AEW Dynamite
Episode 55
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: October 7, 2020
Event Date: October 7, 2020
(aired on TNT & the FITE app)
City: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentary: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Taz (1), Ricky Starks (1)
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Video
Wrestlers (including Ricky Starks, Jungle Boy, Darby Allin, Best Friends, Ortiz, Santana, Sammy Guevara, Scorpio Sky, Britt Baker, and Jake Hager) pay tribute to thirty tears of Chris Jericho.
Match 1
FTW Title Match
Will Hobbs vs “The Machine” Brian Cage (FTW Champ)
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Brian Cage wins via pinfall after the Drill Claw and retains the FTW Title
Time: 9:09
Match Thoughts
Very good match. This was a great example of why Hobbs got moved over to the main roster of AEW. Hobbs was able to hang with Brian Cage and look very good against him one on one. Cage is impressively agile and incredibly powerful, and Hobbs was almost meeting him move for move. It was clear to see that Cage is more experienced and polished in the ring, but Hobbs definitely has the potential to be an exciting wrestler in the same style that Cage does so well. This was a fun title match.
Ring Area
After the match, Ricky Starks joins Brian Cage in the ring while Taz gets on the mic and give Will Hobbs two options. Hobbs can either join Team Taz right now, or he can get beat up by Cage and Starks. Before Hobbs can make a decision, Darby Allin heads to the ring with his skateboard. Cage and Starks calmly leave the ring as Taz issues a warning to the “rotten punk” Darby Allin that he’s going to learn real soon not to stick his nose in Team Taz business.
Video
More people pay tribute to Chris Jericho’s 30-year career including Slash, Dennis Miller, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ted Irvine, and Bully Ray.
Video
Lance Archer returns next week to challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Title, and he says he’s grown a lot since they last met one on one in the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January.
Match 2
AEW Tag Title Brush With Greatness Match
The Hybrid2 vs FTR (Tag Champs) w/ Tully Blanchard
(referee: Aubrey Edwards; watching in the back: Young Bucks)
Result: Cash Wheeler pins Jack Evans after a superplex (Harwood) and a diving splash (Wheeler)
Time: 13:38
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The Hybrid2 has been featured much on Dynamite as a formidable tag team, but they gave FTR quite a fight tonight. FTR was on the defensive for a good part of the match, especially early. Jack Evans got maybe a bit too overzealous in attempting to take out FTR though, and a dive from the top rope onto FTR on the floor ended up hurting Evans’ leg. That injury proved to be a significant hindrance to TH2, and FTR capitalized on it extremely well. This was still a tough defense for FTR though, and I hope it pushed TH2 up to where they might be seen more on Dynamite.
Backstage
After the match, the Young Bucks superkick the cameraman who was watching them watch the tag title match.
Ring Area
In the ring, FTR is watching the screen when they see an image of themselves dressed as hot dogs pop up. The Best Friends come out to the stage and Trent explains their joke (FTR are weenies). Chuck Taylor informs FTR that, as number one contenders for the tag titles, Best Friends will get their title match next week on the AEW Anniversary show.
Video
MJF tells a story about the first time he got to talk with Chris Jericho.
Video
More people pay tribute to Chris Jericho’s 30-year career including Shaquille O’Neal, Gene Simmons, Don Callis, Lars Ulrich, and Diamond Dallas Page.
Video
A look at the Dog Collar Match for the TNT Title.
Match 3
TNT Title Dog Collar Match
“The American Nightmare” Cody w/ Brandi Rhodes, Arn Anderson vs “The Exalted One” Mr. Brodie Lee (TNT Champ) w/ Anna Jay, John Silver
(referee: Paul Turner; watching in the crowd: Greg Valentine)
Result: Cody wins via pinfall after Cross Rhodes and becomes the new TNT Champion in his second reign
Time: 20:26
Match Thoughts
Great match. It was brutal and bloody, and it genuinely felt dangerous at times. Early on there were a few moments where John Silver kind of got involved, but he went to the back just a few minutes into the match so the majority of the fight was one on one. Cody and Brodie Lee brawled all over the place, and they used the chain very well throughout the entire match. The stipulation of a dog collar match seemed to come out of nowhere when Brodie Lee proposed it a few weeks ago, but that didn’t really matter to me watching this match. It felt nostalgic (especially having Greg Valentine in the audience), but it also felt modern. Cody once again is making himself synonymous with the TNT Title with another highly memorable match.
