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AEW Dynamite - 8/5/2020


Dolfan in NYC

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2 hours ago, Godfrey said:

Opening match was fantastic storytelling. So many little touches that advanced angles, like Omega teeing off on a guy like he did Marko or Cabana almost doing the Dark Order hand symbol but then just celebrating. Not sure who Nine was but he took a rana off the top like a champ.

*snip*

Dude, it was SO money. Last week's 10 man tag was a disaster. Just a massive clusterfuck. And that was with Chris MFing Jericho in there to direct traffic and plan ahead. This match with even more bodies in there had a perfect flow to it, nothing seemed awkward or out of place, told a gazillion stories, including ones from BTE (Hangmin and Brodie, with the latter's eyes for Page and Page's denial), planted seeds for the FTR turn, and everybody got time to shine except for full body putty. Brodie looked awesome in this, his best showing to date I thought, especially after JR missed the story beat of him watching Page with excitement and not wanting to attack him, and JR throwing it out there that he needs to be more aggressive. Looked like prime Harper in there after that and that's a beautiful thing. Cabana absolutely did a salute at the end. He's been so good, dare I say perfect, in this role. How often has a losing streak storyline actually panned out like this? Got frustrated and desperate, Brodie shows him the way to victory, Brodie tries to keep the DO's MO a secret to Cabana, Cabana reluctantly and naively follows along as success follows. I want them to draw this thing out as long as possible and avoid a Bryan/Wyatt situation. So far, so good on that front. Keep it going until it won't work anymore, like Cabana would have to be the most ignorant idiot not to see what's going on, and then you can have him try to leave (OR LEAN INTO IT BB). Tremendous TV.

What a promo by Moxley. I felt that shit. He's so believable in what he says and that's really rare these days. Territory days had a lot of stumbling awkward promos but the high end promo guys were so believable in what they were saying and didn't have to fall into that shitty WWE pattern of speech. Mox talks to the camera with emotion and when he's not doing his Heath Ledger Joker impression, he's fire on the mic. There was no hint of Ledger in that promo.

Really enjoyed Taz telling the other two to shut the fuck up about leg hooks and pinfalls. Santana & Ortiz are so good. Ortiz calling out Sue while they put the beatdown on Trent was a really nice touch, especially with what was to come. Damn nice pacing to this one too. Chuck's hot tag was a real nice look for him and probably his best shine of his AEW tenure. Taking out Chuck after Trent hit the big assisted superplex to further pick apart the wounded Trent was really smart. Match felt like they tried to reel things back to like 2015 or so and it was better than a lot of the tags we see these days in part because of that. Helluva match with a nice finish.

That Hardy promo was fine I guess but the angle afterwards was choice. The post, the chair toss, the incredible momentum on that 450 corkscrew (NO HANDS), and Matt bleeding everywhere. You love to see it. I actually care about that match now. My friend was suggesting he was attempting a 630 and the corkscrew angle was an accident. Either way, looked amazing and must've sucked for Matt to take.

Sue's van! They know how to get fuckin' serious heat in 2020. Sweet sledge toss at the end. I am still in awe that I get to see Chuck Taylor cut dope revenge/honor promos on national TV in front of Trent's mom's van. 

Cody has X-Pac heat right now because I've got fucking live Downstait version of his theme playing in my head when he's on screen. That conversation earlier has haunted me. Scarred me. John Silver is $$$$$$. Push him to the moon as the Leah Remini of the Dark Order. John Silver and The Butcher are the two guys I want to see go solo from the tag division and they'd make for a fun buddy cop movie pairing too. Beaver Boys got A LOT here and looked so good, but as Eva said, this wasn't the right time for a low key showcase for them boys of beaver. Watching so much of Ryder's YouTube channel lately has me kinda rooting for the big lug. He could be a good Sting for Cody to fuck over too. So many options! Scorp and Cody should be very good pro wrestling.

Debate, you guys have covered it. Excellent stuff. I'll say this one thing: I really enjoyed Orange's promo at the end even if he fell into WWE cadence of speech. 

