Blog
AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 1
Mar
Just a few days before the Revolution, All Elite Wrestling brought home the episode of Dynamite, titled Face of the Revolution ladder battle featuring some of the most death-defying opponents in the world.
The main event ended on a night that saw Bryan Danielson and MJF talk for the last time about their 60-minute Iron Man match for the AEW World Championship, Orange Cassidy, and Casino’s all-Atlantic title defense. Battle Royale to determine the fourth team to compete for the card title at Revolution.
Who won from the action in the ring and who built the momentum toward the first AEW PPV of 2023, which will be broadcast live on the B/R app on Sunday night?
Find out with this summary of the March 1 edition.
Match Card
- The face of the Revolution ladder match: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ortiz vs. Komander vs. Eddie Kingston vs. AR Fox vs. Action Andretti vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Powerhouse Hobbs (Samoa Joe on commentary)
- Casino Tag Team Battle Royale featuring Aussie Open, Jericho Appreciation Society, Best Friends, The Kingdom, Dark Order, La Faccion Ingobernable, The Butcher and The Blade, Lucha Bros, Top Flight, and Blackpool Combat Club
- Peter Avalon vs. Chris Jericho
- AEW All-Atlantic Championship: Orange Cassidy vs. Big Bill
- FTW Championship: Hook vs. Matt Hardy
- Riho vs. Toni Storm
- Bryan Danielson and MJF promos
AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match: Orange Cassidy vs. Big Bill
Orange Cassidy faced, quite literally, the biggest challenge to his reign as AEW All-Atlantic champion in Big Bill.
Despite a chokeslam that drove him through the timekeeper’s table and the presence of Stokely Hathaway at ringside, Freshly Squeezed retained his title by defeating Big Bill with three consecutive Orange Punches.
One of which came from the top rope.
The match was a fun one that set the tone for the night and gave Cassidy another big victory in a recent string of them. He has been a great choice to carry the All-Atlantic Championship, which has not been prioritized in the slightest but has still been at the center of some above-average matches.
Cassidy has been extraordinary during this run and really should earn more credit for the quality of his work of late, despite the perception of his as a strictly comedic act.
Result
Cassidy defeated Big Bill to retain
Grade
C+
Top Moments
The announcement team dug into the history of Cow Palace in San Francisco, home of Wednesday’s performance, including mentions of Roy Shire and Big Time Wrestling. Google him.
Cassidy quickly defeated the challenger, dodging him at every turn before Big Bill made a bump in the pavement.
The heel strike sent Cassidy through the timekeeper’s desk with a chokeslam, prompting those to chant “damn!” Entering commercial breaks.
Cassidy fell to the carpet, avoiding a large boot. He repeated that pose and rolled to the floor. There, Big Bill threatened to chokeslam Danhausen, only for the backhand Hathaway to hit the famously painted child with his supposed hand.
Cassidy makes three Orange Punches, the third coming from the top rope, to win.
A bloody Jon Moxley cut a pre-recorded ad on the Hangman Page ahead of their Texas Deathmatch this Sunday.
House of Black attacked The Elite as they entered, sending a loud and clear message to the AEW Trios Champions ahead of Sunday’s PPV revolution.
The face of the Revolution Ladder Match
Wild, chaotic spots were the name of Wednesday night’s game in a Face of the Revolution ladder match featuring Powerhouse Hobbs, Ortiz, Eddie Kingston, Konosuke Takeshita, Action Addretti, Sammy Guevara, AR Fox, and newcomer, Komander.
Sportsmanship and death-defying creativity amazingly inspired, and shaped the game, with the latter’s ability to fly high really standing out from the competition.
The presence of Jericho Appreciation Society’s Daniel Garcia almost guaranteed Guevara a landslide victory but it was the resourceful Hobbs that knocked Takeshita off the ladder, who claimed the win and future chance at the Championships. TNT enemy.
The match is an on-site festival that features several stories in the form of Garcia and Guevara teaming up to eliminate enemy JAS Andretti but really thrives at key moments.
Hobbs winning was a welcome creative decision because the guy screams “money” and really should have been prominently featured before now. It remains to be seen if this win allows him to build momentum toward a championship but it was one of the more defining victories of his young career.
Result
Hobbs defeated Andretti, Guevara, Takeshita, Fox, Komander, Kingston and Ortiz
Grade
B
Top Moments
Kingston and Ortiz brawled to start the match, their personal rivalry trumping their desire for a championship opportunity.
