It’s time for AEW Dynamite recap.
This week’s episode went down at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield. Will Ospreay, Bryan Danielson among others worked the final Dynamite before Double or Nothing.
So, without further ado, here are the biggest hits and misses from the May 22, 2024, episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite.
Hit – Tag team action on AEW Dynamite
Will Ospreay tagged with Orange Cassidy against Trent Beretta and Roderick Strong in the opening match on Dynamite. All four men are set to compete in singles matches at Double or Nothing this Sunday.
This was a great start to Dynamite. The intensity and athleticism from all four men were on display. Ospreay and Cassidy came close to winning the match only for Wardlow to cause a distraction, allowing Strong to pin OC for the win.
After the match, Beretta assaulted OC on the ramp while Undisputed Kingdom destroyed Ospreay inside the ring. The Aerial Assassin was busted open after taking the International Championship head-first.
Miss – No Bryan Keith vs. Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing
Bryan Keith, HOOK and Shibata squared off in a triple threat match to determine Chris Jericho’s opponent for the FTW title at Double or Nothing. The Learning Tree and his protégé Big Bill were on commentary for the match.
For a three-way match, this was pretty underwhelming. Keith dished out some offense in the early goings of the match. He ultimately tapped out to both Shibata and HOOK, giving Jericho double challengers for Double for Nothing.
I was hoping for a singles match between Keith and Jericho. The champion had previously beat both HOOK and Shibata in singles matches on PPV and television respectively. Tony Khan basically booked a three-way number-one contender’s match to set up a three-way title match at Double or Nothing.
Hit – Death Triangle reunites on AEW Dynamite
The Bang Bang Gang destroyed PAC previously on AEW Collision. The Bastard cut a promo on the group this week on Dynamite. PAC told them three against one was unfair so he had brought in some help from his former partners.
We saw the reunion of Death Triangle as Lucha Bros. returned to join forces with PAC. The babyfaces immediately attacked Jay White and the Gunns, setting up a trios tag team match for the unified trios tag team titles at AEW Double or Nothing.
Miss – Women’s tag team match
Mariah May and Toni Storm took on The Outcasts (Saraya and Harley Cameron) this week on Dynamite. Nothing special about the match. Harley Cameron and Mariah May both did the heavy lifting. Cameron continues to improve week in and out.
Storm won the match following a Storm Zero to Cameron. Serena Deeb showed up to take out the Women’s World Champion and his entourage. The Professor locked Storm in a submission just days before their scheduled title match at Double or Nothing.
Hit – Swerve Strickland & Christian Cage brawl
Swerve took on Nick Wayne in singles competition. Their July 12, 2023, match was clearly better. The champion defeated young Wayne after nine minutes of action. Killswitch attacked Swerve after the match. The champion reversed the momentum and went after Christian Cage.
Cage tried to escape in a car but was stopped when Prince Nana showed up in his vehicle. Swerve took out Cage from the vehicle and they brawled. The champion took out the challenger with a DDT on the car roof. Swerve tried to take Cage’s head off with a ConChairto but his DoN opponent escaped.
Miss – Bryan Danielson vs. Satnam Singh headlined AEW Dynamite
I’m not a fan of the David vs. Goliath trope in modern pro wrestling. The absence of struggle (from smaller opponents, of course) is what I believe is missing from pro wresting. For a guy the size of Satnam Singh, there should be no problem tossing guy the size of Bryan Danielson around.
Instead, he is performing a completely unnecessary suplex. It became painfully obvious to me that even a wrestler the caliber of Bryan cannot carry Satnam to a decent match. Also, they should’ve used a more creative ending instead of the usual beatdown angle. Oh, and Darby Allin showed up with a flamethrower to fend off The Elite.
Hit – Malakai Black vs. Kyle O’Reilly & the bloodbath
Malakai Black versus Kyle O’Reilly was the better match of the night. Both men used their striking and submission-based backgrounds to full effect. O’Reilly showcased some real creative counters against Malaki’s submission.
Black picked up the win only for Adam Copeland to give him a taste of his own mind games. We got a nice little throwback to the Brood’s bloodbath with red liquid falling from the sky on Black. I’m excited for their Barbed Wire Steel Cage match at Double or Nothing.
Also read: Darby Allin Details How He Got Cleared For AEW Double Or Nothing Appearance, How Quickly It Happened