Reba was really fun out there with her reactions. I much prefer the simple rolling elbow compared to the stupid ripcord rolling elbow. Swole looked good in the short squash. Brought the energy.

Main event was probably these two's best match together yet and they've done so well prior to this, particularly the last one that ended with the avalanche DDT. That posting was money and a nice callback to Darby's Evolve days with Ethan Page IIRC. Moxley has really improved his in-ring psychology since joining AEW. It's nice to see him motivated and trying to tell different stories in the ring than coming out, going through the motions, hitting his spots, and calling it a day. Ode to Suzuki was dancing with the devil there. Darby gets to progress a bit, clawing out of the sleeper and looking like a badass in some ways. Still think he's due for a win. Sammy's going to dunk on Matt Hardy at the PPV. He could use a win over a vet right about then too.

What an amazing episode of TV. When these guys are on, it measures up well with the best TV shows in wrestling history. They may have not had the spine tingling angles of the best of WWF or ECW right now, but it's impossible without a live audience. They've gotten most of the kinks out, but there are the odd hiccups like last week still. Tonight was flawless. John E. Dynamite made mention of that trifecta of great matches and I just want to second that. Great matches, great angles, building logically to the next big show. A+ stuff. And they haven't even got Kingston going!

I miss Excalibur though. I appreciate Tony throwing out some nods to Ex. 

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I'm officially buying all of the stock for Orange Cassidy. I can't believe he's gone from someone I didn't want AEW to sign to someone that I think could be the next big thing in wrestling.

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4 hours ago, The Man Known as Dan said:

First week watching AEW was somewhat ruined by me writing stuff up and forgetting about it until about an hour in. Whoopsiedasie.

 

The main was really fun with some crazy bumps, but the botched top rope German suplex kinda blew it for me. Allin took it like he was setting up a playing possum spot, and he wasn't playing possum. That's not great. They needed to re-plan with a Mox Lariat or something to set up the interference, imo.

The top rope German suplex was a callback to their first match where Sammy nearly broke his neck. This time he rolled through it, but still took damage from it, but the announcers remarked how Moxley likely took more damage than Darby.

Not a botch. That's just good storytelling.

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And I know they basically ripped off the debate in Old School, but it worked so well in getting OC over. That's one of my favorite segments of the year.

Tonight was fucking great. Darby getting thrown off the stage into the ring post and the post making a PING sound was fucking sick. I thought Darby was dead.

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Did 10/Preston Vance legit injure his arm during or. before that match witg Moxley? Because I could swear he was advertised as being part of the match last week. 

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8 minutes ago, BrianS81177 said:

Did 10/Preston Vance legit injure his arm during or. before that match witg Moxley? Because I could swear he was advertised as being part of the match last week. 

Before.  The arm break was to write him out of in-ring.  I think he's come back but it still pretty limited.

 

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44 minutes ago, Craig H said:

The top rope German suplex was a callback to their first match where Sammy nearly broke his neck. This time he rolled through it, but still took damage from it, but the announcers remarked how Moxley likely took more damage than Darby.

Not a botch. That's just good storytelling.

He landed on his feet. He took no damage from it. Claiming anything else is silly, unless he sold his leg, which he didn't.

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I've loved this promotion from the get go, but I'm not sure they've had a better episode than that.  Near perfection.  That debate was as entertaining and captivating as any talk segment I've ever seen.  12 man to the main event was all fabulous.  I was a bit worried about this Matt Cardona character, but he looked great.  Love seeing the Josh Silver fanbase rising.  I thought Reynolds looked good too.  LAX-Besties, Mox-Darby, everything here was spot on.  The flow of everything was great.  Absolutely tremendous television.

