AEW Dynamite
Episode 51
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: September 16, 2020
Event Date: September 10, 2020
(aired on TNT & the FITE app)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Intro Video
“Dynamite” by No One Hero
Ring Area
Already in the ring, Jurassic Express are ready to take on FTR in a non-title match (FTR have not come out yet). As the commentators are still introducing the show, the Young Bucks walk out to the ring. Nick and Matt Jackson enter the ring, pace a little, then hit referee Mike Posey with a pair of superkicks. The Young Bucks say nothing as they walk to the back.
Backstage
As the Young Bucks walk backstage, they see Tony Khan at the production table. Matt throws a stack of money at Khan to take care of their fine for the referee they just kicked in the face. FTR laugh and mock the Young Bucks as they walk by, then FTR heads out to the ring for tonight’s opening match.
Match 1
Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus w/ Marko Stunt vs FTR (AEW Tag Champs) w/ Tully Blanchard
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Dax Harwood pins Jungle Boy with a roll-up (and a leverage assist from Cash Wheeler)
Time: 12:14
Match Thoughts
Great match. With what the Young Bucks did before the match, I wasn’t even sure if this match was going to happen. Then, when the match did start, I was a little nervous that this might just be a way to show FTR’s dominance as the tag champs by destroying the unranked Jurassic Express. But by the end of the match, I was 100% pulling for Jurassic Express and believing that they were going to win. The action was a great clash of high-speed and high-flying versus grounded teamwork and cutting off the ring. Jungle Boy got isolated for a very long time, and that built up hope for a comeback while allowing the bursts of offense to feel that much more exciting. This was a superb start to this show.
Backstage
Alex Marvez is on the scene as Private Party checks on Matt Hardy who is on the ground and clutching at his knee. Chris Jericho walks up with Jake Hager (and Floyd the Bat), and Jericho laughs after saying they might have to amputate Hardy’s leg. Jericho and Hager are pleased with themselves as they walk away.
Match 2
Frankie Kazarian vs “Hangman” Adam Page
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Adam Page wins via pinfall after the Buckshot Lariat
Time: 13:42
Match Thoughts
Great match. Omega was on commentary, and though he wasn’t really insulting Page, he wasn’t talking super nice about him either. Omega is distancing himself from Page, and this match was a way for Page to build up some momentum as a singles competitor. Kazarian has had some good singles matches recently and is another guy who has become known for tag wrestling in AEW, so this was a smart match-up. The action was given a good amount of time to build up, so you could see both men gaining confidence in themselves as the match went on. By the end, both wrestlers were looking for big moves and trying to counter and avoid what they knew would be coming from their opponent. This was a very good match for both men.
Video
A brief look at the feud between Best Friends and Santana & Ortiz.
Match 3
MJF w/ Wardlow vs Shawn Dean
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: MJF wins via submission with The Salt of the Earth
Time: 0:07
Match Thoughts
Eye poke, arm bar. That’s the match.
Ring Area
After the match, MJF gets on the mic. He says Jon Moxley cheated in their title match, and he should be AEW World Champ right now. So, MJF declares that since he should still be undefeated and should be the champ, he should be announced as such (kind of like how Jericho called himself Le Champion after losing the title). MJF then tells Justin Roberts to announce his new title, and when he doesn’t like how Roberts is doing it, he makes him do it again (kind of like how Shane McMahon would berate announcers until they got his name right).
MJF says it’s clear he’s not going to get a fair shake in AEW. Apparently you don’t get anything unless you’re part of a stable (expect for, you know, the AEW World Champ, and the AEW Women’s Champ, and the AEW Tag Champs). Maybe should should join a stable or faction. Maybe, as a lone wolf (a “lone wolf” who has been paired up with a giant man for the majority of his time in AEW), he should join a pack of wolves.
Technique By Taz
Taz explains Ricky Starks’ spear and Roshambeau.
Ring Area
Eddie Kingston is in the ring with The Butcher, The Blade, and the Lucha Bros. Kingston has three points. First, he was never eliminated in the Casino Battle Royale, and he should be getting some sort of award for his performance.
Second, Kingston and his group are not a faction or stable, they are a family. Kingston says that when most families have problems, they talk it out or have a therapy session or something, but Kingston’s family is a family of violence. Kingston has Butcher and Blade select a few local talents from ringside for his family to beat up. Griff Garrison, Kevin Blackwood, and another guy get destroyed.
