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AEW Dynamite this week would open with the recent AEW signee, Mercedes Mone, in the ring, on the microphone. She would explain how she almost had a career-ending injury, 10 months ago, against Willow Nightingale. She would then present a video package, explaining to anyone who has never heard of Mercedes Mone, who Mercedes Mone is. After the video, the lights would go out, and Julia Hart and Skye Blue would attempt to jump Mercedes. Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale would come to the rescue while Skye and Julia were grabbing weapons from under the ring. The lights would blacken again, and the two would disappear. Willow would then pick up a chair and it appeared she was going to hit Mercedes, but nothing would get physical at the time.
"There's a price to pay when you mess with Mercedes Moné"
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@MercedesVarnado | @TheJuliaHart | @SkyeByee |@WillowNightingale | @CallMeKrisStat pic.twitter.com/6ZChUMCyxe
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
The AEW Continental Championship would be on the line when Kazuchika Okada would challenge Eddie Kingston for his title. The match had a slow start, but it wouldn’t be long until Eddie picked up the pace with some stiff strikes. Okada would lure Kingston to the outside and hit him with a DDT to the floor. They would continue to legitimately beat each other. This match was certainly about stiff striking and valid toughness. Okada would reverse Kingston’s finisher into his own to win the match. This is historic as Okada wins a championship on his debut match, bringing an end to Eddie holding all three belts. Pac would make an appearance during Okada’s celebration, seemingly eyeing that new championship.
Looks like 'The Bastad' PAC has found the trouble he's been looking for!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@BASTARDPAC | @rainmakerXokada pic.twitter.com/95EBmxp4tY
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
Hook would take on Chris Jericho in the next match. Hook would hit a suplex immediately, and Chris Jericho would over sell it, laying around and getting the referee’s attention. Hook would stay on the offense early. Hook would hit repeated suplexes, while Jericho continued to sell the head injury. This was hard to process personally, as Hook would essentially channel Brock Lesnar and send Chris Jericho to Suplex City. Hook would win in dominant fashion. I believe Chris Jericho was trying to put Hook over, but the match was awkward and felt very forced. I can respect a veteran trying to put a kid over, but this match did nothing for anyone.
HOOK has earned the respect of Chris Jericho.
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@IAmJericho pic.twitter.com/NwWI1zaDOk
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
Will Ospreay would do an in-ring interview in promotion for his upcoming match against Bryan Danielson. Ospreay would tell Danielson to watch next week, as he defeats Shibata on Dynamite.
Anything Bryan Danielson can do, Will Ospreay KNOWS he can do better.
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@WillOspreay | @BryanDanielson pic.twitter.com/mEuVYMGrUG
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
Mariah May and Toni Storm would take on Thunder Rosa and Deonna Purrazzo in tag-team action. The match was good but nothing spectacular. It would appear Toni Storm was going to win after hitting the hip attack in the corner, only to get rolled up when attempting her own pin. The AEW Women’s Champion has been pinned by Thunder Rosa.
Deonna Purrazzo and Thunder Rosa are working GREAT as a team!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@DeonnaPurrazzo | @ThunderRosa22 | #TimelessToniStorm | @MariahMayX pic.twitter.com/zNnme9VhbD
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
Swerve Strickland would head to the ring, issuing an open challenge to anyone big. The Butcher would be the one to answer the challenge. Swerve would open the match with a surprise headbutt, catching Butcher off-guard and allowing Swerve to be in control early on. The Butcher would get a little bit of offense in, but it did not take long for Swerve to win via submission. This feels like a message to Samoa Joe, who choked him out in the title match, as Swerve does not generally win via submission. After the match Strickland would go on the mic, demanding a title opportunity. Joe would then make his appearance and seemed to grant Swerve his request. Before things could get any further, Don Callis would interrupt and say that Takeshita would be happy to beat him and prove to be more worthy. Takeshita and Swerve will face-off next week.
Don Callis has insterted Konosuke Takeshita into the #AEW World Championship Picture!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@SwerveConfident | @SamoaJoe | @takesoup | @TheDonCallis pic.twitter.com/gEXLOmaFoS
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
Huge “I Quit” match for the TNT Championship in the main event, as Christian Cage would defend against his life-long friend, turned enemy, Adam Copeland. The Toronto crowd was very hyped for this one, chanting “Holy $%!+” before the match even started. The fight was into the crowd within minutes. The staged ‘hockey fight’ was rather cheesy, as they wore opposing Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins jerseys while fighting in the penalty box… in Canada. The two would eventually make it back to the ring, Christian being the first one asked (if he quits). Of course, he would say no. Copeland would then pull a table from underneath the ring. He would try to spear Cage threw it, but Christian would pull a leap-frog reversal, throw him into the ring post, and put Copeland through the table he himself introduced. Copeland would not quit, but he did have a cut to show for it. They would fight their way up the entrance ramp, where Copeland would introduce a hockey net as a weapon. Copeland would seem to be in control until Mother Wayne would surprise Copeland with a low blow with a hockey stick. Copeland would not quit, but this created an opening for Christian to gain control. Christian would then line up Copeland for a Concierto with a chair wrapped in barbed wire. Copeland would recover enough to roll out of the way. Copeland would pull the drawstring out of his tights and wrap it around the neck of Christian. It seemed the end was near until Nick Wayne and Killswitch saved the day. Daddy Majic and Daniel Garcia would come to the aid of Copeland, as things somehow got even more hectic. Daniel Garcia introduced handcuffs to restrain Killswitch and Nick Wayne from interfering any further. This resulted in a 3-on-1 against the champion. The 3 would end up handcuffing Christian as well. Copeland would bring out “Spike” from under the ring (Spike is basically a piece of wood full of nails for those that don’t know). Christian would endure multiple low-blows and a strike from Spike but would not quit. That is, until Copeland lined up for another blow from Spike, and this would be the end of Cage, who would say the words “I quit”. Adam Copeland is your new TNT Champion.
Christian Cage gets his first impressions of Spike!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@RatedRCope | @Christian4Peeps pic.twitter.com/1BIXDiXf4O
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 21, 2024
That wraps up AEW Dynamite this week, stay tuned to Greenville Sports Media for more of my regular wrestling articles.
Howe Fresh (of The Wrasslin Corner on The Real Fresh Channel)
for Greenville Sports Media
and check out my weekly opiniated podcast “The Wrasslin Corner”
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