AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite #277 (January 22nd, 2025) Pro Wrestling Review

AEW loves to stack up it's flagship weekly show with big moments and matches, often treating them like their own pay per view events. Even though this is a Dynamite without a sub heading or title (which I personally think AEW needs to stop with so many of those "special episodes") this is still scheduled to have all sorts of stuff going on and happening.

We open the show straight away with a in-ring segment with Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega talking to each other about needing to help each other to take down the Don Callis Family so that way they can move on to go after the Death Riders.

While Ospreay tries to plead his case and says that he has been doing everything he can to help and fix AEW from within, but was unable to do it alone.

Omega interrupts him, reminding Ospreay of their last match against each other at AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door in June of 2023.

During that match, Don Callis helped Ospreay win by sneaking him a screwdriver to Omega's head, as well as the debut of the Storm Driver and dropped Omega right on his head and neck.

Omega tells Ospreay that the fans only know who Ospreay is because Omega was gone because of his illness and this allowed Ospreay to take the number one spot in AEW. Omega also says that he doesn't trust Ospreay and doesn't know if he will be able to. Ospreay is going to respond to the insults, but then Don Callis comes out.

Omega runs out to attack him, but is jumped by Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher.

Ospreay takes a while to make the save, clearly conflicted on helping Omega since they still have tension and don't know if they can trust each other. Ospreay finally makes the save, the two not really working together and just trying to do it on their own. We get a wild and chaotic brawl including Fletcher diving over the barricade and onto Ospreay in the crowd, as well as Omega and Takeshita making their own way into the crowd to fight.

Callis Family members Brian Cage and Lance Archer run down to try and help them people, leading to more chaotic brawling and beating down on the good guys in the crowd to loud boos.

One thing i will mention is that there was a point where they tried to have a camera take a one shot movement around the stands to get to the proper backstage area with merch tables and stuff, but this just made the tv audience miss a lot.

Also, they were primarily showing Ospreay and Archer while only sometimes seeing Omega in the background or not at all. It was a minor thing, but something I wasn't a big fan of.

Archer grabs both Omega and Ospreay, trying to Chokeslam them at the same time through a merch table. They fight out and then work together to hit a Suplex to Archer through the table while the crowd went wild, but the brawl continued,

This whole brawl is really only to build to the major moments.

Omega climbs up a big piece of scaffolding and hits a big Swanton Bomb onto Callis Family members and security. This is then followed up by Ospreay doing a Moonsault off the balcony onto the other members and more security. They both climb up the scaffolding and Omega had a mic, telling Callis that they are working together to end the Family as well as scheduling a match.

Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega vs Konosouke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher at AEW Grand Slam in Australia.

Omega is already apologizing for not trusting Ospreay from the start, which I feel like could've been a real fun storyline to move forward with. Having them show tension with working together would add intrigue to the match and the weeks leading to the PPV, but I guess we're. not getting that.

We follow this up for a video package for the main event, Cope (god I hate that name) vs PAC.

This is really just a video about PAC being there from day one, being the first AEW International Champion, and a 2-time AEW Trios Champion. Not only that, but that he has been in AEW since their very first show as one of the biggest stars in the company facing and beating the likes of Kenny Omega, Adam Page, and more.

We then go backstage to see Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir, and Wheeler Yuta.

Moxley just does what he always does, cutting a nonsensical promo full of riddles and not really getting to the point. He just promises to end Cope once and for all.

Match 1: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match

Private Party (Isaiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) (Champions) vs The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin with MVP) (Challengers)

The Hurt Syndicate came into AEW and were treated like the absolute top badasses in AEW. The members used to be The Hurt Business in WWE, and primarily were together during the pandemic era and started off good, but didn't do a whole lot of major stuff that they should've. Fans wanted them to reunite, but WWE didn't seem interested.

One by one, they left WWE and made their way to AEW and have won almost all of the matches that they have had, with Benjamin only losing some matches in the Continental Classic round robin tournament.

Meanwhile, Private Party were young wrestlers signed to AEW from day one. They were only slightly pushed, getting a major win over the Young Bucks in a tournament to crown the first tag champions, but have not really done anything in the 5 years since.

Their whole storyline was...not really having one. Until they faced the Young Bucks and lost, only to then win in a rematch.

