Three months ago, AEW President Tony Khaaaaaan tweeted “there are massive surprises ahead…
the balance of power in wrestling will shift tonight.”
Where the main kind of response to him was: “I'm sorry but you're hyping these up way
too much.”
Well, just the following month, Kenny Omega had won the AEW Championship and started a
inter-promotional storyline with IMPACT Wrestling.
And now, on last night’s special Beach Break episode, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s KENTA
invaded the show to attack Jon Moxley ahead of their IWGP United States title match at
New Beginning USA on February 26.
The Forbidden Door is opening...
NEW JAPAN TO AEW CONFIRMED.
KENTA is currently a member of New Japan’s Bullet Club faction - which counts amongst
its alumni top AEW stars Omega, the Young Bucks, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson (along
with Finn Balor, Adam Cole and AJ Styles in WWE - but don’t expect that working relationship
anytime soon).
KENTA attacking Moxley also technically saved his Bullet Club buddy Omega.
But while Bullet Club is 4 4 4 4 4 4 life, so is Bullet Beef.
The official New Japan Bullet Club, which owns the name, doesn’t really recognise
the US ‘Elite’ contingent.
And in a post-show interview, KENTA told Omega he wasn’t his friend, and he was only here
to fight Moxley.
That didn’t dissuade Omega, though, who then called out Jon Moxley and Lance Archer
against him and KENTA next week in a Lights Out tag match.
The New Japan Twitter account even got involved, tweeting a simple EYES EMOJI as their reaction
to KENTA appearing on the show.
But, as always with Bullet Club stuff, let’s check in on the constantly grumpy Tama Tonga,
who’s tweeted: “Hey @KENTAG2S while you’re there, slap
up Kenny Oshega, middle age bucks, festus and the other smaller festus.
And again, No need to thank us.
#BulletClub” WrestlingInc is also reporting that New Japan
have had discussions with Pluto TV to broadcast their programming on their streaming platform,
which while not necessarily hugely lucrative, would provide a way for US fans to watch New
Japan’s product.
What did you think of New Japan’s arrival in AEW?
Let me know in the comments because I’ll be replying to people FROM OUTTA NOWHERE SAYING
OH MY GOD I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.
NXT had some Rated R count-programming to go against it, with Edge showing up to tease
a match with the NXT Champion at WrestleMania.
The next NXT TakeOver was then announced for February 14th with the name NXT TakeOver:
Vengeance Day, which will see Finn Balor vs Pete Dunne for the NXT title, Kushida vs Johnny
Gargano for the North American Championship, and Io Shirai defending her NXT Women’s
title in a Triple Threat against Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez.
It’s been revealed Lars Sullivan was quietly released by WWE last month due to him no-showing
a TV taping.
Despite WWE not publicly announcing the release, Sullivan himself has now confirmed the reports
and commented on his firing, speaking to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select.
Sullivan praised WWE for handling his release with “compassion and honesty”, saying
he was surprised they hadn’t announced it, but assumed it was for his benefit.
He also said that he told WWE he was done with wrestling altogether, after continuing
to struggle with mental health issues that plagued his first run on the main roster.
He mentioned that due to anxiety, he was struggling to eat during days of TV filming, and was
having trouble sleeping.
He also lost his father last year, which contributed to a rollercoaster year.
However Sullivan didn’t shy away from his actions, saying his release came about because
of some actions that he called “idiocy”, and “his own selfish behaviour”.
He also made it very clear that he was well treated by both the WWE office and the locker
room, and this was not a case of bullying.
Which makes it very interesting that another WWE source told Fightful Select that they
saw Sullivan’s shirtless interview with Michael Cole on SmackDown as “sabotage”.
Though, they also mentioned that “if it was a test, he passed it”.
Now before I get into my review of last night’s AEW Dynamite, we hosted the incredible Matt
Rehwoldt, the former Aiden English in WWE, on yesterday’s QuizzleMania.
Go check him out on his Wrestling With Whiskey channel, and here’s a clip, of him correctly
identifying his own nipples: It’s Thursday, you know what that means!
It’s AEW’s TV-per-view Beach Break special!
Where they had surfboards and beach balls on the stage, but not a single commentator
wearing a hawaiin shirt.
I don’t care if it’s February and cold, I want Tony Schivone in a hula patterned top.
The show kicked off with the very rammed Tag Team No. 1 contenders battle royal.
With so many different acts in there, they had a bunch of different feuds and stories
to further.
The main of which were the Inner Circle and what we all thought was going to be the tag
division direction of the Bucks winning here to choose Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson as
their Revolution title match.
But whenever you think AEW are going to zig, you better believe they’ll zag your pants
down.
The Good Brothers helped eliminate their IMPACT Tag title contenders Private Party - which
weirdly distracted Nick Jackson enough to get the Young Bucks fully eliminated.
The Elite tension will continue to bubble away in the background.
Instead, a different heel faction’s infighting was used for the finish.
Chris Jericho seemingly inadvertently eliminated Sammy Guevarra just before winning the match
between him and MJF - prompting Sammy to storm to the back.
