Posted on 3/16/123 by Colin Vassallo
Arena: Canada Life Center
City: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Last Week’s Rating: 858,000 overall; 0.29 in 18-49 demo
There was so much still to do with it.
Introduce All-Pacific & All-Indian titles for a King of the
Sea unification match aboard the Jericho Cruise, only for
the debuting Poseidon to capsize the ship for a no-contest;
and that’s before we even get to Shark Boy.
RIP the All-Atlantic Title.
*Montage with ‘highlights’, sad music & a wistful Cassidy
staring into his backpack*
It’s Wednesday night, it’s Dynamite. Let’s go.
…..
Justin introduced MJF to a parade of boos. Overcompensating
brilliantly for being dumped, Max was accompanied by four
ladies, the last of whom he made out with. Streamers and
balloons filled the ring as fairly loud ‘MJF’ chants dueled
with the boos. Straight to the cheap heat, he noted that
‘Shawn was much better’ than Bret.
He then reminded fans of how he’d beaten Danielson to retain
his belt. And now he’s not just a man, he’s ‘Iron Man’.
‘What a rush!’ noted Taz.
The ‘dancing-chair’ music played as several people streamed
down to hoist MJF up on a chair. Not for long though. Jack
Perry’s music quickly cut through as Max looked aghast.
A ‘Jungle Boy’ chant played. Before he could get a word
out, Sammy Guevara’s music hit too. Guess we’re getting a
meeting of the Four Pillars. Sammy stole some icing off the
cake; Max wasn’t happy. And now had a ridiculous Burberry
bucket on. Great stuff.
Of course, Darby Allin quickly followed. A loud ‘Darby’
chant accompanying him.
Max said they were ruining his moment and asked what they
wanted. As all three simultaneously yelled ‘I want a title
match’.
Perry noted that last time they met was three years ago and
Max cheated to win. Going on to get all the opportunities
he wanted while he had to wrestle on Dark (kinda remember
his title match with Omega being on Dynamite). Perry noted
that MJF had never even appeared on Rampage while the other
three had all wrestled on Dark
(So Dark sucks and Rampage isn’t much better. Got it).
All the hard-working people back there had to watch while
Max took twenty minutes to ‘do the same hokey bulls***’
every week.
Max started countering until Sammy shut him by threatening
to turn a re-Bar Mitzvah into a ‘re-circumcision’. Guevara
passionately talked about how hard he had to work to get
here. The most cheers he’s drawn in years.
He was brought in to be the Inner Circle’s ‘job guy’ and
‘take the bumps for Jericho’ (almost silence for these
statements because who the hell wants to hear that?), but
he’d overcome that. He got himself to where he’s at, and
now he’s gonna ‘get there’ (pointing to the title).
Max again tried to argue back, thanking Sammy for taking
time out of his busy schedule getting into brawls in the
back. This time Darby cut him off.
He talked about how he’d dropped out of film school rather
than change who he was. And maybe he was the worst
businessman in the world but AEW gave him something he
couldn’t get anywhere else, something you couldn’t put a
price on, ‘they let me be me’.
He’s sick of wrestlers whining on Twitter about their
contract situations and etc. Including MJF. AEW means a
whole lot more to him than it does to any of those
wrestlers. And if Max won’t give him a shot, ‘I’m just
gonna go complain about it on Twitter’. Before noting that
what he’ll actually do is beat MJF’s face in with a
skateboard then give him a headlock takeover (a shoutout to
their match in at Full Gear ’21).
Max snapped that he’d had it with all of them. Darby said
he looked ‘like s***’. Max threw insults at all of them,
including ‘Sammy In about seven months I’m gonna propose to
a new girl Guevara’. Drawing ooooooohs from the crowd.
Sammy fired back that his fiancée had just left him.
After starting well, this was now descending toward comedy
and more like a bad reality-show.
Max then made the point that the other three all had vets
look out for them while he was ‘ready since day one’. A few
weak ‘Wardlow’ chants (poor Wardlow).
‘I’m the only pillar who can actually keep this place up’.
He’s beaten all of them one-on-one, so none of them will get
a shot. He demanded they all leave and let him eat his
cake, pie-facing Perry who took him down, Sammy took out
Perry, Darby and Guevara went at it, resulting in MJF
landing in the cake.
