AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 27
The road to Revolution continued Wednesday on AEW Dynamite with a broadcast headlined by an emphasis on tag team wrestling and TNT champion Darby Allin and Sting addressing their upcoming Street Fight with Team Tazz's Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.
A stacked broadcast that laid the groundwork for the start of next week's Beach Break episode, it also gave audiences a taste of the direction the product will take heading into the upcoming pay-per-view extravaganza.
Who emerged victoriously from the night's in-ring action, how did the promo segments propel forward the company's top rivalries and what did it all mean for the stars involved? Find out now with this recap of the January 27 episode.
Lance Archer vs. Eddie Kingston
A feud that started way back in the Casino Battle Royal last May at Double or Nothing wrote its latest chapter in the night's opening match as Eddie Kingston battled Lance Archer.
Kingston targeted the legs, then the ribs early, systematically picking The Murderhawk Madman apart from the opening bell. Archer fought back and delivered a sickening chokeslam out of the ring, onto the apron and down to the floor below.
Archer looked for the Blackout, but Kingston wiggled free, only to fall prey to a ripcord chokeslam. Not going for the cover earned the attention of Jim Ross, who criticized overconfidence.
Butcher and Blade appeared with a prone Jake "The Snake" Roberts, distracting Archer. Bunny snuck in, handed Kingston a knuckle duster, then watched as Eddie blasted Archer for the come-from-behind victory.
After the match, Butcher and Blade dropped Archer with their finisher, then held him for a triumphant Kingston to deliver a spinning back fist. The heels stood tall while The Murderhawk Madman laid battered in the middle of the ring.
Result
Kingston defeated Archer
Grade
C+
Analysis
Kingston could not have beaten Archer without the help of Butcher, Blade and Bunny. His win was a hollow one, a victory he should not be overly confident about. But he will because he is a great heel who will spin it in his favor.
This was a physical battle, a war between two double-tough guys that saw Kingston win after Archer probably could have put him away on two or three other occasions. It was a smartly wrestled match, didn't expose either competitor's weaknesses and laid the groundwork for another showdown between them.
It worked and earned the heels heat as they head toward Revolution. Do not be surprised if Archer looks for revenge at or before that show.
The Varsity Blondes vs. Chris Jericho and MJF
Jon Moxley put over his Six-Man Tag Team match next week, where he teams with Rey Fenix and Pac to battle Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers, in a pre-taped promo.
Sting and Darby Allin embraced the "hoodlum" label ahead of their Street Fight against Team Taz's Ricky Starks and Brian Cage at Retribution.
Back in the arena, Chris Jericho and MJF made their way to the ring for their match with The Varsity Blondes' Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison. The scarf-wearing loudmouth insulted Garrison and paid for it early, but the heels slowed their opponent's momentum and seized control of the match during the commercial break by isolating Pillman.
The babyfaces fought back into the match as we came back from the timeout. As Pillman built momentum, he scaled the ropes and launched himself off...directly into the Judas Effect by Jericho. Le Champion added a Lionsault for the win.
After the match, The Inner Circle stood tall, but the tenseness between MJF and Sammy Guevara remained apparent.
Result
Jericho and MJF defeated The Varsity Blondes
Grade
C
Analysis
The overall quality of the tag match was hurt exponentially by the commercial break and the abbreviated babyface comeback sequence. There was not nearly enough time for Garrison and Pillman to build momentum for themselves before the finish came from out of nowhere, rendering the match a glorified squash.
Then, MJF told Guevara they needed to talk after the match, but didn't.
This was a rushed mess, a sprint of a segment that accomplished nothing and didn't really benefit any one star or storyline involved. Disappointing, certainly, if for no other reason than the wealth of talent involved.
Cody Rhodes Responds to Shaquille O'Neal
After Shaquille O'Neal issued a challenge earlier in the night on Bleacher Report's AEW Dynamite Awards, Cody Rhodes hit the ring to respond to the NBA champion's words.
He said he would rather pitch Cody and Brandi vs. Shaq and Jade Cargill, but instead, he will defer to coach Arn Anderson for where he fits in on the Revolution card.
