AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 1
On the road to AEW Revolution, Darby Allin looked to continue his run of successful TNT Championship defenses by besting the man he defeated for the title in the first place, Samoa Joe, in Wednesday night's main event.
Bryan Danielson looked to cash his ticket to an AEW World Championship match against MJF, tag team champs The Acclaimed saw in-ring action, and TBS titleholder Jade Cargill defended both her gold and historic unbeaten streak.
Find out all that went down, how it graded out and what it may mean for All Elite Wrestling with this recap of the first Dynamite of February.
Match Card
1 of 7- No Holds Barred match for the TNT Championship: Darby Allin (c) vs. Samoa Joe
- Jon Moxley vs. "Hangman" Adam Page
- Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
- TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Red Velvet
- Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage
- AEW world tag team champions The Acclaimed in action
'Hangman' Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley
2 of 7
The rivalry between Jon Moxley and "Hangman" Adam Page wrote its latest chapter to kick off Wednesday's show. The battle between the former world champions started on the arena floor before spilling into the ring.
Page dominated the action and appeared to have victory in hand on multiple occasions. Moxley, as he has done so many times over the course of his career, fought back from the oppressive attack of his opponent.
However, Hangman cut his comebacks off and appeared to add insult to injury when he applied the bulldog choke to his reeling rival.
The three-time champ countered the hold, trapping Page's leg and scoring a pinfall victory.
From the explosive pre-match brawl to the incredible physicality that ensued once the bell rang, this felt like a grudge match between two guys who do not like each other.
The occasional overconfidence of Page and the toughness on display by the bloodied Moxley helped define the show-stealing element, but it was the finish that saw the antihero outwrestle Page that played up the Blackpool Combat Club influence.
The hostility between the competitors suggests the feud is not over, and that is a good thing.
Given the brief interaction between Page and Claudio Castagnoli, giving us that match before going back to Hangman and Moxley would make for a tremendous stop-gap.
Result
Moxley defeated Page
Grade
A
Top Moments
- Moxley's father joined Wheeler Yuta in accompanying the former world champion to the ring.
- Moxley attacked Page prior to the bell, fighting him into the crowd where he applied a figure four leg lock.
- Page launched a steel chair at Moxley who, you guessed it, bled.
- Page threw Moxley face-first on the turnbuckle, which sent him crashing to the arena floor.
- A defiant Mox mounted a comeback that saw him shrug off a German suplex and answered with a back body drop.
- Hangman delivered a pop-up powerbomb to Moxley through the timekeeper's table.
- Page applied Moxley's own bulldog choke to him. Spoiler alert: It didn't work.
The Acclaimed in Action
3 of 7
Renee Paquette introduced The Bunny and AEW world women's champion Jamie Hayter, who set up an eliminator match for Friday's Rampage before Saraya and Toni Storm appeared on a monitor while attacking Britt Baker in the parking garage.
Back in the arena, The Acclaimed made quick work of their unnamed enhancement opponents, but the tag team champs were quickly interrupted by Austin and Colten Gunn.
A back-and-forth promo gave way to Austin insulting his father and Acclaimed manager, Billy Gunn, and goading him into accepting an AEW tag title challenge on behalf of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens.
There was a definite uptick in personal intensity with Austin referencing his dad's demons, but this feud has yet to strike a nerve. It's too early to revisit the program and, if anything, it almost feels like a step down for The Acclaimed.
Much of that can be attributed to the fact that The Gunns were not properly built into a genuine contending duo. Of course, that earns them a little heat because they haven't earned the title shot they will now receive.
Result
The Acclaimed defeated the unnamed competitors
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- The Butcher and The Blade were on television for a split second. They didn't do anything of note, but AEW remembered they are a thing, so that's a start. They are too talented and badass to be wasted as they have been. Ditto The Bunny.
- Caster referred to his opponents as "Bootleg Beverley Brothers," which was glorious.
- AEW continued to have issues with its microphones, a running problem facing the production team.
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Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage
4 of 7
Konosuke Takeshita made an enemy of Ring of Honor six-man tag team champion Brian Cage a week ago when he came to the aid of Bryan Danielson. Wednesday night, he battled The Machine in one-on-one action.
The match saw Takeshita on the defensive throughout the commercial break as Cage asserted dominance by way of his unmatched power.
The 27-year-old babyface fought back, though, overcoming the ferocity of his opponent and the direction of Prince Nana on the floor to score the victory with his trademark jumping knee.
The match was further evidence of Takeshita's promise as a future star in AEW.
The Japanese competitor has proved himself against top stars whose abilities meshed well with his own in-ring style, but we had rarely seen him fight from underneath against a traditional powerhouse like Cage.
That The Machine is an uber-athlete and can do things others his size can't added to their chemistry, but the match was evidence of Takeshita's ability to adapt to his opponent and live up to expectations that are already remarkably lofty given his age.
Good stuff from both men, who are surging early in 2023.
Result
Takeshita defeated Cage
Grade
B+
Top Moments
- Takeshita delivered an impressive stalling German suplex.
- The young star ducked a discus lariat and delivered a rolling elbow. Cage answered with that lariat moments later, but he could not put Takeshita away.
- Backstage, Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia announced the Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet match in which Ricky Starks will have to beat Angelo Parker and Matt Menard, then either of them, before he can have a match with Chris Jericho.
Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
5 of 7
Bryan Danielson had his status as the best technical wrestler in the world challenged as he battled Timothy Thatcher, a catch-as-catch-can throwback whose in-ring style was as grizzled as his appearance.
The American Dragon spent much of the bout nursing a left arm damaged by Cage a week ago and targeted by Thatcher on Wednesday. Even as he found an opening, Danielson struggled to take advantage thanks to the pain coursing through the limb.
