AEW

Pops & Botches: AEW Dynamite – 07.07.2021

AEW Dynamite Pops & Botches

 

IT’S WEDNESDAY NIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!

This week, here at Steel Ring Post, we are celebrating our one year anniversary! Most notably, our very own Alison Winters pulls off the Jungle Boy and is our first writer to 50 articles! She’s actually on 56 already (her July 6th Dark review) but now that we’ve got a year in and she’s over the 50-article mark, we can all applaud and cheer her accomplishments. And thank you to our readers. Whether this is your first article you’re reading, your 56th or you’ve literally read everyone of ’em, thank you for giving us a reason to write. Here’s to a lot more of these yearly anniversaries! Cheers!

POP: Bienvenido a Miami!

After closing out AEW’s original home, Daily’s Place, on last week’s Dynamite, we head south down I-95 and invade Miami! We’ve got a live crowd for the first time in forever and what a card for AEW Road Rager! They’re getting a South Beach Strap Match, a tag team championship contest and the debut of Andrade El Idolo! Those lucky sons a bitches!

POP: Strap On, Boys

As promised, we get a South Beach Strap Match. Cody comes out with his full pay-per-view entrance and QT Marshall…well, he gets a jobber’s entrance. But at least his Nightmare Factory goons are out there with him! Cody just has a 62 year old former enforcer with him at ringside but let’s be honest, it’s pretty even. QT understands how stupid of an idea getting beat with a strap is and bails out before they can put it on his wrist. He confers with Aaron Solow & Nick Comoroto on the outside but Cody wastes no times and hits a Tope’ Suicida to get us started!

Solow and Comoroto don’t take long to get involved but Cody has an ace up his sleeve. Dustin Rhodes naturally (heh) runs out and beats them to the back. Speaking of beating ’em back, QT gets busted open early and bleeds the whole match through. It didn’t prevent him from seeing enough to bust Cody up with the strap though:

Cody has enough of the strap whippin’ though (then quit challenging guys to a strap match, bro!) and Hulks up after a few solid strikes to his back. He’s pretty pissed off and slaps three of the four corners. Unfortunately for him, Marshall stops him from hitting the fourth and picking up the win. QT thinks he’d be a cutie and spits a fat loogie toward Cody. The sidespray that hits Cody fires him up all over again and he cinches QT in the CrossRhodes and puts him down. Oh but we’re not done, he rolls through into another one and then a THIRD one! He pops up, slaps four turnbuckles and Cody is victorious! 

I (rightfully!) give Cody a lot of shit but this match was perfect. I was surprised he went over as I assumed he would give QT the rub. I’m not mad he won (he should have) but Marshall was still able to look great. I don’t think he’s on the MJF path to greatness but as a midcard guy, he was built up as he should be, competitive against main event talent but ultimately falling just short. Now please give me more Comoroto beating up dudes and looking crazy. Is it too much to ask for a Butcher/Comoroto feud?

Welp, the crowd shows up in this segment. First, they chant “You got fired” at Don Callis. Technically true! They chant, “We want Hangman” which is also very true!  Then the “Cowboy Shit” chant? Welcome back, you guys. Long story short, Dark Order comes out and Evil Uno confronts Kenny Omega. Of course, Kenny shows him up with a little trivia and kicks him in the dick when he takes too long to answer. The Good Brothers jump the rest of Dark Order and beat them down until Hangman Adam Page can make the save and send everyone scrambling. I need more of the Omega and Page history! Though, if they’re not leaning into it yet, I feel like maybe they’re saving it for a different feud down the line? I hope not. Don’t waste it!

POTCH: Fight Forever

Tully Blanchard escorts The Pinnacle members (Wardlow and FTR) to the ring. On the other side, honorary (I think) Inner Circle member, Konnan comes out with The Inner Circle Jerks (Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz). The teams aren’t here to fuck around and start the match immediately upon The Inner Circle getting down to the ring. After THe Pinnacle beats up Ortiz and triple teams him in the corner, he is able to make the hot tag to Hager. Jake responds accordingly right before we cut to commercial:

The Inner Circle returns the triple team favor as they demolish Cash. Wardlow saves the day; however, and breaks up the pin. A lot of solid tag team maneuvers throughout this match. Hager takes out FTR and asks for Wardlow. Well, Wardlow’s mama didn’t raise no bitch so he answers the call. Hager is able to get the upper hand and lock in the Ankle Lock. FTR jumps in to break it up while Tully distracts Aubrey on the ring apron. Wardlow knocks Hager into the Big Rig and The Pinnacle comes out victorious!

