Chair Shots With Killem Faulkner: AEW Dynamite Aug. 18th

In the immortal words of AEW commentator Jim Ross, “Business is about to pick up!” With just two and a half weeks until All Out and a momentous “First Dance” episode of Rampage emanating from the United Center in Chicago on Friday, there is a lot for AEW fans to look forward to, and a number of storylines are ramping up in anticipation of a major payoff. One long-running storyline, the Five Labours of Jericho, came to an end this week, and we were promised Sting’s first match on Dynamite (not to mention his first match on TNT in nearly 20 years) and a massive tag title defense for the Young Bucks, among other significant matches and moments as Dynamite emanated from Houston, TX. Let’s take a look at which matches and moments delivered, which failed to deliver, and what the biggest takeaways are this week.

Best Match of the Night

After a somewhat pedestrian in-ring episode last week, this week overdelivered with several excellent offerings. As is often the case, the opening match of the night was a particular standout as Sting and Darby Allin took on 2.0‘s Mike Lee and Jeff Parker in a Texas Tornado Tag Match. Allin walking the arena railing to wipe out the opposition and Sting powering out after being put through a table to put 2.0 in a double Scorpion Deathlock for the win were obvious highlights, but 2.0 got in a good amount of offense of their own, including a wicked double-team maneuver that spiked Allin’s head into an arena entranceway. Plus, it was just a real joy to see Sting in an actual match on free TV again, delivering Stinger Splashes and Scorpion Death Drops left and right like the good old definitely not that long ago we are ever so old but desperately wish to deny reality days. Chis Jericho vs. MJF largely delivered on the long-awaited blowoff (probably?) to their feud in the night’s main event. Le Champion shuffled through his many finishers to no avail and nearly got himself disqualified by going for the Judas Effect, which ended up costing him the match as MJF was able to trap him in the brutal Salt of the Earth armbar. The match did feel a little short, considering how long the feud has gone on, and it definitely felt like the upcoming pay-per-view would have been a better stage for their epic clash, but as a Dynamite main event, it was more than serviceable.

However, the best match of the night ultimately came down to one of two choices that on any other episode would likely have been the clear winner. While I could give the cop-out answer of “it’s my review, I’ll pick two matches of the night if I want to,” I won’t do that because I have too much integrity, intelligence, and um…inventiveness, I guess. So, as much as it pains me to do so, I’m going to give the runner-up spot to the AEW World Tag Team Championship Match between Jungle Express and the Young Bucks by the slimmest of margins. This match was a fantastic showcase for two of the best tag teams in the company (and the world, if we’re being honest) and although it felt unlikely that Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus would pick up the win here, there were absolutely moments that made the audience believe a title change might really be in the offing. Jungle Boy put on a typically gutsy performance, Luchasaurus brought power and surprising athleticism for a man his size, and the Young Bucks were entertaining yet entirely hateable from start to finish. Jungle Express threw everything they had at the champs but ultimately succumbed to the numbers game, which may foretell a rematch somewhere down the line (more on that shortly) and that’s ultimately why I chose to put it as the second-best match of the night: because we’ll probably see a better version of this match sooner rather than later.

So the top match of the night honors fall to a match that really didn’t have any major storyline implications and had a fairly predictable outcome but was absolutely the right match in the right place at the right time to deliver an instant classic. I am, of course, talking about Houston’s hometown hero Sammy Guevara vs. Shawn Spears. Some will say using real life to build heat for a wrestling angle is kind of cheating, and I don’t necessarily disagree, but if you’re already banking on the crowd being 100% behind the babyface, you could do worse than using the fact that he just proposed to his girlfriend (congrats, Sammy and Pam!) who was in the front row for this match to put the hometown boy over the top. Spears and Tully Blanchard drew immediate heat from the crowd, attacking Guevara before the bell and nearly getting Blanchard ejected before the match even began. (Not surprisingly, he didn’t last long under the watchful eye of Aubrey Edwards.) The Chairman dominated much of the match before the inevitable babyface comeback, and from there both competitors went all out to deliver high-impact moves to put the match away. Guevara hit a top-rope cutter, Spears countered with a super C-4, Guevara hit a C-4 of his own onto a steel barricade propped on the ring apron and a 630 from the top rope for the nearest of near falls. The crowd ate up all of these high spots, clearly on the edge of their seats as the momentum shifted back and forth. Guevara finally dug down deep, removing a knee pad to deliver some stiff strikes to Spears’ face, one of which appeared to draw blood though it was unclear which competitor was actually busted open, before putting the match away with a GT…H? Okay, we can go with that. I assume the H stands for Houston. This match was well paced, building up as it went along, and although the outcome was never seriously in doubt, a predictable result is not an inherently bad thing, especially in a situation like this. Guevara looked like a million bucks in front of a crowd that was red hot for him to win, and if AEW does seriously intend to build on the Spanish God’s momentum, there are few better ways of doing so than by presenting him as a strong fan favorite capable of rising to the challenge and gutting out an important win. Spears continues to be a capable foe for babyfaces on the rise, though he is rarely booked to win in situations like this, but his credibility isn’t harmed by being beaten by a foe that is willing to take it up a notch like Guevara did here. All in all, a very well executed match with a satisfying conclusion.