With his ability to challenge Thatcher on the mat negated by the injury, Danielson turned to his striking arsenal and rocked his opponent with the Busaiku Knee for the pinfall victory.
This was a gutsy performance by Danielson, who sold the life out of everything Thatcher threw at him and reinforced the idea that the win he desperately needed in order to continue his quest for an Iron Man match against MJF for the AEW World Championship may not actually come.
The commentary team put Thatcher over as a major threat.
There is no such thing as a bad Danielson match, and next week's contest against Rush will not alter that trend. It will be hard to eclipse what he and Thatcher accomplished in this grueling encounter, though.
One criticism: This was the second match in a row to end with a knee to the face. AEW coaches/producers need to review these finishes to prevent repetition. This isn't the first time this has happened on an episode of Dynamite or Rampage.
Result
Danielson pinned Thatcher
Grade
A
Top Moments
- The commentary team of Excalibur, Taz and Tony Schiavone did a phenomenal job of explaining who Thatcher is during his entrance, something AEW has been criticized for not doing enough of over the years.
- Thatcher unabashedly attacked the left arm of his opponent, looking to accomplish what Cage failed to do on behalf of MJF a week ago.
- Danielson fought out of a superplex attempt twice, at the expense of his injured left shoulder, and rocked Thatcher with a missile dropkick.
- Danielson applied a rear naked choke, but Schiavone suggested he could not get it fully locked in due to the pain in his left arm.
- The competitors bumped into referee Stephon Smith in the corner, a rare spot in AEW matches. MJF appeared and attempted to take advantage of it, but Takeshita fought him out of the area.
TBS Championship: Red Velvet vs. Jade Cargill
6 of 7
A win against Red Velvet would earn TBS champion Jade Cargill victory No. 50, but defeat would spell the end of a historic unbeaten streak.
Velvet and Cargill, linked ever since the latter's first match in AEW, delivered a physical contest from the start.
The champion used her power and size advantage to seize control during the break, but a late distraction by Kiera Hogan allowed Velvet to take over. A missed pinfall by official Aubrey Edwards kept Cargill alive, and the unbeaten phenom scored the win off of Jaded.
Cargill is a star who has evolved before our eyes. She has excelled, and the fact that she carries herself like the star AEW sees her as is helping along the way.
With that said, it's time for the company to do something different with her.
The winning streak is great and it doesn't have to end, but the formula is growing tired. Change things up, put her on the defensive. Let her wrestle the match from underneath rather than employing the same layout we have been exposed to for the past year.
No matter how magnetic or charismatic Cargill is, the audience will recognize sameness. Cut it off before it adversely affects someone with the tools, presence and look to become one of AEW's building blocks of the future.
Result
Cargill defeated Velvet
Grade
C
Top Moments
- Velvet unloaded on Cargill from the opening bell.
- Excalibur pointed out this is the first match between Cargill and former baddy Velvet in over 14 months.
- A missed change in the corner allowed Velvet to deliver a backstabber.
- Hogan shoved Leila Grey into the steps, and Velvet rocked Cargill. With referee Edwards distracted, she missed what would have been a Velvet win.
- Cargill celebrated her victory with her daughter after the match.
No Holds Barred Match for TNT Championship: Darby Allin vs. Samoa Joe
7 of 7
Anyone who asks for a No Holds Barred match with an angry and vengeful Samoa Joe reaps the consequences, and that's exactly what happened to Darby Allin in Wednesday's main event.
The face-painted daredevil of AEW endured a tremendous beating as Joe thwarted every attempt at a comeback by the smaller TNT champion, punishing him with fury-aided strength and overwhelming him with his size.
When that did not work, he simply outthought the 30-year-old by dodging attempted dives or using his own momentum against him. Ultimately, he drove Allin off the ropes and to the exposed wood of the ring with a Muscle Buster to end the babyface's latest reign as champ.
Joe's celebration was short-lived as Wardlow returned, sporting a new haircut but displaying his fury. Joe escaped relatively unscathed but Wardlow laid out security to end the show.
This was all sorts of great.
Does AEW overdo blood? Absolutely. Are the hardcore matches overproduced, with risks and stakes amplified too often to the detriment of wrestler safety? Probably.
In the right hands, though, these contests can be hugely effective and that was the case here. Allin, outmatched in just about every way by Joe, relied on his unpredictability and willingness to endure punishment if it meant damaging his opponent.
But Joe turned it against him...and beat him. It was simple and effective, and it hammered home the relentlessness of The Samoan Submission Machine.
The impending rematch with Wardlow should be a brilliant brawl and makes for a solid secondary title bout for Revolution on March 5 if that is the direction Tony Khan chooses to head in.
Hopefully, victory can rehabilitate Wardlow, who lost a bit of momentum between beating MJF at Double or Nothing last May and losing to Joe late in 2022.
Result
Samoa Joe defeated Allin to win the TNT Championship
Grade
A
Top Moments
- Allin started the match by wearing a sweatshirt adorned by hundreds of thumbtacks.
- Joe tossed the champion around the arena, down the stairs and back into the ringside area.
- Allin mounted a comeback with a barrage of chops, but Joe tossed him over the top rope and to the floor like a ragdoll.
- Chants of "Joe's gonna kill you" filled the arena after the challenger dropped the TNT champ spine-first on steel chairs.
- Allin delivered a Coffin Drop with the thumbtack-filled sweatshirt, but Joe kicked out at two.
- Allin exposed the wood of the ring.
- Joe dodged a dive to the floor, and Allin crashed into a table. Back inside, he wrapped the sweatshirt around the champion's face.
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