Another match involving guys from The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle.  Joy. I get having Jericho and MJF being blood rivals but at least give a week or two to the other guys to do (literally) anything besides fight each other. That’s why it received the Botch at the beginning. The match itself was pretty good, though. It was short enough that it didn’t drag on and it was long enough to give everyone a little shine. Even Konnan tried. Granted, he did not succeed, as Tully chop blocked him from behind but hey, he got a little shine! LOLthePinnacleWins

Speaking of The Pinnacle, out comes MJF before commercial. But when we come back from commercial? We are getting a live crowd singing Judas as Jericho makes his way to the ring!

Inject this directly into my veins, your Honor. We get a closeup of Jericho randomly swinging at someone. Turns out a stupid fan tries to jump in the ring. I wish they’d have let Jericho and MJF tag team him and beat him to a pulp. MJF proves he is a god on the microphone and uses it to lead into his rivalry with Jericho. MJF lays down the stipulation for Jericho to face him and Jericho gets fired up and signs the contract. Jericho shakes his hand to seal the deal and gives him a Judas Effect that knocks MJF out cold.

I’m intrigued by the Labors of Jericho. It’ll be interesting to see which stipulations he has against each member of The Pinnacle though I did notice MJF said that he got to choose the four opponents. Although he foreshadowed it being The Pinnacle by bringing up the fact Jericho made Moxley face all the members of Inner Circle, I’m not 100% convinced (yet) that MJF will choose members of The Pinnacle. I guess we’ll find out. Together.

Dr. Britt Baker (DMD) is the Queen.

POP: The Idol Squash

Superjobber Matt Sydal is out next for his match with the debuting Andrade El Idolo. Andrade comes out in a pinstripe suit with Evil Uno’s leather BDSM mask. Andrade controls Sydal early and rather easily. He goes up for a moonsault from the top but Sydal rolls out of the way. Andrade, thinking ahead, lands on his feet and immediately hits a standing moonsault on Sydal. Don’t try and fight it, Matt.

We go to commercial and it’s more of the same. Andrade knocks Sydal out of the ring a couple times and hits him with the Three Amigos in a nod to Eddie Guerrero. Sydal mounts a little offense including a face to the knee but misses a second shot and gets turned inside out with a vicious lariat. He goes out on the apron and gives the Guerrero shuffle. It’s glorious. We’re supposed to hate you, Andrade. Remember? He locks Sydal in the Hammerlock and plants him with what I believe he’s just calling … El Idolo. After the bell, he wraps up Sydal in his wrist wrap and makes him tap, certainly sending a message to the locker room.

Arn Anderson is out for an interview and HOLY SHIT, THIS HAPPENED!

I don’t have anything to say.  Mouth is just agape. Hanging open and whatnot.

POP: Mixed Bag Tag

Blade and Bunny are out next to take on Kris Statlander and Orange Cassidy in a mixed tag match. OC and Statlander are just adorable together. The match was awesome, too. It starts off with OC doing his slow kick schtick on Bunny. Before he can hit her with the big one, she tags in the Blade and the fight is on. It’s not the longest fight in the world and the ending came quicker than I’d expected. Try and stay with me here.

OC hits a spinning DDT and goes up top but Bunny pushes him off the turnbuckle to the outside. Statlander smashes Bunny’s face against the turnbuckle, knocking her to the floor. Statlander wisely gets up top and hits the Area 451 on Blade. OC slides in for the three count but Bunny pulls him out of the ring at two! OC slides in and Butcher crushes him with his pair of brass knuckles. While he’s unconscious, Statlander reaches in and tags OC but Blade doesn’t see it! He steps on Cassidy’s chest but Aubrey tells him Statlander is legal. She gets in and pushes Bunny into Blade and crushes Bunny with the Big Bang Theory to pick up the win!

