AEW Dynamite Review - November 22, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Swerve Strickland def. Jay Lethal in a Gold League Continental Classic Match

It was weird kicking off the tournament with a heel vs. heel matchup (which we're obviously going to see a lot of in both leagues), but they did have an enjoyable affair. Both are very talented, but it's a shame more viewers don't see Lethal as a legitimate threat in this thing because of how he's been booked over the last year. That said, this did send the message that Strickland should be considered a favorite to win the whole thing with the wave of momentum he's riding right now.

Samoa Joe Confronted ROH World Tag Team Champions Better Than You BayBay

I thought Cole's appearance at Full Gear might have been a one-off, so his reunion with MJF here was a nice surprise. Whether he'll stick around for the rest of his recovery is the question. I like how Joe established that he wants the AEW World Championship shot he's owed at Worlds End and the match between him and MJF was officially confirmed. This was a strong segment that accomplished what it needed to. By the way, there was another quick cameo for The Devil and we heard them laugh for the first time. I remain convinced it's Jack Perry.

FTW Champion Hook, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata def. "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard, "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker and Jake Hager

Danhausen made his return beforehand and Chicago was probably the best place to do it if the reaction he received was any indication. Granted, he didn't do much at ringside, but the crowd ate up him stealing Hager's dumb hat. The crowd also had fun with the match, even if it was pretty pointless in the grand scheme of things other than serving as a showcase for the babyfaces. The remnants of Jericho Appreciation Society really need to go their separate ways at this point.

Adam Copeland Saved Nick Wayne's Mom From AEW TNT Champion Christian Cage, Killswitch and Nick Wayne

Yes, it's super strange to be writing "Nick Wayne's mom", but I don't believe they've called her by her first name yet. Also, Luchasaurus' new name is Killswitch and Wayne's new nickname is The Prodigy, both according to Christian. Luchasaurus/Killswitch appeared to be on the verge of defying Christian and turning on him before Copeland ran out, so that could be Christian's next program before he ultimately faces Copeland. This was great stuff. 

Jay White def. Rush in a Gold League Continental Classic Match

One of the rules for the Continental Classic is that no one is allowed at ringside. Why can't that be the case all year round? That prevented interference from The Gunns but didn't stop White from cheating down the stretch. I would've preferred to see him win clean, but oh well. They had the very good match you'd expect from them. Similar to Lethal, I don't expect Rush to win the Gold League, but he can be counted on for a lot of quality matches in the meantime.

AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm Gave an Acceptance Speech

The Timeless shtick continues to be a blast. What a clever idea to have her give an "acceptance speech" fresh off winning back the belt. It was short, sweet, straight to the point and the crowd got a kick out of it as well. Mariah May stood beside her the whole time, so she'll remain part of the act which I'm looking forward to. I'm curious who will be built up as her first challenger, but regardless of who it is, she should be holding the gold for the long haul.

Skye Blue def. Anna Jay and Ruby Soho in a Three-Way Match

Blue is a Chicago native, so that should have made it pretty obvious that she was winning. She fell short of capturing the AEW TBS Championship at Full Gear, so it was the logical outcome. It was a random three-way with nothing on the line, but it existed to progress the storylines with Soho and Jay teasing tension with their respective faction. The match itself was decent, but the focus was hardly on the action.

Jon Moxley def. Mark Briscoe in a Gold League Continental Classic Match

I'm happy Briscoe is a member of the AEW roster and part of this Continental Classic, but he's another guy who will not be winning many matches. I'd actually like to see him win the vacant ROH World Television Championship at Final Battle next month. With all of that said, this was an entertaining main event. They went well into the overrun and Briscoe was made to look credible in defeat.

Overall Show

If you're a fan of straight-up wrestling, you're going to really love AEW TV over the next month because you're going to get quite a bit of it in the Continental Classic. Will the Gold League be exclusive be Dynamite and the Blue League to Collision/Rampage? There were only Gold League matches on this episode, but the Blue League kicks off on Saturday. It was a thumbs-up edition of Dynamite with some top-notch matches, a well-done segment with Christian's crew and Copeland, and the main event for Worlds End being set in stone a month out, which I appreciated.

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