Chris Jericho joined the commentary table this week on AEW Dynamite as they held their penultimate episode before we get to All Out.
Tag Team Gauntlet match: Young Bucks vs Natural Disasters vs Best Friends vs FTR
The Young Bucks and Natural Disasters started off the action as a quick salvo from the Bucks left Dustin Rhodes needing a breather. However, he quickly recuperated to land his patented powerslams and take control for his team.
The Bucks managed to remove QT Marshall from the equation for a while to isolate Rhodes but a keen Canadian Destroyer from Rhodes allowed Marshall to get the hot tag and get a close two-count after a backbreaker/reverse STO combo.
After a superkick party took out Rhodes, the Bucks hit a BTE Trigger to nail Marshall and pin him for the three-count before Rhodes could rally.
Next up saw the Best Friends enter the ring and gain an advantage early on against the tired-out Bucks. Nick Jackson looked to break away using his speedy offence but Trent stopped him in his tracks with a hefty spear to counter Nick’s apron moonsault.
After punishing Nick, the Best Friends missed a step as Nick managed to sneak under the bottom rope and pull Chuck Taylor from the apron. He followed up with an awesome looking German suplex to the apron on Trent. A hot tag to Matt Jackson saw him clean house but too many attempts at Northernlight suplexes saw Trent manage to counter into a DDT.
This Tag Team Gauntlet Match is heating up with both Best Friends & Young Bucks willing to pull out all the stops for a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championships at All Out next week!
Watch #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama. #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/r4Vs67MSSz
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) August 28, 2020
After a Sole Food/Half and Half combination, the Best Friends gave the people what they wanted with a big hug. However, the delay meant the Bucks were able to block the Strong Zero.
An assisted 450 splash from Nick Jackson only mustered a two-count, so the Bucks set up the Indietaker. Unfortunately, Nick was not able to complete the manoeuvre as Hangman Page was at ringside and held onto Nick’s leg allowing Trent to roll up Matt and eliminate the Bucks.
This left FTR vs Best Friends as the final leg of the gauntlet as the Bucks went to the back dumbfounded by what had just happened.
FTR immediately began putting the pain to Chuck Taylor after they rushed the Best Friends from the second the bell rang and took Trent out of action to boot. They kept Taylor isolated until Dax Harwood was able to put on a leg bar and force Taylor to tap out. FTR will face Hangman Page and Kenny Omega for the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Good matches throughout with FTR picking up the pieces at the end and a great twist in the tale with Hangman Page’s interference. With this and Omega’s new heel attitude I have no idea where this is going, which is a great feeling.
Lance Archer vs Sean Maluta
Lancer Archer demolished Maluta in quick fashion with a huge angle chokeslam, a Blackout and finally beating Maluta’s head into the mat until he laid lifeless for the three count.
Afterwards Jake Roberts got on the mic and talked about how much he loved watching Archer demolish people before he was interrupted by Team Taz, now rechristened as the Flintstones according to Roberts.
Taz talked about how Archer would not be winning the Casino Battle Royale announced for All Out and that it would be one of his team instead.
As the men faced off, Darby Allin’s music hit. He rode down on his skateboard and attacked Ricky Starks with the pair brawling to backstage.
Roberts and Taz held back Archer and Cage to save their confrontation for All Out.
The promise of two big men beating the snot out of each other, what’s not to love?
Hikaru Shida vs Thunder Rosa package
AEW put together a great package here that used footage of Rosa in NWA and really sold how big a deal a match between these two is. It’s a shame this wasn’t built into a longer feud build as this package instantly elevated the feud. This has the ability to steal the show at All Out if they’re given the time they deserve.
Tensions rising between #AEW Women's World Champion @shidahikaru and @thunderrosa22 before their big time match at #AEWAllOut ? #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/cDbKpLeUqK
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) August 28, 2020
AEW World Championship contract signing
MJF came to the ring wearing his neck brace and with his campaign team and lawyer in tow. Moxley, on the contrary, came to the ring alone.
MJF slammed Moxley for his inspirations spawning from the likes of New Jack and Danzig when he idolised the likes of Tully Blanchard.
Signing the contract himself, MJF and his Lawyer encouraged Moxley to do the same and ban the use of the Paradigm Shift in their match.
.@The_MJF explains the difference between himself and @JonMoxley in an interesting manner.
Watch #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama. #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/WjEJhUp4dq
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) August 28, 2020
Moxley signed after saying he would have to find new ways to hurt MJF without his finisher. He also pointed out there was one extra page added to the document.
MJF and his lawyer hadn’t read this additional page which stated that Moxley would have a tune-up match with MJF’s lawyer and if the lawyer didn’t show up, MJF would vacate his title shot.
This was a fun segment, MJF’s heelwork was great and Moxley played off him very well. On top of that the face outsmarted the heel in a surprising way that felt like good old school good vs bad booking. These guys clearly have chemistry outside of the ring so I hope it translates to inside the ring.
The Lucha Brothers and the Butcher and the Blade w/ Eddie Kingston vs Sonny Kiss, Joey Janela, Brian Pillman Jr and Griff Garrison
Kingston’s new crew took the boots to their opponents quickly and the Lucha Brothers both hit huge dives over the top rope to follow up.
Kiss and Janela managed to mount a comeback before Pentagon Jr stopped Janela in his tracks with a hideous package piledriver to the apron.