I love Private Party, but this reign has been awful. They weren't the original plan to win the belts, and it shows. They had barely defended them or even appeared, which makes their entire recent story of finally being the stars of the division feel like it didn't even happen.

The match starts off and Lashley basically dominates the champions on his own, absorbing offense and not doing much selling before tagging in Benjamin.

The crowd is very vocally behind the Hurt Syndicate, which is another thing to show how little the crowd cares about the champions now.

I won't get into a "AEW homegrown vs WWE veterans" type thing, but with the Hurt Syndicate especially it becomes a bit more apparent and obvious. The fact that Lashley came in and defeated one of their absolute top stars Swerve Strickland with ease and Swerve won't even get a rematch, or the fact they are dominating the home grown tag champs is what I mean. Sure the fans love them, but that's because the company is putting more focus and attention to them rather than their own stars that they have built for the future.

On the floor, Kassidy and Quen go for tandem Tope Suicidas but Lashley and Benjamin catch them and hit duel Belly to Belly Suplexes. This is then followed by Lashley hitting a massive Chokeslam to Kassidy that puts him through the announce table before we go into a commercial break.

During the break, almost nothing happens. Quen checks on Kassidy before getting thrown back into the ring.

Lashley and Benjamin just continue to dominate. If they do take any offense, they don't sell it. This feels like an elongated squash match with the (again) HOMEGROWN STARS FOR THE FUTURE being made to look like absolute chumps.

Again, I don't want this to be like I'm hating on AEW. If you have popular wrestlers that the fans love, you push them. But they just undid a whole lot of hard work by not even making this a competitive match. If this was a back and forth match, it would have helped both teams. But this only helped the Hurt Syndicate and nobody else.

Kassidy is able to get back up and the team is able to beat down on Benjamin only briefly, once again overpowering them briefly to tag in Lashley, who also takes them both one with ease. He barely breaks a sweat before he Spears Kassidy, but Quen saves his partner.

Benjamin hits a wild bunch of German Suplexes, followed by a brutal Knee to Kassidy, then another Spear from Lashley.

Result: The Hurt Syndicate defeated Private Party to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships

Star Rating: 2.75/5 Stars

Sure, having them as the new champions is a good idea, but like I said, this should have been a competitive match. Private Party are back to the bottom of the card after this, and might never come back up. I don't blame them for it, like they weren't talented or got over. They did despite their booking, and they are not really being rewarded for their talent.

But we get dominant tag champions that hopefully finally make AEW care about the division again, considering that for a long time that was what AEW seemed to be the most proud of.

We get a video package with AEW Women's Champion Mariah May saying she is the most disrespected champion in AEW history and then says how her opponent for Grand Slam Toni Storm is a delusional woman. Mariah has tense words for her former partner and friend, but Toni is still suffering from amnesia and doesn't really understand.

We go backstage to see Toni getting interviewed, but she gets interrupted by fellow Australian Harley Cameron and it is solely to share a bunch of Australian sayings and phrases while Toni tells Harley to get herself a match at Grand Slam so they can both wrestle in front of their home town.

We come back from commercial break to see Jeff Jarrett getting interviewed, but it doesn't even start before Jeff's wife Karen came over to talk to him.

Karen is upset with Jeff going down to MJF's level last week in their promo battle, but Jeff just leaves to go down to the ring, saying that he gets it and he understands what he has to do.

Jeff comes out to a good amount of applause, which is always great to hear for a legend.

Jeff thanks the crowd of Knoxville, where he mentions a story with Memphis wrestling legend Jerry Lawler.

Jarrett goes back into his very early career, getting beat up and says how afterwards, Lawler told Jarrett to "never get in the gutter with your opponent" and to stay above them.

Jarrett says he regrets what he did last week against MJF, but that when they fight...MJF will find out who the "Last Outlaw is" along with the two getting into a fight to settle things. No lights, no cameras, just fists.

But then Jarrett just goes straight back into thanking the crowd for supporting him and helping him throughout his career. Nowadays, supporting him as he calls out AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley, wanting to talk to him face to face.

Music plays and Jeff looks for them, but Claudio Castignoli attacks Jeff from behind. Claudio says that nobody gets to challenge Moxley without going through him, and then tells Jarrett to stay out of their business.

