AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Analysis from June 1
CM Punk is the new All Elite Wrestling world champion following a blockbuster Double or Nothing main event victory over "Hangman" Adam Page and Wednesday night on Dynamite, the Straight Edge Superstar made his first in-ring appearance since capturing the title.
Punk teamed with Ring of Honor and AAA tag team champions FTR to battle The Acclaimed's Max Caster and The Gunn Club in trios action.
The match headlined a card that also saw MJF speak to the AEW faithful for the first time since what was a highly controversial weekend for him and a huge tag team match pitting Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter against Toni Storm and Ruby Soho.
What all went down and which direction does it appear the top stars in the company are taking in this post-pay-per-view AEW?
Find out now with this recap of the June 1 TBS broadcast.
CM Punk and FTR vs. Max Caster and The Gunn Club
This was an energetic opener that served as a spotlight match for new world champion CM Punk and Ring of Honor tag team champions FTR as they defeated The Acclaimed's Max Caster and The Gunn Club.
Caster and Colton and Austin Gunn impressed, showing off their athleticism and in-ring chemistry—tools that will ultimately make them key players in AEW's future. Wednesday night, they could not overcome their veteran opponents. Punk overcame a not-so-impressive hot tag to rock Austin with Go To Sleep, right into the Big Rig from Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler for the red-hot victory.
The reveal of Hiroshi Tanahashi as Punk's opponent at Forbidden Door was massive and put a nice bow on what was a superb start to the show.
The match that preceded it was a ton of fun, even if the outcome was never really in doubt, and served as the perfect introduction to a potential on-screen pairing of Punk and FTR. It should be interesting to see if they remain united moving forward.
Grade
A
Top Moments
- Punk jumped off the ramp and into the crowd for the first time in months, still in a celebratory mood following Sunday's PPV victory.
- Caster's pre-match promo featured references to Amber Heard, Bret Hart and FTR riding Punk's coattails to get on the show.
- Punk flubbed jumping into the ring, the third such instance over the last two shows. He noticeably botched two attempts at the Buckshot Lariat at Double or Nothing.
- The arrival of Tanahashi and the revelation that he will battle Punk at Forbidden Door is the type of big, noteworthy development a post-PPV episode of TV demands.
MJF Talks
Fresh off a one-sided beatdown at the hands of Wardlow, MJF hit the ring with a live mic and a lot to say. Not as The Salt of the Earth but, rather, as Max Friedman.
What ensued was his own, personal pipebomb; the moment he unleashed months of very real frustration in a scathing promo that may have been 50-percent show and 50-percent reality. The intensity on his face and in his voice as he ran down the list of frustrations that have festered in recent months was undeniable. He was pissed off and picked the most public manner in which to voice his anger and disenfranchisement with AEW, its habit of paying former WWE guys and how undervalued he feels by those in power.
The promo felt a lot like CM Punk's infamous pipebomb from 2011 in that it targeted management, stars that were either signed from the competition or working less hard than he, and even placed blame on fans for his treatment.
By the end of it, he was the biggest babyface on the show and the hottest star in the company.
Whether what we saw is a shoot turned into a work, a work turned into a shoot or some combination therein remains to be seen, but there is no denying the fact that after five minutes of ranting on the mic, Friedman is suddenly wrestling's most must-see (and must-hear) performer.
As he should have been all along based on his work in all facets of his performance.
Grade
A+
Top Moments
- "Big merger. Lots of executives in attendance. It would be a shame if something bad were to happen."
- "I created moment after moment after moment for this company, and I get no respect!"
- "All the boys get to settle for being great. I have to be perfect."
- "Where were you guys when you were calling me an 'unprofessional piece of s--t?"
- "All the boys in the back want my spot. Well, you can have it, because I don't want to be here anymore."
- "Is it because I'm not chasing star ratings, guys?"
- "I am a generational talent and you people consistently take me for granted. It's not just you. It's the big guy in the back."
- "Make sure he hoards all the money so he can give it to all the ex-WWE guys he keeps bringing in who can't lace my goddamn boots. Hey boss, would you treat me better if I was an ex-WWE guy?"
- "Look at me, Tony. I want you to fire me."
Johnny Elite vs. Miro; Eddie Kingston Wants Blood and Guts
Johnny Elite made the mistake of issuing an open challenge to anyone in the AEW locker room. Miro, making his first appearance in months, answered to the delight of the Los Angeles fans.
