Welcome, everyone to the latest edition of #MouthingOff (with MikeJC): Dynamite Weekly, the weekly review feature on AEW Dynamite here on SLTDWrestling.com. I will be giving my thoughts and opinions on all the highlights of the show as well as giving the “Remarkable Wrestler” of the week. So here are the highlights of the Wednesday, December 9th edition of AEW Dynamite.
The Young Bucks vs. TH2
Dynamite opens with this great tag match, which was all over the place in a good way. TH2 didn’t get an entrance on TV (which is usually very telling about the result). TH2 attacked the Young bucks during their entrance. This match was full of back and forth action, and showed what AEW is good at, tag team wrestling. All I could think about while this match was going on was how I wished AEW would put as much focus on their women’s division as they do on their tag team division. Regardless of my qualms, this was a great match.
TH2 are a lot better then people give them credit for, and this match proved how good they are. Their was a spot towards the end of the match where Angelico locked in the Navarro Death Roll on Matt Jackson for a long time and with his history of knee and ankle problems seemed like he was close to tapping out, but Nick would make the save with a senton. This lead to the Young Bucks taking control back, they spike Jack Evans on his head outside with a piledriver. Then back in the ring they hit a double superkick followed by a BTE Trigger on Angelico for the pin and the win.
Immediately after the match, The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) would appear and seemed like they were going to attack the Young Bucks but they are saved by SCU member Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian to end the segment.
Segment Rating: 7/10
This was a hell of a match that really showcased TH2 which they needed big time. I was actually unsure who was gonna win this one, and that’s a good thing, but like I mentioned earlier usually if you don’t get an entrance on TV you don’t get the win, and that would become a theme on this show. I guess they want more tag teams showcased in the meantime before the Young Bucks get their next real challenger. I assume The Acclaimed will be facing SCU as soon as next week.
Sting Speaks
Cody comes out doing his usual entrance, and Tony Schiavone is in the ring. Tony brings up last week and how Team Taz was destroying him and Darby, and then Sting came out. Before Cody could answer the lights go out and Sting makes his entrance again.
He is first addressed by Arn Anderson, who says he just wanted to get a up close and personal look to make sure this was real, and says that he has no business with Sting so he’s gonna leave. Tony Schiavone then says there’s no reason for him to stay and goes to leave but Sting stops him. Sting tells him to give him a hug, they haven’t seen each other since the last Nitro. He reminds Tony that his call last week and asks him to say it again which he does before leaving.
Cody then addresses Sting, by saying “Welcome Back”, he thanks Sting for the save last week but says he’s gonna get to the point, he’s waited to share a ring with Sting for a very long time. Sting says he’s not here for him, at least not right now. Sting mentions that their is something very familiar about this place, he repeats himself and gestures to Darby Allin who is in the rafters (just like Sting used to do in WCW). He talks about this show airing on TNT which also feels familiar to him, and Cody says “Like I said sir…welcome back.”
Sting says he’s aware that Cody knows of everything that goes on around here. Then Sting busts out the famous line “The only thing that’s sure about Sting, is nothing’s for sure.” then he adds “Except for one thing…I’m signed to AEW.” and he plans to spend a long time here, as “Welcome Home” chants start by the crowd.
Sting puts his arm around Cody, and informs him that the way he chooses to play is his business, and then gives Cody a “See ya around kid”, and leaves the ring, as Cody smirks and it turns to serious we get one more look at Darby Allin in the rafters.
Segment Rating: 6.5/10
I realized the beauty of this segment after watching it back. Cody has been waiting to share a ring with Sting, and Sting didn’t care about that in a way. That clearly bothered Cody because, everyone comes to AEW to share a ring with Cody. This was beautifully done, because it was so minor. Sting treated Cody like “one of the boys” and not a top guy. He also implied he’s here for Darby which feels right, I love it. After this, Taz addressed them backstage, and mentioned that they had a nice little moment and Starks mentioned how Taz’s son is no longer training with Cody but with Team Taz now. That didn’t add anything to this either. All this is a wait and see.
Varsity Blondes vs. FTR
This was another great tag team match, that once again showcased the team that needed it most, The Varsity Blondes. FTR looked great as they always do as this match was a master class in tag team wrestling and I actually liked this match more then the opener. Early on Brian Pillman and Griff Garrison were in control and showed that FTR wasn’t as prepared for them as they are for most teams which added a nice wrinkle to this match.