Jarrett gets the mic and tells Claudio will have to kill him to stop him, and that he isn't staying down no matter what happens.

Jarrett then says he will face Claudio next week and if he wins, he gets a shot at the World Championship.

Claudio accepts, trying to sound all badass and serious, but his voice doesn't totally work for it, accepting the challenge.

We go back to a commercial break, which surprised me a bit and made the segment feel even longer than it was.

But we come back to a maybe 10 second video package about Megan Bayne, the newest signee to AEW who debuted last week in the Women's Casino Gauntlet match.

Match 2: Singles Match

Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) vs AR Fox

Strickland and Fox used to be allies, with the two working together to beat up Darby Allin and Nick Wayne when Fox debuted in AEW. But after Fox lost to Darby and seemed to turn over a new leaf as a good guy (also because he couldn't travel internationally) Swerve turned on Fox and beat him down.

But aside from that, they have a long history before AEW with Fox being a mentor and big brother type figure to Swerve, since Fox has been wrestling for decades and Swerve is relatively newer to wrestling.

It starts off a little tense with strikes before Swerve sends Fox to the floor and hits a Moonsault off the apron to show off his agility and athleticism.

Back in the ring, Swerve goes for a Diving European Uppercut, but Fox reverses it while the commentators mention that Fox knows Swerve very well and knows his offense.

We see a picture and picture thing with Ricochet making his way through the backstage area and seemingly towards the ring.

Ricochet is currently in a very violent and intense feud with Swerve, including a moment where Ricochet stabbed Swerve with golden scissors and left him a bloody mess in the ring a few weeks ago.

We go to commercial break, with the action a little bit slower but just Strickland dominating without much issue or even breaking a sweat.

Fox starts to get a little more aggressive and heelish, taunting the crowd and kicking Swerve without any respect. The crowd loudly boos Fox and gets behind Swerve, coming back from commercial break as Swerve gets back to his feet and starts to fight back. Catching a kick and very uniquely shifting over into a great looking Backbreaker.

The commercial break, real quick, was like so unimportant. Barely much action and more pacing around from both men only sometimes hitting moves.

Fox hits a great Springboard DDT like move in the ropes, followed by a Moonsault off the ring post to the floor which looked great. Fox is so athletic and great in the ring, able to do so many unique moves and things nobody else does.

Fox goes for a double jump Hurricanrana off the ropes, but Swerve catches him with ease and gets back on top.

Swerve prepares to hit his finisher the House Call, but Ricochet runs down and tries to stab Swerve with the scissors again.

Nana chases Ricochet off with a steel pipe while Fox hits a Corner Boot and a Spanish Fly off the top rope, but Swerve kicks out and dodges a 450 Splash. Swerve goes for another finisher the JML Driver, but Fox reverses into a Victory Roll for a near fall. We get a great sequence with Fox dropping down to avoid a Clothesline, but Swerve flips in the corner and hit a Rolling Flatliner, followed by a crazy cartwheel into a House Call and then the Swerve Stomp to finally get the win.

Result: Swerve Strickland defeated AR Fox

Star Rating: 3.25/5 Stars

After the match, Swerve and Fox shake hands to show respect.

Only for the titantron to cut right to Ricochet backstage, calling out Swerve for disrespecting him and then saying that Ricochet will say what he wants to say next week.

The camera zooms out to show Ricochet is holding the scissors to Nana's throat, saying he could gut him right there as Swerve runs backstage to save his friend and manager.

We then see a recap of the AEW World Championship match last week with Powerhouse Hobbs losing to Jon Moxley due to the Death Riders getting involved, followed up by Collision with Hobbs being taken out by The Learning Tree before the main event 6v6 match only for Hobbs to come down at the end and get the win.

We go straight to the New York Minute with Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith.

Jericho tries to get more serious suddenly, trash talking Big Bill and telling him to take care of Hobbs.

The sudden serious turn is weird, but then we see Bill call out Hobbs because Bill wasn't the one who got pinned. Bill tells Hobbs that he is the biggest and baddest man in wrestling, not Hobbs. Bill then calls out Hobbs for a match on Saturday's Collision before walking away.

Before we get to our next match, a unnamed local competitor is waiting in the ring until MJF comes out.

