.
Strickland stays in control including hitting a elbow off the corner but Butcher starts attacking Strickland’s shoulder before hitting a backbreaker.
A bit of back & forth before Strickland bounces up from a clothesline to hit a stomp to Butcher’s back followed by House Call.
Strickland heads to the top rope and hits Swerve Stomp but instead of going for the pin he puts on a short arm scissor as Butcher taps out.
Winner By Submission: Swerve Strickland
After the match Strickland gets on the mic and says to Samoa Joe that before he met him he had the utmost respect for him but as he met him he stopped liking him and now he’s getting him real close to hating him. As he stands there with the chain in his permission he thinks about choking out Joe with it every day but Joe’s big ass neck is too big for the chain. Strickland says he will take out Joe’s security week after week until Joe gives him exactly what he wants.
This prompts Samoa Joe to come out and ask what does he do with Strickland. Logic dictates that he ignore him since he beat him at Revolution and Strickland got pushed down the ladder. Joe says Strickland still believes that the impossible is still possible and that he can box with a God. Joe talks about someone like him smashing Strickland’s face and taking everything he had and with that realization he knew exactly what to do with someone like Strickland and that’s to give Strickland exactly what he wants as he starts rushing the ring. He gets stopped by Don Callis on the mic who says it strikes him that Strickland & Konosuke Takeshita have the same amount of wins but the difference is Takeshita is undefeated outside The Don Callis Family and maybe Takeshita should teach Strickland a lesson as Callis says this is The Don Callis Family House not Swerve’s House. Strickland said if it wasn’t distracted he’d burn The Don Callis Family House down but he will accept Takeshita’s challenge but after that he is coming for Joe.
TNT Title I Quit Match
Christian Cage (c) vs. Adam Copeland
Adam Copeland goes after Christian Cage right away and sets up for the spear but Christian escapes to the outside where Copeland quickly takes him out with a basement dropkick.
They take it into the crowd and start fighting in the penalty box as Copeland takes a Boston Bruins jersey from someone and puts it on Christian before putting on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey himself and starts attacking Christian.
They keep fighting up the stands and right into picture in picture.
After the break Copeland is setting up a ladder against the ring & Copeland puts the ladder in between the barricade and commentary table before Christian & Copeland both get on top of it where Copeland drives Christian back first onto it.
Back in the ring Copeland sets the ladder up upside down against the corner and drops Christian front first onto it as he tells the referee he doesn’t quit when asked.
Copeland sets up a table against the barricade but Christian dodges a spear attempt from him.
Copeland gets up all bloody as Christian dives onto him from the top rope as they both go through the table.
Back in the ring Christian catapults Copeland right into a ladder that was wedged in the corner but Copeland tells the referee he doesn’t quit.
Christian heads to the top rope but misses the Frog Splash as Copeland locks on the submission.
Back & forth as they both take each other out with a spear as we go to a 2nd picture in picture.
After the 2nd break Copeland toss Christian off the stage but Christian tells Bryce Remsburg that he still doesn’t quit.
Copeland sets up a hockey net and sends Christian right onto and into it.
As Copeland & Christian are heading closer to the ring Shayna Wayne shows up with a hockey stick and takes out Copeland with a low blow with it.
Christian breaks the hockey stick over Copeland then Christian keeps attacking Copeland with another stick driving it into Copeland’s throat as the ref is asking if he quits & takes a while to say no.
Christian tosses a chair into the ring before finding a barbed wired covered chair that he enters the ring with.
Christian sets up for the Conchairto but Copeland gets out of the way.
They block each other from doing the Killswitch on top of the chair as Copeland attacks Christian with the hockey stick but Christian doesn’t quit.
Copeland uses his drawstring from his tights to choke out Christian but Nick Wayne & Killswitch run out to attack Copeland.
Shayna enters the ring and slaps Copeland which prompts Daniel Garcia & Matt Menard to run out and even up the odds.
Copeland takes out Killswitch with an Impaler on the barbed wired chair before Garcia & Menard send Nick Wayne to the outside on top of Killswitch.
Copeland climbs the ladder inside the ring and dives onto The Patriarchy on the outside.
Copeland, Menard & Garica start handcuffing Nick Wayne & Killswitch to the corners before surrounding Shayna Wayne who just escapes to the back.
Garcia, Menard & Copeland start attacking Christian before Copeland hits a spear and handcuffs Christian to another corner.
Copeland goes and grabs Spike from under the ring hits numerous low blows to Christian grabs Spike and hits Christian down low with it.
Before Copeland can do any more damage with Spike Christian says he quits.
Winner & New TNT Champion: Adam Copeland (NEW CHAMPION!!!!) (Recommend)
Rampage Card (After Dynamite)
AEW World Tag Team Titles Tournament Qualifying Match
Best Friends (Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta) vs. The Don Callis Family (Powerhouse Hobbs & Kyle Fletcher)
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kevin Matthews
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Rocky Romero
Tag Team Street Fight
TBS Champion Julia Hart & Skye Blue vs. Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander
Next Week’s Dynamite
Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Swerve Strickland
Quarter Final Match Of The AEW World Tag Team Titles Tournament
Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
Collision (March 30th)
Quarter Final Match Of The AEW World Tag Team Titles Tournament
FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. The Infantry (Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean)
Dynasty Card So Far (April 21st)
Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson
Finals Of The AEW World Tag Team Titles Tournament
TBD vs. TBD
