Welcome to our weekly AEW Dynamite review series. On Wednesday night, All Elite Wrestling presented a special edition of Dynamite, titled Maximum Carnage, from Cincinnati, Ohio. Here’s what went down on the show.
Kenny Omega made his in-ring return to AEW Dynamite
It’s great to have The Cleaner finally back where he belongs. Brian Cage proved to be the right comeback opponent for Omega. The two stars delivered a solid opening match complete with their signature sequences. Omega took some brutal bumps, including a release powerbomb, before claiming the win with the One-Winged Angel. The post-match angle with Ospreay and the Callis Family was fun as well. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher hitting their slams at the same time was cool.
Ricochet narrowly escaped Swerve Strickland
They kept Ricochet’s promo short, which was the right call. Nana taking him out with a chair shot was a smart move from Swerve Strickland. Ricochet may have avoided getting hit by the chain, but he won’t be able to evade Strickland for long, as their match is set for the February 5th episode of AEW Dynamite.
The Hurt Syndicate Faced Private Party And Mark Briscoe
Omega versus Cage was followed by trio tag team action. MVP looked great in his AEW in-ring debut. Tag team matches may be the safest bet for MVP at this point, given his age and his past injuries. Private Party had some momentum, but Shelton Benjamin scored the win. Private Party losing was questionable, but it naturally sets up a title match.
MJF and Jeff Jarrett continued their war of words on AEW Dynamite
MJF and Jeff Jarrett picked up from where they left off last week, and their feud heated up quickly. This promo exchange was quite an escalation, as it featured references to Karen Jarrett, Owen Hart, and Max’s mom and girlfriend. MJF briefly grabbing Karen \was arguably the biggest highlight of the segment. This writer is looking forward to the actual match between MJF and Jarrett.
Samoa Joe made his return to AEW Dynamite
The King of Television is back! The Cincinnati crowd popped big time for Joe’s return. With Joe back, HOOK seems to have assembled a team that can take on The Patriarchy. Let’s see where things are headed for the Cold Hearted, Handsome Devil.
Toni Storm Earned A Rematch
The Women’s Casino Gauntlet could have used some more entrants. That being said, the in-ring action was solid, with all competitors doing their best to deliver a great match. The bout included Megan Bayne making her AEW Dynamite debut. Toni Storm’s win set up her rematch with AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May at AEW Grand Slam Australia. Speaking of May, she could’ve reacted differently instead of laughing at Storm’s win.
Jon Moxley Defended His title At AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage
This was better than their previous outing. The canvas was eventually painted with Mox’s blood, which was a nasty visual. Hobbs wasn’t going to win, but why did Rated FTR wait for the Death Riders to injure Hobbs after the match? They could’ve just arrived on time to save Hobbs? Plus, the injury angle itself was questionable, as Hobbs recently returned from a a ruptured patellar tendon.
