Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
It is Wednesday and AEW Dynamite is in the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, IN. Our commentary team is Excalibur, Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone.
Don Callis is at commentary as well.
Kyle Fletcher vs Shelton Benjamin - Continental Classic match
Before the match, they have short sound bites from everyone involved in the Continental Classic tonight.
These two have similar styles and both are excellent in the ring. They work well as the match goes along, and it’s fairly standard back and forth until they come back from the commercial break, where Benjamin gets a lot of stiff shots in on Fletcher on the floor. Fletcher then does the same after Benjamin gets into the ring to break the count. After this sequence, they switch to big moves leading to near falls and near submissions.
From here, the story becomes which one can get that final blow in. Benjamin gets a series of release German suplexes, and the crowd goes wild for them. He’s really over with the AEW crowd. In the end, Fletcher is able to get a surprise rollup with a handful of the ropes for the pin and the win.
Winner and getting three points - Kyle Fletcher
Great match between two men who haven’t worked together before. With Fletcher having to cheat to win, one would hope that comes into play later on, as well as giving us a feud between the Don Callis Family and The Hurt Syndicate.
Hook comes to the ring and has something to say. He answers Nick Wayne’s challenge by saying he would rather face Christian Cage in New York, and wants Nick to face him right here, right now. Christian Cage comes to the stage, which distracts Hook and allows Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian to attack from behind. Cage joins in on the attack.
Kip and Nick bring in chains, and they hit a con-chair-to on Hook’s wrist. They stand over him as Hook writhes on the mat in pain.
In the back, Renee Paquette is with Mercedes Mone, and asks about the attack on Kamille. Mone says she is not to hear that name again, and then says she will be watching Anna Jay’s match with Penelope Ford later tonight.
In the back, MVP is yelling at Shelton, and asking why he played around with Fletcher instead of hurting him. MVP and Bobby Lashley step off camera, and Shelton attacks a production assistant, and Bobby Lashley joins in.
Adam Cole comes to the ring for the Dynamite Dozen, and the other 11 men are already in the ring.
Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal
Battle Royal matches are a visual spectacle, and are usually used to set up feuds in AEW, but as a match itself? Well, it’s a spectacle. Punches, kicks and then people struggling not to be put over the top rope and to the floor, so lots of people being in the apron, holding on for dear life.
Evil Uno is the first one out by Mark Davis.
Both members of Top Flight are eliminated by Lio Rush and Action Andretti.
Rush and Andretti also have matching gear, and after the stuff with both of them showing heel tenancies, I expect them to become a tag team to face Top Flight.
Mark Davis is eliminated by Lance Archer and Brian Cage.
Action Andretti is eliminated by Kyle O’Reilly.
Lio Rush is eliminated by Kyle as well.
Rocky Romero is eliminated by Cage and Archer.
Butcher is eliminated by Adam Cole.
Kyle and Cole are left with Archer and Cage. Cole eliminates Cage and Kyle eliminates Archer at the same time, so they will face each other next week, and the winner goes against MJF at World’s End.
We then get a video from Julia Hart about how she will be coming after Jamie Hayter, and it’s creepy and weird. I like it a lot.
In the back, Renee comes up to The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, and Gunn says that Max Caster’s is not listening to them because MVP is so up in his head. Anthony Bowens tells Caster if he thinks he’s the best wrestler alive, go prove it. Caster does the “Go team” all by himself.
Swerve Strickland vs Max Caster.
As Swerve comes to the ring, we get a video recapping their confrontation last week.
Swerve goes after Caster immediately and dominates at the start. They brawl on the floor and when they move to the ring, Caster gets a drop-kick, but Swerve lands on his feet and hits a pair of Swerve Stomps. The crowd explodes for Swerve and he hits a House Call kick for the pin and the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
Quick squash match to give Swerve a dominant win, and move forward the Max Caster turning heel story.
Swerve slowly decides to hit a Swerve Stomp after the match.
We then get a statement from MJF saying that he loves what has happened. He says that he and Adam Cole were a record-breaking tag team. Now Cole’s best friend’s arm is broken and he’ll have to beat up Kyle O’Reilly. And because Cole cost him the title, now Jon Moxley has his world title and is running rampant over AEW. He then says that it makes Cole the villain.
