AEW Dynamite 3/17/2021 Quick Takes

Cody Rhodes vs. Penta El Zero M

When this was set up last week, I was stoked. I was looking forward to Penta having his first real singles program in AEW. In actuality, we got something that was good. Not great. Good. Both men are good at what they do but sometimes that creates a conflict. Penta’s whole schtick is breaking arms. Cody has a hurt arm. This should be a straightforward connection. Instead, Cody “no sells” the arm attacks and wins with a roll-up. Penta attacks Cody after the match but gets chased off by Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes, and the Gunn Club. QT Marshall nonchalantly comes down to help.

Jade Cargill vs. Dani Jordyn

This was a squash match. I don’t think this went more than 90 seconds. This was 3 moves: a big boot, a very good German Suplex, and The Jaded. The presentation of Cargill is really good and it’s obvious that the company sees a lot in her.

The Pinnacle of Pro Wresting

After a quick recap of last week’s carnage, MJF and his new faction are out to make their statement. Maxwell introduces each member one by one and explains what each person brings to the table. He then dubs this new group as The Pinnacle and says that they have their sights on The Inner Circle. I liked this a lot. I’m a faction guy. This group came out looking like a million bucks and made its mission statement known. This was simple but effective.

Matt Hardy, Private Party, and Butcher and Blade vs. Jurassic Express and Bear Country

This was OK. Honestly, this felt like this match would have fit in just fine as a Dark main event. I’m all for more Bear Country on Dynamite. I have been a fan of theirs for quite some time and I’m glad to see them do more on a bigger stage. Separating Butcher and Blade from Eddie Kingston and letting them go back to the mercenary role they had when they first came to AEW is a smart play and it gives them something to do. Marko Stunt was an interesting factor. He was showing a more annoying (than usual) side that ended up being the chain reaction that allowed Matt Hardy to hit an emphatic Twist of Fate for the win.

Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston vs. The Good Brothers

This was another one of those matches that seemed like it could only happen in Fire Pro Wrestling. The match was by no means, a technical masterpiece but it served its purpose of move the story along. Mox and Kingston do make a good team and I hope that this partnership sticks around for a while. As for Gallows and Anderson, they did what they needed to do. They are Kenny’s enforcers and they are there to hurt people. Moxley gets the win after rolling up Anderson. I would have liked this more if the finish wasn’t so similar to the Cody Rhodes match earlier. After the match, Kenny is out with a chair and gets involved and helps the Good Brothers Pillmanize Kingston’s knee. They try to do the same to Mox’s head but get stopped by The Young Bucks. Omega and The Good Brothers offer up the “too sweet” but The Bucks refuse. Omega even pushes Matt for his defiance. Moxley grabs the chair from earlier and chases away the heels.

Rey Fenix vs. Angelico

This one gave me some Lucha Underground flashbacks. It’s easy to forget how good Angelico can be if given the chance. Fenix is easily one of the best luchadors on the planet right now. When you put these two together, you’re going to get something good from it. Fenix gets the win with his driver variation. This was fun. It didn’t move a story along. There wasn’t a post-match angle. This was just a fun match and sometimes, that’s all you need.

Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa

Here we go! The AEW women get a shot to close the show and they picked two of the best to have this moment. This was absolutely brutal. There were table spots, steel steps, and blood. So. Much. Blood. This match was way more violent than the Revolution main event. Some may this was too much for a TV main event but I disagree. This program has been going on for some time and while I would have liked the blow off of occur on a PPV, AEW’s schedule allows for moments like this to happen on a special occasion show. Thunder Rosa wins with a driver through a table to the outside. Both women killed it tonight. This felt like a blood feud and the violence felt necessary. For all of the hate the division gets, this match may help to turn some people around.

#prowrestling #JonMoxley #AEWDynamite #wrestling #AEW #CodyRhodes