AEW Dynamite Review - December 8, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

CM Punk Addressed MJF and the Long Island Crowd

Some people were pulling for MJF to come out to "Cult of Personality" of CM Punk the night of Punk's AEW debut back in August (which would have been a dumb idea given the circumstances), so I thought it was funny that the roles were reversed here and it worked wonderfully. I realize Punk is a babyface, but it hardly mattered that he heeled on the audience here because he'll be back to being cheered next week wherever they are. This was a lot of fun and furthered their feud effectively. It also gave us a nice glimpse of what to expect when Punk turns heel eventually.

MJF and Dante Martin Were the Two Remaining Participants in the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale

This felt like it was all about MJF and no one else. That isn't necessarily a bad thing because he was the biggest star in there as well as the hometown hero, but the actual Battle Royale was total throwaway. I mean, Matt Hardy eliminating Jay Lethal? Come on, man. MJF accidentally eliminating Wardlow was worth noting, though. I assumed Dante Martin would turn on Team Taz and that's exactly what happened. It will be MJF one-on-one with Dante for the Dynamite diamond ring next week. MJF acting like a babyface the whole time until the very end was hilarious.

Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus) and Varsity Blonds def. The Acclaimed and 2point0

I have no idea why this match was made other than to get all of these teams on TV, specifically The Acclaimed because Max Caster said he was a Long Island native (how many people are from Long Island on the AEW roster?!). Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable eight-man tag team affair while it lasted, but it didn't seem to serve much of a purpose other than to allow Eddie Kingston to interfere and cost 2point0 the win. The camera than awkwardly followed Kingston to the back where he brawled with 2point0 and Daniel Garcia. A program with 2point0 feels beneath Kingston.

The Young Bucks def. Rocky Romero and Chuck Taylor

If you're not a fan of Young Bucks' nonsense, you probably hated this match and I don't blame. It was definitely ridiculous at times and reminded me of the match Adam Cole and Bobby Fish had with Orange Cassidy and Wheeler Yuta a few weeks ago. The action was entertaining, the crowd ate it up and there were some strong nearfalls, so I can't completely crap on it, but I wish everyone involved would tone down the campiness once in a while. The return of Trent afterward was a cool surprise seeing as how he's also from Long Island.

Cody Rhodes Accepted AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara's Open Challenge

Tony Schiavone was standing on the stage with Guevara talking about his open challenge when Cody's music hit and he was showered with boos. If we've learned anything in the last three months, it's that New York loathes Cody. Cody confirmed that he'll be Guevara's next challenger and I believe he mentioned that the match will happen in two weeks on the Christmas week episode. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky also spoke from elsewhere in the arena, but they didn't really say much of note.

Riho def. Jamie Hayter

Riho beat Britt Baker on the Black Friday edition of Rampage, so it's pretty obvious she's going to get her shot at the AEW Women's World Championship sooner rather than later (likely at Battle of the Belts). Although the outcome of this contest was never in doubt, both women gave it a hell of an effort and were given plenty of time. The crowd seemed to be fairly quiet early on, but they gradually came alive down the stretch. Hayter's performance was especially impressive and I hope she gets more chances to shine in the future (and win).

Malakai Black Misted Julia Hart

Varsity Blonds were randomly being interviewed on the stage by Schiavone when the lights went out almost immediately and Black was standing across from them when they came back on. He proceeded to mist Hart in the face before vanishing. Hart actually did a decent job of selling the mist, so props to her. My guess is that this leads to Black vs. Brian Pillman Jr. It won't be a full-fledged feud, but it's at least something to keep Black busy for now.

Bryan Danielson def. John Silver

I appreciated that this was the most competitive match Danielson has had yet with any member of The Dark Order. Silver has the biggest breakout potential of everyone in the group, so I had no issue with him taking the right to Danielson before eating defeat. Adam Page showed excellent intensity afterward fending Danielson off, but I wish we got more interaction between them on the mic ahead of Winter Is Coming. Maybe it's because they'll continue to feud beyond that show and have a rematch at Battle of the Belts?

Overall Show

This felt like a bit of a filler show heading into next week's loaded Winter Is Coming episode, but it turned out to be a solid two hours with some intriguing storyline advancements. The first half hour was a blast with what they did with Punk and then in the Battle Royale, and the two tag team matches were a treat. The women worked hard and the main event was what it needed to be, so I don't have many complaints. Nearly every edition of Dynamite leaves me satisfied whether it's built up as a big show or not.

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