Jay White vs Pac
Yuta tries to distract White at the start of the match, but White ignore him and goes after Pac, working him over with chops. Pac is almost hit with the Blade Runner early on, and he bails from the ring and yells at Yuta when he hits the floor. As the match goes on, White has Pac’s number and is able to out maneuver him at every turn. Pac is usually shown as a dominant powerhouse, but with White outsmarting him, it feels like a different kind of match.
Yuta is able to sweep White’s leg and then clotheslines him on the floor. Pac then takes over on the floor.
When they come back from the commercial, White is back in control and dominating Pac. Pac gets a brief flurry of offense, but White cuts him off with a half and half suplex. White goes for the Blade Runner and Pac makes it into a Brutalizer with White still standing, and White gets to the ropes to break the hold. Yuta pulls White to the floor and hits a psycho knee as the ref is distracted.
White returns to the ring and gets a surprise Blade Runner for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jay White
They are really building White up here as a top guy. I really wish that Pac would have gotten more in, since he does have the reputation for being a fighter. They also should have let White had a little more time to build up to the ending rather than a quick recovery for the Blade Runner after Yuta attacks him.
Marina Shafir gets in the ring to distract White from an attack from Jon Moxley. After Mox puts White down, Adam Page comes to the stage. He and Mox face off, but a man in a black hoodie attacks Mox with a camera cord.
As they fight, we see the man is Orange Cassidy. Mox and Page fight in the ring and Cassidy joins the fight after Cassidy dumps Shafir over the barricade. Jay White joins in the fight as well and Mox takes a Blade Runner. Page then hits Mox with a Buckshot lariat. We are left with Cassidy, White, and Page in the ring standing tall, and we see Christian Cage in the entryway with his contract.
Jamie Hayter is backstage and says she can’t figure Julia Hart out and she is a face-to-face person. She says she came back to AEW to settle scores and that has nothing to do with Hart. She is going to stop Hart’s comeback instead of dealing with Hart attacking her and playign mind games.
Jericho cuts a promo from Ring of Honor Final Battle as a Breaking News segment. He also pushes All In Texas. He also calls New York Sin City and the Big Easy and calls himself Mr. New York City.
We then get a promo video for Bandido’s return set up like a western movie.
Anna Jay vs Penelope Ford
We get a quick video showing their past matches saying the match is a rivalry renewed.
This seems like an odd rematch, since their feud had a solid conclusion. The match itself is a good, if not spectacular, match to keep Jay as a top wrestler after her loss for the title. Ford is on her fourth match, and does need more time in the ring to build her character and get more reps. She looks better than she has in her previous matches since her return. Anna wins with the Gori Bomb into the pin and the win.
Winner: Anna Jay
Anna grabs a mic and calls out Mercedes Mone. Mone obliges her and says that if Kris Statlander can’t beat her, how does she think she possibly has a chance. Mone says if she wants a shot, she needs to come back in ten years when she has done something.
Anna says, “Something like this?” and slaps her. Mone starts to take off her earrings, which we ALL know is a sign to fight, but checks her watch and says if they fight, it will be on her time, which will be at Holiday Bash.
Renee is with Mariah May, and May says no matter when she does, it’s the right thing to do. She says that giving a title shot is a gift, and says that she is giving a gift to Mina Shiarakawa. Mina shows and hands May a champagne bottle and says “Do it to my face!”
Claudio Castagoli vs Brody King - Continental Classic match.
Hoss fight!!
They start slowly and start the build as they move to the floor and to the first commercial break. We come back to them throwing hands. Claudio starts hitting power moves on Brody. When Claudio starts the hammer and anvil blows, it only fires him up to nail Claudio with a clothesline. From here, it becomes two big guys throwing big moves at each other. The story is that Brody has an injured arm, and Claudio just can’t put him away.
Whenever they hit big moves on each other, the crowd is LOUD. AEW needs to start giving fans the hoss fights they want if they want to step up to the next level. Claudio is able to get a low blow while arguing with the ref via a mule kick, and Claudio is able to hit a neutralizer for the pin and the win.
Winner and getting three points: Claudio Castagnoli
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
