AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 20
A dream match pitting CM Punk against Dustin Rhodes headlined an episode of AEW Dynamite that promised another huge announcement from Tony Khan, the latest in the heightening tensions between Wardlow and former charge MJF, and Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo in a Coffin Match.
The show continued the company's steady build to Double or Nothing on May 29. What went down and what did it mean for the company as one of its premier pay-per-view events draws near?
Find out with this recap of the April 20 TBS broadcast.
Dustin Rhodes vs. CM Punk
The dream match between two immensely popular stars CM Punk and Dustin Rhodes kicked off Wednesday's show and the fans in Pittsburgh were solidly behind both men.
A great, old-school wrestling match saw each man target a limb of their opponent and work over it. Hobbled by a left leg injury, Rhodes broke out Cross Rhodes and a standard piledriver. Punk tried for the Go To Sleep but his left arm injury prevented him from executing it. In the end, it was Punk countering Rhodes' own counter, stacking him up in a rollup for the win.
The in-ring psychology and storytelling on display is the sort of thing only accomplished by wrestlers with the experience and appreciation for the artistry of wrestling can pull off. Punk and Rhodes have been there, done that, but still put in the work that reflected their love of the industry.
As Punk prepares for a high-profile match against another babyface in "Hangman" Adam Page, this was a great tune-up and preview of what to expect when they clash, presumably over Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas at Double or Nothing.
Grade
B+
Top Moments
- "CM Punk should win it but Dustin Rhodes can beat anyone on any given night," Jim Ross said of the dream match, putting over the former's win streak and his Hall of Fame opponent at the same time.
- The pre-match handshake put over the respect between these two beloved babyfaces.
- Rhodes' bump to the floor, which triggered a knee injury, became the key spot around which the major heat portion of the bout revolved.
- Rhodes kicked Punk off and into the ring post, his left arm crashing into it as the former returned his attention to the limb.
- The near-fall off The Natural's snap powerslam had the fans thinking an upset was on the horizon.
- The post-match embrace between Punk and Rhodes, and the former's staredown with Hangman Page, were equally great. The latter all but confirmed the upcoming AEW world title match.
Blackpool Combat Club vs. Brock Anderson, Lee Moriarty and Dante Martin
For a moment, it appeared as though the young team of Lee Moriarty, Brock Anderson and Dante Martin might do the unthinkable and upset the Blackpool Combat Club.
Moriarty, the hometown hero from Pittsburgh, unloaded on Daniel Bryan and had The American Dragon dangerously close to submission before Jon Moxley exploded into the match and eventually scored the victory for his team.
This was an energetic trios match that managed to continue building momentum for the BCC by way of their victory while simultaneously giving Moriarty, Martin and Anderson the opportunity to shine against former world champions and a red-hot Wheeler Yuta.
Moriarty, in particular, looked great and was clearly motivated even more by the hometown crowd. He could very easily slide into the BCC next and fit everything that faction is about. Danielson did mention him by name at the outset of the storyline, after all.
Grade
B
Top Moments
- William Regal citing his friendship with Arn Anderson and their history together, then revealing he prepped his team on what to expect from young Brock Anderson, was so good. Regal is an expert at lending credibility and legitimacy to the industry and this was no different.
- Moriarty answering Danielson's slap with one of his own was a great moment of defiance by a guy unfazed by the resume or reputation of his opponent.
Tony Khan's Major Announcement; Wardlow vs. The Butcher
Tony Khan, with a little help from Adam Cole, announced Forbidden Door in Chicago on June 26. The event will be a joint extravaganza featuring stars of AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Friday on Rampage, Cole will battle Tomohiro Ishii in an Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament Qualifier.
"Switchblade" Jay White made a surprise appearance and ended a brief promo by reminding fans that, whether Undisputed Elite or Bullet Club, "it's still our era."
The announcement was massive for die-hard wrestling fans and the latest co-branded event that puts over Khan's willingness to work with other promoters to the benefit of the audience. It will be interesting to see if it affects business in any measurable way but there is no denying the implications such a partnership has.
Might we see talent sharing between the two in the very near future?
After the announcement, MJF introduced Wardlow sans theme music for his match with the scarf-wearing heel's hired gun, The Butcher.
Wardlow absorbed everything thrown at him by his massive opponent, overcoming a damaged lower back and Butcher's own powerbomb finisher to deliver four consecutive powerbombs for the emphatic victory.
Rarely pretty, the battle of big men further legitimized Wardlow and put over the unstoppable force The War Dog has become since the start of the new year.
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- The fans' chanting of "Bullet Club" reminded the wrestling world that the faction may not be the star-studded group of competitors it once was, but it still has a ton of built-up equity with fans who rediscovered the industry as a result of it.
- Wardlow laughed after the win, knowing full well the showdown with MJF is inevitable.
- The four straight powerbombs to a guy the size of Butcher was an impressive sight and the sort of star-making moment that Wardlow needs to continue compiling en route to the match with his old buddy, Max.
Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament Qualifier: Jungle Boy vs. Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle O'Reilly wrestled his first AEW singles match Wednesday, defeating Jungle Boy to advance into the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament in a solid wrestling match.
The styles appeared to clash on occasion, and O'Reilly opting not to sell certain moves while transitioning into others did not help, but there was plenty to like about this one. The intensity, in particular. Another opportunity would likely net an even better match.