Maybe I’m just a miserable b****** but this felt too goofy
for the world title picture. Darby and Sammy cut good
promos (Perry honestly came off like a whiner) but all three
were a little too insider (or a lot in Sammy’s case).
Started really well, didn’t end the same way. But I like
that they’re involving these guys in the title picture.
Despite the up-and-down booking, they all feel like they
belong there due to the four pillars thing which we’ve been
told now for years.
…..
Footage of Jericho being honored by the city as they pushed
the trios main event.
Hangman Adam Page, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs the Blackpool
Combat Club
Backstory: Caught-up in the Page/Moxley feud, Uno was beaten
bloody by Mox a few weeks back and what’s left of the Dark
Order were left laying by the BCC last week
The crowd certainly didn’t see the BCC as heels despite
their recent behavior. Also, Wild Thing doesn’t exactly
scream bad guys.
Big pop for Page, Grayson got a pretty good response in his
home country. Uno continues to wrestle without a shirt.
Uno blasted Yuta with a boot right away, the two exchanged
chops in the corner, the vet getting the better of it until
being driven back into the BCC corner. Mox threw forearms
then choked the masked-man with his jacket before tagging
Claudio for a double-team dropkick to the face.
Back in, Yuta took a cheap shot at Hangman, ate a back body
drop and allowed the tag to Grayson who hit a crazy
springboard ddt from in-to-out, over Moxley, driving Claudio
headfirst into the apron (one of the coolest moves I’ve seen
in a long time).
A meteora back inside continuing the attack until being
blindsided by Mox but coming back with a uranage. Then a
swinging ddt off the ropes onto CC, springboard moonsault
with a twist, crowd going wild here. More like Graytson
than Grayson, amiright?
A backslide was blocked by Claudio, who then flung Grayson
outside as an all-BCC spike-piledriver on the outside
brought the break.
Struggling as we returned, Grayson was in the wrong corner,
Claudio aiming mocking kicks and blasting the Canadian with
an uppercut. Mox back in, another piledriver for two and
the first pin attempt of the match.
Taking him to the corner, Moxley flung chops, blasted him
with a clothesline but ate a jumping knee-strike, allowing
the very hot tag to Hangman, who offered lariats for all, a
springboard one sending Claudio outside as he caught Yuta
into a fallaway before launching himself onto Castagnoli and
drilling Yuta with an off-hand lariat after the strong-arm
was blocked.
Great sequence. Crowd hot.
Yuta slipped out of a powerbomb but was caught in another as
Uno came off the top with a senton, Claudio wiped him out
with an uppercut but ate a discus from Page, Grayson
polished things off with a Cactus Clothesline to the
outside.
Yuta avoided a Dead Eye and tagged Mox as the two big rivals
went head-to-head. Shockingly, a fistfight broke out, Page
getting the better, readying a Buckshot until Yuta drilled
him with the ring-bell.
The Dark Order checked on Page then fired up and continued
the fight against the odds. Faring well until Yuta clipped
Uno with a chopblock. Grayson avoided a splash in the
corner, launching a diving senton over the buckle to Claudio
on the outside as Uno countered a Death Rider into a ddt of
his own in-ring. Grayson hopped up-top, Moxley prone, he
and Uno hit their combo 450/senton splash in the corner for
the closest of twos on Mox.
Then hit the Fatality, Yuta made the save at 2.9. Grayson
knocked Mox loopy with a Pele kick, hit a hurracanrana on
Claudio for another two (very much Lucha rules here,
whoever’s in is legal) until Yuta dragged Uno off the apron.
Leaving Grayson alone to eat a pop-up uppercut and a rear-
naked from Mox as the BCC bagged the win.
Moxley again refused to release the hold, transitioning into
the Bulldog, continuing the assault as Uno tried to make the
save, until Silver and Reynolds ran them off.
This was six guys determined not to be outshone by the main
event. Very good match interrupted by ads.
And the fact that Grayson is no longer employed while the
likes of Jarrett, Lethal and Parker Boudreaux take up tv
time, is a crime. And a clear example of why some fans long
for the ‘old’ AEW.
Also like the fact that the trios division now seems to
actually have teams.
