AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 30
Two of wrestling's most prominent young stars squared off in an intensely personal grudge match in the main event of the June 30 episode of All Elite Wrestling Dynamite Wednesday night on TNT as Inner Circle's Sammy Guevara battled The Pinnacle's MJF.
The much-anticipated showdown highlighted a broadcast that also featured a TNT Championship defense by Miro, a tag team title eliminator showdown pitting The Young Bucks against Eddie Kingston and Penta El Zero Miedo and a momentum-swinging women's tag team match featuring champion Dr. Britt Baker DMD and top contender "The Native Beast" Nyla Rose.
Eddie Kingston and Penta El Zero Miedo vs. The Young Bucks
Eddie Kingston's vendetta against The Young Bucks continued Wednesday night as he teamed with Penta El Zero Miedo to battle the AEW tag team champions in a special eliminator match. Matt and Nick Jackson hit the ring sporting new mustaches, which was somehow the story prior to the contest.
The champs worked over Penta, gaining control of the contest until a hot tag to Kingston turned the tide in the babyfaces' favor. A superkick by Nick on the arena floor, though, allowed the Bucks to regain the upper hand.
Penta tagged back into the match and uncorked a flurry of offense that included a corkscrew sunset flip. The Bucks answered, scoring a serious close near-fall broken up only after a last-second lunge. The Good Brothers attempted a distraction, but Brandon Cutler accidentally sprayed Matt in the eyes. Frankie Kazarian wiped the heels out and the babyfaces scored the win.
Result
Kingston and Penta defeated The Bucks
Grade
B+
Analysis
Love or hate them, The Young Bucks are routinely part of the best match on any episode of Dynamite. This was no different as the in-ring work was action-packed, energetic and highly dramatic. The near-fall toward the end of the match that had the fans chanting "that was three" indicated just how invested the audience was in the action.
That the babyfaces finally got one over on the Bucks was a nice change of pace after weeks of the heels building heat over the heroes.
It now appears, by way of their victory, Kingston and Penta will be up next to challenge for the titles. While a win would be a great payoff for their long friendship and potentially set up a conflict for Jon Moxley's return, they don't feel like the team to end the Bucks' lengthy reign.
Ethan Page Interview and Jungle Boy vs. Jack Evans
Ethan Page cut a promo with Tony Schiavone about the upcoming Coffin Match against Darby Allin, expressing his desire to end the face-painted competitor forever. Sting appeared, Allin jumped out of a coffin and the duo attacked All Ego and partner Scorpio Sky. Page refused to have the match with Allin unless he signed a contract, vowing not to touch him before the showdown.
Jungle Boy, fresh off nearly defeating Kenny Omega for the AEW world title Saturday night, battled Jack Evans in the night's next match.
The former top contender withstood the offense of his opponent, fought back and turned him inside out with a massive lariat coming out of the break. Eventually, Jungle Boy put Evans away and became the first performer to reach 50 wins in AEW.
After the match, Hardy Family Office made its way to the ring, only for Jurassic Express and Christian Cage to make the save and clear them out.
Result
Jungle Boy defeated Evans
Grade
C+
Analysis
The segment involving The Men of the Year, Sting and Allin was too much. It was overthought, with too much going on and the Coffin Match delay did not have to happen.
Jungle Boy looked great, a much more confident wrestler than he was even six months ago. The match against Kenny Omega Saturday had him looking like a world champion, and he approached the match with Evans like one. The more reps he gets in those high-profile matches, the better prepared he will be when it is time to pull the trigger on him in that role.
The feud with Hardy Family Office is fine, but it feels like a step down already given the high he rode just days earlier.
Andrade El Idolo's Special Challenge and Kenny Omega's Next Challenge?
Alex Abrahantes caught up with Andrade El Idolo, who challenged Matt Sydal to a match on next week's show, the result of the high-flyer interrupting him days earlier.
AEW world champion Kenny Omega joined Tony Schiavone for an in-ring promo. He boasted about his win Saturday and claimed he had no challengers left, drawing the ire of The Dark Order. Omega scoffed at the idea of any one of the team challenging him, drawing chants of "cowboy s--t" from fans in reference to Hangman Page.
Omega said Page doesn't have the right to hoist the title and ended the promo with "goodbye and goodnight. Bang!" in typical Cleaner fashion.
Grade
B
Analysis
The announcement of Sydal vs. El Idolo should create some excitement for next week's show because, on paper, it sounds like a great match. The styles should mesh well, and Sydal is the perfect babyface opponent to put over Andrade on night one.
