AEW Dynamite Review - December 18, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Lucha Brothers def. Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page

Color me surprised. Corpus Christi is widely known for being a dead wrestling crowd, but they were as loud as I've ever heard them on this show and specifically for this match. They were going nuts at the opening bell! This was an absolutely insane tag team opener. AEW was wise to have this kick off the show opposite of Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship on WWE NXT with no commercials as well. I figured Omega and Page would pick up another victory and potentially earn themselves a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but I honestly think The Lucha Brothers were the better choice to win. Page and Omega teased tension afterward, but before they could come to blows, Pac interrupted them on the big screen as he was shown beating up Omega's close friend Michael Nakazawa backstage. I assume Omega vs. Page will be saved for the Revolution pay-per-view in February.

Cody and Darby Allin def. The Butcher and The Blade

No disrespect to QT Marshall, who fared much better last week than I expected him to, but Allin was a much more natural fit to team with Cody. They had terrific chemistry and got a damn good match out of The Butcher and The Blade. Speaking of whom, they're talented in the ring, but I still don't get their gimmick and what it's supposed to be. It was also strange seeing them lose in only their second outing in AEW, but such is life. Cody winning with something other than a Cross Rhodes was a pleasant surprise, but everyone in AEW needs to cool it with the cutters. I feel like I see multiple each week. As a result of his win, Allin will get his long awaited rematch with Cody from Fyter Fest on the New Year's Day episode of Dynamite.

Awesome Kong def. Miranda Alize

The commentators noted how this marked Kong's first match on Dynamite. It really shouldn't have taken AEW this long to put her in the ring, but I understand they're taking their time in building up The Nightmare Collective. I don't care for the stable, but Kong can still be a monster heel in the women's division on her own. She made quick work of her unknown opponent and won with ease. This was short, sweet and exactly what it needed to be.

AEW World Champion Chris Jericho vs. Jungle Boy Ended in a 10-Minute Time Limit Draw (Non-Title)

Two weeks ago on Dynamite, Jericho claimed Jungle Boy couldn't last 10 minutes in the ring with him, and thus this was given a 10-minute time limit. I don't think anyone ever actually thought Jungle Boy would win, but fans were anxious to see him go the distance and not get beaten before the time was up. Although he came close to tapping at the end, he did indeed survive. This was a super fun sprint where Jungle Boy gained a ton in hanging in there with Jericho. He remains win-less in AEW, mind you, but that draw may as well have been a win for him. Post-match, Jericho cut a promo saying Jon Moxley better have an answer for him in regards to his offer about joining The Inner Circle and that surprises are in store for him come the New Year's episode.

Kris Statlander def. Britt Baker in an AEW Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Match

Statlander has churned out great performance after great performance since signing with AEW. Unfortunately, Baker hasn't been nearly as consistent in the ring. This was a solid match and Statlander had a nice showing, but we've seen better bouts with Statlander in recent weeks. The important thing is that she won and will now face Rhio (who has been conspicuous by her absence since Full Gear over a month ago) for the AEW Women's Championship in two weeks. The stuff afterward with The Nightmare Collective offering Statlander a spot in their faction seems too similar to what we saw earlier with Jericho and Moxley, but at least she declined.

AEW World Tag Team Champions SCU def. The Young Bucks​

I loved the video package that aired before the bout showcasing the Bucks' journey to this tag team title opportunity. It gave the match a big fight feel, even if it felt rushed and could have lasted a lot longer. Despite that, the action was exciting and SCU held onto gold. The Dark Order then laid out both teams post-match, revealing Alex Reynolds and John Silver as their two newest members. Dark Order has gradually been growing on me with their recent vignettes, so I didn't hate this angle at all. In fact, I'm intrigued to see where it will go.

Overall Show

This was a jam-packed show and an overall excellent effort from AEW for their final live show of 2019. The main event and number one contender's match were slightly underwhelming, but that's merely nitpicking. I like where they're headed with the Page/Omega tension, Dark Order, Jericho/Moxley, and Cody/MJF. They've loaded up that first show of 2020 and I'm looking forward to it. Until then, happy holidays, folks!