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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
The top feuds, most intriguing stories and prominent stars took center stage Wednesday night on TNT as All Elite Wrestling presented an episode of Dynamite aimed at hyping its Full Gear pay-per-view, available on B/R Live this Saturday night.
What chaos ensued as world champ Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston came face-to-face ahead of their title clash, would Cody build momentum for himself before his title defense against Darby Allin and would Miro pick up his first singles victory with AEW?
Find out the answers to those questions and more with this recap of the November 4 broadcast.
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Announced for Wednesday’s card:
- Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston come face-to-face before Full Gear
- Cody and The Gunn Club vs. The Dark Order (John Silver, 10 and Colt Cabana)
- Scorpio Sky vs. Shawn Spears
- Trent vs. Miro
- Ortiz and Sammy Guevara vs. Wardlow and MJF
Coverage begins at 8:00 PM.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Chris Jericho called MJF “soft” to kick off the broadcast, just moments before joining Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur at the commentary table. Just days before his showdown with Le Champion, MJF joined Wardlow for a tag team showdown with The Inner Circle’s Sammy Guevara and Ortiz in the night’s first match.
Jericho put over Ortiz’s tenacity and toughness long enough for him to eat a big spinebuster by Wardlow. MJF stomped Ortiz in the corner, talked some trash and tagged his massive bodyguard back into the match. “Warlow’s been doing all the work here. MJF only tags in when the man is down,” Schiavone added, telling the story of an opportunistic heel.
The scarf-wearing loudmouth and his partner worked over Ortiz before a hot tag to Guevara. The Spanish God stunned Wardlow with a superkick, then blasted MJF with a jumping knee to the face. A springboard into a crossbody followed, as did a pair of topes.
The Inner Circle rolled late and set up for a superplex but Wardlow brought them and MJF down with a tower of doom superplex spot. Wardlow followed up with an F-10 to Ortiz but Guevara made the save. Matt Hardy, dressed as Serpentico, threw a chair at Guevara, allowing MJF to apply the Salt of the Earth armbar for the submission win.
After the match, MJF ambushed Jericho at the announce position and pounded away at him, showing the intensity that The Demo God had demanded out of him earlier.
Result
MJF and Wardlow defeated Guevara and Ortiz
Grade
B+
Analysis
If there was any question about what kind of babyface Guevara can be, we caught a glimpse here as The Spanish God was nothing short of extraordinary in that role. He was fiery, explosive and had both Wardlow and MJF reeling before Hardy’s interference.
MJF scoring the win was the right decision as he had to build momentum ahead of Saturday night, and his attack on Jericho was even better as it allowed him to answer Le Champion’s critiques emphatically.
Their match Saturday night at Full Gear may not have the flash of others but it has two enormous personalities, two great heels and a ton of potential to captivate in ways those with flashier offenses will not.
A hot start to this week’s show.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
After an exclusive interview conducted by Tony Schiavone with an arrogant, almost full-of-himself Kenny Omega, attention turned to our second match of the night as Miro battled Trent in singles competition. Kip Sabian accompanied his Best Man while Chuck Taylor seconded his best friend.
The powerful, intense and aggressive Miro weathered an early storm from Trent, wearing him down and pounding away at him in the corner. Taylor wiped out Sabian at ringside while Trent dodged a corner splash by his opponent.
During the commercial, Miro regained control just as The Dark Order appeared and attacked Orange Cassidy in a preview of Freshly Squeezed’s match with John Silver Saturday. The artist formerly known as The Bulgarian Brute continued his one-sided beatdown of Trent, blasting him with a hard kick to the face.
Trent attempted a comeback but Miro shook it off. A half-and-half suplex allowed Trent to create some separation but Miro caught and planted him with a fallaway slam. Trent recovered, quickened the pace and delivered a tope con hiro.
Miro rocked Trent with a big kick and applied the camel clutch for the submission win.
After the match, Taylor returned to pull Miro off his partner, only to be attacked by Sabian. The heels beat up on Best Friends until Cassidy re-emerged and delivered an Orange Drop that wiped the heels out.
Result
Miro defeated Trent
Grade
C+
Analysis
The one-sidedness of the match went on a bit too long but once Trent fired off his comeback, it developed into a damn fun match.
Hard-hitting, with Miro showing off in his first singles match with AEW, it accomplished exactly what it intended ahead of what is sure to be a high-profile tag team match between the two teams sooner than later.
You can justifiably question Miro’s use to this point in AEW, but there is no denying that he is having fun and enjoying himself in a way he certainly did not during his last year with WWE and for that is certainly worth something.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Jim Ross interviewed an admittedly nervous Hangman Page ahead of his World Title Eliminator finals against Kenny Omega and a video package hyped up the AEW Tag Team Championships between The Young Bucks and FTR.
Taz, Ricky Starks and FTW Champion Brian Cage hit the ring, understandably irate about their lack of Full Gear match and the fact that they were disrespected earlier in the day by AEW owner Tony Khan. Taz vowed there would be an FTW presence at this Saturday’s pay-per-view.
