AEW Dynamite (Apr. 7, 2021) emanated from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL. The show featured the return of Mike Tyson, Jon Moxley betrayed, and the Young Bucks rejoining Kenny Omega’s Bullet Club.
Get caught up on all the Dynamite details with the excellent play-by-play from Claire Elizabeth.
Iron Mike
Mike Tyson returned to AEW, and he did so in a big way. Tyson unloaded furious punches on Shawn Spears in spectacular fashion.
The setup for that moment began with the Inner Circle returning to Dynamite. Chris Jericho did all the talking. The beatdown from the Pinnacle gave them a wake-up call. Jericho apologized for their recent bad behavior. He blamed it on MJF. Jericho’s intention had been to keep MJF under his thumb and squeeze the life out of him to benefit the Inner Circle. However, MJF was one step ahead. Jericho continued rallying fan support by insulting all members of The Pinnacle. Babyface turn complete. Then, Jericho dropped the bombshell that Blood & Guts will go down May 5 on Dynamite between the Inner Circle and the Pinnacle.
FIRST TIME EVER!! May 5th @dailysplace it's a #BloodAndGuts Match between #InnerCircle & #Pinnacle!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 8, 2021
See what else #AEWDynamite has in store tonight - Tune in now on TNT! pic.twitter.com/7AMeZ3T7Em
The promo was a little on the long side trying to close the logic loops, but it contained some amusing jokes. MJF now stands for My Jerkoff Friend. That will be fun to hear fans chant. I was hoping the promo would have been more of a team effort rather than just Jericho speaking. The rest of the Inner Circle stood in the background. The Blood & Guts announcement was the real takeaway. That match is going to be nuts, and I can’t wait.
Later in the program, Alex Marvez conducted a backstage interview with Jericho. MJF and the Pinnacle attacked. The violence spilled out to the ring for a spike piledriver from FTR. Marvez revealed that the Inner Circle had been locked inside their locker room, so they broke the door down. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like they would arrive in time to save Jericho from being powerbombed through a table by Wardlow.
Thankfully, there was one man who happened to be close by. “Iron” Mike Tyson’s music hit, and the boxing legend walked to the ring. The Pinnacle was a bit confused. Tyson tore off his shirt to ferociously throttled Spears with punches. It was glorious!
Why would you EVER try to square off against @MikeTyson?! #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/PGLIX91Nh7
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
The Inner Circle arrived to even the odds, so the Pinnacle backed away. Jericho offered his hand to Tyson, who accepted with a hug added.
Burying the hatchet. @MikeTyson @IAmJericho
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 8, 2021
Watch now on TNT! pic.twitter.com/gotrp50xcP
Tyson was outstanding in his role. The appearance caught me by surprise as I sat there with a huge grin on my face. I could watch Tyson drop heavy punches down on Spears for hours. Credit to Spears for flailing his arms in a feeble attempt at defense. The whole exchange was terrific sports entertainment. It was over-the-top and ludicrous in all the best ways.
That’s two weeks in a row where the Inner Circle versus the Pinnacle segment stole the show. This feud is red hot heading toward Blood & Guts on May 5. I’ve got my eye on Santana stepping up to emerge as a star. His brooding intensity grabbed my attention. I’m excited to see him explode with fury.
Elite soap opera
Another week, another episode of As the Elite Turns. Jon Moxley teamed with the Young Bucks to battle Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers in the main event. Moxley looked like he just woke up from an afternoon of drinking. That didn’t stop Mox from posing with the Bucks after a triple flying attack.
MOX BUCKS #AEWDynamite #AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/pDBhgm5uWt
— TDE Wrestling (@tde_gif) April 8, 2021
Or from executing a train of German suplexes.
The man is a monster @JonMoxley #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/9MYh7gykNH
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
The story of the match was Matt Jackson’s reluctance to hurt Omega. At one point, Omega was on roller skates, but Matt stopped short on a superkick. Omega responded with slaps and had no problem delivering snap dragon suplexes.
Later, Matt connected on a piledriver to Omega. He was immediately concerned about Omega’s health. It seemed to me like Nick Jackson was ready to clean Omega’s clock. The Bucks wound up for a BTE Trigger, but Matt couldn’t follow through.
Conflicted?
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 8, 2021
Watch #AEWDynamite now on TNT! pic.twitter.com/qWq8F2UuKC
After a few teases, Moxley said nuts to that. He tagged himself in to plant Omega down with two Paradigm Shifts. After a choke hold, Moxley set up for a third Paradigm Shift. The Bucks were taken aback by Moxley’s rage and intent to destroy Omega, so they turned on their partner with a double superkick.
