AEW Dynamite Review – July 26, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Dynamite with a video package from Darby Allin talking about his history with AR Fox & Fox inviting him to live with him for free when Allin didn’t have any other place to go. Allin said without AR Fox there would be no Darby Allin.
International Title Match
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. AR Fox
Orange Cassidy & AR Fox starts the match off with a handshake before Cassidy gets knocked down to the mat and comedically tries to get up. Fox is able to hold Cassidy down with bodyscissors but he’s able to put his hands in his pockets and slither right out. Cassidy ends up going to the outside where Fox meets him with a moonsault.
Back inside the ring Cassidy counters a suplex into Stundog Millionaire but Fox is able to block a DDT attempt into a twisting brainbuster for a two count as we go to picture in picture.
After the break they are going back & forth with double boots and double neckbreakers before they fight in the corner before Fox dives to Cassidy to the outside and hits a senton back inside for a two count. Cassidy comes back with a dive to the outside himself, a DDT and Beach Break for a two count.
They fight on the top rope where Fox hits the Lo Mein Pain for a two count then they fight on the apron where Fox hits a DDT off the ropes for another two. Fox heads to the top rope but Cassidy gets out of the way before they go back & forth a bit until Cassidy traps on Mouse Trap for the win.
Winner & Still International Champion: Orange Cassidy (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
After the match Cassidy puts his glasses on Fox but Fox breaks them and attacks Cassidy as commentary mentions this being out of character. Darby Allin runs out and starts shoving Fox around asking him what the hell was that and calling it embarrassing.
Back in the ring Jon Moxley comes from out of the crowd and attacks Cassidy by hitting him with Paradigm Shift.
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Chris Jericho & Don Callis and says things look to be going in the right direction regarding Jericho joining the Don Callis Family. Callis talks about the potential of Jericho joining and says they have to give the people something and he arranged a situation where Jericho can be in a tag team match with Konosuke Takeshita. Jericho says he’s willing to give it a try until Callis says the opponents would be Daniel Garcia & Sammy Guevara. Callis calls it perfect as they need to spread their wings as Jericho reluctantly agrees. Callis says to commemorate this next step he commissioned a work of art and shows a picture of his 1995 promo with Callis & Jericho drawn as Bad News Allen is watching on. Jericho says he can’t carry it all day but Callis says he has a perfect place. Paquette says hell of a painting.
We see a video of Hook with the FTW Title as a train passes by and the FTW Title is gone when the train passes by again Hook is now gone.
Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta are backstage with a message to PAC on what he did to the Blackpool Combat Club as Jon Moxley interrupts and says if anybody else thinks they are the coolest cat in the room they will get hurt.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring and introduces the new FTW Champion Jack Perry & Perry talks about after 1 loss Hook went home and he got on a train to nowhere as the crowd is booing whenever Perry talks. Perry says when he was talking about winning a title, he wasn’t talking about this one and says the FTW Title was created in a 2nd class company full of scumbags just like the fans here & they started chanting asshole as him. Perry says the FTW Title was never recognized until he put his hands on it as he’s the real deal and the greatest wrestler to ever get within a 100 feet of it. Perry says he would run circles around all of Taz’s friends from back in the day.
Jerry Lynn comes out and says that’s enough Jungle to Perry’s dismay as says that they paid the wave for this generation and without ECW there would never be a Jungle Boy and if he keeps running his mouth he’ll get his ass kicked. Perry says he would like to see who would kick his ass as Lynn drops the mic. Perry says he’s not dressed to fight and proposes that next week they will see who gets their ass kicked.
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Britt Baker and asked for her reaction after what Taya Valkyrie said about her on Collision. Baker said she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t surprised when Valkyrie called her out. Baker said if she wants to swim with the sharks she will drag her to the deep end to remind everyone that TBS is The Britt Show.
PAC vs. Gravity
PAC tries to tell Gravity who he is then Gravity takes PAC down with a dropkick then Gravity takes PAC to the outside where he takes his time getting back inside but when he does Gravity goes to the outside and they spend the next minute chasing each other in and out until PAC dropkicks Gravity trying to get back inside the ring.
