In this WrestleTalk News, a tribute show announced for Jay Briscoe, Nick Khan speaks pretty plainly
about Vince McMahon’s takeover of the company, sales and more, and Oli’s review of Dynamite.
Yesterday the tragic news came to light that Jay Briscoe, real name Jamin Pugh had passed
away in a fatal car accident, injuring his two daughters that were in the car with him
at the time.
Tributes had, and continue to, pour out from every corner of the wrestling industry, highlighting
what an impact Pugh had on the entire wrestling landscape.
On last night’s Dynamite, there were several tributes to Pugh, including a graphic at the
start of the show, several wrestlers wearing armbands, doing moves, and Tony Khan even
announcing that after Dynamite, they were going to be recording a ROH-themed tribute
show for Jay Briscoe that would air for free on Honor Club and Ring of Honor’s YouTube
channel.
However, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, this wasn’t the plan for
Tony Khan.
“They (the Briscoes) were signed by Tony Khan and he was unable to get them on television,
and if you watched tonight’s show and you were expecting something, and I know a lot
of people were, something akin to the Brodie Lee (tribute) show and obviously that didn’t
happen…There was a graphic at the start of the show, and then at the very end of the
show there was a mention by Excalibur.
A lot of the guys had armbands, a lot of them.
But there was not any kind of big tribute because they were not allowed by WarnerMedia
to do one.”
Meltzer also noted that there were plans to continue to honour Jay’s life through many
more ROH shows on top of the one filmed after Dynamite:
“...they will be doing another tribute show which will be, when they finally do the Ring
of Honor television show, the first show will feature a lot of Jay matches, and the tribute
show (taped last night) will as well when it’s all put together.
I’m not sure what day it’ll be out but there’ll be another one…And then Supercard
of Honor, there will also be kind of like a memorial to Jay on that show, or something
to honor Jay at the Supercard of Honor show in Los Angeles”
Meanwhile we return to regular wrestling news where Vince McMahon continues his hostile
takeover of WWE.
Can we have some news of like…who’s in line to get a push or something?
But yes, Vince is back in WWE, Steph is gone, while Triple H desperately clings onto creative.
But how about the now sole CEO of the company Nick Khan?
Well, Nick has been busy lately, dropping some serious insight into all the internal
goings on within the company lately in an appearance on Bill Simmons’ The Ringer podcast.
According to Khan, while Vince’s return was (maybe) a surprise to much of the public
given the very real sexual misconduct allegations, hush money payments, lawsuits, etc. etc.,
the 77-year-old’s return was certainly not as much of a surprise to himself and Stephanie.
Khan said:
“My thought was that there’s only one boss in the company, and that ain’t me.
I think it was always my point of view, Stephanie’s point of view he would come back.”
In fairness, it was a wrestling retirement, and those never stick.
Khan would continue:
“You know, when he stepped down, anyone who believed that was permanent didn’t know
him.
That was never going to happen, but I’m appreciative of the fact that he gave it five,
six months, let the dust settle a little bit, then came back in the way that he’s come
back.”
Khan would later “applaud” the fashion in which Vince seemingly strong-armed his
way back onto the company’s board, despite the fact the board had previously unanimously
rejected his return ‘request’ just weeks prior.
Which Nick Khan was a part of.
Contrary to reports stating that upon Vince’s return to the company he had already begun
noting to various departments that they were ‘doing things wrong’, Khan mentioned that
there hadn’t been any questioning of their decision making during his absence.
Despite the allegations against McMahon tainting his name, Khan said that there was “nothing
that he [Vince] hid, nothing he covered up”, and everyone is just “plowing ahead” despite
potential legal action still to be taken against McMahon, referring to the Rita Chatterton
lawsuit as an “encumbrance” and a “hurdle” to overcome, while also noting that ‘things
that aren’t accepted now were in the past’.
Just bearing in mind he’s referring to a sexual assault lawsuit.
What a nice guy.
Concerning the WWE sale reports, Khan said that the Saudi sale reports that emerged last
week were “100% Fake, 100% made-up”, saying that there was no feasible or legal way a
deal could be agreed that quickly.
