All Out is THIS Sunday! This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite’s sole job was to build as much hype as possible for Sunday. Up until this point, I have yet to be disappointed in an All Elite Wrestling Pay Per View. I don’t expect it to be this Sunday, but I really hoped for a little more story build in this week’s final episode before All Out. How did AEW do?
Let’s talk about it!
Segments:
- It’s funny how CM Punk comes back and Dynamite starts with promos again. This week, Jon Moxley started the program talking boasting about his defeat of CM Punk last week. This was cool because it’s All Out Week, which means AEW is in Chicago, and Jon Moxley was getting booed. Moxley had zero sympathies for the obviously still injured Punk but laid an All Out main event open contract in the middle of the ring. This was an excellent way to build intrigue for a match. Who’s going to grab it? CM Punk? Hangman? A New Japan star? MJF? It really could have been anyone. But it wasn’t anyone. CM Punk’s trainer and best friend, Ace Steel, came to the ring and grabbed the contract. This was an interesting start to a show-dominated storyline.
- Before our first match, Chris Jericho was backstage talking about his match with Bryan Danielson on Sunday. This was simple stuff until Daniel Garcia greeted Chris with an apology and reaffirmation to the Jericho Appreciation Society. Garcia said that the Lionheart didn’t need to cheat or use weapons to beat Danielson, which ended up being a nice foreshadowing.
Jake Hager vs. Brian Danielson
Our first match was a fun one! Jake Hager has surprised me in recent matches. Granted his last two matches were against Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli, but still! He’s performed well. This match surprised me as a wonderful way to start the action on this segment-heavy night.
Most of this match revolved around Hager’s clear strength advantage over Danielson. The American Dragon would gather some momentum, but Hager would catch him and muscle him down to the ground with simple, but effective, power moves. Jericho must have sent Hager out to hurt Danielson because one of Hager’s first moves was to put Bryan through the ringside table. This was cool and effective.
Hager dominated for a long time until Danielson turned the tides with a top rope missile dropkick. The match intensified from here as both guys traded finishing submissions but couldn’t win with them. Danielson couldn’t use the Labelle Lock on the much bigger Hager, so the Running Knee ultimately finished the match. Great stuff to start!
3.5/5
The Jericho Appreciation Society waited approximately 5 milliseconds after the bell rang to start the brawl on Danielson, which then triggered the Blackpool Combat Club for the save, but the fun part started when Jericho grabbed a chair to attack Danielson. Garcia comes out of nowhere to prevent the attack, which allows Danielson to hit the Running Knee on Jericho. Garcia inadvertently caused another Jericho issue! What’s going to happen on Sunday!? This was great.
Segments:
- We took a trip to crazy town after that match and angle, as the Wingmen were on TV for the first time in…months? Years? If you don’t remember who they are, it’s Ryan Nemeth, Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi, and JD Drake. They were protesting and petitioning for more television time (rightfully so) when we had a monstrous All Elite Wrestling debut. W. Morrissey makes another appearance on AEW and destroyed the Wingmen. This was great because Morrissey had been doing awesome stuff on Impact. He’s completely revitalized his career. Stokely Hathaway gives Morrissey his card also, which makes that faction seemingly terrifying.
- Up next was a backstage promo from Will Ospreay! This made me happy. The Aerial Assassin was approached by Don Callus, who admires Ospreay. This was short and sweet, but I’m curious about it. Is the skeevy Don Callus switching teams now that Kenny and The Elite are huge babyfaces?
Toni Storm & Shida vs. Jaime Hayter vs. Dr. Britt Baker
Up next was a fantastic preview of what should be one of the best matches on the All Out card. Toni Storm teamed up with newly returned Hikaru Shida to face Jaime Hayter and Dr. Britt Baker. This match was a fantastic display of all four ladies and the perfect preview for Sunday. It was fast, hard-hitting, and made me remember why Hikaru Shida is probably still the best Women’s Wrestler on the roster.
You got a perfect example of that fact as Shida and Storm took the early advantage on Hayter and Baker, tagging in and out while hitting good tandem moves. I love Shida’s new look, despite Jim Ross’s weird comments about it. Eventually, Baker and Hayter took control and displayed their cohesion too. Apparently, Toni Storm had Wisdom Teeth surgery and they revolved a story around that. Probably a first for Pro Wrestling.
After Shida got the hot tag, the match turned in their favor as she went nuclear and displayed what she brings to this roster: an awesome work rate. Probably the best in the division. Shida and Storm hit a bunch of moves in a row, which led to Shida hitting her flying kick to pick up the victory over Britt Baker. Fantastic television tag match.
3.75/5
Segments:
- A quick video package involving Kip Sabian followed. This was great as it made Kip look like a huge deal as he challenged PAC for the All Atlantic title this Sunday at All Out. A match is surely possible to steal the show.
- Another quick video package with Miro calling out his god and the House of Black. He’s not alone, however, as Darby and Sting pop up to confirm everyone’s suspicions of a trios match. Miro, Sting, and Darby Allin vs. House of Black at All Out. Anyone saying the All Out card “lacked star power” cannot say that now.
