AEW Dynamite Grades and Reactions for February 7

Swerve Strickland Vs. Hangman Adam Page (No.1 contender match)

Dynamite kicked off the same way it ended last week; with Swerve Strickland and Adam Page in the ring, face-to-face. It was announced at the end of last week that Swerve and Adam would compete in a number-one contender match. The winner faces Samoa Joe next month at AEW Revolution for the AEW World Championship. The action was highly competitive and went back and forth between the competitors. The crowd could be heard chanting “This is awesome” and even “Holy Sh*t” during the contest. It was especially difficult to predict a winner for this match. Both men could easily be inserted into the world title picture and have an amazing match against Samoa Joe. 

After giving a performance that the audience will never forget, Swerve covered Page for what he was hoping to be a three-count. Suddenly, the bell rang before the official could get to three. Justin Roberts then announced that the time for the sanctioned match had run out and the result of the match was a draw. Strickland’s face was one of severe disappointment. Strickland then grabbed a microphone and demanded the match go five minutes longer. Page refused, and that’s when it was announced that the title at Revolution would now be a three-man match consisting of Swerve Strickland, Hangman Adam Page, and Samoa Joe.

 This was a Blockbuster announcement after an extremely entertaining bout. As personal and gruesome as Strickland’s and Page’s rivalry has been, Samoa Joe is one of the best Heels in AEW. That said, Revolution will be unlike any one-on-one match Strickland and Page have had so far. While some may have seen this coming, the match itself has the potential to be one of the best and most talked about AEW Championship matches of all time.

Grade: A

Toni Storm Vs. Red Velvet

From the first bell ring, it was pretty clear to any viewer that this match was only meant to showcase AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm. Storm competed in front of Deonna Purazzo, her championship opponent at Revolution. After Purazzo tore through the competition for multiple weeks, it was time for Toni to step in the ring and show Deonna exactly what she was in for on March 3rd. 

Toni looked great as usual in the ring. After sitting on commentary for weeks, Storm in the ring was impressive. She made quick work of Red Velvet, trapping her in an ankle lock to which she tapped out. Storm refused to let go after the bell had been rung, drawing Purazzo out from the commentary table and into the ring. The two got in each other’s faces until Luther was able to separate them on behalf of Storm. 

Purazzo has done an amazing job looking strong going into Revolution. More and more people buy in with each passing week. While that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s ready to be given the title, it does mean that she’s earned being in the title picture with Toni Storm at Revolution. This an opportunity for Purazzp to show AEW she can handle these blockbuster PPV matches.

Grade: B-

Blackpool Combat Club Vs. CMLL

After last week’s beatdown on Jon Moxley from CMLL, Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson would aid their BCC brother in a six-man tag match against members of CMLL. Moxley wanted the tag since the bell rang, angry about how last week went down. Many people (including Taz on commentary) were cheering and hoping for the BCC to dominate the CMLL, a stable that’s looked at by the AEW roster as outsiders. The BCC worked well as a faction like always, giving CMLL the fight of their lives. 

As revenge for what CMLL did Moxley Last week, Castagnoli picked up the victory with the help of a low blow. After the bell rang, three other members of CMLL jumped the barricade, ready to jump the BCC. Other AEW locker room members fled down to the ring, ensuring that the Outsiders didn’t hurt anyone else on their roster. While it was wildly entertaining, many wished the match had gone on longer. People can most literally see Moxley, Castagnoli and Moxley “fight forever.”

Grade: B

Tony Kahn’s big announcement

Though he has had many, Tony Kahn’s big announcement gave fans something to look forward to after the AEW Revolution. He announced that Boston, MA would be holding AEW: Big Business on March 13th at the TD Garden. Khan says that this will be an important night for AEW, but also for all of pro-wrestling. Many are also very quick to speculate that this is where we may see the AEW debut of Mercedes Moné, given the name of the special edition of Dynamite, and that Boston is Moné’s hometown. If AEW has reached an agreement with Moné, Big Business in Boston is the perfect place to announce it and make it official.

Chris Jericho Vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Jericho had an impressive match last week against Kyle Fletcher. This week, The Don Callis Family would sub in Takeshita to take out Jericho for good. The match started with a lot of action outside of the ring. While Jericho is getting older, Takeshita possesses incredible athleticism that, if anything, makes Jericho look just a little slower. Not long into the fight, Sammy Gaveria arrived at ringside to help even the odds, taking out Powerhouse Hobbs with a steel chair. Gaveria has been a constant in this feud between Jericho and Don Kalus. This feud has gone on for months now and it’s hard to predict if there’s an ending in sight.

 Takeshita shocked the world when he not only beat Jericho but tapped him out with The Walls of Jericho, his own finishing move. Callis cheers after the match, saying that Takeshita made Jericho quit. Of course that didn’t happen until Callis interfered with the match, hitting Jericho in the head with a screwdriver without the official seeing it. Certainly, this rivalry between Jericho and the Don Callis Family is far from over. 

Grade: B+

Darby Allin and Sting Vs. Big Bill and Ricky Starks (Tornado tag/ AEW Tag Team Championships)

So soon before his retirement match at Revolution, Sting hopes to capture tag title gold with his long-time partner, Darby Allin. Sting has been an incredible mentor to Allin, leading him to victory in every match they have had as a team in the past three years. Now, It was time for the duo to collect what they had earned from the champions and Sting was willing to do anything to get that done. In his 60’s, Sting jumped 10+ feet in the air onto Starks and Bill, shocking and concerning many. This really showed that there’s a reason Sting is still here. It’s not for money or fame, it’s because he loves to wrestle. 

This match was by far the most thrilling match of the evening, especially considering that there are no DQs in a Tornado Tag Match. This allowed for tables and other weapons to be taken out. This led to Allin and Bill going through a table that was set up at ringside, putting both men out of commission for the rest of the match. In the final moments, Sting and Ricky Starks went back and forth. Sting ultimately delivered a Scorpion Death Drop to Starks, putting him down for the three count. Sting and Darby had done it. After three years of fighting, they were finally the AEW Tag Team Champions.

 While this is an amazing victory, Why? Sting is retiring in just a few short weeks. This almost guarantees that the Young Bucks will win the tag titles from Sting and Darby at their scheduled match for Revolution.  Even though this is an iconic moment, the end draws very near for their title reign, as Sting’s career will officially come to an end on March 3rd at Revolution. Predictably, Matt and Nick Jackson ambushed Sting and his sons after the match had been won. They held up the titles real high, foreshadowing what we all know is to come. 

Grade: A+