The Redeemer dominated the action, shaking off any attempt at sustained offense by Elite and tapping him out to Game Over for the dominant victory.
Miro looked fantastic, hardly missing a beat as he rolled to his first victory in months and instantly inserted him into title contention.
After the commercial break, The Jericho Appreciation Society's Chris Jericho, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker and Jake Hager hit the ring to celebrate the faction's victory over Blackpool Combat Club, Santana, Ortiz and Eddie Kingston at Double or Nothing.
Kingston interrupted and incited a brawl before Ortiz attacked Jericho and cut his hair. After William Regal laid down the challenge for Blood and Guts between the two teams, Jericho revealed he only accepted if Ortiz accepted a Hair vs. Hair match against The Wizard. He did and the matches, plural, were made official.
The segment was fine, Kingston was great and the announcement of Blood and Guts was met with great enthusiasm from the fans. Unfortunately, this feud really should have concluded Sunday. Instead, it limps into another high-profile gimmick bout that will bring more of the same without doing anything to really elevate or enhance anyone involved.
Grade
B for Miro's return; C+ for the promo segment
Top Moments
- The crowd's reaction to Miro's return was encouraging and proof that they did not forget about The Redeemer during his extended hiatus.
- Jericho chalking up his team's win in Anarchy in the Arena to their status as sports entertainers was humorous.
- Regal's announcement of Blood and Guts lacked the oomph of his War Games announcements in NXT.
- Kingston vowing to fight all of JAS was totally in-character and something the Los Angeles fans seemed to be open to seeing unfold.
- "And he married well, too," Jim Ross said of Miro, referring to wife CJ Perry (formerly Lana in WWE).
10-Man Tag Team Match
Wednesday's show was a homecoming for two top tag teams in AEW, Jurassic Express and The Young Bucks, both of whom competed in the night's massive 10-man tag team match.
AEW world tag champions Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus partnered with mentor Christian Cage, Darby Allin and Matt Hardy to battle the Bucks' Matt and Nick Jackson, RedDragon's Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Hikuleo.
The action was fast and furious, never giving fans an opportunity to breathe. Jurassic Express shined, Allin ping-ponged off O'Reilly and Fish, and Hardy fended for himself against the Bucks.
It was Matt and Nick Jackson, though, who recovered and scored the win for their team, delivering the Meltzer Driver to fellow Californian Jungle Boy to rebuild momentum following Sunday's loss.
The match was fantastic, frenetic in its energy and red-hot in its crowd reaction. The Bucks winning returns them to tag title contention but, more importantly, further planted the seeds for the inevitable heel turn by Cage and subsequent feud with Jungle Boy.
Everyone shined, including Hikuleo, and the result was a fun, inoffensive television match that gave the Bucks the high-profile California victory they have more-than earned.
Grade
B+
Top Moments
- Hikuleo bumped over the top rope and to the floor, where he landed on his head but quickly shook it off to get to the next spot.
- The Bucks broke out the Meltzer Driver to score the win.
- Cage, after the match, pushed Hardy away from Jungle Boy and consoled him, as if he saw his former rival as a threat to his leadership of the tag champions.
Tony Schiavone Interviewed Athena Palmer
Tony Schiavone interviewed the latest addition to the AEW women's division, The Fallen Goddess, Athena Palmer.
Before the newcomer could say much, TBS champion Jade Cargill, baddies Red Velvet and Kiera Hogan, and new publicist Stokely Hathaway interrupted. Hathaway cut a scathing promo on Palmer before a tense staredown between the heels and Palmer, Anna Jay and Kris Statlander ensued.
The segment was rather nondescript, with no real developments beyond what we saw between the two trios Sunday at Double or Nothing. If it did anything, it was in establishing Hathaway as the new spokesman for Cargill and set up a six-woman tag team rivalry moving forward.
Palmer is clearly the next challenger for Cargill's championship and that is a good call. She is experienced, has been in the big-time title bouts before and can help the champion further evolve her game. Statlander, Jay, Velvet and Hogan's presence only enhances matters.
The one issue AEW may run into, though, is the fact that fans have a strong desire at this point to see Statlander get a title match, presumably against Cargill, and may not take too kindly to seeing a newcomer jump her in the pecking order.
