AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights After WrestleDream

Erik BeastonOct 4, 2023

On the heels of a WrestleDream pay-per-view that promised a new era and delivered in the form of Adam Copeland's surprise debut, AEW Dynamite emanated from Stockton, California and featured the first TBS appearance of the WWE Hall of Famer.

What did the newcomer have to say in his first address to All Elite Wrestling fans, and how did Christian Cage involve himself?

Find out with this recap of Wednesday's show, which also featured an AEW International Championship defense by Rey Fenix and a blockbuster tag team main event.

Match Card

1 of 9

Announced ahead of Wednesday's show:

Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara
AEW International Championship: Rey Fenix vs. Nick Jackson
Adam Copeland promo
Bullet Club Gold promo
Skye Blue vs. Toni Storm

AEW International Championship: Rey Fenix vs. Nick Jackson

2 of 9

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Rey Fenix and Nick Jackson kicked off Wednesday's show with an action-packed match that was great if you're a fan of something like The Fast and The Furious.

There were a ton of moves, some clever and athletic transitions and counters, but little substance right up until Fenix scored the win and retained his title in a hard-fought contest.

It was an energetic opener with the right pace to get the fans into the show. Nothing more, nothing less.

The right guy went over, though, even if he appeared to be slowed at times by what seemed to be a hip injury.

Result

Fenix defeated Jackson to retain

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

Backstage, Adam Copeland interrupted an interview by Renee Paquette with Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. He introduced himself to the latter and was fired up about the fourth anniversary of Dynamite.
Not a ton of selling going on here, which minimizes the effect of anything. Then again, it was a Jackson vs. Fenix match, so it's not terribly surprising.
Fenix has the best frog splash in the business and it's not even close.
A vignette involving Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and The Kingdom aired, but production issues made it difficult to hear.

Wardlow Returns

3 of 9

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Wardlow returned to the squared circle Wednesday night, obliterating young Griff Garrison in a match that was never close.

The big man overpowered the former Varsity Blond and delivered a walk-off powerbomb for the win.

This was a great reintroduction to The War Dog, if the company is serious about pushing him again. Far too often, he is heated up only to be ineffectively booked.

This feels like an appropriate instance to take a "wait and see" approach.

Result

Wardlow defeated Garrison

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

It feels like the crowd should have been more excited to see Wardlow back in action than it was.
Excalibur threw to the Adam Cole video for the second time of the night, this time with audio intact.

TOP NEWS

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The Acclaimed vs. Butcher, Blade and Kip Sabian

4 of 9

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

AEW world trios champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass battled Kip Sabian, The Butcher and The Blade in the next match.

The babyfaces scored the hard-fought victory over the heels in a contest that may have been better received had the challengers been built up on any recent episode of Dynamite or Collision.

This was more of an extended squash, as the champions picked up a win and advanced to whatever is next for them in a division that lacks credible threats to their titles.

Result

The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass defeated Sabian, Butcher, and Blade to retain

Grade

Top Moments and Takeaways

How has AEW still not figured out how to maximize The Butcher and The Blade on this show?
The Acclaimed are still super popular, but they feel like they have cooled off significantly compared to where they were a year ago. Perhaps a feud of real meaning would reverse that trend.

Bullet Club Gold Promo

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Credit: All Elite Wrestling

AEW world champion MJF continued to be the best thing on the show with a segment that advanced his feud with Jay White over the top prize in the company.

What started as back-and-forth between MJF, Juice Robinson and The Gunns intensified with a sneak attack by White on The Devil that left him lying.

Switchblade issued a challenge for the world title, which MJF accepted. And AEW suddenly has a main event in place for Full Gear on November 18.

This was a short but red-hot segment that continued MJF's improbable run as the top babyface in AEW and further intensified a feud with White that had fans salivating upon its origin a week ago.

The build to Full Gear suddenly got more fun.

Grade

Top Moments and Takeaways

"Who's ready for storytime with the Bang Bang Club?" Austin Gunn asked, mocking the injured Cole.
"I'm honest about everything I've done in my past because I'm not just a scumbag, I'm their scumbag!" MJF said after running down a list of his greatest sins.
It was nice to see someone finally use MJF's emotions against him to their benefit. Bullet Club outsmarted him, suckered him in and left him lying.
"We need a champion that lives up to the name 'elite' and you, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, are not him," White said before issuing his challenge for a match at Full Gear.

Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher

6 of 9

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

*Kyle Fletcher replaced Sammy Guevara, who was unable to compete in the advertised match, according to Don Callis earlier in the night.

Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega won a battle in the war with The Don Callis Family by defeating Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita in a very good tag team match.

However, their momentum was halted immediately by Powerhouse Hobbs, who was revealed as the latest member of the faction.

The heels then laid out Jericho and Omega and stood tall to close out a segment that propels things forward and creates questions about how the two can combat a guy who seemingly has young stars coming out of the woodwork to align themselves with him.

If the feud is booked as strongly as this was, and the matches continue to be as good as this, there will be plenty to like about it.

Result

Jericho and Omega defeated Fletcher and Takeshita

Grade

B+

Top Moments and Takeaways

The trading-blows spot would have meant more when Fletcher momentarily got the better of Omega had we not just seen Takeshita and Omega do the same thing moments earlier during the break.
"That kid screwed me," Callis said of Fletcher after he took the pin. Ironically, no one has been screwed by booking quite as much as the young Australian recently.
Hobbs joining The Don Callis Family is a great creative move on the surface in that it gives him something of substance to do...as long as he isn't just the guy who fills tag team spots and eats pinfalls. He is too talented not to be better utilized.

'Timeless' Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue

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Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Toni Storm is timeless, a revelation that led to the finalization of her new persona.

The Aussie defeated Skye Blue in a competitive match, despite the outcome never really being in question.

Storm was great here, showcasing the body language, facial language and verbal skills that have helped make this new character as strong as it is.

Blue was equally strong and continued to highlight why she may well be the future face of this division.

Result

Storm defeated Blue

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

Storm made her way to the ring with her hair and makeup disheveled as she debuted her new persona in its seemingly final form.
Storm leveled Blue with a running hip attack, then looked into the camera and threw to the commercial break in a great spot that almost earned the entire segment an 'A' on its own.
Blue is developing into a fun babyface worker. She's full of energy, and is so much smoother than she was earlier in her career. She has the potential to be the face of this division.

Adam Copeland Promo

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Credit: All Elite Wrestling

"Rated R Superstar" Adam Copeland hit the ring for the show-closing promo. After excitedly letting the fans know about some of the extraordinary first-time matches that await both of them, he called out Christian Cage.

The TNT champion joined him, listened to his pitch for a reunion tour through the AEW tag team division and then told him to go do something unsavory to himself. He then introduced Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne, who joined Cage in staring down Copeland to end the show.

This was a really strong segment that built on the excitement of Copeland's debut, laid out the story at play, built on the established history between him and Cage and informed fans that the long-awaited comeback from the former Edge and Christian is not happening any time soon.

Copeland was great as the newcomer full of energy and clearly happy to be there, while Cage was the smarmy villain he has always been.

The idea of them matching up at this point in their careers may not be exciting to some, but for those who have followed both men through their previous destinations, the idea that they may create more magic in AEW is hugely appealing and this was the perfect teaser.

Grade

Top Moments and Takeaways

Copeland ran down the number of first-time matches he can have with the likes of Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Miro, Powerhouse Hobbs, Jay White, Juice Robinson and more.
The Rated R Superstar recalled a conversation with his nine-year-old daughter who told him to "go have fun with uncle Jay" in reference to Cage.
"Even though I know that about you, I still love you. That's never going to go away," Copeland told his closest friend before taking him to task for his actions toward Sting Sunday at WrestleDream.
"Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne are going to drop you like a bad habit the moment they've sucked all of the information out of your brain," Copeland warned Cage.
"It's time," Copeland told Cage in regard to teaming with him to face the likes of FTR and The Young Bucks and prove they are the best tag team ever.

Overall Grade

9 of 9

There was a lot to love about this episode of Dynamite.

The angle between Copeland and Cage at the close of the show was fantastic, as was the stuff with MJF and Jay White. Throw in some superb Toni Storm work and the quality surprise in Powerhouse Hobbs joining the Don Callis Family, and you had a bit for everyone to enjoy.

The match between Fenix and Jackson did not hit quite like some hoped and The Acclaimed feel so cold right now, but those are minor gripes on a two-hour show that was more good than bad.

Next week's Title Tuesday edition of Dynamite will see: