AEW Dynamite Thread 2023

[d-d-d-dAz]

4 minutes ago, Mr Kennedy said:

Looked like Mox got dropped on his head on at least one of the drivers. Hopefully he’s ok.

He got injured on the first, and then everyone’s heads melted on how to finish the match and - by all accounts - do the unplanned switch.

Every decision from that first driver was bad.

The ref, in particular, needs to go in the naughty corner. Then be joined by Fenix for even thinking/agreeing to do the move again. Mox gets a pass because I think he tried to call it after the first and had been knocked goofy.

[LaGoosh]

I've only watched the opener and the main event so far. Both matches were excellent. I loved Kingston winning and he put in an absolutely excellent performance. I'm glad this story is over though, as it's basically almost been completely carried by Eddie alone. Claudio is obviously great at a lot of stuff, but fundamentally he's never been actually able to truly create believable emotional stakes in his matches and that alone is why he'll never be the main event wrestler he should have been, despite having literally every other tool you need to get to that spot. The fans will never truly love or hate him with all their hearts because he is not able to make them. Kingston though is obviously the best, God bless him.

Main event was tremendous from start to finish and MJF may be the best and most nautral babyface I've seen in an incredibly long time. My only criticism is based on my own personal preference rather than anything the performers did wrong - Joe should have won! This MJF/Cole story desperately needs something big to happen to give it a shot in the arm and a title change would have been just that. When Cole left to see to Roderick's "emergency" I immediately thought it was a ruse and Strong was just tricking Cole to get him away from MJF and then Strong himself would have interfered and cost MJF the title which would have been brilliant but alas. Watching Cole do a running jump off a 6 foot platform and seemingly fuck his leg up was not a good moment. Hopefully it's nothing serious and doesn't fuck up any long term story plans.

[Loki]

It really looked like Mox was knocked out on the initial dive before the match even started.  You could see him trying to work the match and just his legs weren't under him.  I did think they'd call the match right there on that first pin.  But he seemed to recover after that.  I wonder if as a result he decided to change the result and Bryce just didn't count the three?  Or that driver knocked him loopy a second time.

Regardless, he needs 6 months off imo.  

[d-d-d-dAz]

2 minutes ago, Loki said:

It really looked like Mox was knocked out on the initial dive before the match even started.  You could see him trying to work the match and just his legs weren't under him.  I did think they'd call the match right there on that first pin.  But he seemed to recover after that.  I wonder if as a result he decided to change the result and Bryce just didn't count the three?  Or that driver knocked him loopy a second time.

Regardless, he needs 6 months off imo.  

You might be right, but that raises even bigger questions. Going back for a piledriver after he couldn’t lift his shoulder after the first is awful, however he got hurt.

[mim731]

5 minutes ago, Loki said:

It really looked like Mox was knocked out on the initial dive before the match even started.  You could see him trying to work the match and just his legs weren't under him.  I did think they'd call the match right there on that first pin.  But he seemed to recover after that.  I wonder if as a result he decided to change the result and Bryce just didn't count the three?  Or that driver knocked him loopy a second time.

Regardless, he needs 6 months off imo.  

Doesn't impact the importance of your point, 100% agree, but it was Rick Knox refereeing, not Bryce at fault (for once!).

[d-d-d-dAz]

The first driver was definitely a loose carry, the slow-mo shows far to much head compression, but I think @Loki might be right about the dive. He really struggles to gain composure for a while after that.

Awful, all round, really.

#GiveMoxHisVacation

Edited September 21, 2023 by d-d-d-dAz

[The King Of Swing]

22 minutes ago, Loki said:

It really looked like Mox was knocked out on the initial dive before the match even started. 

Early reports are indicating that is what happened. As you say, Mox looked off following that spot.

If true, as much as I can understand not wanting to call the match so early, they really should have. 

Even without taking the injuries into account that was a rough show at points, imo.

Nothing really felt 'Grand Slam worthy' to me.

The Strong in hospital stuff was awful. Really fucking bad. 

Sorry but I hate Storm's gimmick. Was fun at first but gets worse and more cringe with every passing week.

