AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 16
A battle between two of the young pillars of AEW headlined this week's Dynamite as TNT champion Sammy Guevara defended against Darby Allin.
The showdown between two of the faces of the company's bright future main evented a broadcast that featured the latest in the drama surrounding Inner Circle, an intense grudge match between two top women's contenders and the latest from the unstoppable force that is Wardlow.
Find out what happened, who emerged victoriously and what it means for the company as Revolution draws nearer with this recap of the February 16 broadcast.
CM Punk Promo
CM Punk sat cross-legged in the center of the ring to kick off the evening’s broadcast.
He said he was proud that the foundation that he laid for his career is one that has inspired an entire locker room while MJF’s foundation is a ring that he has used to help beat other wrestlers. A ring won with the help of other people.
He revealed that the rematch with MJF, by way of his victory in tag team action a week ago, will take place at Revolution. He needs Max to learn some lessons so he revealed that their match will be a Dog Collar Match, reminiscent of Roddy Piper’s time in Portland and his epic encounter with Greg Valentine at Starrcade in 1983.
Punk teased MJF with a picture of the two of them from years ago, when the loudmouth heel was but a boy. “The price you paid to meet me that day will pale in comparison to the price you pay on March 6.”
An unnerved MJF dropped the mic and walked out of the arena, left speechless by his rival’s revelation.
Grade
A
Analysis
This was some great mic work by Punk. He recalled the Piper references, tied them to his own career and set the stage for a bloody, violent encounter between him and the most hated man in AEW.
The manner in which MJF went from bragging to anyone who would listen a week ago to being utterly silent, unsure of what to say or how to react in the face of being one-upped by Punk was some great character work and really puts over the gravity of the situation.
He is about to catch the ass-whooping fans have expected for months now and it will happen in what should be a Match of the Year candidate.
Lee Moriarty vs. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson vowed to teach Lee Moriarty violence as the two clashed in the night’s opening contest.
Danielson struck early, taking his opponent into a surfboard submission before transitioning into a Dragon Sleeper. Moriarty fought out, absorbed a nasty chop and rocked Danielson with a dropkick. The American Dragon answered, downing his young opponent and controlling the pace of the match throughout the picture-in-picture submission.
With their legs locked and their bodies contorted in headstands, Moriarty and Danielson threw punches to each other’s torsos, much to the delight of the Nashville fans. The heel transitioned into a LeBell Lock but Moriarty fought to the ropes.
A stiff right to the face of Moriarty awakened the young babyface but a rolling elbow stunned him once more. Moments later, he caught his opponent with the running knee, knocking Moriarty out. He added the stomps to the face, then applied the triangle sleeper as the referee called for the bell.
After the match, Danielson demanded an answer to his proposition to Jon Moxley for a union. Moxley hit the ring and recalled the first time he ever met Danielson, in an Ohio indie match that he lost. Moxley admitted that he could not think of a good reason to say “no” to Danielson’s offer. Then he wondered: is The American Dragon offering because he does not want to fight Moxley. He will leave that up to Bryan. “I don’t stand side-by-side with nobody until I bleed with them first,” he said to end the segment.
Result
Danielson defeated Moriarty
Grade
A
Analysis
It is difficult to find a professional wrestler performing at the height of his abilities in the way that Danielson has since arriving in AEW. He is a virtuoso, a master of the mat game capable of working the mat game, incensing the crowd and stomping the ever-loving hell out of an opponent. He can do it all and has really found himself as a heel.
Moriarty, faced with a daunting task of match his opponent move-for-move, did just that. He was stellar in what amounted to the most important match of his career and should see increased opportunities as a result. Given the layout of the match and the intensity flashed by Danielson, he loses nothing in defeat.
Continuing the intrigue surrounding Mox and Danielson is the right call as there is definitely mileage left in that story that should not be hot-shotted.
Face of the Revolution Qualifier: Wardlow vs. Max Caster
The Acclaimed’s Max Caster cheated like hell, relying on interference from tag team partner Anthony Bowens and a steel chain to negate the power and fury of Wardlow in their Face of the Revolution Ladder Match Qualifier.
It did not work.
Wardlow fought through it all and obliterated Caster with two powerbombs for the win. He added another to Bowens, who jumped him after the bell. With Wardlow celebrating the victory, Shawn Spears finally decided to use his steel chair and attack The Acclaimed.
Result
Wardlow defeated Caster
Grade
A
Analysis
Wardlow smashing fools will never get boring.
Here, he was tested more than he has been to this point and the use of midcard heels to help enhance him is the perfect little bit of booking in that it conditions the audience to cheer Wardlow before the actual babyface turn occurs. It’s right out of the creative formula that helped Batista achieve main event status back in 2005.
And Spears will inevitably be the last ass-kicking he deals before the inevitable showdown with MJF.
Hangman Page Promo
AEW world champion “Hangman” Adam Page made his way to the ring for an interview with Tony Schiavone.
Before he could get started, Adam Cole interrupted. The former friends and roommates recalled their history together and questioned the quality of friends they have been over the years. Cole calling the champion “the other Adam” in every promotion they have appeared in ignited a fire in Page and nearly led to a physical altercation.
Cole talked himself out of an ass-whooping, saying he would like nothing better than to share the ring with him and when they do, it will be for the AEW world title.
