AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 9
On the heels of an explosive Revolution pay-per-view that featured a successful world title defense by "Hangman" Adam Page, a brutal dog collar match between CM Punk and MJF, a breakout night for Wardlow and the debuts of Sean "Swerve" Strickland and William Regal, AEW Dynamite hit the TBS airwaves with another jam-packed show.
What happened in the fallout from the extravaganza and was Sammy Guevara able to successfully retain his TNT Championship in the night's main event?
Find out now with this recap of the March 9 broadcast.
Chris Jericho Addresses Eddie Kingston
Chris Jericho kicked off Wednesday's show by putting over his match with Eddie Kingston at Revolution. He said it awakened something in him that he thought was gone, but admitted frustration when he refused to shake Kingston's hand per his pre-match promise.
He called his rival out and Mad King obliged, entering the arena to chants of his name.
Kingston admitted that Friday before the pay-per-view, he wanted to no-show and give in to the demons that have plagued him throughout his life. The only reason he did not? The four separate people that told him his Player's Tribune article saved their lives.
He said he hopes he made them proud. He then asked Jericho what haunts him and prevented him from shaking his hand at Revolution. Jericho admitted he was wrong and shook Kingston's hand in time for 2point0 and Daniel Garcia to attack.
Santana and Ortiz rushed the ring, made the save, only for Jericho to attack his Inner Circle teammates with a baseball bat. Jake Hager arrived, questioning Jericho's actions, before showing his true colors and joining in on the assault.
Jericho added a bat shot to the head of Kingston and Hager drove him through the timekeeper's table at ringside. The egotistical Demo God introduced fans to the Jericho Appreciation Society to close out the segment.
Grade
B
Analysis
Kingston's rawness and realness will always endear him to audiences and is a huge reason he has been as successful as he has been here in AEW. The emotion he showed while discussing the fans that fueled him to show up at Revolution is something that cannot be manufactured or scripted and adds a certain gravity to his promos.
The biggest takeaway, of course, is the formation of the Jericho Appreciation Society and what appears to be the conclusion of the Inner Circle. At least for now.
Jericho turning heel could be seen coming from a mile away but the 2point0 and Daniel Garcia partnership was a nice twist. Hager probably did not have to be involved but it keeps him involved in something and presents a numbers disadvantage for Kingston, Santana and Ortiz to overcome.
Do not be surprised if they do so with the help of Sammy Guevara, who was conspicuous by his absence here.
AEW World Championship Match: Hangman Page vs. Dante Martin
Fresh off a successful defense of his AEW Championship against Adam Cole at Revolution, “Hangman” Adam Cole put the top prize in the company on the line once again, defending against Top Flight’s Dante Martin.
Page overcame a valiant effort from Martin, shaking off a series of reversals and counters late before turning the breakout star of 2021 inside out with the Buckshot Lariat for the win and successful title defense.
Tony Schiavone joined Page in the ring for a promo following the win. Page called Martin back into the match and showed him respect for his climb as a singles wrestler and the fight he just gave the world champ. Adam Cole interrupted the proceedings and called Page’s victory at Revolution a fluke.
Cole issued a challenge for a six-man tag team match, teasing partners that know Page better than he knows himself. The heel said he will not stop until he wins the world title.
Result
Page defeated Martin to retain
Grade
B
Analysis
The match between Page and Martin looked damn good on paper and while it was a bit too short to reach its full potential, it was a fun championship bout that highlighted how far the challenger has come and gave the champion another quality victory in a series of them.
The six-man tag match on next week’s show is interesting because Cole could be referring to The Young Bucks, Red Dragon or even a potential turn by Dark Order, who have seen their stars dimmed following Page’s victory.
The mystery surrounding Cole’s partners is a nice hook for the next handful of days, even if the most likely scenario is Matt and Nick Jackson joining their former Bullet Club teammate for the match.
Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson vs. JD Drake and Anthony Henry
After a bloody, physical match at Revolution, Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson united under the leadership of William Regal to battle The Workhorsemen’s JD Drake and Anthony Henry.
Moxley and Danielson dominated an extended squash, unleashing hell on both Drake and Henry with their trademark physicality and intensity. Moxley dropped Henry with a Paradigm Shift on the arena floor while The American Dragon stomped away at the face of Drake and tapped him out to the LeBell Lock.
Tony Schiavone joined the victors and Regal in the ring for a promo.
Regal admitted that he knows he is not long for this world. He tearfully thanked Schiavone for helping him when he first arrived in the United States. He credited Danielson for his joining AEW and put him over as the perfect wrestler.
