AEW Dynamite
Episode 46 – Tag Team Appreciation Night
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: August 12, 2020
Event Date: August 12, 2020
(aired on TNT)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Intro Video
“Dynamite” by No One Hero
Match 1
The Young Bucks vs Stu Grayson & Evil Uno w/ Alan Angels, John Silver, Alex Reynolds
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Nick Jackson pins Evil Uno with a sunset flip
Time: 12:28
Match Thoughts
Great match. Dark Order has been great lately, and this team of Evil Uno and Stu Grayson have been having some great matches. Their teamwork and tandem maneuvers are super fun to watch, and putting them up against the speed and aggressiveness of the Young Bucks makes for a fast and chaotic match. Dark Order used their numbers to try to divide and conquer, but as Nick Jackson literally said in the match, the Young Bucks have some of the best comebacks in professional wrestling. This was a great opener for tag team appreciation night.
Backstage
MJF (with Wardlow) walks, insults Nina, and shoves Lee Johnson.
Video
The tag teams of AEW were asked to pick their favorite tag teams. In this short clip, Kenny Omega picks the Young Bucks as his favorite team, though Adam Page thinks Omega should have picked, well, Page and Omega.
Ring Area
MJF heads to the ring with Wardow, Lee Johnson, Nina, and some other people. After a commercial break, he continues his title campaign. He again tells Nina to smile, because he has to do that every time. He then shows some polling numbers (?) for him and Jon Moxley. MJF also says today is the day that the people’s dictator, Jon Moxley, dies. Why? Because he’s not here tonight. MJF will always be here though.
MJF speculates that Moxley isn’t here because he is afraid of MJF. MJF says he’s more talented than Moxley, and he’s not going to be just another person who’s happy laying down and staring at the lights for him. MJF lays down in the ring, and he calls Moxley a dog. He’s a dog chasing a car, and he caught the car. The car is the AEW World Title. But Moxley should fork the keys to the car over to MJF.
Moxley’s music plays, and MJF freaks out. MJF sends everyone into the crowd to cut Moxley off from his usual entrance. Moxley comes out from backstage though, and he attacks MJF from behind. MJF takes the Paradigm Shift, then the champ walks away.
Moxley walks backstage where he says he and MJF aren’t even close to being even. They won’t be even until after All Out when Moxley teaches MJF a lesson.
Backstage
Alex Marvez welcomes Matthew Hardy. Matt isn’t cleared to compete, but he says he does not die. Matt has been seeing red since last week, and he’s going to make Sammy Guevara see red at when he is cleared in time for next week’s Saturday Dynamite. Matt sees a guy walking by, and, thinking it’s Sammy, he attacks. Matt slams the guy’s head into a steel door, but the guy turns out to be referee Mike Posey. Matt backs off.
Match 2
TNT Title Match
Scorpio Sky vs “The American Nightmare” Cody (TNT Champ) w/ Arn Anderson, Brandi Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, Allie
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: Cody wins via pinfall after CrossRhodes
Time: 11:45
Match Thoughts
Very good match. My expectations were extremely high for this one, and that might have been a little unfair. It was a very good match, but I wish it had been longer. Perhaps these two will meet again in a main event in the future and they’ll be able to go for twenty minutes or more. As it was though, I enjoyed this title match a lot. Both men were cautious and respectful of what the other can do, and that led to a lot of defensive wrestling early on. The match opened up a bit in the later stages, and I liked the finish. Scorpio Sky will absolutely be getting a lot more title opportunities in the future, and this match is a good reason why.
Ring Area
After the match, Brodie Lee (with John Silver and Alex Reynolds) appears on the screen in arena. Lee has the unfinished version of the TNT Title in his hand (Cody debuted the finished version prior to tonight’s title match), and he says that Cody will put some respect on his name next Saturday on Dynamite. That’s when Lee plans to take the TNT Title from Cody.
Video
Private Party says the Hardys are their favorite tag team.
Match 3
AEW Tag Team Title Match
Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus w/ Marko Stunt vs “Hangman” Adam Page & Kenny Omega (Tag Champs)
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Kenny Omega pins Jungle Boy after the Last Call
Time: 14:10
Match Thoughts
Great match. Kenny Omega was still being kind of jerky towards Marko Stunt and the rest of Jurassic Express, but Adam Page was just focused on winning the match. Even with different attitudes though, Page and Omega worked well together once again. Jurassic Express had a lot of offense and worked well together too, but Jungle Boy did get isolated for a very long time in the middle of the match. They also had Marko Stunt on their side to be used as a distraction and a weapon at one point. As the match went longer it felt more and more like Omega and Page were gaining control, and that led to a nice finish.