Omega denouncing The Dark Order's Allan Angels, only for Chris Jericho to remind the audience that Angels lasted 10 minutes with the champ a year ago, was great. Even better was the crowd chanting for Hangman Page, indicating there is real interest and excitement for a future match between the former tag team champions with the top prize in the company at stake.
The build to that encounter is on and should have fans salivating by the time All Out arrives this August.
TNT Championship Match: Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Miro
TNT champion Miro defended his title against Brian Pillman Jr., the young challenger looking to avenge the beatdown suffered by tag team partner Griff Garrison at the hands of The Redeemer a week ago.
Miro dominated his young opponent, mercilessly beating him down for several minutes until a babyface comeback from the second-generation star after the commercial break. Miro cut him off, though, and applied the Accolade for the victory by referee stoppage.
Backstage, Hangman Page took exception to Dark Order confronting Omega earlier. Each member of the faction took turns expressing support for the top-ranked competitor before Alex Reynolds told him it's his time.
Result
Miro defeated Pillman
Grade
B-
Analysis
Imagine if we had seen this Miro from get-go in AEW? Sure, some would have complained about former WWE guys getting pushes right out of the gate, but there is an argument that the company and performer alike would have been better off cutting out everything from the beginning, if only because Miro is absolutely thriving in this new role.
He is dominant and soundly beating anyone that steps up to him. Pillman, even with a spirited babyface comeback, never really felt like a threat to beat the champ. Nor did Lance Archer back at Double or Nothing. Miro has been on another level, to the point that a showdown with Kenny Omega would not be a guaranteed win for The Best Bout Machine.
Elsewhere, the interaction between Page and Dark Order was great and appeared to give Hangman the reassurance he needed to take the step and challenge for a title that has eluded him since August 2019.
Dr. Britt Baker and Rebel vs. Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero
Ahead of her title defense against The Native Beast on night two of Fyter Fest, AEW women's champion Dr. Britt Baker DMD teamed with Rebel to battle Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero in tag team action.
Early bullying by Baker and Rebel of Guerrero gave way to the heels seizing control, thanks to the ferocity of Rose. The top-ranked women's competitor and her manager worked over Rebel until a hot tag to Baker put the opposition in the driver's seat.
Despite a late attempt by Rose to finish off the champion, an ill-timed tag to Guerrero proved costly as Baker applied the Lockjaw to the loudmouthed manager and scored the submission win.
After the match, Rose attacked Baker and drove her through a table from the ring apron before standing tall.
Result
Baker and Rebel defeated Guerrero and Rose
Grade
C-
Analysis
This was not a match that needed to happen. Guerrero is not a trained wrestler, and Rebel doesn't do enough of it. That the latter was clearly hurt during the encounter only enhanced how unnecessary this was.
That is not to downplay the effectiveness of the post-match activity. Rose driving Baker through the table built heat for their program and sets the good doctor up as the de facto babyface. And if that angle didn't do it, the fans' overwhelmingly positive reaction for Baker suggests she is closer to a hero than a villain at this point in her AEW career.
Sammy Guevara vs. MJF
A hot start by The Spanish God, including a springboard cutter, was negated heading into the break by a hiptoss by MJF that sent his opponent's knee into the guardrail.
Sammy Guevara fought back, landing a twisting plancha, destroyer piledriver and middle-rope Spanish Fly before wiping MJF out with another mesmerizing dive, this time into the first row. The Salt of the Earth answered with a tombstone piledriver from the middle rope for a two-count that left him nursing his left knee.
A hobbled MJF tried for his Heat Seeker finisher, but Guevara countered and delivered a GTH, only for the heel to get his foot on the rope and force the break. Soon, Wardlow appeared and wiped out Jericho at ringside, providing a distraction that allowed Shawn Spears to rock Guevara with a steel chair and MJF to score the tainted victory.
Result
MJF defeated Guevara
Grade
B+
Analysis
This was a look into the future of AEW and professional wrestling as a whole. Billed as one of the most anticipated matches in the company's recent memory, Guevara vs. MJF delivered a showcase of youth, energy, excitement and potential. It was competitive, dramatic and had fans chanting "this is awesome" as the competitors threw everything they had at each other in the name of scoring both the win and bragging rights.
Hopefully, MJF's knee injury was part of the story, though it did not necessarily feel that way. He has a huge rematch with Jericho that needs to happen to pay off the storyline with Inner Circle. A setback due to injury would be devastating and put things in a holding pattern, something no one is asking for given the length of the feud already.
On a sidenote, the tribute video package produced by AEW that highlighted its time in Jacksonville over the last year was something special. Everyone involved in the making of that video should be proud of their accomplishments with it and, more importantly, management should be applauded for paying tribute to its fans and host city in that manner.