5/18/22 AEW Dynamite Recap
Join the Starman as he recaps tonight’s edition AEW Dynamite, which airs live on TBS from the Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas.
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It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means. Samoa Joe’s music hits as we head into the first match of the night, which is a Quarterfinal match in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament.
Match 1: Samoa Joe vs. Joker Opponent (Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal Match)
Johnny Elite (John Morrison/Johnny Impact) comes out as the Joker as a “Johnny!” chant starts. Joe and Johnny go back and forth in the opening moments with strikes, chops and kicks. Joe is able to gain control of the match by taking Elite down with a should block and slows things down with a headlock. Elite is able to counter Joe and takes him down with a cartwheel clothesline that sends Joe out to the floor. Elite then dives off the turnbuckle and onto Joe on the floor as we head into a picture-in-picture commercial break.
We return to the action to see Joe spin Elite around with a hard shoulder block and picks up a near fall after hitting a senton splash. Elite tries to mount a comeback, but fails at picking up Joe. Joe then sends Elite crashing to the mat with a hard chop for another near fall. Joe attempts a Muscle Buster, but Elite counters and takes Joe down with a Samoan drop. Elite then hits a sloppy 450 splash for a near fall of his own. Elite misses with an attempt at Starship Pain and Joe hits the Muscle Buster to pick up the near fall.
Winner: Samoa Joe defeated Johnny Elite by pin fall in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
After the match, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh rush out to the ring and attack Joe. Singh holds Joe and Lethal nails Joe in the shoulder with a lead pipe as Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor and Rocky Romero runs out to the ring with chairs to chase them out.
The updated Men’s Tournament bracket is shown and Samoa Joe will face the winner of Kyle O’Reilly and Rey Fenix, which will take place later tonight. Highlights of last week’s match between Jeff Hardy and Darby Allin. The Hardy’s are backstage and it is announced the Jeff Hardy is medically cleared to wrestle tonight. The Young Bucks come in as they plead with Jeff to take the night off or else Adam Cole will kick his ass. Matt Hardy says Jeff will be fine and calls the Young Bucks Hardy Boys cosplayers. Matt Hardy then warns them not to interfere in the match or else Cole won’t be the only one getting his ass kicked tonight.
CM Punk’s music hits as he makes his way to the commentary table to join Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur for the next match of the night.
Match 2: Konosuke Takeshita vs. “Hangman” Adam Page
Takeshita charges at Page and connects with a boot to the face as the bell rings. Page makes a quick recovery and takes Takeshita down with a fallaway slam that sends Takeshita out to the floor. Page dives out and takes out Takeshita before rolling him back into the ring. Takeshita then flips over the ropes and takes Page out on the floor. The fight heads to the ring apron and Page slams Takeshita on the apron. Page then connects with a moonsault out to the floor on Takeshita as we head into a picture-in-picture commercial break.
The match continues with Takeshita connecting with a flying shoulder and a Blue Thunder Bomb as Page rolls out to the floor. Takeshita then dives over the ropes and takes Page out as a “This is awesome!” chant starts. Takeshita and Page trade Helluva Kicks and German suplexes to each other as they end up colliding in the middle of the ring to take each other out. Page picks up a near fall after connecting with a Tombstone Piledriver on Takeshita.
Page then diverts his attention to CM Punk before going for the Buckshot Lariat, but Takeshita is able to dodge it. Takeshita then sends Page down with a powerbomb for a near fall. Takeshita then takes Page down with a German suplex, but Takeshita looks to have injured his neck. Takeshita then goes for a flying lariat, but Page connects with a blow to regain control of the match. The two then fight on the top turnbuckle and Page takes Takeshita down with a clothesline before hitting the Buckshot Lariat. Page then takes Takeshita out with the GTS before picking up the pin fall.
Winner: “Hangman” Adam Page defeated Konosuke Takeshita by pin fall.
After the match, CM Punk takes off his headset and heads to the top of the ramp. Punk and Page stare each other down until Punk raises his arms in celebration. Page then heads out to the ramp with the AWE World Championship and raises it above his head to pop the crowd. Punk walks down and raises his arms in front of Page. The two circle each other until Page pushes Punk aside and heads up the ramp.
A video package with Fuego del Sol along with Evil Uno and Preston Vance of the Dark Order issuing a challenge to The House of Black this Friday on Rampage.
Match 3: Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee vs. The Workhorsemen
Strickland and Lee got in all of the offense in this match. They hit a double team move on Anthony Henry to pick up the pin fall in this quick squash match.
Winner: Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee defeated The Workhorsemen by pin fall.