Anderson rambled for a bit before Red Velvet joined the festivities. She laid down the gauntlet, challenging Cargill and Shaq to a mixed tag team match.
Grade
C-
Analysis
The match has to be better than this segment, right?
There was nothing about anything here that created excitement for Cody vs. Shaq, which is strange because The American Nightmare is a pro at these hype promo segments. Anderson warned us he would ramble, and he did while Velvet made the most of her time and shined the most out of the three.
As a spectacle, the proposed match will be great. It will be on Cody to hold it together between bells. If anyone is capable of delivering under the circumstances, it is him.
Hangman Page vs. Ryan Nemeth
Ryan Nemeth, brother of WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler, made his Dynamite debut as he battled Hangman Page in singles competition.
The Hollywood Hunk shot for a single-leg takedown, but Page anticipated it and blocked. Nemeth still managed to earn control and work over the former AEW tag team champion in time for Matt Hardy to appear at ringside.
Page fought back, delivering a sliding clothesline for two. Nemeth answered with a spike DDT reminiscent of his sibling. Nemeth tried for a German suplex, but Page landed on his feet and rocked him with a discus punch. One traditional clothesline gave way to the Buckshot Lariat, and Page earned the victory.
Result
Page defeated Nemeth
Grade
C+
Analysis
Page picked up a big win over Nemeth, who showed off in his first big opportunity inside an AEW ring.
The real news was the appearance of Hardy, whose post-match promo sounded a hell of a lot like a conman trying to win Page over in order to lure him into his growing stable instead of a friend looking out for his buddy.
With Dark Order also trying to win him over, it appears as though Page will remain the object of factions' affection in the battle for AEW dominance.
Jungle Boy vs. Dax Harwood
Luchasaurus sat ringside, handcuffed to Cash Wheeler and Tully Blanchard as Jungle Boy battled Dax Harwood in singles competition, hellbent on ensuring a fair and even match. With Marko Stunt also at ringside, it certainly felt like that was the match we would receive.
Back and forth action to start before Harwood exploded into the corner, missing his opponent and crashing shoulder-first into the ring post. Jungle Boy immediately looked for an armbar, but Dax rocked him with an uppercut.
Harwood dominated the action during the picture-in-picture break, grounding Jungle Boy and working an old school headlock. Jungle Boy fought back and delivered a superkick, but Harwood answered back with a hard right hand to halt the momentum of his opponent.
Dax delivered a slingshot Liger Bomb for two as Wheeler and Blanchard watched nervously outside.
Jungle Boy broke free of a Full Nelson, delivered a backstabber and followed with consecutive German suplexes. He delivered a big clothesline and scaled the ropes. Harwood met him up there, but the babyface fended him off and delivered a crossbody. Dax countered and held the tights, only for Jungle Boy to reverse and hold the heel's tights in a bit of karma.
Near-falls and reversals gave way to Jungle Boy applying an STF for the win as Luchasaurus prevented Tully and Wheeler from interfering.
Cash sent threw powder in the eyes of Luchasaurus and joined Harwood for a beatdown of Jungle Boy, threatening to cut his hair before Marko Stunt and Top Flight made the save.
Result
Jungle Boy defeated Harwood
Grade
A
Analysis
Jungle Boy is going to be a huge star for AEW way ahead of schedule. Between this match against Dax and the Double or Nothing match against MJF from last May, you have a young star who is infinitely better now than he was when he earned rave reviews as one of the brightest performers in the industry.
The physicality, the frenetic pace down the stretch and the psychology demonstrated throughout helped make this match one the most unexpectedly great contests in Dynamite history.
Kudos to Harwood, who is a master of the mat game and a wholly underrated worker. He deserves every bit of the credit and recognition Jungle Boy receives. He brings an old school mindset (and skill set) to his work, and it meshes extremely well with what Jungle Boy employs.
The post-match angle only added further heat to FTR's intensifying feud with Jurassic Express and sets up an eventual blowoff, perhaps as soon as Revolution on March 7.