He put over his history with both competitors and said now that the team is united, the rest of the AEW roster better step up or get stepped on.
Result
Moxley and Danielson defeated Drake and Henry
Grade
A
Analysis
This was a quality ass-kicking by Moxley and Danielson, who look absolutely unbeatable.
The Regal promo ran a bit long but expressed that same emotion that Kingston did earlier in the night, instantly capturing the attention of the audience. His gratitude to Schiavone made for a sweet moment while his ominous threat to the tag division made for a great exclamation point to the segment.
Moxley and Danielson is an intriguing team with a lot of potential to thrive in the tag team division, but also to self-destruct. Regal’s role with the tandem and ability to keep them focused will ultimately determine their success.
Pac vs. Wheeler Yuta
In a standby match announced after Page vs. Martin did not go the full 60 minutes, Death Triangle’s Pac squared off with Best Friends’ Wheeler Yuta.
The Bastard dominated the action but Yuta appeared poised to mount a comeback coming out of a commercial break. Instead, Pac cut him off and rocked him with a stiff kick to the midsection. A superplex drove the fight out of Wheeler and The Brutalizer earned Pac the submission win.
Result
Pac defeated Wheeler
Grade
C
Analysis
Pac is on a different level than Yuta and has been presented as such. One of the premier competitors on the AEW roster for much of his time with the company, it made absolute sense that Pac would roll to victory here.
This was mostly devoid of storyline advancement, selling the idea that it was a late addition to the card after the world title match did not use up its allotted time. That such a match existed is a testament to the real-sport feel the company attempts to bring to shows.
Emergency Board Meeting of the HFO
Matt Hardy and Andrade met in the middle of the ring, flanked by Private Party, The Butcher and The Blade for a special Emergency Board Meeting of HFO.
Hardy apologized for treating Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen poorly and admitted that every time he puts a suit on, he turns into an asshole.
With his status with HFO up for a vote, Hardy fell victim to a beatdown by his teammates. Private Party, Butcher, Blade, Jose and Andrade beat down the future Hall of Famer, leaving him lying as boos rained down from the stands.
Darby Allin and Sting made their way to the ring, ready for a physical confrontation despite a numbers disadvantage. The face-painted babyfaces took the fight to the heels, only to find themselves on the receiving end of a beatdown.
Jeff Hardy, to the iconic Hardy Boyz theme music, made his AEW debut by rushing the ring and making the save for his brother, childhood hero and fellow North Carolinian. The babyfaces stood tall to close out the segment, a sense of disbelief and distrust among them.
Grade
C+
Analysis
Jeff Hardy arriving on the scene, complete with the Hardy Boyz music, was a great moment. We knew it was coming and it still popped the crowd, a testament to the perpetual popularity of the brothers. Their reunion should lead to some truly epic encounters in AEW and a few dream matches to boot.
With that said, narratively, this felt beyond rushed. The timing of Jeff’s arrival necessitated it, sure, but it was known he was coming in and when. Why not write the feud out to have a more logical and timely conclusion instead of rushing through things and wrapping them up in way that felt rushed and unprepared?
Still, it was a cool moment that brought Jeff into the fold and earned its above-average grade based on his eagerly anticipated debut.
Wardlow Speaks
Wardlow joined Tony Schiavone for an in-ring promo, addressing his victory in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match and his betrayal of MJF.
The War Dog admitted that he grew up poor and that taking a job with The Salt of the Earth would allow him to get a foot in the door and some money to support his family. A need for financial stability did not give MJF an excuse to embarrass, humiliate, mistreat and berate Wardlow.
At Revolution, he broke off the business relationship with MJF and now, he is free. His only focus is on the TNT Championship and now, AEW is Wardlow’s World.
Grade
A
Analysis
Raise your hand if you thought Wardlow would be as well-spoken and as strong a promo as he was.
Liars!
The big man was absolutely impressive here, exceeding all expectations. He cut a promo that kept fans engaged and, more importantly, invested. They hung on his words and popped when he mentioned winning the TNT Championship.
For a guy that spent his entire career to that point as a silent assassin for MJF and The Pinnacle, this was a great breakout moment and one that will be looked back upon if and when he eventually reaches the top of the AEW mountain as its world champion.
AEW Tag Team Championship Match: Jurassic Express vs. The Acclaimed
Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus retained the AEW Tag Team Championship at Revolution, narrowly defeating The Young Bucks and Red Dragon in a three-way dance. Wednesday, Jurassic Express defended again, this time against Anthony Bowens and Max Caster of The Acclaimed.
