Reviews by Dave
By David E Houston II
Show air date: May 19, 2021
AEW Dynamite was pretty good last week, as they are heading into their Double or Nothing (DoN) pay-per-view on May 30.
Christian Cage defeated Matt Sydal
I had high expectations for Christian Cage vs Matt Sydal, and they lived up to it. Very good match between two great veterans. Great after-match angle with Team Taz laying out both (poor Matt having to sell for Hook) and being saved by Hangman Page, who himself is laid out. Page will face “The Machine” Brian Cage of Team Taz at Double or Nothing.
Good Varsity Blonds Promo
Good promo from Varsity Blonds before their first world title shot in the show’s main event. Not great but good for two young guys. Julia Hart already is annoying me.
Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston defeated The Acclaimed
After some very good dueling promos and a hilarious diss track by Max Caster, the Acclaimed–Caster and Anthony Bowens–lost to Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston in an entertaining match. They let the veterans eat the younger guys up way too much for my taste. Mox and King should stick to the original version of “Wild Thing”.
A Deep, Deep History
Scorpio Sky and “All Ego” Ethan Page got off a hot promo before getting into a scuffle with Sting and Darby Allin. They lost the fight, but I like they didn’t run like “cowardly heels”.Page vs Allin is akin to Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn in WWE as it has a deep, deep history before either of them got to the “Big Stage”. The Dark Order is completely useless.
This Was Short and It Worked.
The Pinnacle are the restaurant server’s worst nightmare but thankfully, no song and dance. This was short and it worked.
Hikaru Shida defeated Rebel
Women’s champion Hikaru Shida beat Rebel (or Reba to her friends) but it was more angle than match with Shida’s title challenger at DoN, Dr. Britt Baker DMD, jumping her after the match and Curb Stomping her face into the title belt (that’s right Tony: title belt. Tell them again!!).
Pretty good segment.
World champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis check on his DoN opponent Orange Cassidy, who is just a Best Acquaintance since Best Friends and Kris Statlander really did leave him with them alone. Pretty good segment.
I’m just bored with the Inner Circle.
Serena Deeb (c) defeated Red Velvet
NWA World Women’s Championship
Good match as Red Velvet was unsuccessful in her challenge for the NWA Women’s World title against Serena Deeb. The only blemish I thought was the moonsault to the floor. Felt just thrown in to throw shit in. Velvet proved again to be a fast-rising star and Deeb proved to again be a great wrestler and excellent ring general.
Great backstage promo from PAC.
Anthony Ogogo defeated Austin Gunn
Anthony Ogogo beat Austin Gunn quickly and badly with really only 3 punches. Gunn was bleeding from the mouth (why?) and Ogogo somehow got busted the hard way. Good tense standoff from Ogogo and his DoN opponent, Cody Rhodes, who was in Gunn’s corner. This is the third guy to get busted in 7 days over three shows (Daniels from last week, Raul Mendoza on NXT last Tuesday).
The New TNT Champion
Intense face off with TNT champion Miro and his DoN opponent, “The MurderHawk” Lance Archer.
The Young Bucks (c) defeated The Varsity Blonds
for the AEW World Tag Team Championship
In one of the less appealing TV main events of 2021 (which has been a year of unappealing TV main events), The Young Bucks–Nick and Matt Jackson–beat the Blonds. Jacksons carried the young guns to a nice TV match. Then got choked out and robbed of their shoes by their DoN opponents, Moxley and Kingston.
Good show for them that they clearly built up like a go-home show in case folks miss the show on the 28th at a different time on a different night.
Thanks for reading!
