Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s weekly review of "AEW Dynamite," in this case the fallout show from Bryan Danielson getting murdered over the weekend! And to be honest, a lot of how the WINC staff felt about this episode of "Dynamite" was wrapped up how the episode responded to the closing events of WrestleDream onSaturday. We have a lot to say about it, working from a few different directions, and while we'll also spare some time for the likes of Queen Aminata's TBS title challenge and Shelton Benjamin's in-ring AEW debut, this week's column is a little more focused than usual.
Since there's a lot of stuff we're not going to cover here, don't forget to check out our "Dynamite" results page for any details you may have missed. Without further ado, here are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 10/16/24 episode of "AEW Dynamite."
Since the Blackpool Combat Club initially turned on Bryan Danielson at All Out, each episode of "AEW Dynamite" has opened up with Jon Moxley just getting everything he can off his chest in a way that makes him threatening, yet understandable. You listen to him and you think "Yeah, this guy actually has a point," the true sign of a great villain. So what better way to kick off the first episode of "Dynamite" after WrestleDream than with Moxley cutting his best promo yet?
Riding around the state of Washington in the back of truck, Moxley explained every last reason why he is the way he is and why the Blackpool Combat Club is so driven to achieve their goal. He hates AEW, or at least most of it, and I honestly think part of the reason why so many people have connected with this version of Moxley is because they hear what he's saying and they go "that's what I've been saying." People have turned away from AEW for a variety of reasons. People see the young guys and girls saying they're the future for five years straight while staying in the same spot. People see a company that has the potential to be what everyone knows it can be, but isn't yet. Many thought it just needed a little push, but instead it needs its world champion to threaten everyone who gets in his way in order to get there.
In amongst Moxley saying he hates AEW, everyone in AEW works for him (Tony Khan would like a word with you sir), and the need for everyone to get better, was the metaphor of burning a forest down to plant a new one. This is something that has become prominent in all of media in 2024, whether it be movies, TV, and especially music. The biggest rap beef of the year in Drake and Kendrick Lamar was rooted in the fact that Kendrick sees Drake as part of a bigger problem a problem that if he can't eradicate, he'll tear everything down and build music back up from the ground himself. That is what Moxley is doing here. It's a promo and a storyline that people can truly get behind because it's already going on around them.
I know you might have read that part and thought, "this guy is a complete idiot, what's Moxley got to do with Kendrick Lamar of all people?" It's because they have somehow stumbled into onto the same train of thought. Change is not only necessary but essential, and if no one is willing to change, they will change those people for them. There were some sprinkles of "NOBODY IS SAFE" vibes on this show, but a forest won't grow overnight, and the more we hear from Moxley in these promos, the deeper we will fall into this story. I know I'm ready to see what's next.
Written by Sam Palmer
The AEW roster was shaken to its core when Jon Moxley brutalized Bryan Danielson into retirement at WrestleDream. As the clock handle ticked closer and closer to the start of Wednesday's edition of "AEW Dynamite," a chill came over San Jose, as the state of Danielson and AEW as a whole remained unclear. The show began, Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club bared their teeth in the night's opening vignette. With gnashing gums, Moxley confirmed that the wounds from Saturday's beatdown were still fresh, and that his lust for blood oozing from open, throbbing flesh still ran red.
Then, we had the return of Adam Cole. Cole chatted with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, made no meaningful contributions to the Blackpool Combat Club situation, and left. Bryan Danielson was just retired, and we are not going to talk about it in this way-too-long opening segment?
My esteemed colleagues will cover the disappointing lack of exposure (and odd timing of the exposure we did have) later in this piece, so let's hone in on the first segment of the show, and how a "welcome back Adam Cole!" opener turned into a "welcome back?" bubble of uncertainty and mess. Cole's promo was pretty good and filled with the passion Cole is infamous in the business for, but from a narrative standpoint, it is a little confusing how Cole is positioned to be the face of this feud when he was the one to betray MJF and form The Undisputed Kingdom. It is even more confusing when one considers the incredible success MJF had during his and Cole's previous feud, where MJF was the babyface during an era widely considered to be among his best work. It feels a bit unwise and nonsensical to flip the script especially when, logically speaking, Cole was at fault for the dissolution of his friendship with MJF.