- Chapter two of this week’s Dynamite Punk and Moxley story was up next. CM Punk came down to the ring to satiate the Chicago faithful and address Moxley from earlier. Punk looked downtrodden as he reminisced about his foot and getting destroyed by Moxley. This was excellent stuff. The guy who picked up the contract, Ace Steel, came down to the ring and straight up yelled at Punk for being whiny. He slapped him in the face and awakened the God of Chicago. This was fantastic as CM Punk signs the contract to finalize the main event of All Out. I said that AEW needed to do some serious storytelling to make last week’s turn into a rematch, and they did. I’m ALLLL the way back in.
- Jungle Boy and Christian Cage were interviewed by JR before their match on Sunday. This was awesome. Jungle Boy is honoring his father by fighting Cage as “Jack Perry” on Sunday.
FTR & Wardlow vs. Ren Jones, Silas Young, & Vic Capri
This was a pointless squash match to get FTR and Wardlow in front of the Chicago crowd before their awesome trios match on Sunday. I feel bad for Silas Young being caught up in this. He’s too good to be squashed like an unsigned bug. I don’t even think he got into the match! FTR hit the Big Rig and Wardlow conducted the Powerbomb Symphony in a two minute match.
2.5/5
Segments:
- Talk about a segment heavy ‘Go Home’ show! Chapter three and the final of the Mox and Punk drama was up next. Moxley returned to the ring to confirm the main event for All Out, which I already assumed had happened. A little pointless, in my opinion.
- Up next was NOT a pointless segment, as Dark Order members “10” and Evil Uno were backstage talking about Vance’s hurt knee, which would no longer allow him to compete in the Trios tournament. Andrade, of all people, attacked the Dark Order with Vance’s crutch and a…stun gun!? Where the hell did he get that.
Rush vs. Dante Martin vs. Rey Fenix vs. Wheeler Yuta
Up next was a small preview of the Casino Ladder Match for All Out. Rush, Rey Fenix, Dante Martin, and Wheeler Yuta went crazy for ten minutes and made me very excited for that ladder match. It’s pointless to recap this match, as will be the Casino Ladder Match, but go out of your way to watch both if you like nonstop flying action.
The one man that stood out in this match was Rush. It’s rare for a fatal four way to be dominated by one guy, but Rush spent a good portion of this one in charge. He’s really impressed me since his AEW debut. I knew he was really good in Ring of Honor, but I had never experienced it first hand. It’s good stuff.
But who got all the momentum heading into Sunday’s crazy match? Not Fenix, Dante, nor Rush. It was Wheeler Yuta. Yoots took advantage when Rush and Fenix took each other out on the floor and captured Dante Martin in his Seatbelt pin and stole the victory. That Seatbelt pin is fantastic. I love that move so much! It was a great match that made me so excited for Sunday. EIGHT people in a ladder match are going to be insane.
3.5/5
- It’s happening. STOP EVERYTHING. Silver and Reynolds were backstage talking about how they had no partners for their Rampage match after Uno and 10 were neutralized. Enter Hangman Adam Page. It’s officially Dark Order and Hangman versus Best Friends. Apologies to Cassidy, Trent, and Chuck, but it’s a done deal. The Elite and the Dark Order are about to have one final rematch.
The United Empire vs. The Elite
Trios matches in All Elite Wrestling are usually fantastic. Trios matches involving The Elite are always great. Matches involving Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay in 2022 take things to otherworldly levels. Our main event was to decide the first entrant into the Trios final match at All Out between The Elite and United Empire. I cannot express this enough.
Go. Watch. This. Match.
Already seen it? Go watch it again because you probably missed something. It’s such a good match that I’ve watched it three times.
The story of this one had layers- the health of Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay proving himself in AEW as the new ace of New Japan, and Kenny and Will squaring off for the first time since 2018. There’s only been one singles match ever between them in 2013. Kenny’s health looked leagues beyond his return match two weeks ago. You could see the confidence returning as he hit all the quintessential Kenny moves. Both guys killed it in this match as they countered each other all over the place. Ospreay makes insane wrestling maneuvers look easy.
Real quick side note. I’ve seen some complain that Will Ospreay has no character. He’s exclusively big moves with nothing else. I disagree. Being the best athlete in the wrestling game is his character. He will outwork you (Sorry Christian Cage), outjump you, and outperform you on his way to victory. He’s just better than everyone else. He’s smarmy, cocky, and rightfully so. Is the selling of huge moves a little lackluster? There’s an argument to be made, but that’s the New Japan style. Ospreay is just so good at it and one of the best wrestlers in the game right now.
Sorry! Rant over.
The match escalated to insane levels of counters and big moves. United Empire hit the Young Bucks Meltzer Driver for such a close two count that I swore the upset was happening. I love when wrestling does things like that. But, in the end, The Elite prevailed as Kenny Omega hit the One Winged Angel and Will Ospreay pouted on the rampway (seen above).
It was easily the match of the night, one of my favorites this year, but just missed being perfect.
4.75/5
Match of the Night
OVERALL
What an episode of All Elite Wrestling Dynamite!!! I loved this episode from start to finish. This episode was overflowing with stories to get me hyped beyond healthy levels for this Sunday’s Dynamite. All you can ask for from a ‘Go Home’ wrestling episode. Mission accomplished!
Verdict: 4.75/5