Jericho/Sammy just didn't click imo and was pretty sloppy but the post match turn was decent.

Strong opener with the correct result. 

Good main event. Big fan of Cole hiding the evidence, hopefully his injury isn’t serious. 

Rampage and Collision look like they'll be fun.

[WyattSheepMask]

My heart nearly leapt out of my throat when Fenix picked Mox up by the head after the count. For fucks sake lads, don’t touch a guy who’s just been dropped on his head. Either count him out or do a ref stoppage, which is the same as a submission. Fuck whatever the finish was supposed to be, get out of there and go to break so tgat he can get some help.

You could see Mox moving his leg and they said he was able to walk out under his own power, so hopefully it isn’t anything too serious and he can be given some much needed time off, but everyone else needs a serious talking to

[LaGoosh]

That Roderick Strong hospital bed bit was absolutely classic. Him playing up his neck injury as if he's in a coma or dying is just wonderful, my mind is blown that Roderick Strong of all people is one of the most entertaining characters in wrestling right now.

[FLips]

Can’t believe people saying the Strong in Hospital stuff was bad. Him raising “Neck Injury Awareness” and raising himself in that creaky bed were outstanding.

[RedRooster]

As far as the Rick Knox thing goes - if this was indeed an unplanned title change, is there a chance someone shouted in his ear to stop the count; perhaps as they didn’t have Fenix’s music cued up, or they just generally panicked? 

I have a low opinion of Knox as a referee, and the refereeing in general in AEW; but this mess seems inexplicable. Either way, Fenix repeating the same move was potentially catastrophic - it’s scary that we ended up in a situation where something like this happened. 

On a more positive note, Strong continues to be fantastic. I’d like a ‘neck awareness’ PSA next week, please. 

[69MeDon]

I kind of checked out of AEW a little bit after All In and All out - just felt like a natural stopping point for a little break. Back for Grand Slam, and I really enjoyed it. The stadium looked great, even with less than they've had in there in previous years. All matches mostly delivered.

[Factotum]

If Cole is injured, they have to do him and Roderick skits in hospital together.

MJF. Not much more to say. Has taken to babyface like a duck to water. I was always a bit on the fence with him. He's utterly won me over. If Cole is out for a while they need something big with him.

Eddie winning. Who doesn't love him?

[Merzbow]

34 minutes ago, 69MeDon said:

I kind of checked out of AEW a little bit after All In and All out - just felt like a natural stopping point for a little break. Back for Grand Slam, and I really enjoyed it. The stadium looked great, even with less than they've had in there in previous years. All matches mostly delivered.

You're not the only one, it's been the first time since AEW started that I've skipped multiple Dynamites. A little bit of burn out and a lot of just plain annoyance, hoping for less drama and no more nonce mums from now on.

[BomberPat]

39 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

As far as the Rick Knox thing goes - if this was indeed an unplanned title change, is there a chance someone shouted in his ear to stop the count; perhaps as they didn’t have Fenix’s music cued up, or they just generally panicked?

100%. He will have had production in his ear telling him that it's not the finish, all while Moxley is telling him that it is. In that situation, you should count the pinfall as a shoot, but it's a split-second decision that basically comes down to who you want angrier at you, a wrestler or the office. Always a tough call.

It doesn't sound like the driver was the issue, so I wasn't that concerned about Fenix hitting it twice. But if, as it seems, Moxley was concussed earlier in the match, to the extent they had to drop the title on an audible, they should have ended it sooner and gone to something different for the finish. But those are all extremely easy things to say in hindsight.

 

I enjoyed the show, just the usual long-standing AEW problem of too much repetition of spots, and the new AEW problem of the show being full of former/current stable-mates and "best friends" fighting each other or teasing that they might fight each other. Who hurt you, Tony?

I know there's two more shows this week, and it's a massive roster, but The Elite weren't on this show at all. It feels odd to set up Kota Ibushi as Don Callis' next target, then not have Ibushi show up at all, not have Takeshita show up on TV again, nor have Kenny Omega make his response, and have Don Callis move on to getting back involved in Jericho's business. It all feels unfocused.