AEW Dynamite
Episode 74
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: February 17, 2021
Event Date: February 17, 2021
(aired live on TNT & the FITE app)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Cody Rhodes (5)
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Intro Video
“Dynamite” by No One Hero
Match 1
“Hangman” Adam Page & Matt Hardy vs The Hybrid2
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Matt Hardy pins Angelico after the Twist of Fate
Time: 7:04
Match Thoughts
Good match. I’d like to see TH2 get some momentum and win some matches on Dynamite, but even in the position they’re in, they help other teams look great. Page and Hardy worked well together, and there was no pin stealing tonight. Of course, Hardy was legal in the match so there was no reason for him to steal a pin, but regardless, Page and Hardy looked like they might be working better together now than they did in their previous tag match.
Ring Area
After the match, Matt Hardy gets on the mic and talks about how good Adam Page looked tonight. Page looking good excites Matt, because Matt thinks he’s going to get 30% of all the money Page is going to make since Page and Matt signed a contract last week.
Adam Page informs Matt that he switched the contracts last week, and he brings out a “lawyer” to show Matt the contract he signed but didn’t read. The lawyer is Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville, and the contract is actually a contract for a match at Revolution between Page and Hardy. Also, if Matt loses the match, he has to give Page 100% of his earnings from the first quarter of 2021. Hardy is angry, but he suggests that Page put up his own earnings in the match. Page agrees, and the match is made.
Hardy then reveals that Jaxson de Ville is actually Isiah Kassidy. Kassidy, Jack Evans, and Angelico attack Adam Page, but Dark Order runs out to chase Page’s attackers away. Alan Angels attacks Matt Hardy, and that provides a distraction for Page to attempt a Buckshot lariat on Hardy. Hardy avoids the move, and he leaves with Isiah Kassidy. In the ring, Page smiles at Dark Order before Dark Order leaves the ring.
Backstage
Alex Marvez welcomes the Inner Circle and gets a few words from Santana and Ortiz prior to their first AEW Tag Team Title match. Santana and Ortiz are ready to finally take their place at the top of the tag division.
MJF then addresses Sammy Guevara, saying Guevara had no evidence that MJF did anything wrong last week. Chris Jericho tells MJF to shut up. Everyone knows MJF has been goading Guevara for weeks, and part of Sammy quitting is MJF’s failt. Jericho says he wanted MJF and Sammy to antagonize each other in order to make them both better, but while MJF learned the lesson, Sammy did not. It was a dumb decision for Sammy to quit the Inner Circle, and Sammy is dead to Jericho.
Video
A look at the winners of the first round of the Japanese side of the Women’s Eliminator Tournament: Yuka Sakazaki, Emi Sakura, Ryo Mizunami, and Aja Kong.
Match 2
AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament First Round Match
Serena Deeb (NWA Women’s Champ) vs Riho
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Riho wins via pinfall with a Gedo Clutch
Time: 14:46
Match Thoughts
Great match. It’s so good weeing Riho back in AEW. I’ve followed her in Stardom as well, but she doesn’t often get chances for singles matches like this over there. Serena Deeb is one of the best technicians in AEW, and seeing Deeb’s technique versus Riho’s fight and speed was extremely fun to watch. Deeb came into the match with a hurt knee, and even though Riho didn’t exploit the injury, Deeb’s knee did become a factor a the match went on. Deeb attempted to level the playing field by going after Riho’s legs at times, and that strategy worked fairly well. The fight ended up on the mat with a series of pin attempts and counters, and I loved every minute of it.
Video
Jade Cargill and Shaq train by playing some basketball in dramatic slow motion.
Match 3
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy w/ Chuck Taylor vs Luther w/ Serpentico
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Orange Cassidy wins via pinfall after the Orange Punch
Time: 1:51
Match Thoughts
This was pretty much a squash. Luther attacked Cassidy first, and Serpentico attacked Chuck Taylor at ringside, but both Luther and Serpentico were quickly dealt with.
Video
A look at Darby Allin getting dragged behind a car last week.
Ring Area
Taz, Brian Cage, and Hook head to the ring. Taz knows that Sting is planning to call out Team Taz tonight, so Taz calls out Sting instead. Sting heads to the ring with his bat, and Taz says Sting needs the bat, otherwise he’d have no chance right now or at Revolution. Sting throws down the bat and attacks. Sting is quickly overwhelmed, and he ends up being powerbombed by Brian Cage. With Sting down in the ring, Team Taz leaves.
Backstage
Eddie Kingston explains why he asked for tonight’s six-man tag match. Tonight is about purging some of his demons.
Video
Alex Marvez arrives at a school where Kenny Omega (with Don Callis and Michael Nakazawa) reads the Young Bucks’ book to a bunch of little kids. He reads a passage about himself making a lot of money, then Don Callis tells him it’s time to go. The kids want to play with Kenny, but Kenny can’t play. Callis suggests that Nakazawa stay and play, but the kids don’t like that idea. Nakazawa then gets beat up by a bunch of little kids.