They start fighting on the outside, where Gravity hits a power slam to PAC plus a stalling splash off the apron to PAC on the outside before we go to picture in picture.
After the PIP break PAC is pie facing Gravity while saying forget me not then Gravity comes back with a crossbody for a two count but PAC stops him with a flurry of kicks before they head to the top rope where PAC hits an avalanche brainbuster and right into the Brutalizer for the submission win.
Winner By Submission: PAC
We see comments from last week where Renee Paquette is with AEW World Champion MJF & Adam Cole after they won the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament. Adam Cole tries to talk but MJF cuts him off and says that he liked FTR better when they were his lackeys and questions Cash Wheeler rocking a mullet and says he’s sick of Dax Harwood’s Mr. Clean/Yosemite Sam ass talking about loving his wife, daughter and this business. MJF says he’s going to take his fist and punch Harwood so hard in the face that he’s going to spit out CM Punk’s jock strap and they will win the AEW World Tag Team Titles. Cole talks about this how now become about friendship with them 2 and never in a million years did he think he would enjoy this so much he wants to make it very clear that MJF has nothing to worry about with the AEW World Title and says that MJF is becoming one of his best friends. MJF says he’s been thinking long and hard and win, lose or draw after Collision, he’s going to give Cole a rematch for the AEW World Title because he knows how much it means to him.
Roderick Strong interrupt and start shoving MJF around but Cole stops them and tells MJF to give them a second. Cole tells Strong that he loves him but he is acting insane and crazy and what he’s doing is pushing Cole away. Cole says he has other friends and he needs to trust them he starts to walk away but Strong grabs his arm. Cole screams Hey, boundaries! as Strong says he’s making a big mistake.
After the break we see Renee Paquette last Wednesday with AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR ahead of their AEW World Tag Team Titles match and ask how they feel about Cole & MJF being the team they are facing. Cash Wheeler says part of him feels bad as Cole is being drag into this. Wheeler says he hates MJF and knows he is a terrible human being and calls him a generational ass kisser and they are generational ass kickers. Wheeler brings up everybody, including his fiancé leaving MJF once they get to know him and says they have to make sure that Cole & MJF learn that you never mess with FTR. Dax Harwood says it doesn’t sit well for him that Cole has a victory over him and he won’t get ‘all gimmicked up’ about MJF and thinks it’s hilarious that MJF is making a mockery out of a tag team wrestling but at Collision it won’t be a dance routine. Harwood says if MJF said anything about his wife or daughter, he will rip his eyes out.
Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland
Match starts off with Darby Allin & Swerve Strickland going back & forth with a couple of side headlocks from the apron all the way back down to the mat before going back & forth against the ropes until Allin gets sent to the apron then they head to the outside where Darby hits a Code Red then sends Strickland back inside for a two count.
Allin whips Strickland shoulder first into the steel steps. Allin hits Strickland with a Coffin Splash against the barricade but Strickland comes back with a kick by launching off the steel steps onto Allin as they go to picture in picture.
After the break Strickland hits a flatliner and a suplex for a two count then they go back & forth with pin attempts including Last Supper from Allin but Strickland is able to kick out at two. Allin follows this by spearing Strickland through the ropes to the outside.
Prince Nana tried to get involved but Nick Wayne stops him as Strickland stops Allin trying to dive onto him on the outside with a kick. Strickland follows that with Swerve Stomp then goes for the cover but Allin kicks out at two.
They battle in the corner where Allin hits a stunner, heads to the top rope but Strickland is able to stop him then Strickland climbs to the top rope and hits a Death Valley Driver to Allin on the apron.
We see a hooded figure come out from the crowd and attack Allin from behind by sending him into the ring post as the referee is distracted by Nana & Wayne then Strickland follows that with JML Driver to get the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
After the match the hooded figure is revealed to be AR Fox as he joins Strickland & Nana in attacking Allin & Wayne. Nana hands Fox a Mogul Embassy t shirt as he plays guitar on Allin’s skateboard.
