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 special Wednesday, August 4th edition of AEW Dynamite: Homecoming.
Chris Jericho vs. Juventud Guerrera
Dynamite kicked off with the third “Labor of Jericho” a match with classic Jericho rival and lucha legend Juventud Guerrera, and the added stipulation that Jericho could only win by using a move off the top rope. This match had one thing going for it, and that’s nostalgia. Other then that I didn’t love it. It was fine but something about it wasn’t right. Maybe it was that these two haven’t worked together in twenty-three years, maybe it’s because everyone and their mother hyped this up as a big deal when it really wasn’t that great. They had some good back and forth early but the longer the match lasted the slower it got but they recovered in the closing moments and that was my favorite part. The finish saw Jericho hit the Judas Effect but was going to go for the cover and remembered he needs to do a top rope move so Jericho hits a diving Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.
Post match Wardlow cut the celebration short and attacked both guys, and MJF got on the mic and said that the forth labor will be against Wardlow and MJF will be at ringside.
Segment Rating: 5/10
As mentioned this was fine but not great and I think too many people put it on a pedestal just because it was Jericho and Juventud together. The finish was very good and that’s all I really liked about it. The forth labor being against Wardlow with MJF as the ref is very underwhelming to me. I expected a match with Sammy Guevara and I think that would have been a better story to tell in the ring.
Trios Match: 2.0 (Matt Lee & Jeff Parker) & Daniel Garcia vs. Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston & Darby Allin
This was a fun match with the result really not in question at all. Everyone in the match got some time to shine as well. Matt Lee and Jeff Parker are very good at emoting in the ring and Matt Lee’s reaction to encountering Sting at ringside was amazing he was just fanboying for Sting and Darby wiped him out. Danny Garcia has great technical ability and meshed well in there and 2.0 had some great tag team sequences in there early. When Moxley tagged in it was the beginning of the end for 2.0 and Garcia. Kingston would take out Jeff Parker by delivering a spinning back fist, then Garcia would receive a Paradigm Shift from Moxley followed by a Coffin Drop by Darby for the victory.
Segment Rating: 6/10
This was a very fun match and very much a prove yourself spot for Garcia and 2.0, and I think they delivered on that front. 2.0 is very charismatic and Daniel Garcia is smooth in the ring I’m sure they are going to get signed somewhere.
Christian Cage vs. The Blade
This was another fine match, Christian Cage seems to be doing the same match with all his opponents. He starts off hot, loses the momentum and has to fight back from behind and then he does and he wins. They kind of been doing all his matches like that and it’s fine but I think he needs to change it up a bit. It’s okay for him to win fast and easy once in a while especially against someone like The Blade who literally never wins. The Bunny tried to get involved and Leyla Hirsch would stop her to help set up their match later in the night. The Blade tried to remove the turnbuckle pad which he did to get the ref distracted for a few seconds so he could try to use brass knuckles again but that failed as well as he gets hit with a spear by Christian to secure the victory.
Later in the night, Christian would be interviewed and be declared the new number one contender for the AEW World Championship and say that he didn’t come here to play games he came here to get back what was taken from him and get back in the world title picture and that he is on an “Elite” level.
Segment Rating: 5.25/10
So Christian Cage wins here and I hope he’s officially done with HFO now it didn’t need to be prolonged for this despite this being an okay match with the same exact layout of every Christian match since he got to AEW. Christian Cage is the number one contender now and I’m fine with that but he cannot be the challenger at All Out, that is not the match for that show, I say give Christian his title shot on 8/20 to set up whatever they are setting up for that show after Kenny retains.
Red Velvet Challenges Britt Baker
Tony Schiavone is in the ring for another interview one of many tonight to interview Britt who discusses her big return home to Pittsburgh next week. Then she’s interrupted by Red Velvet who makes fun of Britt’s clothes and Britt says Velvet is mad because last time they faced Britt destroyed her in three minutes. Red Velvet says she’s not that enhancement talent anymore and she’s won her last seven matches and wants a shot at the title.