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I was thoroughly sports-entertained by that debate, OC sounded fired up and talked the people figuratively into the building to kick the Demo God's arse. Jericho's facials were amazing as discussed, almost as good as a couple of weeks ago when he asked Santana whether he still smelled like OJ. 'Dammit!' (I couldn't get a decent picture)

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Cardona did a missile dropkick so automatically goes up in DVDVR Power Rankings right? I agree that Silver was the stand-out. Cody was an early highlight of AEW with consistently dramatic feuds all the way back to All In and great talking but when he's not got that major narrative hook or the crutch of the intrigue that comes with the open challenge, he goes way down to the bottom half of men and women I'm excited to see on a Thursday (Oz time and all).

I'm not quite sure why Dax needed a 5-man entourage to the back but apart from that what an opening match. I really hope at 40 Brodie is able to stay healthy and wrestling at a high level, given how big he is and how he throws himself around. 

The straight tag was a pleasure starting off with nice gentile chain-wrestling from Chuckie T and Santana.

I find it hard to get into Darby Allin's matches as I'm always half-cringing at what he's doing to himself but can respect and admire the match in a detached way (my problem, not his) but I'm always up for a good Moxley clubbering.

All-around fun couple of hours.

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I mean Orange Cassidy has to win next week right?     No matter how great he is if it looks like he is just going to be one of those entertaining mid carders to fill out a card for the WWE and TNA guys the fans will lose interest

Unfortunately I don't see Jericho willing to lose unless it is one of those WCW Scott Hall tons of interference ways.  Which does nothing for AEW

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9 hours ago, EVA said:

Also, AEW already happened to have a graphic whipped up for a new Hardy t-shirt that has blood splattered all over it.  Quite the coincidence.

Well I mean, they've had a week to whip up a graphic, so yeah, why are you surprised?

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Random thoughts on good and not so good as we do...

Why did Bischoff wear the old man makeup from the Kane/Lita angle?  I kid I kid but holy shit, dude got old.  Father time is undefeated, bros.  Amazing amazing performance from all involved in that debate!  I can't complement these guys enough for that.  I was so ready for a shitty Raw Lite segment and god damn they hit it out of the park instead.  People said Cassidy's gimmick was a one trick pony and he'd be done after he started wrestling.  Then maybe he'd be done after he started talking.  So cool to see neither be true.  This guy is a star.  Loved Bischoff giving the debate to Cassidy based on the global warming thing.  Fucking A++++ tremendous.

As someone else said, nice job changing it up with Matt Hardy.  Sucks the camera didn't catch his five alarm blade job initially.  I don't think it was hardway, as he kept checking his head after hitting the post as if he was seeing if he got enough color.  Between that and the blood in the main, how long until Vince decides he really needs blood and roids to compete like he did in the late 90s?

12 man tag was really fun and far better then the 10 man last week.  So well laid out and well booked to keep the angle going forward, as a lot of people already said here.

Great match with Best Friends vs S&O.  Fun angle, too.  Nice to see Santana and Ortiz getting a more serious edge now and then.

Okay, Cody and his friend got their vanity win off an instant-booked match (there was zero reason for the Dark Order to attack last week except they needed an angle for Cardona to make the save).  Oh how cute:  His nickname is "alwayZ Ready."  Ooof.  Jury's still out on whether the Arsenio to Cody's Eddie can hang in a more workrate-oriented promotion, as he got to play Robert Gibson here and just get the hot tag and hit is godawful finisher.  I won't lie, I spent a good deal of Cody's Ricky Morton act Googling Kilynn King.  Props to the Beaver Boys for doing business for the boss.

Big Swole looked like a bigger star then ever in that match and Rebel did a tremendous job making it look like she wasn't an actual wrestler (insert your own joke here but I mean it).  As @Jiji mentioned, props to Swole for changing up her finish to make it less convoluted, no ripcord or dancing, just all Chris Hero style rolling elbow to a bozo's jaw.

No Excalibur but commentary was better this week.  No JR talking about Coronavirus, pushes, or muscular boys.  But Meltzer mentioned that this show was taped and Schiavone obviously did some retapes.  I hope Excalibur is back next week.

