AEW Dynamite Review - February 19, 2020

​By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Young Bucks Won an AEW World Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender's Tag Team Battle Royal

This was different than WWE tag team Battle Royals in that the entire tandem wasn't gone if one person was eliminated. IT was a bit confusing at certain points with random tag teams entering after the bell already rang, but this was a blast on the whole. It showcased AEW's strong tag team division and most of the teams got to shine at one point or another. It was pretty obvious from the get-go that the Bucks were winning, but it certainly didn't take away from this crowd's enjoyment of it whatsoever. My only nitpick is that this renders the rankings completely pointless when you think about it, which is why I wish they'd move away from them if they're going to be this problematic.

Kris Statlander def. Shanna

I believe it's been well over a month since we last saw either of these women on Dynamite. They're both very good and this was a fun match that the crowd was into. I'm not huge into Statlander's alien shtick, but you can't deny that she's talented in the ring. I'm glad she scored the victory. She should be rebuilt back toward title contention, and based off what we saw in the next segment, it looks like that's the plan.

Tony Schiavone Interviewed AEW Women's Champion Nyla Rose

This might have been the most we've ever heard from Rose since her debut at Double or Nothing last May. She had her best match to date against Riho last week and I didn't think this promo was entirely terrible. Sure, it was a bit basic, but I applaud her effort. Statlander and Big Swole stepping up must mean that a number one contender's match between them is on the horizon. Of the two, I find Statlander to be the much more intriguing option.

Jon Moxley def. Jeff Cobb

Cobb isn't signed to a full-time deal yet with AEW, so it was perfectly logical that he'd lose here. That said, they did a great job of protecting him in defeat. Moxley barely walked away with the win, but only after an awesome hard-hitting affair. These two beat the holy hell out of each other and Cobb was successful in softening up Moxley ahead of Revolution. Dustin Rhodes attempted to make the save afterward and was helped out by the returning Darby Allin, who received a superstar reaction. AEW has something special in Allin.

AEW World Tag Team Champions "Hangman" Adam Page and Kenny Omega def. The Lucha Brothers

The Bucks winning the number one contender's Battle Royal earlier in the evening essentially telegraphed the finish to this, but the crowd didn't seem to care one bit. This was a hell of a match that featured exciting action and the audience ate up everything they did, but I really wish they would cool it on the kickouts. It's the law of diminishing returns, because if they do it again at Revolution when Page and Omega face the Bucks, it won't mean as much. At any rate, I liked the subtle teases of dissension between Page and Omega throughout this bout, only for them to retain their titles in the end. We'll see what happens when they battle their buddies at the pay-per-view and if Page will resort to underhanded tactics to beat them.

Cody def. Wardlow in a Steel Cage Match

Is it just me or does Wardlow bare a resemblance to Brian Cage (who is reportedly AEW bound)? Nevertheless, Cody having Arn Anderson and Brandi Rhodes at ringside to ensure MJF didn't interfere was a nice touch. I also appreciated that this could only be won by pinfall or submission and not by escaping the cage (a stipulation I was never fond of. Anderson, Brandi and MJF were a slight distraction at certain points, but that's merely nitpicking. They didn't have a ton of time to work with and I didn't love Wardlow getting pinned in his debut, but this was entertaining on the whole.

Overall Show

Last week's edition of Dynamite was one of, if not the best episode AEW has produced to date, so despite the loaded lineup for this week, it was going to be tough for that to be topped. This wasn't quite as ​excellent overall, but everything served a purpose and delivered, the two hours flew by, and the hype for Revolution was well done. All in all, it was a strong show. Meanwhile, it feels like the Revolution card isn't complete just yet, but hopefully they can confirm those matches on next week's show. What's being advertised so far has be sold, though.