AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 10
The greatest rivalry in All Elite Wrestling history wrote its latest chapter Wednesday night on Dynamite as Jon Moxley battled Kenny Omega inside a steel cage.
That pay-per-view-worthy showdown headlined a broadcast that continued the steady build toward Double or Nothing on Sunday, May 28.
What went down in that match and more when AEW invaded the Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit?
Find out with this recap of the May 10 TBS broadcast.
Match Card
1 of 9Announced in advance for Wednesday's show:
- Steel Cage Match: Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley
- AEW International Championship Match: Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia
- Double Jeopardy: Rey Fenix vs. Claudio Castagnoli
- Anna Jay AS vs. Julia Hart
- AEW World Trios Championship Open House Match: Best Friends and Bandido vs. The House of Black
- FTR promo
- Christian Cage promo
ROH Tag Team Champion Rey Fenix vs. ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli
2 of 9
Double jeopardy rules: the winner gets a future shot at the other man's championship.
Oh, hey, Claudio Castagnoli still goes here.
The extraordinary, though underutilized, Swiss competitor earned a shot at the ROH Tag Team Championship by way of his victory over Rey Fenix in a strong opening contest.
The athleticism of both men was on full display, with Fenix showcasing his high-flying arsenal and Castagnoli countering with punishing physicality and unrivaled natural strength. It was that physicality that proved the difference as Castagnoli wore his opponent down before scoring the hard-fought victory.
A pro wrestling match to start the show, with no bells and whistles, was a great call. Two of the best doing as they do set the tone for what looks on paper to be one of the most stacked cards in recent Dynamite history.
Result
Castagnoli defeated Fenix
Grade
A
Top Moments
- The stacked nature of the card meant the competitors were already in the ring following the opening pyro.
- Fenix tried for a tope suicida but Castagnoli caught him in a gorilla press and slammed him into the guardrail.
- Fenix ran the barricade and delivered a hurricanrana.
- Castagnoli tried for the Ricola Bomb but Fenix countered into the Code Red for a quality near-fall.
- The ROH champion delivered punishing elbows to his opponent, then put him away with the Ricola Bomb for the win.
- Backstage, Renee Paquette attempted to grab a word with the returning Miro, but the former TNT champion entered Tony Khan's office instead.
FTR Promo
3 of 9
Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal got what they wanted Wednesday night with the announcement by Mark Briscoe that they will challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championship on May 28 at Double or Nothing.
Briscoe's attempt to bring together the new No. 1 contenders and champions, FTR's Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, did not go quite as planned thanks to chicanery from the heels.
Harwood dropped Briscoe on his head, teasing further dissension between FTR and their good friend and creating the impression that the heels have momentum entering the upcoming championship clash.
There were probably better first feuds for FTR in their return to championship relevancy but the idea of Briscoe being torn given his long history with Lethal has helped elevate the story, and the seeming dissension between the babyfaces should drum up enough drama to keep fans invested in what could be one of the low-key most fun matches in Las Vegas.
Grade
C
Top Moments
- Harwood said he would accept Jarrett and Lethal's challenge if they admitted to using Mark Briscoe as a pawn.
- Briscoe revealed that he will be the special referee for the tag team title match at Double or Nothing.
- Harwood, blinded by tequila spit in his eyes by Dutt, laid out Briscoe.
- Backstage, Chris Jericho revealed to Renee Paquette that Adam Cole is banned from the building as long as he in attendance. Roderick Strong interrupted the promo, challenged The Ocho to a Fallas Count Anywhere fight and revealed the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society has also been barred from the building next week.
- Thunder Rosa followed Miro's lead and barged into Tony Khan's office.
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Tony Khan Speaks; AEW International Championship Match
4 of 9
Tony Khan teased a huge announcement a week from tonight, hyping it as one of the biggest in AEW history and relating it to the abundance of stars vying for a shot at competing on these jam-packed cards.
Might it be related to the rumored AEW Collision show?
Orange Cassidy made the latest defense of his AEW International Championship against Daniel Garcia back in the arena, searching for his 22nd consecutive victory in singles competition.
He got it, mustering toughness and resiliency to do so.
