AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 2
With Revolution just days away on pay-per-view, AEW hit the TBS airwaves for an episode of Dynamite aimed at creating excitement and intrigue for the blockbuster event.
Headlined by a massive six-man tag team match featuring world champion "Hangman" Adam Page and No. 1 contender Adam Cole, the show also promised a major announcement from Tony Khan.
Who emerged from the broadcast with momentum on their side ahead of Sunday's event and what did Khan have to say regarding his company?
Find out with this recap of the March 2 show.
Tony Khan's Major Announcement
Tony Khan kicked off Wednesday's episode with a monumental announcement: he is the new owner of Ring of Honor.
He introduced the man who competed in the first main event of that company, Bryan Danielson, for a match with his opponent that night back in 2002: Christopher Daniels.
The veteran competitors put on a wrestling clinic, reminding fans of the in-ring style that helped revolutionize ROH in the first place.
Danielson predictably scored the win, using the triangle choke to put Danielson out.
After the match, he vowed to stomp Jon Moxley's head in at Revolution and proceeded to do the same to The Fallen Angel. Moxley hit the ring and cut a promo on The American Dragon ahead of their match Sunday night.
Result
Danielson defeated Daniels
Grade
B
Analysis
Khan announcing ownership of ROH is a major occurrence in pro wrestling and lives up to the lofty expectations put in place by his hyping the announcement.
Kicking off the show with Danielson and Daniels in a throwback to the heyday of ROH was a nice touch and bled nicely into the hype for the former's battle with Moxley.
There were no new developments in the feud between the former world champions but there did not have to be. Their match is going to be a hell of a battle and should give fans a genuine Match of the Year candidate early here in 2022.
Tag Team Casino Royale
Teams involved: The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens), Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin), FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), Butcher and Blade, Bear Country (Bear Boulder and Bear Bronson), Santana and Ortiz, Best Friends (Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor), Dark Order’s Evil Uno and Stu Grayson, Dark Order’s Pres10 Vance and Alan Angels, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), Ryan Nemeth and Peter Avalon, The Gunn Club (Austin and Colten Gunn), Brock Anderson and Lee Johnson, and 2point0 (Jeff Parker and Matt Lee)
The third and final spot in the 3-Way Dance for the AEW Tag Team Championship was at stake in the Tag Team Casino Royale, in which tag teams entered at timed intervals, with a team being eliminated only after both members were thrown over the top rope and to the arena floor.
FTR's Harwood and Wheeler started at No. 1 and lasted far into the match, staving off elimination in search of another tag team title opportunity. Following the arrival of Parker and Lee in the final spot, rapid-fire eliminations ensued, clearing out the ring.
Danhausen appeared, cursed Evil Uno and Beretta eliminated the big man. Moments later, FTR dumped Santana and Ortiz, much to the dismay of the fans.
Dante Martin and Wheeler eliminated each other while the Bucks dumped Harwood, leaving Matt and Nick with Darius Martin of Top Flight. The returning competitor sent Nick to the floor, eliminating him. A dramatic exchange between Matt and Darius gave way to the heel delivering a low blow and superkick to eliminate the resilient babyface and earn their way to the pay-per-view.
After the match, a staredown between The Young Bucks, Red Dragon's Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish and tag team champions Jurassic Express ended the segment.
Result
The Young Bucks won
Grade
B
Analysis
There were entirely too many bodies in the ring at one time throughout a good portion of this match but as things drew to a close, the exchanges elevated the quality of the bout. Top Flight instantly looked like a tag team contender, thanks to a red hot crowd and a great performance from Darius.
That the fans were that into the young team is a testament to everything AEW accomplished with Dante Martin in his brother's absence.
The match coming down to Darius and the Bucks was a nice touch in that it suggested the upset may be possible, especially with renewed interest in Top Flight, but Nick and Matt Jackson pulled off the win to deliver the triple threat match we all expected.
Much like the bulk of the announced card, do not be surprised to see the tag title match steal the show Sunday and propel the ongoing storyline between the Bucks, Red Dragon and Adam Cole forward.
MJF Suckers CM Punk In
CM Punk made his way to the ring to address MJF’s promo from last week.
He went back and forth with himself, questioning everything his foe said a week ago. He recalled the heinous things MJF has done, including attacking a Dean Malenko suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. When MJF made his way to the ring, Punk admitted he may not be the good guy, but he sure is trying.
He extended his hand to MJF, who embraced him in a hug. The moment lasted seconds before The Salt of the Earth delivered a low blow that incited a chorus of boos from the fans. He added the Heatseeker draping piledriver before revealing a T-shirt with the picture of him and Punk together a 14 years earlier.
Wardlow and Shawn Spears made their way to the ring, producing the dog collar for their match Sunday. He brutalized Punk, beating him down and busting him open while FTR held off security.
