AEW DYNASTY - 4/21/2024

[southofheavy]

On 4/22/2024 at 6:37 PM, Matt D said:

My take on the big match: http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2024/04/aew-five-fingers-of-death-415-421.html?m=1

I appreciate you writin' this. Thank you.

I dug the match on first watch, but I'm totally going to watch it again. At first, I was kinda put off by Will's selling of the ribs, and felt that the Tiger Suplex off the top, while not brushed off or no sold at all, wasn't really given satisfactory weight by Will. From what I've seen Ospreay, it really does seem that nothing gets in the way of him performing his offense, so I could chalk it up to Will being Will. There may be something I'm missing here, and it's definitely worth watching the match again to see how I feel. 

That said, this could've been Danielson's version of a Will Ospreay match, but he really did a take a different approach than what I was expecting. I really didn't think he would take as much of the match as he did. It's a really, really cool contrast to the Hechicero match, where Danielson spent much of it on the back foot. I absolutely loved his end of this match. 

I didn't even consider the crowd while I was watching it. Maybe I'll give watching it on mute a shot. 

Great call on the standoff finish, too. 
 

If I were to rank Danielson's matches this year, I think I'd have to line it up as such:

1. vs ZSJ
2. vs Hechicero (My favorite match this year.)
3. vs Blue Panther (I'd feel comfortable putting this #1. It's a goddamn love letter to professional wrestling.)
4. vs. Ospreay

We'll see if I still feel that way after a rewatch. Regardless, that's a fucking murderer's row. 

 

Edited April 24 by southofheavy

[Shartnado]

OMG, what a F'n PPV, once again!

A few things aside the matches:

- The crowd was amazing! They seemed appropriately appreciative of pretty much everything and weren't completely "let's make this about us", which was awesome. They were super into Strong vs O'Reilly and even gave heat to Jericho. Go away heat, but heat nonetheless. If Jericho can get "Learning Tree" over, then he truly is one of the greatest. I have to say, I have my doubts about that one.

- The match placement was stellar. Start with 2 exciting, big matches, then get all of the "undercard material" out of the way and finish off with 3 mega matches at the end. Still sounded like the crowd WASN'T even blown out by the end of it!

Ospreay vs Danielson lived up to the expectations and then some. So many amazing things. The ending was absolutely phenomenal.

The ladder match ended up being wonderful and Jungle Turd returning made the All In footage way more logical in retrospect. Good call.

Big day for Swerve. This was definitely the way to go, he could not lose another big one.

So, Malakai vs Copeland, instead of Brody vs Copeland? C'mon, Adam, face all 3 of them in separate matches, yeah?

Jay White gets his revenge on Billy Gunn and unifies the titles, another right call.

Adam Cole walks!

I feel bad for Willow if she's just keeping the title warm for Mone. Let's see where it goes. It was probably Statlander who attacked Mone in the dark, right?

It will be interesting to see, who goes after The Timeless One next? She solidified her title reign with this win.

I watches this in two portions, including the zero hour and this was worth more than what I paid for it, so it ended up being a bargain!

 

[Casey]

days late, but this is the second PPV in a row I didn’t buy because I’ve been down on AEW for a bit.

But they hooked me back in with pulling the trigger on Swerve. I was scared they wouldn’t, but then I remembered what company this was.

I don’t feel like Ospreay/Danielson is the best match I’ve ever seen, but it’s way wayyyy up there on the list. Danielson is obviously one of the GOATs, but it’s really incredible how far Ospreay has come when he was a junior. Ospreay/Swerve is going to hit like fucking CRACK if they do it at All In.

Only other things I have to add: the Jericho match wasn’t the worst in company history, or even close. It wasn’t great or anything, but let’s not lie to ourselves here. And we also can’t ignore the fact that HOOK just… isn’t that great, honestly. He needs NXT, or something like it. Working double digit TV matches a year isn’t going to get him where he needs to be, IMO. Jericho sucks, and this whole meta “Punk was like this backstage” gimmick is fucking stupid. It’s one of the things bringing me down on AEW - now that the bad man is gone, they start doing stuff they should’ve been doing a long time ago (Bucks & Hangman going heel are the main culprits).

