AEW Dynamite Review – February 28, 2024
Kicking off this week’s Dynamite with Hangman Page making his way down to the ring on one crutch to update us on the rumors surrounding an injury he might have gotten last week. Page says this probably doesn’t look like a promising start to the speech but he will say that when AEW first started it was a goal for him, an opportunity to rise to people’s expectations and make the most out of the world that was laid in front of him. He thinks winning the AEW World Title in 2021 is the biggest accomplishment in his career, and that’s why it hurts to have that opportunity in front of him again be stopped. He brings up how he thought the match should have been a singles match, but he had the wrong two competitors and he lets us know that on Sunday he will not be able to compete.
Swerve Strickland along with Prince Nana heads to the ring to join Page. Strickland says the last 6 months they’ve gone to war trying to kill each other and cross the line but he didn’t expect this to happen to Page. Strickland says Page suffered this fate but you can’t escape fate or avoid destiny as his destiny is to become the AEW World Champion at Revolution. AEW World Champion Samoa Joe comes out and says we have 2 enemies in the ring trying to hug it out and out of the lies being told here he’s going to say some truths. Joe said they were ignoring eye contact with him and realizing who the real man was here in AEW. Joe calls Page Hop A Long and brings up how they are young, hungry competitors but calls them hungry, accomplished wrestlers. Joe says he’s starving and as long as he’s champion there will be no more dinner time and whether it’s one or both of them at Revolution he will whip both their asses.
Strickland talks about being unemployed to being in the main event and going from cruiserweight to heavyweight. Strickland brings up how after he’s done with him, Joe might go back to commentary wearing a poncho and says he’s on the verge of making history but as Strickland is continuing he gets attacked from behind by Page.
We go to Young Bucks from earlier today arriving at the building saying they are ready to clock in to work. Renee Paquette stops them to get a word and brings up their business meeting with Ric Flair. Nicholas Jackson said it went great and that’s all he’ll say about that, Matthew Jackson asked Paquette if she had seen Sting today and since it’s his final appearance on Dynamite they are dying to see him thank him and conduct his exit interview. They pull out bats and start looking for Sting as we go to commercial.
Trios Match
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston & FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley)
Eddie Kingston & Bryan Danielson start the match but Danielson quickly tags out to Claudio Castagnoli as he & Kingston start testing each other out with shoulder tackles.
Kingston wins that battle as Danielson & Dax Harwood tag in.
They test each other back & forth a bit until Jon Moxley & Cash Wheeler go next and go right into punches and chops in the corner.
They then start going into headbutts before the other 4 men come in to break it up before both teams start brawling as we go into picture in picture.
After the break Wheeler in a Figure 4 from Moxley but Harwood gets in and breaks it up.
Wheeler is able to escape from Moxley with a hurricanrana before making the hot tag to Harwood who goes after both Moxley & Castagnoli.
A couple of pin attempts from Harwood including a Tiger Driver that Danielson breaks up the pin attempt.
Moxley sends Harwood into the ring post and to the outside as Danielson continues to attack his shoulder.
They all start brawling on the outside including Danielson whipping Kingston into the barricade before he hits him with a sliding dropkick.
Castagnoli & Harwood go at it in the ring as we go to a 2nd break.
After the 2nd break Danielson & Castagnoli are double teaming Harwood with a top rope headbutt from Danielson then a cover from Castagnoli but only gets a two count.
Kingston & Danielson go at it next with chops until Kingston hits Exploder suplexes to Danielson & Castagnoli.
Kingston & Moxley go at it until the rest of Blackpool Combat Club jump in as Castagnoli hits Kingston with the Giant Swing right into a knee from Danielson, a knee and piledriver from Moxley then a cover but Harwood breaks up.
Both teams go at it until Kingston hits Uraken on Danielson followed by the Doomsday Bulldog from FTR then a cover but Moxley breaks up that count.
Moxley & Castagnoli are holding down FTR with chokes and elbows as Danielson is screaming to Kingston for him to tap.
They are able to escape and all three start delivering chops before Blackpool Combat Club escapes and all start giving 10 punches in the corner.
FTR ends up hitting Shatter Machine on Castagnoli until Danielson dodges Uraken from Kingston to hit a suplex follow by Busaiku Knee.
Instead of covering him Danielson starts kicking Kingston’s head in and puts on a Triangle Sleeper as the referee calls off the match.
