AEW Dynamite Live 12/30/20
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Video Highlights been removed as new show uploaded
AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Reaction, Highlights from Brodie Lee Tribute Show
- Sana Ejaz Khan
- Credit: All Elite Wrestling.
This week's episode of AEW Dynamite was originally going to be part of AEW's two-week celebration of the new year, but after Brodie Lee died Saturday, it was turned into a tribute show.
Lee, real name Jon Huber, was the leader of The Dark Order, and one way the company honored him was by having every match on the card include at least one member of the group.
Cody Rahodes and Orange Cassidy teamed up with 10 to take on Ricky Starks, Brian Cage and Will Hobbs, while Chris Jericho provided commentary throughout the night.
We also saw Anna Jay and Tay Conti face Dr. Britt Baker and Penelope Ford, and much more. Since this week's episode is a tribute show to Lee, we have chosen not to grade the matches and instead will focus on recapping the action and how AEW paid tribute to him.
Let's take a look at everything from Wednesday's show.
It's Wednesday; You Know What That Means
1 OF 7Dynamite opened with the entire roster on the stage. Jim Ross said Lee's signature catchphrase before they stood silent for a 10-bell salute. Lee's family was on the stage with the wrestlers, and his eldest son Brodie Jr. could be seen wearing a Dark Order mask.
We then cut to a video of Jon Moxley talking about how hard it was to come up with the right words to pay tribute to his friend. He talked about knowing Lee for over a decade and how they fought in bingo halls and stadiums together.
Mox spoke about how Lee always told him how much he loved being a father and closed by saying he loved Lee like a brother and will never forget him.
The first match kicked off shortly after with Matt Hardy and Private Party taking on Colt Cabana and The Young Bucks.
The Young Bucks and Colt Cabana vs. Matt Hardy and Private Party
2 OF 7Cabana and Isiah Kassidy started for their teams. The Bucks and Cabana kept the upper hand for a long time and sent Hardy out of the ring with a triple dropkick.
The rest of the match unfolded like a typical six-man contest. Each team had multiple sequences and double-team moves as they traded control back and forth.
The Bucks and Cabana dominated more than Private Party and Hardy, but not by a huge margin. All six men had their time to shine, and we saw just about every combination of opponents this matchup could produce.
It was smart to start the show with this bout. It was fun, fast-paced and helped bring the mood up in the building after the emotional opening.
This night was a celebration of Lee's life and the business he loved. He would have wanted people to have fun and enjoy the show. This match helped put people in that mindset.
Cabana scored the win after The Bucks hit the Meltzer Driver, and he followed up with a Superman dive into a pin. Brodie Jr., whom the announcers called -1, was shown in the crowd cheering after the match.
The Acclaimed came out and was about to complain about The Dark Order dominating the show, but SCU showed up and threw them into the ring so Cabana and The Bucks could take the team down.
Lance Archer, Stu Grayson and Evil Uno vs. Eddie Kingston, Butcher and Blade
3 OF 7Darby Allin spoke after the break about how he met Brodie when he debuted in AEW and immediately wanted to wrestle him. He said Lee had no ego and wanted to elevate everybody. Allin said he would pick Lee's brain because he was always willing to share.
Lance Archer came out in jeans and a tank top looking like Lee's WWE persona, Luke Harper. Eddie Kingston grabbed a mic and said he loved and missed Brodie before going into heel mode and saying The Dark Order is nothing without him.
Evil Uno attacked Kingston before the bell to kick off a big brawl. The Muderhawk Monster helped Uno and Stu Grayson take out all three men on the opposing team.
Grayson filled the role of the guy who takes all of the damage from the other team before he was able to hit one of Lee's signature moves as the show went to a break. We returned to see Kingston and Uno slapping the life out of each other.
Archer came in and ran over everybody before he walked across the top rope and hit an impressive moonsault to The Blade. Uno and Grayson hit their double-team finisher on The Blade to score the win.
Once again, the wrestlers of AEW put on a wild match that entertained from start to finish. The attire Archer wore was a nice touch, but the performance of all six men is what stood out the most.
After the bout, AEW played another tribute video with several people sharing their thoughts on Lee. Cash Wheeler, Arn Anderson, Cabana and Bryce Remsburg spoke about how he was a great family man.
Hangman Page, Alex Reynolds and John Silver vs. MJF, Santana and Ortiz
4 OF 7John Silver wore his own version of Lee's attire for his match alongside Alex Reynolds and Adam Page against MJF, Santana and Ortiz. MJF had the Puerto Rican flag on his trunks.
