AEW Dynamite
Episode 16 – Bash at the Beach
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: January 15, 2020
Event Date: January 15, 2020
(aired live on TNT)
City: Coral Gables, FL (announced as Miami)
Venue: Watsco Center
Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Shiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
In memory of Rocky Johnson (1944 – 2020)
Match 1
Four Way Tag Team Title Number One Contender Match
“Hangman” Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs Santana & Ortiz vs Best Friends w/ Orange Cassidy vs The Young Bucks
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Adam Page pins Chuck Taylor after a tandem V-Trigger (Omega) and Buckshot Lariat (Page)
Time: 16:35
Match Thoughts
Great match! After a few minutes of quick tags and in-ring action, people started flying. After the breakdown, it became difficult to keep track of who was legal since there were so many people coming and going from the ring, but it didn’t matter. This was super fun, and every team looked great.
The big story in the match centered on Adam Page. Omega started doing some tandem attacks with the Young Bucks early in the match, and Page looked like he didn’t care for that too much. Later on, one of the Young Bucks tagged Omega rather than Page, and stuff like that kept happening. There were some upset words spoken after the match, and it seems like the rift between Page and The Elite is continuing to expand. Maybe.
Backstage
DDP prepares with some yoga.
Ring Area
Cody heads to the ring where he responds to MJF’s demands if Cody wants a match. Cody says MJF’s demands make it clear that he is stalling. Cody thinks he is in MJF’s head. MJF isn’t “old school,” he’s lazy.
Cody accepts MJF’s demands. He’s looking forward to evening the score.
Backstage
MJF walks with Wardlow.
Backstage
Darby Allin paces.
Backstage
Pac scowls as he walks.
Backstage
Joey Janela isn’t happy about getting punched in the balls by his ex-girlfriend Penelope Ford. Janela invites Ford and Kip Sabian to come play. Moving on, Janela says his record last year wasn’t what it should have been. He has something to prove this year, and he’s going to start net week with Rey Fenix.
Match 2
Brandi Rhodes & Mel w/ Luther vs Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Kris Statlander pins Mel after the Big Bang Theory
Time: 11:16
Match Thoughts
Good match. Mel did most of the heavy lifting for the Nightmare Collective. Brandi came into the match only when her team had the advantage, and that caused her to get caught a few times. The biggest story was waiting to see Brandi and Statlander fight, but that didn’t really happen much. Still, I enjoyed the match.
Video
A Dark Order guy gives a presentation to another Dark Order guy that we never see. The Dark Order has been looking to recruit Michael Nakazawa, Brandon Cutler, and Adam Page, but they’re still working on all three of them.
Match 3
Sammy Guevara vs Jon Moxley
(referee: Rick Knox; stipulation: the winner will compete in an AEW World Title number one contender match next week)
Result: Jon Moxley wins via submission with a rear naked choke
Time: 9:26
Match Thoughts
Very good match. I don’t think anyone was surprised with the result, but Guevara did mount some very nice offensive sequences. This felt like the first attempt at revenge from the Inner Circle, and it left it open for a lot more to come. I liked this a lot.
Ring Area
After the match, the lights in the venue go out. When the lights come back on, Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz are in the ring. Moxley takes a beating. With Moxley helpless, Jericho stabs Moxley (possibly in the eye) with one of the spikes from his jacket. Referees and Dr. Samson attend to Moxley as the Inner Circle take their time leaving the ring area.
Backstage
Jenn Decker wants to talk to Chris Jericho. Jericho says what just happened in the ring isn’t the Inner Circle’s fault, it’s Jon Moxley’s fault. Also, Jericho plans to swab the deck with Jungle Boy’s hair next week.
Match 4
The Butcher & The Blade w/ The Bunny & MJF w/ Wardlow vs QT Marshall & Dustin Rhodes & Diamond Dallas Page
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: MJF pins QT Marshall with a schoolboy (and a handful of tights)
Time: 10:32
Match Thoughts
Good match. MJF was annoying and predictable as always, but everyone else was good. It was a lot of fun seeing DDP in the ring.
Backstage
Jenn Decker welcomes SCU. As they begin to talk about putting their titles on the line next week, Adam Page stumbles into the shot with a drink in his hand. Kenny Omega apologizes on behalf of Page and says he’s looking forward to next week’s tag title match.
Match 5
“The Bastard” Pac vs Darby Allin
(referee: Bryce Remsburg; stipulation: the winner will compete in an AEW World Title number one contender match next week)
Result: Pac wins via pinfall after the Black Arrow
Time: 11:45
Match Thoughts
Great match! Darby Allin took the fight to Pac. Allin was quick and was incorporating a lot of technical moves into his otherwise daredevil arsenal. I like seeing this side of Allin. Of course he took some brutal shots from Pac though. Pac was as mean and vicious as ever. This could have been a number one contender match, but it was just a qualifier for a number one contender match. I’m looking forward to net week.
Show Impressions
This was a very good show. I think the Nightmare Collective stuff was my least favorite, but I even enjoyed that somewhat.
Match of the Night
Pac vs Darby Allin
I think the opening tag match was just as good as the main event, but there was a bit of story shenanigans that affected the finish of the tag match. The main event didn’t have that, so that was the tie breaker for me.