AEW Dynamite recap & reactions (Nov. 1, 2023): Oh, scissor me, Maxie!

AEW Dynamite (Nov. 1, 2023) emanated from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. The show featured MJF in a scissor party, Jon Moxley beating Orange Cassidy to a pulp, a Big Show sighting, and more.

Get caught up on all the Dynamite details with the excellent play-by-play from Claire Elizabeth.

MJF scissor party

MJF finally had a scissor party. I wish I could tell you it was under happy circumstances. Alas, that was not the case.

MJF was backed into a corner competing against Bullet Club Gold in an 8-man tag with the unofficial stipulation of winning physical possession of the AEW World Championship. MJF needed partners, so that story carried through the entire episode.

The evening started with a call from Adam Cole for advice. Cole sported an unkempt beard while in recovery from surgery. Cole suggested that MJF take Samoa Joe’s offer for help in exchange for a title shot.

When Roderick Strong butt in with chatter about MJF being the masked devil, Cole hung up. Then, the devil appeared on screen. I think that devil appearance should rule out theories of Cole, Strong, and the Kingdom behind the mystery. Sure, AEW could fudge the details, but it’s getting real sketchy connecting the dots at this point if they are the big reveal.

MJF went down his list of options. When knocking on the door of Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho answered. Jericho slammed the door shut. It didn’t get any easier for MJF after that. Wardlow choked him against the wall with a warning that he’s coming to take everything when it is least expected. Last in the scene was a pair of scissor fingers from Max Caster. MJF kept walking. Anthony Bowens’ had a funny reaction being angry about wasting his time hiding.

MJF contemplated knocking on Joe’s door, but he decided not to. He did have time to write Emo on Darby Allin’s door. The Acclaimed were ready again. MJF ignored them.

The main event was fast approaching, and MJF still had no partners. The Acclaimed tried one more time, but they had two conditions. Scissor them, and wear the outfit in the bag. MJF wasn’t biting. He kept walking, and Jeff Jarrett’s group eagerly awaited ready for a deal. MJF couldn’t stomach those scumbags.

The Neck Strong crew had one more scene complaining to Cole about not even being asked by MJF to help. Cole hung up on them.

It’s time for the main event!

The big reveal was The Acclaimed. The outfit turned out to be pink gear and a scissor shirt for MJF. There was even a pink Burberry scarf.

The match revolved around MJF scissoring The Acclaimed. During a break in the action, MJF ignored them. During a second break, MJF was game, but Bullet Club Gold ruined the party. These teases were priming the crowd’s anticipation for the moment. You would assume a victory celebration for the scissor party, however, it did not play out that way.

The Bang Bang Gang isolated Caster. Hot tag to MJF cleaning house. MJF hit the kangaroo kick on the Gunns, but he turned around into a sneaky Blade Runner from White. 1, 2, 3. That was a wrap. White remained in possession of the Triple B.

Afterward, White and boys plotted on dishing out more pain to MJF. Switchblade sized up a cheap shot with the title belt, but Caster shoved MJF out of the way to take the hit instead.

MJF showed concern checking on Caster, then Caster stuck his scissor fingers into the air. MJF wanted no part of it, so Daddy Ass yelled in his face to honor his word. Maxwell reluctantly joined the scissor party, and the crowd erupted in jubilation.

That story was an amusing comedy bit throughout. Every single person involved aced it with their reactions interacting with MJF. The plot provided a hook of intrigue with each step to keep viewers invested on the outcome. The final reveal was a bit anticlimactic. It was like, “Oh, The Acclaimed are here,” rather than an element of surprise. The scissor moment gave the people what they wanted. It even leaves room for MJF to fully embrace another scissor party in the future, when he actually means it. Double your pleasure.

It was surprising that White still has possession of the championship. That was an unexpected element in play. I sure hope MJF doesn’t give in. There’s no rule that says White gets to keep the gold until the PPV. I need to see MJF increase his aggression over the next few shows trying to reclaim his property. That might be where Samoa Joe comes in. When all out of options, Joe might be the person to finally retrieve the belt for MJF. We shall see.

