AEW Dynamite
Episode 28
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: April 8, 2020
Event Date: April ?, 2020
(aired on TNT)
City: Norcross, GA
Venue: Nightmare Factory (empty arena)
Commentary: Tony Shiavone, Chris Jericho
Ring Announcer: Dasha Gonzalez
Video
Jake Roberts wonders if you would stay on the tracks when a train is coming, jump out of a plane without a parachute, or stand in the ring with Lance Archer. The result for all three scenarios is the same. Roberts is thinking Cody might just lose to Spears in the TNT Title tournament so he doesn’t have to face Archer. Roberts would hate for that to happen.
Ring Area
Tony Shiavone welcomes us to the show, and we see a few people watching at ringside including Preston Vance, Anna Jayy, Sammy Guevara, Jimmy Havoc, Suge D, Billy Gunn, and Austin Gunn. With Shiavone on commentary is Chris Jericho.
Match 1
Lance Archer vs Alan Angels
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Lance Archer wins via pinfall after the Blackout
Time: 1:39
Match Thoughts
Squash.
Match 2
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. vs Hikaru Shida
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Hikaru Shida wins via pinfall after a running knee strike
Time: 14:04 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. It felt like Shida and Baker approached this like a grudge match even though it was really more about rankings than anything else. There was a fair amount of brawling going on, and Baker even got her nose busted open fairly late in the match. I think the blood from Baker helped make the match feel more brutal and frantic than it would have otherwise, and that’s a good thing. This was definitely a recent standout match in the women’s division.
Backstage
Earlier today, Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa are happy to be teaming tonight. Omega says they need a team name, so Nakazawa suggests Best Friends. Omega says the name “Best Friends” is already taken, but Nakazawa says that Omega can just change it since he’s an EVP of AEW. Omega says he’ll think about it.
Orange Cassidy emerges from another room and opens the door from Trent and Chuck Taylor. The real Best Friends heard everything, and they’re not happy. Tempers flare, and Best Friends leave in a huff. Omega says he guesses that whoever wins tonight will be the only Best Friends going forward.
Video
Excalibur narrates a video giving us this week’s rankings:
Tag Team
5) Best Friends
4) Lucha Brothers
3) SCU (Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky)
2) Young Bucks
1) Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson)
Champs – Kenny Omega & Adam Page
Women
5) Riho
4) Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D.
3) Yuka Sakazaki
2) Kris Statlander
1) Hikaru SHida
Champ – Nyla Rose
Men
5) Darby Allin
4) Kenny Omega
3) Cody
2) Chris Jericho
1) Jake Hager
Champ – Jon Moxley
Video
A look at the rivalry between Jake Hager and Jon Moxley.
Video
Cody and Shawn Spears talk about being in the tournament to crown the first-ever TNT Champion.
Match 3
Best Friends w/ Orange Casidy vs Michael Nakazawa & Kenny Omega (AEW Tag Champ)
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Trent pins Michael Nakazawa after Strong Zero
Time: 13:30 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. This was a lot of fun. It was kind of a comedy match, but there was good wrestling in it as well. Omega and Nakazawa revisited some of their old tandem moves from when they were a tag team in DDT, and that combined with the antics of Orange Cassidy made this a goofy match at times. I liked it though.
Video
Brodie Lee is disappointed in two creepers who are dressed poorly. After all, perception is reality.
Backstage
Britt Baker (with her face still bloody after her match) says Hikaru Shida doesn’t deserve her #1 ranking. Shida isn’t a leader nor is she a role model. She’s the dirtiest wrestler Baker has ever stepped in the ring with.
Video
A look a Jake Hager’s champion mentality.
Hardy Compound
Matt Hardy responds to Chris Jericho’s video from last week and the Inner Circle as a whole. He says Sammy Guevara is a false god, Santana and Ortiz should be called Loud and Devourable, and Jericho has made Hager into a “Jake-enstein’s” monster. Hardy will not allow the Inner Circle to take over AEW. Hardy then welcomes Vanguard 1. Vanguard 1 is burning Jericho’s shirt in a “dumpster fire.” Hardy says the Inner Circle will become a dumpster fire as well.
Match 4
Lee Johnson vs “The Exalted One” Brodie Lee
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Brodie Lee wins via pinfall after a discus lariat
Time: 1:28
Match Thoughts
Squash.
Ring Area
After the match, Brodie Lee eyes Marko Stunt who has been watching at ringside.
Video
A look at the feud between Shawn Spears and Cody heading into their quarter-final match in the TNT Title tournament.
Match 5
TNT Title Tournament Quarter-Final Match
“The Chairman” Shawn Spears vs “The American Nightmare” Cody w/ Brandi Rhodes
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Cody wins via pinfall with a Figure Four
Time: 15:39 (2 breaks)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. With the limited roster available for the TNT Title tournament, I think it was really smart to pair up Spears and Cody in round one. It set off the tournament with a nice revisit of their rivalry that had cooled off over the past few months. I had my suspicions about who would win, but the way the match went had me guessing all the way until the end. This was a very entertaining main event.
Show Impressions
This was a good show. There were a couple of squashes which is understandable given the circumstances, but the other three matches tonight were very good.
Match of the Night
Shawn Spears vs Cody
I’m looking forward to the rest of the tournament.