WINNER: BCC
Juice Robinson promo. He asked what Starks was going to do
about him planting Ricky’s surgically repaired neck into the
mat. Rhetorically. Because ‘you ain’t gonna do jack-
diddly-squat’.
Remain unimpressed. Robinson’s promo style is over the top.
…..
They again pushed the main event and the International title
match.
Jade Cargill vs Nicole Matthews, Canadian Open Challenge for
TBS Title
Backstory: Cargill feels there are no tests left for her,
challenged any Canadian
Jaded very quickly. Excalibur noted that it’s just about
her two-year anniversary. Question is, how many years until
she’s capable of having a solid match?
Renee got in the ring to ask the same question as last week
about competition. Jade gave the same answer – ‘Aren’t you
from Canada?’ Backing Renee to the corner then asking if
that was all Canada had to offer.
Taya Valkyrie’s music hit to a nice pop. Despite insisting
she’d be in Cali today, she was indeed in her home country.
Taya drilled Leila Gray with Jaded as Cargill posed on the
ramp and Taya laughed.
Valkyrie’s a physical match for Cargill. Which makes a nice
change.
WINNER: Jade Cargill
Schiavone backstage with Ricky Starks. Who noted Juice
hadn’t done anything in AEW and was part of a group which
hadn’t been relevant since 2015. If he wants some, if he
wants to bring Bullet Club with him, he can come get some
(to be clear, it seemed like a throwaway line, not as if
Bullet Club were actually coming in).
…..
QTV with Marshall, Hobbs, some of the Nightmare Factory and
a blond Australian lady who mockingly reported that no-one
knew who stole Wardlow’s stuff. They then played footage of
Bayley’s Ex (legit can’t remember his name & they never told
us) breaking into the car and stealing the belt.
And all laughed afterwards (except Hobbs, who only knows
mean mug) as QT joked about MJF ‘stealing all his
(Wardlow’s) momentum’ last year as the insider hits kept
playing. Marshall said ‘Ruthless Aggression’ like Vince
McMahon, no idea why. The blonde asked what was next for
Wardlow as Bayley’s Ex said ‘Batista but not as good’. QT
revealed that he’d stolen Wardlow’s passport. Hobbs
finished by saying ‘Welcome to Will’s Word, b****’.
Between he and Wardlow, not sure who I feel more sorry for.
This would’ve made the word cringe grimace.
One of the worst segments yet known to 2023.
Jeff Jarrett vs Orange Cassidy, International Title
Backstory: Jarrett attacked Cassidy (with a guitar!!!) after
he beat Jay Lethal last week; the All-Atlantic Title now
becomes the International Title
Excalibur tried to back-explain the Hobbs/QT relationship
(since the previous segment didn’t begin to bother) as
Jarrett made his entrance to tepid boos. Cassidy placed the
new belt in his backpack only to bring it out again a few
steps later as he reached the ring.
There was also a fan dressed as the Shockmaster.
A freshly squeezed chant kicked up as we kicked off, Jarrett
landing a hip-toss then strutting. He then strutted again.
This man is Jericho-like in his ability to mix up his act.
Cassidy missed the Punch but got the pockets, Jarrett
thought figure four, Cassidy kicked him away but came down
on his already injured knee (from last week’s guitar shot)
after a leapfrog. Jarrett then mimicked Cassidy’s kicks,
firing Orange up as he unloaded then introduced Jeff’s head
to the buckle for a count of ten.
They were really pushing the whole Shazam thing as Jarrett
barged Cassidy off the apron to bring the break.
Not exactly classic AEW so far.
Orange was down clutching his knee as we came back. Satnam
Singh flung him back inside as the announcers acted like
fire had been discovered. JJ continued to work the knee,
the crowd sounded bored. Until he hooked the sharpshooter
instead. Bringing a rain of boos.
Orange slipped out into one of his own; Jarrett was right at
the ropes.
A sleeper was next as 1998 looked on approvingly. After
fading briefly, Orange got the pockets, jawbreaker, sleeper
of his own, Singh again interfered, draping Orange across
the ropes. Leaving Jarrett to apply the figure four.
Cassidy fought his way free, the two exchanged shots in the
middle until Orange missed the Punch again. You’ll be
shocked but there was a ref bump and the guitar was
introduced. Thankfully, Aubrey marched her way down to
disrupt the guitar shot.