Komander wiped out the field with a dive to the floor.
Fox took a nasty bump on a ladder that did not give at all.
Andretti and Guevara executed an ugly falcon arrow bump that appeared to have affected both.
Garica interfered on behalf of his JAS teammate Guevara.
Hobbs wiped Takeshita off the ladder, climbed it, and won the match.
Afterward, Wardlow appeared and looked to attack Joe, who escaped unscathed. He powerbombed one poor security guard onto a group of them instead, all while Hobbs watched.
Peter Avalon vs. Chris Jericho; Christian Cage’s Challenge to Jack Perry
Chris Jericho wiped out Peter Avalon with the Judas Effect a week ago, making the perennial comedic act lose its chance to accept the Ricky Starks’ open challenge to a match at Revolution. On Wednesday night, he had a hard time figuring out what happens when you take down a starving opponent as Avalon battles The Ocho in the first place.
However, Jericho weathered the storm early and won with Codebreaker.
After the match, he threatened to take Avalon down further until the Starks saved him. It was a trap, though, as the Jericho Appreciation Guild jumped on the Starks and made him lie, sending one last message before the Revolution.
The Starks-Jericho show feels much colder than its participants. It could be because babyface hit his heel twice, once in singles and once in team play.
Either way, it felt like a match that wasn’t as hot as it should have been. Fixing that through effort and storytelling will depend on the Starks and Jericho.
Christian Cage cut a promo with Renee Paquette in which he denounced “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry as a champion, claimed he still sees wrestling as a business, and challenged his former protege to a fight at Revolution.
Perry answered with a video package right out of 1995 WWE.
Result
Jericho defeated Avalon
Grade
C
Top Moments
Jake Hager’s purple bucket hat, the object of his affection, was over more than anything that went on in this segment.
Either Perry watched a bunch of Undertaker stuff about Peacock, or Tony Khan mixed up his promotions as burial vignettes where the Forest Boy responds to Cage’s challenge with feeling like something the Dead will be part of WWE.
FTW Championship Match: Hook vs. Matt Hardy
The FTW Hook champion faces one of the most cunning challenges to his title to date in the form of future, veteran Hall of Famer, Matt Hardy.
Hardy had a longer match against the rookie, and put him on the defensive more than any other opponent, but couldn’t do the unthinkable by beating him.
Instead, Hook counterattacked Hardy’s arsenal on Redrum for a quick victory.
This is totally acceptable wrestling and something Hook really needs to get into. Longer matches, against grizzly veterans with as much experience as Hardy, are the perfect backdrop for a young star looking to expand his game.
Here, Hook is asked to sell more than usual. It worked and his surprise win really helped show how devastating Redrum can be when subdued.
The feud with The Firm was a bit too trivial, but working with veteran opponents who could help Hook grow into a worker was the right decision.
Result
Hook submitted Hardy to retain
Grade
C+
Top Moments
Hathaway removed his cast, proving the broken hand caused by Hook was really a charade.
AEW Women’s champion Jamie Hayter and Dr. Britt Baker DMD had a message for Saraya and Toni Storm ahead of Sunday’s Revolution.
Hangman Page cut a passionate promo ahead of his Texas Death Match with Jon Moxley.
Riho vs. Toni Storm
Former women’s champions battled as Riho squared off with Toni Storm, accompanied by Saraya, the latest in the struggle between the outsiders and AEW originals.
Down the stretch, Storm controlled the match and appeared to have things in hand. A late distraction by Dr. Britt Baker and AEW Women’s champion Jamie Hayter allowed the Japanese competitor to score the pinfall victory from out of nowhere.
After the match, Ruby Soho made her presence felt ahead of the three-way dance pitting her, Hayter and Saraya against each other for the top prize in the AEW women’s division. A brawl between all involved led to security involvement.
This was a surprisingly effective bit of business, both in terms of in-ring action and the final build for Sunday’s title match.
Storm and Riho had some solid in-ring chemistry while the storyline that has put Soho in the middle of two warring teams has done a great deal to bring attention and focus to the women’s division.
Soho vs. Hayter vs. Saraya should be a boatload of fun and continue the upward trend of recent women’s wrestling storytelling in the company.
Result
Riho defeated Storm
Grade
B
Top Moments
Saraya talked trash to Riho, taking the babyface’s attention off of Storm momentarily.
