Jurassic Express/FTR


The show starts with the bucks coming out looking mad as hell like last week-- they deck the ref, smolder, and roll out, throwing a wad of cash at TK in the back as they stroll out of the show. Looks like there's no doubt about it, these dudes are pissed and they're gonna be taking it out on the roster soon. I'm sad to see it honestly. They could have been heroes. 

FTR cheers them on in the back, but the reality is that someday the young bucks are going to destroy them, and I can't wait to see it. They'll never know what hit them. 

The match with Jurassic Express/FTR starts right after-- Luchasaurus, the imminent hottest tag in the universe gets some great shots in on FTR while Jungle Boy puts in a ton of work with nothing to show for it. FTR pull some weird corner shenanigans and get the pin. I was honestly a bit surprised by this, I sort of exxpected JE to pull a victory out on FTR and earn a real title shot, but this may more or less just be putting a little match on this feud, or else squashing it before it becomes a whole thing. We'll have to wait and see. 

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Matt Hardy injured again

We cut to breaking news backstage where Matts leg has been destroyed by an unknown assailant just when he was getting ready to help Private Party with their match. There's no doubt that Inner Circle was behind this as they return to the scene of the crime to be enormous bitches like usual. Jericho is still teaming with Jake as Sammy is out after being injured in his match with Matt. It's the worst of all worlds. Jake and Jericho laugh and head off as Matt is left to pull himself together even more. 

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Kazarian/Hangman

Omega joins the commentary booth to casually squelch any chance of he and Hangman getting back together for another tag run. Omega says he's done with the whole thing. Many times throughout the match he seems shocked that Hangman managed to get himself out of trouble, because, he says, he's usually had to have been the one to save him. He also says he was offered this as a tag match but turned it down. The hurt is real. 

Kazarian basically is able to shrug off a good portion of Hangmans offence, even though Hangman is using everything but the buckshot lariat because he can't quite get to it. Hangman stifles a few of Kazarians attempts to get some offence, basically just barely holding him off the whole match. He ultimately is able, after some incredible effort, to use the buckshot and to get the pin. However, as soon as he does, Omega says thanks for the coffee, and heads to the back. Hangman looks for him, maybe for some reconciliation, but Omega is already gone. No one is there for him. No one at all. 

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MJF/Shawn Dean

MJF comes out and performs a Shida/Red Velvet% Speedrun on Shawn Dean (A wrestler I'm not super familiar with). He wins by submission, then cuts a promo about how he is the "undefeated, undisputed, uncrowned world heavyweight champion" and makes Justin Roberts say it with threats via Wardlow. MJF says he feels like everyone is in some kind of group but him, so he says he might just form his own stable. Thankfully, he then leaves.

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Eddie Kingston Appears

Eddie once more reminds us he didn't lose in the battle royale, and says his group is a family, and families sometimes fight and reconcile, but his only fights. He has Butcher Blade and the Lucha Bros grab random faces from the audience and kill them. He tells Penta and Fenix that theyre his brothers and that it's time for Blade to "get his house in order". This appears on its surface to be a reference to The Bunny (Allie), who has been wrapped up in Nightmare Family bullshit via her honeypotting of QT so long that she's spent more time there than being the Bunny. Eddie vaguely alluded to this last week as well by referencing the face that Blade is married to her. Until now she's only been their valet before disappearing, and it's never been mentioned that they were married in storyline as far as I know. 

This suddenly makes QT look sort of bad by proxy, but ultimately this means we're probably gonna see B&B Vs. Natural Nightmares or something involving Allie turning on QT or Blade one. I doubt we're looking at a love triangle story, but there will surely be dramatic developments soon. 

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Private Party/Jericho & Jake


Personally I thought this was the worst match on the show as there were no real stakes involved and this is just generally to get J&J another win on their crusade for the tag titles by taking out the perpetual midcard guardians Private Party. They may have beaten the bucks in a surprise upset last year during the Tag Tournament, but they really have lost just about every single match they've had since then. I thought this was a bit overlong and didn't tell much of a story really. I was not very invested, though the match itself was fine. Jericho wins with a crushing Judas Effect, which PP sold to absolute chefs kiss perfection. Jericho continued pumeling Kassidy. Quen hits him, sending him to the back with Jake. 