Cassidy grabbed the gee-tar, Singh snatched it back, Orange
went full Eddie Guerrero, collapsing as if he’d been struck:
Singh & Dutt were ejected. Cassidy pulled off a tornado
ddt, Jarrett again took the ref, Jay Lethal struck with the
Golden Globe after faking an injured shoulder.
Cassidy kicked out.
Trent took out Lethal, Orange went for the Punch, his knee
buckled, he fought off the Stroke, hit the Punch, his reign
continues/begins, depending on your pov.
What a way to introduce a new title. A hearty brew of mid-
90s style and mid-00s booking.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy
Promo video for the trios match. Jericho again put over he
and Omega being in the ring for the first time in company
history. Malakai again blathered about removing disease
from the company. He was right there in the previous match!
Where were you?
…..
The Acclaimed music video. Basically just showing them with
fans. This is not close to good enough follow-up for the
ex-champs and one of the company’s most popular acts.
…..
The Outcasts came out with their own music and entrance vid.
Not content with copying the nWo, their colors are black and
green. Ruby started telling a ‘story’ about how the ‘grass
used to be greener’ in AEW. Until a couple of ‘bitches’
turned up to help ‘house-train’ the other dogs (I think).
Saraya ranted that without them, there wouldn’t be a
division. ‘I’m a miracle!’ More ‘neck-beard’ stuff,
followed up by ‘stinky tw**s’. (Is that not as bad a word
over there as it is here? Because that’s like the worst
word you can say in the UK.)
Saraya sounded like she’d run out of stuff to say. So Toni
talked about being interim champ. Not the true champ.
They’re going after one entitled rookie after the next. The
crowd was dying until Toni named Britt & Jamie. Hayter’s
music hit and the the duo took down the trio until they
stood still for a bit so the heels could take over.
Britt was drilled with Destination Unknown; Jamie a Storm
Zero. Riho came down with a bat to chase them off.
Incoherent with little presence or charisma, the heels
sounded like even they didn’t believe what they were saying.
…..
The audio wasn’t yet ready as we came back and couldn’t hear
the start of a 2.0 promo. Talking sarcastically about the
Acclaimed’s music video. Twice the ex-champs have turned
them down. They need a reminder of why they should join the
JAS, so they should tune in Friday when they’ll be facing
the Bollywood Boyz.
Now if that doesn’t do it, they’ll never join up with
Jericho.
…..
Rey Fenix humbly accepted Hobbs’ open challenge, talking
about how he used to wrestle for free, has won tag and trios
titles so now fancies a shot at singles gold.
The House of Black vs the Elite vs the JAS, Trios Titles
Backstory: JAS won last week and declared selves #1
contenders, the Elite disagreed, the HOB said they’d be
happy to embarrass both hometown wrestlers (Omega & Jericho)
Should be a belter of a match. But feels a bit hot-shotty
throwing Omega & Jericho out there when they’ve never met
before (in AEW). Especially with only a week’s notice.
The champs came out first. Understandable given the home-
town situation. The Bucks were rocking ‘the Elite’ tees
with the logo in the form of the Canadian flag as the crowd
chanted ‘Kenny’ relentlessly. Omega went around ringside
shaking hands with a huge smile on his face.
Don Callis joined on comms as the crowd chanted ‘Holy S’
before the fight had even begun. Which it did with Guevara
facing off against Brody King. Sammy threw a big dropkick
which didn’t budge the big man a bit, before posing and
being dropped with a chop.
Tag to Garcia as a TiA chant began. The youngster too a
victim of a Brody chop as he dived for a tag to the Elite
who wanted no part of King. Garcia ate another chop before
tagging Jericho to a huge cheer. Malakai joined him, the
two circling each other until Omega tagged his way in off
Malakai’s back to possibly an even louder cheer.
But the House swarmed the ring before the hometown boys
could go at it. Nice tease. Break time.
Jericho was being beaten down by Malakai as we came back but
responded with stiff chops and a whip to the corner, both
ducked the other’s finish until Jericho went vintage with an
underhook backbreaker.