WHAT DID WE JUST SEE??? #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/1PyNnF2y6D
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 8, 2021
Eddie Kingston anticipated mischief afoot, so he was quickly on stage. The Good Brothers promptly put Kingston down with a Magic Killer. Moxley ate a Magic Killer as well. The Good Brothers draped Omega over Moxley’s body for the winning pin as the Bucks stood by watching.
After the victory, Omega and the Good Brothers requested a Superkick Party for Moxley. The Bucks obliged. Instead of a Bullet Club finger salute, Matt brought everyone in for a group hug.
In my opinion, this story stinks. The Bucks have been so wishy-washy for so long that I lost all care for their struggles long ago. I could support some kind of scheme or emphatic display of bad guy behavior, but that’s not what we saw. The Bucks continued to be conflicted about their actions. They rejoined the Bullet Club through the back door. It looked like they didn’t really want to do what they did and were rushed back into club membership.
I can appreciate the story layers of protecting a long-time friend from an insane violent person, so that’s a positive. Another plus is causing action to stimulate progress in the story. I just hope the Bucks fully embrace this direction and stop teetering on the fence. There is plenty of potential for good times ahead, however, the Bucks need to be firm for that to happen.
Let’s jam through the rest of Dynamite.
Hangman Page defeated Max Caster. The cowboy aggressively kicked the rapper’s butt. All offensive momentum from Caster was aided by ringside distractions from Anthony Bowens. In the end, The Acclaimed was outclassed. Caster springboarded into a clothesline from Hangman. Bowens slid the boombox into the ring, and the referee intercepted it from Hangman. Bowens did manage to get the platinum chain to Caster. A loaded punch put Hangman on his back. 1, 2, kick out.
Caster missed a flying elbow drop. Hangman was locked and loaded for a buckshot lariat, but Bowens grabbed his foot. Hangman dispatched of Bowens with a moonsault off the apron then set his sights back on Caster for a buckshot slobberknocker to win. The cowboy celebrated his success and National Beer Day by sharing suds with the crowd.
Hangman looked very strong. That man is ready for a world title shot. Commentary made a point to focus on his #1 ranking and a Kenny Omega match within his grasp. The Double or Nothing PPV is scheduled for May 30, so AEW might be starting the push for Hangman to main event against Omega.
Jurassic Express defeated Bear Country. The bout featured a fun pair of pinfall breakups. Boulder hit a superplex to Luchasaurus, then Jungle Boy broke the cover with a flying splash. Luchasaurus hit a hefty slam to Boulder, then Bronson came in to powerslam Jungle Boy onto the pile. Jurassic Express rallied to chop down the Bear’s totem pole stack. A chokeslam and standing moonsault from Luchasaurus to Bronson earned the win.
This match was part of a promotion for Godzilla vs. Kong, and it felt that way. There was monster energy in the ring. The big boys came to smash. The action was sloppy at times, but it was fun overall. How can you not enjoy bears fighting a boy and his dinosaur?
Anthony Ogogo is a star. QT Marshall sat in the Nightmare Factory flanked by Aaron Solow, Nick Comoroto, and Ogogo. QT felt that Cody Rhodes should change the mantra, “Do the work,” to, “Do the work for me.” Cody has benefit from all QT’s hard work behind the scenes. QT trashed Cody about his WWE failures and surrounding himself with vanilla midgets to stand out as a star in comparison. QT has surrounded himself with men. Ogogo spoke about being a household name in the UK. He knocks people out for pleasure. The promo closed with Comoroto throwing blue paint over the Nightmare Factory name.
Damn @realmmarshall1 no one said you had to go that hard #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/EGze4WVOEy
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
That was an excellent piece. The music really enhanced the message as it picked up in pace. QT made sense when looking at it from his point of view. Adding in spicy insults is always a plus. If not for Mike Tyson, then I would say this segment stole the show. More specifically, Anthony Ogogo. He was money. I don’t know if what he said about his level of fame in the UK is true, but he convinced me with his passion. Ogogo will debut in the ring next week. I hope he knocks someone out.
TNT Championship: Darby Allin defeated JD Drake. Sting was ringside to watch Allin’s back. It didn’t take long for Ryan Nemeth and Cezar Bononi to interfere. I believed Sting hit Bononi in the shin with his bat, but I didn’t see it on camera. Nemeth hightailed it away from the ring with Sting stalking in pursuit.
The match went as expected. It was an exciting clash of styles with the unorthodox stylings of Allin versus the rugged blue-collar power of Drake. The rope ricochet into a meat hook spot was awesome.
