AEW Dynamite Review - March 1, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy def. Big Bill

Cassidy's defense against Wheeler Yuta in last week's opener was excellent and I had no problem with it even though it had nothing to do with Revolution. I was wondering why this had to happen on the go-home show for the pay-per-view, but it made sense once Cassidy pulled double duty later in the night. It told a different story than Cassidy vs. Yuta and Cassidy having to fight from underneath was a nice change of pace. I had high hopes for Bill following his impressive run in IMPACT, but he continues to feel like just another guy on the roster.

House of Black Attacked AEW World Trios Champions The Elite

The Elite were making their entrance (for what, I'm not sure) when the lights went out, and when they came back on, it was revealed they were laid out by House of Black. That was literally it. I know The Elite haven't been on Dynamite a whole lot lately due to Kenny Omega dealing with visa issues, but this championship clash doesn't feel remotely as big as it should considering the star power involved. The build feels very rushed and I feel like House of Black winning the belts is the only way they can be salvaged at this point.

Powerhouse Hobbs def. Konosuke Takeshita, Action Andretti, Sammy Guevara, AR Fox, Eddie Kingston, Ortiz and Komander in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match to Earn an AEW TNT Championship Opportunity

Komander is an AAA star who was announced for this match on social media late last week by Tony Khan. In fact, the match itself was announced late last week, though I don't remember if it was on Rampage or on social media. Either way, the Face of the Revolution Ladder match didn't receive much fanfare this year and didn't take place on the Revolution card. However, I'm not complaining because the card is completely full due the main event being a 60-minute Iron Man matchup. There was no rhyme or reason for why certain people were in this match aside from a few of the combatants having established issues, so it was basically one giant spot-fest. It was certainly a spectacle, even though we tend to see this sort of stuff every week in AEW and thus they don't mean as much. I'm happy Hobbs won in his home state and the crowd was happy, too. It's about time he won something meaningful, but I don't expect him to win the TNT title next week (assuming that's when he gets his shot).

Chris Jericho def. "Pretty" Peter Avalon

This stemmed from Jericho laying out Avalon on the ramp during his segment with Ricky Starks last week. I was worried Jericho might lose due to a distraction from Starks, but thankfully, it was a straightforward win for Jericho (though I would've had it end a lot quicker than it did). Starks showed up afterward and got attacked by Jericho Appreciation Society. It would be very dumb if Jericho beats him at Revolution, but that's my expectation as of now. I'm really hoping Starks can win a second straight time so we can move on from this feud.

Christian Cage Challenged "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry to a Fight at Revolution

Cage is still a heat magnet despite being out injured for many months. That's a testament to how excellent he is in his heel role. He was interrupted by a video showing Perry digging a grave for Cage, and although he didn't formally accept Cage's challenge here, a No Holds Barred match between them was made official for Revolution. This was simple stuff, but it was effective and Cage's mic work was strong as always.

FTW Champion Hook def. Matt Hardy

The stipulation was that Hook would get a match with Stokley Hathaway if he won. To no one's surprise, he did. It was a decent match that didn't overstay its welcome and Hardy tapping out immediately was a nice touch considering he clearly doesn't want to be a part of the faction. Hook's feud with The Firm has done nothing for me personally, but if nothing else, it's kept Hook busy and I appreciate he's facing established stars on the roster.

Riho def. Toni Storm

Storm won't be a part of the three-way match for the AEW Women's World Championship, so I don't why it was necessary for her to compete on this show. Sure, Jamie Hayter brawled with Ruby Soho and Saraya afterward, but the match itself was fairly inconsequential. To their credit, it was a well-worked match, but I wasn't a fan of the outcome. Riho rarely wrestles on Dynamite these days and I don't see the point in having her go over Storm unless she's getting a title shot soon.

AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy and Danhausen Won the Casino Tag Team Battle Royale to Advance to the AEW World Tag Team Championship Four-Way Match at Revolution

Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett advancing to the tag title match at Revolution was disappointing, so I was hoping we'd get an FTR return here, especially given their history with The Gunns. Unfortunately, it was not to be and the duo of Danhausen and Cassidy went over instead. They work well together, but they're an underwhelming addition to the match because there's no chance they win. AEW's tag team division isn't nearly as exciting as it once was, and this lame Battle Royale (filled with interference and outside shenanigans) was proof of that.

Bryan Danielson Addressed AEW World Champion MJF

This segment didn't get a ton of time at all, but I thought Danielson made the most of the time he had and cut a great promo. I don't know if he was supposed to go back and forth with MJF or not, but I was totally fine with just Danielson getting mic time because we've heard enough from MJF in the buildup to Revolution. His delivery was intense and the f-bomb at the end was well done (though the way it got covered up was annoying). This is easily the best built match heading into Revolution.

Overall Show

What a weird go-home show. Outside of that final segment (which came across as rushed anyway) and the pre-taped promos from Jon Moxley and Adam Page, I don't think there was much from this edition of Dynamite that would make people want to buy Revolution if they were previously on the fence. The card on paper looks terrific, but I don't understand why there has been so much stuff on Dynamite lately that has nothing to do with the upcoming event. The night ended on a high note, but most of this was a mixed bag and a weak effort on the whole.

SEE MORE: Dynamite Reviews