In this AEW Dynamite 4/1/20 review, the TNT title tournament bracket is revealed, Lance Archer squares off with Marko Stunt, and much more.
Let’s jump in.
- Show: AEW Dynamite
- Date: April 1, 2020
- Location: ????
RINGSIDE: Tony Schiavone and Cody Rhodes welcome us. Cody’s dog is with him, which automatically improves this show’s score already. They announce the bracket for the TNT title tournament and hype the matches, which include:
- Cody Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears
- Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin
- Dustin Rhodes vs. Kip Sabian
- Lance Archer vs. Colt Cabana
Trent vs. Kenny Omega
Unlike the previous edition of Dynamite, the wrestlers are back at ringside to add atmosphere to the show. Both guys trade stiff shots early on, and the theme is Trent working on Omega’s injured hand. They work to a wild brawl outside the ring with Omega hitting a powerbomb on Trent into a steel rail. Omega with the One Winged Angel with a minute left in the time limit to earn him the win. (***1/2, Recommended)
VIDEO: Recap of Matt Hardy’s arrival in AEW and his feud with Chris Jericho.
VIDEO: A hype for Hikaru Shida ahead of her upcoming match.
Hikaru Shida vs. Anna Jayy
Reminder that I’m updating this review from when I first watched this several years ago. I forgot Anna Jay initially had two y’s in her name. As for the match, it’s more about Britt Baker taunting Shida than anything else. Shida hits the slam on Anna for the victory.
VIDEO: Recap of the feud between Jon Moxley and Jake Hager. This is a great video pushing the rivalry between the two.
VIDEO: Jake Roberts continues to hype Lance Archer and also taunts Cody.
Marko Stunt vs. Lance Archer
Colt Cabana joins commentary for this one. Archer is using his NJPW theme, which is perfect for his character. He takes out the cameramen before the match because of course he does. Quick clothesline to Marko and he throws him around like a rag doll. Archer with a release suplex that sends Marko all the way to the opposite corner, then he hits a huge slam for the win. After the match, Archer throws Mark from the apron over the railing onto some of the wrestlers. A visual spectacle here given the size difference between these dudes.
VIDEO: Brodie Lee is with Dark Order members. He gets mad at one for not saying the Dark Order slogan right, then he berates another member for yawning and says it’s weakness. There’s another reference to Vince McMahon’s thoughts on sleep.
Dark Order vs. Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall
QT teases putting the Dark Order mask on before the match. Back and forth affair, but it’s the double team flapjack from QT and Dustin, with Dustin getting the pin for the win. After the match, Lee comes out and stares down Dustin before destroying one of the Dark Order members in the ring.
VIDEO: Jericho in his hot tub running down The Elite. Vanguard 1 flies in and hovers over him, so Jericho apologizes for what he said last week. Jericho then hooks a tiny Inner Circle shirt on Vanguard and suggests an elbow-to-propeller shake. Jericho says to release the hounds and all his dogs try to chase after Vanguard. More of this nonsense, please.
RINGSIDE: Schiavone hypes the Moxley vs. Hager title match in two weeks, while Cabana hypes his match with Archer in the TNT title tournament.
VIDEO: The Young Bucks discuss Nick’s injury. They stand in a ring on a tennis court, and Nick says he doesn’t know who took him out. They train and talk about appreciating what they have, but Nick says he’s not ready to return yet.
Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears vs. Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin
Schiavone plays up the history Cody has with both Darby and Spears. Sammy starts live streaming on his phone during the match and asks Brandi for a kiss, but she takes the phone away from him. Sammy and Spears start gambling with each other about who can hold Darby for the longest suplex. Spears throws Cody over the guardrail and Havoc, Sabian, Baker, and Ford attack him. Sammy with a missile dropkick off the apron on Darby on the guardrail. Darby climbs the pole near the ring and hits the Coffin Drop on Sammy and Spears. Darby pulls a chair away to keep Cody from taking a chair shot, and that allows Spears to roll up Darby for the win. After the match, Darby gets pissed and decks Cody.
BLAKE’S TAKE ON AEW DYNAMITE 4/1/20
- Overall Rating: 7.5/10
- Thoughts: Another enjoyable show built around personal rivalries and the setup for the TNT title tournament. The main event was good, Archer vs. Marko was fun in its own unique way, and Jericho’s segment with Vanguard 1 qualifies as an instant classic. Fun stuff.
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