It was imperative that O'Reilly went over here to maintain some semblance of credibility. RedDragon has not achieved many notable victories and their recent loss to Jurassic Express put them in danger of being perceived as little more than Adam Cole's sidekicks.
This win went a long way in re-establishing him and putting him in a position to build momentum in the tournament.
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- Eddie Kingston vowed to whip Daniel Garcia's ass Friday night on Rampage in a match where the other members of Jericho Appreciation Society, as well as Santana and Ortiz, are all barred from ringside.
- O'Reilly countering Jungle Boy's springboard arm drag attempt into a cross armbreaker was a great spot and set the tone for the match.
- O'Reilly essentially no-selling an overhead suplex into the corner just to work an armbar on the top rope was an interesting choice.
Hook in Action; Sammy Guevara and Scorpio Sky Set Up a TNT Title Rematch
Hook made his Dynamite in-ring debut this week with a decisive victory over Anthony Henry. The rookie competitor dominated the action and tapped his opponent out with a Tazmission, but not without a cameo from Danhausen.
After the match, the infuriated Danhausen officially challenged the victor to a match, to which Hook brushed him off and walked out.
The match did little more than introduce Hook to the Dynamite audience, though odds are if you are watching every Wednesday night, you are more than familiar with the second-generation star. With that said, the tease of Danhausen's first match was a fairly big deal and should lead to one of the most entertaining contests in recent memory.
Back in the arena, Sammy Guevara cut a defiant promo in the face of boos from fans. Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page and Dan Lambert interrupted and back-and-forth trash-talking gave way to two important developments: next week, Guevara defends the TNT title against Sky in a ladder match and Sky and Paige VanZant will battle Guevara and Tay Conti at an undisclosed time.
The roles were definitely flipped here, with Guevara and Conti embracing heel personas while Lambert and Co. were clearly the babyfaces. It will be interesting to see how that dynamic develops in the coming weeks.
Grade
Hook's victory: C+; Guevara/Sky promo: C
Top Moments
- Danhausen breaking Hook and getting a smirk out of him was a great moment, as was the latter bumping into his prospective opponent in a sign of disrespect, clearly unfazed by the idea of a match with the face-painted fan-favorite.
- Lambert spoke with the same conviction he always does, but clearly toned down the heel rhetoric to put over that he, Sky and Page are definitely the good guys in this feud with Guevara.
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier: Britt Baker vs. Danielle Kamela
The latest qualifier in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament saw hometown hero Dr. Britt Baker feed off the energy of her family, friends and fans and defeat newcomer Danielle Kamela.
The match was a solid, if unspectacular one made better by the crowd heat. Kamela was great as she used a Terrible Towel to choke Baker in the ultimate insult but it was the good doctor who utilized a receiver's glove from Freiermuth to apply the Lockjaw and score the win.
Kamela did not look like someone whose reps were limited in NXT, instead hanging in there with the former AEW women's champion. The division is stocked with plenty of wrestlers the company is not actively utilizing so a full-time deal with AEW may not be in the cards but a shot as a member of the Ring of Honor women's roster relaunch might be a better option.
Grade
C
Top Moments
- Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth of the Pittsburgh Steelers accompanied Baker to the ring.
- Kamela choking Baker with a Terrible Towel was a great bit of heel work from the former NXT star.
- Baker knocking Toni Storm with a dig at cake to the face and leaving companies was pretty rough and, hopefully, is the foundation for a feud between the two.
Coffin Match: Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo
A wild, chaotic Coffin Match headlined this week's show as Darby Allin looked to settle his ongoing feud with Andrade El Idolo.
Interference from The Blade and Marq Quen of the Andrade Family Office, the revelation of Sting in the crowd and a brawl through the stands highlighted the early moments of the contest. A wicked release suplex onto the metal stage grates left Allin writhing but the face-painted antihero of AEW fought back, overcame interference from Jose and slammed a thumbtack-covered coffin lid on El Idolo to secure the win.
There will be some who are all for these brawls, with thumbtacks and weaponry, and when done in moderation, they can be hugely effective. When done too frequently, it waters down the impact and this bordered on that.
The Sting splash out of the stands was a cool moment when we saw it at Revolution and it is always impressive when a guy his age is willing to risk it all for those crowd-pleasing spots. Doing it too many times, though, lessens the effect and contributes to the "been there, done that" mentality that oftentimes encourages one step further before the ante is upped to a dangerous degree.
The use of thumbtacks on the lid of the coffin was totally unnecessary and did not deliver the desired effect. That the cameraman missed the shot of Allin slamming the lid on Andrade's back in favor of catching Jose making his way down the ramp did not help matters.
The intentions were good, but the match itself was more of a miss than a hit and only further diminished El Idolo's star.
Grade
C
Top Moments
- Sting revealing himself as a fan in the crowd, dressed as himself, was a fun moment.
- His dive from the stands, onto the heels below, was even more fun. Replicating it too often, though, will lose its impact.
- Allin's tope suicida onto El Idolo, into the coffin, was a cool spot.
- The Hardys made their presence felt after the match and seemed to hint at a match with Sting and Allin, an intriguing dream match of sorts with considerable star power. A Double or Nothing match, for sure, if that is the direction the company is headed.