Pillman Jr began to duel with the Butcher but the Blade gave his partner a hand to hit him with their finisher followed by a tag-team attack from the Lucha Brothers for the new faction to take the win.
When @ReyFenixMx walks along the ropes, it's everything #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/W4ciSwrWtR
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) August 28, 2020
After the match, Kingston gave a scolding hot promo where he announced all of them will be in the Casino Battle Royale and one of them would be winning.
Kingston is absolutely electric and I can’t wait to see what he can achieve with a faction that has so much talent in it. He’s a brilliant choice for their mouthpiece.
The Dark Order celebrate their win
The Dark Order came to ring carrying a coffin as Evil Uno talked about how happy they’d been to see the Exalted One win the TNT Championship and that they were bidding farewell to Cody, who hasn’t been seen since his loss and beatdown.
Brodie Lee came to the ring with Anna Jay as Uno demanded all of the members of the Dark Order show their appreciation to Lee.
Your NEW TNT Champion Mr. @ThisBrodieLee!
Watch #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama. #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/NQfwESaiEQ— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) August 28, 2020
After demanding Tony Schiavone interview him in the ring, Lee stated how all of the Dark Order were ridiculed but he had silenced that ridicule. He announced the open challenge was over and that Cody would never get his belt back.
He also announced Anna Jay as number 99 and declared her the Queen Slayer before Jon Silver interrupted and tried to brown-nose Lee. In response, Lee cold clocked him and continued to proclaim he and the Dark Order as the hottest act in pro wrestling. Suddenly, Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall came to the ring to get retribution for Cody but could not beat the numbers game alone. Scorpio Sky came to the ring to help and made a good show of it but again was unable to overcome the numbers advantage.
.@ScorpioSky, The Natural Nightmares & @TheMattCardona came to the ring to lay a beatdown to the Dark Order!
Watch #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama. #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/ANfTcVfGAK
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) August 28, 2020
Lee retreated with Anna Jay but Matt Cardona came down to the ring to save the Natural Nightmares and Sky leaving the 4 men staring down the Dark Order on the ramp.
The Dark Order now have a reason to command respect, it took a while but I’m eager to see where it goes.
The Young Bucks confront Hangman Page
The Bucks came to Page angry and lambasted him for his actions saying they did everything for him and only wanted to be his friend but Page had spurned them. They said he acted like a jobber and Matt Jackson called him nothing but a drunk before tossing Page’s drink at him.
This is a believable angle that has played on a long-term animosity in the Elite members, I hope the payoff matches the slow-burn build-up.
Big Swole vs Britt Baker, Reba and Penelope Ford w/ Kip Sabian
The odds were stacked against Swole but Baker was unlikely to intervene as she was still wheelchair-bound. A cocky Baker announced prior to the match that if Swole could beat them, Swole could face Baker in any match she wanted.
Reba and Ford tried to take advantage of their numbers game and had control at the start of the match even with a little botch between Ford and Swole.
A misguided top rope attempt from Reba resulted in Swole being able to hit a top rope hurricanrana on her but Sabian interfered to distract the referee from counting the pin. Swole gave him a Dirty Dancing for his trouble. Reba hit a great looking Brett’s rope moonsault but Swole still kicked out at two.
Swole overcame the odds and dodged an attack with a crutch from Reba which resulted in her hitting Ford and allowing Swole to get the three.
Baker has made this a really fun feud and I can’t wait to see her get back in the ring again.
Anna Jay and the Dark Order make a new recruit
Anna Jay came to ringside with Evil Uno and Stu Grayson to offer Tay Conti a chance to join the Dark Order. She hugged Anna Jay and looked curiously at the information folder offered to her by Evil Uno.
Tay Conti is a hidden gem of hire that NXT should not have let go. She and Anna Jay were great in the Deadly Draw and it will be great to keep them paired up. The more Tay Conti we see, the better.
.@TayConti_ to the #DarkOrder?!
Watch #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama. #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/KI03i19WWq— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) August 28, 2020
Tables match: Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara
These two began brawling right away as they let out the aggression from all the bad blood they’ve built over the past few weeks.
Hardy tossed Guevara over the crowd barricades and even tried to throw a chair at Guevara in retaliation to Guevara’s previous actions but narrowly missed.
Coming back from the break, Guevara had been busted open but was still able to dodge a diving attack from Hardy who came crashing through a table. As it wasn’t on an offensive move that put him through the table, the match continued.
ALMOST had him, @MATTHARDYBRAND. Almost #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/lFzkushk7z
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) August 28, 2020
Guevara tried to hit Hardy with a chair but Hardy countered before wrapping the chair around Guevara’s neck and hitting him with the Twist of Fate.
Hardy pulled out a table that said ‘deleted’ on it and laid the table over a set-up chair.
Hardy scaled the turnbuckle but was unable to keep his balance. Guevara sprang into action and scaled the turnbuckle before hitting Hardy with a superplex and driving him through the table for the win.
After the match, Orange Cassidy’s music hit as he went for an assault on Chris Jericho. Officials tried to break them up as the show went off the air.
It was a shame this match felt like it had its legs cut off as it was very short and a lot of it took place over the break. The spots were good but it felt like it was all over before it began.
There was some good wrestling on this episode of Dynamite but not much story progression other than the breakdown with Page. Hopefully, AEW are saving its tricks for All Out and the go-home show but for a couple of hours of in-ring action, you can’t do better.
All pictures and videos provided by AEW.