Let’s jam through the rest of Dynamite.

AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy retained against Claudio Castagnoli. Claudio wrecked Cassidy early with focus on the midsection. Claudio backed up his words by inflicting pain on Cassidy as payback for injuring Bryan Danielson. Unfortunately for Claudio, Cassidy took home the win. OC charged for a superman punch. When Claudio popped him up high into the air for a counter uppercut, Cassidy countered for a hurricanrana pin to win.

Exciting match. Claudio’s feats of strength are so much fun. It helps that Cassidy is a lightweight for the Swiss powerhouse. They leaned into the idea of tossing Cassidy with ease. Claudio lifted him up by the neck for a stalling vertical suplex while maintaining balance on the ropes. Truly amazing visual.

Not to mention Claudio’s big swing always being a blast, which came off a counter to a DDT.

That swing was so nice, Claudio did it twice. This time, he had a sleeper applied as he swung Cassidy.

Cassidy did his part hitting the right notes to pop his fans on rallies. He even knocked Claudio silly a few times. Cassidy showed the heart of a champion overcoming the severe strength advantage held by his opponent.

Also of note, Wheeler Yuta and Hook were ejected from ringside. All signs point to them squaring off in the ring.

After the match, Jon Moxley entered the scene. Cassidy charged into the ring, and he was swiftly pummeled by Moxley with furious strikes. Claudio eventually pulled Moxley off the carcass. That scene gave me visions of The Simpsons with a child crying, “Stop, stop! He’s already dead.”

Moxley will have his match with Cassidy at Full Gear for the AEW International Championship. He’s going to beat OC within an inch of his life.

Hot damn. That exchange, albeit one-sided, between Moxley and Cassidy sold me hard on the hatred between the two. This rematch is definitely PPV worthy. Win or lose, I have to see how Cassidy survives.

ROH World Six-Man Championship: Mogul Embassy defeated Hung Bucks to win titles. Prince Nana set up the spontaneity of this rematch by explaining on social media their strategy for a last-minute cash-in to keep the Elite off-guard. Meanwhile, the Mogul Embassy have been training for this moment. That explanation works for me as cover to squeeze this in willy-nilly. Excalibur did explain this on TV, but it’s better to see in Nana’s own words.

That tactic was on the cusp of failure when Hangman cleaned house on a hot tag. As the cowboy had the buckshot lariat in his sights, a backup plan was put into action. Swerve Strickland interrupted on stage. Hangman couldn’t control his rage, and he vamoosed after his nemesis. The Young Bucks were left outnumbered against the muscle menaces. They put up a fight, but they went down in defeat. Kaun pinned Nick Jackson on a teamwork slam. New champs!

Matt Jackson threw a fit out of frustration after the match. He tipped over the timekeeper table and whacked a chair against the ring post. That’s the kind of passion I like to see. It gives meaning to holding those belts.

I wasn’t particularly thrilled about the original ROH six-man title change, since it seemed to flush all the Mogul Embassy’s hard work as an afterthought to service a different storyline. The change back doesn’t really thrill me either on the surface. Now, the Hung Bucks still come off as the better team, because victory was within reach before Hangman bailed. What does intrigue me is the possibility of round three. That is a match I would pay to see on the ROH Final Battle PPV. Both teams giving their best has show-stealing potential.

Adam Copeland joins Sting. As Copeland was about to give his thoughts about partaking in Sting’s fight with Christian Cage, the TNT champion interrupted. Christian threatened violence if Copeland doesn’t mind his own business. Christian’s lost boys attacked, and a conchairto to break Copeland’s neck was in place. That’s when Sting and Darby Allin made the save. Copeland speared Christian, then he joined Sting’s team for the trios match at Full Gear.

