This week's Dynamite was huge for the company as it immediately followed Kenny Omega and Tony Khan's separate appearances on Impact Wrestling during Tuesday's show.
Omega seemed to be back in full Cleaner mode after winning the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley last week, and Don Callis was right there with him to stoke the flames.
Khan appeared during a paid advertisement alongside Tony Schiavone but Omega was the big story. This is the first step in what could be a valuable working relationship for the two promotions.
This week's show featured The Young Bucks taking on Hybrid2 in a non-title match, Eddie Kingston and The Butcher and the Blade took on Lance Archer and The Lucha Bros, MJF battled Orange Cassidy and both Shaq and Sting had scheduled interviews with Tony Schiavone.
Let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's episode of AEW Dynamite.
The Young Bucks vs. Hybrid2
1 OF 9
The show opened with Nick and Matt Jackson coming to the ring for their match with Jack Evans and Angelico. TH2 attacked The Bucks before the bell but it didn't help them get an early advantage.
Nick and Matt double-teamed them until they sent both men were sent out of the ring with dropkicks. They continued to control the pace as the fight spilled out of the ring.
Once they started using tags, Evans and Angelico still had trouble getting the upper hand. Evans hit a huge moonsault to the floor to take out Matt before he helped Angelico take out Nick with a double-team move.
After Matt injured his leg during a moonsault attempt, Angelico locked him in a submission while Evans kept Nick at bay. Nick was able to break the hold with a senton from the top rope but Matt's leg was already damaged.
Grade: C+
Analysis
The Bucks and TH2 are both talented teams but this match had a couple of issues. The first problem was a lack of selling most of the big moves that took place. They moved from spot to spot too quickly without letting anything land. They slowed down as the match progressed but still didn't do enough.
The second problem was the overall pace. There were times when it was hard to know which team member was legel on either side.
The third issue was the referee's complete lack of control. Refs are not supposed to draw attention from the action but they do need to be active participants by trying to enforce the rules.
This match is going to appeal to some fans and drive others up the wall, but that comes hand in hand with most matches involving The Young Bucks. This was fun but far from perfect.
Evans and Angelico have the potential to be one of the best teams in AEW if they are given the proper push against the right opponents. Evans had some great high spots.
It's Sting!
2 OF 9
Schiavone was in the ring with Cody and Arn Anderson to talk about Sting but before Cody could say anything, the lights dropped and Sting made his entrance.
Anderson left the ring and Sting gave Schiavone a hug. He talked about how Schiavone used to scream his name and asked him to do it one more time for the crowd.
Cody said he has been waiting a long time to share a ring with Stine but The Icon says he's not here for him. He pointed up at Darby Allin sitting in the stands with the TNT Championship.
He told Cody he plans to be in AEW for a long time and then said "See you around, kid."
Grade: B+
Analysis
Hearing Sting give his first non-WWE promo in years was great but he didn't exactly give us a lot to work with. All we know is he is interested in Alling for some reason.
Does he want to fight Allin or manage him? AEW is obviously trying to make him mysterious and so far, it's working.
The way he talked down to Cody at the end was a nice touch. It tells us this isn't a pure babyface Sting but he isn't a heel but any means.
FTR vs. Varsity Blondes
3 OF 9
Cash Wheeler Started out against Brian Pillman Jr. He took control and tagged in Dax Harwood to keep up the onslaught.
Pillman was able to turn the tables before he tagged in Griff Garrison. Pillman came back in and FTR quickly took him down with a double suplex.
After a commercial break, Pillman began to make a comeback. He tagged Garrison as Harwood came in and he took it to both members of FTR. He took them down with a double spear for a two-count.
Grade: B-
Analysis
This was a more traditional tag match than what opened the show. Pillman and Garrison used some high-flying moves but FTR kept them grounded enough to keep this from being a spot fest.
Once again, the pace could have been taken down a notch so people could sell a bit more. However, they did enough to make this a good performance.
The Varsity Blondes are young and have plenty of time to build themselves up. They looked good against a team known for its technical prowess.
Dustin Rhodes vs. 10
4 OF 9
The Dark Order's 10 took on Dustin Rhodes in the first singles match of the night. The rest of The Dark Order was nearby but Dustin had Lee Johnson with him for backup.
The Natural took control early with a series of body blows. He took 10 out of the ring and slammed his head into the guardrail. Ten took control by slamming Dustin on the apron.
He followed up with a big spinebuster. Dustin started to build some momentum after hitting a few uppercuts. He hit a running bulldog for the pin out of nowhere.
Evil Uno came down and tried to recruit Dustin to The Dark Order but all he got was a slap to the face. Uno told him he would be begging to join them soon.
Grade: B-
Analysis
Dustin's bulldog finisher is a little too basic but everything else he does always looks incredible. The fact that he is still this good at his age is a testament to his longevity and talent.
The talents of 10 cannot be overlooked but it's hard to judge how good he really is because Dustin makes everybody look incredible.
The attempted recruitment into The Dark Order could become interesting if Brodie Lee returns soon. Without him, the stable is more comedic than anything else.
The Inner Circle's Ultimatum
5 OF 9
Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle came to the ring to address Jericho's ultimatum that they work together or break up for good.
He gave a little speech before MJF asked if he could say something. He tried to convince everybody they were friends but Sammy Guevara got in his face.