And as for Vince returning on-screen as well, Khan had an answer for that too:
"Not at this moment.
No is the answer to that question.
Could it change in a few months?
Sure, it could change.
But that would be Paul [Levesque] and Vince being on the same page about it.
I don't see it right now."
Sure it could change, maybe, there’s a chance it could change, like potentially, I’d be
willing to admit there’s a not-zero percent chance of something changing and maybe there
could perhaps be -Vince McMahon is returning at the Rumble isn’t he.
Oh joy.
Now it’s time for my review of AEW Dynamite, aka the Bryan Danielson weekly PPV match show…
in about 5 minutes.
Now it’s time for my review of AEW Dynamite, aka the Bryan Danielson weekly PPV match show…
in about 5 minutes.
After the show displayed an in memoriam graphic for the tragically passed Jay Briscoe, the
episode opened with some very welcome light relief in an Orange Cassidy vs Jay Lethal
match, which wasn’t just for the All-Atlantic Championship, it was also for ALL THE SHENANIGANS.
There were shenanigans in the ring, with Cassidy slowly rolling out the way of three Lethal
Elbow Drop attempts.
There were shenanigans in the crowd, when the banned from ringside Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay
Dutt and Satnum Singh arrived as paying customers with front row tickets, which Userhausen checked,
and then seated the Best Friends guzzling popcorn right next to them.
There were shenanigans at ringside, when Jarrett tried to pass Lethal his guitar, but Interceptorhausen
nabbed it first, leading to Cassidy’s roll up win.
I hereby eat my words and reservations about Jeff Jarrett joining AEW.
This is now his world.
Screw the All-Atlantic Title.
I am now launching a campaign for Jarrett to beat Darby, with Sting, for the TNT title,
which he will rename the TNA title.
Everyone was fun in this opening segment, but the MVP was actually Sonjay Dutt, doing
the perfect level of idiot smart guy, showing Danhausen his tickets, even though that was
ridiculous, and then stopping his cronies from beating up Cassidy afterwards, lest they
be fired.
Following seven consecutive trios championship matches, it’s understandable that the Young
Bucks fancied a straight up tag for a change.
They had an excellent, high-flying, perfectly timed, athletic, back and forth match with
Top Flight, with Dante Martin and Nick Jackson trying to outdo each other in ‘hit move
in ring, then immediately dive outside to take out other opponent’ spots.
I saw the finish coming, because it felt like the right thing to do, but that in no way
lessens its impact.
The Bucks collided knees on a ducked BTE Trigger, letting Darius get a roll-up win.
This is a really smart move, giving Top Flight a much needed victory over arguably AEW’s
top team.
With the Bucks now in trios mode, and FTR taking time off, AEW desperately need to establish
some more two person tag teams.
Perhaps 2023’s year of tag will actually take the form of a junior-heavyweight presentation,
built around homegrown talent like The Acclaimed, Top Flight, Private Party and, yes, The Ass
Boys.
It’s difficult to know what kind of heat Austin and Colten Gunn are getting.
They’re certainly getting a lot of it whenever they speak, but I’m not entirely sure if
it’s just the audience legitimately screaming GO AWAY YOU’RE OVERPUSHED.
I, however, have a soft spot for them.
Austin in particular is a very good heel promo, and I reckon they’ll quickly grow into their
push.
Billy Gunn had enough of his biological and adoptive sons fighting, so he booked them
and The Acclaimed a Family Therapy segment next week.
Hopefully they’re Anger Management style pretapes.
I am sports entertained.
Renee Young a terrifically awkward interview with Hangman Page, where all the storytelling
was done by what wasn’t said.
Renee was subtly annoyed with Page for concussing her husband last week, but remained a professional
interviewer.
Hangman was subtly ashamed, trying to say he’s sorry for hurting Moxley so bad.
He also hinted towards rebuilding some fences, implying AEW will restart whatever Elite reunion
plans they had before CM Punk’s dog got everyone suspended.
Ricky Starks overcame the interference of four men on the outside and a distractingly
fashionable purple hat to beat Jake Hager.
