AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Analysis from April 28
Darby Allin has successfully defended his TNT Championship against Matt Hardy and Jungle Boy over the last two weeks and Wednesday, he continued his string of defenses, putting the title on the line against Dark Order's impressive young star, Pres10 Vance.
Would the face-painted antihero of AEW extend his win-loss record to 9-0 in 2021 with a win over the powerhouse or would Vance dethrone Allin and begin writing his own legacy?
That match headlined a show that also saw Hangman Page, The Young Bucks, and Kris Statlander in action, as well as a parley between The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle ahead of next week's Blood and Guts Match.
Hangman Page vs. Brian Cage
A week after vanquishing Team Taz’s “Absolute” Ricky Starks, Hangman Page entered Daily’ Place for a showdown with Brian Cage. Before the match could get underway, the FTW champion attacked Page from behind, instigating a feud between Team Taz and Dark Order, who came to the aid of the Anxious Millennial Cowboy.
Cage drove his opponent into the entrance ramp and proceeded to punish his opponent, working over Page while targeting his back and midsection. He sent the former tag champion into the guardrail repeatedly, driving the air from Hangman.
The Machine drove Page into the mat and tried for a standing moonsault but the babyface got his knees up. A thrust kick by Cage cut off an attempted comeback and a deadlift suplex from the apron into the ring continued the heel’s dominance.
Page tried a plancha to the floor but Cage caught him. He attempted to drive the babyface into the turnbuckle but Hangman slithered out and shoved Cage face-first into the ring post. A moonsault from the top rope followed as Page built his first momentum of the night.
Cage cut his opponent off, again, and proceeded to pin Hangman with a Drillclaw for the win.
Result
Cage defeated Page
Grade
C+
Analysis
Cage set the tone from the get-go, delivering a powerbomb that drove the air from Page and set up the excuse for the red-hot star’s loss.
There will be some that inevitably question the logic behind beating Page now when all signs had pointed to a showdown between Hangman and former partner, Kenny Omega. With only a few weeks left until Double or Nothing, and a budding rivalry between Page and Team Taz, it appears as though the creative has pivoted ever so slightly.
Maybe AEW has decided to hold off on Page’s title match until August’s All Out, instead booking him against Cage and Co. at the Memorial Day weekend pay-per-view. If that is the case, this outcome makes sense.
Cage needed the win. He is physically dominant and looks like a million bucks, but he needs to acrew some television victories to regain momentum and he got a big one here. Time will tell if he can build on it or if this was merely a means to a more significant end come Double or Nothing.
The Sydal Brothers vs. The Young Bucks
Prior to the commercial break, The Elite welcomed a camera into their limousine, where AEW/AAA Grand/Impact champion Kenny Omega insisted they were not afraid of Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Michael Nakazawa accidentally beeped the horn, sending the group into a frenzy. Omega announced Nakazawa vs. Kingston for tonight.
Inside Daily’s Place, Matt and Mike Sydal sought to earn a shot at the AEW world tag team titles as they battled The Young Bucks. The babyfaces started red-hot but the Bucks seized control entering the picture-in-picture commercial timeout.
During the break, they isolated Mike, working him over as his brother Matt watched from his team’s corner. Mike laid out Nick Jackson, but Matt Jackson rolled his brother out of harm’s way and took his spot. It mattered not as Matt Sydal exploded into the match and almost immediately scored an upset on a near-fall.
Matt Sydal countered a Meltzer Driver attempt and joined Mike for a double Meteora from the middle rope to Matt Jackson. Sydal nearly pinned Jackson off a crucifix rollup as drama reigned supreme.
Matt Jackson delivered a blatant, unadulterated low blow to Mike Sydal, then joined Nick for the BTE Trigger for the win as Don Callis laughed it up on commentary.
Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels interrupted the post-match celebration. The former reminded fans that they would break up the next time they lose. Daniels called the Bucks “entitled, overdressed bitches” and implied they would be challenging for the titles.
Result
The Young Bucks defeated The Sydals
Grade
B+
Analysis
The Bucks and Sydals had a hell of a match that only got better as it went.
Matt and Nick Jackson are so much more confident and engaging as heels who thumb their nose at the audience and the idea of respect. The body language, facial expressions, and blatant display of disrespect for the opposition make them better performers than when they are the more traditional, straight-forward babyfaces.
Ironically enough, the Sydals are great energetic babyfaces who can build sympathy before exploding down the stretch. This was a great performance out of them, arguably their best to date in AEW.
The idea of SCU bringing their run as a team to an end by battling the Bucks in a high-profile tag title match makes the most sense. With no other team ready to jump into that spot ahead of Double or Nothing, there are certainly worse choices.
Orange Cassidy vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
Everytime Orange Cassidy attempted to put his hands in his pockets early in his match with Penta El Zero Miedo, the masked luchador cut him off with his “zero miedo” taunt. Cassidy responded, catching him off-guard with an arm drag and monkey flip.
Penta answered with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then proceeded to deliver a one-handed press slam into the ring apron as the show headed to break. Penta dominated during the picture-in-picture, seemingly toying with his overmatched opponent.