As Private Party made their way to the ring for their match with The Young Bucks, Sammy Guevara attacked Matt Hardy, laying him out with a Twist of Fate in retaliation for the interference in the night’s opening tag bout.
The battle between the Bucks and Private Party kicked off after the break, with Matt and Nick Jackson controlling the match and taking down both Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen as they prepare for their championship opportunity Saturday.
Matt, nursing a knee injury suffered at the hands of Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, limped noticeably. The injured limb slowed Jackson and prevented him from following up a good deal of his offense. Still, the top contenders to the tag titles dominated throughout the break while Quen attempted to will his partner on.
Private Party finally fought back into the contest and delivered Gin and Juice on Nick. Matt just barely broke up the pin.
The Bucks recovered, delivered the BTE Trigger and scored the pinfall victory.
“Was it worth it? Was it worth The Young Bucks taking this match just three days before Full Gear?” Excalibur asked.
FTR hit the ring and attacked, delivering the Goodnight Express to Matt. They teased further damaging the ankle but Hangman Page made the save, followed by Kenny Omega. A tense staredown ensued ahead of their match Saturday.
Result
The Young Bucks defeated Private Party
Grade
B
Analysis
There is no such thing as a bad Bucks-Private Party match.
With that said, it was interesting that the story of the match was Matt struggling to compete on his injured left knee, yet still controlling the bout with brother Nick. They beat down Kassidy and never really looked like they were in danger of losing, which is the polar opposite of the story you would expect given Matt’s physical condition.
Page and Omega making the save for the Bucks was a nice callback to their friendship and the staredown added tension to their own match on Saturday’s show.
A good segment that added intensity and intrigue to what might be the best match on the entire Full Gear card.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
With the stipulation that physicality would result in the cancelation of their match, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston came face-to-face in the center of the ring.
Kingston attributed his lack of a family to his pursuit of the top prize in AEW. Moxley responded, recalling the promise he made to Eddie’s mother to take care of him when he couldn’t take care of himself.
“You will find out this Saturday that you are not the man you thought you were. You will say the words, ‘I quit’,” Moxley said before tossing the mic down.
Afterward, Jim Ross threw to a video package from “The Bastard” Pac.
The Brit warned that every day that passes, he gets faster and stronger. Most importantly, more obsessed. The video came to an abrupt end, the rest of the AEW roster put on notice.
Grade
A+
Analysis
This was an emotionally intense showdown between Moxley and Kingston that shed some light on the incredibly personal edge to their match. Both champion and challenger were excellent here and really hammered home how important their clash is Saturday.
Theirs is a match that transcends the world title and is as much about a friendship-turned-sour. That will be at the center of their I Quit Match at Full Gear.
The video package from Pac, featuring plenty of voiceovers from Kingston, hints at issues that will be settled when he returns to AEW TV.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
With AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida watching from the stands, Nyla Rose battled Red Velvet in singles competition.
Velvet started fast and furiously but Rose bowled her over and wasted little time showing off her ferocity en route to a Beast Bomb for the win.
After the match, Vickie Guerrero talked trash to Brandi Rhodes before a scuffle between Rose and Shida broke out.
Result
Rose defeated Velvet
Grade
C-
Analysis
We get it, Rose is dominant. Nothing about this explained why she is getting a championship match despite not competing regularly in months, though.
Instead, it planted the seeds for a Guerrero-Rhodes feud while simultaneously serving as a last-ditch effort to create some sort of anticipation for Rose vs. Shida.
It did not work, through no fault of any of the performers involved.
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Credit: All Elite Wrestling
The Dark Order’s 10, John Silver and Colt Cabana battled TNT Champion Cody and The Gunn Club in the night’s Six-Man Tag Team main event.
Young Austin Gunn outclassed Silver early before tagging his father into the match. Not wanting any part of the elder Gunn, Silver tagged Cabana into the match, leaving the veteran competitors to do battle.
Austin found his way back into the match and The Dark Order seized control, working over the least-experienced wrestler in the match during the commercial break.
Cody tagged in coming out of the timeout and unloaded, wiping Cabana out at ringside as Darby Allin watched from the stands. Back in the ring, Austin delivered Cross Rhodes to Cabana and pinned 10 with the Quick Draw.
The babyface victors stood tall but The Dark Order surrounded the ring. Silver teased a sneak attack but Orange Cassidy came from out of nowhere and delivered Orange Punch to drop him.
Cody grabbed a mic and recalled pitching Allin’s name as an AEW star. He told Darby to quit lying to himself by saying TNT doesn’t want him as champion. He told Allin he’s not the ace so he won’t win the ace title at Full Gear.
Result
Cody and The Gunn Club defeated The Dark Order
Grade
C
Analysis
There was absolutely no reason for this to be the main event of the show. It would have been better served icking off the show or headlining AEW Dark, even, rather than in the main event of the go-home show to Full Gear.
The Bucks vs. Private Party would have been a more effective main event.
That AEW waited so long to put any sort of heat whatsoever on Cody vs. Allin doesn’t help, either.
A rather flat conclusion to a show that was, otherwise, fairly good.