Ortiz said MJF and Wardlow are great assets but not good people. He told Guevara to shake MJF's hand and make peace. He said Guevara needed to be the better man because he is better than MJF.
Guevara agreed to shake his hand but warned him and Jericho that if one more bad thing happens, he will quit The Inner Circle. Jericho wanted to move on but Jake Hager asked Wardlow why he keeps staring at him. They started trading insults before Jericho told them to stop staring at each other.
Grade: C
Analysis
This segment had some entertaining moments but at the end of the day, nothing changed. MJF and Guevara still hate each other and Jericho is still just trying to keep everyone on the same page.
This is one of those segments that probably looked good on paper but did little to move the storyline forward in practice.
The most interesting possibility is a match between Hager and Wardlow. Those two could have a legit hoss fight few in AEW could match. It would be hard-hitting and brutal. Make it happen, AEW.
The Lucha Bros and Lance Archer vs. Eddie Kingston, the Butcher and the Blade
6 OF 9
Archer started off the action by diving over the top rope onto all three opponents as he made his way to the ring. A huge brawl broke out that ended with Penta el Zero M going through a table at the hands of The Butcher.
Once the referee got both teams to their corners, Kingston and co. started focusing on Rey Fenix. They kept him cornered with quick tags and double-team moves.
The Bunny took a cheap shot while Aubrey Edwards had her back turned. Fenix countered a suplex with a handspring into a cutter. Both men made the tag and Archer started decimating The Blade.
He put The Butcher and The Blade in opposite corners so he could hit both men a few times. After the break, Kingston scored the pin on Fenix. Once the bout was over, Archer destroyed everyone.
Grade: B
Analysis
This match only had one week of buildup behind it but it already felt like a blood feud. Archer and Kingston are going to have some great matches in the future.
Taking out Penta early on was an odd move but it made Kingston's win easier to understand. The Blade and The Butcher looked good but were almost afterthoughts in this match.
Out of everything we had seen on the show up to this point, this match had the best action because it looked more convincing, especially when it came to Archer and Kingston.
Abadon vs. Tesha Price
7 OF 9
Abadon defeated Tesha Price in what can only be described as a squash match. She beat her down in the corner and shrugged off a punch from Price like it was nothing.
She kept up the attack after the match was over but Hikaru Shida came out with a kendo stick. She looked reluctant at first but eventually crashed Abadon over the head with the kendo stick.
Abadon sat up like The Undertaker and Shida took Price out of the ring to escape.
Grade: C+
Analysis
The match was nothing special but it accomplished the goal of making Abadon look dangerous and unhinged. What came after was what really sold this segment.
Shida helping Price was a classic babyface move but seeing Abadon sit up like the kendo stick shot did nothing was the image everyone will remember. Shida vs. Abadon in a rematch looks to be all but certain.
Kenny Omega Speaks
8 OF 9
Omega and Callis came out for an interview with Schiavone. He said he has never been as disgusted as he was last week when Omega stole the title.
Callis took the mic and spoke directly to Tony Khan through the camera. He said this was a lesson for him before talking about Omega being on Impact Wrestling on Tuesday.
Omega took the mic and talked about how this plan has been in place for over a year. He said nepotism is a beautiful thing and bragged about winning the belt from Moxley.
Grade: A
Analysis
Omega is officially a heel and AEW is all the better for it. Between his promos on Impact and Dynamite, he has firmly cemented himself as the top star in AEW by embracing his dark side.
It was surprising to see Moxley stay away but that is for the best. The rematch needs to be built up over time. The next time they trade blows should be at least a few weeks from now.
Callis was as enthusiastic as he has ever been. This was the kind of segment that will have people talking.
MJF vs. Orange Cassidy (Diamond Ring)
9 OF 9
MJF rushed Cassidy in the corner and stomped him to the mat. He broke OC's sunglasses before hitting a suplex for a one-count.
Cassidy reversed a suplex into Stundog Millionaire. MJF pulled him onto the apron and avoided an Orange Punch. He powerbombed Cassidy onto the apron and dared Trent to hit him.
OC tripped him into the corner but MJF popped right back up and hit a stiff elbow for a near-fall. The Inner Circle kept the ref distracted while Guevara threw Cassidy into the ring post.
We returned from a break to see Cassidy starting to build up a head of steam. MJF stopped his momentum and set up for the Heat Seeker. OC backdropped him out of the ring and hit a dive onto the entire Inner Circle. When they got into the ring, MJF hit his finisher but the ref caught him trying to use the ropes for leverage.
MJF took Jericho's bat and tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero. Cassidy outsmarted him and the ref saw MJF holding the bat and threw it out. Cassidy hit The Beach Break for a two-count.
Cassidy hit an Orange Punch but still couldn't get the pin. He hit a second but Wardlow put MJF's foot on the bottom rope to break the pin. A brawl broke out and Miro ran down to hit Cassidy with a huge clothesline out of nowhere. MJF made the cover and got the win.
Grade: B
Analysis
This was a good match, especially considering how many moving parts it had. The Inner Circle and Best Friends could have made this feel bloated but it never felt like MJF and Cassidy lost their focus.
MJF winning was somewhat surprising but as soon as Miro showed up, it became clear. Best Friends and Cassidy will continue their feud with Kip Sabian and Miro while MJF moves on.
This was definitely the best match to end the show. It had great action and a decent story to go with it.
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