Cassidy turned the tables on his opponent, delivering a crossbody. He tried for the tornado DDT but Penta halted his momentum and countered into a brainbuster. Penta teased snapping his opponent’s arm but Cassidy fought it off, trying to put his hand back in his pocket.
Cassidy delivered a superkick and ate two in return. A third gave way to the destroyer. Penta tried for the package piledriver but Cassidy countered into Beach Break. His pin-attempt was voided as Penta’s shoulder remained off the mat.
A frustrated and fired-up Penta stomped Cassidy in the corner, then added a big boot to the face. He set up for a suplex but Cassidy countered into the Stundog Millionaire. He delivered the spinning DDT but before he could build on his momentum, Alex Abrahantes interrupted, providing a distraction.
Cassidy brought the announcer (and Penta’s new mouthpiece) into the ring but before he could do anything about it, Penta cut him off. Cassidy escaped his grasp, the referee became distracted by Trent and Freshly Squeezed delivered a microphone-assisted Orange Punch for the win.
Result
Cassidy defeated Penta El Zero Miedo
Grade
B+
Analysis
This was a hell of a lot of fun, and told a great story.
Cassidy was completely overwhelmed, outclassed and overmatched throughout the match. He really stood no chance whatsoever but, as usual, he showed grit and resilience in overcoming his opponent’s onslaught to stay in the fight.
Whereas Abrahantes proved the difference in Penta’s win over Trent last week, he proved costly, his involvement in the match leading to the referee distraction and Cassidy using the mic for the win.
This is almost certainly leading to a six-man tag team match of some sort between Best Friends and Death Triangle. Given the talent involved, that certainly has the potential to be a show-stealer if, and when, it finally takes place.
The Blood and Guts Parley
The Inner Circle and Pinnacle joined Tony Schiavone in the ring for the Blood and Guts Parley.
Shawn Spears started things off by issuing a warning to Sammy Guevara, telling him Chris Jericho is leading him into dangerous waters. The Spanish God said Spears has been a failure in AEW, was a failure in WWE, and will be again next week. Guevara agreed to give Pinnacle the advantage and vowed to beat every member of the group.
Cash Wheeler criticized this version of Santana and Ortiz, calling them soft, Jericho lap dogs. Dax Harwood told Santana and Ortiz to hold their children close, drawing a passionate response from the latter, who said he would let his fists do the talking.
MJF credited Jericho for being the top star who attracted lapsed fans to come and check out the product. He talked about how tired, worn down, and beat up Jericho is and at Blood and Guts, he will once again thank Le Champion next week when he takes his spot.
Jericho criticized MJF for being entitled enough to think he can take a spot. He said MJF has to earn a spot. He said he was happy to have worked for everything he got, busting his ass in arenas around the world. He said Inner Circle is Blood and Guts, that they have been a family since day one of AEW.
Jericho iterated, then reiterated that MJF and Pinnacle would have to kill Inner Circle before they surrendered. A tense staredown ended the segment.
Grade
A
Analysis
If the last two weeks of promos were not enough to get you excited for Blood and Guts, this segment sure as hell accomplished it.
Great promo work from all involved, including those who have not had the opportunity to talk quite as much as they should have, fueled this one and set the stage for what will undoubtedly be one of the best matches from any company in 2021.
Jericho and MJF are extraordinary on the mic and with a clear babyface-heel dynamic, they should deliver the match so many expected out of them the first time they did battle back at Revolution.
Moxley and Kingston Outsmart Omega
Eddie Kingston refused to battle Michael Nakazawa in a match setup by AEW world champion Kenny Omega earlier in the night. Instead, he demanded a match with Omega, who appeared and denounced that idea. “We’re sending the goons after you. You don’t get the champ.”
Kingston teased breaking Nakazawa’s ankle, to which Omega shrugged it off. Brandon Cutler came flying through the entrance, followed shortly by Jon Moxley, who threw Omega into the ring. Kingston threatened to break his ankle until Don Callis appeared.
The Invisible Hand gave into the babyfaces threats, granting Moxley and Kingston a match against Omega and Nakazawa on next week’s show.
Grade
A
Analysis
Omega touting goons, then calling Cutler was a legit LMAO moment.
Omega was great here as the egocentric heel champion, thinking he was so clearly one step ahead of Kingston, only to fall into the babyface trap and have to give in to the aggressors. Of course, next week’s show will likely bring with it heel domination by way of some sort of concocted plan.
That, or Omega will finally meet some of the comeuppances he has avoided in recent months.
Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford
Orange Cassidy accompanied Kris Statlander to the squared circle as AEW’s resident alien battled Penelope Ford, seconded by husband Kip Sabian, in a continuation of their rivalry.
Statlander dominated early but Ford capitalized on a momentary distraction and seized control of the bout entering the commercial.
Back from the timeout, an exchange of strikes gave way to a back heel trip from Statlander. The babyface added a corner uppercut and a running knee to the face before dropping Ford with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near-fall.