Backstage Renee Paquette is with Jericho Appreciation Society as Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Anna Jay & Tay Melo all say they have to talk to Jericho as they walk into their locker room. They see the painting that Callis gave Jericho hung up in the room and Jericho asks how the baby is. Melo says the baby is good but asks how he is as Parker teases giving the comb knife back to him but said he won’t just yet. Jay says Jericho is being selfish and says they have spent all this time appreciating him but don’t think he is appreciating them and just like Jake Hager said they can’t give him 100%. They all start leaving 1 by 1 as Matt Menard tells Jericho to figure it out fast.
Britt Baker vs. Taya Valkyrie
Taya Valkyrie takes Britt Baker down to the mat and holds her down in a front headlock but Baker is able to escape but Valkyrie takes her back down with a shoulder block before she starts playing to the crowd taunting the DMD motion. They go back & forth a bit until Valkyrie awkwardly drops Baker and mounts her with punches as we go to picture in picture.
After the break Baker takes Valkyrie down with an elbow strike then goes for the cover but Valkyrie kicks out at one then they trade off kicks before Valkyrie takes down Baker with a lariat for a two count before Valkyrie catches Baker off into a northern lights suplex for a two count.
Baker comes back with Panama Sunrise then hooks the leg but Valkyrie kicks out at two then Baker puts on the glove but Valkyrie avoids it and hits a spear. Taya goes for the Road To Valhalla but Baker escapes and puts on Lockjaw & Valkyrie immediately taps out.
Winner By Submission: Britt Baker
Triple Threat Tag Team Match
Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor) vs. Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr & Rey Fenix)
Best Friends & Lucha Bros start fighting before Blackpool Combat Club can even make their way to the ring. Jon Moxley & Chuck Taylor make their way to the top of the stage where Taylor dives onto Moxley and everybody else off the stage.
Rey Fenix & Claudio Castagnoli eventually make their way into the ring and go at it before everybody else joins in and gets offense in before Castagnoli hits a pop up uppercut for a two count.
We finally get some tags in this match with Moxley & Trent Beretta coming in & Moxley takes Beretta down with a King Kong Lariat but Beretta kicks out at two as we go to picture in picture.
After the break everybody is going at it with Best Friends hitting in stereo piledrivers then Beretta goes for the pin Pentagon Jr kicks out at two. Castagnoli teases going for Riccola Bomb but Orange Cassidy makes his way out and takes out Wheeler Yuta.
Cassidy & Moxley start going at it as Beretta reverses Castagnoli and hits Crunchie but can’t make the pin as he’s not the legal man then Pentagon comes in and hits Fear Factor on Beretta to get the win.
Winners: Lucha Bros
After the match Blackpool Combat Club, Best Friends & Lucha Bros all keep fighting to close out this week’s Dynamite.
Matches Of The Night
Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland- 7/10
International Title Match- 6/10
Friday’s Rampage
AEW World Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders 8 Team Battle Royal
Jericho Appreciation Society (Matt Menard & Angelo Parker) vs. Spanish Announce Project (Luther & Serpentico) vs. The Hardys (Matt & Jeff) vs. Ethan Page & Isiah Kassidy vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal vs. Brian Cage & Big Bill vs. Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh vs. The Butcher & The Blade
Tag Team Match
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) vs. Hayden Backlund & Myung Jae Lee
Komander vs. Kip Sabian
Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose
Saturday’s Collision
AEW World Tag Team Titles Match
FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (c) vs. AEW World Champion MJF & Adam Cole
Ladder Match For Andrade El Idolo’s Mask
Trios Champion Buddy Matthews vs. Andrade El Idolo
Trios Match
Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn & Coleton Gunn) vs. Action Andretti, Darius Martin & El Hijo Del Vikingo
Next Wednesday’s Dynamite (200th Episode)
Tag Team Match
Jericho Appreciation Society (Daniel Garica & Sammy Guevara) vs. Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita
Triple Threat Anything Goes Match
Jon Moxley vs. Trent Beretta vs. Pentagon Jr