Keith Lee grabs a microphone after the match and tells his home state of Texas some wonderful news and says their team has now become a Top 5 ranked tag team. They are interrupted by Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs as Starks says he can’t believe they think they can get a title shot when he beat both Jungle Boy and Swerve Strickland. They are interrupted by the Jurassic Express as Christian says they are both ranked teams but is going to go outside the box and challenge them both to a three way match for the AEW Tag Team Championship at Double or Nothing. Christian then says he wants Jungle Boy to get his victory back over Starks and the man that cost him that match in Strickland next week in a triple threat match.
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Kris Statlander and Red Velvet and Velvet tells Statlander that she hopes she brings in on Friday in the Owen Hart Tournament. Statlander says she wasn’t a part of the tournament originally and is going to take advantage of the opportunity she was given. Jade Cargill comes in with Kiera Hogan and talks some trash before walking away.
MJF’s music hits as he walks out to the ring with Shawn Spears, who has a chair and a belt. MJF runs down the state of Texas before warning Wardlow that if he lays a hand on him or retaliates during his lashings, that he won’t get his match at Double or Nothing and he won’t ever sign a contract with AEW. MJF then says to send out the pig as a handcuffed Wardlow flanked by eight security guards is escorted through the backstage area and to the entrance ramp, where an additional two guards are waiting for him.
MJF spits his gum at Wardlow, who just smiles. Wardlow turns his back to MJF as he whips Wardlow with the belt and he just laughs. A second strike gets no reaction out of Wardlow. MJF then takes off his shirt and hits Wardlow with a series of whips until Spears pulls him away. Wardlow’s back has red marks on it as Spears gets in the eighth shot. The ninth one from Spears finally gets a reaction from Wardlow and he gets in their faces. Before MJF hits the final one, he kicks Wardlow between the legs, that sends him crashing to the mat. MJF then whips Wardlow repeatedly as Spears holds him up and MJF knocks him out with a punch while wearing his Dynamite Diamond Ring. Spears then picks Wardlow up and hits the C4 and goes for the cover as MJF counts to three. MJF then talks some trash as we head into a commercial break.
Trent Berreta and Rocky Romero says Roppongi Vice is back together full time and they are looking to make a statement. They want to get the ROH Tag Team Championship, the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and the AEW Tag Team Championship. They then issue a challenge to FTR for the ROH Tag Team Championships.
Match 4: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rey Fenix (Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal Match)
The match starts as O’Reilly and Fenix counter each other’s moves and picks up some quick pin attempts on each other. Fenix then sends O’Reilly out to the floor and takes him out with a dive through the ropes, that sends O’Reilly into the railing. Felix then tries to go for a frog splash, but O’Reilly counters with a triangle sleeper. Fenix is able to get to the ropes to break the hold and rolls out to the floor, but O’Reilly follows and sends him into the ring post as we head into a picture-in-picture commercial break.
The match continues as Fenix connects with a few kicks before hitting a powerbomb type move for a near fall. Fenix then takes O’Reilly down with a hurricanrana for another near fall. O’Reilly comes back with a series of strikes and a couple of butterfly suplexes, but Fenix fights back with a half and half suplex. O’Reilly and Fenix go back and forth with a series of strikes until Fenix sends O’Reilly out to the floor with a hurricanrana. Fenix rolls O’Reilly back into the ring and O’Reilly counters and locks Fenix in an armbar submission to pick up the submission victory and we head into a commercial break.
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly defeated Rey Fenix by submission in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
Bryan Danielson and William Regal make their way out to the ring. Jon Moxley’s music then hits as he makes his way through the crowd along with Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz. The Jericho Appreciation Society then makes their way out to the entrance ramp as Jericho says they were attacked by a gang of thugs last week that was orchestrated by his old friend, William Regal. Jericho says it is good to see him as he figured that he’d be dead by now. Jericho says Regal could have been one of the greatest like he is, but he ended up nothing more than a world class addict.
Jericho then runs down all of Regal’s protégés and says Santana and Ortiz is too stupid to realize everything they have in AEW is because of him. Eddie Kingston, who is too stupid to stay home after he burned his face, and Bryan Danielson who is possibly the greatest wrestler in the world today, but is a squeaky clean nerd. Jericho warns Danielson that if he sticks around Regal long enough, that he will have him popping pill and drinking whiskey until he has to join the program with Moxley. Jericho tells Regal to go home or he will throw a fireball in his face, or take a piss in his tea again.