The heels appeared to have the titles within reach late in the match, working over Jungle Boy while the masked big man recovered on the floor.
A well-timed save by Luchasaurus preserved his team’s reign. Even after having the heels’ boombox kicked back into his face, Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy still managed to score the victory and retain the titles, to the delight of the fans.
Result
Jurassic Express defeated The Acclaimed to retain the titles
Grade
B
Analysis
Two young teams had the best match of this show to this point, a dramatic and action-packed bout that further put over what is the strongest division in AEW.
The Acclaimed has repeatedly stepped up and shown out in these big-match situations. They rise to the moment and that is why they continue to get television exposure and are widely considered stars of AEW’s future.
Jurassic Express retaining was the right call, though. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus are always over, they are immensely popular and their in-ring work has been second to none of the last year. They have great chemistry, an even better dynamic and perform like champions.
With heel teams making up the most likely contenders, they are the perfect set of champions to chase.
Thunder Rosa vs. Leyla Hirsch
“Legit” Leyla Hirsch scored the biggest win of her AEW career during the Revolution Buy-In show, defeating Kris Statlander in singles competition. Wednesday, she sought to continue those winning ways as she squared off with Thunder Rosa.
Rosa, seeking to shake off an AEW Women’s Championship loss to Dr. Britt Baker on the PPV main show, fought from underneath for the majority of the bout. With the face-painted former No. 1 contender building momentum, Hirsch attempted to use an exposed turnbuckle to her advantage.
Red Velvet arrived and prevented her from doing so. Back in the ring, Rosa shook off an armbar and delivered the Fire Thunder Driver for the win.
After the match, Tony Schiavone revealed Rosa will challenge Baker next week in her hometown of San Antonio in a steel cage match. Baker cried conspiracy and vowed to retain in a promo conducted backstage.
Result
Rosa defeated Hirsch
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was perfectly acceptable wrestling from a great in Rosa and a young star in Hirsch continuously establishing herself as a threat to championship gold in the future.
The revelation of next week’s match, a main event-worthy bout that should bring about the end of Baker’s title reign, was perfectly timed. It sets up an emotional homecoming, the latest chapter in one of the great women’s rivalries in AEW history and a match that will have every opportunity to be as good as the Lights Out Match at the same special edition of Dynamite a year ago.
Whether they can actually deliver on that potential is the question.
TNT Championship Match: Sammy Guevara vs. Scorpio Sky
Dan Lambert and Ethan Page accompanied Scorpio Sky to the squared circle for a TNT Championship opportunity against "The Spanish God" Sammy Guevara in Wednesday's main event.
Guevara took the first risk of the night, delivering a 630 splash but coming up empty as he crashed through the table at ringside. Doc Sampson and girlfriend Tay Conti rushed to check on the champion as Sky celebrated during the commercial break.
The champion, defiant, attempted to fight through the agonizing pain in his ribs. Sky overwhelmed him, then taunted Conti for good measure. Conti came face-to-face with Paige VanZant at ringside while Guevara found himself on the defensive. Excalibur reminded viewers that Sky had not lost in singles action in 364 days.
Guevara delivered a springboard cutter for a near-fall, the split-second hesitation costing him. The champ added the GTH moments later but Sky, alert, rolled underneath the rope. Guevara tried for the shooting star press but Sky got the knees up.
Lambert provided a distraction, VanZant laid out Conti at ringside and Sky put Guevara away with the TKO.
As the show went off the air, VanZant signed her AEW contract and stood tall alongside her heel peers.
Result
Sky defeated Guevara to win the TNT Championship
Grade
B+
Analysis
Sky is so good and has been so underutilized that one cannot help but be thrilled by the SoCal export. A great professional wrestler whose pushes have been inconsistent, to say the least, he has more than earned the opportunity this victory presents him.
It would have been nicer for it to have come on the heels of a stronger push, or even the slightest bit of momentum on his side but here is to hoping he can finally find traction as a singles competitor.
The storytelling here was very strong, with Guevara’s penchant for flash and high-risk proving his undoing. He was gutsy and resilient, fighting through devastating rib injuries to remain in the match late, but Sky and the presence of his cohorts at ringside ultimately proved too much for him to overcome.
The most interesting development of all of this is the recognition of Conti as Guevara’s girlfriend, despite not previously being acknowledged on AEW television, at least that this writer can remember. It does give them an established relationship in front of the cameras, now, and the opportunity to compete against VanZant and Sky, with Ethan Page sprinkled in, moving forward.