Welcome back to our AEW Dynamite review series where we take a look at the biggest hits and misses from the show.
The June 5, 2024, episode of Dynamite emanated from Loveland’s Blue Arena in Colorado. The show featured MJF’s first appearance since AEW Double or Nothing. Toni Storm, Saraya and Swerve Strickland among others worked the show as well.
Here’s what went down on Dynamite this week.
Hit – MJF kicks off AEW Dynamite
The opening segment saw the return of MJF to AEW Dynamite for the first time in months. The former world champion namedropped a couple of wrestlers including Okada. RUSH interrupted MJF causing a back-and-forth exchange on the mic. The verbal hostility quickly escalated into a brawl and it took security to separate the two men.
Having MJF kickoff Dynamite was a solid booking decision. Max is one of the best talkers of this generation without a doubt. It seems MJF has teased his future feuds by namedropping Swerve Strickland, Okada and Will Ospreay. The promo exchange with RUSH was followed by their brawl made for a good start to AEW Dynamite this week.
Read More: MJF Could Save AEW From The Elite
Miss – Kris Statlander & Orange Cassidy spot
Orange Cassidy partook in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match for the AEW International Championship. The match also involved Jay Lethal, Kyle O’Reilly and Rey Fenix. Fenix earned a title shot against Will Ospreay after pinning Lethal. Don Callis and Trent Beretta came to the ring after the match. Cassidy pulled out a chain from under the ring, but Kris Statlander caused a distraction before hitting OC with a cheap shot.
They really rushed Statlander’s turn on OC in the aftermath of AEW Double or Nothing. Tony should’ve held off on the inevitable with a slow build-up to make the OC-Berretta feud interesting. Statlander stopping Cassidy from taking out Beretta even though it was a fluke isn’t consistent booking because she was the one who accepted Don Callis’ offer on behalf of Trent in the first place.
Hit – Brian Cage vs. Mark Briscoe
Brian Cage met Mark Briscoe one-on-one in the TNT title qualifier on Dynamite. Both men went back and forth until Briscoe got the upper hand. The ROH World Champion picked up the win with an elbow drop to qualify for the ladder match at Forbidden Door.
A solid match between two men who are really good at what they do. Cage looks effortless with his move set. His strength is complemented by his athleticism. Mark is a veteran in every sense of the word. That said, they should’ve let Cage win this one and challenge for the TNT title at Forbidden Door.
Miss – Angry Young HOOK
Renee Paquette caught up with HOOK and Samoa Joe on AEW Dynamite. She asked Joe if he’s officially become a mentor to HOOK. Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari and Mark Sterling interrupted the duo. HOOK tried to get his hands on the heels but Joe stopped him and told him to wait for later.
Whatever happened to the calm and calculated HOOK? This version of HOOK looks like he has anger management issues. He looks like a child trying to lunge at Nese and Daivari, only to be stopped by Joe, who (no offense) looks like a father trying to stop a fight from happening, rather than a partner stopping his ally.
Hit – EVPs show who’s in control of AEW Dynamite
The Acclaimed walked to the ring with Max Caster doing his rap routine. The trio were interrupted by Matthew and Nicholas Jackson who scrapped the live segment. Later, the EVPs had a conversation with The Patriarchy where they agreed to help each other.
I think the Bucks are doing a great job at being these petty and egomaniac EVPs. The Double or Nothing win has clearly stroked their egos. For now, The Elite versus The Acclaimed seems to be the direction.
Miss – Eight-man tag team match on AEW Dynamite
This week’s AEW Dynamite saw an eight-man tag team match between Blackpool Combat Club and four CMLL guys. Wheeler Yuta picked up the win for his team after 12 minutes of back-and-forth action.
A rare multi-man outing between heavyweights and luchadores on national television. This match could’ve been better had it got the right amount of hype and TV time. It remains to be seen if this leads to a singles match between BCC and CMLL guys.
Oh, and Bryan Danielson is entering the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament just so you know.
Honorable Mentions
- Mariah May took on Saraya in singles competition. Saraya picked up the win after 10 minutes of action. This was a surprisingly good match. Mariah and Saraya have chemistry with each other. May kicking out of Knight Light was my only gripe with the match. It needs to be a protected finisher instead of being a false finish.
- Swerve Strickland took on Roderick Strong in the main event on Dynamite. Swerve picked up the win after 14 minutes of back-and-forth action. A decent match with some fun spots, but not the best match of the night by a long shot. Their WWE NXT outing from 2019 was much better in my opinion.
Also read: AEW International Title Match, More Set For 6/12 AEW Dynamite