Instead of running for the belts this might be setting something more up with Private Party, which I honestly could not care less about. I imagine when Sammy is back he will be like wtf why am I not your tag team partner anymore, which may finally be what Sammy needs to leave IC. He may even join with MJF. They would be insufferable together. We'll see. 

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NWA Women's Championship Match
Thunder Rosa/Ivelisse (w/ Diamante)


When they announced this match, I assumed it was some kind of contractual obligation from Billy Corgan-- that if Thunder Rosa comes and loses her challenge to Hikaru Shida, they needed to show Thunder Rosa beating someone from AEW to retain her own belt. That's sort of how this starts-- Thunder Rosa initially lays a big beatdown on Ivelisse, who eventually starts to get the upper hand. Honestly this match was so good. Very intense. This is the first singles match from Ivelisse on Dynamite since her debut on 7.16.20 where Diamante beat her-- but I wasn't super invested in that. She also had a match on Dark #50 against Kilynn who should be signed imo. 

Either way, Thunder Rosa eventually pins Ivelisse, but Diamante jumps her and Rosa takes a beating. Shida runs in, to my gleeful delight, runs off the goons and takes a long look at that NWA belt. She gives it back to Rosa and they have a moment. I was like, oh, please announce they'll be tagging against Ivelisse/Diamante next week. They usually announce those kinds of things right away-- but ultimately they did at the end of the show. Amazing. Cannot wait. 

I'm assuming now that they'll tag, win, and then Shida is going to challenge Rosa for HER belt. This could go anywhere. If they let them do a double belt match this feud could go on for a long time and I would be happy-- they're the two best wrestlers in the womens division right now. 

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Sabian Ford & Miro

Short little segment where Miro and Kip basically just reaffirm they're friends and that the bachelor party for Kips wedding is gonna rule. Miro works out and is excited. Obviously he will ruin Kips wedding. 

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6-Man Tag Team Promo W/ Lance/Mox

In my favorite segment of the night I think promo wise, Lance/Jake come out and basically say, yeah, sometimes fate makes strange bedfellows. For our side of the 6man tag we don't want to be in bed with the devil, when we could have the tazmanian devil. He calls Taz out. Taz says Cage and Starks will fight with Lance but he has to give his dudes first dibs on challenges if he wins the belt off of Mox. Archer agrees and is generally just the best dude. 

Mox shows up and is jumped by Cage and Starks from the crowd, imitating 9.9 when some rando tried to run up on Mox and got his shit fucked by security immediately. Mox is saved by WILL HOBBS, who earlier today it was announced is now signed to AEW. This is amazing news for me, as I love Will Hobbs, and that I love Mox and Lance Archer, and then Mox says Darby is on the team too, and I love them together, and I can't wait to see Starks lose in this match to Darby next week. I am so excited. I AM SO EXCITED. 

They announce after this that for some reason OC is fighting Brody for the TNT Championship next week. Huh? Don't know why, but, okay! 

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Parking Lot Brawl
Santanna/Ortiz / Chuck/Trent

This match is nuts. Absolutely off the wall. Just the violence. Ortiz is jammed into an engine, Santana has his face broken on a mirror. A sledgehammer flies into a windshield at 40,000mph, trent is thrown into a windshield so hard his back is eviscerated. It just goes and goes and it's so good. They died for this match. And then, when hope is lost, OC pops out of a gat dang trunk with A CHAIN, helps them get the win, then Best Friends ride off into the sunset with Sue who throws up a proud middle finger on the way out. 

How can you not love this. It was perfect. Tony said it was "HOLY HELL". Unforgettable. 

After the Matt/Sammy ordeal at All Out 2020 it was initially kind of uhhhh what you guys doing here, but they did everything, no one seemed seriously hurt, and it was awesome. So. 

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Thoughts - 

I really enjoyed this episode all the way through except for the Jericho/Private Party match, which was basically due to no story and lack of stakes. We knew who was winning and why (or at least I assume I know why), but eh. It may lead somewhere in the future. 

Highlights for me where the 6-man promo, Thunder Rosa, and the ending brawl. The Hangman fight was a nice bit of storytelling but maybe went too long. Maybe. Hard to say. I enjoyed it. 

This really was just a killer show though. I am stoked for next week. Truly totally stoked.