AEW Dynamite Review - March 30, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

CM Punk def. Max Caster

This match was totally random, but I really enjoyed it for as long as it lasted. If Caster is going to be doing his own thing for the time being, I'm all for him getting more singles opportunities against notable names like Punk. This was worth it for his pre-match rap alone. It's clear Punk is racking up wins ahead of an eventful opportunity at the AEW World Championship, which I would save for Double or Nothing.

Jon Moxley def. Jay Lethal

Like the opener, this was another random affair that I was thoroughly entertained by. It's about time Lethal landed a regular role on Dynamite after being relegated to Dark duty for months. He consistently shows out in these matches and it helps he's been put in the ring with equally talented opponents. With Lethal's losses becoming more apparent, I'm hoping the endgame is a heel turn because he could use it.

FTR def. Gunn Club (Austin and Colten Gunn)

Gunn Club are incredibly obnoxious, but there can be doubt they've improved in the ring over the last several months. Although I've never been a fan of theirs, I appreciate that their long string of wins has finally led to them getting television time and wasn't for nothing. All of that said, this was all about FTR. It was a well-wrestled affair designed to further FTR's face turn. I mean, how could they not get cheered against Gunn Club?

Jericho Appreciation Society Attacked Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz

It's been a few weeks since this storyline started (or at least since the formation of Jericho Appreciation Society because I know Jericho and Kingston were feuding long before that) and I still can't get into it despite the connection the babyfaces have with their crowd. They're doing what they can to make this work, but no matter how many times Jericho Appreciation Society stand tall, I can't bring myself to care about them. For me, this segment just sort of existed.

Bryan Danielson def. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta was one of the guys Danielson mentioned he wanted to mentor a month or so ago, so hopefully we get to see that soon because Yuta is damn good. He needs more character development, obviously, but I personally feel he has more potential than someone like Daniel Garcia who is as bland as bread. He and Danielson had a very well-wrestled match here and Yuta definitely gained something in defeat. Blackpool Combat Club have been the best part of Dynamite since coming together.

AEW World Champion "Hangman" Adam Page, AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express and Christian Cage Attacked Adam Cole and reDRagon

I'm sorry but Cole and reDRagon stealing the AEW World Championship and AEW World Tag Team Championship belts was a really silly storyline. I know this is AEW's way of furthering the feuds involved, but that was weak. The segment itself was decent, but I can't say I'm clamoring at this current point to see Cole and reDRagon get rematches with the champions even though I know that's where this is headed. By the way, Christian really needs to wrestle again because he's serving zero purpose as the new Marko Stunt for Jurassic Express.

Tony Schiavone Interviewed AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa

It's almost starting how much less of a focal point Rosa has become on the program since capturing the championship two months ago. I realize she's only been champ for two weeks, but between last week's segment and this, she doesn't feel like a priority at all. Obviously, that's largely due to how she's being paired off with Nyla Rose for the time being as Rose is clearly a stepping stone. This was a fine promo but nothing worth writing home about.

Toni Storm def. The Bunny to Qualify for the Women's Owen Hart Cup

You had to know Storm would be the latest addition to the roster considering she was one of the hottest female free agents prior to signing with AEW. She should have been far more successful than she was in WWE, and although she left on her own terms late last year, it wasn't as if they were booking her as a star prior to that point. I wish this was more straightforward than it was because there was no reason for Bunny to get so much offense, but at least Storm qualified as she should have.

Andrade El Idolo def. Darby Allin

This storyline hasn't been the hottest in recent weeks, so I liked that they gave them the main event slot to make the match feel more important because they could have easily put this on Rampage. It turned out to be an excellent outing with a perfect pace. I could have done without all the shenanigans at ringside, but I understand that was done to protect Allin in defeat and keep the feud alive.

Overall Show

This wasn't one of AEW's better all-around efforts with Dynamite this month, but it featured more good than bad I thought. There was plenty of above-average action to go around and Storm's debut was newsworthy. Nothing was egregiously awful, but there are some storylines I wish were more engaging. These two hours were fun on the whole and seeds are clearly being planted for more stuff in the coming weeks.

SEE MORE: Dynamite Reviews