AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from September 7
Daniel Garcia #DanielGarcia
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Daniel Garcia challenged for the ROH Pure Title in his hometown of Buffalo/Credit: AEW
On the heels of the most tumultuous four days in company history, AEW made its Buffalo debut Wednesday night with one of its most hotly anticipated broadcasts ever.
Tony Khan promised to give an update on the AEW World and Trios Championships after an alleged backstage incident involving CM Punk, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks that led to several suspensions, according to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.
In the ring, hometown star Daniel Garcia sought to relieve Wheeler Yuta of the Ring of Honor Pure Championship while new women’s champion Toni Storm battled Penelope Ford in a Championship Eliminator Match.
Oh, and MJF spoke for the first time since what should have been a monumental return to the company Sunday night.
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Tony Khan made a monumental announcement to start the show: he has vacated the AEW World and Trios Championships. The latter will be determined later in the show between Death Triangle and Best Friends and Orange Cassidy.
The world title will be determined in a tournament featuring Jon Moxley, Hangman Page, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Bryan Danielson and Chris Jericho.
New No. 1 contender MJF hit the ring with a ton of energy, sporting a Josh Allen jersey and carrying himself like the world’s biggest babyface. He was almost obnoxiously positive, to the chagrin of Excalibur, before Moxley interrupted.
Moxley answered the scarf-wearing top contender’s inevitable heel turn on the crowd with an impassioned promo that instantly ranked among the best of his entire career and left the crowd on their feet and the commentary team admitting to goosebumps.
This was exactly what this show needed. Given everything that has happened in the last 72 hours, relying on company workhorses like Moxley and MJF to win the crowd over and deliver big time on the mic was the right call.
Tony Khan deserves a lot of blame for the creative shortcomings of late, and absolutely could have handled the backstage drama a lot better than he did but to his credit, made the right call with the booking of this segment and the announcement regarding the futures of the championships.
Grade
A
Top Moments
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Two trios, featuring six competitors who had been with AEW since day one, clashed to determine new AEW World Trios Champions as Death Triangle’s Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix battled Orange Cassidy and Best Friends’ Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor.
The match was the high-energy, spot-heavy match we have come to expect out of trios wrestling in AEW, with some great intensity shown by Pac and not nearly enough Cassidy.
A trio of Canadian Destroyers by Death Triangle proved to be the difference as it stunned the opposition, allowing the Lucha Bros to wipe out Taylor and Cassidy at ringside while Pac finished Taylor off with the Black Arrow for the win and the titles.
Yes, Death Triangle is a great trio and one of the most consistently great acts the company has at its disposal. No matter what, they can be relied on to carry their side of things once the bell rings, so it makes sense that the company would find comfort in putting the titles on them.
With that said, this really should have been Best Friends and Cassidy’s crowning moment. They have been as steady and over as any act in the company, with Freshly Squeezed being among the most popular since day one. They have always been the bridesmaids, though, and never the bride.
The opportunity was there to reward them for their hard work and it passed us by, unfortunately.
Result
Death Triangle defeated Best Friends and Cassidy to win the AEW World Trios Championship
Grade
B+
Top Moments
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On the heels of the biggest win of her young career, in which she defeated three other women to become Interim AEW Women’s World Champion, Toni Storm battled Penelope Ford in a Championship Eliminator Match.
She found herself on the defensive early and often in the match, with a game Ford working over a Storm still recovering from an intensely physical contest Sunday in Chicago.
Storm gutted through it and countered a Northern Lights Suplex into a DDT for the win.
This was a nice showcase for Storm and a reminder that Ford is a viable contender in the women’s division, but most of the match happened during the picture-in-picture break, something that has plagued that particular roster since day one.
Storm is a big deal, a star in waiting, but did not feel like one here in her first appearance with the interim title. She earned better than that, even if she still went over.
Result
Storm defeated Ford
Grade
C+
Top Moments
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TNT champion Wardlow defended his title against Tony Nese, accompanied to the ring by “Smart” Mark Sterling. It went about as well as you would expect.
Wardlow steamrolled the superathlete, putting him away with three consecutive powerbombs.
Afterward, Josh Woods saved both Nese and Sterling from further punishment but it was a post-match promo from Wardlow that stood out.
Answering critics suggesting his momentum is gone, he reminded the audience that this is Wardlow’s World. It was intense, no-nonsense and set him up to, hopefully, be the destructive force he was before he took a backseat in recent months.
Result
Wardlow defeated Nese to retain
Grade
C
Top Moments
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For the third time in AEW history, Bryan Danielson and “Hangman” Adam Page battled in a high-stakes singles match, the winner to advance to next week’s show and a match with Chris Jericho in the Grand Slam Tournament of Champions to determine a new AEW World Champion.
As expected the moment it was announced, Danielson and Page tore the house down with a great match that set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Their chemistry is off the charts and that was on full display tonight.
The match was not as long, bloody or as dramatic as their previous encounters but it still had the fans in Buffalo popping for the near-falls and false finishers down the line. Two stars who knew each other well, the match did not end with an emphatic finisher but, rather, Danielson outwrestling Hangman with an O’Connor Roll.
It sets up Danielson vs. Jericho in the semifinals, a match that should attract an audience next week.
Where Page goes from here remains to be seen but as one of the forefathers of this company that is not currently suspended, do no be surprised to see Tony Khan lean on him in a key role.
Result
Danielson pinned Page
Grade
A
Top Moments
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Buffalo kid Daniel Garcia challenged Wheeler Yuta for the ROH Pure Championship in the main event.
While their previous encounters have been more cerebral and methodical, this match was fought with a greater sense of urgency and the result was an easier-to-follow contest. Not bogged down by the unnecessary pure wrestling rules.
The crowd was completely behind Garcia, treating Wheeler like the biggest heel in the building for reaching for the ropes, then catching his opponent with a closed-fist punch, two things restricted by the title and its many stipulations.
Garcia winning via submission was the right call, even if it was somewhat predictable. It solidified Bryan Danielson’s claims that Garcia is a professional wrestler, not a sports entertainment, and provided the young competitor a signature win that fans can point to as the moment he took the next step toward stardom.
The post-match was great, particularly the look of disbelief on Chris Jericho’s face as he watched Danielson strap the title around the winner’s waist, realizing he had likely just lost an associate and someone he can manipulate for his own benefit.
Suddenly, the Jericho-Danielson match for next week’s show carries more weight given the tug-o-war for Garcia’s soul that has become one of the most prominent stories in the company.
Result
Garcia defeated Yuta to win the ROH Pure Championship
Grade
B+
Top Moments