Reviews by Dave
By David E Houston II
Show air date: May 5, 2021
AEW Dynamite gave me that 97 Nitro vibe and that’s a good thing. Then the final moments gave me the 2000 Nitro vibes and that’s never good.
Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston defeated Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa
World champ Kenny Omega and his good buddy Michael Nakazawa faced long-time rivals (I mean looooong time) Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Some heel work first as Omega’s spokesman, Don Callis, said he wasn’t in the building but that wasn’t true. It was a clever way for them to get the advantage and a surprisingly good match was had. Mox and King won (King should have gotten the pin) but are confronted by Tag champs, the Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson), and blindsided by the Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson). This was also good but damn, how much longer are they going to have Omega and Moxley entangled? Move on!!!
Cody Rhodes defeated QT Marshall
Talk about a good wrestling match, Cody Rhodes beat QT Marshall in one of the best pure matches I’ve seen Cody have in a while. He wasn’t trying to show how strong he was or how he can do all the spots. He just worked a good, sound match. I didn’t like the end. Since this isn’t nearly the end of the Family vs the Factory feud, Marshall should have won. Plus, I can’t tell where he got busted open, and I hope he didn’t blade just to blade.
Britt Baker, DMD defeated Julia Hart
Dr. Britt Baker, DMD (with Rebel) squashed young Julia Hart (who is not from Calgary). A very good and effective way to showcase Baker with her title shot at the Women’s title announced at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
Technique With Taz’s subject this week was Christian Cage (of course) and it was good, like it normally is.
Hot Segment!
Great interview in the balcony area with Scorpio Sky and “All Ego” Ethan Page. TNT champion Darby Allin did a classic Stupid Babyface move, picking a fight with two men by himself and got his ass whooped. Ending with Page, his biggest enemy from their EVOLVE days (which Page does reference), throwing him down some stairs. Hot segment.
SCU defeated Varsity Blonds, Jurassic Express, and The Acclaimed
SCU–Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian–beat Varsity Blond (Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison), Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus and Jungle Jack Perry), and the returning to TV, The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) in a four-way match to determine the challengers for the Bucks’ tag titles next week. It was fine.
A Japanese Legend is Returning to TNT
Great hype video for Moxley’s IWGP US title defense against Japanese legend–and making his return to TNT after a couple of decades–Yuji Nagata.
No More Hypebeast!
I like this Miro. No more hypebeast. Just beast. He challenges Allin next week.
Main Event: The Pinnacle defeated The Inner Circle
in a Blood & Guts Match
In the main event, The Pinnacle–MJF, Wardlow, FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), and Shawn Spears–beat the Inner Circle–Le Insurrection (not my joke but a good one) Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, and Santana and Ortiz. I didn’t give a damn about those Party City jail suits but the “Dead Presidents” face paint for Santana and Ortiz should have been a team thing. This match was excellent and they had the best team to call it and give firsthand eyewitness accounts of the original matches back in 87 and even the awesome one in Jacksonville in 92.
The problems for me started after the Blood and Guts started as it went on too long. Once everyone is in, give it 5-7 min and go home. Seemed it started to drag and then MJF and Jericho somehow ended up on top of the cage and that led to MJF winning by having Guevara submit to save Jericho from being thrown off the cage and, of course, MJF threw him off anyway, landing on the least dangerous looking spot in the whole arena.
This spot was trash when it was Rikishi. It was trash when it was Chris Kanyon. It’s just a terrible spot to attempt. It’s impossible to do safely and look good on TV. Other than the last 5 minutes, this was an excellent show.
Thanks for reading!