MJF hanged Punk by the dog collar, The Straight Edge Superstar’s face painted the proverbial crimson mask. Sting, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara made the save, clearing MJF and his Pinnacle teammates as medics checked on Punk.
Grade
A
Analysis
From the moment he returned to wrestling, fans have notice a nicer, more agreeable Punk than before. Punk from a decade ago never would have allowed himself to be suckered into the trap MJF laid for him but this one, trying to be a better person than he was in his previous professional life, took his enemy at his word.
It was a nice display of character evolution from Punk, but one he paid dearly for.
Expect to see a nastier, angrier, more violent Punk than we have seen thus far in AEW Sunday night when he battles MJF in a feud-defining main event.
Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter vs. Thunder Rosa and Mercedes Martinez
Dr. Britt Baker DMD will defend her AEW Women’s Championship against Thunder Rosa Sunday night but Wednesday, she partnered with Jamie Hayter to battle Rosa and Mercedes Martinez in tag team action.
The heels worked over Rosa before a tag to Martinez sparked a comeback. The heels regained the upper-hand, though, with Baker seeking to apply the Lockjaw but failing to do so.
Rosa tagged back in late and as the action broke down, the top contender to Baker’s title delivered the Thunder Fire Driver to the good doctor and scored the pinfall victory.
Result
Rosa and Martinez defeated Baker and Hayter
Grade
B
Analysis
This was a good, hard-fought tag team match between two teams of highly skilled women’s wrestlers. It was also a nice way to demonstrate just how much Baker’s title reign is in jeopardy Sunday on pay-per-view.
Rosa is the one woman that has repeatedly proven she can beat the dentist, doing so in one of the best matches in AEW history last St. Patrick’s Day.
With that said this feels like Baker’s redemption story and Rosa winning here only enhances that feeling. Baker putting the exorcizing the demon that is Rosa while retaining her title is a great way to evolve her character in a way that it has not been in a months.
That the match is likely to be fantastic only helps matters.
Wardlow vs. Cezar Bononi
The unstoppable Wardlow battled Cezar Bononi Wednesday night.
It was less a match, more destruction.
Wardlow introduced his opponent to the Powerbomb Symphony, pinning him in short order. After the match, Shawn Spears attempted to steal his associate’s thunder with a steel chair shot, only for Wardlow to stop him and stare him down. Spears left, but not before glaring at the big man.
After the commercial break, MJF said he would allow Wardlow to keep his TNT Championship if he wins the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match and the title. “Not that you’ll win.” Wardlow said that is because he is too busy making sure MJF wins. The Salt of the Earth slapped his employee and claimed Wardlow would be out on the streets if he mistakes his kindness for weakness.
Result
Wardlow defeated Bononi
Grade
A
Analysis
This Wardlow push is one of the best stories in all of wrestling right now.
The slow burn, the eventual ass-whooping he is going to unleash on Spears and MJF and the fact that he is not portrayed as a stupid, jacked-up big man have all been integral in the success of the feud.
His post-match interaction with Spears and the insulting slap from MJF are indicative of a turn that is coming sooner rather than later, perhaps this Sunday at Revolution.
Hangman Page and Dark Order vs. Adam Cole and Red Dragon
AEW world champion Hangman Page teamed with Dark Order’s Alex Reynolds and John Silver to battle Adam Cole and Red Dragon’s Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly in the night’s main event.
A back-and-forth six-man tag escalated late, with all competitors coming to blows in the center of the ring, fueled by the physical exchange between Page and top contender Cole.
With the other four competitors on the floor, Reynolds and Cole paired off in the middle of the ring. The underrated Dark Order babyface rocked Cole with a pump kick but the heel recovered and blasted his opponent with the Boom for the win.
After the match, Cole pounded away at Reynolds until Page made the save. The world champion fended off the heels but a kick to the ankle by Fish slowed his momentum. The heels assaulted Page and duct-taped him to the ropes.
From there, the champion was forced to watch as the heels beatdown and brutalized Dark Order. Cole rocked Page with a superkick to end the show.
Result
Cole and Red Dragon defeated Page and Dark Order
Grade
B+
Analysis
Like many of the night’s matches, this improved late.
Cole avoided a physical altercation with Page as long as he could, eventually throwing fists. Like any great heel, though, his victory ultimately came at the expense not of the champion, but of his friend. The post-match beatdown in which the heels toyed with Page’s psyche by attacking two of the only friends he still has left in this industry was a nice touch, too.
The fact that Cole was the last man standing suggests Page will retain Sunday night but do not be surprised to see Tony Khan pull the trigger on Cole and put to rest any further insistence by fans that he has been mismanaged or underutilized in AEW.