Grade
C+
Top Moment
- Palmer made sure to call the women's division top-tier, hyping her new home.
- Cargill is a charismatic talker and does not need a mouthpiece but if Tony Khan insists, Hathaway is the perfect choice.
- The reaction for Statlander continues to impress.
Wardlow vs. JD Drake
In his first appearance as an official AEW roster member, Wardlow wasted no time continuing his winning ways, squashing The Workhorsemen's JD Drake and putting him away with his powerbomb symphony finisher.
After the match, "Smart" Mark Sterling arrived with security and revealed he is filing a lawsuit against Wardlow on behalf of arena security. The Wardog responded by powerbombing one of the guards, naturally.
It would have been nice to see Wardlow involved in something more meaningful after his career-defining moment Sunday at Double or Nothing but he remained over with the fans, powerbombed his way to victory and looked like a star while doing so.
No harm, no foul. The ensuing followup in the weeks to come will determine whether or not the company has done an adequate job of building on the momentum he has coming out of the PPV.
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- "This guy doesn't watch the product," Wardlow said as a member of the arena security approached him, a reference to the ass-kickings he has dealt to similar guards in recent weeks.
Ruby Soho and Toni Storm vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD and Jamie Hayter
Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter looked to build on the former's momentum following her win in the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament by defeating the runner-up in that competition, Ruby Soho, and Toni Storm.
Arguably the best women's match in recent weeks was hella energetic, featuring Baker and Hayter dominating the action until a hot tag to Storm sparked a babyface comeback. The action was back-and-forth and nearly saw a massive miscommunication between the good doctor and Hayter before Soho avenged her defeat from Las Vegas by pinning Baker for the clean win.
This was great stuff in which each woman was given enough to do and Hayter, in particular, starred. She is a breakout star waiting for her opportunity to escape the shadow of Baker. Given the tease of miscommunication late in the bout, perhaps that time is coming sooner rather than later.
Even if it is not, AEW would be wise to continue to prominently feature Hayter so she can follow in the footsteps of someone like Wardlow, who emerged from an on-screen partnership with a top-tier heel to become a breakout star.
Good on Soho for scoring a much-needed win here, even if she really should have beaten Baker at Double or Nothing. Now, it is time for the company to turn its creative efforts to Storm, who has not had nearly the impact expected and a lot of that can be attributed to the lack of emphasis placed on her by those booking the show.
That gripe aside, this was a really fun match that should serve as the template for getting the most out of the women's division on Wednesday nights.
Grade
A
Top Moments
- Soho's pride-themed "I love you" vest was fantastic and well-timed to coincide with the start of Pride Month.
- Hayter's draping DDT off the apron and to the floor on Storm was a great spot.
- The chants of "this is awesome" were welcome given the somewhat disappointing conclusion to the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament between Soho and Baker Sunday night.
- Holy crap! Soho actually won a match. And she pinned Baker clean to do it.
Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia
Jon Moxley felt the effects of Sunday's Anarchy in the Arena, his face painted with the proverbial crimson mask as he battled Daniel Garcia in the continuation of the rivalry between Jericho Appreciation Society and the Blackpool Combat Club.
Garcia surprisingly outwrestled Moxley for the majority of the match, having a counter or reversal ready for just about everything the former world champion threw at him. The combatants traded strikes and submissions, neither willing to lay down and let the other walk over them en route to victory.
Chris Jericho attempted to interfere late in the bout, only for Eddie Kingston to cut him off. This allowed Moxley to drop Garcia with the Paradigm Shift and submit him with the bulldog choke for the win. After the match, Moxley added his name to the Blood and Guts match against the JAS.
This was an intensely physical main event and damn good representation of what Moxley can do against a talented mat technician like Garcia. We already know he can brawl, bleed, battle and strike with the best of them but hidden underneath all of that is a talented grappler who does not get nearly enough opportunities to showcase that element of his performance.
He did here, hanging with one of the best young wrestlers on the roster while doing so.
The impending Blood and Guts match should be fine, acceptable violence but the feud really does feel well past hits sell-by date, with the idea that JAS can realistically win being somewhat laughable.
Grade
B+
Top Moments
- The late-match reversals and counters were excellently executed.
- Kingston ran to the ring so fast he nearly ate it before he could actually reach Jericho.
- Moxley, blood dripping down his face, accepted the Blood and Guts challenge.