Really good main event and nice promos and vignettes leading up to it.  Moxley's promo was the best, most genuine one I've seen so far.  I wasn't 100% down with the angle that Darby was a preferable opponent for MJF.  I mean if MJF had said "I've beaten him before" or something like that, that would be cool.  But the way they played it made Allin seem like a JTTS instead of a top contender.  MJF is a heel and should fear every babyface above a certain level.

GREAT show and nice to see them bounce back from last week.  Can't wait for next week's.

Edited by Technico Support
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1 hour ago, hammerva said:

I mean Orange Cassidy has to win next week right?     No matter how great he is if it looks like he is just going to be one of those entertaining mid carders to fill out a card for the WWE and TNA guys the fans will lose interest

Unfortunately I don't see Jericho willing to lose unless it is one of those WCW Scott Hall tons of interference ways.  Which does nothing for AEW

Could be a good way to segue from The Inner Circle. Have a v tight match where Cassidy goes over after Jericho is accidentally caught up by one of his own guys. Santana/Ortiz/Sammy already look like they are entering programs away from the faction - could be a good way to refresh Jericho/Hager too. Keeps both Jericho & Cassidy strong and opens up new story directions for Inner Circle members.

There are a lot of comments refrencing energy/flow/pace etc. When this show is on form that is where the strength lies. Watched some of the old, great Nitro's recently and AEW is somewhat reminiscent when its hot and it bouces so seamlessly from the ring to the stage to the back. Tazz morphing into a wisecracking Heenan of sorts with hatred for the World Champ strikes a chord. At its best the show makes an absolute mockery of WWE efforts, which is why I have written previously that beating NXT should be the absolute minimum goal. They should be chasing Raw-type numbers.

Hardy morphing into hardcore base-Mick Foley of sorts after he dispenses of all his personalities to get serious on his final run would be fun. Have one of the young guys be the one to finally retire him.

They've got the guys they need on screen right now. Pac/Lucha Bros/Kingston possibly few others have obvious cases for TV time but QT/Dustin/others shouldn't be near this show now. No reason for it.

Edited by A_K
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17 minutes ago, A_K said:

 Tazz morphing into a wisecracking Heenan of sorts with hatred for the World Champ strikes a chord.

Shit yes, I forgot to mention that.  MY GUYS ARE BANNED FROM THE BUILDING!!!  Over and over.  So great.  Really good call on the Heenan comparison.

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6 hours ago, The Man Known as Dan said:

He landed on his feet. He took no damage from it. Claiming anything else is silly, unless he sold his leg, which he didn't.

Watch it again. Darby does a flip and immediately takes a bump. You can't stop momentum.

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27 minutes ago, A_K said:

They've got the guys they need on screen right now. Pac/Lucha Bros/Kingston possibly few others have obvious cases for TV time but QT/Dustin/others shouldn't be near this show now. No reason for it.

Yeah but Eddie Kingston versus Dustin Rhodes is the match that DVDVR needs in 2020.

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You all covered the main points about the show so I'll just add that I loved Sammy with the cue cards again.  That was so awesome to see and it paid off with a gem and a half at the end.  He's talking up Jericho and how great he is.  Then the last card of course had to show "...And is a master debater!"  The line might be a tired joke but the look of horror on his face had us laughing so goddamn hard.

And fuck yeah the show as great!  I'm still all smiles thinking about the matches and wonderful debate.  As for Mox/Darby it was such simple storytelling but it was so compelling that we were completely in awe of what they were giving us.  Mox's best promo by far and same can be said for his match as well.  And while Darby might be an asshole I'll give him credit for killing himself for our entertainment.  That shot into the post from the stage was gnarly and I'm glad they didn't replay it from a different angle.

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This was the first time I've seen Bischoff in a long time. I've heard him a bunch of podcasts, but it's been awhile since I've seen him. He just looked so old and the way his hands were shaking reminded me of my mom. Not to say he has Parkinsons or Parkinsonism, but it's just that trembling that some older folks get. 

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