Regal tells Jericho to be quiet before saying the one thing that has kept him going for the past 21 years is following Jericho around and going into his locker while he was wrestling and sticking his toothbrush right up his bottom. Jericho says they obviously want a fight and challenges them to the greatest match ever invented, a Stadium Stampede match. Moxley interrupts and says that match was for a different time and wants to beat them up in front of an arena full of screaming fans in an anything goes match. Moxley says it doesn’t matter what it’s called – either Anarchy in the Arena or Pro Wrestling vs. Sports Entertainment.
Jericho then tries to get his opponents to turn against each other by reminding Santana and Ortiz of their Eye for an Eye match or that Danielson called Kingston lazy and Kingston called Danielson a judgmental prick. Kingston said Danielson is a judgmental prick and he just wants to get the JAS in the ring to fight. The Jericho Appreciation Society then walks up the ramp as Danielson and Kingston get into a shoving match in the ring.
Matt Sydal and Dante Martin are backstage and says the Blackpool Combat Club can’t get along with anyone as they’re just obsessed with violence. Sydal says they don’t have to wait until Double or Nothing for a fight as they will give them one on Friday night at Rampage. The announce team breaks down what just happened as Dr. Britt Baker, DMD comes out for the next match.
Match 5: Dr. Britt Baker, DMD vs. Joker Opponent (Women’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal)
Maki Itoh comes out as video is shown when she was Baker’s tag team partner at Revolution last year. Itoh sings her own song as she comes down to the ring. Itoh lays down in the middle of the ring and Baker goes for the cover, but Itoh rolls her up for a near fall. The two go back and forth in the opening moments as we head into a picture-in-picture commercial break.
The match continues as Baker puts on her glove and begins toying around with Itoh, until Itoh comes back with a headbutt and a tornado DDT for a near fall. Itoh then hits her falling headbutt for another near fall, but Baker is able to come back with a kick and applies the Lockjaw to pick up the submission victory.
Winner: Dr. Britt Baker, DMD defeated Maki Itoh by submission.
After the match, Toni Storm comes out and stares down Baker, who will be her next opponent in the Semi Finals of the Women’s Owen Hart Tournament.
Tony Schiavone heads into the ring and says we will see Toni Storm and Dr. Britt Baker, DMD as well as Kyle O’Reilly and Samoa Joe next week on Dynamite as they head into their third anniversary with Double or Nothing. Schiavone is cut off by Serena Deeb who says she is tired of hearing him speak. Deeb says he made himself a complete idiot by saying she couldn’t beat Thunder Rosa. Deeb also invites Dustin Rhodes to the ring and said that she respected him as he knew what she went through to get where she is today. She said she got breast implants and shaved her head and still got no respect. Deeb tells Rhodes that when she beats Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women’s Championship, he will respect her. Thunder Rosa comes out but is restrained by Rhodes. Deeb picks up the championship belt and nails Rosa with it and walks out of the ring with it as we head into a commercial break.
Match 6: Jeff Hardy vs. Adam Cole (Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal)
Adam Cole attacks Jeff Hardy on the entrance ramp and sends him into the ring. Cole enters the ring and the bell rings as Hardy is able to take Cole down with a kick and a slam. Hardy heads to the top rope, but Cole rolls out to the floor. Hardy then dives out to the floor and takes him out. Cole is able to turn the tide and sends Hardy into the steel steps before rolling him back into the ring. Cole continues on the attack as we head into the final picture-in-picture commercial break of the night.
The match continues as Hardy picks up a near fall on Cole. The two then trade blows and kicks in the middle of the ring until Hardy picks up a near fall after hitting a face first suplex. Hardy continues on the attack and heads to the top rope for a Swanton Bomb, but Cole rolls out of the way. Cole then hits the Boom to pick up the pin fall and advance to the semi finals of the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament.
Winner: Adam Cole defeated Jeff Hardy by pin fall in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
After the match, the Young Bucks come out and takes out Matt Hardy. Darby Allin and Sting come to the rescue before Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish come out and attack Allin and Sting. O’Reilly tries to use a chair on Sting, but Sting blocks it and throws the chair in O’Reilly’s face. The Young Bucks then hit Sting with double superkicks to take him out. They then wrap Sting’s ankle in a chair and O’Reilly drops a knee from the top rope crushing his ankle and Dynamite goes off the air.
Results
– Samoa Joe defeated Johnny Elite by pin fall in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
– “Hangman” Adam Page defeated Konosuke Takeshita by pin fall.
– Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee defeated The Workhorsemen by pin fall.
– Kyle O’Reilly defeated Rey Fenix by submission in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
– Dr. Britt Baker, DMD defeated Maki Itoh by submission in the Women’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
– Adam Cole defeated Jeff Hardy by pin fall in the Men’s Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals.
