Show Air Date: January 15, 2025
AEW Dynamite was live on TBS and MAX for “Maximum Carnage” (you just gon’ let them do this, Disney?) in the Andrew J Brady Music Center in the other “Queen City” Cincinnati, Ohio. Good-looking venue with a pretty quiet crowd. Not a bad crowd, but not always the most active one. I’m going into this, hoping it’s better than the Spider-Man story I read years ago of the same name. Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on commentary. Starting off good with Taz back and no longer having Matt Menard.
For some reason, they throw in a Jon Moxley video package of the World Title Main Event with Powerhouse Hobbs and other matches on the show. This kind of promotional video is good BEFORE the event, not during it. We’re here now!
Kenny Omega defeats Brian Cage (w/Lance Archer)
Kenny Omega made his in-ring return to Dynamite since November 2023, beating “The Machine” Brian Cage of the Don Callis Family (with Callis working commentary and not ringside because AEW does not get how managers work). Cage’s tag partner, Lance Archer, did work a little bit ringside. Once they went outside, Callis did actually behave like a manager. Cage was the right guy for this spot for many reasons, but this went way way too long. This went nearly 12 min. Cage is a Jacked Mulkey brother in AEW. He’s not the guy for a long, competitive bout. Save that for someone with credibility.
Omega wins with the One-Winged Angel. Archer and fellow DCF member Kyle Fletcher put a beat down on Omega after the match. Saved by Will Ospreay until International champion Konosuke Takeshita arrives and turns the tide. Segment was good for the most part and sets up some stuff for later. It seemed like they were never going to cut from this.
Very good clip with MVP announcing his return to the ring and his in-ring debut for AEW later tonight.
Some Jeri…FF.
We hear from Ricochet. A lot of blue suits lately in AEW. We don’t really hear from Ricochet as Cincinnati drowned him out with boos. He did show a still from his bloody attack on Swerve Strickland last week. Prince Nana slips in and bashes him with a chair. Strickland then bullies him out of the ring and then the building. It was okay.
The video package for TBS champion “The CEO” Mercedes Moné got the Lay Daze something in the first hour. TBS has the TBS champion back on, but do they know Moné is a heel? Is there a rule against her working matches on TBS? What are we doing here?
The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, MVP & Shelton Benjamin) defeat Mark Briscoe & Private Party (Quen & Zay)
The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP) beat World tag champions Private Party (Quen and Zay) and Mark Briscoe (a DEI booking, if you ask me) in a 6-man match. Solid. Nothing special. Benjamin pinned Quen with a superkick. That is not his move. P looked a little winded, probably in the ring too much for only his 3rd overall match since 2022. That should put THS in title contention for the tag titles and the Trios titles (if anyone remembers, they have Trios titles). Shelton no longer interested in the TNT title?
We got a confrontation between Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Jeff Jarrett and boy was this bih long. MJF did his normal lame social media comment thread jabs. I did like Jeff laughing them off. Sir, he’s from Memphis. They invented cold-hearted promos. This is light work. Jeff even gave it back with his own lame, cheap shots.
Never seemed to want to end. Max went right into Origin Story mode, and I was too far from my remote to get out. Finally, once Max started talking about Owen Hart (sigh), Jeff popped him. For some reason, Karen Jarrett ran out, and security stood there watching. Max doesn’t roll to the floor; he grabs Karen and then takes off in a full sprint. I hate that. Top heels might bail, but they don’t run. This needed an editor.
Hook (w/Katsuyori Shibata) defeats Christian Cage (w/Kip Sabian, Mother Wayne & Nick Wayne) by DQ
In a long, long-running feud between HOOK and “The Patriarch” Christian Cage (with MILF Wayne and then Kip Sabian and Lips by Nick Wayne) saw HOOK get a win by disqualification. I don’t know why this needed nearly 12 min anymore than the first match, especially with that finish. The match itself was fine; it just overstayed its welcome. If they had house shows, this match could use the work because it has something that needs fleshing out. Sabian and Wayne interfere, giving HOOK the win, but the purpose is just to attack him. He’s saved by the surprise return of Samoa Joe and a pointless Katsayori Shibata.
Dustin Rhodes with a pep talk to Jarrett. His holding two championship belts probably made Court Bauer think of something for one of his ancient warriors.
Toni Storm defeats Harley Cameron and Jamie Hayter and Julia Hart and Kris Statlander and Megan Bayne and Willow Nightingale
AEW Women’s World Title #1 Contendership Casino Gauntlet Match
With World champion (W) “The Glamour” Mariah May sitting in on commentary, Toni Storm won the Casino Gauntlet match to earn a World title shot at Grand Slam in Australia next month. This was okay. The true highlight was the debut of “The Megasus” Megan Bayne, who looked like a monster in there. Where does that leave Kamille, who is the exact same wrestler? They had Willow out there looking like a DEI booking, didn’t they? I guess they had to have Bayne’s debut and Harley Cameron. Had to have them. May applauds Storm winning, and she should. She already beat her. I love May as champ.
Main Event: Jon Moxley (w/Marina Shafir) (c) defeats Powerhouse Hobbs by referee’s decision
AEW World Title Match
World champion (M) Jon Moxley (with Marina Shafir and eventually all of the Death Riders) beat back Powerhouse Hobbs’s challenge. It was the longest match on the show but the only one that didn’t feel like it, making it the best match on the show. Something happens with Moxley and his ear and his bleeding a gusher. A classic NWA World title match set up, and I enjoyed it: face challenger puts up the fight of their life, but the heel champion finds a way to win, by hook and by crook. I loved Hobbs kicking up from first the Shafir briefcase shot and Moxley’s underhook DDT finish before Mox beats him with a bulldog choke.
In true Horsemen-like fashion, the other Death Riders (PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta) join in a post-match beatdown (yes, another post-match beatdown this show), with Cope and FTR making the save.
Flat show for most of it but a strong main event. But not strong enough for me.
The Real Uncle Dave grade: C (84 out of 100)
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