Best Moment of the Night

While last week had plenty of moments to choose from but relatively few great matches, this week was unfortunately the exact inverse, delivering some outstanding matches but few highlights outside of the in-ring action. The ending to the Fifth Labour of Jericho will undoubtedly prove controversial to some, and while I would have greatly preferred to see more of Jericho’s opponents work over his arm more to really set up the idea that it is a weak point that MJF was opportunistically able to exploit, I do applaud AEW for going with the correct, if not entirely satisfying, result. MJF comes out looking crafty and manipulative while ultimately cowardly, winning on a technicality after Jericho easily would have put him away if the Judas Effect had been allowed, while Jericho remains the valiant hero who fell just short while trying to overcome insurmountable odds. Jon Moxley‘s promo, in which he challenged Daniel Garcia while issuing a warning after he and 2.0 jumped Kingston and Mox earlier in the evening, was also a highlight, as Moxley’s promos often are. My choice for moment of the night has less to do with the moment itself and more with what it promises: the announcement of a tag team elimination tournament to determine the #1 contenders at All Out. I’m an absolute sucker for a #1 contenders tournament, and the idea of forcing someone to really earn a shot at the Young Bucks, who have run roughshod over the division recently and have no clear challengers at the moment, feels like the exact right direction to go in as we near arguably the biggest show of the year. At the same time, announcing that the All Out match will be inside a steel cage feels like an acknowledgment that the Bucks have not exactly won clean throughout their run, often relying on outside interference to retain their belts, and the promise of a clean finish at the pay-per-view (because cages always prevent outside interference, you see) means the champs will be in for their toughest challenge yet. As mentioned earlier, Jungle Express would be the obvious favorites to win the tournament and get another shot without all The Elite making their lives difficult, but if the Lucha Bros can overcome Andrade and Chavo, they might also be a dark horse contender to win the tourney. At any rate, we should be in for some high quality tag team matches this Friday/next week, which is never a bad thing in my book.

Worst Match/Moment of the Night

I won’t harp on it again, but Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall continues to be an uninspired feud, and unless Marshall counters the challenge for a one-on-one match with a trios match in which Wight would be forced to get some backup, their match at All Out promises to be a bathroom break between more exciting matchups. Team Taz has gone from a highlight to a lowlight, as this week’s segment was…weird? And short? And not remotely interesting? Taz, Hook, and Ricky Starks tried to lure Brian Cage to the ring so Powerhouse Hobbs could jump him, but once Cage turned the tide a bit, the other three Team Taz members just…abandoned him? If it’s not worth devoting any time or even logic to this storyline, the audience is going to check out, if they haven’t already, and that’s all this segment accomplished for me. The worst moment, however, had to be the ongoing (apparently) feud between American Top Team and Lance Archer. Dan Lambert did bring backup this time, which I guess is smart if you’ve got MMA guys at your beck and call, but having him spew boomer catchphrases at the audience for far too long before Archer cut him off was just unpleasant, and not in a heel way. I’m sure someone out there who actually knows about UFC would disagree with me on this, but I very much just want American Top Team to go away and for the Murderhawk Monster to move on to something more interesting. Sure, Lambert’s real backup (apparently) was actually Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, which I guess qualifies as “more interesting than feuding with a middle-aged MMA trainer” but only just barely.

Parting Shots

• Maybe I just haven’t noticed this so much before, but TNT really lets AEW push the boundaries of what’s allowable on TV. This week featured no fewer than four visible but inaudible f-bombs from Matt Lee, Dan Lambert, Jungle Boy, and Christian and numerous middle fingers from the likes of Shawn Spears, Sammy Guevara, and MJF. I know they’ve done this before, and I’m not trying to bring down the censors here, but it is notable in a world where certain other wrestling companies are trying to be as family friendly as possible. Maybe the real “forbidden door” is the one South Park kicked down all those years ago.
• Hey, did you guys forget this Friday’s Rampage is going to be in Chicago? And a certain highly-coveted free agent is also from Chicago? Because not only did Guevara hit a definitely-not-GTS in his match against Shawn Spears, but Kenny Omega also sported a “Chick Magnet” shirt for his involvement in the post-match beatdown of Jungle Express and Christian Cage. I’m sure this all means nothing.
• Brandon Cutler remains my favorite member of The Elite. That is all.
• Thunder Rosa’s entrance and ring gear for her match against Penelope Ford was a fantastic bit of pandering to the crowd. I hope AEW continues to build on her solid performances in front of appreciative crowds like this because she seems like a potential cornerstone of the women’s division for years to come.
• I didn’t put the crowd singing “Judas” as a best or worst moment, but it certainly was A Moment. I’m sure it was super fun for the live crowd and Jericho himself (not to mention Tony Khan, who apparently loves the singalong) but it felt a little too manufactured for my tastes. If AEW’s own social media accounts are promoting it, that doesn’t exactly work as the spontaneous fun moment that the company was obviously going for.

That’s it for this week’s Dynamite. I thought this was a standout show at a time when AEW needs to continue building momentum, and I’m excited for what Friday’s “First Dance” and next week’s Dynamite will bring as we head into All Out. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FilmIronic and stay tuned for more of our weekly AEW reviews!