AEW Dynamite: Moxley vs. Nagata – Results, Grades, and Analysis

Tonight on AEW Dynamite we are getting three big titles matches, with the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship being defended by Jon Moxley against Yuji Nagata, and Darby Allin defending the TNT Championship against Miro, and the Young Bucks vs. SCU for the tag AEW World Team Titles. Will we have new champions tonight?

The show wasted no time, with Yuji Nagata’s music hitting and he made his way out to the ring.

Yuji Nagata w/ Ren Narita vs. Jon Moxley (c) w/ Eddie Kingston – IWGP US Heavyweight Championship

Nagata got a huge reaction when he came out, and Moxley did as well. Moxley entered to Wild Thing, which was a change.

Moxley and Nagata started the match with forearms and spilled to the outside, with Moxley using more strikes. This is already a NJPW match within AEW, and I love it. Moxley went for kicks, but Nagata ate them and fought back with his own. Nagata hit a big Yakuza kick in the corner, and then hit an exploder suplex.

Moxley’s chest was red with the strikes and both men exchanged forearms againt, before Moxley hit a German Suplex. Moxley nailed Nagata with a lariat and got a 2 count. Nagata hit an exploder suplex off the top rope and smashed Moxley with a kick to the chest, but Moxley kicked out.

Moxley managed to slip behind and locked on a rear naked choke, but Nagata countered and locked on the armbar, rolling his eyes back. Nagata hit an enziguri and Moxley fell back into the middle rope, but bounced back with a sliding D and countered into the bully choke. Nagata countered out and both men exchanged strikes again.

Moxley and Nagata grappled in the middle off the ring, and out of nowhere, Moxley hit the Paradigm Shift, and scored the pinfall.

Result: Jon Moxley

Rating: ****3/5 (4.75 stars)

This match was so awesome. Moxley and Nagata went at a fast pace and never slowed down. The strikes were hard, and the submissions looked brutal. Moxley got the better of Nagata with barely outwrestling him, but he did it. Absolutely fantastic.

Santana, Hager, and Guevarra were backstage and they cut an awesome promo about they wanted to fight the Pinnacle again, as they failed to kill them, and that Jericho would be back eventually.

Cody Rhodes came out and talked about how he was proud to be an American, despite the issues in the US, noting many problems, but realistically saying he still loves his country. Cody addressed Anthony Ogogo, saying that he came to American for the American Dream and not for the England Dream (as if England isn’t free, which is ridiculous).

Okay, I didn’t like this promo at first but Cody did a really good job tying it together talking about things he was proud off in the US, and his own life, including how the city he was in used to be segregated, and now he is married to a black woman and they’re having a beautiful daughter together.

For one night only, Cody said Ogogo wouldn’t be fighting the American Nightmare at Double or Nothing. He’d be fighting the American Dream Cody Rhodes, which was absolutely fantastic.

SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian & Christopher Daniels) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) w/ The Good Brothers & Don Callis

SCU started the match fast, with Kazarian and Daniels staying on top of the Bucks with slick tag team offence. The Bucks and SCU continued to work at a breakneck pace for most of the early portion of this match into the ad break. It’s easy to forget that Christopher Daniels is 51, given the pace he can still work.

SCU hit the Celebrity Rehab on Nick Jackson and went for the Best Meltzer Ever, but Matt Jackson broke it up and Nick hit a series of attacks on both men. Daniels ended up busted open on the floor after being run into the ring post. Kazarian ran wild, but eventually was overcome by the numbers.

Daniels made the save after a tombstone, and managed to tag in, but he was stumbling due to the blood loss. Daniels was covered but, he dodged a superkick from Matt Jackson, but missed an Angel’s Wings. Daniels had a burst of energy for the save, but the blood loss was effecting him. Matt Jackson went to the corner and said “I’m sorry, I love you,” like HBK did to Flair, before superkicking him for a 2 count.

