Top Contender Match
Best Friends defeated Private Party
5.75/10
- Private Party don't exactly have the heat they did originally. Hey still have some work to go, but Best Friends are more than ready.
- Marq hitting the ropes isn't too smooth early in the match, but the action is solid. I'm not too keen on him wearing that ridiculous jacket either.
- I still love Private Party's Camel Clutch stomp. They really are picking it up. A big shooting star press, and PP are getting all the offense.
- Private Party hit Cryme Tyme's finish, the G9.
- Marq Quen gets piledrived on the floor, and for some reason he's up in about 20 seconds so he can kick out of a clothesline.
- Strong Zero gets the win for Best Friends.
Top Contender Match
Casino Ladder Match
Brian Cage wins
5.75/10
- Scorpio Sky and Kazarian start out and decide to wrestle instead of beat each other down.
- Kip Sabian is out, but Jimmy Havoc gets involved and helps him. Havoc's suit rules.
- There's a spot where Havoc goes for a super huracanrana, but lands onto a ladder.
- Darby Allin's suicide dive looks like he's trying to take someone out, as opposed to some that look like people lean through the ropes and push people over.
- Darby tries to skateboard stomp Kazarian through a ladder off a ladder, but misses.
- Orange Cassidy needs the rules explained to him, and still can't reach the chip. He takes everyone out effortlessly, though,
- Colt Cabana is next. He gets his little fingers mashed in the ladder.
- Joey Janela is next up, and he takes everyone out rapid fire.
- Luchasaurus is number eight, and lays everyone out.
- Brian Cage has debuted for AEW, with Taz managing him. He does an insane F5 to Darby.
- Cage runs through the field with relative ease and impressive offense. Everyone puts a bunch of shit on top of him.
- Having to bury Brian Cage under everything is a great way to debut him, get him over a little bit, and get him out of winning the match.
- Production missed Kip Sabian's fall onto the ladder.
- I think AEW has found a great new match type in the Casino Ladder Match. I've enjoyed it a lot more than the battle royal.
- Marko Stunt is there with a mini ladder to help Luchasaurus, especially against Orange Cassidy.
- Kazarian and Luchasaurus mess up a slingshot huracanrana spot.
- Janela Death Valley Drivers Orange Cassidy onto a giant poker chip, which Brian Cage is underneath. JESUS.
- Cage is alive and has a great series with Luchasaurus before powerbombing him into the ladder. A Drill Claw on Darby.
- Cage heaves Allin on a ladder and gets the win.
MJF (w/ Wardlow) defeated Jungle Boy
8/10
- No scarf for MJF here, but a lot of elements of it in his gear, which I like.
- Jungle Boy hilariously slaps MJF in a double headstand
- MJF fakes a hangnail injury and attacks.
- MJF has a great head and arm suplex and big heaving backbreaker.
- Jungle Boy has an amazing comeback. He later hits a really good tornado DDT.
- I hate the "let each other hit each other" spot.
- Jungle Boy with a Destroyer, but MJF instinctively superkicks him.
- Jungle Boy has a crossface applied, but MJF bites the hand and turns it into a Pumphandle Driver.
- Jungle Boy did a reverse rana on the apron, that MJF takes perfectly.
- MJF crotches Jungle Boy. Jungle Boy still manages an avalanche sitdown power bomb.
- MJF has been working the arm of Jungle Boy all night, and gets the win on a series of pin reversals.
- This was outstanding. Exceeded expectations.
AEW TNT Championship
Cody defeated Lance Archer to become champion
6.5/10
- The title leaves a lot to be desired, but they just announced it's not done. Things got slowed down because of the Coronavirus.
- Mike Tyson's reaction to Lance Archer is gonna be a meme.
- BLACKOUT immediately! Cody counters an EBD Claw, but gets Pounced in midair.
- Bro Lance Archer is 43 YEARS OLD doing a ropewalk moonsault.
- That corner camera shot of Archer after the Cody press slam was PERFECT! Archer mugs for the camera.
- Cody gets his ass kicked for minutes, but fights back and applies a crossface.
- Cody gets a springboard cutter, Cross Rhodes, Curtain Call and Stinger Splash!
- Arn Anderson knocks Lance Archer off the turnbuckle.
- Jake Roberts and Arn get kicked out, and Jake comes back with a snake. Mike Tyson cuts him off.
- Cody wins with two straight Cross Rhodes.
