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 2nd edition of AEW Dynamite, Winter Is Coming.
Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale
This was a pretty paint by numbers battle royal match. Some good spots, some stories intertwining like, Spears/Scorpio Sky, who couldn’t put their personal differences aside. Spears would eliminate Sky after he had already been eliminated. Kip Sabian and Miro tried to take out Orange Cassidy…again. Matt Hardy eliminated Isiah Kassidy for some reason, and the three Inner Circle members in the match worked together for the most part and stayed together too. Early there was a glimpse of “Hangman” Adam Page, working with the Dark Order as Silver and Reynolds helped him early on and the entire Dark Order saved him from elimination at one point. Towards the end of the match Miro was cleaning house until it was down to him and the three Inner Circle members, and Jungle Boy. He tried to fight everyone off but it was too much for him.
When it was down to Wardlow, Sammy Guevara, MJF, and Jungle Boy, there was a nice sequence between Guevara and Jungle Boy on the apron, and MJF would get involved and eliminate both, which pissed of Guevara. MJF thinks he and Wardlow have won the match, but the bell didn’t ring, and Wardlow informs MJF that Orange Cassidy was never eliminated. MJF showboating still assumes that Wardlow will take care of this and secure their victory. Orange fights back and knocks Wardlow into MJF which almost eliminates MJF. MJF berates Wardlow for this and then orders Wardlow to take care of it, but Cassidy hits two Orange Punches on both men and eliminates Wardlow. Orange Cassidy and MJF are your winners, they will face each other next week for the ring.
Segment Rating: 5.5/10
I probably would have rated this match and segment higher if it meant anything, but I haven’t been given a reason why possession of a diamond ring means anything. Sure the match was good for a standard battle royal it wasn’t a giant cluster, but that’s it. MJF has had it for a year, and it was just a weapon for him, and that’s all it is. So why is who has this ring important at all. Maybe if winning it granted you a world title shot, sure but it doesn’t. So next week MJF and Orange Cassidy face each other for this ring, for some reason.
Frankie Kazaraian vs. Chris Jericho
This was a fine match, Jericho and Kaz worked fine together but it wasn’t amazing. Kazarian pulled out a Flux Capacitor which he never does anymore so you know this match meant something to him. This was the worst match of the night, unfortunately it felt very sloppy. The finish came, when Kaz had a Walls of Jericho locked in on, and for some stupid reason (yes I said stupid), MJF came out threatening to throw in the towel which made absolutely no sense at all. Sammy Guevara would come out and prevent that from happening and when Jericho got out of the hold, he returned to his feet to see Guevara holding the towel, Jericho clearly thinking it was Guevara who started it. Jericho and Kaz, get back into it and trade some near falls, until Jericho hits the Judas Effect, for the pin and the win.
After the match Jericho would get on the mic, and everyone in the Inner Circle is arguing. Jericho says he’s had enough of this, and that if they don’t work out their differences by next week the Inner Circle will break up forever.
Segment Rating: 4.5/10
This match was what it was, and it didn’t make sense as to why it was happening either. The thing that brought it down was the fact that it took a total of three weeks for the Inner Circle to “implode”, to say that it escalated quickly would be an understatement. Why did any of the things the Inner Circle did in the last three weeks lead to this? It doesn’t make any sense, it would have made more sense for this build to at least January. So next week we’ll find out what this means for the Inner Circle, I guess.
Britt Baker vs. Leyla Hirsch
This was a very good match, and proved two things, the first thing, they need to sign Leyla Hirsch immediately, and Britt Baker is the biggest star of this division. This was a very good match, and these two worked very well together. A lot of back and forth in this one and some nice mat wrestling by Leyla. Hirsch spent a lot of time working on the arm and trying to lock in an armbar. Britt Baker would take advantage of a distraction by Rebel, hit a swinging neckbreaker, followed by the lock jaw submission for the tap out victory.
Immediately following the match, Britt would be attacked by Thunder Rosa, and the two would brawl and be separated by referees. Rebel would get involved as well and start punching Rosa, but Leyla Hirsch would dispose of her with a Saito Suplex. Britt and Rosa would continue to brawl before it was broken up again for good.
Segment Rating: 6/10
As I mentioned, I really enjoyed this match. Leyla Hirsch needs to be signed. I’m very excited to see Britt Baker face Thunder Rosa, that is sure to be a hell of a match, and is the perfect feud to get Baker to the next level, it’s a match she should win, and should catapult her to the next level and that’s the championship, I’ve been saying for a while and it remains, Britt Baker needs to be the one to beat Shida for the belt.
