All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite: Dynamite 5/24 and Rampage 5/26

May 24, 2023 4:51 PM - Season 4, Episode 34

Sometimes I forget that the WWE method of selling a PPV (that is, to do absolutely nothing of note on the go-home show) is not the method TK uses: Double Or Nothing will be happening in four days, so sure, let's have three championships defended on the go-home show! Also, Collision's first location (with heavy implications for a certain wrestler's return)!

The announced card for Dynamite 5/24:

Promos all four Pillars regarding their AEW Championship Fatal Fourway

Promo from Ricky Starks

Promo from AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR

Chris Jericho and Adam Cole sign the contract for their "unsanctioned" match

Tony Khan will announce the first location of Collision

Basically, if it's not at the United Center in Chicago, it means something's gone wrong with the CM Punk kumbaya comeback tour

Taya Valkyrie vs. Lady Frost

AEW World Trios Championship Match: House of Black (c) vs. Blake Christian, AR Fox, and Metalik (Open House Match)

No word yet on what stipulations the challenegers will select, hopefully Chuckie T's "no spooky witches" rules from last week has been rescinded so Julia Hart can get some screentime.

ROH World Tag Team Championship Match: The Lucha Bros (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta

Discussion question: If ROH is going to become "AEW's NXT" as seems the case, would the Lucha Bros be better off there? Putting the titles on the Blackpool Combat Club would give them some cachet headed into DoN's 4-on-4 match with The Elite, but how many appearances will they put in on ROH once the brand splits? (see above)

AEW International Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher

Like the dumb babyface he is, Cassidy is still taking on all contenders even with the Battle Royale for the title scheduled for DoN. No way Fletcher wins... unless someone takes it off of him in Vegas?

posted by The Pluto Gangsta (8 comments total)

Mark Briscoe suddenly became the realest dude on Dynamite.

I really, really want a GIF of him lumbering up the ramp, slapping the heck out of everyone in his path like a weary pimp.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:34 PM on May 24, 2023

Congrats to the newest signees! (Nitter backup) Rumor on the dirtsheets is that part of the deal is that TK pays for Mark Davis' back surgery.

Also congrats to Blake Christian making his Dynamite debut!
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:46 PM on May 24, 2023

It's the United Center! First Dance Part TWO!!

Hopefully Collision functions properly as the "quarantine zone" the locker room needs to keep Punk separate. Although part of the penalty clause should be Ol' Phil having to stand there and say nothing while Eddie Kingston cuts promos on him.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:23 PM on May 24, 2023

Ohmigod Sabu is going to be involved in the unsanctioned match... there's gonna be so much blood spilled in the ring, isn't there?
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:31 PM on May 24, 2023

Oooh, we got a bonus match after the signing as Roderick Strong and Daniel Garcia remained in the ring for a match... and it was really good too, with Roddy finding many ways to deploy a backbreaker and Giant-Baba-style slingblades while Garcia heeled to the crowd.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:48 PM on May 24, 2023

Oh, good, I'd been wondering what happened to Lady Frost after she left Impact. When something clicks for her, she's gonna be big.
posted by Etrigan at 7:50 PM on May 24, 2023 [1 favorite]

Might as well put this here: A friend who has an XWT account finally showed me the Willow Nightingale/Mercedes Mone match at NJPW Strong, where defending champ Mercedes blew out an ankle on a rough throw to the outside. Whatever the scheduled finish had been, Willow protected that foot as she and Mercedes worked the match another four minutes (!!!) to an unscheduled new champ. You could read Willow's face in the first few seconds after the pin, but she adapted quickly and improvised a celebration and an in-ring promo thanking Mone and establishing herself.

The circumstances suck, but it would be great if this could be a moment similar to when Becky Lynch got her nose busted by Nia Jax, and everyone realizes what a star WIllow can become.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 7:53 PM on May 24, 2023 [1 favorite]

That match was killer. Willow and Mone handled the injury like consummate professionals; when Mone took the fall I turned to my boyfriend and said "oh god, Willow just won this match" and we were both just agape. The shock on her face was something else.

I'm still a bit heartbroken that we won't get Mercedes at Forbidden Door (most likely) but just so glad for Willow to get this run and I don't know where else/how else she would have gotten it.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 9:53 PM on May 24, 2023 [1 favorite]