MJF elected to confront Cole remotely, and told Cole he was not going to get a match to cure his lust for revenge. While cool, it's frustrating to not have any story progression after a segment finishes, and wait, the segment's not done?
If MJF's response was unsatisfying, Cole's weird, I-want-the-final-word response buried this exchange. Giving the first person another go at their opponent usually feels messy and awkward, and Cole's response was no exception. Suddenly made this segment feel one hundred years longer, and wordsmith like Cole really should not be using adages like "you can ride, but you can't hide." After failing to get a satisfying final word against MJF, Cole exited the ring ... to awkwardly stood on the ramp to hit a pose. This segment should have ended yesterday.
This segment should have ended yesterday? This segment shouldn't have happened today at all. What do you mean we're going to open the show like Danielson wasn't lying on the ground, barely clinging to life at WrestleDream? Wednesday's opening segment was too horrid to save this booking blunder. By the end, the absence of AEW's hottest new storyline was sorely felt.
Written byAngeline Phu
I love women's wrestling, but sometimes (more often than not) when it comes to "Dynamite," we get a severe lack of it. Tonight's episode wasn't chocked full of women's matches by any means, but the one match we did get was pretty awesome because of one person: Queen Aminata. Aminata seems to be more so an "AEW Collision" talent while also working in ROH at some points, so getting to see her challenge "The CEO" Mercedes Mone tonight was great. I've gone out of my way to see a few of Aminata's "Collision" and "AEW Rampage" matches and I've been impressed, and there's nothing wrong with getting some fresher talent on "Dynamite" that we don't see too often, especially after they've been getting quite a few reps on the other shows. If you didn't see Mone's backstage segment where Aminata called out her disrespect and earned herself a title shot, you may have been a little confused by how she got into this match tonight, but I don't think anyone was disappointed to see her. Personally, I think she's absolutely stunning, which made me gravitate toward her, and after seeing her go in the ring, I can 100% call myself a Queen Aminata fan.
Aminata has gotten a few shots on "Dynamite" in recent memory, with the biggest being on September 11 when she faced Mariah May in an AEW Women's World Title Eliminator match, which she sadly lost, but since then, she's deserved to have much more facetime on AEW's flagship Wednesday show. Tonight, Aminata pulled out some pretty dope moves against Mone, including a wicked shoulder submission, and also got a great shot in at Kamille with a headbutt. While I can say I wasn't a huge fan of her tapping out to Mone, at least she was in the one women's match on the show with such a high profile talent. With Aminata getting these big matches against the likes of Mone and May, I really hope she's featured more on "Dynamite" while she continues to get her reps in on "Collision." AEW has so many great women talents that they need to be utilizing more, and Aminata is one. I think she has the chops to put up a great match with really anyone on the roster from what I've seen, and she's one person I'm excited to see grow further in the ring as time goes on.
Written byDaisy Ruth
The differing strokes of genius that came with booking Shelton Benjamin against an opponent like Lio Rush in his debut match were on full display tonight, with the muscle of MVP's Hurt Syndicate gaining a statement win on the way to facing Swerve Strickland. Rush gave a lot to this match, bumping all over the place as he was thrown about by the former collegiate wrestler in a match that really needed to be as good as it was. Benjamin was such a welcome sight on his return to TV and he brought a sense of grounded violence to an otherwise bizarre concoction of segments tonight; it was really great to see him presented well on his debut, let's just hope that continues.
Even beyond the match, there were little things I picked up that added to the potential of the segment. MVP leaving his business card with Rush after a valiant yet futile performance, teasing the idea that his group is always looking for members. It was an all round intriguing build to what should be an excellent bout between Swerve and Benjamin, potentially planting seeds for sub-plots to develop and characters to enter the fold. Rush is aligned with Top Flight and Action Andretti, so it might be interesting to see how they react to the invitation to talk business, and then there is the "All Mighty" elephant in the room pertaining to Bobby Lashley's expected debut. It was just nice to have a great match, followed by a segment which told a clear story and showed promise for a little more. Whether or not the potential is followed up on, time can only tell, but in the moment it was a refreshing change of pace on an otherwise hit-and-miss show, and it got me in the mood for Benjamin vs. Strickland later this month. I guess that's all you can really ask for.