MJF is talking to Jeff Jarrett, telling him that Jeff is past his prime and doesn't deserve to be World Champion because he is delusional in thinking that hard work pays off. MJF tells him that the crowd doesn't love anymore, and that Jeff should've worked alongside Max to get to the World Championship.

Bascially, Jeff should've made a deal with the Devil rather than defying him.

Before MJF can leave, Hangman Page makes his way down to the ring. They have a quick and tense staredown for just a few seconds.

They have some minor history in AEW's early days. They were the final 2 of the first ever Casino Battle Royal at AEW's first ever show and Page won. Then, Page won a four way match against MJF that also included Jimmy Havoc and Jungle Boy (now Jack Perry) before they went on to fight for the first ever Dynamite Diamond Ring, which MJF won (and has gone on to retain every single year since).

But their last match was a trios match, with Page teaming with the Dark Order members Alex Reynolds and John Silver to defeat the Inner Circle of Santana, Ortiz, and short lived member MJF. This show was the celebration of life show after the tragic and sudden passing of Dark Order leader Mr. Brodie Lee, and was an incredible show with this match being the most emotional and hard hitting.

Match 3: Singles Match

Hangman Page vs local competitor

Page just dominates the match with aggression, winning in maybe 10 seconds with a Lariat.

Result: Hangman Page defeated the competitor

Star Rating: N/A

After the match, Page beats down on the man and hits Christopher Daniel's finisher Angels Wings.

This past Collision, Page and Daniels had a incredibly violent Texas Death Match where Daniels was left a bloody and broken mess.

Daniels comes out in a neck brace, saying how he didn't want to fight Page. He did it because he HAD to do it.

Daniels tells Page that Page won. Page won Daniels' last match of his career, and Page looks conflicted.

He finally starts to show some remorse after being taken to such levels of depravity before he shoves the camera man away and walks away as we go to commercial.

We come back from break to see AEW TBS, NJPW Strong Women's, and RevPro Undisputed Women's Champion Mercedes Mone walking backstage.

Renee Paquette comes over to ask her what is in the future for Mone, but Mone is interrupted by Harley Cameron with a guitar and sings a song to announce that she wants to challenge Mone in her home country of Australia.

Harley is super talented and a comedy master, but is not really taken seriously at all by anyone.

Mone says that she has traveled the world and beaten the best, and then tells Harley that she has yet to win a match in AEW and doesn't deserve a championship match at all.

Harley looks a little sad, but we then go to the ring.

Match 4: Singles Match

Jamie Hayter vs Julia Hart

A long running feud after both women returned from long injuries, Hart has been playing mind games and attacking Hayter out of revenge/disrespect for seemingly the crowd caring about Hayter more than her.

The match starts off quick with Hayter hitting a boot and then the two brawling on the floor, Hayter throwing Hart into the barricade a few times until Hart fights back and does the same to return the favor, but Hayter throws Hart into the steel steps and then back into the ring.

Starting off hot and aggressive, which is exactly what this feud needed.

They also keep it pretty even, with both women getting time to be on top with Hart being the slightly more aggressive person. Slamming Hayter's head into the mat over and over again or locking in choke holds.

Hayter finally gets some offense in, but Hart shuts it down quickly and keeps beating down her larger and stronger opponent, using a whole lot of submissions to tire and weaken Hayter down.

We come back from commercial with Hayter finally getting her time to fight and stopping Hart from climbing the corner. Hayter twists Hart's head and hits a big Back Suplex off the second rope, both women down and hurting.

They keep trading moves with Hayter almost getting the win with a Spinebuster, but then Hayter goes into a Single Leg Boston Crab. Hart crawls to the ropes and makes Hayter release the hold.

Hart is able to lock in a Octopus Stretch, but Hater switches it into a Backbreaker and a stretch only for Hart to escape. Hart his a big Crucifix that slams Hayter down on the back of her head, followed by Hart hitting a Elbow to Hayter's back, but Hayter is able to quickly hit a Chokeslam into a Backbreaker and then Hayterade to get the win.

Result: Jamie Hayter defeated Julia Hart

Star Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

After the match, Hayter grabs a microphone and tells Julia that she doesn't need to follow a leader. This now makes Hart the last person in the House of Black to get a pep talk about going out on her own.