Britt says she can have her match at the debut of AEW Rampage and Britt goes to shake Red Velvet’s hand but Velvet kicks her hand away and Rebel tries to hit her with a crutch but Velvet stops it and hits Rebel and Baker attacks her with a stomp and chokes her with the crutch.
Segment Rating: 5.25/10
This was a fine segment I enjoyed it, and it made sense. Red Velvet has been on a roll, and this should be a fine match on the very first episode of Rampage in Britt Baker’s home town where she is sure to get a massive pop, and I look forward to watching it.
Adam Page Separates Himself From Dark Order/The Elite Beat Up Adam Page
Earlier in the night, The Elite are gathered backstage with a basketball hoop and are making shots while they address The Dark Order. Gallows & Anderson agree to defend the Impact Tag Team Championships against Grayson and Uno. The Young Bucks say there’s nobody for them to beat anymore because they’ve already beaten everyone and Kenny agrees and says there’s nobody left so he might as well retire as champion and then Cutler cuts down the net to symbolize they are winners.
Later in the night The Dark Order were being interviewed about last weeks match, and “Hangman” Adam Page walks in to grab a drink and then goes to leave. The Dark Order tell him that they want to be there for him as his friends and Page says he has to deal with The Elite on his own and it may be best for them to go their separate ways for now. Everyone else wants to try to talk to him except Uno and Grayson who want to give him his space because he asked.
Much later Hangman comes out to be interviewed by Tony Schiavone but is immediately interrupted by The Elite who think Hangman is going to try to apologize to them and try to rejoin the group. Page laughs that off and say that isn’t even close to what he wants to say and Omega says that’s good because there’s room in The Elite for losers like Hangman.
Hangman would slap Kenny for that comment and gets beat down by The Elite and receives a Magic Killer and multiple BTE triggers by The Young Bucks, which then brings out The Dark Order but Uno and Grayson stop them from helping because they want to respect Hangman’s wishes. They leave and Frankie Kazarian runs out alone and immediately gets obliterated and is tossed out and Michael Nakazawa throws a basketball at him. Back in the ring The Young Bucks hold up Page and Kenny hits him with the belt.
Segment Rating: 6.5/10
So all of this is great but it is getting repetitive the Dark Order stuff great, Page needs to realize that they are his true friends who are there for him that’s a good layer to the story. The beat downs need to stop, it feels like the same thing almost every week. Hangman goes out alone and gets beat up and either gets saved or in this case he doesn’t and Kazarian gets involved and nobody else. So it seems like this will halt that for a little because apparently Christian is next in line and reports are saying that Page will not be the opponent at All Out, so it’s all a wait and see and if you noticed Kenny Omega’s shirt of Cookie Monster (or CM) so that could be leading to something as well. I just don’t think Christian should get his title shot at All Out and as I mentioned earlier he should get his title shot on 8/20 on the First Dance special of Rampage.
TNT Championship: Miro (c) vs. Lee Johnson
This match was a lot better then I expected. I fully expected a complete squash of Lee Johnson and for Miro to run through him like it was nothing and we got a pretty competitive match here. Johnson would have a lot of different spirts of offense but Miro would always have an answer. Johnson a lot of great flurries of offense and hit multiple super kicks to get Miro off his feet and tried a big a dive for a near fall. He goes to capitalize but Miro over powers him with a kick of his own and signals the end and locks in the Game Over submission and gets the tap out victory.
Segment Rating: 6/10
I enjoyed this match a lot and these are the kind of matches I hope for when Miro defends this title. He needs to get into a long term rivalry with someone soon because he’s just been doing this for a little while and I’m ready for him to have a bigger match for this title.
NWA Women’s Championship Eliminator: The Bunny vs. Leyla Hirsch
This was a fine match that went exactly how I expected. Commentary mentioned that this match is happening because Serena Deeb is unable to compete in a rematch with Kamille who is in the first row watching the match. The Bunny has never looked better in the ring and she had great chemistry with Leyla who has some of the best ground technician work I’ve seen in AEW. She spent a lot of time working on the arm of The Bunny and succeeded and fully locking in an armbar in order to secure her submission victory.