As Cole exited, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly attacked Page and the prospective No. 1 contender joined in. Security attempted to intervene but it took Dark Order running the heels off to stop the beating.
Grade
C+
Analysis
There were two issues with this one, one bigger and one not so much.
Cole literally just called out Page for abandoning his friends in Dark Order, only for the beloved faction to rush to his aid once Hangman found himself on the receiving end of an ass-kicking. It would have sold the consequences of not being there for your buddies by having Page fend for himself, no sign of the group as he caught the beatdown.
That is forgivable.
What is not is the insistence that Cole did not really lose to Orange Cassidy back at Beach Break because it was an unsanctioned Lights Out match.
We saw it. The world saw it. Worst of all, Cassidy has gone on to do nothing of note since then, leaving most to wonder what the point of the unnecessary loss was in the first place.
It is an interesting choice for AEW to start Cole’s run to the top with such a head-scratching loss. Especially given how quickly it hoped to heat him up in time for Revolution.
Inner Circle Implodes: Santana and Ortiz vs. Chris Jericho and Jake Hager
The dissension within Inner Circle continued this week as Chris Jericho and Jake Hager looked to silence Santana and Ortiz. Making matters more tense? The return of Eddie Kingston, who stood in the corner of his friends.
Ortiz found himself isolated, cut off from Santana for a portion of the bout. A hot tag to his partner sparked a comeback that saw the duo cut off a lionsault and Santana deliver a Russian leg sweep from the middle rope. The Street Sweeper by Santana and Ortiz to Jericho earned a near-fall and The Demo God responded moments later, catching Santana in a cannonball attempt and applying the Liontamer. Santana made the ropes.
An unprovoked attack by Jericho on Kingston allowed Santana to score the victory for his team.
Result
Santana and Ortiz defeated Jericho and Hager
Grade
B
Analysis
The strength of this match, besides really solid in-ring action, was the intrigue it creates.
This didn’t solve anything. The issues within Inner Circle are worse than they were and now Kingston is back, ready to add gasoline to an already towering inferno. Not even taking into consideration the effect it has on Sammy Guevara, who is no longer content to let his career be dictated by bickering besties, it will be interesting to see if this is, in fact, the end of the most dominant faction in AEW history.
No Disqualification Match: Thunder Rosa vs. Mercedes Martinez
An intense rivalry between Thunder Rosa and Mercedes Martinez came to a head in a No Disqualification Match Wednesday night on TBS.
The fight spilled to the crowd before returning to the ringside area, where Martinez drove Rosa through a table. Rosa recovered, taking Martinez down with a hurricanrana from the top rope.
The back-and-forth, unrelenting nature of the match continued with Martinez delivering a wicked German suplex from the top rope, folding her up on the mat below. Rosa fought through the pain and used the very steel chairs that her opponent introduced, driving her head-first into them for the win.
After the match, the combatants showed a sign of respect, only for Dr. Britt Baker to emerge and watch from ringside as Jamie Hayter and Rebel attacked them. The heels stood tall to close out the segment, Baker apparently severing her relationship with Martinez.
Result
Rosa defeated Martinez
Grade
B
Analysis
A hell of a fight between these two women, with a wicked bump by Rosa off that German suplex.
The finish was clever in that it played on the introduction of chairs and the post-match set the rivals up to be reluctant partners against the heels.
The endgame is obviously Rosa vs. Baker, presumably with the babyface beating the good doctor for the title. Given how over she has been since day one, and the rich history between the two, that is a booking direction that makes sense and that fans can get behind.
TNT Championship Match: Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin
The Nashville fans rained down with chants for both TNT champion Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin as they stood across from each other in Wednesday’s blockbuster main event match.
Early back and forth gave way to The Spanish God earning the upper-hand early, downing Allin during the break and controlling the action. At one point, he attempted a moonsault but landed on his feet, tweaking his knee in the process.
Back from the break, he delivered a jaw-dropping Spanish Fly from the top rope but upon crashing into the mat, again tweaked the knee. The injury allowed Allin to seize an opening and apply the Figure Four, looking to force a submission from the champion.
Allin pulled off one near-fall, then added the float-over stunner that sent Guevara to the floor. A tope suicida attempt was countered by Guevara, who drove his challenger into the mat with a cutter.
With referee Bryce Remsburg distracted by Sting and the sudden appearance of Jose at ringside, Andrade El Idolo appeared and crotched Allin on the top rope. Guevara, unaware of what happened, delivered GTH for the win.
Matt Hardy appeared after the bell and attacked Allin until Guevara chased him off. Andrade proceeded to break a table across the back of The Spanish God, then stood tall with the TNT titles to close out the show.
Result
Guevara defeated Allin
Grade
B
Analysis
We have seen Guevara and Allin wrestle on big stages before, in better matches, but this was still an ultra-competitive main event that set the stage for a three-way feud over the title also involving Andrade.
And not a moment too soon.
El Idolo was in danger of fading into midcard obscurity, any momentum he had following his arrival in the company wasting away. The partnership with Hardy and the Hardy Family Office may not be the most thrilling storyline development but it has returned El Idolo to prominence on Dynamite and Rampage.
More importantly, it puts him in contention for a championship, new territory for the WWE export.
A three-way dance pitting Allin, Guevara and El Idolo is a hell of an option for the upcoming PPV, if that is where things are heading.