Welcome along to All Elite Wrestling’s Bash at the Beach, emanating from the Watsco Centre, Miami Beach, Florida.

We are off to sizzling start as a fatal four way match to determine the number one contenders to SCU’s Tag Team Titles is set to open the show.

The Young Bucks vs Best Friends vs Santana/Ortiz vs Kenny Omega/Hangman Adam Page.

Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks and Trent of Best Friends got the action underway, trading counter for counter and quick fire reversals, setting the tone for a frenetic match up featuring 4 of the premiere tag teams in AEW.

Proud and Powerful eventually took charge with a cannonball dive from Ortiz and a textbook top rope Senton from Santana taking out the other contenders, Trent eventually recovered and found himself on the top turnbuckle accompanied by the oldest of the Jackson brothers, Matt.

A fist fight ensued with Trent gaining the upper hand and delivering a huge superplex on Matt to the outside landing on the other combatants.

As the bout continued it began to spill over into a wild wrestling brawl, Kenny Omega entering the fray, cleaning house with countless Snap Dragon suplexes.

An 8 man tag team suplex was under construction in the ring soon after, with both sides at stalemate in the scrum, all unable to lift the other.

Freshly squeezed Orange Cassidy made his trademark nonchalant arrival to the roar of the capacity Watsco Centre, and was the difference maker as he turned the 8 man suplex to 9…..in the favour of his stablemates The Best Friends.

Eventually it was Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page who would chalk up the win and go on to face SCU next week for the championships, the pinfall coming after a devastating V-trigger knee and Buckshot Lariat combination on Chuck Taylor of the Best Friends.

Cody answers MJF.

Next up the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes is set to answer the stipulations requested by Maxwell Jacob Friedman if they are to meet at the next AEW Pay-Per-View Revolution.

Cody accepted each of the conditions laid out, not being able to touch MJF until Revolution, 10 lashes on live tv, and the 3rd being having to face MJF’s henchman Wardlow inside the confines of a steel cage.

I for one am looking forward to AEW’S maiden steel cage match and finally seeing what Wardlow is capable of inside the square circle, as I am admittedly unfamiliar with his work, however Im sure that Cody will deliver on the big stage as he inevitably has since his departure from the WWE.

The date has been set for February 19th at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The Nightmare Collective vs Kris Statlander/Shida.

A slow paced match began eventually pick up steam with Statlander hitting a stiff looking roundhouse kick to Brandi Rhodes followed by a falcon arrow in the centre of the ring for a close near fall.

Rhodes partner Mel entered the fray and was proving to a dominant factor in this showdown, her sheer size and raw power was on display as she hit a catatonic slam on Statlander for a 2 count.

It was Mel who eventually took the clean pin fall however, when Kris Statlander blasted her with the devastating Big Bang Theory Piledriver for the win.

For a womens division that has been lacking since its inception on October 2nd, it seems that the fans have really taken to Statlander since her debut, and her imminent showdown with the Japanese native Riho for the title should be one to look forward to.

Sammy Guevara vs Jon Moxley.

The Spanish God Sammy Guevara was out first to determine a spot in the number one contenders match next week, which would decide who would be the next challenger to Chris Jericho’s World Heavyweight Championship.

Fan favourite Moxley arrived in the sports car he had acquired from the Inner Circle after double crossing them last week.

Moxley had been running roughshod over the competiton in AEW in recent weeks and was expected by many to cruise to a convincing victory, it was not to be the case however as Guevara controlled large portions of the match, delivering solid offense aerially and on the mat.

A corkscrew plancha over the top rope and a springboard cutter by Sammy, Moxley was struggling to cope with the quicker more agile opponent and out of desperation attempted to plant Guevara with the avalanche Paradigm Shift, the move used to dispatch Darby Allin weeks before in an excellent match up.

Sammy countered this into a sublime Spanish fly from the top turnbuckle followed by a firemans carry face crusher for a VERY close three count.

Unable to put Moxley down, Guevara then headed up top for the moonsault press but it was once to the well too often, as Moxley caught him on the way down locking in the rear naked choke for the submission victory.

Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle made their presence felt post match and Jericho violently attacked Moxley’s eye with a spike fashioned from his jacket, leaving him laying, softened up for the main event next week where Moxley will take on the winner of tonights main event of Pac vs Darby Allin.

The Butcher and The Blade, MJF vs DDP, Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall.

Six man tag action is up next with the eagerly anticipated return of the original peoples champion, the master of the Diamond Cutter, Diamond Dallas Page.

DDP started the match eager to lock up with MJF who backed away from the confrontation in predictable fashion, leaving The Natural Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall to bring the fight to The Butcher and The Blade.

As the battle broke down DDP eventually got the hot tag from Dustin, drilling The Butcher with the patented Diamond Cutter.

Rhodes hit a destroyer on MJF soon after, setting up another Diamond Cutter from the 63 years young Page, to the delight of the Miami crowd.

Not yet finished, the former x3 WCW World Heavyweight Champion Page headed up to the top rope and connected with a cross body block to the outside on his opponents, back in the ring however, the slippery MJF rolled up QT for the quick fire pin.

This match was great fun, watching DDP glide around the ring so graciously at his age was a real treat and an inspiration, proof that age is but a number.

Pac vs Darby Allin.

In the main event of the evening its the second spot in the number one contenders match that is on the line, The ‘Bastard’ Pac a vastly experienced 13 year veteran taking on the enigmatic youngster Darby Allin.

Darby’s unorthodox style came to the fore early on with two missile like shoulder blocks through the middle ropes to the outside leaving their mark on Pac.

Pac began to turn the tide and began to focus on the lower back of his smaller more lightweight adversary, a wicked powerbomb on the steel steps nearly giving him the count out victory.

Allin began to rally and nearly forced a count out victory of his own after taking out Pac with his signature Coffin Drop from the top to the floor below.

As this battle headed towards its conclusion it was Pac who would continue the assault on the lower back of his opponent with a brutal sit out powerbomb leaving Darby laying in perfect position for the Black Arrow finisher.

Pac climbed up to the top turnbuckle and crashed down onto Darby’s spine with the scintillating Black Arrow.

Clinching the win via pinfall, he seals his spot against Jon Moxley next week.

As Pac revelled in his victory, clearly in the belief that Jericho’s attack on Moxley would leave him no opponent next week, he declared himself the automatic number one contender.

The unhinged Moxley appeared on the stage however, still nursing his eye injury suffered at the hands of the Pain Maker Chris Jericho earlier on in the night, declaring he would indeed be on the Jericho cruise next week for AEW Dynamite and would fight Pac even if he had one eye, was blind or was even half dead.

Thoughts….

All in all I found this to be an enjoyable edition of Dynamite to watch from bell to bell.

I like the way that AEW continues to add meaning and build relevance to the championship titles within the company, giving the product a more sports like and legitimate feel.

The forthcoming AEW Dynamite broadcast from the Rock ‘N’ Rager Jericho Cruise ship next week should provide a truly unique backdrop for the show, and as a wrestling fan I like to experience fresh and innovative ideas, as I believe it will only serve to make AEW a true viable alternative wrestling show to the WWE.

Competition can only raise the standards across the industry which is something we as fans need to be excited about!

Thanks for reading!

Phil.

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