Dynamite Details from 6/15/2022

 Well, that was probably the most exciting Dynamite in a minute, yeah? A bonkers finish, a Dusty-level opening contest, and some great wrestling and promos filled out a fine couple hours of professional wrestling. Let’s get to it!

Opening Contest: Chris Jericho (w/ the Jericho Appreciation Society) versus Ortiz (w/ Eddie Kingston), Hair versus Hair match

The first of several stipulation matches tonight, this hair versus hair thing was part of the build to Blood and Guts. Ortiz rushed The Wizard, but Jericho went for a quick Lionsault after knocking Ortiz down. Jericho got shoved onto the barber’s chair that’s required at ringside for every hair match - Ortiz followed with a mounted ten punch on the chair. Jericho flaunted his glorious head of hair throughout the match, and landed a ton of offense during the PiP break. A Codebreaker got two for Jericho, and a top rope cutter from Ortiz did as well. Ortiz ended up in the Walls of Jericho and Hager tried to prevent the rope break, which brought Santana and Wheeler Yuta from the back to even things out. 

During the fracas, Eddie Kingston slid into the ring and hit Jericho with a spinning backfist. Ortiz tried to take advantage but only got a two count. Hager and Kingston fought a bit, distracting everyone as Fuego del Sol appeared with Jericho’s bat, Floyd! He knocked Ortiz in the face and escaped, allowing Jericho to get the victory.

Fuego joined Jericho and the Appreciation Society on the entrance ramp, and he pulled off his mask - it was Sammy Guevara, longtime Jericho ally and dude in need of a faction. They celebrated as the AEW barber approached Ortiz and Kingston in the ring. Ortiz started clipping his own hair off while trying to get a Blood and Guts chant going with the crowd.

Four stars! A crazy finish didn’t detract from a really well done match. The interferences were to be expected as the Jericho Appreciation Society and the Blackpool Combat Club, Extended Version, head towards Blood and Guts. That didn’t change the fact that Ortiz and Jericho put on a great match and an exciting opening for Dynamite.

A “People’s Court” styled video package led into Wardlow versus a whole bunch of security guys.

Match #2: Wardlow versus Twenty Security Guys in a “Class Action Twenty on One Elimination Handicap” Match 

We started off with all twenty security guards on the ring apron. Wardlow knocked four off, and the ring announcer kept us up on how many eliminations have been made. Another guard tried holding onto Wardlow’s leg; he was lifted and powerbombed out of the ring. A stretch muffler/ one foot pin combo eliminated two more. A chokeslam KO’d another, who was laid upon a pile of guards and stack pinned. Another stack of three, and then four, were powerbombed and pinned. One last guy tried the high flying route, and was caught in midair and powerbombed onto another pile of corpses for the victory.

Dan Lambert, in a box seat with Scorpio Sky, berated Wardlow and ordered his friends Matt Hughes and Tyrone Woodley to attack. Wardlow appealed to the former UFC champs, asking why they would go after a fellow hard working dude like him instead of millionaires like Lambert and Smart Mark Sterling. Woodley agreed and tossed Sterling into Wardlow for another powerbomb.

Does this count as a squash? Nah, three stars! I thought it was funny, and Wardlow showed a lot of creativity in his mass destruction. 

As a former big UFC fan, seeing Hughes today was kinda rough. A friend told me he was in a truck vs train accident that gave him brain damage and put him in a coma back in 2015.

Match #3: Dax Harwood versus Will Ospreay

There’s something I never thought I’d write. This is one of those matches where I didn’t know what to expect. It’s on regular TV, but it’s also one involving two amazing, dedicated wrestlers. It started off a bit slow, with a lot of preening by Ospreay but some fantastic selling of chops by Wil as well. I noticed quite a few rest holds as well.

Turns out they were just waiting to get past the commercial break, because good Lord did they turn it up after that. Five German Suplexes from Dax looked like the offense he needed, but a missed big splash allowed Ospreay to retaliate with a 450 splash for a two count. Wil went to the top turnbuckle again, but Dax followed. A superplex was reversed midair into a crossbody for Ospreay. It was insane!

After yet another crazy sequence, Dax and Wil decided a headbutt fight would be appropriate. That led to some back and forth strikes, capped off by a huge lariat from Harwood. Will recovered with a Liger Bomb for two, an Oz Cutter for two, and a Hidden Blade to the back of Dax’s skull for three!