This was a simple and effective segment connecting the pieces for the PPV match. Bad guy does bad guy stuff. Good guys unite to stop him. Asses will be kicked. It works, because Christian is presented as truly evil. He is giving viewers a reason to root against him and build emotional support for Copeland, Sting, and Allin.

Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho defeated Daddy Magic & Cool Hand Ang. Jake Hager was ringside interfering on behalf of the Daddy Cool crew, or Magic Hand if you prefer. Omega took out Hager with a dive to the outside. That chaos opened the window for Daddy Magic to strike Jericho with the baseball bat. Jericho kicked out of the cover. Daddy Magic handed the bat to Cool Hand. Swing and a miss. Judas Effect win.

Business picked up in the aftermath. Don Callis wants to finish Omega and Jericho in a street fight. Omega was game and confirmed Kota Ibushi will be by his side. Jericho called in a favor from a man bigger than Will Hobbs. Well, it’s the Big Show. Paul Wight aligned with Jericho. He had no BS for the Callis Family and socked Kyle Fletcher with a KO punch.

The match was serviceable. I don’t like the idea of Jericho showing super human abilities to kick out after being hit in the head with the baseball bat. The swing to Judas Effect spot was intense. Cool Hand went full force whiffing the air. It gave the illusion of danger if he actually connected. Wight still earns a legend pop from me. His movement can be protected in an 8-man street fight.

Elite drama. The night wasn’t over for the Elite. As Omega and Jericho celebrated in the Elite locker room, Matt Jackson was pissy. Frustration still boiled about losing the ROH belts, and now he had to share a locker room with Jericho. The Jacksons were angry about how Jericho attacked their dad in a previous feud a few years ago. This isn’t how they envisioned it would be when the Elite got back together.

Matt Jackson has my attention with his outbursts. I’m not interested in another soap opera turn for the Elite. Been there, done that. What I am curious about is if this is character development for the Young Bucks. This has potential to refresh their identity and motivation. The Bucks have been drifting as side players in larger feuds. This might be the time to regain focus on the AEW tag titles. Hungry Bucks can be a dangerous team.

AEW Women’s World Championship: Hikaru Shida retained against Willow Nightingale. Competitive bout with respect. Shida transitioned from a crucifix pin to a stiff knee strike. That set the table for the Katana to win.

This match delivered as expected. Shida and Willow both fought hard, the action was fun, and they remained pure babyfaces. Shida thrilled with an avalanche Falcon Arrow. Willow had a moment firing up to kick out at 1 on that move, which made her look good in defeat. Plus, there was the pounce shoulder tackle.

Paths split apart after the match. Toni Storm stole Shida’s spotlight once again, so the champ ran up stage to hilariously clobber the starlet with a knee. Shida’s display of exasperation is great.

Willow was confronted by Julia Hart. Skye Blue arrived teasing a turn to the dark side. Instead, Blue turned on Hart. Blue mist! Blue spit mist in Hart’s face.

That was a pleasant twist. All signs pointed to Blue joining Hart, then they pulled a fast one. The blue color for the mist was a nice touch. AEW did a good job wrapping these events into building more than one storyline for the women’s division.

Notes: Dynamite opened with a package recapping relevant events from last week. AEW’s video production has always been top-notch, and this one set the mood while refreshing the memory. Double bonus.

Tony Khan’s important announcement for the holiday season was pre-sale tickets for All In in Wembley on August 25, 2024.

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Stud of the Show: Claudio Castagnoli

Talk of best wrestler in the world can veer in several different directions. For my money, Claudio is on the short list, if not atop it. His performance showed why.

Match of the Night: Orange Cassidy vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Cassidy and Castagnoli showed great chemistry playing to their strengths well. They created a lot of cool sequences.

Grade: B

Solid matches. The show excelled with build toward Full Gear. The pieces are coming together creating hot anticipation for PPV matchups. There was also a nice juggling act between servicing the show with its own storyline while still focusing on the big picture of Full Gear.

Share your thoughts about Dynamite. How do you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show?