However, as soon as FTR got control of the match, they never lost it, they worked over Pillman for a while until he got a hot tag to Garrison, but that momentum wouldn’t last. As Garrison goes for a suplex after taking out both FTR members with a corner splash, Dax Harwood would reverse it and force Garrison into his own corner and lead to a tag by Pillman. This is immediately followed by a brainbuster by Harwood who then tags in Cash Wheeler and they hit the Goodnight Express for the pin and the win.
After the match FTR exited the ring and realize Jurassic Express are in the crowd behind them, and they pie face Marko Stunt, who is held back by Jungle Boy.
Later in the night FTR is interviewed and asked about there loss to the Young Bucks, Cash puts the blame on himself for trying to beat the Young Bucks at their own game, but Tully Blanchard interjects. Tully says its because he wasn’t there for them because he was banned from ringside, and that they weren’t at full strength that night because of it. Dax mentions that they are still the best in the tag team in the world and will be champs again one day because that’s the only thing that matter.
Segment Rating: 7.5/10
I absolutely loved this match, and I think The Varsity Blondes have a bright future as a team. It showcased their talent even in a loss, and as I mentioned I loved this match so much more then the opener, the reason being this felt more crisp, it felt like the Varsity Blondes wanted it more. This was a master class of tag team wrestling. I’m not saying the opener was bad either as evident by the rating but this match was on another level.
Dustin Rhodes vs. 10 of the Dark Order
This was a nothing match, that really didn’t mean anything that ended pretty quickly, it was a little back and forth at first and it ended up outside and for some reason 10 kicked Aaron Solow who was in the crowd sitting front row. Once it got back in the ring Dustin fires up, and hits a bulldog for the pin.
After the match the Dark Order comes back out, and Evil Uno gets in the ring, and says he’s not here to fight and wants to help Dustin improve his future. He says the Rhodes name comes with pressure, and Dustin is the third most important Rhodes in this company, but the Dark Order can help him. Uno tells him to take his rightful place as “Seven” of the Dark Order, which Tony Schiavone immediately mentions, he isn’t gonna want that name, which is a reference to a horrible gimmick he was given in WCW in 1999, it was really bad (go look it up if you never seen it). Dustin raises his hand like he’s going to do the Dark Order gesture, but he slaps Uno, but he tells the rest of the group to stand down, because Dustin will see the light eventually and beg to join the Dark Order.
Segment Rating: 5/10
There’s a few things about this that don’t make sense to me. Doesn’t the Dark Order only try to recruit people who lose a lot? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for 10 to win this match to set up this promo by Evil Uno? What is the end game of Dark Order trying to recruit Elite and Nightmare Family members? I don’t know if this was a complete waste of time or if it will go somewhere, considering Cody is pretty busy if he’s not involved what’s the point? I shouldn’t have this many questions about this segment possibly making it a complete waste of time. However, the rating in particular is because of the Dark Order, I like the direction they’ve gone and calling Dustin “Seven” was amazing.
Shaq and Brandi Interview
Tony Schiavone does a pre-recorded interview with Brandi Rhodes and Shaquille O’Neal. For what reason I don’t know because this did nothing except set up a match between Jade Cargill and Brandi which nobody should be excited for. Shaq mentions he has a history with Jade and he wasn’t a fan of what she did to Brandi. Brandi mentions she wasn’t very fond of it either, but she wants to settle this before anyone else gets hurt.
Shaq mentions that he and Cody had a little fun back and forth on twitter recently but it was just him having fun and he was a big fan of the Rhodes Family. Shaq mentions that when the match between Brandi and Jade happens he will be there, he then tells Brandi that since her arm is in a sling she should watch Jade and get some pointers. This pisses Brandi off and she throws water in Shaq’s face (because drama) and calls him an “overgrown asshole”, to end the segment.
Also later in the night Jade and Nyla Rose attacked Red Velvet to get to Brandi, and Serena Deeb and Big Swole would enter followed by Ivelisse and Diamante which lead to a pull apart setting up a tag match for next week between the ladder four.
