(Promotion: All Elite Wrestling – Location: Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, WV – Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur – Date: October 30, 2019)

Results

-Hangman Adam Page d. Sammy Guevara.

-Hikaru Shida d. Shanna.

-Rock-n-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) is attacked by Santana & Ortiz.

-Tony Schiavone interviews Cody Rhodes in a limousine on way to the arena.

-Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) & Orange Cassidy d. John Silver, Alex Reynolds and QT Marshall.

-Chris Jericho/Cody Rhodes contract signing.

-The Elite (Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) d. The Hybrid2 (Jack Evans & Angelico) & Kip Sabian.

-Unscheduled Jon Moxley promo.

-SCU (Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian) d. Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr & Rey Fenix) in the tournament final to become the first AEW Tag Team Champions.

Observations

The show opens with Tony Schiavone and Cody Rhodes exiting a private jet at an airport in Charleston. Dustin Rhodes is present as well. This format is reminiscent of the bit leading into the Ric Flair-Big Van Vader match at Starrcade 1993. Mean Gene Okerlund rode to the venue with Flair from his house. It’s one of the best set-ups for a match in modern wrestling, and is most likely an indication of the gravity that Rhodes and Jericho are looking for their match to carry on 11/9.

A video airs of company owner Tony Khan informing Jon Moxley that his match at the Full Gear PPV against Kenny Omega will be “lights out,” meaning that it won’t count against either’s win/loss record. Moxley is pissed because he feels like the company is trying to protect Omega’s record.

Sammy Guevara v. Hangman Adam Page

Hot entrance for Guevara. Like previously mentioned, he carries himself like a star.

I’m surprised that Page has a 50-50 record, five weeks into the television run.

Guevara cockily chews gum while he works. Asshole. LOL. You can feel the heat emanating from the audience with every move he makes.

Page slaps Guevara, who responds with a floating mule kick. Page comes back with a fallaway slam. Guevara does a SQUAT while Page is across his shoulders. Impressive.

Page fires off a snap belly-to-back suplex, followed by a modified sidewalk slam on the apron. These boys mean business. He powerbombs Guevara for a near-fall. He then moonsaults his opponent, who is prone on the floor.

Audience: “A-E-Dub!”

Page hits the “Buckshot” lariat for the pinfall.

Page: “At Full Gear, I’m gonna do some real cowboy shit. I’m gonna take PAC’s head off.”

Audience: “Cow-boy Shit!”

Hot, well-contested opener. Excellent job of heating up Page heading into the PPV. Guevara took the “L” but didn’t look bad in doing so. I’m looking forward to the rematch between these two.

Shanna v. Hikaru Shida

Both combatants jockey for position. Shanna connects with a flipping neckbreaker. Both are on the floor. Shida launches off of a chair to drill Shanna with a knee. Shida has unquestionable control of the tempo of the bout.

Shida hesitates to pull the trigger on a suplex, so Shanna capitalizes and rolls her up for two.

These two women are really going at it.

Shida drives Shanna into the mat, crunching her opponent’s neck in the process.

Shanna kicks out of a Falcon Arrow. However, Shida wins after a running knee strike.

Shida’s attire vaguely reminds me of Asuka’s. I don’t imagine that is intentional.

Shanna is a great prospect. I first saw her years ago at an AIW show in Cleveland. She is talented, charismatic and sexy. She can go in the ring. I’m excited that she is part of the roster.

A weird vignette airs featuring Brandi Rhodes and Awesome Kong. It had an occult vibe. They were in a dark room with candles. It seemed as if a ceremony was being performed. A shot of a lock of hair was shown. Brandi was drinking red wine. This is unexpected. I’m certainly intrigued.

A brutal attack onto the Rock n Roll Express by the hands of @santana_proud & @ortiz_powerful!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on @TNTDrama 8e/7c pic.twitter.com/PIA5cevzt5 — All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) October 31, 2019

Chris van Vliet introduces the Rock-n-Roll Express, who come out carrying the new tag belts. Before the interview has a chance to start, the Hall of Fame duo is mugged by Santana and Ortiz. Morton is belted in the stomach with a loaded sock. The Inner Circle members then double-powerbombed him through the stage. The Young Bucks run out for the save.