Making those ropes look like rubber bands #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/BMdi12w68o
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
Allin’s determination came through by biting Drake’s finger to create space for an avalanche Code Red. A coffin Drop sealed the deal for Allin to retain.
This was my favorite contest of the show. It was rousing to see Drake’s power chops answered by a flurry of paintbrush slaps from Allin. These kind of wins do well to continue establishing Allin as a top champ. Allin won the TNT title due to Cody’s mistakes, and now Allin has been winning on his own accord through strategy. His in-ring work has become one of my favorite parts of Dynamite. Allin’s daredevil attitude was always entertaining, but turning the corner to develop a variety of tactics has made me a fan.
Tay Conti defeated Bunny. Matt Hardy’s full crew was ringside. Dark Order and Hikaru Shida evened the odds for Conti. This was a physical contest, as demonstrated by a shotgun dropkick from Bunny into the guardrail.
That's a backbreaker #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/89ZdKtTtBp
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
Both factions brawled on the floor in the end. Bunny rocked Shida to steal her kendo stick. Bunny whacked Conti, then Shida regained control of the foreign object. Conti sprang up for a superplex rolling through for a hammerlock DDT to win.
Conti continues to prove her star value. She has gotten better week by week. So much so, that I really want to see her challenge Shida for the women’s title at the next PPV. With Dr. Britt Baker DMD declaring her intention to be in the mix, Conti’s strong momentum could be used to provide a boost to Baker on her way toward Shida. It would be a bummer for Conti, but it would make sense.
Notes: Death Triangle were in the ring with Tony Schiavone. Fenix and PAC will receive their tag title shot next week against the Young Bucks. The Best Friends trio interrupted to let Death Triangle know that they will be picking up old business by going after them for a past attack.
Christian Cage was recruited by Taz to join Team Taz. They can both help each other. Team Taz can assist Christian in peaking to championship level, and Christian’s veteran presence can calm the tension in the crew. Taz let Christian think it over.
It’s Sting! The Icon’s interview with Tony Schiavone was interrupted by Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lance Archer. The Murderhawk Monster is tired of being ignored. He is a main-event star, and it is his time to shine. Sting snatched the mic back and actually agreed with Archer. He blamed Roberts for not channeling Archer’s energy productively. Sting challenged Archer in a coaching way to go out and do it.
Wait did @Sting just really say that..... #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/E4mAfw5eia
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page were high up in the cheap seats observing the Sting chat with Archer. They laughed at how it unfolded.
In a Team Taz meeting, Taz told Ricky Starks to stop instigating the situation with Brian Cage. They have a chance to land Christian, so they need to get on the same page and be smart. Starks absolutely understood.
After the TNT title match, Butcher came out of nowhere to bull rush Allin into oblivion. Matt Hardy and his crew came out with bad intentions. Bunny demanded that commentary clear the table. Sting and the Dark Order chased HFO away. Bunny did not realize she was all alone. Tay Conti tackled Bunny with ground and pound until referees separated the two.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD requested a championship match. The rankings are utter bullshit. It should be based on star power, merch sales, and TV ratings instead of wins and losses. Baker will play that game though and go to Dark and Elevation to rack up wins.
Tune in, well everywhere, to see @RealBrittBaker in action #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/zd6aTG73yG
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) April 8, 2021
Red Velvet thinks she understands why Jade Cargill is still coming for her. Cargill barely got the job done in the tag team match with Cody and Shaq. I don’t understand Velvet’s point.
"You better be That B*$@% that gets the job done." @Thee_Red_Velvet sends a strong message to @Jade_Cargill.
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 8, 2021
Tune into #AEWDynamite now on TNT! pic.twitter.com/aKto71PjP1
Stud of the Show: Mike Tyson
Talk about maximizing your minutes. Tyson was onscreen for about two minutes, and he stole the show. AEW used him perfectly. Arrive. Raise hell. Leave.
Dud of the Show: Best Friends
The Best Friends’ interruption was a waste of time, since there was no direct action. Death Triangle is busy at the moment with their upcoming tag title shot, so Best Friends just flapped their gums with nothing of value to contribute.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Lance Archer and Team Taz do that all the time too. AEW needs better security guarding those entrance tunnels. I might have to change the dud of the show to AEW’s director of personnel. Where’s Doug Dellinger when you need him?
Grade: B+
This was an episode that felt like the grade should be ‘to be determined.’ There were lots of little segments that might pay off into cool stories down the line. As usual, the action was entertaining. There was good energy in the air. The show carried a quick pace running the gamut of emotions.
Share your thoughts about Dynamite. How do you rate it? Who stole the show?