Written by Max Everett
AEW is just days removed from the entire roster suffering the shock of locker room leader Bryan Danielson being assaulted and asphyxiated by the Blackpool Combat Club. The heinous assault visibly shook many such as Adam Cole and Mark Briscoe, but none took the allegorical death of Bryan Danielson harder than Darby Allin, who was so put off by the incident that all he could do was turn off his phone and hang out at Tony Hawk's warehouse, while Tony was not there for some reason. AEW tried to lampshade that the video message was taped before the events of WrestleDream, but Excalibur throwing to "Darby Allin and Tony Hawk," only for Darby Allin to immediately say "Tony Hawk couldn't be here today" felt like the perfect encapsulation of how little this week's "Dynamite" had to offer. They promised a follow-up to WrestleDream; instead, Tony Hawk couldn't be here today.
I don't care when the message was recorded. It was aired this week. A week when fans are desperate for some kind of response or reassurance following the harrowing end of the PPV. But Darby Allin, the next hero in line, was elsewhere, leaving a pre-recorded reminder that AEW will never be more important to him than hanging out in a place that Tony Hawk technically owns. He was technically contacted multiple times throughout the show to no avail but all I could think was "Tony Hawk couldn't be here today."
Fans will have to make do with AEW being defended by The Dark Order and Top Flight, the most hopeless collection of tomato cans that the company could possibly throw at the BCC. When that match is over, and the BCC members are ripping out Evil Uno's still-beating heart in front of his eyes, and showing it to him, Darby Allin will run out to make the save and defend AEW's honor, and begin his road to becoming AEW World Champion and face of the company, all I will be able to think is "Tony Hawk couldn't be here today."
Written by Ross Berman
With respect to Tony Hawk and the fact that he couldn't be here today, I would offer a different singular moment that summed up this week's "Dynamite." It happened after the opening match of the evening, which was a tag team match between The Learning Tree and FTR. After FTR won, The Outrunners inexplicably came to the ring to celebrate with them, and they did a lot of big flexes and a big dramatic handshake, and Cash Wheeler even did a little hip shimmy dance while wearing mirror shades, that's how much fun they were having.
"Well a feel-good moment here tonight on 'Dynamite,'" Excalibur said on commentary, before coming to his senses and attempting to pivot mid-sentence. "...despite the pall hanging over the proceedings thanks to Jon Moxley," he concluded, clearly desperate to salvage what was supposed to be the episode's tone. Unfortunately, that ship had sailed long before The Outrunners hit the ring.
As someone who really enjoyed the closing angle of AEW WrestleDream, I was already somewhat impressed by the way they were selling it, particularly in a post-show media scrum that unusually didn't involve Tony Khan. And I'm not saying there was only one right way to follow that up, but I was expecting this week's "Dynamite" to feel at least a little funereal, if not downright tragic and sad. I certainly expected what happened to Bryan Danielson to feel like a big deal to basically everyone on the show, from the beginning.
Instead, after the very good Moxley pre-tape to start, we had the promo segment with MJF and Adam Cole, dueling backstage promos between Chris Jericho and Mark Briscoe, and then the tag match with The Outrunners' appearance at the end. I'm not sure anyone mentioned Danielson's name for the first half hour of the broadcast. I know Adam Cole didn't mention it despite the fact that he was out there trying to help Danielson at the end of WrestleDream. Jericho and Briscoe didn't mention it despite the fact that both men have known Danieson for decades. And FTR and The Outrunners had a 1980s style pose-down and dance party while Excalibur floundered on commentary. These are the same Outrunners that Moxley attacked a few weeks back, by the way, and as a reminder, Jon Moxley asphyxiated AEW's beloved world champion before stuffing the title in a body bag. Is nobody going to talk about this? Is nobody going to be mad about it? No? We're just gonna show his wife interviewing an ROH guy like nothing ever happened? Cool.
By the time Mox and the BCC finally arrived, we had been making "nobody is safe" jokes for an hour and the angle already felt defanged; it really didn't seem like the roster cared that much about what happened to Bryan Danielson, so why should we? Four days ago this angle was getting compared to "Avengers: Infinity War," but I don't remember "Avengers: Endgame" opening with "a feel-good moment."
Written by Miles Schneiderman
