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It’s Wednesday and AEW Dynamite Summer Blockbuster is live from Portland, OR at the Theater of the Clouds at Moda Center. Our commentary team is Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and Taz. I think they should just leave Ian on the team, as he’s doing a great job on Dynamite.
We start the show with people arriving, and Adam Page shows with Christopher Daniels, Daniels tells Page he needs to rebuild bridges. When see the Death Riders following him to the locker room.
Will Ospreay vs Swerve Strickland
Starting the show off with a bang, I see.
Swerve calls for a handshake and Ospreay accepts. They start the match with the handshake moving into the match. They then go back and forth with moves, each able to either escape or counter. Ospreay has a bloody nose early on, and the flow of the match is a series of moves and then a pause to reset. The story of the match is that they are evenly matched and will have to keep looking for a chink in the other’s armor.
As they work the match, Taz does the type of analysis I like, but he doesn’t do as much as he used to, explaining why the moves and holds are being used. Swerve dominates after he goes to the floor and as we go into the first commercial break, Ospreay is able to take over. Swerve takes over when we return from commercial and the pace picks up. They are not working a body part, just trying to wear the other down.
One thing about this match is the pace is slow, deliberate and takes its time as we get an attack to allow it to sink in more. Once we move to two counts, it’s a quick flurry followed by recovery. Normally, Ospreay’s matches are at a breakneck pace, but this is showing a different gear.
They go through a second commercial break. Ospreay goes for a hidden blade and when Swerve dodges, Ospreay goes head first into a turnbuckle. Swerve starts working on the left arm, and goes back to try to get the jūji-gatame on it. We also get Swerve tweaking his knee when he comes off the top rope. Swerve uses a Deadeye on Ospreay to send a message to Page.
We are then reminded it’s a 30-minute time limit at the 25-minute mark.
This is when the pace really picks up and Swerve gets the stomp, then snaps the arm. Ospreay then gets Stormbreaker and it’s two counts back and forth. Ospreay teases a Tiger Driver. When we get to a minute left, the announcers get more frantic, but Ospreay and Swerve are nearly out of it and moving slow. Time runs out with Ospreay on the apron and Swerve on top.
30 minute time limit draw
Not what I expected, but I am glad they mixed it up and gave us something different.
Swerve grabs the mic and says they have to prove who is the best. Swerve calls for Sudden Death, but instead, we get the Death Riders.
Ospreay is laying on the floor after falling off the apron and as they surround the ring, the Young Bucks rush the ring and hit the EVP Trigger on Swerve. They nail Prince Nana with a super kick and they then handcuff Swerve to the ring ropes in the corner. They give Swerve a series of super kicks as the Death Riders watch. The Bucks then pull out shoes with thumbtacks on the soles. They go for the super kick and Ospreay jumps in front of Swerve and takes the kick and he’s busted open.
The Bucks bail and the doc hits the ring to check on Ospreay.
In the back, Renee Paquette is with Kazuchika Okada. Don Callis interrupts and asks why Kyle Fletcher or Takeshita is facing Kenny Omega. Okada calls Callis a bitch and leaves.
We get footage of the Hurt Syndicate beating up Komander before the show, which is why he will not be in the trios match later tonight.
Mistico vs The Already In The Ring Blake Christian
Ian tells us not to sleep on Blake. This match won’t be long enough for us to get any sleep. Mistico wins by bringing Blake off the top with him as he hits a moonsault for the pin and the win.
Winner: Mistico
The Hurt Syndicate’s music hits and they come to the stage and wait there. MVP has an official announcement, and MJF will be giving a message to Mistico. He says he will give Mistico a match next week in Mexico City, and the crowd is all over MJF; MJF says he will be wrestling in Red, White, and Blue. This leads to a flag drop and red, white, and blue streamers. When MJF gets in the ring, Mistico takes the mic from him and says he will see him next week in Mexico.