Daniels managed to hit a BME, but the ref was distracted by Karl Anderson. Gallows threw the cold spray to Nick, who sprayed Daniels with it, but Daniels kicked out again. The Bucks then hit the BTE Trigger on Daniels, and scored the pinfall. SCU must break up now.

Result: The Young Bucks

Rating: ****1/4 (4.25 stars)

This was an excellent match, but I didn’t like how it went straight to the back to not see Daniels and Kazarian’s last moments as a team. That really sucked that they pulled the “TO THE BACK” ala old TNA. Slow down. Eddie Kingston and Moxley destroyed the Elite locker room. They could have shown a hug between Daniels and Kazarian to let the emotions sit in, but the shock of them not being allowed to team never set in. Not good.

When they came back from the break, Kazarian and Daniels hugged, but we could have done the locker room destruction later.

Christian Cage cut a promo about how he had an open contract for Team Taz next week, but Matt Sydal came in and said that he was the one that signed it, and before the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing, he was going to get his warm up against Christian first.

Orange Cassidy vs. PAC: The Winner Faces Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing

OC put his glasses on PAC and then PAC broke them. They exchanged some lucha spots, and OC hit a dive to the floor and pulled out a spare pair of glasses and threw PAC around ringside while wearing them. PAC managed to slow it down during the break, hitting some stomps and a front suplex on OC.

PAC threw OC face first into the guardrail and then threw him back first into another one. PAC hit a huge shotgun dropkick off the top rope onto OC and climbed the ropes again and hit a second one. PAC destroyed OC with a superkick and a massive Liger Bomb on OC for a 2 count. OC has mastered the art of ragdoll selling, though after that powerbomb, he probably didn’t have to sell, as that looked like it sucked.

Don Callis came out and told PAC that Omega’s time was money, so he better finish him off. As the referee was distracted, Omega ran in and leveled them with the title belt, and Aubrey Edwards counted to 10, making the match a draw.

Result: Draw

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Well, that was a weak ending. Omega and Callis said that Omega had the night off now, as there was no winner. Tony Schiavone then announced that Tony Khan let him know in his headset that the match was going to be a triple threat at Double or Nothing. Okay. I wasn’t a fan of this, at least in that way.

Given the potential injury, Omega and Tony Khan did a good job with the audible called, and still got to the intended result

The Bucks were backstage and they were angry about the locker room being destroyed. They challenged the Varsity Blondes to a match for next week on Dynamite, but then challenged Moxley and Kingston to a match at Double or Nothing.

Hangman Page spoke about his loss to Brian Cage, but he noted that it wasn’t really Brian Cage that beat him, so much as it was Taz and his men jumping him before the match. Hangman challenged Cage to a match one on one. I really liked this promo.

The Pinnacle came out and MJF talked about being the king of wrestling, and how he was the new demo god. Tully Blanchard grabbed the mic and said that the Pinnacle took everything he Inner Circle had, and still made them quit. He said they were at the top of the world, and they were the finest wrestlers in the world, and they deserve the finest things.

As Tully gave each of them a watch as a gift, there was a honking horn, and MJF lost it. The Inner Circle, Hager, Ortiz, and Guevara showed up with a cart that was hooked up to a hose that was fully of the Bubbly. As MJF said they were done, he said Jericho was never coming back, and as he was talking, the voice of Jericho called out saying “You’re not going to give us a rematch?”

Jericho had a huge cast and brace on his elbow from the fall, and asked for a rematch once again, and MJF said no. Sammy then sprayed them with the Bubbly. The swam around in it. MJF got angry and then said that he would give them a rematch and challenged them to a Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing with the stipulation that if the Inner Circle loses, they have to break up forever.

Wasn’t sure about the spraying of the Bubbly, but it did trick MJF into offering the match, which makes sense. I like the stipulation, as it justifies that match should happen, but this whole feud has been very rushed. It’s not bad material, but it’s just been rushed.

Thunder Rosa vs. Jazmin Allure

Rosa took no prisoners in this match, beating on Allure throughout it. Rosa hit the Fire Thunder Driver for a quick pinfall, while looking right at the camera and saying it was her time.

