It’s finally here! This week’s edition of Dynamite is one of AEW’s quarterly special shows, but it’s not just any special show. Last year’s inaugural ‘Winter is Coming’ was the best Dynamite of 2020 which saw the debut of STIIIING and Kenny Omega beating (screwing?) Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship. If I know Tony Khan, he’ll want this year’s episode to be even bigger! He’s trying to build AEW into a wrestling force to be reckoned with.
I definitely know Tony Khan. (not really)
This show looks to be amazing on face value alone, but will there be unknown surprises? Will we have another crazy debut or wild ending to the episode? If you remember from last year, Kenny Omega and Don Callis dropped the bombshell that they will be appearing on Impact Wrestling after Omega won the belt. This was the technical opening of the ‘Forbidden Door.’ How will AEW change the game this year?!
Even if there’s no game changing announcement, I cannot wait for the matches. My most anticipated is the third bout in the series of matches between Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb. Both ladies have been killing it and Serena Deeb might be my favorite wrestler in the world right now. Women’s OR Men’s wrestler.
Enough rambling. Let’s get to the show! How was it?!
Let’s find out!
Winter is Coming starts with a little surprise as we’re opening the show with the World Title match!
AEW World Championship: ‘Hangman’ Adam Page (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
Perfect.
Flawless.
Impeccable.
I have nothing else to say outside of various forms of perfect. It’s five stars. Zero doubts in my mind. Review over.
We might honestly have just seen the greatest AEW match of all time. If you somehow haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?! Go now!
The best part about it being the fact that there was no winner. The match went to a SIXTY minute draw! These crazy behemoths fought for sixty full minutes with no clear winner. I assume that means there’s going to be a round two. With Battle of the Belts right around the corner, that seems to be the most likely scenario. However, I honestly don’t see how they could top this match.
I said there was no clear winner, but that’s not true. The fans won. We got to experience two artists painting a pristine portrait of perfect wrestling.
Instantly following the ringing bell, you could feel the electric intensity. They told so much story from minute one to minute sixty. Bryan continued with his demeanor of zero respect for Hangman and the Dark Order. He believes that he’s the best wrestler on the planet and the AEW Championship is rightfully his. He continuously showed disrespect for the champ by posing in the ring and doing jumping jacks. The beginning ten minutes was all about Bryan frustrating Hangman and getting into his head. Testing the champ’s mental fortitude.
Coupled with the mind games, the structure of the match was brilliant too. Hangman’s explosive side would come out with a flurry of moves until Danielson would counter and tear apart sections of the Cowboy. Bryan started with the back, transitioned to the whole midsection, and eventually tore every body part down. About halfway through the match, Hangman dodged a head kick from Bryan causing him to kick the ring post instead of Hangman’s face. It looked like Danielson shattered his leg because he kicked it HARD. Both men were battered and bruised afterwards, but that didn’t stop The Dragon from posturing and posing whenever he could.
The match was coming to a close and both men were spent. Hangman continuously attempted the Buckshot lariat, but Danielson had it scouted. He would avoid the Lariat and once he reversed it into the Labelle Lock. It baffled me how both men could work seamlessly after almost an hour.
Hangman finally hits the Buckshot Lariat, the crowd erupted, but unfortunately the bell rings to end the match. The match ends in a 60 minute draw and I love that ending. You would hope for a decisive finish, but I think they will battle again soon. Probably in a couple of weeks at Battle of the Belts. I honestly do not know how they top this fight though.
But like I already said…It was perfect. Match of the Night, obviously.
5/5
Segment: Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and the Young Bucks are backstage and gloating about their recent successes against the Best Friends. Matt and Nick Jackson have the audacity to threaten Sue! RUDE! There’s going to be an eight man tag on Rampage and next week on Dynamite there’s going to be a Christmas surprise. Hmm…
Matt Sydal vs. Wardlow
Up next we have a quick match with Wardlow facing Matt Sydal. I wouldn’t envy anyone following what Hangman and Danielson did. This was a quick match that I’d classify as a Wardlow squash, but Sydal got some offense in. It didn’t last long until Wardlow hits a powerbomb. And then another Powerbomb. And Again. Shawn Spears tells him to stop, but Wardlow embraces the crowd and keeps hitting powerbombs until he mercifully covers Sydal. Wardlow has a MASSIVE babyface run incoming when he turns on MJF.
3/5
Spears enters the ring after the match and gets a phone call from MJF. Apparently MJF wants Wardlow to prep for his post-match victory celebration and sends Wardlow to get Champagne.
Segment: Tay Conti is pissed off about the Bunny and Penelope Ford for constantly using brass knuckles and she’s challenging Penelope to a Submission match. It’s interesting that the true Black belt in a Martial Art (Conti) doesn’t actually use a submission finisher and Penelope Ford does.