Audience: “Rock-and-Roll.”

Limo Segment

Tony Schiavone and Rhodes are riding to the arena. Schiavone tells a story about Willie Nelson and Dusty Rhodes.

“The star always comes out last…” —Dusty Rhodes

Cody says that he’s been thinking about his father a lot lately. His mother will be at the PPV and he wants to impress her. He says that he knows he needs to beat Jericho within 60 minutes in Baltimore because of the stipulation that three judges will decide the match if it goes to the time limit.

This was a great, great segment. Borrowing elements from angles involving Flair v. Vader and Flair v. Ricky Steamboat, this is so deliciously old school. My gut tells me to expect elements of Flair v. Terry Funk at the PPV…but only time will tell. As an old school fan of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), I really loved this vignette.

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Best Friends & Orange Cassidy v. John Silver/Alex Reynolds/QT Marshall

The babyfaces come out dressed as Rick and Morty, characters from a popular animated television series. Clips from the show are interspersed in their video entrance. The cross-promotion is to hype the newest season of the show debuting next week.

Spotted in the audience: a sign that reads “Generic Sign.”

Orange Cassidy unloads his “superkicks” and a dropkick to his opponents. The Best Friends hit the “Strong Zero” for the win.

This was a fun little squash match that was exactly what it needed to be. The costumes were silly but, considering who was wearing them and the fact that it was the week of Halloween, actually fun and not out of place.

Contract Signing

Jericho is out wearing black leather pants, black biker boots and a purple jacket covered with images of jack o’lanterns. It is reminiscent of one worn by the character “David S. Pumpkins” played by Tom Hanks during a skit on Saturday Night Live.

Footage is shown of the limousine arriving. Rhodes exits and looks incredibly sharp in a blue 3-piece suit. He carries himself as not only a professional but a champion. Schiavone is close behind him.

Tony Schiavone introduces both competitors. A woman playing the role of AEW General Counsel is seated at a table. Both men sit. Rhodes signs the contract first. Jericho says that the match is too big for him to flip the table on Rhodes or powerbomb him through it. He says that he will sign the contract in order to teach Rhodes a lesson.

Jericho to audience: “Calm down, hillbillies!”

Jericho goes on to say that they are two professionals and they will not make a mockery out of the impending title match. He sticks out his hand to shake with Rhodes, who responds in kind. As Jericho turns to leave, Rhodes pulls him close so they are nose-to-nose.

Jericho: “We can stand here all night, Cody, but we might be needed elsewhere.”

Sammy Guevara’s face pops up on the arena screen. As the shot widens, Jake Hager is shown beating on Dustin Rhodes next to the limo. He uses Dustin’s head to dent the vehicle. He then slams the veteran’s arm in the rear passenger-side door. Cody and MJF are shown running out to make the save. Jericho exits chomping on a cigar.

Awesome segment. This is classic, traditional pro wrestling executed by season vets. It’s really awesome. It feels both timeless but fresh. The company played with the tension of a brawl breaking out during the signing, only to swerve the viewer. YET STILL deliver the expected fracas. It was very nicely done.

The Elite v. The Hybrid2 (Angelico/Jack Evans) & Kip Sabian

Omega is out dressed as “Sam Undertale” from the Undertale RPG (game). A cool animated video preceded him to the ring.

The Young Bucks enter dressed as characters from “Street Fighter.”

The heels jump the The Elite before the bell.

Tony Schiavone has finally joined the announce team.

Jack Evans hits a “Sasuke Special” to the floor. Sabian gets a two-count on Matt Jackson. TH2 double-team the Jackson brothers. Angelico neutralizes Matt with a complicated wrist lock.

Matt reverses the “Deathly Hallows” on Sabian.

Audience: “This is AWE-SOME!”

Omega levels opponents with Snapdragon suplexes. Fuuuuck.

Evans avoids the V-Trigger.

Sabian blasts Nick Jackson with a Tornado DDT.

Angelico eats the V-Trigger.

The audience is doing the “Terminator Clap.”

All six men are fighting outside the ring.

Omega catches Evans with the V-Trigger and the One-Winged Angel to capture the pinfall.