Cope said it to Brody King, and Ospreay said it to Buddy Matthews. With the reports of Malakai Black leaving, this is basically the final confirmation that he is truly gone.

But this is also Hayter saying that they have each beaten each other, and that Hayter is ready for the tiebreaker whenever Julia is ready.

We go backstage to see Powerhouse Hobbs respond to the call out from Big Bill earlier in the night, announcing that he accepts the challenge and the two will have a parking lot fight on Saturday.

We come back from commercial to see Swerve Strickland backstage calling out Ricochet, and telling him that Swerve is the most dangerous man in AEW, and that Swerve won't hold back when they fight in 2 weeks. Swerve is coming to end Ricochet, but also says that Swerve might find Ricochet earlier to end him.

We then cut to a video "sent in" by Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart.

Why wasn't this shown before Julia's match? I have no idea.

It's the three of them saying how they had a voice to follow, but now they will not listen to any masters or voices or gods.

This was what it was. Should've been aired earlier but whatever. Again, just confirms that Malakai is gone but they want to keep the others together as a trio.

Main Event: Singles Match

Pac vs Cope

The match starts off slow, the two pacing around a bit before locking up and Cope shoving Pac into the corner. There is a bit of stalling and stuff, but not really a whole lot of action just yet. Pac hits a single kick to the leg, but then they continue to pace around for a bit.

Pac decides to use some chain wrestling and targets the leg with a hold, but the pair start to switch holds back and forth.

A weird start for a match that has grudge and aggression behind it, but alright.

They fight to the outside with Pac on top for a bit, but then Cope slams Pac onto the steel steps and throws him into the barricade.

They continue to stau on the floor for a while, with Cope beating down on Pac without much issue.

Pac is finally able to get on top, grabbing Cope's historically injured neck that forced him to retire many years ago. Pac smashed it into the apron, then stomped right onto it over and over again while the referee made Pac back away.

During the commercial break, Pac dominates the entire time and keeps targeting the neck of Cope.

Submission holds and then a Missile Dropkick off the top rope keeps him on top while the crowd is pretty quiet for the action.

We come back from commercial with Pac still dominating for a bit, Cope eventually fighting back with a big Dropkick of his own that Pac sold incredibly well.

While Cope starts to get his comeback, they announce a bunch of future matches and stuff while Cope is selling his neck while the crowd finally lights up.

Pac keeps avoiding the finisher while Pac goes back for Cope's previously injured leg to try and get back on top. Cope flips Pac inside out with a Lariat and hits his signature move the Impaler DDT, but he doesn't cover. He rolls to the corner and lets Pac get back up to set up for his finisher the Spear.

Pac jumps over Cope with ease, but Cope is able to pick him up on his shoulders until Pac goes seamlessly into his punishing submission the Brutalizer.

Cope falls into the ropes to escape, with both men selling this physical match up.

Pac hits a German Suplex to keep going after the neck, selling it like death while the referee checked on Cope to see if he could continue. Pac went into the Brutalizer again, Cope is able to escape and fight back. He hits a Spear to the back, another to the front, and then finally gets the drawn out win with a TKO.

Result: Cope defeated Pac

Star Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

After the match, the tron shows the Death Riders backstage who laid out FTR and the Rock N Roll Express. They come out to beat down on Cope since he is now "alone" but Jay White tries to make the save. They beat him down as well, standing tall with the crowd raining down boos.

Moxley locks in a Bulldog Choke to make Cope pass out while Claudio pins White down to watch.

The Death Riders then leave just after, ending the show on a downer note.

The show overall wasn't my favorite. I enjoy AEW, as much as this review might make it seem otherwise, but this show was lacklustre and weak. A show that had a good amount of stuff that I think is AEW at its worst.

Former WWE people dominating the home grown talent, a LOT of promos and videos rather than wrestling, and some strange focus in different places and stories.

The action was good and the likes of Swerve Strickland, AR Fox, Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, and Jamie Hayter all carried the show and realy are the people that AEW could build itself around. The tag title match was perhaps my least favorite actual match (not counting the 18 second squash with Page) just because it made the champions look like absolute chumps. But other than that, it was just a decent show for me.

Overall Rating: 5/10