I told you it was a wild finish! I loved it though! I enjoy when the men and women in a mixed tag fight each other or interact with each other more than just yelling at each other’s faces. Statlander’s size and athleticism makes it very believable that she could beat up someone like Blade. I was ready to Botch this match but they proved me wrong. Well done, guys. Well done.

Headline: Lance Archer beats up Dan Lambert for shit talking AEW while Amanda Nunes and Jorge Masdival sit back and laugh

I don’t know if this is heading to some sort of MMAEW crossover but Dan Lambert was pretty damn good on the mic. Not gonna lie. And Lance Archer is pretty good at being a Murderhawk Monster.

POP: This Match Extremely Ruled

Penta el Zero Miedo and Eddie Kingston come out with Eddie rocking that Terry Funk shirt. If there was ever a time to wear a Terry Funk shirt, tonight was it. Good vibes your way, my man. Keep kickin’ ass. The Young Bucks are out next. It turns out they’ve already shaved their stupid faces so at least they look better this week.  I guess they read this column. I guess we’ll find out next week if they are still wearing those ridiculous jorts that look like John Cena’s shorts had sex with Daisy Duke’s shorts and created this cute, little, denim baby.

In a surprise to literally nobody, Eddie and Penta jump the Bucks right when the streamers hit and take it to them. Eddie holds a chair against blonde-haired Buck’s ass and Penta double stomps it off the top rope. That’s uncomfortable. Eddie and Penta bring out some tables but Eddie gets powerbombed onto one of them while its upside down. Meanwhile, black-haired Buck gets destroyed Canadianly on the other table by Penta!

Nick sets up a table in the corner and hits Eddie in the face with a garbage can. This pisses off Eddie so he starts chopping Nick down. Nick hits a Senton onto Kingston, who had the garbage can on his chest. Penta jumps in and hits a couple Sling Blades but Matt comes back in and the Bucks get an advantage. They go for More Bang for your Buck but Penta cuts it off and hits a swinging DDT on Matt. Eddie locks him in a rear naked choke but Nick hits a 450 splash on the ref (Statlander’s was better) just before Matt starts tapping out!

With the ref out of the way, the Good Brothers hit the ring and jump Penta and Eddie. Cutler jumps up on the apron to spray the canned Arrogance in Penta’s eyes but The Elite Hunter Frankie Kazarian comes out and powerbombs Cutler through a table! Penta hits the Fear Factor and Eddie connects on the Uraken. A second ref runs out to make the count (after an easy six or seven seconds) but Nick pulls him out too!

The Good Brothers magically kill Kazarian out on the floor so Eddie takes their bag and pours out the thumbtacks all over the ring. Shit just got real. Matt grabs a handful and throws them into Kingston’s face! Penta jumps in to even the odds and he and Nick go up top! Nick hits a supercanrana onto Penta on the tacks! Eddie throws Matt onto them to break up the pin and then wears a double superkick. Nick throws a handful of tacks at Penta’s face and superkicks him out of the ring. Nick holds up Eddie and shoves a handful of tacks into his mouth (!) before Matt superkicks Eddie! That’s all she wrote, ladies and gentlemen. The Young Bucks retain their AEW Tag Team Championships!

That match was amazing! It had so much action packed into such a quick timeframe that it was fun to keep up with. One of these days Eddie Kingston is going to win a title and I’m going to be the happiest little boy on the face of this planet. He’s been doing the Lord’s work for months now. REWARD HIM. I think I like he and Penta as a tag team more than I do Penta and Fenix because you have vastly different styles. Plus, they’re best friends and this show is going to have a best friend void for awhile. Get well soon, Trent!

What a week of professional wrestling! AEW really brought out all the stops for their glorious return to a full crowd. It was awesome! I really enjoyed this week a lot more than I was expecting (and if you’ve read this column before, you know I expect to love it a lot). Next week, we are headed to my old stomping grounds of Austin, Texas for night one of Fyter Fest and I absolutely can’t wait. If they keep putting on these amazing cards with great storytelling, they just might make it, y’all!

Enjoy your week everyone! Feel free to leave a comment below (good or bad, I’ll answer them all!) and share the column with your friends, family and followers. And seriously, join the Discord for good talk with good people. You can find me on there, Instagram or Twitter (all are @robbywardshow). Please hit me up with what you liked, what you hated, what you think I can change. I’m all ears! Wrestling united!

 

     

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