AEW Dynamite recap for Oct. 23, 2019: Ticket to ride

AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite this week featured the semi-finals of the tag title tournament and a debut in the women’s division.

And then there were two

The first two segments of this week’s Dynamite featured the semi-final matches in the AEW Tag Team Title Tournament.

The first semi-final match on the show was The Lucha Bros taking on Private Party.

Private Party double-teamed the Lucha Bros to start off the match and hold the momentum for the first part of the contest and almost score a pinfall on the former AAA Tag Team Champions. The Bros turn the tide back in their favor as Pentagon fired up and Fenix hit a stomach-turning double stomp to Marq Quen.

The Bros set Isiah Kassidy up on Quen’s shoulders and superkicked him into hitting a poisonrana on his own partner. Kassidy rolls out to the floor to escape the onslaught but Fenix followed him out with an Asai moonsault. Pentagon holds down the ring until Quen is finally able to tag out to Kassidy.

Kassidy runs absolutely wild and when Quen comes in Private Party look like they might have the match won. Quen hits a Shooting Star Press on Fenix but can’t capture the pinfall. Fenix fights back to keep the match going and hits an incredible Gory Bomb and leg drop combo. Pentagon comes in and looks to go in for the finishing stretch but Private Party refuse to stop fighting back. Private Party go for Gin and Juice but Pentagon counters it. Pentagon then goes for the finish as he breaks Kassidy’s arm and lifts Quen up for the Lucha Bros combo stomp piledriver finisher.

This was an incredible match that went how many fans expected it to go. It was then followed up by the the last semi-final tag tournament match featuring The Dark Order taking on SCU.

Frankie Kazarian and Stu Grayson start off the match with a feeling out process and Kazarian getting the upper hand in grappling. The Dark Order gained control of the contest as the match went to commercial. Back from break Grayson is in control as Evil Uno is tagged in.

At this time, The Inner Circle (minus Jake Hager) entered the arena, tickets in hand, and walked up to their private box at the top of the arena.

Meanwhile, the match continued as Kazarian gets the hot tag, leading SCU to run wild on Dark Order and almost get a three count. Kazarian goes up top but is countered by Uno kicking the ropes. The Dark Order isolate Kazarian until Scorpio Sky gets tagged in and hit simultaneous ace crushers and Dragon Sleepers with Kazarian’s help.

The Dark Order gain control once again as Grayson walks across his opponent’s shoulders and hits a hurricanrana. Grayson then hits an over-the-post dive and Uno hits an inverted Rock Bottom and almost gets the three count. Sky runs Uno into the corner and SCU hits a new gear as they start hitting DDT’s and execute their tag finisher, SCU Later, and gain the victory over Dark Order.

This was fine match that really only gained the audience’s attention about halfway through the contest, in contrast to the opening tag tournament bout. The Inner Circle coming out made the crowd check out of the match for a but but thankfully the competitors were able to win the audience back.

Running it back

Next up was a rematch from AEW dark pitting Kenny Omega against Joey Janela.

The two competitors grappled and fought for top position to start off the match as Janela showed off his technical side. The two fought out to the apron as Omega back bodydropped Janela onto the apron and knocked him to the floor. Omega hit a plancha onto “The Bad Boy” and whipped him back into the ring for more punishment.

Janela fought back and sent Omega to the floor and hit a massive crossbody. Back from commercial Omega looked for You Can’t Escape but Janela got his knees up to block the moonsault attempt. Omega started hitting Dragon suplexes and elbows and even a Snake Eyes on Janela as “The Bad Boy” looked to hit a move from the top rope.

Omega looked to finish the match with an explosive V-trigger but Janela couldn’t be kept down. Omega hit a barrage of moves but was eventually stopped with a Fisherman Buster from Janela.

Janela then hit a running lariat and got a super-close two count. Janela looked to hit a senton on Omega on the apron from the top rope but Omega moved and Janela crashed and burned. Omega smelled blood in the water and hit a V-trigger and One Winged Angel on the hurt Janela for the pinfall victory.

The two put on a solid match that showed off Janela’s technical side but it could not hold a candle to their previous encounter on AEW Dark. This match could have played better to the crowd if it had also had the no-DQ stipulation but every match Janela has can’t be no-DQ. So eventually AEW had to commit to using “The Bad Boy” in these kind of straight-style matches.

Inner Circle invasion/More Bang for Your Buck

Tony Schiavone then meets Cody in the ring for an interview but they can’t get the segment off the ground due to The Inner Circle blasting airhorns from their private box.

Jericho mocks Cody and encourages him to come up to the box and fight him. But Cody has backup as Dustin Rhodes, MJF and DDP come out and join Cody in marching to the top of the arena. Jericho and The Inner Circle lock themselves in a private room to escape Cody and his posse but Cody punches through the glass door and unlocks it. Both groups brawl throughout the arena until security gets in between them, bringing a close to a fun and wild segment that helped add to the building tension between Cody and Jericho.