Later on, Guevarra refused to celebrate with them, and MJF had a ‘little chat’ behind
closed doors and without Chris Jericho to the Inner Circle.
We got a promo package of Jade Cargill working out.
Those hoodlums Sting and Darby Allin came out for an interview, and you wouldn’t believe
what happened instead: Team Taz interrupted on the Titantron.
Like they seem to have done every week for the past two months.
They said they’ll be at ringside for Darby’s TNT title match against Joey Janela next week,
so Sting says he’ll also be there to protect Allin.
Guys, I’m pretty sure Darby and Janela don’t need any help killing themselves.
Thunder Rosa went right for Britt Baker on the bell in this long postponed match.
A great blood feud told over months, two strongly booked and compelling characters.
This felt like the most important AEW women’s match all year.
They put on a great match, with a Death Valley Driver on the entrance ramp, and a tense endgame
of Baker attempting the Lockjaw.
But Britt eventually won by knocking Rosa out on the exposed turnbuckle pad.
I don’t mind that heel finish, as it can build to a bigger revenge match later down
the line.
Hangman Page had agreed to team with Matt Hardy next against the Chaos Project as a
one-time only thing to avenge them ruining -1’s birthday party.
Yeah, because Luthor getting a facefull of cake was definitely the thing that broke my
heart that week.
The real star here, though, was the commentary, as Excalibur expertly put over how one of
Page’s first ever matches was for Hardy’s unfortunately titled Omega promotion ten years
ago.
And how both men seem to wrestle with a chip on their shoulders for their more successful
tag team partners.
They’re the Janettys.
Page hit the Buckshot, but Matt tagged in to steal the pin.
A video package ran down the US and Japanese brackets for the Women’s Eliminator tournament
- get ready for me to butcher another language - with Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, Veny, Emi
Sakura, Ryo Mizunami, Mei Suruga, Rin Kardokura and Maki Itoh on the Japanese side.
While the US bracket has NWA Women’s World Champion Serena Deeb, Britt Baker, Tay Conti,
Thunder Rosa, Nyla Rose, Anna Jay, Leyla Hirsch and the definitely Japanese Riho.
Makes sense.
We might never have gotten the bachelor’s party, but we finally got the wedding of Kip
Sabian and Penelope Ford on this episode.
It included Jerry Lynn walking Ford down the aisle, TNA’s old Sinister Minister James
Mitchell doing the officiating, and some good lines with Kip essentially saying it was love
at first boobs.
And Miro not allowing Mitchell to ask if anyone had objections, because he’s done a few
of these wedding segments before.
And those didn’t work out so great.
Of course, it ended in disaster, when Miro’s manservant Charles shackled his ankle to the
bottom rope, and Orange Cassidy just casually stood up out the cake to beat up Sabian.
It was a fun segment, but overall, this storyline feels like it somehow went on way too long,
yet also like it didn’t have enough build.
I’m glad we can move past it.
There was a clip of Shaq accepting Cody’s match for the March 3rd episode of Dynamite
- so not the Revolution pay-per-view (presumably because TNT understandably want their cross-promotion
on their TV network rather than behind AEW’s paywall).
He also showed his brand new Black Tornado finisher, which is Chris Jericho’s Judas
Effect.
It is Judas effective after all.
To avenge Eddie Kingston cheating to win last week with the brass knuckles, Lance Archer
went right at him in a great use of the Lumberjack match stipulation - which was mostly so Lance
could murder more people, and so Jake the Snake could look like your rowdy uncle at
a wedding and fall over while decking Angelico outside.
Lance won with the Blackout, putting an end to his feud with Kingston for now.
FTR and Tully Blanchard have quite literally kidnapped Marko Stunt.
And the main event was an incredible six man tag of the Super Elite vs Jon Moxley and two
members of Death Triangle… so, Death Line?...
PAC and Rey Fenix.
Every interaction was dazzling.
PAC vs Anderson?
Doc vs Mox!
Omega vs anyone because he’s got so much history with each opponent.
The action more than lived up to its insane star power.
But, as already covered, it’s actually quite easy to forget about the in-ring match.
Because then freaking KENTA showed up from New Japan to hit a Go To Sleep on Mox.
I always thought it’d be you I’d talk about hitting that move in AEW, my best friend
who never replies to my messages.
It was a fantastic ending to a very fun and varied show - cementing AEW’s TV specials
like New Year’s Smash and Winter is Coming appointment viewing for any self-respecting
wrestling fan.
What did you think of Dynamite?
Let me know in the comments down below, and follow us on Twitter @WrestleTalk_TV to vote
in our poll on a pole match!
Where 60% of you thought this episode was Excellent.
How could it be anything else?
Great in-ring action.
Compelling stories, awesome characters and a genuinely industry shaking cliffhanger angle
of a top contracted previously exclusive New Japan star showing up in AEW.
This week’s Dynamite is four out of four.
Lars Sullivan has been fired by WWE.
Find out the real reason why Vince McMahon finally said enough is enough by clicking
the video on the right.
And watch the full episode of QuizzleMania with Matt Rehwoldt, aka Aiden English, by
clicking the video below that.
I’ve been Mr Davis, Jam that Jam.