Ring Area
After the match, Tony Schiavone enters the ring and gets a few words from Cody. Cody gets emotional as he talks about performing in front of a live crowd and making pro wrestling his life’s work. Cody says he wants to go into next week’s AEW anniversary show and defend the TNT Title, so Schiavone asks him who the challenger will be. Orange Cassidy comes out to the stage and gives Cody a thumbs up. Cody gives a thumbs up back, and it looks like we have a title match.
Ring Area
The commentators announce more participants in the AEW World Title Tournament including Wardlow, Colt Cabana, and “Hangman” Adam Page.
Backstage
Alex Marvez welcomes Kenny Omega. Omega is excited about going on to win the AEW World Title Tournament. Omega doesn’t care who he has to beat in the tournament, even if it’s a cowboy tag team wrestler like Adam Page.
Match 4
Serena Deeb vs Big Swole
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Big Swole wins via pinfall after a rolling elbow strike
Time: 8:33
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Swole was not prepared to defend against Deeb’s technical prowess, so the first half of the match was basically a clinic by Deeb. Deeb couldn’t keep up with Swole’s strikes though, so the final parts of the match had Swole coming back by wearing down Deeb with strike after strike.
Video
Jon Moxley hasn’t had much time to celebrate AEW upcoming one-year anniversary because he’s been dealing with monster after monster as AEW champion. Moxley knows that eventually he will lose the title, and Lance Archer might be the monster to beat him, but Archer is going to have to have a fight on his hands.
Video
More people pay tribute to Chris Jericho’s 30-year career including Lance Storm, Kevin Smith, Eli Roth, Gabriel Iglesias, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Steel Panther, Ultimo Dragon, and Paul Stanley.
Match 5
Chaos Project vs Jake Hager & “The Demo God” “The Million Viewer Man” “Le Champion” Chris Jericho w/ Santana, Ortiz, Sammy Guevara
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Chris Jericho pins Luther after the Judas Effect
Time: 9:05
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Luther and Jericho spent the majority of the match against each other, and it was really more about Jericho having a main event match with one of his long-time friends than it was about having a spectacular wrestling match. Luther seemed to struggle at times, but Jericho was there to keep the match on track. Serpentico added some speed and energy to the match, while Hager provided some intensity in his short ventures into the ring. Overall though, this was about one of the best wrestlers ever having a moment for himself.
Ring Area
After the match, Jericho begins to thank the fans for thirty years in the ring when he is interrupted by MJF. MJF heads to the ring, and he’s brought a gift. The gift is a clown bearing another gift. The second gift is a framed picture of MJF. Jericho thanks MJF by smashing the photo over the clown’s head and hitting the clown with the Judas Effect. Jericho says he hates clowns, and he warns MJF to never interrupt him again. After a few tense seconds, Jericho and MJF both laugh and play it all off as a joke.
Music begins to play, and people from backstage (including Britt Baker, Rebel/Reba, Vickie Guerrero, Nyla Rose, The Butcher, The Blade, Eddie Kingston, the Lucha Brothers, Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, Taz, Shawn Spears, Tully Blanchard, and FTR) come out to the ring to celebrate with Jericho. Credits roll, and Chris Jericho is in every credited role.
Show Impressions
This was a fun show. I enjoyed the tributes to Jericho throughout the night, though I am not at all into seeing the thing between Jericho and MJF continue, but hey, credit to Jericho for doing his best to make the younger guys look good. The best part of the night was easily the dog collar match though.
Match of the Night
TNT Title Dog Collar Match
Very memorable, and very entertaining.