Freshly Squeezed overcame a match-long assault on his left knee and Garcia's most focused performance in quite some time to score the win and retain his title.
The look on his face depicted an exhausted champion, lucky to have earned the win, while the challenger was clearly devastated that all he threw at his opponent was not enough to secure the title.
So much of the story on commentary was centered on Garcia being a wrestler, not an entertainer, so it is clear that is the direction things are heading with him and his role in the Jericho Appreciation Society.
As for Cassidy, expect him to keep on keeping on as champion.
Result
Cassidy defeated Garcia to retain
Grade
B+
Top Moments
- The commentary team reinvigorated the discussion of Garcia as a sports entertainer instead of a professional wrestler, hinting that he may be in line for a renewed push in the coming weeks.
- Garcia dominated the action throughout the break, then mocked Cassidy's pockets taunt.
- The challenger cut off an attempted comeback by way of the tornado DDT with a dragon screw leg whip.
- Garcia cut off a charging Cassidy with a dropkick low to the injured knee, taking away an attempted Orange Punch.
- Garcia applied a Sharpshooter and leaned all the way back, adding torque to the move in an attempt to exploit the injured knee. Also, stop trying to make "Dragontamer" a thing.
- Cassidy reversed several pin attempts and scored the win.
Christian Cage Promo
5 of 9
Others may gain more publicity, but Christian Cage may well be the best promo in AEW today.
The artist formerly known as Captain Charisma spewed some controversial, disrespectful lines about Arn Anderson, Wardlow and the latter's father, all while setting the stage for a TNT Championship opportunity for Luchasaurus.
All while Detroit egged him on with chants of "Edge is better."
The Wardlow-Luchasaurus program may be lacking in excitement, but if it means Cage has the opportunity to get on the mic every week and run someone down, the segment will benefit exponentially.
In fact, forget the title and the secondary characters and let Cage cut promos every week on whatever the hell he sees fit.
Grade
A
Top Moments
- "What's up with the wrestlers in AEW having daddy issues?" Cage asked before insulting Wardlow's father. "Your father wasn't famous, nobody cares, so stop whining about it."
- Cage accused Arn Anderson of tossing his real son, Brock, aside and hitching his wagon to The War Dog.
- "If you're Ric Flair's lap dog for years and years, I guess that makes you a legend, huh?"
- "What are you going to do when you realize your legend was never as good as me?"
No Holds Barred: Anna Jay vs. Julia Hart
6 of 9
It was nice to see Anna Jay (no A.S., because it's stupid) and Julia Hart have the opportunity to finish their feud on Dynamite, giving fans a break from the AEW Originals vs. Outcasts story.
With that said, the No Holds Barred stipulation did not hit quite as well as it could have for a number of reasons, not least of which was what appeared to be a hip injury suffered by Hart after the commercial break.
Hobbled by the pain in her right side, Hart did her best to take the fight to Jay. Unfortunately, a superplex that fell short of its intended target gave way to a finish that would have been far more effective had Jay landed on the chairs as intended.
The feud made for some fun television, if nothing else, but it would have been even better had there been a defined babyface and heel. Unfortunately, both were heels, with no real indication as to who fans should throw their support behind, something that hurt what could have been a solid come-from-behind win for Hart.
Result
Hart defeated Jay
Grade
C
Top Moments
- Jay attacked Hart from behind with a steel chair to start.
- Hart produced chairs from under the ring but had them used against her when Jay utilized a modified Gory Special on to the pile of steel, potentially injuring her hip. Hart let out a loud scream in pain upon landing.
- Jay placed a trash can on Hart's head and delivered a corner kick for a count of two.
- The superplex setup did not land as both women fell short of the pile of chairs that had been accumulated in the ring. Still, Hart applied the Hartless for the submission victory.
AEW World Trios Championship Match: Best Friends and Bandido vs. House of Black
7 of 9
House Rules: 20-second countouts, disqualifications are enforced and "dealer's choice."
The AEW faithful got a taste of what they can expect from the Open House gimmick and the House Rules as Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews and Brody King defended the AEW World Trios Championship against Best Friends' Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta and Bandido.