They have words back and forth and when MJF takes a swing, Mistico drops him. This leads to a Hurt Syndicate beat down. MJF tries to rip off the mask, and this brings out Speedball Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight and Mascara Dorada who dive onto them.
Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MJF) vs Speedball Mike Bailey, and Mascara Dorada
MVP joins commentary.
MJF and Dorada fight in the ring as Lashley and Benjamin take out Speedball and Knight on the floor. MJF is kept in the ring and Knight and Speedball work him over. MJF works Dorada to his corner and Dorada is tossed to the floor as MJF distracts the ref.
We come back to MJF and Knight in the ring. After Speedball is tagged in, MJF is able to get the hot tag to Benjamin. We then get Knight and Speedball in the ring with Lashley and Benjamin, and it does not go well for Speedball and Knight. MJF is tagged back in after calling for it and MJF gets a pump handle driver on Speedball.
This sets off the tag team alarm and Speedball and Knight double team Lashley and then Benjamin after MJF is tossed to the floor. Dorada hits a dive onto MJF and tosses him into the ring. As Speedball goes to the top, MVP leaves commentary to nail him with his cane. MJF hits a hammerlock DDT on Speedball for the pin and the win.
Winners: The Hurt Syndicate
And the Hurt Syndicate starts a post match beat down. MJF removes Dorada’s mask, and Mistico hits the ring to take down MJF and allow Dorada to cover his face and get out of the ring.
Adam Page has something to say, but instead he is getting beat down by Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta, who have him tied up and beat him and drag him to the ring. Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir then get into the ring, so it looks like Mox will be talking instead. Mox says he is sorry about this, but he wants to have a real conversation and Page needs to focus. We see Page’s mouth is duct taped shut.
Mox says Page is complicated and he doesn’t like him. Mox says he has four weeks to find whatever he has been searching for. Page headbutts Mox, but he is quickly taken down and Claudio wraps a chair around his head. Samoa Joe and the rest of the Opps show up to drive off the Death Riders.
Page has the mic and says he will ride through death itself to take the world championship and if he finds even one member of the Death Riders, he will take their heads. And the chase is on.
Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford vs Anna Jay and Tay Melo
Anna starts off the match and takes a lot of abuse from Ford and Bayne. Anna is able to get some offense in on Ford. Tay is tagged in for a quick charge into the corner before Anna is tagged back in. Tay is knocked off the apron before Ford and Bayne double team Anna.
When we come back from the commercial, Tay is tagged in and runs wild on Ford. Bayne is able to drag Ford to the corner for the tag after Tay gets a two count. Tay is able to get a few shots on Bayne, then escapes the Fate’s Descent from Bayne. Tay and Anna double team Bayne on the floor.
We then get all four women in the ring, and Bayne is able to lift and toss both Tay and Anna at the same time. Tay escapes from a Fireman’s Carry from Ford, and as Anna holds Bayne back, Tay gets a GTS on Ford for the pin and the win.
Winners: Anna Jay and Tay Melo
Good way to get Tay the win upon her return without making Megan look weak. An OK match, a bit clumsy at times.
We get a hype video explaining why the Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada rematch is such a big deal. An excellent package, and the AEW team always does a good job on these.
It’s now time for a contract signing between Omega and Okada and we have Tony Schiavone in the ring as our master of ceremonies. One thing I will say, combining the Continental and International Championships is a great idea. The new title will be a Unified Champion and we get to see the new belt.
After the contract is signed, we get the CHORD OF DOOM and Don Callis comes to the stage. Callis says that a member of the Callis family should be facing Omega. Omega says Callis won’t ruin things this time and if his people want the title, they need to get in line. Omega says that he knows all of Callis's tricks.
Callis says he hasn’t seen this one, and Okada attacks Omega from behind. Callis comes to the ring and gives Okada a police baton and Okada uses it on Omega. Okada uses it on Omega’s midsection, and we have Omega stretchered out as we switch to Collision.
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