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, July 7th edition of AEW Dynamite: Road Rager.
Strap Match: Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall
We kicked off with this match and I will fully admit out of everything announced for this show it was the least exciting to me. I just don’t care about this story. I don’t care for everything that Cody is doing being in its own bubble like it belongs on another show on another channel. That’s exactly what this feud has felt like from the beginning, they haven’t given me a reason to care about anyone involved and that includes Cody.
With that said putting this match in a separate bubble away from the build, it was a pretty good strap match all things considered and didn’t feel like it dragged like most strap matches. It was fast paced from the beginning and had a definitive winner which as we all expected was Cody when he hit three Cross Rhodes and touched all four corners.
Instead of talking about this later I’ve decided to put these together so here it goes. Later in the night, Tony Schiavone is in the ring with Arn Anderson basically to hype the crowd for finally being back on the road, and while Arn is talking the lights go out and when they come back on the former Aleister Black/Tommy End now going by Malakai Black appears and gives Arn a spin kick to the face and then Cody comes and takes a kick to the face as well.
Segment Rating: 7/10
Okay so first thing, this is a combined rating for both segments as the match as I mentioned was fine and was better then anything the storyline put out. For the record the match by itself would probably get a 5.5, so I decided to put these together because of the Cody connection, I’ve said everything I’ve needed to about the match I’m glad this feud is essentially over now.
So lets talk about Malakai Black, the man puts a promo video out earlier in the day on Instagram comparing his previous employer to a mental hospital and through symbolism implies that the last five years of his life were all in his head and that “the devil made him do it.” So that video and everything surrounding it, amazing. Then he appears here when speculation of him being there was going around the internet all day and I just can’t wait to see what he can do on this stage with no handcuffs and also him versus Cody will be a hell of a match and I’m excited to see Cody to finally feel like he’s on this show and not in his own world.
The Page Turns For Kenny Omega
Tony Schiavone is out to interview Kenny Omega and Don Callis quick tells Schiavone to buzz off. Callis once again runs down everyone that Kenny Omega has defeated during his title reign and once again says there’s nobody left for him to beat as the crowd chants for “Hangman” Adam Page. This brings out the Dark Order again everyone stays on the stage except Evil Uno who enters the ring and asks Omega why he is ignoring the crowd, and why he’s afraid of his friend? While the crowd erupts with a “cowboy shit” chant.
Kenny then stops and asks Evil Uno the most sophomoric middle school question in the world, “What’s the capital of Thailand?”, so anyone whose heard this knows what’s coming next a low blow by Kenny Omega to Uno. This breaks out into a brawl between The Dark Order Omega, and The Good Brothers. Then the music of “Hangman” Adam Page blares throughout the arena and the crowd erupts. Page looks to set up for the Buckshot on Kenny but he stops and has a stare down with Omega as Kenny bails to end the segment.
Segment Rating: 7.25/10
Okay so first off this is the exact reason to have a big brawl this is when it’s necessary and this is the type of stuff where it works, not every other segment of the show like most weeks. A sophomoric middle school Bangkok joke is weird to do here but it was equally hilarious and unnecessary but it was also used to initiate the very necessary brawl. Now for the meat of this, we get the stare down, it happens a lot sooner then I expected and this crowd ate it up and made this one of the biggest moments of the entire night. With that said, they need a storyline reason to delay this to All Out because this is a big pay-per-view main event, this match can’t happen first on a special Dynamite. Find a reason to delay this to September 5th because that is where it needs to happen. Have Don Callis say Kenny is too busy to defend the title, have Adam Page still unsure if he’s ready and needs to be convinced, something logical to delay this to September 5th because that is the only place it should happen, no time limit draw before a rematch, no double count out one match on September 5th.
Jim Ross Sits Down With Darby Allin & Ethan Page
So we get Jim Ross in his element in this segment, and he starts it off with acknowledging that this is one of the most uncomfortable moments of his career knowing that these two have discussed wanting to end each other’s career. Ethan says that Darby deserves it and JR wonders how that can be. Darby cuts him off and says Ethan’s problem is that it took him twelve years to get here when it took Darby only one and its not Darby’s fault that Ethan had kids and got married which made him complacent and that the fact that Darby made it to AEW before Ethan he couldn’t stand it.
