AEW Dynamite: Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea Results, Highlights and Grades

Joey Janela vs. MJF

Lockup to start, but MJF easily shoves off Janela to the ground. Another lockup, but MJF wrenches the arm. Janela kips up to his feet. MJF with a ground headlock. Janela kips up to lock in a headlock of his own. Stalemate back to their feet.

MJF teases a handshake, but Janela slaps it away and MJF spits in his face. Series of punches that causes MJF to walk to the back, but Joey chases after him, just for MJF to rake his eyes up the ramp. He runs at Janela, only to get back dropped back into the ring. Janela climbs to the top for an elbow drop, but MJF rolls away into the corner, hiding behind the ref.

Janela moves the ref out the way, only to get punched in the face and arm whipped into the turnbuckle. Scoop slam to the middle of the mat before we get a commercial break.

Back from break, Janela suplexes MJF to the mat off the top rope for a near fall. Janela goes to the top rope for the elbow, but he’s briefly distracted by his ex Penelope Ford and her new boyfriend Kip Sabian smooching up the ramp. He tries to ignore it by going to the top, but after waiting too long, MJF gets out of the way and hits a Cross Rhodes for the win.

Winner: MJF

Grade: C

This match had its moments and its spots, but not the most interesting or exciting match overall. MJF is a tremendous heel character and did a great job amping that up during the match, but his in-ring work in general needs work. Meanwhile, Janela only just started being pushed recently, so it felt like a foregone conclusion he’d lose to someone who’s been pushed since the premiere episode. Ergo, this stuff killed the excitement for me.

After the match, MJF cuts a promo. “You people love me, huh?” He asks as the crowd boo him mercilessly. “In a world full of mumble rappers, you, Cody, are a real lyricist.” That is a real sentence that came out of MJF’s mouth.

MJF criticizes Cody’s promo from the previous week, promising to be Cody’s last chapter. Out comes Cody on cue. MJF points out that Wardlow’s not here, but he also reminds Cody that per stipulation, Cody cannot touch him no matter what he says or does per the stipulation before their match.

MJF goads him about it before flipping him off on his way out the ring. But Cody reminds MJF that even though he can’t touch MJF, but his friends can. MJF turns around into a double superkick from the Young Bucks before being tossed in a pool at ringside.

Afterwards, Tony Schiavone is interviewing the new AEW Tag Team Champions. Omega says he’s happy to win the belts with one of his best friends while Hangman gets cut off in mid-gloat. He’s then frustrated when the Young Bucks interrupt him again in mid-promo to congratulate them. So he gloats about winning the belts before they could before walking away.