The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 02.19.25

The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 02.19.25

We’ve been riding a hot streak for the TV shows for the last couple of weeks, so hopefully this one carries on into the PPV.

Live from Phoenix, AZ. This is another cool small arena setup, with the ring right beside the main stage and a short ramp connecting them.

Your hosts are Ian Riccaboni, Excalibur & Taz

MJF & Hangman Page join us to start for a face to face. MJF is still bitter about Hangman winning the first Casino Battle Royale in 2019, but winning all those diamond rings and titles makes him feel better about it. Max is also kind of mystified that Hangman is the “good guy” and that HANGMAN DID NOTHING WRONG. Oh man if he drops a line about gardening I’m gonna need a cigarette. Anyway, Max then goes after Christopher Daniels and that’s TOO MUCH for the Hangman and he goes off and tears down MJF and goes after his fragile ego. But MJF is still on about how Hangman was the one chosen by the powers as soon as the company started. And they’ve had enough of each other, but can’t fight, so we get the staredown until security splits them up, and Christopher Daniels talks Hangman down. Good promo battle that laid out the motivations before the PPV match.

Meanwhile, Grand Slam Australia hits for six.

Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata v. Christian, Kip Sabian & Nick Wayne

Sabian tries hammerlocks with Shibata to start, but Shibata kicks him down and brings in Joe. Joe destroys Sabian and Wayne with sentons, so Christian decides to come in and take care of business himself before changing his mind and letting Nick try it instead. The Opps triple-team Wayne with chops, but Shibata gets laid out from behind and the heels take over. We take a break and return with Shibata hitting Wayne with a spear, but Kip cuts off the tag. Shibata fights them off and Hook gets the hot tag and suplexes everyone. Northern lights on Wayne gets two. Everyone trades the big moves as it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA, and Joe tosses Cage and hits him with a dive. Wayne cradles Hook for two with the ropes, but Hook counters Wayne’s World with the choke and taps him out at 9:05. Good but not particularly notable opener. **1/2

Meanwhile, Chris Jericho is tired of being disrespected after his loss to Bandido, and maybe it’s time he’s not so nice anymore. So he’s challenging Bandido to an ROH title match on Collision.

Street Fight: Big Bill v. Powerhouse Hobbs

They immediately fight into the crowd, not wasting time, and trade shots out there until Hobbs tosses Bill back to the ringside area. Hobbs gets an awkward charge onto Bill on the railing, but then does it a second time and Bill hits him with a piece of equipment after missing the cue the first time. Bill finds a wrench, but Hobbs is able to dodge it and thus can probably dodge a ball. Hobbs with the chairshots, but inevitably the wrench finally works because you can only dodge it so many times. So Hobbs is busted open and Bill chokeslams him onto the stairs as we take a break. Back with Bryan Keith running in and attacking Hobbs, but Hobbs puts him through a table in the corner, only for Bill to boots Hobbs over the top. Hobbs with the powerslam on the stage and he nails Bill with his own backpack, which is correctly predicted to be full of bricks by Taz. Bill is bleeding now and they slug it out before Hobbs runs Bill into the stairs a few times. And that sets up a chokeslam off the stairs, and off the stage, through a barbed wire table, and Bill is tied up in the barbed wire and gets counted out at 11:31. He totally missed one of the tables and it looked like they to improvise something for the finish as a result, but it was still a fairly clever way to keep him down. This was exactly what we wanted out of it. ***1/4

Meanwhile, the Murder Machines have words for the Hurt Syndicate and want their tag team titles. So that’s happening on Collision as well.

Timeless Toni Storm joins us to a monster babyface ovation from the crowd. She may have won with a small package, but she railed Mariah with a big package! And she’s still looking for Wendi Richter or anyone else who wants a shot at the title.

GABE KIDD is coming to Collision, and that’s a big get.

Meanwhile, Marina Shafir interrupts another Willow promo and beats her up, which brings the Death Riders down to the ring to make threats to COPE. So Jay White interrupts and seems to be walking into a trap, but then COPE appears from the crowd and the Death Riders take some Blade Runners. So Moxley retreats and COPE does a promo and promises to take out the Death Riders one by one and kick some ass one-on-one at the PPV. Well shit it’s about time someone tried that.

Meanwhile, Mercedes Mone does not want ANY puppets around her. But Momo Watanabe claims the next title shot, which leaves the crowd mostly just confused about who she is.

Megan Bayne v. Kris Statlander

They slug it out to start and trade kicks for some Mommy Meat action, but Bayne spears her to take over. We take a break and return with them throwing clotheslines at each other, which Statlander wins. Axe kick gets two. Bayne comes back with a deadlift german suplex and they head to the apron, where Stat drops her with a back suplex on THE HARDEST PART OF THE RING. But Bayne pops up and suplexes her back into the ring. Statlander comes back and goes to the top, but Penelope Ford shoves her off the top and the F5 finishes for Bayne at 8:17. Big chunk of the match was during the break but what we got was pretty decent. **1/2. So Ford and Bayne try for the beatdown, but Thunder Rosa makes the save.

Ricochet joins us for the cheap basketball heat, and he’s not contented with just wearing the stolen robe, he wants GOLD. But Prince Nana interrupts and explains how important the robe’s history is to him, and asks for it back. But Ricochet is keeping it for now and there’s not really a payoff to this one.

International title series: Roderick Strong v. Orange Cassidy

Orange is back with Jane again and back to lightly colored denim again. Orange frustrates Strong to start and bails to the floor for a huge from Kyle O’Reilly, but he snubs Adam Cole. So then Strong gets jealous and goes to hug both guys himself, allowing Orange to hit a dive. And more hugs with Kyle. Back in the ring, Strong catches him with a dropkick and beats on him with chops in the corner, so Orange retreats to the floor again to think it over. Back in, Strong with a slingshot powerslam for two and we take a break. Back with Orange slingshotting into a DDT to make the comeback and he runs Strong into the turnbuckles, but Strong counters the stunner, so Orange gets another DDT for two. Beach Break gets two. Strong with a series of backbreakers and that gets two. Orange rolls him up for two. Strong with another backbreaker and that sets up a Cloverleaf, but Orange makes the ropes. Orange puts the boots to him, but Strong hits him with the Sick Kick. Orange reverses End of Heartache into the stunner, and the Orange Punch finishes at 12:33. So Orange meets Takeshita for the title next week. They have good chemistry and this was good. ***1/2

Afterwards, Orange is interviewed by Tony Schiavone, but the Callis Family attacks and Kenny Omega has to save, giving us an Orange/Kenny moment to end the show. I’m thinking we’re gonna end up with a three-way somehow after next week. Otherwise I don’t know what the point of working Orange Cassidy into the storyline was.

Not like a really GREAT show, but this was a fun show that flew by with a hot crowd, and it continues the run of good TV they’re having. Moving to the smaller buildings has really revitalized something in them. Maybe on Collision we’ll even learn the identity of Los Outrunners.