All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite: May 1, 2024 (& live Rampage)

May 1, 2024 5:30 PM - Season 5, Episode 31

Once again sports means that Rampage gets moved around, resulting in another three-hour block of AEW. Dynamite is live tonight from Winnipeg, Manitoba, so Kenny Omega returns in his home town to hopefully provide an update on his health, now that his former Elite friends have attacked Tony Khan and effectively seized control of the company. We’ll also find out who will challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing, Adam Copeland faces one of the House of Black, and Serena Deeb gets her shot at Toni Storm's sycophant Mariah May.

The announced card for Dynamite:

Samoa Joe vs. Isiah Kassidy

Brian Cage vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Mariah May vs. Serena Deeb

TNT Championship Open Challenge: Adam Copeland (c) vs. one of the members of House of Black

Orange Cassidy responded to the breakdown of the Best Friends

FTW Championship Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
We’ll learn who will challenge Swerve Strickland at Double or Nothing

"Switchblade" Jay White vs. Dante Martin (announced for Rampage)

Kenny Omega returns!

posted by The Pluto Gangsta (6 comments total)

Announcing Christian Cage as Swerve's next opponent is some 4D-chess booking, because not only is Christian a Canadian wrestling legend who would normally get applause, he's got enough heel energy to get the crowd mad about how badly the Colorado Rockies trounced the Winnipeg Jets. Add that to the fact that he and Swerve were once a tag team, and also that Swerve put a serious beating on "The Prodigy" Nick Wayne back when Swerve was heel and feuded with Darby Allin.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:35 PM on May 1

Copeland went punch-for-punch with Buddy Matthews in a good match, culminating in a victory where an enraged Copeland was ready to give his fallen foe a Con-chair-to on the mat before Malakai Black did his teleportation act and encouraged him to do it. Unfortunately the commentary team doesn't believe in subtext, so I had to grit my teeth hearing Tony Schiavone tell me "Somehow that mist he got from Black last week is affecting his mind!"

As if (a) I hadn't seen Copeland give a bunch of Con-chair-tos in his career without attributing it to evil influence, and (b) I don't need you to pre-digest my food for me, Schiavone!
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:50 PM on May 1

The Jericho/Shibata match is quite the fusion of comedy spots with Shibata's stoicism. Jericho has retooled his Painmaker jacket into a primary-color-infused ensemble, with matching props, while Shibata tried to play the straightforward wrestling style, until he'd chopped Jericho's chest into a burnt umber. Taz sounded on the verge of an aneurysm on commentary.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:29 PM on May 1

Rocky Romero announcing that he's staying neutral in this whole Best Friends thing makes sense, after all, when did that crew go out of their way for him? Bummer if he can't hook up with Trent again and reform Rappongi Vice as a heel tag team again.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:58 PM on May 1

Hoo boy was Kenny Omega's visit an emotional rollercoaster. When he gets his shirt off I didn't see a scar, so possibly he hasn't had the diverticulitis surgery yet? Instead of cheering when Kazuchika Okada came out, they went into rapt silence, knowing the history of these two men. It's still unclear to me whether Kenny can't wrestle again yet or truly honestly can't ever wrestle again, and so is the surprise attack by Jack Perry and the Bucks is a way to write him out for now? Or forever?

Whichever, it's rendered the crowd numb and quiet for the next match, which is unfortunate for Jay White and Dante Martin. I understand the logic of wanting Kenny to end the second hour (so that the ratings boost would be alotted to Dynamite), but the brutality on display would have been a good way to close the entire evening.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 7:25 PM on May 1

Thank goodness Willow and Skye Blue put on the gas in their street fight for the TBS Championship, because otherwise it was a sleepy hour of Rampage, even if Kyle O'Reilly and Rocky Romero put on a good technical showcase.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:09 PM on May 1