Third, Kingston tells The Blade that he needs to “get his house in order.” The Blade nods, but nothing else is said. Kingston’s family leaves the ring together.
Match 4
Private Party vs Jake Hager & “The Demo God” Chris Jericho
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Chris Jericho pins Isaiah Kassidy after the Judas Effect
Time: 13:02
Match Thoughts
Very good match. I don’t think the way this match went was completely surprising considering it’s clear Jericho and Hager are being built up for the tag division, but this was still a very entertaining match. Isaiah Kassidy got isolated, and he got his back worked over throughout the match. In the later stages, you could really see the experience versus inexperience angle to that match-up. Quen started taking bigger risks and effectively took himself out of the match to take out Hager, but Kassidy was in a lot of trouble at the time. Kassidy made a couple of bad move choices considering his hurting back, and Jericho kind of of guided Kassidy into taking those ill-advised risks. This match really showcased the combination of power and brains with Hager and Jericho.
Ring Area
After the match, Jericho puts Kassidy into the Walls of Jericho. Marq Quen enters the ring and kicks Jericho, so Hager pulls Jericho out of the ring.
Match 5
NWA World Women’s Title Match
Ivelisse w/ Diamanté vs Thunder Rosa (NWA Women’s Champ)
(referee: Aubrey Edwards; at ringside: Hikaru Shida)
Result: Thunder Rosa wins via pinfall after a tombstone piledriver
Time: 9:33
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Thunder Rosa and Iverlisse had a solid, straightforward match with some stiff strikes and a lot of nice back and forth action. Neither woman really had a sustained advantage, even right up to the very end of the match. This was a great match for Rosa, and I think it helps build up the AEW women’s division having Ivelisse give Rosa such a good fight.
Ring Area
After the match, Diamanté attacks Thunder Rosa from behind. Rosa is thrown from the ring, then Hikaru Shida runs in to clear Diamanté and Ivelisse from the ring as well. Shida picks up the NWA Women’s Title, and when Thunder Rosa re-enters the ring, Shida places the title belt on Rosa’s shoulder. Shida pats Rosa on her shoulder before leaving the ring.
Backstage
Miro talks to Kip Sabian about throwing the best bachelor party ever. Penelope Ford smiles and watches.
Ring Area
In the ring, Jake Roberts (with Lance Archer pacing around him) talks about needing two tag team partners for Lance Archer’s match next week, so he calls Taz out to the ring. Taz says he and the rest of Team Taz are happy to do business with Roberts and Archer next week in the six-man tag match against Jon Moxley next week. Taz says that in return for helping Archer next week, Lance Archer will give Brian Cage the first AEW World Title shot after Archer beats Moxley for it.
Lance Archer says Team Taz are the enemies of his enemy right now, so that makes them friendly. Archer also says Cage and himself are going to “go Godzilla” on Daily’s Place next week.
Jon Moxley emerges from the crowd. Before Moxley can say anything, Ricky Starks jumps out of the crowd and attacks Mozley from behind (possibly as a reference to the fan that tried to approach Moxley during his entrance at All Out a week and a half ago). Cage quickly joins Starks in attacking Moxley. Moxley goes down, but Will Hobbs runs up and attacks Cage with a chair. Cage and Starks retreat as Hobbs continues to swing his chair around.
Jon Moxley gets on the mic and says Hobbs is one of his parters for next week. His other partner (who isn’t here tonight) will be Darby Allin.
Match 6
Parking Lot Fight
Best Friends vs Santana & Ortiz
(referees: Rick Knox, Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Trent pins Ortiz after Crunchy through some wood in the bed of a truck
Time: 13:01
Match Thoughts
Great match! It was violent, scary, tense, and satisfying. The build up to this was great, and the payoff here tonight was fantastic. Everyone in this match looked like they were trying to hurt their opponents as much as possible, and no one got out of this match without some sort of extensive battle damage. I was a bit annoyed that this feud wasn’t put on All Out, but this might have been the greatest finale to an episode of Dynamite they’ve had so far, so I guess they knew what they were doing all along.
Show Impressions
This was a very good show that ended up being great (in large part to the main event). There was a lot of story building tonight, which is good, but having Best Friends vs Santana & Ortiz as the main event made the whole show feel important and special.
Match of the Night
Parking Lot Fight
Match of the year contender? Maybe.