The win brought the United Empire out to gloat and beat up Dax, which in turn brought Trent, Cash Wheeler, and Rocky Romero to help. Still outnumbered, the good guys started to fall when PIXIES started playing! Orange Cassidy returned and faced off with Will Ospreay, and the Best Friends and friends stood behind Orange as the NJPW crew left.

FIVE STARS! Our first five star match in the long, storied history of the Let’s Watch Some Wrestling blog! I cannot overstate how good that match was. I had doubts going in, like a FOOL, but those quickly faded after that commercial break. The offense was sharp, powerful, and executed at breakneck speed. There were counters of counters I’d never seen, and Dax looked amazing in defeat while Ospreay proved why so many say he’s one of the best in the game.

Jon Moxley and Hiroshi Tanahashi met in the ring for a face to face prior to their Forbidden Door match for the Interim AEW Championship. Moxley praised Tanahashi while telling him that he’s been chasing him a long time. After their match, Mox said Tanahashi will call HIM ACE.

Chris Jericho headed to the ring with new Appreciation Society members Tay Conti and Sammy Guevara. Jericho said Moxley is in his spot, and the only reason he’s not there is because he wasn’t there last week. He told Mox to leave or he’ll get a fireball to the face, because Jericho IS A WIZARD. Tanahashi told Jericho to shut up, and that led to Moxley and Tanahashi getting attacked from behind by Lance Archer and Desperado of Suzuki-GUN while the JAS guys joined from backstage.

Things got a little muddled here. The beating continued while Jericho introduced Guevara and Conti as official Jericho Appreciation Society members. He also told the crowd Archer and Desperado were on loan, and there will be a match at Forbidden Door between teams of Jericho, Suzuki, and Guevara and Wheeler Yuta, Umino, and Eddie Kingston. That summoned Yuta, Santana, a clean-shaven Ortiz, and Kingston to make the save and clear the ring. Moxley and Tanahashi stood face to face at the end of the ordeal, sharing conversation and an uneasy truce.

Quick video played, as Darby Allin talked about destroying Bobby Fish, while Fish and Kyle O’Reilly gloated in camera cuts.

Tony Schiavone had a brief convo with Toni Storm next. Storm talked up Britt Baker’s intelligence but said she has the skill set of a champion.

Match #4: Miro versus Ethan Page (w/ Dan Lambert), All Atlantic Tournament qualifier

Page, smartly, avoided Miro for the first part of this matchup, sliding out of the ring as the Redeemer approached him. He did that twice before attacking Miro as he entered the ring, and got a lot of offense in. Page managed to hit Miro’s shoulder into a turnbuckle post as well, causing a rough shoulder injury that Page would focus on. Dan Lambert got involved during the commercial break, distracting Miro and allowing Page to remain in control. Ethan hit a flying shoulder block and a cool bottom rope springboard cutter for two. 

Then Page made the mistake of telling Miro to pray to HIM. A headbutt to Ethan’s sternum and multiple shoulder blocks and suplexes followed. Lambert tried another distraction, but was kicked off the ring apron. Miro applied Game Over, and that was that.

Two stars. Not the worst thing, but I didn’t feel like Page needed to get that much offense in. Still, the right guy won and we now have Miro and Pac locked into the four way match at Forbidden Door. 

Matt Sydal and Dante Martin talked down a camera lens backstage next, telling us that Dante is tired of the word “potential” and will prove he’s ready on Rampage when he beats Jon Moxley.

Match #5: Dr. Britt Baker, DMD (w/ Rebel and Jamie Hayter) versus Toni Storm

A solid back and forth effort, this match went in and out of the ring a lot at the beginning. Just as Storm looked to gain control, Jamie Hayter pulled her down off the apron. Thunder Rosa came from backstage and chased Hayter off as we went to break.

Baker dominated during the PiP segment, using a lot of sleepers and chokes to kill time. When we returned, so did Storm, hitting a couple quick suplexes for a couple quick two counts. A few DDTs, one inside the ring and one outside, set Britt up for a vicious looking hip attack in the corner.