Ethan interjects and says that everything Darby just said is correct and that he skipped the line. Darby wouldn’t be here if not for Ethan Page, and he plucked Darby from obscurity. It drives him because people told him he would be a star and that when people like Darby paint their face to hide the shame of without Ethan Darby would be nothing and that he brought Darby in to the world of professional wrestling and next week he’s going to take him out in the coffin match.
Segment Rating: 6.75/10
This was such a great sit down interview and it was straight to the point and told a story of the history that these two share while also driving home the importance of their match for both men and JR adding the uneasiness of the situation to is exactly what he should be doing and not commentating every single match. I’ve never been this excited for a casket/coffin match and I’m sure these two will have a hell of a match.
The Pinnacle (Wardlow & FTR) vs. Inner Circle (Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz)
I’ll include this here, earlier in the night we see a video of Shawn Spears addressing Sammy Guevara for what he did last week and while he’s speaking a chair flies in and hits Spears in the face. Sammy picks up the chair and sits down and says he’s not done with Spears.
So this was another okay match that I think was only done for the Konnan angle. A lot of back snd forth wrestling and both managers, Konnan and Tully Blanchard getting involved. The turning point and what leads to the finish, Hager is in control and clearing the ring and he challenges Wardlow to face off and they trade punches for a while and eventually Hager gets an ankle lock on but FTR run in and hit the Big Rig for the pinfall victory.
After the match Konnan tries to hit Wardlow with a loaded sock but it has no affect at all and Wardlow turns around and backs Konnan up only for Tully Blanchard to hit a chop block.
Segment Rating: 5/10
This match was very middle of the road. It didn’t feel needed at all, I still don’t and probably never will care about Jake Hager. Whenever he’s involved I immediately become disinterested and unlike most times it is one hundred percent his fault, because he isn’t interesting at all. As I mentioned the match was fine and I think all we really want is a standard tag between FTR and Santana & Ortiz and I’m sure the bit with Konnan is how you set that up in the coming weeks and then down the road we come back to it in a few months with tag team championships on the line.
Chris Jericho and MJF Face to Face
During Jericho’s entrance a fan tries to run in the ring he’s stopped before he could enter and Jericho get a punch in, so first show on the road and first fan attempted run in color me not surprised. MJF and Jericho go back and forth making smart remarks at each other Jericho makes a comment about sleeping with MJF’s mom again. MJF says that Jericho considers himself a demi god which is where his demo god name comes from but he’s not even in that target demo anymore.
MJF talks about looking up to Jericho and following his career including his feud with Jon Moxley in AEW. Jericho made Moxley run the gauntlet to get to Jericho and MJF liked that so much he’s going to do that but better, Jericho will have four matches all different stipulations against opponents of MJF’s choosing. MJF says if he runs the gauntlet which he won’t but if he does he will prove why MJF is better then him and he knows it.
Jericho says if he can’t beat MJF maybe he doesn’t belong in AEW. He tells him he will accept his challenge. He vows to ruin MJF’s life. He signs the contract and then throws it at MJF. Jericho goes to leave but MJF says he comes from “the greatest place on earth Plainview, Long Island, New York” and there we close deals by shaking hands and this deal will be off if he doesn’t shake his hand. Jericho obliges and doesn’t let go when MJF goes to leave and gives him a Judas Effect to end the segment.
Segment Rating: 5.25/10
This was a fine segment that felt like it dragged because it was really the same segment they always have just announcing what’s next. As for MJF’s stipulation, Ive heard this speculated by numerous people and would make a lot of sense, MJF didn’t say four matches against The Pinnacle so what I’ve heard speculated and makes so much sense at this point that Jericho will have to face every member of the Inner Circle and obviously it will have to be said that they can’t just lay down. That would be good story telling.