Toni at the presser saying if you want to watch cinema go watch a fucking movie is how I feel about WWE right now. They’ve only got my attention because of Punk and a few other things, but this over reliance on “omg this is cinema” and stupid shit like that clouds fan perception of what’s really going on.

[The Natural]

3 hours ago, southofheavy said:

I appreciate you writin' this. Thank you.

I dug the match on first watch, but I'm totally going to watch it again. At first, I was kinda put off by Will's selling of the ribs, and felt that the Tiger Suplex off the top, while not brushed off or no sold at all, wasn't really given satisfactory weight by Will. From what I've seen Ospreay, it really does seem that nothing gets in the way of him performing his offense, so I could chalk it up to Will being Will. There may be something I'm missing here, and it's definitely worth watching the match again to see how I feel. 

That said, this could've been Danielson's version of a Will Ospreay match, but he really did a take a different approach than what I was expecting. I really didn't think he would take as much of the match as he did. It's a really, really cool contrast to the Hechicero match, where Danielson spent much of it on the back foot. I absolutely loved his end of this match. 

I didn't even consider the crowd while I was watching it. Maybe I'll give watching it on mute a shot. 

Great call on the standoff finish, too. 
 

If I were to rank Danielson's matches this year, I think I'd have to line it up as such:

1. vs ZSJ
2. vs Hechicero (My favorite match this year.)
3. vs Blue Panther (I'd feel comfortable putting this #1. It's a goddamn love letter to professional wrestling.)
4. vs. Ospreay

We'll see if I still feel that way after a rewatch. Regardless, that's a fucking murderer's row. 

 

I'd go:

1. Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay. AEW Dynasty, 21st April 2024. *****.

2. Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka. 11th February 2024. *****.

3. Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson. NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, 4th January 2024. *****.

4. Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata. AEW Collison, 16th March 2024.

Might switch Danielson/Ospreay with Danielson/Sabre Jr. I definitely preferred Danielson/ZSJ from AEW WrestleDream, 1st October 2023. ***** to their rematch. Still need to see Bryan Danielson vs. Blue Panther. What show was it on please?

[Cleavy]

2 hours ago, The Natural said:

 Still need to see Bryan Danielson vs. Blue Panther. What show was it on please?

CMLL Super Viernes from 5th April

[The Natural]

32 minutes ago, Cleavy said:

CMLL Super Viernes from 5th April

Thank you.

[Log]

I just caught the clip of Toni Storm clowning Cody from the presser. Great stuff from her.

[JLowe]

I watched Danielson-Ospreay again last night with a nice buzz, and after having read all the posts, Matt’s excellent write up, and lots of skeets.

I don’t have lists, and I don’t do stars other than DEAN~! Style MILLION BILLION STARS, which is what I give this one. I thought everything was earned, they were constantly fighting against holds, trying to find counters and reversals, without it seeming too “indie”. The timing on everything was impeccable, there were story beats and callbacks throughout. The showdown at the end gave me goosebumps again.

Also, Callis and Nigel were fantastic in getting everything over. I understand wanting to watch on mute due to the early intrusive crowd, but you will miss out on a master class in commentary.

[NikoBaltimore]

Yeah, this was the first time I felt a need to watch something back on mute which is admittedly pretty odd.  But yeah they were really great on commentary.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

54 minutes ago, JLowe said:

Callis and Nigel were fantastic in getting everything over. I understand wanting to watch on mute due to the early intrusive crowd, but you will miss out on a master class in commentary.

Seconded - as fantastic as he is in his current role, I've been a strong proponent of Callis in the booth going back to the ECW/occasional Shotgun SN days. I definitely wouldn't hate having him be more of a fixture at the desk on Fridays and Saturdays.

On this note: I've gotta give credit where it's due, we re-watched the last few matches last night because my better half was falling asleep Sunday, and J.R. actually sounded pretty fresh. I think the rest/break has done him a lot of good - just on a human level, I'd like to hope his health improving could also be a factor but who knows. But yeah, he sounded great, and limiting him to big matches like this definitely lends a bit of gravitas to the proceedings.