Shanna vs. Dr. Britt Baker
Dr. Britt Baker sought to elevate her status in the hunt for the AEW Women's Championship hunt. To do so, she would have to end Shanna's five-match win streak. Intense and aggressive, she was anything but fazed by that goal.
Shanna, though, fought back and fired off a pair of arm drags. A missed baseball slide, thanks to interference from Rebel, helped the doctor wrest control of the match away from her opponent. A sling blade on the floor had Baker rolling into the commercial.
Shanna fought her way back into the match after the break, rocking Baker with a clothesline that stunned the good doctor. Baker recovered and seamlessly maneuvered her way into a crucifix rollup. A fisherman suplex followed before Baker grabbed the medical glove from Rebel.
Before she could use it, Shanna fought her off and set up for the tiger suplex. Rebel hopped on the apron, providing just enough of a distraction for Baker to deliver the Lockjaw for the submission win.
The heels beat Shanna down again until Thunder Rosa made the save to put over her match with the dentist next week.
Result
Baker defeated Shanna
Grade
B-
Analysis
Like any mid-match commercial break in wrestling, the flow to this one was hurt, but Baker and Shanna still turned in an above-average match that showcased the growth and evolution of the doctor. She is very quickly becoming the centerpiece performer the company envisioned her being, and that bodes well for all involved.
Don't sleep on Shanna, though, who has impressed every time she has appeared on Dynamite. Back after COVID-19 circumstances prevented her appearances, she figures to be a contender for gold sooner than later. Especially given how talented an in-ring performer she is.
The showdown between Baker and Thunder Rose, weeks in the making, should be damn fun next week.
Dark Order vs. The Young Bucks and The Good Brothers
MJF caught up with Sammy Guevara and tried to sooth things over with him after Wardlow interfered in last week's main event. The Spanish God claimed to see right through the act, to which MJF issued a discomforting warning.
Prior to the main event, The Young Bucks expressed excitement to be teaming with The Good Brothers, but only if Don Callis stayed out of the way. This brought Kenny Omega into the picture, as well as Callis, who claimed Matt and Nick Jackson assaulted him.
The Bucks and Good Brothers made their way to the ring for their match with The Dark Order's Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds and John Silver.
Unfazed by size differential, Silver expressed his desire to square off with Doc Gallows. A brief exchange gave way to Reynolds bumping around for Matt and Nick, then Gallows and Karl Anderson, as The Bullet Club stood tall.
Back from the break, Grayson rocked Nick with a big boot, and Silver tagged in. He exploded into the match, rocking Nick with a kick and delivering a cannonball to Matt. A brainbuster to Nick back in the ring earned him a near-fall.
Evil Uno entered the match and tried a senton, only to miss it. He recovered, joined Grayson in the Fatality and would have won it for his team had the action not broke down. Nick, Anderson and Gallows delivered a triple apron powerbomb to Silver, Uno and Reynolds.
A quadruple superkick gave way to the Meltzer Driver to Grayson as the heels picked up the win.
After the match, Matt revealed that the winner of the tag team Battle Royal will earn a title shot at Revolution. They are in the match, and if they win, they get to handpick anyone they face at the pay-per-view.
They teased it being The Good Brothers before Rey Fenix hit the ring. The luchador ate a beatdown, but Moxley hit the ring. A tope con hilo by Fenix wiped out The Good Brothers, allowing Moxley to down a charging Kenny Omega with Paradigm Shift and stand tall to close the show.
Result
Young Bucks and Good Brothers defeated Dark Order
Grade
B+
Analysis
Dark Order's Evil Uno and Stu Grayson have somehow gone from the worst team on the roster to the most underrated. They work so much better as babyfaces, as seen here, and have really stepped it up with their recent increase in television time.
Reynolds is low-key good, and Silver is going to make AEW a ton of money as the gutsy, hilarious, underdog, sawed-off shotgun babyface.
With that said, this was all about The Bullet Club and building to next week's Beach Break.
The heels looked unstoppable at times and are rolling ahead of the special broadcast. That is until Moxley sent a message loudly and clearly to them ahead of next week's show.
A hot finish to the show, with a damn fine tag match and some stellar performances from the Dark Order crew to boot.