AEW Dynamite preview (Sept. 6, 2023): This is the start of a new era

Dynamite airs tonight (Sept. 6) with a live show from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is the first episode of Dynamite during the four week build towards WrestleDream, which takes place on Oct. 1.

This is the start of a new era in AEW

One week ago, I used this space to write about how CM Punk’s bad leadership put AEW in a very difficult spot for the All Out pay-per-view event. CM’s inability to keep himself out of backstage fights proved to be his undoing, because AEW President Tony Khan fired Punk over the weekend. Punk and his “Real World Championship” are now gone, which means this week starts a new era for AEW.

The start of this new era coincides with the ending of the All Out main event, where Jon Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy to become the new AEW International Champion. Cassidy successfully defended that belt over 30 times during his reign that began last October. Now it’s up to Jon to carry that belt forward and keep demonstrating why it is a top prize in the promotion.

AEW Grand Slam is coming up in two weeks, and Moxley and Cassidy will both need someone to fight that week. It’s possible that they’ll have a rematch for the gold, but I think it’d be a better start to this new era by finding new stories for both men. Let’s see which wrestlers on the AEW roster will get in their faces tonight and try to get them in the ring for a match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on Sept. 20.

Tonight’s lineup

AEW World Champion MJF was shoved by Samoa Joe at All Out, which sparked a brawl inside the ring between both men. Just like that, it looks like MJF vs. Joe is in the works, whether it’s at Grand Slam or WrestleDream. MJF’s opponent at Grand Slam will be determined by a tournament which begins tonight. If Joe ends up being in the tournament, well, it doesn’t take a genius to conclude he’d be a favorite to go all the way. MJF will have a live mic in his hands tonight, where he’ll almost certainly address Joe’s unprovoked shove at All Out.

Darby Allin vs. Nick Wayne is one of two tournament matches announced for tonight. Allin and Wayne are allies who have experienced some tension in recent weeks over AR Fox. Darby accepted Fox’s apology for turning heel a few weeks ago, and Nick didn’t understand why Darby would do that. These tensions can be heightened tonight when Darby and Nick step in the ring against each other in tournament action. What kind of shape will Darby be in after hurting his back on a coffin at All In and then being demolished by TNT Champion Christian Luchasaurus at All Out?

The second tournament match advertised for tonight is Roderick Strong vs. Trent Beretta. Roddy point-blank told Adam Cole that he’s going to win the tournament and destroy Adam’s best friend MJF, so that makes Strong the favorite to advance out of the first round. However, Roderick has not competed in AEW since the end of June when Samoa Joe put him in the neck brace that he still wears today. Based on his comments from last week, Roddy may very well wrestle in the tourney while still wearing that neck brace.

The other match on tonight’s lineup is a tag team bout pitting Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara against Aussie Open. Jericho and Guevara want to win tag team gold. If they work together to win this match, perhaps that will be good enough to put them in line for a title shot against AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR at either Grand Slam or WrestleDream.

Finally, Hangman Page has something to say. Page has been lost in the shuffle over the last couple months, but he’s coming off a win in the Over Budget Charity Battle Royal. Will Page slip in a shot at CM Punk when he has the mic in his hands tonight?

Other stuff to keep an eye on

- Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida should probably stop teaming together since they keep accidentally hitting each other. In fact, maybe they should go at it one-on-one to determine Saraya’s challenger for the AEW women’s world championship at either Grand Slam or WrestleDream.

- Is Toni Storm still a member of The Outcasts after her decision to steal the can of spray paint cost Ruby Soho her match against TBS Champion Kris Statlander at All Out?

- Can you imagine just how insufferable Don Callis will be tonight after his assassin Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kenny Omega at All Out? What’s the next step in Don’s plan to rid AEW of The Elite?

- Speaking of The Elite, the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega collectively lost all four of their matches at All In and All Out. How will they react to these potentially humbling defeats?

- Have we seen the last of Dennis Rodman in AEW after he scissored AEW World Trios Champions Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed at All Out?

- Jack Perry is currently suspended due to the backstage altercation with CM Punk at All In, so it’s a good thing that HOOK beat Perry’s ass for the FTW championship earlier that day. Now that the unrecognized gold is back where it belongs, which wrestler will be next to try their luck against HOOK?

- Bryan Danielson is back in AEW and violently beat the shit out of Ricky Starks at All Out. We may have to wait until later this week on Collision to see what AEW has planned for Bryan at Grand Slam and/or WrestleDream, the latter of which takes place in Seattle, close to Bryan’s hometown.

- Does Miro’s hot and flexible wife have a name yet?

- Where the f*** is Jade Cargill Wardlow?

What will you be looking for on Dynamite?