This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite just might have been its best episode to date. Really fun matches and nice set up for the Full Gear PPV.

“The Bastard” Pac def. Trent

Trent of Best Friends vs Pac? How random. This was a good match. It went pretty long for my liking, but it was nonstop action. Trent Beretta had a good showing which is very much contrary to what WWE does when they have tag team members in singles action. I fully expected this to be a squash match, because that is what wrestling fans have been programmed to expect. I know Pac is supposed to be the heel and Best Friends and Orange Cassidy are supposed to be babyfaces, but I kinda felt bad for Pac as Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy interfered on quite a few occasions. I mean, isn’t that what heels do?

Pac hit a brainbuster on Trent outside the ring. Back in the ring Pac hit a Black Arrow for an incredulous near fall. (Trent never kicked out.) Pac put Trent in The Brutalizer for the win.

The botch on the near fall put a stain on what was otherwise an absolutely terrific match.

Grade: 3 Stars 

Cody cut a world-beater promo and announced if he loses to Jericho at Full Gear, he will never challenge for the AEW Championship again. 

Private Party def. The Dark Order – Winner gets a Tag Title shot at Full Gear

The winners of this match will be inserted into the tag title match at the Full Gear PPV. The AEW writers are overthinkers and decided to make this match for the Bronze Medal in the Tag Team Tournament. The ref stood in the middle of the ring holding up the participation medals. It was stupid and unnecessary, but… This was probably the best both teams have looked since debuting on AEW.

The Dark Order took control out the gate. Quen and Kassidy take control shortly, but Grayson counters with an ura nage and The Dark Order maintained control and kept Kassidy from tagging in Quen for quite a long time. Quen got the hot tag but was quickly laid out by Uno. There was some innovative back and forth. The Dark Order took out Private Party with their Cannonball/450 splash combo for a 2 count. Private Party fought back and caught Grayson with the Gin & Juice for the pin and the win.

Grade: 3 Stars

A video from Chris Jericho aired with Sammy Guevara calling him a father figure and Soultrain Jones (Virgil) giving him praise. Santana & Ortiz talked highly of him and Jake Hager stood in silence. It was great. 

“Chris Jericho, He’s in the prime of his life. He’s 48. The youngest AEW champion in history.” – Sammy Guevara

Emi Sakura & Jamie Hayter def. Riho & Shanna

I’m always surprised by how over Riho is with the crowd.

This match is to set up a preview for Sakura vs. Riho at the Full Gear PPV this Saturday. The two trade counters until Sakura grabs Riho by the hair, follows up with chops, and tosses her across the ring a couple of times before getting yelled at by referee, Aubrey Edwards. Emi stands in the middle of the ring making a crying face. It was a trip.

Shanna tagged in and took control of Sakura for a while before tagging in Riho. The two performed some tandem offense, but Sakura easily regained control over Riho. Hayter and Sakura work over Riho before she gave the hot tag to Shanna. Shanna ran through the duo until Hayter caught her with a pretty mean looking backbreaker. Sakura hit a crossbody on Shanna in the corner and missed on a Vaderbomb attempt. Shanna hit a Sliced Bread on Sakura and a DDT for a 2 count.

After some back and forth between both teams and some near falls broken up, Sakura and Riho trade rollups with Sakura picking up the better of that exchange and scoring the win.

This was probably one of the best women’s division matches I’ve seen in AEW so far, but the surprise roll-up is overdone these days and took some steam out of it for me.

Grade: 3 Stars

Chief Brandi cuts a video promo hyping up her and Awesome Kong. 

Shawn Spears def. Brandon Cutler

In my review of this week’s AEW Dark I said Spears needed more convincing wins, this didn’t help his cause really. Spears got worked over for a few minutes until Spears capitalized on a distraction, if you could call it that, from Tully Blanchard. Spears tossed Cutler around a few before hitting a kick and a Death Valley Driver for the win.

Grade: 2 Stars

Spears goes to beat down on Cutler some more, but Joey Janela comes down for the save. A good way to tie in AEW Dark. 

Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara def. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page

Kenny and Sammy kicked off the match. The two lock up, work the ropes and trade chops. Omega hit a back body drop and tagged in Page. Hangman and Omega trade offensive moves on Sammy. Page hit a pump handle fall away slam on Guevara for 2. Guevara opened up an opportunity and tagged in Jericho. Chris is 48? Man, homeboy can still move! Dropkicks, running the ropes, taking bumps… none of it shows his age.

Omega takes control until Hager hit him with a cheap shot. Sammy and Jericho take control and work over Kenny. Omega fought back and flipped over Jericho to tag in Page. Hangman jumps in and chops the mess out of Jericho, hits Sammy with a big boot knocking him off the apron, hit a crossbody onto Guevara on the outside, and a discus clothesline onto Jericho. Hangman missed the Deadeye with Jericho countering, but Page throws him and Guevara out of the ring. Hager catches Sammy, but Omega wipes them out with a moonsault. Hangman Page goes to the top and hits a moonsault onto Sammy and Jericho. Pac comes out and low blows Adam Page. Jericho capitalizes and hits the Judas Effect on Hangman Page. Jericho scores the pin for the win.

Grade: 3 1/4 Stars

The Inner Circle beats down Page after the match before Cody comes running for the save. Back on the ramp, MJF attacked Hager and Jericho tossing Jericho back into the ring. Cody is left standing tall hoisting up the belt until Moxley comes walking through the crowd with a barbed wire bat. Omega and Moxley have a standoff in the middle of the ring until the Proud & the Powerful take them both out. The Young Bucks came down and all of sudden it was a superkick party. The episode ends with Omega hitting a V-Trigger on Santana and Mox hitting a Paradigm Shift on Ortiz. The two then begin to trade blows. The show closes out with all parties involved beating the crap out of each other. 

And that, my friends, is how you do a go-home show.

Edwin Iguina

Edwin is the founder of BRO.geek. He has a passion for gadgets, comic books, comic book TV shows, movies, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

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