Dynamite airs tonight (Jan. 18) with a live show from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. AEW is less than seven weeks away from its next pay-per-view on the calendar, Revolution, which is scheduled for March 5.
It’s already time for the Young Bucks to lose
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are the new AEW World Trios Champions after coming from behind to win the final three matches in a best-of-seven series against Death Triangle. One week later, Matt and Nick Jackson have a tag team match on Dynamite against Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin).
On the surface it might be easy to dismiss Top Flight’s probability to win this match, but it’s worth remembering that these guys have been going back and forth with the Blackpool Combat Club in recent weeks. With the Bucks banged up after a grueling seven match series, combined with no belts on the line in this match, it’s a great time for the hot young team to pick up the win.
A win for Top Flight could easily set them up for a trios title match (with AR Fox) against The Elite between now and Revolution, whereas a loss pushes them closer to joining the group of very talented wrestlers like Konosuke Takeshita who have great matches but rarely ever win on Dynamite.
Will Top Flight be able to pull off the upset? You’ll have to tune into Dynamite to find out.
The rest of tonight’s lineup
Bryan Danielson has to keep winning every week through Feb. 8 in order to earn a 60-minute Iron Man match at Revolution against AEW World Champion MJF. Bryan defeated Takeshita last week, and it’s extremely likely that he’ll win again in tonight’s match versus Bandido. The difference this time is that Dynamite doesn’t have a clear cut main event match, so this one might be in the running for that spot if there is an interesting post-match angle planned with MJF.
Darby Allin is a fighting TNT champion who is willing to take on anyone and everyone. AEW President Tony Khan is bringing in former NXT and current NJPW star KUSHIDA to test Darby’s limits this week. Like with Danielson’s match, the outcome seems clear. Will Samoa Joe or Wardlow resurface after the match is over to come looking for their old belt?
Jay Lethal is challenging Orange Cassidy for the All-Atlantic championship on tonight’s broadcast. This match came about after Lethal and Jeff Jarrett attacked Golden Globe Award winner Paul Walter Hauser and stole his award, only to be chased off by Cassidy and The Best Friends.
Also on the card is Ricky Starks vs. Jake Hager in a singles match. Starks is looking for revenge after Hager powerbombed him through a table two weeks ago. Starks’ promo last week insulting Hager’s lisp didn’t exactly hit the right note. Action Andretti better be on standby to help fend off the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Willow Nightingale goes one-on-one with Toni Storm in the lone women’s match on the card. Nightingale is quickly getting over with the audience, so it will be interesting to see if AEW books her to beat the former women’s champion. If Willow loses, will it be because she’s not fully recovered from last week’s barbed wire thumbtack bloodbath street fight?
After defeating Jon Moxley last week, Hangman Page is scheduled for an interview with Renee Paquette tonight. Paquette happens to be Moxley’s wife, and tensions could be high after Moxley seemingly suffered some head trauma in their fight. Will ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli confront the cowboy after what he did to his Blackpool Combat Club stablemate?
Other stuff to keep an eye on
– Following yesterday’s tragic death of ROH tag team champion Jay Briscoe, it’s not clear how far AEW will go in paying tribute to him tonight. It’s been rumored that the Briscoes never appeared on AEW television due to someone in WarnerMedia being opposed to the idea, so that’s a potentially complicating factor while AEW tries to figure out the best way to handle this situation.
– AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass humiliated the Ass Boys on Rampage by pulling down their pants. It’s not exactly the best angle to set up a future tag team championship match.
– TBS Champion Jade Cargill finally kicked Red Velvet out of The Baddies. This decision came as no surprise considering Red’s recent subordination. Even so, Cargill is still trying to find her footing following a dropped storyline with Bow Wow and not much fan investment in Velvet.
– The one-time-only team of JUNGLEHOOK was a massive success in last week’s match against The Firm’s Big Bill and Lee Moriarty. That can’t really be the end of their very handsome union, right?
– Swerve Strickland and Mogul Affiliates have vowed to be the most sadistic and menacing group in AEW in 2023. Perhaps they’ll change their tune whenever Keith Lee returns and gets his hands on them.
– Powerhouse Hobbs is still talking a big game about hurting people, but he can’t get any ring time on AEW television.
– Eddie Kingston and Ortiz are having problems getting along thanks to the House of Black. How long will it be until their conflict turns to violence?
– Adam Cole is back in AEW. He cut a babyface promo last week putting the rest of the AEW roster on notice as he pursues the top spot in the company. Which heel will be the first one to take exception to Adam’s words?
– Was it really an accident last week when Hikaru Shida’s decision to throw her kendo stick into the ring backfired, leading to Saraya’s team losing a tag match against Britt Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter?
– Where the f*** is Miro?
What will you be looking for on Dynamite?
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