The sprint of a match concluded with King flattening Taylor and scoring the win for his team, seemingly from out of nowhere. The action felt rushed, and most of the contest took place during the picture-in-picture commercial break, robbing it of the opportunity to really strike home with the audience.
So much so that the much-touted "House Rules" was hardly a factor or ever touched on besides Excalibur mentioning them at the outset of the bout.
It is disappointing because of the talent involved, but this felt like a greatest hits compilation more than a hot championship match.
Ultimately, it was a casualty of time constraints than anything.
Result
House of Black defeated Best Friends and Bandido
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- The arena lights dimmed, with one big spotlight engulfing the squared circle for the entirety of the match, creating a certain ambience.
- Bandido received the hot tag and exploded into the match, wiping out Black and King at ringside. Matthews cut him off with a knee strike from out of nowhere.
- King finished Taylor with Dante's Inferno for the win.
Steel Cage Match: Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley
8 of 9
The main event between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley was a Steel Cage Match in name alone as neither man effectively utilized the gimmick, instead holding a hardcore match within the confines of the structure.
Even before the bell officially rang, the cage was secondary to a brawl between The Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club. Later, it was but a barrier to be broken by way of a V-Trigger that sent both men through the steel mesh and Moxley, to the floor.
That spot allowed Moxley to grab his trademark screwdriver and Don Callis to enter the cage and set up the real meat of this entire ordeal: a heel turn that has been teased for weeks.
Callis had spent the last two months manipulating his way back into Omega's life, and when it became apparent that the former world champion may not be as welcoming of a man he once considered his second father, it was only a matter of time before the schemer struck.
There was no indication that he has any relationship with the BCC to this point, but the nefarious smile on Bryan Danielson's face in the closing moments of the show suggests that may rear itself in the coming weeks.
The match itself was fine if you're into the ultra-violent brawls. There were a couple of nice call-backs to previous encounters, and the effort was certainly there, but the action itself felt like it took a backseat to overarching booking.
That probably should have been expected considering the placement of the match on TV ahead of what should be a real battle between factions at Double or Nothing.
Result
Moxley defeated Omega
Grade
B
Top Moments
- Bryan Danielson joined the commentary position ahead of the match.
- Moxley attacked Omega during his entrance, keeping him from entering the cage. The Blackpool Combat Club's Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta attacked before The Young Bucks made the save.
- Nick Jackson dove off the ramp and on to Castagnoli and Yuta as security separated the brawling factions.
- Omega tossed a barbed wire steel chair at Moxley, introducing a familiar weapon into the mix.
- "Mox doesn't even wake up until he starts bleeding, guys!" Danielson said on the headset.
- A smiling Danielson watched Moxley utilize the hook of the ring ropes on the mouth of Omega.
- Moxley introduced broken glass, a call-back to their Unsanctioned Lights Out Match. Omega used it against him, driving him back-first into it. The former world champion recovered quickly and applied the bulldog choke, all the while glass remained embedded in his back.
- Omega delivered a V-Trigger that sent Moxley through the side of the cage. The aggressor could be seen waving on the ringside physician to check on his knee following the spot.
- Don Callis prevented Moxley from utilizing the screwdriver but broke up the One-Winged Angel pinfall by jabbing Omega with it. Moxley scored the pinfall from there.
Overall Grade
9 of 9
There was a lot to like about tonight's show, including a first hour that ranked right alongside the best episodes of Dynamite the company has produced in months.
Castagnoli and Fenix tore the house down from the start, Cassidy and Garcia turned in a damn good match for an International Championship that is quickly becoming the work-rate title in AEW, and the stuff involving FTR and Mark Briscoe was entertaining at the least.
This felt like a tale of two shows, though, with the first hour having a better pace to it than the more rushed second.
The House of Black title defense, in particular, was almost unforgivably short and did little to highlight the House Rules that had become such a major focal point of the contest.
Still, there were enough storyline developments and creative objectives advanced that the May 10 show earns a slightly above-average overall grade.
Where Tony Khan takes the top storylines—including the Callis heel turn and the eventual revelation of The Elite and Blackpool Combat Club match for Double or Nothing—and the AEW-changing announcement on next week's show will bear watching most closely.
Overall Grade: C+
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