Back from commercial The Best Friends are in the ring to compete against The Young Bucks

The Bucks looked to hit their signature pose but Orange Cassidy stood in between them which upset The Jacksons. Cassidy hit two sloth-like kicks to The Bucks who then hit Cassidy with their own superkicks as the match began. The two teams fought back and forth until The Bucks took the Best Friends to the floor and mockingly hugged in the ring.

The Best Friends countered The Bucks as they get too cocky and hit a nasty Doomsday Device knee strike. Cassidy runs interference as The Best Friends continue to pour on the offense.

Back from commercial, The Best Friends are running rampant and hitting a Suplex Party on The Bucks. Chuck Taylor hits his patented Falcon Arrow which only garners a two count. The Best Friends continue to keep the offense poured on as Cassidy hits a dive onto The Bucks on the floor.

The Best Friends look to finish the match with their tag team finisher Strong Zero on Matt Jackson but as they go for the pin Nick Jackson hit a senton on the pinfall attempt. The Best Friends go for another Doomsday Knee but it’s countered into a Superkick Party sequence. The Bucks then finally turn the tide fully to their side and hit More Bang For Your Buck for the win.

After the match the Young Bucks accept Proud and Powerful’s (Santana and Ortiz) challenge for a match at Full Gear.

This was a great match that helped The Young Bucks recover from their loss to Private Party and continued to endear The Best Friends to the AEW faithful.

She’s just a Hayter

Next up on the broadcast was a match featuring Britt Baker D.M.D. taking on the debuting Stardom wrestler Jamie Hayter.

Hayter came out getting in the crowd’s face as she set her heel role up well to start the segment. Baker came out with Pittsburgh Steelers mascot Steely McBeam, as Baker is billed from Pittsburgh, and Steelers colors adorning her ring gear.

Hayter started strong out of the gate, running smash mouth-style into her opponent. The conflict spills out to the floor and Baker counters Hayter’s offense with a rough-looking slingblade.

Back from commercial, Hayter is wearing Baker down as Baker continues to fight back. Hayter hits a picture-perfect Michinoku Driver but only gets a two count. Jamie continues to pour on the offense with a superplex, rock bottom and lariat combo. Hayter finally gets countered with a superkick from Baker as Baker starts to gain momentum. Baker hits a Stunner and a fisherman’s neckbreaker but has to lock in the Lockjaw to get the win over Hayter.

Afterwards Hayter is attacked backstage by a crazed-looking Brandi Rhodes.

This was without a doubt Baker’s worst match so far in AEW. Hayter is a highly sought-after international talent with a pedigree in ring psychology and powerful strikes and Baker could not keep up in this contest. Riho had the ring generalship to make Baker look better in the ring but at some point a match like this, in which Baker gets left to fend for herself, needs to happen. Baker came off as sloppy and slow and this match only highlighted her flaws and her issues with in-ring timing.

Hopefully Baker bounces back from this rough outing and AEW continues to use Hayter going forward. Hayter getting attacked by Brandi made zero sense but only time will tell if this is the first step in a long story or if this was a misstep by the AEW writers.

Paying for your Dirty Deeds

The main event of this week’s episode of Dynamite saw Jon Moxley take on his tag team partner from last week, PAC.

Moxley makes his entrance but PAC blindsides him with a steel chair. PAC chokes Mox with his jacket and throws him into the barricade. The match eventually starts with PAC in control as Moxley rolls to the floor and gets hit with a tope. Mox fights back but once again gets knocked down as the broadcast goes to commercial.

PAC continues to beat down on Mox as he lays in kick and hits a shooting star press. Moxley once again slides out but gain she upper-hand as he hits an inverted DDT on PAC on the apron. Mox starts feeling it and hits a barrage of strikes and a lariat to top it off. Mox then hits a Crash Landing but can’t score the pinfall. This time it’s PAC who escapes to the outside but Moxley follows him out with a suicide dive.

Mox rolls PAC back in and hits a Bossman Slam and a Knee Trembler but still can’t keep “The Bastard” down. Moxley locks in the Clover Leaf but it’s still not enough so Mox changes game plans and goes up to the top rope. But PAC knows that game and catches Mox on the top. PAC gains control and hits a massive avalanche Falcon Arrow that only garners him a two count. PAC goes off the top rope but nobody is home and Mox rolls him up and almost gets the pinfall.

Both men fight on the apron and the floor until PAC hits a 450 splash to the floor. Mox gets dragged back in and gets set up for a Black Arrow but Mox moves out of the way. Moxley hits the Paradigm Shift but PAC kicks out as the 20 minute match time limit expires. Moxley was very frustrated by the draw and hit a Dirty Deeds on the referee to end the show.

Moxley and PAC put on a very good match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats and made both men look very well polished and strong. The draw made sense but the majority of fans seemed annoyed with the ending.

Another quality episode of two hours of wrestling that continues to build on the heap of great episodes of Dynamite already has in its short existence. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.