Jade Cargill was backstage with Tony Schiavone and talked about how she was fielding offers to represent her, but she was her own boss and handled her own business.

A promo aired for Darby Allin of him returning home to Seattle, and he talked about how he didn’t buy what Miro was selling as he took us around his old skating warehouse. He said that by the end of the match tonight, he was going to admit that Allin was one of the toughest men he ever stepped in the ring with.

Miro vs. Darby Allin (c) w/ Sting

Miro attacked before the bell rang, and threw Darby around the ring and stomped a hole in him. Miro threw Allin into the middle ropes face first, and Darby rolled to the outside. Miro thew Allin on the mats and then into the guardrails. Miro screamed at the camera “Am I underwhelming?” before clotheslining Miro over the guardrail and then staring a hole in Sting.

Miro smashed Darby with a knee back in the ring, and then Darby demanded that the match start. Miro kicked Darby right in the face and got a near fall. Miro thought he won, but Darby Allin rolled out of the ring to recover. Darby managed to hit two shotgun dropkicks on Miro and went for a stunner on the floor, but Miro caught him.

Allin managed to slip out and send Miro into the ring post, and Allin hit a huge suicide dive on Miro. Allin went for the Coffin Drop off the top rope to the floor, but Miro caught him and hit a German suplex on the floor. As Miro was beating on Allin, Scorpio Sky hit a chop block on Sting out of nowhere.

Sky ran away, and Miro continued his beating on Allin before sending Allin sternum first into the turnbuckles, looking exactly like Bret Hart when he took that bump. Allin flipped over from a back suplex attempt and locked on a sleeper hold, switching to more of a choke, as he couldn’t keep the grip well with his injured arm.

Both men spilled out to the floor, and Allin locked on the choke again, hitting crossfaces on Miro. Miro went for the TNT title, but the referee pulled it way. Allin pinched Miro’s nose, making it harder for him to breathe, but he smashed Allin into the stage back first, and both men crashed to the floor.

Miro took Allin back into the ring and continued to beat on Allin’s arm and shoulder, slamming him on it. Miro went for an attack, but Allin countered into a stunner and hit the ropes. Allin hit the ropes and Miro went for a popup slam, but Allin countered into a stunner again. Allin went for the Coffin Drop, but Miro caught him and went for a German Suplex.

Allin landed on his feet and hit a Code Red for a 2-count. Miro got up and countered the sleeper from Allin into a Game Over, and bent Allin in half with it, forcing the submission. We have a new TNT Champion!

Result: Miro

Rating: ****3/4 (4.75 stars)

This match was awesome. There is no other way to put it. In what was a puzzling show in some ways, there was still a lot of good stuff here. This match was one of those good things, and holy cow, it was great. Absolutely fantastic match between Miro and Allin, and this is the Miro everyone couldn’t wait to see when he joined AEW.

Allin is a superstar, and Miro was an incredible monster heel here. Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page attacked Sting, but the Dark Order chased them away. Lance Archer came out to go face to face with Miro as the show went off the air.

Final Rating: ***1/2 (3.5 stars)

On paper, from the match quality alone (three very good matches with Nagata vs. Moxley, the Tag Title match, and the main event), you would think this was an outstanding, blow away show. The wrestling in those three matches was incredible. The show was bookended by two excellent matches that were PPV quality, but something seemed off with the show from Cody’s promo onwards.

It wasn’t a bad show, by any means, but the TNA like “TO THE BACK” moment when SCU lost and the WWE style finish to OC vs. PAC kind of left a sour taste in my mouth. It’s possible that the finish to PAC and OC was an audible as OC got hurt, but it still didn’t sit right with me.

The rest of the show was mostly good to great, but it never really recovered after those odd finishes in terms of excitement for me until the main event. The main event was so great. It almost erased my memory of the earlier portions of the show, and did cause it to finish very strong. We’ll see what’s next for next week.