Segment Rating: Dud
I absolutely hated this segment, so much so that it gets the first 0 or dud from me. Nothing about this was good, entertaining or necessary. I don’t care about Jade Cargill versus Brandi, I don’t even care about Shaq wrestling at all at some point, which I’m sure is going to happen. Now I get it having Shaq is publicity that’s fine, the problem is this was the worst possible use of him. Save that for when Shaq is coming in when Cody isn’t in two other storylines already. Also why does Shaq have to work with Cody? Just cause he’s the face of AEW? Nobody has ever wanted that match and probably still doesn’t. Shaq should be working with Brian Cage or Brodie Lee. I can’t wait for this to end whenever that is.
Inner Circle Ultimatum
All of Inner Circle minus Santana whose not here for some reason, comes out. Chris Jericho says this might be the last time we see Inner Circle together, the bickering and shoving and fighting has been embarrassing, and Santana is not here because he’s so mad about all of this.
MJF cuts Jericho off and says that he might be to blame, because ever since he joined, all he’s wanted was to be part of a brotherhood and be a part of the greatest group in the history of wrestling and he wanted a bond that could never be broken.
He then mentions how he loves Sammy Guevara, and felt betrayed by Sammy trying to throw the towel in for Jericho last week. Jericho then cuts him off and mentions how they all watch the show and knows that it was MJF who was gonna throw the towel in, MJF says he was just trying to wipe the sweat from his eyebrow.
Ortiz says that Santana made him realize that MJF and Wardlow are assets to the group, but as human beings it’s debatable. He then says Wardlow is great and MJF is growing on him like a fungus. Ortiz tells Sammy to shake MJF’s hand. Ortiz says that Jericho chose MJF and they didn’t so he gets Sammy’s issues but sometimes in life you don’t get to choose the hand you are dealt. Ortiz tells Sammy to be the better man, because he is, and he knows it (taking a jab at MJF’s catchphrase which made MJF laugh).
Sammy says that he will shake MJF’s hand because he trusts Jericho, because Jericho got him a job here and got him in this group, but if one more thing happens between the members of this group he is quitting the Inner Circle and says Jericho has to respect that. He shakes MJF’s hand and Jericho is happy everything is good now, but he’s cut off by Jake Hager.
Hager says he wants to know why Wardlow is always staring at him. Wardlow calls Hager a weirdo and says Hager has been staring at him since day one. Jericho suggests that they just stop staring at each other and they agree, and all the members flip off the camera to end the segment.
Segment Rating: 6/10
This is the first time in a long time I actually liked an Inner Circle segment. The way they’ve been booked has not been great, but this was good. It’s leading to something that ends with a break up obviously, but I loved Ortiz here, he got his time to talk and it was great. All of this made sense and I was fine with it. Also MJF’s reaction to Ortiz using his catchphrase to motivate Sammy was golden.
Eddie Kingston, The Butcher and The Blade vs. Lance Archer and The Lucha Bros.
This match was kind of all over the place, and it’s unclear what Lance Archer’s role really is. Is he a face now, or is he just playing along because he wants to get his hands on Eddie Kingston?
All the members brawled before the match and Butcher put Penta El Zero Miedo during the brawl. There was a lot of back and forth mostly by Fenix and Kingston, who called Fenix the weak link of the Lucha Bros. This match had it’s moments but it just ended. The match ended when Fenix was on fire and just walked into The Butcher and The Blade’s Powerbomb/Neckbreaker finisher for the win.
Archer re-entered the ring and attacked Kingston’s team after the match and when he got his hands on Kingston they bailed.
Segment Rating: 5/10
As I mentioned this match was all over the place and just ended. I guess they are saving Archer and Kingston fighting for a singles match but for what reason? Also where does PAC fit into this still. There’s more questions then answers about this one. This match was fine though.
Abadon vs. Tesha Price
This was a very quick match that Abadon won handily with a very call back leg sweep followed by her finisher the Gravedigger which is the Widow’s Peak for the pin and the win.
The story was after the match. After the match Abadon would attack Price again and slam her head on the ground over and over. She is saved by the Women’s Champion, Hikaru Shida, who has her kendo stick. She gives Abadon one swift kendo stick shot to the head and helps Price up. Abadon sits up like the Undertaker and scares them and they bail.