Then tagged Sammy as the JAS launched their pose. Sammy and
Garcia worked over Black until the Dutchman fired knees and
boots but was cracked by a Sammy enziguri. Nick tagged
himself in to run the ropes into his armdrag/tejeiras combo
on the JAS, running through the rest of his ‘comeback’ in
the HOB corner, knocking Buddy & Brody off the apron,
hitting Malakai with a facebuster but being caught on the
subsequent moonsault by Matthews and crucifix’d up into a
Black knee-strike through the ropes.
Dragging him back in, Black tagged Matthews who cut-off a
Jackson tag until eating an enziguri as Omega returned to
the ring with a flurry: cross body from the top, Polish
hammers, ducking kicks from Malakai, snap-dragon, one for
Brody too, Matthews up on the shoulders into you can’t
escape. Smooth as hell.
The crowd chanted his name once more.
Matthews freed himself with an elbow, Omega avoided him
running in, popping up to hit a hurracanrana and leaving he
and Jericho alone in the ring. The HOB again tried to
interrupt, forcing the Canadians to work together to
eliminate them so they could get to fighting.
Which they did as fists flew until Omega caught a rebounding
Jericho with a V-Trigger. But was quickly taken out by
Garcia, triggering everyone taking everyone out in a
breathtaking sequence until Omega saved Matt from a Matthews
reverse-ddt via snap-dragon.
But was swept into the Walls until a superkick party saved
him. The Bucks throwing kicks at everyone who entered, but
only staggering Brody who rebounded into a double
clothesline, leaving everyone down as the final break came.
The Canadians were at it once again, Omega forced to the
apron, avoiding Jericho’s springboard dropkick, coming back
with a terminator dive, flinging Jericho back in but being
grabbed by the HOB, the Bucks about to take to the sky once
more until being cut off by Garcia and Guevara, who hit a
superplex and Spanish fly respectively.
King then climbed up top, cut-off by Omega who readied a
superplex of his own but was fought off. Jericho in to try
his luck but faring no better until a step-up V-trigger
blasted Brody and the Canadians went to work via double team
superplex.
A Code Breaker broke up the bromance for a count of two (and
I think the first pin attempt a good ten minutes in) as we
cut to the back where the Silver, Reynolds, Hangman and the
BCC were brawling (Excalibur said Uno had been taken to the
hospital).
Omega and Jericho continued to duke it out, Omega blocked a
Lionsault with his knees, Matt Jackson came in to hit
locomotion northern lights on Garcia then both he and
Guevara. Meltzer Driver ready, Jericho caught Nick into a
Code Breaker, Garcia hit a uranage on Matt, Sammy came off
the top with a beautiful shooting star.
Brody broke up the pin then tagged himself in to crush
Guevara in the corner. Garcia jumped on his back but was
shaken off as King launched sentons in the corner on both
JAS boys. Then flung a limp Sammy to tag Jericho. The vet
facing off against the whole House by himself.
Dante’s Inferno the result, Omega making the save.
Jericho caught Brody with Floyd, Sammy took out the Elite
via shooting star to the floor, King just kicked out.
Malakai then wiped-out Jericho via heel kick, leaving Garcia
to be drilled with Dante’s Inferno, the other HOB members
cutting off the ring to ensure the pin and the win.
A crazy match which focused almost entirely on the hometown
boys with a smattering of Brody King. Fine for this week.
But the HOB need to be kept the focus of the division while
they remain champs.
Jake Hager attacked the House as the BCC & Dark Order brawl
reached the ring. Hangman was left standing alone against
the BCC with the Dark Order taken out. Until the Elite
stepped in (slightly behind him) to back him up to a huge
pop, honestly maybe the loudest all night. Which makes
sense since it’s the longest and best-told story in the
company (even if the company themselves aren’t the ones
telling most of it).
The BCC thought better of it, bailing as the show ended with
Hangman just starting to realize exactly who was backing him
up.
Topping off a very good match with some very good booking
which highlighted a bunch of different trios involving top
stars and a reunion years in the making.
WINNER: The House of Black
…..
Next Rampage:
Powerhouse Hobbs vs Rey Fenix, TNT Title open challenge
2.0 vs Bollywood Boys
Taya Valkyrie debut
Next Dynamite:
Hook vs Stokely Hathaway, no DQ
More announced on Rampage which has a later start time