The ongoing conflict between “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland persisted this week as Page had the opportunity to select Strickland’s opponent for the night. However, Page wasn’t just a spectator; he had his own match to worry about, facing Toa Liona, a familiar adversary from their encounters in All Elite Wrestling.
In addition to that, Jon Moxley went head-to-head with Jeff Hardy, Deonna Purrasso clashed with Taya Valkyrie, and Chris Jericho squared off against Kyle Fletcher. Let’s delve into the highlights of this week’s show, which unfolded at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on Wednesday.
Dynamite kicked off with Jon Moxley weaving through the crowd, ready to face Jeff Hardy in the opening bout.
Both competitors unleashed their full arsenal, with Hardy executing a daring dive off the apron and Moxley responding with a suicide dive, all within the initial five minutes of the show.
Despite the announcers highlighting Hardy’s recent surge in aggression, Moxley dominated much of the match as the aggressor. Their unique styles, not fitting the conventional wrestling mold, added an intriguing dynamic to the encounter.
While it deviated from the typical wrestling match, the bout was undeniably enjoyable. Although the Charismatic Enigma came close to victory on several occasions, the former AEW world champion ultimately secured the win by putting Hardy to sleep.
After Hardy exited the ring, four luchadors from CMLL ambushed Moxley. His Blackpool Combat Club comrades were absent, but other members of the locker room rushed in to help clear the ring.
Outcome: Jon Moxley emerged victorious over Jeff Hardy.
Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland took turns selecting opponents for each other for the night, leading to Liona stepping up to face the leader of The Mogul Embassy.
Liona possessed a notable size and power advantage. While this would typically suggest that Page had the edge in speed, their match proved to be more evenly matched than appearances might have suggested.
In contrast to the hard-hitting style seen in Mox vs. Hardy, this bout unfolded in a different but equally intense manner.
Despite being unable to execute the Buckshot Lariat, Page successfully secured the victory by keeping Liona down for the three-count with a well-executed crucifix.
Outcome: “Hangman” Adam Page emerged triumphant over Toa Liona.
The Undisputed Kingdom made their presence felt as they accompanied Wardlow to the ring for his bout against Komander.
In contrast to some of Mr. Mayhem’s recent matches, which ended swiftly with just a couple of moves, this encounter did not qualify as a two-move squash. However, it also didn’t quite reach the level of a competitive exchange between evenly matched competitors.
There was a moment of concern as Wardlow appeared to have injured his knee, but he managed to conclude the match by finishing off Komander with a powerful powerbomb. While this may be considered filler, the hope remains that Wardlow’s knee will recover without any significant issues.
Outcome: Wardlow emerged victorious over Komander.
Powerhouse Hobbs and Don Callis accompanied Fletcher to the ring for his matchup against Chris Jericho, who had recently returned from the Jericho Cruise.
The former AEW champion managed to chase Callis away temporarily, but the crafty manager returned as soon as Fletcher got Jericho back into the ring.
The narrative for this match was carefully crafted, portraying the journey of a young and rising star facing a seasoned veteran closer to the twilight of his career.
Jericho’s experience as a skilled performer and Fletcher’s status as one of the most promising talents under 30 created a seamless dynamic. Even when it seemed like Jericho might be slowing down, Fletcher adeptly adjusted to ensure the match continued to look impressive.
In the end, Jericho secured the win with two variations of the Judas Effect, with one execution standing out as notably more impactful than the other. The visual interpretation of their clash is open for your judgment.
Toni Storm joined the commentary team to observe the match between Deonna Purrazzo and Taya Valkyrie, with Johnny TV showing his support for his wife at ringside.
Although Valkyrie and Purrazzo have contrasting approaches to their craft, they share common ground as accomplished competitors. Valkyrie embraces a flashy style, while Purrazzo, self-dubbed The Virtuosa, prides herself on being one of the finest technicians in the world.
Despite these differences, both women showcased their prowess as skilled and powerful athletes, delivering impactful strikes and applying a variety of holds.
In the end, Purrazzo emerged victorious, promptly taunting Storm from the ring while the latter seethed with anger at the commentary table.
Outcome: Deonna Purrazzo triumphed over Taya Valkyrie.
Samoa Joe joined the commentary team for the main event as Hangman had the privilege of selecting Swerve’s opponent. However, the revelation of Swerve’s adversary was kept suspenseful until the very moment of his entrance.
Page, just before the bell, disclosed that the match would be a Hardcore encounter, surprising Strickland with an immediate chair shot to the face from RVD.
As anticipated, the contest swiftly evolved into a sequence of weapon-centric moments, geared towards thrilling the crowd. Once the Hardcore stipulation was unveiled, traditional wrestling maneuvers like headlocks and drop-toe holds were promptly discarded.
While it didn’t reach the same level of brutality as some of Swerve’s previous Hardcore matches, this encounter possessed its own unique charm. The audience responded enthusiastically to RVD’s presence, erupting in cheers for his signature moves such as the Rolling Thunder.
The match took an unexpected turn with interference from Brian Cage, prompting Hook to emerge and restore balance for his former tag team partner. Following several close calls for both contenders, Strickland secured the victory with a decisive Swerve Stomp.
Outcome: Swerve Strickland emerged triumphant over RVD.
This episode of Dynamite showcased solid matches overall, but it left a sense of something lacking.
While each bout had its merits, there was a notable similarity in tone throughout the card. The absence of technical showcases or spot fests was apparent, with the chaos presented feeling somewhat uniform.
The contest between Liona and Page could be argued as the standout of the night, although others might lean towards Mox vs. Hardy or Swerve vs. RVD for different reasons.
Currently entrenched in various ongoing storylines, AEW seems to be in a holding pattern, with a sense that many of these narratives will culminate at Revolution on March 3. Until then, the anticipation builds for the resolution of these story arcs.
