Welcome to our AEW Dynamite review series where we look at the biggest hits and misses from the show.
The June 19, 2024, episode of Dynamite went down at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA. MJF, Will Ospreay, Toni Storm, Swerve Strickland, and The Elite were featured acts on the show this week.
Here’s what went down on the latest Wednesday Night Dynamite.
Hit – A great opening match
MJF and RUSH kicked off AEW Dynamite this week. The two bitter rivals exchanged some hard-hitting strikes for nearly 15 minutes. Both men looked incredible in their return match on Dynamite. Max picked up the win following a brutal brainbuster.
A great opening match between two of AEW’s very best. RUSH got a ton of offense against Max. There were moments when I thought El Toro Blanco was legitimately going to slay the Wolf of Wrestling. I have big hopes for RUSH this year. Hopefully, he gets another good feud after MJF.
Miss – Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay’s face-off
Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay had an in-ring segment on AEW Dynamite. Both men talked about why they deserved to be at the top. Ospreay said he doesn’t need Don Callis and the rest of The Family to do his job. Swerve made things personal by dragging Will’s son into the feud causing them to almost come to blows.
This segment would’ve been interesting had they let Don Callis accompany Ospreay to handle some of the talking. The Aerial Assassin tried to sound intense but he does his best talk with his fists. This segment went way longer. They could’ve kept it short because talking isn’t Ospreay’s strongest suit.
Best – Eight-man tag team action on AEW Dynamite
This week’s Dynamite brought us a star-studded tag team match. Dante Martin, Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe, and Orange Cassidy squared off against Roderick Strong, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, and Zack Sabre Jr. OC picked up the win for his team after hitting Strong with a Superman Punch.
Nobody does tag team matches like AEW. All eight men looked absolutely brilliant in this hard-hitting match-up. The near falls and false finishes had the crowd on their feet. They teased dissension between Strong and Takeshita. O’Reilly taking the hit for OC made the finishing sequence even better.
Miss – The Learning Tree x Private Party
Private Party were interviewed by Renee Paquette on AEW Dynamite. The duo were in the middle of explaining last week’s attack on Jericho when the Learning Tree interrupted them. A back-and-forth exchange followed until the heels left the babyfaces to complete the interview.
I am struggling to find chemistry between Private Party and Chris Jericho. Both are on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to gimmick. Y2J being an annoying heel may be effective against an up-and-comer but not against someone who’s been with AEW since day one.
Hit – Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa make it official on AEW Dynamite
Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa arrived in the ring to make their Forbidden Door match official. Mariah May mediated the contract signing. Both women cut promos on each other before Saraya, Harley Cameron and Anna Jay tried to interrupt them. Storm tried to take out Saraya but ended up butt-first into the table.
Mina Shirakawa is charismatic. She was truly the highlight of the segment. The former Stardom champion told Storm she’ll take the title and her girl (Mariah) at Forbidden Door. I think they inserted Saraya just for the sake of physicality which, to be honest, wasn’t needed because Mariah, Storm and Mina were superb in this segment.
Miss – Owen Hart Foundation 2024 Women’s Tournament Quarterfinals on AEW Dynamite
Kris Statlander faced Nyla Rose in the first match of the Owen Hart Women’s Tournament. Statlander picked up the win following a piledriver. Willow Nightingale interrupted her former friend’s celebration to announce she’ll take on Serena Deeb this Friday on Rampage.
This match didn’t quite live up to its potential even though AEW ran a lot of hype for it on social media. Statlander and Nyla struggled to maintain pace throughout the match. The 450 and the tombstone were arguably the highlights from the match.
Hit – PAC vs. Claudio Castagnoli
PAC and Claudio Castagnoli main evented AEW Dynamite this week. The duo collided in the first match of the Owen Hart Foundation 2024 Men’s Tournament. Bryan Danielson was on commentary. PAC picked up the win with a roll-up.
A quality main event match between two great wrestlers in PAC and Castagnoli. Their size and strength difference made for a compelling contest. The European Uppercut on the outside was a thing of beauty. They also teased rift between Castagnoli and Danielson following the match.
Honorable Mentions
The Young Bucks and The Acclaimed had a solid tag team match on AEW Dynamite. Kazuchika Okada stopping Acclaimed from having their full entrance was hilarious. The Bucks isolated Anthony Bowens towards the end of the match only for the babyfaces to earn a title shot against the tag team champions. Bowens sold the knee offense brilliantly.
MJF came to Daniel Garcia and Daddy Magic’s aid from Cage of Agony and Max’s Forbidden Door opponent. The heels had the numbers advantage until Will Ospreay showed up. Ospreay and MJF cleared the ring before almost attacking each other. The crowd chanted “holy sh*t” because they knew the clash was inevitable.
Also read: AEW International Title Match, Okada vs. Ultimo Guerrero Added To 6/22 AEW Collision