Baker and Hayder distracted Storm, allowing Riho to score the upset.
Soho hit the ring after the match and laid into both Saraya and Hayter, previewing the three-way dance for the AEW Women’s Championship at Revolution.
Casino Battle Royale to Determine the Last Entrant in the AEW Tag Team Title Match
Order of Participation: The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds and John Silver), Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta), La Faccion de Ingobernables (Rush and Preston Vance), Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix), Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis), Jericho Appreciation Society (Matt Menard and Angelo Parker), Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin), The Kingdom (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven), Best Friends (Danhausen and Orange Cassidy), The Kingdom Butcher and the Blade
Earlier on the show, it was announced that Best Friends’ Chuck Taylor and Trent Berreta were not allowed to compete in the match.
The fourth team in Sunday’s AEW World Tag Team Championship match at Revolution was determined in Casino Battle Royale on Dynamite, with Orange Cassidy and Danhausen arriving late replacing their injured Best Friends teammates Trent Berreta and Chuck Taylor.
Despite being defeated by Big Bill earlier in the show, Cassidy survived Butcher and Blade’s belated attack just long enough for a Danhausen to have a chance to take down and win.
Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal, who cashed out to buy tickets to the match last week, attacked, only to have The Acclaimed in the ring. They and the Gunns fought each other before the childish faces stood tall to close the scene.
This…not a particularly grand royal battle. AEW has always performed brilliantly in these games but this was disappointing, with only half-hearted stories woven throughout, leading to an unpredictable yet predictable ending.
Cassidy and Danhausen at least make sense given their history with Jarrett and Lethal but the card match at Revolution felt very different from an actual group title match. It’s almost unthinkable that this particular pay-per-view event was ever the home of the greatest teamfight in AEW history: Kenny Omega and Hangman Page versus The Young Bucks.
Instead of that matchup, we get to know an ongoing mess of characters and storylines, none of which is really dedicated to bolstering the titles themselves.
Result
Cassidy and Danhausen won
Grade
C+
Top Moments
Castagnoli and Yuta attacked Dark Order during their entrance, continuing their trend toward heel-dom while playing up the ancillary effects of the Moxley-Hangman rivalry.
Rush wrestled with Fenix’s mask, attempting to pull it off during the commercial break.
Tony Nese, Josh Woods, Ari Daivari, and Smart Mark Sterling attacked The Lucha Bros, leading to their elimination from the match by LFI.
Parker tried to hide under the ring skirt but Danhausen rolled him into the squared circle, then worked with Cassidy to send him packing.
The Dark Order distracted Castagnoli and Yuta, leading to their elimination.
Bryan Danielson and MJF Put the Final Hype on Their Revolution Main Event
Bryan Danielson brought MJF to the mic in the closing moments of Wednesday’s show, criticizing him for breaking up with his fiancée and threatening to kick him in the head if he wasn’t ready for an hour with The American Dragon on Sunday night on pay-per-view.
For the first time, MJF said nothing. Instead, the world champion couldn’t believe the venom spewed by his No. 1 opponent, who reminded him of all he had fought for this opportunity, including poverty, Trauma, and Power.
The look on the champion’s face when the show aired was that of a guy who awakened the monster in Danielson and must now find a way to take him down if he hopes to keep his title.
This is a great thing as Danielson is once again reminding fans that, when he’s in, he’s a great commercial. He holds nothing back, his words cut MJF like a knife. Their match on Sunday night will instantly become a classic and will be considered a contender for Match of the Year for most of 2023 if things go relatively smoothly.
The only downside is the hasty nature of the program. AEW overbooked the show, leaving Danielson and MJF with almost no time to end their feud, something that could be replicated if time was cut from a segment or two.
Or, better yet, if the match between Hook and Hardy was saved for another broadcast.
However, Danielson saved his best MJF-focused ads for last, and the result was a fitting exclamation point.
Grade
A+
Top Moments
“He hates me because people call me the best wrestler in the world and as the AEW champion, he thinks he deserves that,” Danielson said.
“If there’s one thing you deserve, it’s your fiance leaving you.”
“Pinning shoulders to mats and banging rats…is that what you do, Max? Sounds like someone a father would want their daughter to marry.”
“You better be prepared to fight for 60 full minutes because if you don’t, you’re going to get your f**king head kicked in!”
