A Grand Opening
Dynamite started strong with Bryan Danielson stepping in the ring against Kenny Omega to prove who is the better professional wrestler. If you’re a fan of both men, then I can’t see how you would feel disappointed with this match, except for maybe the finish.
The match was tremendous and showed why Bryan and Omega are constantly brought up as two of the best wrestlers in recent times. Bryan didn’t miss a beat and picked up where he left off after a short hiatus, and Omega once again delivered in a big match situation.
Bryan showed more of an aggressive style at times and at one point pulled out the Cattle Mutilation for a big pop. Both competitors went back and forth, trading signature spots. The ending came when neither could get the victory as the time limit expired at thirty minutes.
The ending caught me by surprise as I found the match so captivating that I wasn’t even thinking about the time limit until it was brought up by Justin Roberts and the commentators in the last minute. It was the right ending though, and it sets up a rematch in the future—possibly at Full Gear with the World Championship on the line.
The question will be is if they are going to go more than thirty in their match? It felt like the story in this match was that both men are so on top of their game and know each other very well that it created a stalemate with neither able to end it, and if they’re to build on it, then it’s likely we are getting an even longer match between the two on a Pay Per View.
As the match ended, Danielson looked to continue the attack on Omega, but The Young Bucks and Adam Cole came down to the ring to aid Omega and pull Bryan away. With Bryan caught off-guard, Cole and The Bucks delivered a triple superkick to Danielson.
This would lead to Christian, Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus running down to save Bryan and continue the build to the six-man tag match that will be taking place on Rampage. Overall, an excellent match that furthers multiple stories and a great way to start a historic edition of Dynamite.
Professional Wrestling back in New York City
If you were to tell me a few years ago that one day Bryan Danielson would compete against Kenny Omega at a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium in a company that isn’t WWE, followed by a promo from CM Punk hyping up his upcoming match, I wouldn’t be able to believe it. Yet here we are.
Punk kept the party-like atmosphere going when Cult of Personality hit with the crowd singing along. Punk sounded great and really put over that AEW is professional wrestling. He talked about how he was glad to not be wrestling tonight because how could anyone go on after the classic that started the show.
He spoke about how he is now in a happy place and how Powerhouse Hobbs and Team Taz made the mistake by not ending him last week. It was an effective segment that reminded everyone that he will be stepping in the ring for the second time since his return this week on Rampage.
MJF vs Brian Pillman Jr.
They had a fine match, and the crowd were into it, but I feel like it’s a match that might get forgotten about. I’ve said before how I felt that Brian needed to get revenge against MJF with how dastardly MJF has been but that didn’t happen in this match as MJF got the win.
With that being said, I have confidence in AEW and long-term booking. Both men are very young and it’s a feud you can revisit down the line and even use the story of this one as the basis of it.
I think the important thing now is the follow up on Brian Pillman Jr. and where they take his character next. I’m also interested seeing what MJF will move onto. They’ve been teasing the breakup with Wardlow so that’s something they might start focusing more on, but there could also be something with him against Sting and Darby with Darby being a thorn in the side of The Pinnacle recently.
The American Nightmare and The House of Black
The big story to come out of this match will probably be the reaction Cody got from the crowd that weren’t on his side. The match itself was good, with Cody working on the legs of Malakai to try and limit his destructive kicks.
Brandi Rhodes made her return and one of my favourite spots in the match involved her. As Black sat cross-legged in the ring, Brandi rolled in to mimic him before giving him the finger and telling him to ‘F’ off.
Cody played more of a heel in the match and the ending saw Arn Anderson slip of the apron which I was unsure if it was intentional or a mistake, but he would get back up on the apron again only for Cody to accidentally knock him down.
With the chaos and referee distracted, Black spat some black mist in the face of Cody and got the pinfall. It was the right choice having Malakai remain undefeated and most likely move onto a program with someone else now. There are a lot of great matches and potential feuds waiting for him.
As for Cody, I am intrigued to see the follow up. They planted the seeds for a falling out with him and Arn and a more aggressive or even a full heel turn in Cody could be what is needed for him.
Rewinding The Clock
FTR came out in an NWO inspired outfit that looked cool and played into the match against Sting with his history against them in WCW. It’s incredible to see Sting come out and still give it his all. The crowd loved it and FTW were great at taking Sting’s offense throughout the match.
I had mixed feelings with Sting and Darby getting the win. I understand that they are wanting to keep Sting special and it’s probably building to some big loss down the line, but FTR are a specialist tag team and perceived as one of the best in AEW and a loss against a team that don’t have much experience together makes them look a little weak.
If this is all leading to something bigger then I don’t have too much of a problem with it. If we are going to get Sting and Darby finding some new friends to take on The Pinnacle, then the win for Sting and Darby can make sense with The Pinnacle coming back after them for revenge.
But it was a fun tag team match and credit to Sting that he is still willing to step in the ring, giving it his all and entertaining a sold-out audience in New York City.
The Main Event
The final match on Dynamite was for the AEW Women’s World Championship between challenger Ruby Soho and champion Britt Baker, accompanied by Jamie Hayter and Rebel.
This was a big match for the women’s division and especially for Ruby Soho. It was Ruby’s chance to really show what she has and prove that she can main event and someday lead the women’s division.
I really enjoyed this match and for me was my second favourite after the opener. It was also one of the best women’s matches I have seen in AEW. Ruby showed a lot of great babyface offense throughout the match as she tried to overcome the numbers games and defeat a champion that would take all shortcuts. Ultimately, the numbers advantage proved too much as Britt Baker would get the win over a valiant Soho.
I’m happy for Ruby. There would’ve been a lot of frustration during her time in WWE, and to have the opportunity to come out and compete on the biggest stage in AEW history and deliver in it must relieve any pressure or doubts that she might’ve had coming into this match.
It was also another great performance from Britt Baker who continues to prove why she is the best choice to be the women’s champion at the moment. I’m all for an eventual rematch between the two, and it looks like the feud will continue in some form with possibly Ruby needing to find a squad to go against Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter and Rebel.
Final Thoughts: This was an historic edition of Dynamite with it being the most attended show in their history, and the most attended wrestling show outside of WWE in North America since the late nineties. They made the show feel grand and match the historic nature of it by delivering a Pay Per View worthy card. Danielson and Omega is one of the best televised matches that you’re going to see, and the rest of the show flowed well with good in ring wrestling, a fun CM Punk promo, and a great main event.