[Curt McGirt]

Man we are really sleeping on Dragon vs. Hechicero, that's something that would slide easy onto a Schneider comp. If Hechicero would have kept coming out and jumping Dragon then running off before BCC would get to him, the crowd would have totally bought the feud. Dragon's Kryptonite. 

[odessasteps]

Could be a victim of the CMLL visa issues, if they did have any plans for him to return. 

[just drew]

4 hours ago, Log said:

I just caught the clip of Toni Storm clowning Cody from the presser. Great stuff from her.

I also loved it when she made fun of the Dubbalos who call the bloodline shit “cinema.” It really is the dumbest thing ever…

[Curt McGirt]

Man, I forgot all about that shit. If the CMLL stuff pretty much just dies with that and the Blue Panther tag + singles, that sucks. Tony could have had a whole booking plan laid to waste. "Curses! Foiled again!"

But if you think about it, Hechicero did seem to have his number in that match, and did attack him after. SEEDS~!

[jaedmc]

Made my way through the show, as I am trying to get into AEW again. So much wrestling.

Okada vs. PAC

Fascinating match. The first third of the match they essentially take turns being the heel working over a babyface, and it felt confusing. Also Excalibur did a great bit of storytelling by talking about how Okada was trained by Ultimo Dragon, and PAC made his name in DragonGATE with a bunch of Ultimo students.

Eventually settled into Okada being the bad guy, and he was honestly great at it. Loved him laughing after the DDT on the ground. Loved the middle finger on the pose tease. Loved the eye rake on the submission attempt.

Does PAC ever have bad singles matches in AEW? I don't know what you do with him, but he's a guy I have to watch if he's on the card.

House of Black vs. Edge/Briscoe/Kingston

This was hot stuff. Mark and Eddie are great "in the moment" performers, who feel like they're making some stuff up on the spot, as opposed to doing the match that was planned out beforehand. Really enjoyed Malakai avoiding Edge the whole match and catching him with the mist for the finish. It's crazy how good Edge has been working with all these younger wrestlers. He's hanging with everyone.

Willow vs. Julia Hart

This felt brief, which is a little disappointing because I think Julia is a great character and Willow is pretty lovable. I'm bummed Hart's reign had to come to an end, but I think this story between Willow and  Mone could be a good one, with Mercedes trying to undercut Willow's shine.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong

Roderick Strong has a belt too? I’m sure this has been discussed to death, but what the fuck are all these belts? Strong did all those nifty backbreakers and I don’t think Kyle referenced his back until just before the finish.. Not even after the superplex. They could’ve done so much with that. Like every time Kyle did a guillotine choke, Roddy could’ve just ran his back into a corner, or slammed him on his back as a way to break the hold. Just missed story telling.

Adam Cole can walk. I hope that means that we're a little closer to getting MJF back because I thought their Best Friends story was great and I hated that injuries spoiled so much of it.

 

Chris Jericho vs. Hook

More titles, but at least I know this one.

Kid in the front row chanting “AUBREY AUBREY” to start is gold.

Jericho’s gimmick is fucking hilarious. He also nearly killed himself trying to make Hook look awesome.

Crowd chants “Go Home Jericho Go Home” .Same crowd counts along when he’s punching Hook on the top rope 10 seconds later. Same crowd pops when he hits the top rope ‘rana. And he just keeps giving them the thumbs up like he’s Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

Crowd chants “Please Retire”. Same crowd chants “Tap” when Hook is in the Liontamer.

HE HAD TO HIT HIM IN THE FACE WITH A BASEBALL BAT TO WIN.

This shit is ridiculous and I dig it.

 

Toni Storm vs. ThunderRosa

There is some young baby face who will eventually get to do an All About Eve storyline with Toni Storm one day, and it’ll be awesome way to introduce a character. Not a whole lot to say about this one. Rosa looked good but might be a little too screamy for a babyface. That moment where she replied to a fan “I love Toni Too.” Before murdering her on the apron was fucking gold tho. More of that.