This was a quick palette cleanser following last week’s misfire promo segment, and Starks’
theme music now includes Tazaoke!
[TAZAOKE GRAPHIC AND JINGLE] 51.21 - 51.23 - MINS TAZ SINGING THEME MUSIC
[TAZAOKE GRAPHIC AND JINGLE] Jericho and either Sammy Guevarra or Daniel
Garcia will wrestle Starks and Andretti next week.
Then came Bryan Danielson vs Bandido.
Oh baby.
Ethan Page, Takeshita, Bandido - every week of 2023 so far has been Danielson winning
a Premium Live Event caliber match, while simultaneously building his opponent.
That means he is single handedly elevating AEW’s underused midcard, all while building
himself for a world championship main event match against MJF.
Has there ever been a wrestler focused on such different ends of enhancing a company?
Danielson, so far, has been AEW’s 2023 most important star.
He showcased Bandido brilliantly, with technical, strength and high-flying exchanges - most
impressively a delayed standing suplex that Bryan started to slip sideways in, for Bandido
to muscle him back to vertical.
Danielson eventually hit the knee to win.
Danielson’s most recent victory on the Road to MJF triggered a levelling up in Max.
He interrupted Bryan’s celebration with a backstage promo, saying that the further
he goes in this story, the more Max’s mask will slip to reveal the monster that lies
behind.
It was a perfectly timed reminder, after several weeks of MJF cowardly running away, or doing
Don Rickles roast routines in the ring, that there is a very dangerous, borderline sociopathic
devil that lurks within him.
The guy that tore Cody’s back to shreds.
The guy who suckered Punk.
The guy who used the brass knuckles on William Regal.
What, I can’t say [QT MARSHALL] anymore?
Danielson has been using the [QT MARSHALL] stretch!
Don’t forget that, it’s important!
MJF later offered Danielson’s next opponent, Brian Cage, an envelope full of money, win
or lose, to break Bryan’s arm.
Max then slapped Cage in a fantastically heel spot.
This is very smart character development, transitioning into the more serious stage
of their feud.
Saraya and Toni Storm suddenly turning heel wasn’t as well thought out, but I don’t
care, because it’s way better than what they were doing before!
Presumably because Sasha Banks not agreeing terms was so devastating, the women’s locker
room has kayfabe fractured down an ex-WWE star vs Homegrown talent line.
Toni Storm and Saraya joked about that in a promo before Storm’s match against Willow
Nightingale, which she won thanks to Saraya interference.
And she really needed that, as Nightingale hit one of the coolest looking pounces since
Keith Lee’s debut!
Saraya and Toni beat down Nightingale after the match, a very well picked target, as she’s
beloved by the audience, for Ruby Ruby Ruby Soho to make the save.
But if there is really an ex-WWE alliance happening, I wouldn’t trust Soho for long.
It took a while, but AEW are now smartly leaning into the naturally heel character Saraya accidentally
gave herself in her first promo.
Using her seeing AEW originals as below her is a great motivation too.
Perhaps we could even be leading to a Blood and Guts, of Team AEW’s Baker, Hayter, Shida,
Nightingale and Cargill vs Saraya, Ruby, Toni Storm, Athena and Serena Deeb.
Takeshita kept his momentum going, cutting a Japanese promo on MJF, then saying he’ll
watch Danielson’s back in the Cage match.
Which isn’t a cage match, it’s a Brian Cage match, you know what I mean.
And the main event saw Darby Allin beat Kushida in a great, far more technical wrestling match
than you’d expect from the TNT champion.
The best spot being a perfectly timed mid-air catch from Kushida, turning a top turnbuckle
dropkick to the outside into an arm bar.
Darby fought through the pain and used his uninjured right arm to win with the Last Supper
pin.
They then respectfully shook hands to close the show.
What did you think of Dynamite?
Let me know in the comments.
This was a terrifically solid episode, continuing AEW’s insanely good streak of in-ring TV
wrestling, complete with one of the most exciting women’s division developments since Hayter
won the title.
This week’s Dynamite is 87%.