Matt Sydal vs. Andrade El Idolo
So for a debut match this was fine. I loved the Black Mask mob boss style entrance, it was a very paint by numbers match. Debut matches don’t always have to be spectacular just good enough to get by and he will have amazing matches as his keeps moving up the rankings. Sydal had a fleury of offense early but Andrade would stop him from going to the air and ground him and hit a hammer lock STO for a pinfall victory.
After the match Andrade attacks Sydal again wraps his belt around the arms of Sydal stretching them behind his back.
Segment Rating: 5.25/10
This match did it’s job Andrade won his debut match and not only that he beats the number five ranked singles competitor in the company and that is a good way to get him in a title picture sooner rather then later so a solid match. Some things I don’t like, Vickie Guerrero as his manager doesn’t work for me she isn’t really working as anyone’s manager. I don’t know if a hammer lock STO is the right move for him as a finisher it doesn’t look devastating enough to me I’m hoping that isn’t the move he stays with.
The Blade & The Bunny vs. Orange Cassidy & Kris Statlander
This didn’t feel like a Dynamite match at all. The one thing it did do which I liked a lot was showcase Kris Statlander. She’s a star and is the future of the women’s division. The Blade and The Bunny continue their roles of putting people over which is fine. Orange Cassidy did his schtick early and then got knocked out by a brass knuckles shot which the ref didn’t see. Statlander however got the tag after the shot when The Blade was disposing of the evidence and Statlander over powered The Bunny and hit her finisher for the pinfall victory.
Segment Rating: 4.75/10
As mentioned this didn’t feel like a Dynamite match, but what saved it is Cassidy and Statlander were super over with the crowd. There was a lot of start-stop in this match but Statlander was the highlight.
AEW World Tag Team Championship Street Fight: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo
So I’ve said it before predictable is not a bad thing if it’s done well and thats what this is. We all expected shenanigans from The Young Bucks and other Elite members and that’s exactly what happened. There was a lot of great spots through out the match like a destroyer through a table at ringside. Mid way through the match Kingston is choking out Matt Jackson and after Penta had been taken out and Nick Jackson is on the top rope and he thinks about splashing Kingston to break it while also hurting his brother but instead he does a 450 splash onto the ref.
Matt taps out but the ref is out, which brings out The Good Brothers with a bag of thumbtacks. Brandon Cutler tries to spray Penta with the cool spray and almost gets Matt again and Penta dodges it while Kazarian gets involved again and powerbombs Cutler into a table at ringside. Then Kazarian gets a Magic Killer. Then the thumbtacks start being used being introduced by Kingston then thumbtacks get thrown at Kingstons face. Penta comes back and fights Matt on the top and hits a Frankensteiner onto the tacks and goes for the pin but Kingston breaks it up.
They throw thumbtacks again this time at Penta taking him out, then the bucks put thumbtacks in Kingston’s mouth and Matt hits a superkick for the pinfall victory.
Segment Rating: 7/10
This was a great match that eas very enjoyable the psychology was great especially with The Young Bucks splashing the ref to not hurt the other and basically being more hardcore in this match then the others they were playing the other teams game and did it better. This was just a really fun match and now we wonder what’s next for The Young Bucks.
Remarkable Wrestler of the Week
For this episode of AEW Dynamite, the Remarkable Wrestler of the Week is, Andrade El Idolo.
Andrade gets the RWOW this week for the definitive victory in his in-ring debut and the bright future he has in AEW.
Overall
This was another great episode overall with great wrestling and great storytelling as well as an amazing debut and starting of new stories, overall I give this episode of Dynamite a 6 out of 10. A very good show as for a segment not rated there was a long pointless segment of Dan Lambert from American Top Team who was in attendance with Jorge Masvidal and Amanda Nunes. Lambert entered the the ring and ran down how this doesn’t compare to the old wrestling of the 70s and 80s which was answered Lance Archer who gave Lambert a blackout, big waste of time and very, very pointless, I hated it. We also got a great promo from Britt Baker hyping her match with Nyla and crapping on the match last week (rightfully so). As well as announcement videos for Christian versus Matt Hardy and Jon Moxley versus Karl Anderson for the IWGP United States Championship both announced for next week’s Fyter Fest night one.
What are your thoughts on this special AEW Dynamite: Road Rager? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling.
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