Match 4
AEW World Tag Team Title Match
Santana & Ortiz w/ Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, MJF, Wardlow vs Young Bucks (AEW Tag Champs)
(referee: Rick Knox; watching in the back: Kenny Omega, Don Callis, Good Brothers)
Result: Nick Jackson pins Ortiz with an inside cradle
Time: 13:08
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The action was great, and both teams were pulling off a lot of fun and unique double-team moves. Santana and Ortiz seemed to be getting the better of the champs as the match went on, and they were doing so without the help of the rest of the Inner Circle who got ejected from ringside very early in the match. The finish of the match kind of took a little away for me because it involved a someone jsut not paying attention, but it was still very well done.
Ring Area
After the match, the Inner Circle returns to the ring and attacks the Young Bucks. In the back, Omega, Callis, and the Good Brothers watch what is happening on a monitor. Omega says they need to get out there, but Callis doesn’t think that’s a good idea. Callis has Omega stay in the back while the Good Brothers go out.
Meanwhile, Brandon Cutler has come out to help the Young Buck, but he is quickly taken down. Anderson and Gallows finally make it to the ring, and the Inner Circle leaves. At ringside, Chris Jericho approaches the Young Bucks’ parents who have been watching from the front row. The Bucks’ father pushes Jericho, but the Inner Circle decides to leave without any further violence.
Video
Brandi Rhodes says she will reveal her and Cody’s baby’s gender tonight, live on Dynamite.
Ring Area
Cody and Brandi Rhodes come out to the stage. Fireworks go off, and the video screen revels that “it’s a girl.” Brandi then heads to the back as Cody heads over the the commentary table for the next match. We also see Dory Funk Jr. in the crowd tonight.
Match 5
FTR vs Matt Sydal & Mike Sydal
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Dax Harwood pins Mike Sydal after Big Rig (with Cash Wheeler)
Time: 8:54
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The Sydal Brothers’ speed and agility match up nicely with FTR’s more traditional, ground-based attacks. FTR looked very good tonight, which is exactly what this match was supposed to do.
Ring Area
After the match, Doc Samson enters the ring to check on Mike Sydal. FTR take away Samson’s medical bag and take out some scissors. FTR prepare to cut Mike Sydal’s hair, but the lights in the venue go out. The video screen shows a clip with Luchasaurus’s horn-clipped mask in the foreground and Luchasaurus in the background. The lights come back on, and Jurassic Express is in the ring. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus (with a new mask) attack FTR while Marko Stunt cheers them on. Jurassic Express stand tall as FTR roll out of the ring.
Outside the Venue
Jon Moxley says he might be the only person in AEW to actually care about Eddie Kingston, and he’ll continue to beat Kingston up until he realizes it. He also says he’s going to break KENTA’s neck in the IWGP US Title match, and he’s going to take back the AEW World Title from Kenny Omega. The time is close for Moxley to pull the trigger.
Match 6
Eddie Kingston & The Butcher & The Blade w/ The Bunny vs “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer w/ Jake Roberts & Rey Fenix & Jon Moxley (IWGP US Champ)
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Jon Moxley pins Eddie Kingston after the Paradigm Shift
Time: 11:56
Match Thoughts
Great match. After a period of everyone coming in and out and having some nice one on one encounters, Lance Archer began to get isolated by the superior teamwork of Eddie Kingston’s family. Archer of course got a tag after a while, and that caused the match to open up completely. Everyone started fighting, but after a while it settled down to just Moxley versus Kingston. Archer and Fenix began to work together to eliminate The Butcher and The Blade from the match so Moxley and Kingston could settle the match one on one. Despite maybe not being the best idea for Kingston to try to take on three of his biggest enemies all at once, this was a very fun match.
Ring Area
After the match, Jon Moxley is attacked by the Good Brothers. Kenny Omega walks out with Don Callis and says Moxley looks pathetic right now. Omega has the contract stating that Moxley will get a rematch for the AEW World Title. Omega says a rematch is fine, and he’ll even give it to Moxley at Revolution, but Omega gets to pick the stipulation. Since Moxley won’t go away with a normal loss or beating, Omega has a different kind of match in mind: an exploding barbed wire death match.
Omega gets too close to Moxley who is being held by the Good Brothers, and Moxley hits Omega with a headbutt. Omega responds by hitting Moxley with two V-Triggers. Omega stands tall as the show comes to an end.
Show Impressions
There was a lot of PPV building on this episode, but there was also a lot of great wrestling. I enjoyed this episode a lot, and I am very excited to see an exploding barbed wire match in AEW!
Match of the Night
Serena Deeb vs Riho
This is easily the first match I’ll come back to and watch again.