Darby Allin & Cody Rhodes vs. Team Taz (Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs)
I didn’t understand why another tag match was needed here, especially since Team Taz already had a win and Brian Cage had pinned the TNT Champion, Darby Allin, regardless this match was fine, it was not a bad match at all, but it was shorter then I expected. Back and forth action, and Hobbs looked good here even in a loss as he did a bunch of nice looking power spots and showed a lot of power, rag dolling Darby earlier in the match with a bear hug. Cody got a hot tag, cleaned house, and went for a Cross Rhodes but it was countered and followed by a flying cutter, which followed by Darby tagging in hitting the Coffin Drop for the win.
The real story is what happened after the match. A brawl breaks out between everyone, Arn and Taz are getting involved. Dustin Rhodes came out, Brian Cage came out. Then, the lights go out and we hear this strange music that we never heard before. After a video sequence of snow and mountains, we see a crow on the screen and a name flashes on the screen that nobody saw coming, Sting. Sting appears on the stage, and he enters the ring, stares at Arn whose in shock, stares at Dustin, stares at Cody who is on the ground looking up at Sting, then Sting walks over to Darby who is almost quivering while staring Sting, this was a moment for that alone, because people have been saying since AEW started Darby needs to have Sting in his corner.
Segment Rating: 6.5/10
This rating is for Sting, this match was what it was, it kind of wasn’t necessary but it was a pretty good match regardless. Not a lot of things give me goosebumps anymore, the Pat Patterson tribute on NXT tonight gave me goosebumps (go watch that by the way), and so did the appearance of Sting. Tony Schiavone was glowing, literally glowing. The joy in his voice, was real, and this wouldn’t have worked the way they wanted if it wasn’t on this network, with this commentary team, it was magic. Now this was a moment absolutely but, I don’t want to see Sting wrestle ever again. The last time he worked he almost had paralysis, that’s bad. Now, they announced Sting signed a multi-year deal, he absolutely should not wrestle ever. Find something for him to do, have him mentor Darby, have him manage Darby, whatever it is, he absolutely cannot wrestle.
AEW World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Kenny Omega
This was an amazing match, it built over time, and just got better and better. Moxley hit a nasty looking clothesline out of the corner that turned Omega inside out. Another spot I absolutely loved was Moxley bringing two chairs in the ring and setting them up and sitting down, then Omega sits down, and they trade slaps, punches, and jabs, and it built to them getting back up and continuing to trade shots until Omega hit another V-Trigger out of nowhere.
They end up outside and Moxley knocks Omega off the apron, and he hits a Paradigm Shift, into a giant heater at ringside. Omega doesn’t get back up after this and the referee is checking on him and Don Callis, who is on commentary to support Omega, goes down to ringside to check on Omega, and more refs come out. Moxley doesn’t care and brings Omega back in the ring. Don Callis gets on the apron and his a mic and is complaining that Omega is hurt. Mox hits Callis and the mic falls into the ring. While the referee is checking on Callis, Kenny grabs the mic and hits Moxley in the head with it and busts him open. This was followed by a sequence where Omega hit four V-Triggers in a row, from different positions, and it was great looking each time, then followed that up with a One Winged Angel for the pin, winner and new AEW World Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega.
Following the match, Omega and Callis ran out of the building with people backstage, including Tony Khan, holding their hands out and being in shock of what just happened. Alex Marvez ran up to Callis asked him what was going on, and Callis said we have to tune into Impact on Tuesday for the whole story.
Segment Rating: 8/10
This was a special match that lead to a special set up. This episode in general, was a turning point for AEW, it was one of the biggest episodes ever, and this was part of that. Not only is the best title reign in AEW history over, it ending and this match has opened up the flood gates of a new era in wrestling. Impact Wrestling working with AEW, means so much for wrestling as a whole. This opens up a ton of fantasy matches, talent sharing on both shows, even a warfare storyline that if done right makes everyone look good. Twitter was losing it mostly over Sting, but this also wrestlers tweeting eachother on who they want to face its a very very fun time to be a wrestling, and I went back to Impact and fell off now I have to follow this story and I’m excited.
My feeling is someone from Impact will be revealed as the person that attacked Moxley two weeks ago and that will be the beginning of this dtory which as I said I’m very excited about it. Moxley’s title reign is over and it was a hell of a run and Kenny Omega was the right person to beat him, this isn’t how I think anyone saw it going but this is what wrestling is supposed to do, unexpected things to keep us glued to the TV.
Remarkable Wrestler of the Week
For this episode of AEW Dynamite, the Remarkable Wrestler of the Week is, Kenny Omega.
If there was any question who the RWOW would be this week. Not only did Kenny Omega have a hell of a match and win the biggest championship in the company, he started a new storyline that nobody saw coming and has everyone talking.
Overall
So that’s all the highlights for this special episode of AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming on December 2nd, overall I give this episode a 6.1 out of 10. This wasn’t the absolute best episode of AEW Dynamite, but it was hands down the most important. Big things happened that had people talking whether it was the debut of Sting, or the implication of Impact Wrestling and AEW working together, people are going to remember this and be excited about wrestling as a whole.
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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