The go-home edition of AEW Dynamite for the Dynasty PPV event went down at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis. The show saw the return of Jon Moxley as the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
We saw LionHOOK’s implosion as well as a fun trios tag team match featuring Kazuchika Okada, EVP Bucks, PAC, Penta, and Daniel Garcia. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the biggest hits and misses from the April 17th episode of AEW Dynamite.
Miss – Mercedes Moné promo
Mercedes Moné was seemingly attacked when the lights went off during her interview that aired last week on Dynamite. The CEO blamed Julia Hart for the assault during a promo segment this week. She said she looked forward to Willow Nightingale and Julia Hart’s mixed tag team match.
I’m not trying to sound like a hater, but every promo Mercedes cuts feels the same to me. Mic work, in my opinion, isn’t her biggest strength. AEW needs to put her in the ring because that’s where she does her best work.
Hit – Trios tag team action on AEW Dynamite
This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite featured The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada in tag team action. The trio took on Daniel Garcia, Penta, and PAC ahead of AEW Dynasty. This was a good ol’ fashioned trios tag team match with plenty of great spots and high-octane action.
AEW saved the inevitable physical exchange between Okada and PAC for the final moments of the match. Okada scored the win for his team with a thunderous Rainmaker on Garcia. The heels tried to take out Garcia, but PAC made the save with the ring bell hammer.
Miss – The Chris Jericho, Taz & HOOK segment
For one, I really want Chris Jericho to ditch this “learning tree Jericho” gimmick. Y2J it at a point in his career where he can pull off a ruthless veteran like Jumbo Tsuruta to stop rising stars from reaching the top. Second, I think Taz is more than tough enough to handle a shove from Jericho. He just went down with a single push.
Finally, HOOK yelling “get out of my ring” to Chris Jericho took away from the impact this segment would’ve made otherwise. The FTW Champion has made a reputation for choking out and suplexing his opponent. Here he’s just telling the person who assaulted his father to leave the ring. Make it make sense.
Jericho is set to challenge HOOK for the FTW Championship this Sunday at AEW Dynasty.
Hit – Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Will Ospreay needed to pass one final test before his highly-anticipated match-up against Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty this Sunday. The Aerial Assassin took on BCC’s Claudio Castagnoli in this week’s main match on AEW Dynamite.
Both men put on a strong performance. Claudio relied on his grounded offense and amazing strength to keep Ospreay at arm’s length. This match had some incredible sequences, including Ospreay’s DDT reversal to Claudio’s swing.
Ospreay picked up the win with his Hidden Blade finisher. After the match, Don Callis led an assault on Castagnoli. Jon Moxley arrived to make the save for his BCC teammates from Takeshita, Hobbs, and Kyle Fletcher.
Miss – Bang Bang Gang & The Acclaimed
Jay White and The Gunns were interviewed by Renee Paquette on AEW Dynamite this week. The trio challenged The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to a trios tag team title match at Dynasty. I found the promo underwhelming from both teams.
White has been relegated to fighting on pre-show from challenging for the AEW World Championship in the main event. He needs to move past his tag team feud to focus on a more intense feud.
Hit – A muscle buster to end AEW Dynamite
Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland never miss an opportunity to destroy each other. Both men hyped up their upcoming encounter at AEW Dynasty during sit-down interviews with Renee Paquette this week on Dynamite.
Strickland entered the ring and called Joe out. The champion arrived to answer the call. Security tried to separate the two men. Swerve delivered an epic stomp from the top turnbuckle to take out the guards.
The two men went at it. The AEW World Champion eventually gained the upper hand. He put way his opponent with a huge muscle buster to close out Dynamite. Will will see the same outcome with Joe standing tall or does Strickland have a hidden trick up his sleeve?
We’ll find out this Sunday at AEW Dynasty.
Also read: The Elite vs. PAC And FTR, Bunkhouse Brawl Match, More Set For 4/20 AEW Collision
