AEW Dynamite: Friday Night Dynamite Preview and Predictions

This week’s AEW Dynamite has a number of scheduled segments and matches already announced. We will get a couple of tag team matches, a bull rope match and we will hear from both a brand new AEW signee and a brand new AEW champion.

The full capacity weekend that AEW executed last week has led to the promotion escalating its momentum to an all-time high and leaves the fans with sky-high expectations for this upcoming show.

Let’s take a look at the announced matches and segments and what to expect from each of them.

AEW Dynamite is back on Friday for a second consecutive week. This week’s episode will contain all of the fallout from last Sunday’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view and it will most likely continue on some active storylines while also starting some new ones.

Cody Rhodes & Lee Johnson vs QT Marshall & Anthony Ogogo

Coming off of a singles victory over Anthony Ogogo at Double or Nothing, Cody Rhodes will team with Lee Johnson to take on two former members of the Nightmare Family in Ogogo and QT Marshall.

Ogogo and Rhodes had a fine match at Double or Nothing. Ogogo handled himself well in his first big spot and was allowed to display a good amount of offense against Rhodes.

But Rhodes, donning the “American Dream” moniker for one night, would inevitably get the win, and in doing so, denied Ogogo a huge stepping stone to becoming a budding star in AEW.

However, the promotion has yet another chance to help push Ogogo this week on Dynamite, albeit on a much smaller stage and in a tag team match.

I would love to see Ogogo pick up a clean pinfall over Cody in this spot, but realistically that is not what is going to happen.

Ogogo needs to be on the winning team here to remain relevant. Another loss to Cody within a week and Ogogo might as well head back to Dark and Elevation because he will no longer be seen as a serious threat on Dynamite.

Ogogo and QT should go over in this match. And if they do it will be at the expense of Lee Johnson.  Which is fine for now.

It seems as the tensions between the Factory and the Nightmare Family are far from over and Ogogo may end up with another shot at Cody in the near future. Winners: QT Marshall & Anthony Ogogo

Mark Henry speaks

At Double or Nothing, AEW made the surprise announcement that they had signed “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry.

Henry was introduced as one of the commentators for AEW’s new TV show — called Rampage — that will premiere in August. He will also be a mentor, coach, and scout for the promotion.  He may even wrestle a match here or there.

AEW has shown a willingness to let its veterans compete. We have seen Sting, Dustin Rhodes, and Billy Gunn all wrestle in the past couple of months, so who is to say that Henry won’t get that same opportunity?

It will be very interesting to hear Mark Henry speak on Friday.

Dustin Rhodes vs Nick Comoroto in a Bull Rope Match

After Nick Comoroto knocked Dustin Rhodes silly with a cowbell during the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing, the two will settle the score on Dynamite in a bull rope match.

At 52 years old, it is amazing that Dustin Rhodes is still as good as he is in the ring. There isn’t much that the ageless wonder was able to do 20 years ago that he cannot still do today

That being said, Rhodes is best used as someone that puts over young talent at this stage of his career. And that is exactly what he will have a chance to do on Friday.

While AEW did not capitalize on the chance to put over Anthony Ogogo at the expense of one Rhodes brother, it cannot miss the chance to do so for Comoroto at the expense of another.

Comoroto should win this match clean. In Comoroto and Ogogo, The Factory has two young talents that can make the faction a force to be reckoned with and Comorotto needs to announce that with an impressive win on Dynamite. Winner: Nick Comoroto

Britt Baker Championship Victory Celebration

The Britt Baker era is finally upon us. And while it came a bit later than most of us expected, it was worth the wait.

Baker and Shida put on a great match at Double or Nothing and at multiple points throughout the match, I actually believed that Shida was going to walk out still the champion.

On this week’s Dynamite, Baker will get the celebration that the new champion deserves. But the thing about parties is that they often get crashed.

While it is possible that this will just be a coronation of her title win, it makes more sense that someone will step up to challenge Baker right away on Friday.

There is no shortage of women that could step up to challenge the new AEW Women’s World Champion. Tay Conti, Red Velvet, Kris Statlander, or Riho would present a unique set of problems for Baker. NWA World Women’s Champion Serena Deeb could even have her sights set on becoming a double champ. That said, my gut tells me the first challenger to Britt’s title reign will be Leyla Hirsch.

Look for the “Legit” one to crash the proceedings and challenge everyone’s favorite dentist to a title shot for the following week’s episode of Dynamite.

The Young Bucks vs Pac & Penta El Zero Miedo

In what should be the main event of Friday Night Dynamite, the Young Bucks will take on two-thirds of Death Triangle in the form of PAC and Penta El Zero Miedo.

The Young Bucks retained their AEW World Tag Team Championships at Double or Nothing against Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston despite many people expecting them to lose.

And while having Mox and Kingston wreak havoc on the AEW tag team division would have been fun, it was the right call to leave the titles on the Bucks.

The recent heel turn of the Jackson brothers has been great. While struggling to gain any traction over the past year as faces, it was not surprising to see the Bucks turn to the dark side.

What has been surprising, though, is how great the Young Bucks have been in embracing the role and creating heat for themselves. From ending the team of SCU, to bragging about their $10,000 shoes, to the carefree strut to the ring and the arrogant poses, the Young Bucks are as hot as they have been since the inception of AEW.

There is absolutely no reason to cool them off with a loss now.

Pac, Penta, and Rey Fenix are probably the three most talented wrestlers in AEW who have yet to hold a title. Undoubtedly, their time will come, but this is not the time.

The next time the Bucks lose, it should be for their titles. And it should be to either the Luchas Bros. or to Santana and Ortiz.

It most likely won’t be a clean win, but it should be a Young Bucks win nonetheless. And we can all continue to look forward to the Jackson brothers continuing to annoy us with their excellence in heel-ism.