Ford recovered and delivered a running bulldog into the middle turnbuckle. She added a jumping neckbreaker for two. Ford tried for a handspring elbow but Statlander caught her, drove her to the mat with the Big Bang Theory, and scored the win.
Result
Statlander defeated Ford
Grade
C+
Analysis
Statlander and Ford worked hard and the result was a solid wrestling match that showcased the former and let the underutilized Ford showoff a bit between the ropes.
Statlander was a major player in the women’s division prior to her injury and while all signs point to Britt Baker dethroning Hikaru Shida sooner than later, one has to wonder if the extraterrestrial of the division will be in-line for a title opportunity before long.
It was interesting to see Sabian and Ford back on television without Miro making his presence felt, especially since he has been looking for his friend and tag team partner since their loss in Arcade Anarchy a few weeks back. Perhaps we will see that interaction a week from tonight.
The Nightmare Family vs. The Factory
The vengeful Nightmare Family’s Lee Johnson, Billy Gunn, and Dustin Rhodes took the fight to The Factory’s QT Marshall, Nick Comoroto, and Aaron Solow from the get-go Wednesday night. The babyfaces were fueled by the shocking betrayal of Cody Rhodes by the heels, and the fact that the group entered in Cody’s Nightmare Express bus.
They battered them around the ringside area before the compact Comoroto established dominance and seized control of the bout.
The heels worked over Rhodes during the commercial break and appeared to have victory in-hand until a hot tag to Johnson sparked a babyface comeback. Big Shotty unleashed his energy and athleticism on the opposition until Anthony Ogogo delivered a cheap shot that allowed Marshall to score the victory.
After the match, Comoroto blasted Rhodes with a bull rope.
Colten and Austin Gunn made the save and Marshall retreated to the bus. As he opened the door, Cody exploded through it, attacking his former friend. Marshall climbed to the top of the bus, only to be met up top by The American Nightmare, who punished the heel to close out the segment.
Result
The Factory defeated The Nightmare Family
Grade
C+
Analysis
Between the ropes, The Factory has lacked a spark. A lot of that can be contributed to the fact that the talent is young and raw and needs more reps. The match this week was more memorable for Comoroto being booked as strongly as he was, as well as Johnson’s explosive comeback, than anything.
The meat of the segment came after the match, with the return of Cody. His beating of Marshall set up a match between the two on next week’s show. While all signs would seem to point to Rhodes getting revenge, one has to wonder what that would mean for The Factory, which would face an uncertain future after being dispatched by The American Nightmare.
Still, the reveal of Cody was pretty cool and AEW has done a solid job of booking Comoroto and Ogogo to be badasses so the segment was a winner.
TNT Championship Match: Darby Allin vs. Pres10 Vance
Backstage, Sabian finally encountered Miro, who brutally beat him down and slammed his arm in a door in some jaw-dropping display of punishment for Superbad not responding to his attempts to reach him. Miro embraced his fallen associate to end the angle.
For the fifth week in a row, Darby Allin defended his TNT Championship, this time against Dark Order’s Pres10 Vance in the main event. Vance, dedicating his performance to the memory of mentor Brodie Lee, looked to pay off all of the buzz about his potential with the first monumental victory of his young career.
Vance used his power to shrug off the high-flying arsenal of Allin ahead of the final break of the night.
Allin continued to focus on the left arm of Vance, which proved to be the one weak spot in the masked man’s arsenal. He pulled at it to create separation and deliver a stunner, then applied a Fujiwara armbar as he sought a submission victory.
Vance fought to the ropes to force the break but the challenger quickly fell prey to a top-rope dive from Allin. As Dark Order’s Stu Grayson and Evil Uno checked on their teammate, Sting interjected himself to ensure a fair fight.
With the referee distracted, Ethan Page came from out of nowhere to slam Allin’s face into the ringpost. Back inside, Vance delivered a wheelbarrow into the German suplex for a close two count. Moments later, he applied the full nelson, only for Allin to use his momentum against him and score both the victory and his ninth successful title defense.
After the match, Vance helped Allin up in a show of respect and the champion raised the black Brodie armband up in honor of the late competitor. With Dark Order out of the arena, Page and Scorpio Sky attacked Allin and Sting.
Sky applied a heel hook on The Icon while Page forced Allin to watch. Lance Archer and Vance hit the ring to chase the heels away.
Result
Allin defeated Vance
Grade
B
Analysis
The old Bret Hart finish, where the babyface reverses a submission into a rollup, never gets old. Allin executed it to perfection in his win over Vance, who really loses nothing in defeat as it could very easily be argued it was a fluke loss.
Vance looked good in his latest big match in AEW, but is still a step or three behind the more seasoned members of the roster. He is getting there, though, and will only be best served by working alongside guys like Allin, Page, Sky, Archer, and even sharing the screen with Sting.
The budding feud pitting Sky and Page against seemingly every other babyface in the TNT title picture is interesting in that we’re not really sure why they work together or what the endgame is but it certainly is intriguing.
Is Sky or Page selfless enough to give up a title opportunity for the other to succeed? Probably not, but the idea of either man facing Allin in a high-profile match is definitely appealing. A tag team match against Allin and Sting is, too.