As the Bucks celebrate, they are jumped by Santana and Ortiz from the audience. The fans are salty and booing.

This was a terrific match. Easily PPV-worthy work by all involved. Basking in the afterglow, this kinda has me hoping that AEW institutes a trios title. Anyone else interested in that?

Promo: Jon Moxley

Peter Avalon is out “shushing” the live crowd. I love that Avalon wears an old-fashioned style velvet and sequined wrestling robe. It works for him. Leva Bates is in tow looking stunning in a red babydoll dress with a white lace collar.

Avalon insults the crowd and calls them “hideous monsters.”

Moxley is shown entering the arena through the audience. He jumps the barrier and obliterates Avalon with the “Paradigm Shift.” The crowd EXPLODES. Mox grabs the live mic. He goes on a rant. He is extremely upset that his match against Omega won’t officially “count. He knows that he will beat “The Cleaner,” and that the company is trying to protect the record of the star. He feels that AEW is trying to put him in a box. AEW thinks that he is a “different kind of cat.” He tells the company to shove their win/loss records up their ass.

Mox: “They want unsanctioned? I’m unsanctionable.”

He promises that they haven’t seen anything yet and that he will bring violence.

“Kiss my ass. Stay the hell out of my way.”

At one point while Moxley was snarling and yelling, a bit of his spittle got on the in-ring camera lens. It lent to the rawness of the moment. This was a great, passionate and visceral promo. It might not have been 100% technically perfect, it felt very real.

Main Event

Tournament Final: AEW Tag Team Championship

Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr./Rey Fenix) v. SoCal Uncensored (Scorpio Sky/Frankie Kazarian)

All four competitors are in the ring as the show returns from commercial. Other teams who participated in the tourney are shown looking on from various locations.

The audience is bursting for this match.

Crowd: ” Lu-cha Bro-thers! S-C-U!)

A slugfest breaks out and SCU takes control of the bout.

Pentagon wallops Sky with a “Backstabber.” He then gets a two on Kazarian with a pump handle slam. He puts Sky down with a “Slingblade.”

Excalibur points out that the match of the match has no time limit. If it runs over, the finish will be aired on social media or Youtube.

The crowd is chanting for both teams.

Kazarian cracks Fenix with a right hand. He follows up with a springboard leg drop. Pentagon eats a guillotine leg drop from Kazarian. Kazarian rocks Fenix with a German suplex for two.

SCU has the match firmly under control.

Fenix gouges Kazarian’s eyes.

Pentagon chops away at Kazarian’s thighs with kicks.

Kazarian eats a catapult legdrop. Fenix is looking for a cross-armbar on him.

Scorpio Sky gets the hot tag. He pelts Pentagon with elbows.

SCU hit an assisted DDT on Pentagon.

Pentagon hits the “Canadian Destroyer” on Kazarian.

Fenix gives Sky a cutter for two.

Fenix and Sky cancel each other out with crossbodies.

Pentagon powerbombs Kazarian through a table.

The Lucha Bros. look for a package piledriver/stomp combo on Sky, but he wiggles out and reverses his position on Pentagon for the pin. Whew!!

This was an incredible match that tee up SCU as credible champions. This was another whiz-banger confrontation that makes the belts feel important and desirable. I think the outcome of the tournament was obvious early one, but that didn’t take away the tiniest bit of enjoyment of watching it unfold.

Plus, this win is going to stir up some kind of shit in SCU, I just don’t know what it is yet. Maybe Daniels gets pissed off and turns on them? He takes a new partner to chase the belts? Maybe Sky gets bounced upon Daniels return and he goes after them? I’m curious.

Overall

This was a terrific episode of Dynamite. It just might be my favorite to date. The mix of quality bouts with subtle tweaks to familiar classic promotional techniques is a winning formula. I’m chomping at the bit for the PPV in November.

Mox, Rhodes, Page and SCU leave the show feeling hot. I’m assuming that the RnR’s will be seeking revenge against Santana and Ortiz for that attack. That will be a great way to give the rub to the young members of the Inner Circle. Dustin Rhodes will also be looking for revenge against Hager. And what the hell is Brandi up to?

To be continued…

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