 

Danielson vs..Osprey
Incredible. My son came in to watch this one with me and we were on the edge of our seats for that final stretch. I haven’t watched much Osprey at all. Like I don’t think I saw any of his Japan stuff. And I wasn’t super impressed watching his recent match with Hobbs. But he got my attention here for sure. Bryan again showed he can do anything and everything at an exceptional level. Best in the world.

 

FTR vs. Bucks

Obviously not as good as their last match, but this served a much different purpose. This felt like a lot of big spots, BUT they were always desperately trying to get to those titles. Jack Perry run in was always the most obvious conclusion, and him coming in with a Sting mask was great. I’m actually interested in how they use him moving forward.

 

Swerve vs. Joe

Joe is one of my favorite wrestlers. He just brings a different vibe.

Liked Swerve’s working on the arm, which allowed him to escape the Kokina Clutch. I don’t know if I like Strickland as a face, because I think he’s really good as a heel, particularly the way he moves in the ring. His acrobatics feel less about being pretty and more just being vicious and mean. Loved Joe immediately leaving like a bully who just got embarrassed.

Eventual Osprey vs. Strickland match is going to be fucking wild.

 

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Exceptional night of wrestling. No duds. All killer stuff. Even the weakest matches had engaging work. And holy cow what a great crowd. They were down for everything.

Also after having been face down in WWE’s and the great build to Wrestlemania, I’ve got to say AEW’s announce team is the best. Everyone that sat in the booth helped tell some great stories and always added to the action. Jim Ross has had some rough nights with the company in the past, but I’d say he was lucid and rock solid in the matches he called. I think it’s crazy they switch guys in and out, but it didn’t hurt anyone’s rhythm or chemistry. It’s probably easy when the wrestling is this good.

Lots of interesting questions going forward that make me want to keep watching.

[odessasteps]

3 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Man, I forgot all about that shit. If the CMLL stuff pretty much just dies with that and the Blue Panther tag + singles, that sucks. Tony could have had a whole booking plan laid to waste. "Curses! Foiled again!"

But if you think about it, Hechicero did seem to have his number in that match, and did attack him after. SEEDS~!

In theory, nothing stopping them having a return match in cmll while the visa stuff gets worked out. 

[Curt McGirt]

Hech gets his win back and we have a rubber match?

EDIT: Oooo, ROH thread reminded me... we could have Dragon against THE BEAST MORTOS~~~

Edited April 25 by Curt McGirt

[The Natural]

Meltzer:

Okada vs. PAC, ****3/4.

House of Black vs. Briscoe/Kingston/Copeland, ****1/4.

Nightingale vs. Hart, **.

Strong vs. O'Reilly, ****.

Jericho vs. Hook, ***1/4.

Storm vs. Rosa, ****1/4.

Ospreay vs. Danielson, ******1/2.

Young Bucks vs. FTR, ****1/2.

Strickland vs. Joe, ****1/4.

Natural:

Okada vs. PAC, ****3/4.

House of Black vs. Briscoe/Kingston/Copeland, ****.

Nightingale vs. Hart, **.

Strong vs. O'Reilly, ****1/4.

Jericho vs. Hook, **.

Storm vs. Rosa, ****1/2.

Ospreay vs. Danielson, *****.

Young Bucks vs. FTR, ****1/2.

Strickland vs. Joe, ****1/4.

[The Natural]

Meltzer's ******1/2 for Ospreay vs. Danielson is the highest star rating for an AEW match ever toppling Omega/Page vs Young Bucks at AEW Revolution 2020, ******.

[AxB]

Dax Harwood (FTR Bald) suffered a concussion during the Ladder match. So probably a good job that they didn't win, considering that between that injury and FTR Gun's court case coming up, both of them might be not around for a while.

[The Natural]

******1/2 for Will Ospreay vs Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty 2024 from Dave Meltzer is the second highest rating he's ever given a match. ******* is the highest for Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada at NJPW Dominion 2018.