Kris Statlander defeated Penelope Ford
4.75/10
- We see Britt Baker's doctor talking about her injury. She will make the announcement herself.
- This is not great. I'm not a fan of the cartwheels in the middle of an important pape match.
- The action is not smooth, but not gritty enough to have me interested.
- They go back to that punch trading spot I hate.
- Penelope is green, but getting better. Kris isn't green, but has too much gaga for me to stay interested when she does it early.
- As the match goes on, Kris gets even better.
- Statlander wins with the Big Bang Theory.
Dustin Rhodes (w/ Brandi Rhodes) defeated Shawn Spears
SQUASH
- Shawn Spears calls out Dustin, who isn't coming.
- Brandi appears and distracts him, and Dustin shows up to beat up Shawn.
- Shawn Spears has Tully Blanchard's face on the dickhole of his underpants......aight.
- Curtain Call. Pin.
AEW Women's Championship
Hikaru Shida defeated Nyla Rose (c) to win the title
7.25/10
- Shida's gear rules.
- Nyla throws Shida through a poker table at ringside.
- Back in the ring, Nyla gets a nice powerslam.
- Shida hiptosses Nyla onto the poker chips at ringside.
- A flying knee hits into another poker chip.
- Nyla and Hikaru with a No DQ stip works so well.
- Hikaru uses the kendo stick, then does a brainbuster onto it.
- Awesome draping knee drop follows an even better running powerslam for Nyla.
- There has been a gigantic improvement in the ring for several of AEW's women that didn't work a ton of TV before Dynamite. So many have adapted and thrived.
- Powerbomb into to cornered table, and then a Death Valley Driver.
- Avalanche Falcon Arrow? GET THE HOSE!! Shida rocked that.
- Shida cracks Nyla with a kendo stick and wins. A great match.
AEW World Championship
Jon Moxley (c) defeated Mr. Brodie Lee to retain the title
8/10
- Brodie Lee carries the title into the match and demands to be announced as champ.
- Moxley does a great suicide dive that knocks over the barricade.
- Brodie beats Moxley's ass around the ring.
- Moxley using the Gotch Piledriver is great.
- Moxley back body drops Brodie off the stairs through a table.
- Superplex inside the ring, half nelson suplex through a piece of the set outside for Brodie.
- Brodie slams Moxley on the set piece and that sounded like it hurt.
- Paradigm Shift through the walkway! Damn!! That was nuts.
- Brodie Lee is busted up!
- Brodie kicks out of a Paradigm Shift at one. Moxley bites, throws knees, headbutts, elbows, and another Paradigm Shift at 2.
- Moxley chokes out Brodie.
- Moxley and Brodie put on a kickass title match. Moxley's MMA training for the Cagefighter movie has been evident and added to his in-ring.
Stadium Stampede
The Elite defeated The Inner Circle
8.25/10
- The Inner Circle is in football gear, and there are cheerleaders everywhere.
- Hangman Page comes in on a damn horse!
- Matt Jackson's ribs are heavily taped.
- Sammy misses a shooting star press on Hardy.
- Nick Jackson with a tope con hilo, Ortiz with an Asai moonsault, Sammy with a Shooting Star outside.
- Matt Jackson moonsaults off the goalposts!
- Omega gets slammed through a table on the field.
- Santana, Ortiz and Matt Hardy are in the pool and Hardy is being drowned. IT'S A LAKE OF REINCARNATION.
- Ortiz is hit with THE BELL. He throws Santana in an ice cooler.
- Hangman is drinking at the bar and Hager attacks him. They're brawling on a pool table, which ends with Hager uranage-ing Page onto it. Page gets thrown all across the bar and Swagger Bombs Page through a table.
- Omega helps Page, and Page pours Omega some milk.
- Matt Jackson suplexes Sammy across the whole field, thanks to clever edited.
- Jericho and Nick Jackson are going at it, and the Jaguars mascot gets hit with a Judas Effect.
- Aubrey and Jericho go to the replay tent over the nearfall.
- Matt Jackson gets into the endzone and spikes Sammy. He celebrates, and Rick Knox penalizes him. Matt Jackson superkicks him.
- Nick Jackson jumps off a guardrail onto Jericho through a table.
- Hangman Page runs the line marker over Jericho.
- Sammy crawls into the sprinklers. He has to run from Omega and Matt Hardy in the golf cart.
- NEO 1, the new Vanguard distracts Sammy.
- Omega does an insane One Winged Angel off the balcony through a structure. Elite win!
Rating Guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!
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