AEW Dynamite
Fight for the Fallen
Episode 42
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: July 15, 2020
Event Date: July 15, 2020
(aired on TNT)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Taz (1, 2), Chris Jericho (3 – 5)
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Intro Video
Match 1
TNT Title Match
“The Concrete Rose” Sonny Kiss w/ ROAR of the Jaguars vs “The American Nightmare” Cody w/ Arn Anderson
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Cody wins via pinfall after Cross Rhodes
Time: 10:43
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Cody started strong, but he also didn’t seem to take Sonny Kiss as seriously as he should. Arn Anderson angrily told Cody to get serious, and that’s when Sonny Kiss started to dominate the match. Kiss hit some strong offensive moves in quick succession, and that had Cody reeling. Kiss looked great, and Cody was forced to mount a comeback throughout most of this match. One again, the TNT Title delivers a strong match that helps elevate someone who might be underutilized or under-appreciated. I enjoyed this a lot.
Match 2
Lucha Brothers w/ The Butcher, The Blade vs FTR
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Dax Harwood pins Rey Fenix with a small package (after pulling Fenix’s mask off)
Time: 13:29
Match Thoughts
Very good match. It got off to a bit of a wobbly start, but then the match quickly picked up. FTR managed to ground the Lucha Bros. a bit more than what we’re used to seeing from them, but Fenix and Pentagon Jr. still took to the air quite a bit. Both teams had very strong teamwork and sequences where they dominated, and this was a fairly evenly fought match. FTR got a bit dirty though, and that led to an entertaining finish that leaves things open for more matches (with more emotion) in the future.
Ring Area
After the match, The Butcher and The Blade (who had been watching the match next to FTR’s truck) taunt FTR. The Young Bucks sneak up on Butcher and Blade. The Bucks attack, and they take FTR’s truck keys away from Butcher and Blade.
Meanwhile, Kenny Omega heads to the ring. The Bucks enter the ring as well, and they hand FTR their keys. Omega then hands FTR a couple of beers. Omega opens a beer himself, and he proposes a toast. Before anyone takes a sip, FTR dumps their beers over Omega’s head. Omega has to be held back from attacking FTR. FTR just walk away and get in their truck.
Ring Area
Chris Jericho heads to the ring with Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz. Jericho says he not only won against Orange Cassidy last week, but he also won in the ratings war. He says Le Champion has never (ever) been beaten in the 18-49 demographic. He is the “demo-god.”
Jericho then goes on to congratulate himself on making Orange Cassidy look like a star last week. He says everyone wants to see Jericho and Cassidy have a rematch, so there will not be one. Cassidy had his chance, and he lost. Jericho takes a swig of orange juice, and he pours out a little in honor of Cassidy’s dead career.
Orange Cassidy slowly saunters out into the crowd. Jericho tells Cassidy that he doesn’t have what it takes to compete with Jericho. He again says that there will never be a rematch between them, and he tells Cassidy to get out of his arena. Cassidy gives Jericho a thumbs down. In the ring, the Inner Circle is doused with orange juice from the rafters. Ortiz thrashes around on the mat while Jericho yells.
Backstage
Alex Marvez welcomes Jurassic Express. Marko Stunt is still laughing about what just happened to the Inner Circle. Luchasaurus is excited to have a chance to compete against The Elite.
Ring Area
Chris Jericho joins the commentary table, and he’s still pissed.
Match 3
Jurassic Express vs The Elite
(referee: Rick Knox; watching from a bar: Adam Page, FTR)
Result: Kenny Omega pins Marko Stunt after One-Winged Angel
Time: 15:04
Match Thoughts
Great match! The Elite and Jurassic Express match up incredibly well. Everyone looked great, the teamwork from both teams was almost flawless, there were tons of exciting moments, and they built up a good story through the action. The main narrative seemed to be Kenny Omega’s vicious side coming out. Omega took Marko Stunt very lightly at first, but Stunt frustrated Omega by being fantastically hard to fight. By the end of the match, Omega was on a rampage, and he smiled as he hit Stunt with some brutal moves. Everyone else looked superb as well, and there are really too many highlights to mention here. I would definitely like to see this match happen again.
Ring Area
After the match, Omega attacks Marko Stunt who is already nearly unconscious. The Young Bucks are quick to stop Omega, and they try to calm down Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. Omega just smiles.
Backstage
Alex Marvez welcomes Hikaru Shida. Shida says she’s willing to give Nyla Rose a rematch for the title, but she also issues an open challenge to anyone who wants to step up.
Outside the Venue
Earlier today, Jon Moxley says the last few weeks haven’t been very good. Tonight, he gets to vent his frustrations in the ring. He knows he has a challenge in Brian Cage tonight, but he plans to rip his bicep apart.
Match 4
Nightmare Sisters w/ Dustin Rhodes vs Kenzie Paige & MJ Jenkins
(referee: Mike Posey)
Result: Allie pins MJ Jenkins after an inverted facelock dropped into an elbow drop
Time: 2:00
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. This was more about showing how much Brandi and Allie don’t get along, but that they can still win. The match was short and chaotic.
Ring Area
In the ring, Dasha Gonzalez welcomes Nyla Rose. Dasha wonders who Nyla Rose hired as her manager, but Rose refuses to tell her. Instead, she lets her new manager speak for herself… and Vickie Guerrero heads to the ring.
Vickie refuses to say anything about her and Nyla’s strategy, but she assures Dasha that when Nyla goes for the title again, it will be at the perfect time. Vickie also issues a warning to the women in AEW, saying Nyla Rose will steal everyone’s opportunities.
Match 5
AEW World Title Match
“The Machine” Brian Cage (FTW Champ) w/ Taz vs Jon Moxley (AEW World Champ)
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Jon Moxley wins via forfeit when Taz throws in the towel
Time: 15:10
Match Thoughts
Great match. Moxley had a game plan (which he told us earlier). He was going to go after Cage’s arm, and he did just that. Cage showed his power tonight though, and he dominated Moxley for a large part of the match. They brawled at ringside for a while, and Cage always seemed to come out on top. Back in the ring, Moxley’s power moves didn’t work terribly well, so he started really working on Cage’s arm. Cage started to get into trouble when Moxley became relentless with his submission attempts. This was a great title match, and I really enjoyed how Moxley was able to change up his usual style to work against a different type of opponent.
Ring Area
After the match, Brian Cage attacks Jon Moxley. As Cage beats on Moxley, the lights go out. When the lights come back on, Darby Allin is perched on the turnbuckles with a skateboard in this hands. Allin leaps and hits Cage with the skateboard. Cage rolls out of the ring, and he and Taz walk away. Cage decides to come back, but Taz and some officials prevent him from entering the ring with Moxley and Allin.
Show Impressions
This was a great show. Top to bottom, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed the main event, I love the direction they’re taking with Kenny Omega, I was happy to see Sonny Kiss get such a great spotlight, and seeing Darby Allin return was very cool.
Match of the Night
Jurassic Express vs The Elite
I think the AEW World Title match could have been my pick as well, but Kenny Omega’s narrative (and some of the crazy multi-man moves) really put this trios match at the front of the pack for me tonight.