Silver and Reynolds threw some paper at their opponents as a reference to what Lee would do to them on Being The Elite. MJF rolled out of the ring and yelled at Brodie Jr. The young -1 stood resilient.
Just like the previous bouts, this one followed a familiar formula. Everybody had a chance to be in control, but for some reason, this one seemed a bit more cohesive. The pace was steady, and the teamwork on both sides was crisp.
Johnny Hungie got that hot tag when we returned from a break and went on a rampage. He single-handedly took out everyone on the opposing team.
Silver hit some great spots before MJF hit him with the Heatseeker. Santana and Ortiz tried to pin him, but Reynolds made the save. Wardlow took Reynolds down, and Erick RedBeard, the former Erick Rowan, showed up to take him out of the equation.
MJF ripped the mask off Brodie Jr. and the little man hit him with a kendo stick. The match ended with Silver, Reynolds and Page getting the win. RedBeard joined them in the ring with a sign for Lee and tears in his eyes.
This was somehow the most fun and the most emotional match up to this point. Everything with Lee's son was done so well, and he performed in a way that would have made his dad proud. AEW just gave Brodie Jr. the memory of a lifetime. Everything about this was exactly what it needed to be.
Kingston shared his thoughts about Lee and how much he will miss him. He could barely keep himself from crying as he spoke directly to Lee's family through the camera.
Anna Jay and Tay Conti vs. Britt Baker and Penelope Ford
5 OF 7Anna Jay and Britt Baker started the match with some chain wrestling. They each managed to get in some offense before Conti tagged in.
This match took a slower approach than the six-man bouts we saw earlier because there weren't as many moving parts. There was more time for each performer, so they paced themselves.
Tay and Jay have teamed together before, but it was a little surprising to see Ford and Baker work so well as a unit. They had the heel tactics down like they have been working together this whole time.
Jay, aka 99, got the hot tag when we returned from a commercial. She hit a series of moves before Ford stopped her momentum. Conti dealt with Ford, leaving Jay and Baker together in the ring.
Lee's protege signaled to the sky and gave The Dark Order gesture with tears in her eyes. She caught Ford in a moonsault and locked in a sleeper hold for the victory while Conti kept Baker at bay.
Jay and Conti celebrated with glassy eyes as the crowd cheered. Tony Schiavone interviewed Baker after the match. She said the whole match was rigged and it was a conspiracy. She said it was a big rig, which was a reference to Lee's name on the indie scene.
Thunder Rosa attacked her before a group of officials broke them up.
Team Taz vs. 10, Cody Rhodes and Orange Cassidy
6 OF 7Chris Jericho shared a story about Brodie Lee from when they were in Saudi Arabia together. He said Brodie spent the last six months of his career proving he was a main event star. He said even his unfriendly dog loved Brodie.
The main event saw Preston "10" Vance team with Cody Rhodes and Orange Cassidy to take on Ricky Starks, Brian Cage and Powerhouse Hobbs. Cassidy went out and gave Brodie Jr. a hang bump before the match.
Cody started off against Starks. They traded chops in the corner before The American Nightmare went down from a dropkick. 10 reluctantly took the tag and entered the match. When Hobbs tagged in, he only wanted to fight Cassidy.
After everyone on Team Taz spent some time beating on Cassidy, Cody came in and turned the tables against Starks. We got to the spot when everyone came in and took out somebody else, and it ended with 10 hitting Cage with a short-arm clothesline before Starks hit a tornado DDT for a two-count.
Cassidy, Cody and 10 took turns hitting their finishers on Starks to get the win. 10 hugged his partners for the night and threw up The Dark Order symbol before Team Taz came back for revenge. They decimated everyone before the lights dropped out and Darby Allin's music hit. The TNT champion was soon joined by Sting.
The painted duo made their way to the ring from the stands and stood with 10, Cody and Cassidy to end the segment.
One Final Goodbye
7 OF 7Cody was in the ring after the final break and talked about how hard it was to write the memo letting everyone know Brodie had died. He spoke about how much every single person loved Lee in AEW, and he almost cried as he introduced Brodie Jr. with his very own entrance.
He came out with his mother Amanda, and they set Brodie's boots down in the ring. Tony Khan appeared and presented -1 with the TNT Championship and named him the TNT champion for life.
Khan presented a video package to give one final tribute to Lee. We saw pictures and clips from his time on the indie scene before he had a huge beard and some family photos.
This whole show was a beautiful tribute from top to bottom. One of the great things about pro wrestling is that it is entertainment, not a sport. It can do stuff like this because it is what the fans want to see.
The Exalted One will be deeply missed, but he will not be forgotten. Rest in peace, Big Rig. This night was for you.
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