Segment Rating: 4.75/10
The squash match was what it was. The segment that followed was to paint Abadon as an unbeatable monster who will get her title shot and lose because she’s not Britt Baker who needs to be the one to beat Shida. I’ll say it every week until it happens. Abadon is great but this feels like a placeholder feud, because it is. Abadon has not been around for a really long time and she’s just getting a title shot for being an interesting character? She was in the rankings the entire time she wasn’t on TV and now she isn’t? Should be a fine match when it happens.
Kenny Omega Speaks
If you watch Impact Wrestling this week like I did and many others did. You saw this promo already. Kenny Omega and Don Callis make a helicopter entrance and go to the ring to talk to Tony Schiavone. Omega does the usual over the top entrance, with the long intro, the dancing women with brooms, the whole nine.
Tony Schiavone asks what the deal was with what happened last week and why he broke his gentlemen’s agreement with Jon Moxley? Callis talks about being confused by the surprised reactions from within the industry. He brings up Tony Khan being upset, questioning why and pointing out that he was the one who invited Callis to the show.
Callis continues and says what he said on Tuesday, about how this wasn’t an overnight plan, this has been in the works for over a year. Kenny cuts in and the culmination was a well-crafted plan that lead to last week’s victory.
Omega continues and says he doesn’t care about what Tony Khan or Jon Moxley thinks of his actions. He then says if the fans thought last week was a big surprise, or what happened on Tuesday, we haven’t seen nothing yet.
Callis cuts Omega off and says they are going to make history. Callis asks Omega to say it for him. Kenny says his “Goodbye and Goodnight” catchphrase and they leave as the camera watches them leave through the entrance ramp.
Segment Rating: 5/10
This would have been a good even great segment if it wasn’t basically the exact same promo from the night before on Impact. I’m excited about where this is going, but I didn’t need this repeat promo. I want to know what’s next for this simple as that.
AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring Finals: MJF vs. Orange Cassidy
This was a hell of a match. There was great back and forth action by both guys. MJF had the 5 Inner Circle members that were there in his corner. Orange Cassidy at first had the Best Friends in his corner and when the referee was distracted the Inner Circle attacked Cassidy, so The Best Friends got reinforcements, The Varsity Blonds, Brandon Cutler, and Top Flight basically turning it into a lumberjack match.
There was also a great moment where they did like a lie, cheat and steal moment where MJF tried to throw the bat at Orange Cassidy and play dead but Cassidy didn’t catch the bat, so when MJF got back up, Cassidy did the same thing to him, it was a cool moment.
Both guys hit a lot of their signature moves, MJF takes the Beach Break better then anyone I’ve seen. There was a near fall when Cassidy hit the Orange Punch that lead to a really close two count, that was then followed by another Orange Punch, this time with Wardlow putting MJF’s foot on the rope.
All the faces at ringside start brawling with the Inner Circle and this leads the ref being distracted again, and Miro comes out during this and takes out Orange Cassidy, for MJF to retain the the ring.
After the match, referee’s and production staff surround Miro and Kip Sabian and Miro destroys a bunch of them, and throws one of them off the stage. Miro screams as the camera zooms in on him and the show ends.
Segment Rating 6.75/10
This was a great match, no surprise at all that MJF won here. Orange Cassidy isn’t hurt by loosing either and he didn’t need to win the ring, what was he honestly gonna do with it anyway? As I mentioned MJF took the beach break better then anyone I’ve seen and I loved this match so much. Also, this is exactly how they need to book Miro, an unstoppable monster. I want more of this Miro. I hope he does more of this, also I loved how this happened and he’s also wearing the weirdest Versace clothes while doing it which adds to it I think it’s hilarious.
Remarkable Wrestler of the Week
For this episode of AEW Dynamite, the Remarkable Wrestler or Wrestlers of the Week is, FTR.
FTR gets the RWOW this week because this match was a master class of wrestling and they gave a lot and still looked strong, I loved this match a lot and everyone needs to watch it.
Overall
So that’s all the highlights for this special episode of AEW Dynamite on December 9th, overall I give this episode a 5.4 out of 10. There was some great wrestling on this show and some okay wrestling, but a really cool segment with Sting and Cody that had some hidden meaning that I loved. A Kenny Omega segment that we saw a day earlier that didn’t need to happen, and a absolutely horrible segment with Shaq that didn’t do anything at all.
What are your thoughts on AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling.
Follow Mouthing Off: @MikeJC821
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