Baker seemed dazed for a good long time after that hit, but it was all a cunning ruse to set Toni up for a quick pinfall attempt! Britt took advantage and attacked, and was prepared to apply Lockjaw when Storm rolled through the submission attempt. A suplex setup Storm Zero, and Toni Storm walked away with the win. Thunder Rosa came out again to congratulate Storm, and to point at her, setting up the later announcement that Rosa and Storm will fight for the AEW Women’s Championship at Forbidden Door.

Three stars! A decent match with a weird long segment where I thought Baker was legit hurt (and she still may have been, who’s to say?).

Tony Schiavone and Stokely Hathaway had a quick talk backstage, as Hathaway announced an open challenge by Jade Cargill for the TBS championship on Rampage. Willow Nightingale walked on camera to accept the challenge and some disrespect from Hathaway.

Hangman Page headed to the ring next, where he let us know his challenge for the IWGP Championship isn’t gonna happen because Okada lost to Switchblade Jay White. Page challenged White, but Adam Cole interrupted to say HE should get that title shot. Cole introduced Jay White, and his entrance music played as he attacked Page from behind. Switchblade said he is the “catalyst of professional wrestling”, has a 2-0 record against Page, and won’t be putting his title against Hangman OR Adam Cole. Cole had some great “aww man I thought we were cool, guy” complaints off mic during White’s exit.

Main Event: The Young Bucks versus Jurassic Express © (w/ Christian Cage), ladder match for the AEW Tag Team Championships

Before we get into it, the Hardys were supposed to be the third team in this main event, but Jeff Hardy had another DUI over the weekend and was suspended from AEW.

Luchasaurus immediately went for a ladder to start as the Bucks attacked. Matt Jackson grabbed Jungle Boy for a triple northern lights suplex, the third of which landed JB onto a ladder setup in the corner of the ring. Nick Jackson followed by running up that ladder and flipping outside the ring onto an unsuspecting Luchasaurus!

There are so many great spots in the fifteen-ish minutes this match ran. Literally everyone went through at least one table. Luchasaurus went through a four by four two high table temple after getting dumped off a ladder. That left Jungle Boy alone and vulnerable to a BTE trigger, and the Bucks climbed the ladder and won their second AEW Tag Team Championship.

After the match, Christian Cage was checking on Luchasaurus outside the ring as the Bucks left. Cage then got into the ring to help Doc Samson assist Jungle Boy out. Doc went under the ropes, and as Jungle Boy ducked under, Christian pulled him back in and hit the Killswitch on Jungle Boy! He grabbed a couple chairs from under the ring and followed up with a ConChairTo to the defenseless caveman, ending his mentorship (I assume) and the show.

Four stars! A crazy, entertaining festival of violence!

What a show! Top to bottom a fun watch, and a great way to spend a couple hours. Here are my Five Good Things from tonight’s show!

1- The Hair versus Hair match was fun and a high energy way to start the show! I genuinely believed Jericho would take the L here, but also was impressed that he put on such a good showing with Ortiz. 

2- Harwood and Ospreay put on one of the best matches of the year. Just an amazing display of wrestling prowess and knowledge from two of the best in the business, this was amazing and fun and even a little educational.

3- Moxley and Tanahashi sharing a ring was a MOMENT, and one that led into a lot of setup for Forbidden Door. The crowd went nuts for the one on one staredown, and I can only imagine how crazy a wrestling town like Chicago will get for their match at Forbidden Door.

4- Hangman’s promo and the ensuing challenges and denials from Adam Cole and Switchblade Jay White were entertaining and left me wondering what they’re going to set up at the Chicago pay per premium live event. A tag match between White, Cole, Okada, and Page was my first thought, but I imagine they want that belt on the line. Maybe a four way? But the All Atlantic title match is a four way, too. WHO’S TO SAY?

5- The main event ladder match was a spectacle to behold, and I thought it was great! So many creative table and ladder spots, and Jungle Boy is getting set up to be a star in the aftermath of Christian finally pulling the trigger on that heel turn he’s been setting up.

Hey, I appreciate you stopping by, and would love it if you drop your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Twitter @ElOsoPequeno, where I try to remember to post whenever I update the blog. I recap Raw, Dynamite, and Rampage weekly, and recap anything else I happen to watch. There’s also a weekly wrap up on Fridays, and I’ll do predictions before any big AEW or WWE pay per premium live events. 

Have a Good One!