AEW Dynamite
Episode 23
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: March 4, 2020
Event Date: March 4, 2020
(aired live on TNT)
City: Broomfield, CO (announced as Denver)
Venue: 1stBank Center
Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Shiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Ring Area
Justin Roberts introduces the new AEW World Champion, Jon Moxley. Moxley heads to the ring through the crowd.
Moxley says the three letters on his belt, AEW, represent professional wrestling. The belt never belonged to Chris Jericho, nor does it belong to Moxley. It belongs to the fans. The fans who helped will AEW into existence. Together, we helped bring pro wrestling back. Moxley will defend that belt with his life, and there’s not a man in AEW that can pry the belt from his “cold, dead hands.”
Moxley knows it’s not over between him and the Inner Circle. There’s an army coming after him, so he has a message for them. “I dare you.”
Chris Jericho and the rest of the Inner Circle come out to the stage. Jericho says he doesn’t need a belt to be Le Champion. He also says Moxley’s title win was based on a lie. Moxley is a cheater and a liar. Jericho spent months training to compete against someone with one eye. The fact that he could see fine makes his win unfair. Moxley’s actions have turned the Inner Circle from good-natured, good-looking guys into a hit squad. The entire AEW roster is on notice, but first, they are going to start with Moxley.
Jericho is so sure that Moxley is going to be unable to walk out of AEW tonight under his own power that he will take a leave of absence if Moxley can walk away. Moxley is sick of listening to Jericho. Tonight, Moxley intends to do the same thing he did at Revolution. But this time, he’s going to send Jericho packing for sixty days.
Match 1
Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky & Colt Cabana vs John Silver & Alex Reynolds & Stu Grayson & Evil Uno
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Colt Cabana pins Alex Reynolds after the Chicago Skyline
Time: 10:24
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Seeing the entirety of SCU team up with Cabana was a ton of fun. Dark Order looked good throughout the match (especially Silver and Reynolds), but SCU managed to build up more momentum as the match went on. It got chaotic for a while, but SCU and Cabana were on fire by the end of the match. I liked this a lot.
Ring Area
After the match, Evil Uno is upset, and he says the Exalted One is going to be furious. Once he arrives, heads will roll.
Video
A look at the tag title match from AEW Revolution.
Match 2
Big Swole vs “The Librarian” Leva Bates w/ “The Librarian” Peter Avalon
(referee: Aubrey Edwards; guest commentary: Britt Baker)
Result: Big Swole wins via pinfall after Dirty Dancing
Time: 1:21
Match Thoughts
A squash, but an entertaining one. Swole is on a roll, but Britt Baker doesn’t care.
Video
A look at the match between Cody and MJF at Revolution.
Ring Area
Cody heads to the ring. He talks about how his feud with MJF went from being professional to personal to professional once again. He doesn’t know if he can take much more of this. The only way he’d be comfortable with it at all would be if MJF comes out to the ring right now, looks Cody in the eye, and says he beat Cody fair and square.
Everyone looks to the stage, but instead of MJF, Jake “The Snake” Roberts heads to the ring. Roberts is tired of hearing Cody “cry and bitch.” Roberts isn’t here to hail “mighty Caesar,” he’s here to slay him. The Dark Side is coming to AEW. It’s taken Roberts 20 years to get clean and right, and he earned it. If Cody thinks Roberts is going to play nice now, he’s wrong. Roberts has a client, and he’ll be in his client’s corner when he faces Cody.
Roberts says a wise man once told him to never turn your back on someone you respect or someone you fear. With that, Roberts turns his back on Cody and leaves the ring.
Match 3
“The Kentucky Gentleman” Chuck Taylor w/ Trent, Orange Cassidy vs “The Bastard” Pac
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Pac wins via submission with the Brutalizer
Time: 10:08
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Chuck seemed a little outmatched at first, but he fought well and started to have some convincing near falls by the end. Pac is a monster right now though, and it’s always fun seeing him dish out punishment.
Ring Area
After the match, Pac looks at Trent while he picks Chuck up for an attack. Trent enters the ring and gets face to face with Pac, but Orange Cassidy pushes Trent to the side. Cassidy removes his jacket and glasses, but in the time it took Cassidy to do that, the Lucha Brothers run out to the ring. Orange Cassidy takes a pair of superkicks from the Lucha Brothers, then Chuck and Trent take a beating as well.
Pac gets on the mic and says that he and the Lucha Brothers have formed the Death Triangle, and no one is safe.
Empty Arena
Before the show, Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard talk about finding a partner for Spears. They want the fans to help in the search by using the hash tag #SearchForSpears on social media.
Match 4
QT Marshall w/ Dustin Rhodes, Brandi Rhodes vs Jake Hager w/ Santana, Ortiz
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Jake Hager wins vis KO with a standing arm triangle
Time: 3:19
Match Thoughts
Good match. It was no surprise who won, but Marshall had a little offense throughout the short match. What this match really did was to once again put over how dangerous Hager is. Also, I really like the team of Dustin, Marshall, and Brandi.
Ring Area
After the match, Hager, Santana, and Ortiz attack Marshall and Dustin. Cody runs to the ring and fights off the Inner Circle, but a chair shot from Ortiz puts Cody down. Matt Jackson runs out and superkicks Santana and Ortiz. Matt attacks Hager, but Hager slams Matt in the center of the ring. The Inner Circle has the advantage again.
“Hangman” Adam Page saunters to the ring with a drink in his hand. Page calmly enters the ring, puts his drink on the post, then attacks the Inner Circle. Page clears the ring, then he goes back to his drink. Matt has some harsh words for Page, so Page flips Matt off. Page leaves the ring on his own and starts collecting drinks from fans at ringside.
Video
A look at Kris Statlander and her title match with Nyla Rose at Revolution.
Backstage
MJF (with Wardlow) gloats about beating Cody at Revolution. He now intends to be AEW World Champ.
Ring Area
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara head to the ring for tonight’s main event. Darby Allin skates to the ring next to await his partner. Jon Moxley starts his usual entrance through the crowd, but he is attacked by three men in hoodies and masks. The beating makes its way to the concourse where the men are revealed to be Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz. The beating continues while back in the ring, Darby Allin decides to take on Jericho and Guevara by himself.
Match 5
“The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara & “Le Champion” Chris Jericho vs Darby Allin
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Sammy Guevara pins Darby Allin after the Judas Effect from Jericho as Allin was attempting a suicide dive
Time: 14:07
Match Thoughts
Good match. It was kind of a beating for Allin, but Allin’s few bursts of offense were exciting to see. This was well done.
Ring Area
After the match, Jon Moxley staggers to the ring with a chair. The Inner Circle flees, but not before Guevara takes the Paradigm Shift. The Inner Circle regroups, and Moxley ends up taking another beating. Moxley is taken to the stage where Hager powerbombs him off the stage and through two tables on the floor. The Inner Circle stands together in celebration as Jon Moxley lies motionless beneath them.
Show Impressions
This was a good show. It definitely felt like a new beginning in a lot of ways. Not a while lot happened on this show, but it did start to set up things that will undoubtedly develop in the coming weeks. I’m particularly excited about Pac and the Lucha Brothers forming the Death Triangle. The one thing I missed is that I thought we were going to see Lance Archer on tonight’s show. He never showed up, but hopefully he’ll debut soon.
Match of the Night
SCU & Colt Cabana vs Dark Order
This was really fun and easily my favorite match of the night.