Segment: Up next is one of the coolest segments on AEW television in awhile. Malakai Black has evolved into something darker than he’s been before and he’s not alone. His face paint is ridiculous now and he’s now attracted a minion. This segment was gold and the House of Black is coming into focus. I love stables! Especially dark and mysterious stables. I’ve always thought that AEW was missing something like this.
Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida
Up next was the grudge match between Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb. Shida was rightfully upset that Deeb screwed her chances to become TBS Champion by hurting her leg repeatedly. Deeb has dubbed herself the ‘Woman of 1000 holds’ and was hellbent on proving that she’s the best in the division.
You could feel the intensity right away because Shida threw her Kendo stick at Deeb’s face before the bell and proceeded to overwhelm her as soon as the bell rang.
The story of this match was similar to their previous bouts. Shida would go on the offensive with her explosive offense and Deeb would slow her down by targeting Shida’s previously injured knee. I absolutely love how much influence Bret Hart has on Serena Deeb. She’s been adding more and more to her character and tonight’s addition was the figure four around the ring post. Such a nasty looking move.
However, tonight belonged to Hikaru Shida. The intensity of Hikaru Shida overcame the tenacity of Serena Deeb. Towards the end of the match, Deeb uncovered the turnbuckle pad to show the metal buckle. We know what happens next. Someone always goes face first and tonight it was Deeb. Shida took advantage as a result and hit a jackknife pin for the victory.
This match was very good, but I have a couple complaints. Shida’s leg was supposedly hurting, Deeb was targeting it throughout, but I didn’t think Shida was selling it very well. It’s a small thing but those kinds of stories add more to the match. I also think this battle needed a decisive victor. It’s a ‘grudge match’ that ended after Deeb went face first into a turnbuckle. Wouldn’t you want to finish off your opponent for revenge? Finally, and I’ll beat this into the ground if I have to, but Serena Deeb needs to be in the main event picture. She is incredible and shouldn’t be taking a lot of losses.
Regardless, good match.
3.75/5
Segment: Tony Schiavone is backstage now with the Varsity Blonds who are noticibly without Julia Hart after the attack by Malakai Black. Griff Garrison is pissed and cuts an incredibly passionate promo. He wants a piece of Malakai Black and everyone watching at home wishes their well wishes for Griff Garrison.
MJF vs. Dante Martin
Finally, our main event tonight is the finals of the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale between MJF and Dante Martin. Prior to the match, MJF does his usual schtick by grabbing a microphone and verbally abusing the crowd and making fun of CM Punk. There was a random Ryback reference, which isn’t a name I thought I’d ever hear again.
Both men did their usual stuff, with MJF being a cocky heel and Dante being inhuman. Dante’s jumps and flips are unreal and he even took a barricade to the face after jumping from the top rope. He did three Tope con Hiro’s in succession with each one being more ridiculous than the last. He wasn’t done however, because Dante finished this crazy section with an avalanche moonsault press.
Similar to most of the matches he’s in, MJF stole the show. Throughout the match he would get in the faces people in the crowd. He’s incredible at being a heel and really fits the ‘I’m better than you and you know it’ moniker.
Towards the end of the match, there was a long sequence leading to Dante Martin finally hitting his finisher. Ricky Starks had come down to the ring however, and managed to put MJF’s foot on the rope. It didn’t take much of a distraction to allow MJF to lock in the ‘Salt of the Earth’ submission for the victory.
This was a great match and I’m excited to see MJF getting consistent wins. I also really enjoy having a match type revolve around one guy. Having one of your top young guns win three in a row creates a story every December of him defending it. Great stuff
3.75/5
FTR comes down to the ring after the match to celebrate with MJF. Notice that Wardlow did not come to the ring? Sting, Darby Allin, and eventually CM Punk come down to the ring and everyone brawls to set up a Trios match next week on Dynamite.
And that was Winter is Coming! Was I slightly disappointed that there were zero big debuts? Maybe a little. But what AEW replaced a big debut with one of the best matches in AEW history. It was a phenomenal show that was obviously dominated by a World title bout. Having one match be a sixty minute draw will do that.
That is the one gripe I have with how the show was formatted. Putting that unbelievable match on first kind of doomed the rest of the matches of the night to live up to it. Those matches were never going to do that and the crowd was dead. I’m sure they wanted Hangman and Danielson on first because of the timing, but the rest of the night paled in comparison. I needed to rewatch the second half of the show prior to writing this because of how intense the World Title match was.
Winter is Coming was phenomenal and I obviously will remember it for a long time. However, was it a better overall show than last years? Even without the big debut, I think the slightly underwhelming second half matches make up for the lack of a big debut. Great show!
Verdict: 4.5/5