Winners By Submission: Blackpool Combat Club
They show CMLL footage of the history between Chris Jericho & Atlantis before we go to Renee Paquette with Jericho in the back. Jericho talks about 30 years ago when he started wrestling in Mexico, he got thrown into the deep end fast with people like Negro Casas, Silver King, El Dandy & Atlantis. So he requested this match with Atlantis Jr so he could repay the favor and show him a few things he’s never seen before and give him a lesson in violence and what Corazon De Leon can do before he speaks a bit of Spanish.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring, and to make it official he welcomes to AEW Will Ospreay. Ospreay comes out full of energy and high fiving all the fans before entering the ring. Ospreay says he doesn’t want to take up too much time and says his obligations with NJPW are done he flew over here lost his bags, found them and came here in his green suit looking like Kermit The Frog on leg day but now he’s ready for full time work. Ospreay talks about having matches here and beating Orange Cassidy, Kenny Omega and pinned Chris Jericho at Wembley Stadium. Ospreay says everything’s been going smoothly with The Don Callis Family which prompts Callis to come out along with Powerhouse Hobbs & Konosuke Takeshita.
Ospreay gives hugs to Callis & Hobbs but not Takeshita ahead of their match on Sunday. Callis says there’s nothing he likes more than a Don Callis Family Reunion and says Ospreay, Hobbs, Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher are an embarrassment of riches. Callis talks about being by Ospreay’s side through all his AEW accomplishments and the only way to top that is with a match of the decade between Ospreay & Takeshita. Callis compares this to Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen going hard in practice and then coming together for championships and the real winner after the match is The Don Callis Family. Callis tells them to shake hands as they reluctantly do but not before they both pull each other back in.
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston and brings up the disrespect that Bryan Danielson has shown leading up to their match and asks how concerned he is to face him on Sunday. Young Bucks walk in and interrupt and say they have a bone to pick with him with the way he was talking about them on Rampage and say next time there will be a fine. They mention him being a champion and ask him to show up in a better presentation and maybe they’ll enforce a dress code before they walk away and start asking for Sting.
International Title Match
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Nick Wayne
Orange Cassidy & Nick Wayne starts the match taking each other down before going back & forth with leap frogs as Wayne escapes out of a Beach Break attempt and sends Orange Cassidy into the corner with a hurricanrana.
Cassidy dodges a Wayne’s World attempt but gets knocked to the outside and gets sent into the steel steps before Wayne hits him with a top rope moonsault on the outside.
Back inside they head to the top rope but TNT Champion Christian Cage knocks Cassidy down as the referee is distracted.
Bryce Remsburg catches on tho and ejects The Patriarchy from ringside as we go to picture in picture.
After the break Wayne dodges Cassidy in the corner but he comes back with a diving crossbody and a tornado DDT for a two count.
They go back & forth with Cassidy knocking down Wayne with a superkick before going from slow to fast stomps on Wayne.
Cassidy stays in control as Mike Bennett & Matt Taven show up ringside and start distracting Cassidy.
Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta run out and take them out as Wayne pulls off the turnbuckle pad.
Daniel Garcia runs out and gets in Wayne’s face which distracts him enough for Cassidy to hit Orange Punch for the win.
Winner & Still International Champion: Orange Cassidy (STILL CHAMPION!!!)
After the match Roderick Strong runs in and attacks Cassidy but he quickly gets chased away by Romero & Beretta.
After the break Renee Paquette is backstage with Bang Bang Scissor Gang & they say they are gelling as a group. Jay White says he was apprehensive at first but now he’s all in on the Bang Bang Scissor Gang and says they were perfect. Trios Champion Billy Gunn says except for Trios Champion Max Caster’s rap as Caster asked if anyone saw them. They bring up the combination of The Acclaimed & Austin Gunn for this coming episode of Collision.
Kris Statlander vs. Skye Blue
Skye Blue goes right after Kris Statlander at the start of the match but Statlander quickly tosses her off.
They run the ropes as Statlander catches a headscissors attempt from Blue and tosses her down.
They fight in the corner where Blue knees Statlander to the outside with a knee on the apron.
Statlander catches Blue off the apron and press slams her into some planted fans ringside as we go to break.
After the break Statlander catches Blue with an elbow off the ropes.
Blue comes back with a neckbreaker for a two count before Statlander hits a German suplex to Blue sending her to the outside where they are both being checked on.
TBS Champion Julia Hart gets in Statlander’s face but Willow Nightingale gets in between them.
Statlander & Blue head back inside where Blue hits a Canadian Destroyer and an inside cradle for a two count.
Stokely Hathaway tries to hand Statlander a steel chain but Nightingale tells her not to take it which she doesn’t.
As the referee is distracted with all this Hart enters and hits Statlander with her TBS Title followed by Code Blue to score the win.
Winner: Skye Blue
Young Bucks are still looking for Sting and find the locker room with his name on it. Matthew stops Nicholas and asks if he saw the Sting interview from last week just to be mindful of him. They enter the room and it has bats hanging from the ceiling as they ask if he’s playing mind games.
Atlantis Jr vs. Chris Jericho
Atlantis Jr takes control and hits a top rope crossbody and monkey flips Chris Jericho out of the corner a couple of times.
Jericho stops the 3rd attempt and puts on the Walls Of Jericho but Atlantis Jr quickly grabs the bottom rope.
Jericho goes to take off his mask but as Aubrey Edwards goes to help him put it back on Atlantis Sr starts lightly choking Jericho with his towel.
As Atlantis Sr & Jericho are in each other’s faces on the outside Atlantis Jr dives onto Jericho and slingshots him in the ring post.
Atlantis Jr tries to powerbomb Jericho onto the steel steps but he reverses it and sends Atlantis Jr into the steel steps as we go to break.
After the break Atlantis Jr catches Jericho off the top rope and hits an arm drag for a two count.
Atlantis Jr comes back with a wheelbarrow slamming Jericho hard on the back of his head.
They head to the top rope where Jericho hits a bulldog for a two count.
Atlantis Jr sends Jericho to the outside where he dives onto him.
Atlantis Jr sends Jericho back inside but Jericho knocks him off the top rope before joining him up and hitting the 10 punches with a hurricanrana.
Atlantis Jr dodges Judas Effect and tries his backbreaker but Jericho gets out and puts on the Walls Of Jericho.
Atlantis Jr is almost at the rope but as Jericho pulls him back in the middle Atlantis Sr tosses in the towel to end the match.
Winner By Submission: Chris Jericho
After the match Jericho helps up Atlantis Jr before hugging his father Atlantis and all 3 standing tall.
Young Bucks come to the ring and get into the faces of some faces with Sting masks ringside, just for one of them to be revealed to be Darby Allin & he attacks Young Bucks. They double team Allin and bring him inside the ring and start choking him out with the bat before hitting him with the EVP Trigger. They keep attacking him with the bat before calling for Ric Flair to come out which he does. Flair enters and goes to hit Allin with the bat just to turn on Young Bucks and attack them instead. They take out Flair with a low blow and keep attacking him until Sting’s music finally hits.
Young Bucks go to meet him up the ramp with the bats, but Sting lowers from the rafters behind them just for them to turn around in fear. Sting fights off their bats with his bat as Allin takes out Young Bucks with a Coffin Drop. Sting takes out Nicholas Jackson with a Scorpion Death Drop in the ring right in front of a smiling Flair.
Friday’s Rampage
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rugido
Trios Match
The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch) & Lance Archer vs. Luke Langley, Anaya & Vaught
Riho vs. Trish Adora
AEW World Title #1 Contenders All Star Scramble Qualifying Match
Mangus vs. Matt Sydal
Saturday’s Collision (Spoilers)
AEW World Title #1 Contenders All Star Scramble Qualifying Match
Pentagon Jr vs. Bryan Keith vs. Dante Martin
Thunder Rosa vs. Cassandra Golden
Tag Team Match
Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
Mariah May vs. Angelina Risk
Trios Match
Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Trios Champions Anthony Bowens & Max Caster & Austin Gunn) vs. Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, John Silver & Evil Uno)
8 Man Tag Team Match
Best Friends (International Champion Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta), FTW Champion Hook & Daniel Garica vs. The Patriarchy (TNT Champion Christian Cage & Killswitch), Roderick Strong & Brian Cage
Revolution Card (March 3rd)
AEW World Tag Team Titles Tornado Match
Darby Allin & Sting (c) vs. Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson)
International Title Match
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Roderick Strong
AEW World Title Triple Threat Match
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page
Women’s Title Match
Toni Storm (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
Continental Crown Title Match
Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
TNT Title Match
Christian Cage (c) vs. Daniel Garica
Non Title AEW World Title #1 Contenders All Star Scramble Match
FTW Champion Hook vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer vs. Chris Jericho vs. Brian Cage vs. Mangus vs. Dante Martin
Tag Team Match
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