Backstage
Santana and Ortiz dump out the contents of Best Friends’ bags and pour bleach all over them. Also, Santana and Ortiz have no intention of apologizing to Trent’s mom about vandalizing her van last week.
Video
The Butcher and The Blade pick the Road Warriors as their favorite tag team.
Ring Area
In the ring are the Young Bucks, FTR, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express.
Matt Jackson says he feels like Rock ‘n’ Roll Express are the original Young Bucks. Their style inspired so many teams over the years, eventually leading to the Young Bucks. Dax Harwood thanks Anderson, Blanchard, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Express for making it possible for teams like FTR and the Young Bucks to make a living in professional wrestling.
Ricky Morton says he hasn’t seen chemistry like FTR has since Anderson and Blanchard were a team. He also thinks the Young Bucks are a lot like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. Morton says the Young Bucks are the top tag team in the world of their generation.
Arn Anderson says the Young Bucks have taken tag team wrestling and elevated it into something else entirely. He also thinks the RnR Express might be the tag team of the century, but he knows FTR are the best tag team in the world. Morton tries to respond, but Tully Blanchard takes the mic from him. Blanchard says titles make great champs, and neither the Bucks nor FTR are the champs. Blanchard has also had a problem with Anderson for a year, ever since Anderson stuck his nose into Cody and Shawn Spears’ feud.
Spears appears and starts to walk towards the ring, so Anderson leaves. Blanchard starts to talk back at Morton, so Morton punches Blanchard in the face. Tempers flare and people are shoved, but a brawl is prevented. Dax Harwood gets shoved and falls though, and looks like he’s aggravated his hurting knee. The Young Bucks talk to Spears and Blanchard as they back them away from the ring, but as Morton and Gibson watch them, FTR attack the R’n’R Express from behind. FTR hit Morton with a spike piledriver before leaving the ring. Omega and Page run out and join the Young Bucks as they check on Morton and Gibson.
Backstage
Alex Marvez welcomes Mike Chioda. Chioda barely says anything before Chris Jericho walks up. Jericho remembers saving Chioda’s job 18 years ago, and that’s why he wanted Chioda here to officiate his match with Orange Cassidy tonight. Jericho expects Chioda to “do the right thing” when Jericho gives him the signal. Chioda thinks about that.
Ring Area
During picture-in-picture, Sammy Guevara has some cards talking about Matt Hardy “learning the hard way.”
Match 4
Heather Monroe vs Hikaru Shida (AEW Women’s Champ)
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Hikaru Shida wins via submission with a stretch muffler
Time: 2:24
Match Thoughts
If not for Heather Monroe’s early burst of offense, this would have been a squash. Actually, yeah, it was a squash. It was a nice short comeback and period of domination for Shida though.
Ring Area
On the stage, Tony Schiavone says Hikaru Shida has a lot of potential challengers for her title. Shida says “bring it on.”
Backstage
Jake Roberts talks while Lance Archer beats up guys in the background. When Archer is done, he asks Roberts if he’s said it yet. Roberts hasn’t, so Archer lifts up Roberts’ shirt and spins him around. Written on Roberts’ back is “everybody dies.”
Match 5
$7,000 Obligation Match
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy vs “Le Champion” Chris Jericho
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: Orange Cassidy wins via pinfall with a modified mouse trap
Time: 13:50
Match Thoughts
Very good match. I think the spectacle and the story were bigger than the action, but the action was really fun. Jericho just wanted to punish Cassidy, and he didn’t take Cassidy as seriously as he probably should have. Cassidy was mostly serious throughout the match, but he did manage to get Jericho to drop his guard a few times by doing some of his lightly tapping offense followed closely by some high-impact moves. I feel like this won’t end their feud, but it was a big night for Cassidy.
Show Impressions
This was a good show. With it being Tag Team Appreciation Night though, I would’ve like to have at least had a tag team match in the main event. I mean, why not have one night where every match is a tag match? This could have been that night.
Match of the Night
Jurassic Express vs Adam Page & Kenny Omega
The opening tag match tonight was a very close second place for me.