Post match we get a great visual of a stare down between 4’11 Leyla Hirsch and 5’10 in heels Kamille and that should be interesting match that I believe is taking place at NWA EmPower which I look forward to watching.
Segment Rating: 5.75/10
Leyla Hirsch is so good and she looks like someone who would be an NWA champion and it would be interesting if she actually beat Kamille. That should be an interesting match.
Malakai Black vs. Cody Rhodes
This match was very good. Malaki Black has a great presentation his entrance his attire during the entrance all great. This entire match was all Malakai Black, and that’s the way it should have went. The crowd was super into it before they even touched. A soon as the bell sounds Black goes for the knee by kicking Cody’s leg off of a broken tie-up and goes for kneebar and Cody gets out of it quick and goes for a figure four which Black breaks by raking the eyes. Black would hit a running sweep of the legs then lock in a single leg crab that was broke by Cody getting to the ropes. Cody tries the Cross Rhodes but Black kicked out of it and Cody ends up on the top rope.
Black runs in and hits a running knee strike that was supposed to connect with the face but Black didn’t get enough height and the camera angle made it look bad like he didn’t hit anything, but Cody would fall backwards into a table and just beat the count out. As soon as Cody get to his feet he received a spin kick to the face from Black who would secure the victory with a pinfall.
Post match Cody would take some time to get to his feet and Tony Schiavone would try to get a word with him after. Cody does this speech about legacy and talks about how he got into wrestling. Schiavone helps him up and he talks about how AEW started and his relationship with The Elite and how people laughed at them for wanting to start a revolution. He continues talking about how he’s had to carry the banner of AEW and that outside ventures came his way and even if there has been infighting with The Elite he loves them and will forever be tethered to them.
Then he says that Daily’s place is the AEW Amphitheater as far as he’s concerned, he then thanks the fans and makes like he’s going to leave his boots in the ring but Malakai Black reappears and delivers a shot with the crutch to Cody’s back to end the show.
Segment Rating 6.75/10
I loved this match, it was reminiscent of Cody’s first match with Brody without the speech. That is exactly how you introduce a character like Malakai Black and the crowd was super into him because they know how could he is and how good he can be. Cody’s speech felt a little forced because obviously we all know he isn’t retiring. He’s taking a break to film something as it’s been reported recently and I think he will come back sometime after All Out and challenge Black to a rematch. When that rematch happens Black needs to win again. The reason being is it’s time for Cody to turn heel and him losing to Black again upon return when people expect him to win is the perfect way to do that. I hope that’s how it goes down the line.
Remarkable Wrestler of the Week
For this episode of AEW Dynamite, the Remarkable Wrestler of the week is, Malakai Black.
To no surprise to anyone Malakai Black gets the RWOW this week. He was dominant, his presentation is amazing and he beat one of the biggest names in AEW he has a bright future in AEW. I can’t wait to see what he does next and beyond.
Overall
Another good episode of AEW Dynamite, some good matches some continued storytelling and main event that did exactly what it was supposed to do, make a new star. Overall I give this episode a 5.8 out of 10. Among the things not rated because they didn’t need one we saw Andrade and Chavo speak with the Lucha Bros about last week and how PAC is seemingly missing this week and the Lucha Bros said they don’t work for anyone and that includes Andrade. Later Chavo tells Andrade he found someone who isn’t ungrateful like the Lucha Bros and Fuego Del Sol shows up and Chavo tells him to shine Andrade’s shows and then Andrade throws him into a steel door multiple times and puts his face on Andrade’s shoes and Chavo says as long as Lucha Bros aren’t with Andrade they will never win championships. Also Dan Lambert cut a recorded promo saying he hasn’t forgotten what Lance Archer did to him and he’ll be back with backup. Jade Cargill also mentioned she’ll have a match on Elevation next week and lastly there was a very good video package about Santana & Ortiz saying it isn’t over between them and FTR and Dax Harwood responding how they almost ended Cash’s career and life last week. Next week will be the first standard Dynamite episode since June so we’ll see what’s next.
What are your thoughts on this special AEW Dynamite: Homecoming? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling.
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