Swerve Strickland gets his moment as Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson wow at strong AEW Dynasty (2024)

AEW is officially Swerve’s House.

The crowning of Swerve Strickland as the company’s first black world champion capped the inaugural Dynasty pay-per-view from Chaifetz Arena in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday night.

The show was one of AEW’s most focused storytelling efforts that will be remembered for the all-time classic put on by Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson, Strickland’s historic win and the return of Jack Perry to help the Young Bucks.

It was a quintessential AEW show with tremendous matches. But unlike others at points in 2023, Dynasty consistently featured important moments that laid the groundwork for multiple stories to come.

The show’s biggest drawback was the company’s commitment to a Chris Jericho-Hook story that seems to lack a level of chemistry and that it feels fans just don’t want to see.

All in all, it was another strong pay-per-view outing for AEW.

Here are five takeaways from Dynasty:

A New King

AEW is under new management that should give it a very fresh feel at the top with the level of storytelling and moment-making we have already seen from Swerve Strickland.

Samoa Joe was the perfect transitional champion from MJF to Strickland, who successfully moved from villain to anti-hero to now hero in the past six months.

The match was everything it needed to be but fell short of special. Strickland took enough of a beating early to earn sympathy from the crowd and then seemed to have enough counters and answers for some of the champion’s signature maneuvers as the match went on.

One of the best story points was Strickland trying to do something underhanded, attempting to clock Joe with the championship belt while Prince Nana distracted the ref, nearly costing him the match when Joe avoided it and put on the Coquina Clutch. He almost choked away another title like in the past in AEW.

Strickland kicked out of avalanche Muscle Buster earlier in the match and the champ got his shoulder up after the first Swerve Stomp.

But with Joe looking for another top-rope Muscle Buster, Stickland was able to counter into a powerbomb and then a second Swerve Stomp was enough to secure the title. It was a long-awaiting coronation for Strickland, who had Black Panther-themed attire and entrance.

Fever Dream

There are dream matches and there are dream matches and Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson was in the all-time great category. From the variety of styles on display – mat wrestling, counter wrestling, strong-style and even some aerial offense, two of the best to ever do it built to a perfect crescendo as the intensity kept rising.

The story was built around Ospreay proving he could take everything Danielson was going to throw at him. Osprey continually told Danielsn to keep coming and twice popped up late right upafter kicks and then daring “The American Dragon” to unleash his “Yes Kicks”, but got a slap instead.

While the counters started small, they eventually turned into doing so with their signature maneuvers. Danielson countered a Hidden Blade attempt into a Lebell Lock and spectacularly rose up to deliver a Psycho Knee as Ospreay sprung off the ropes for an Oscutter.

By the end, the two decided to go to opposite corners like two bulls and have a Hidden Blade vs. Psycho Knee duel that Ospreay won. He followed that up with a Tiger Driver 91 that left Danielson writhing in pain on the map and the ref calling for the doctor. A hyped-up Ospreay still delivered the Hidden Blade to score the pin.

It was left unclear if Danielson was truly hurt. The move looked like it was done safely and Ospreay going after an injured opponent could play into the storyline that he is as bad as the rest of the Don Callis family, even as he keeps telling Danielson he is not. It would be a good catalyst to him breaking away from the group.

It’s likely part of the story as AEW posted footage of a remorseful Ospreay helping Danielson to the trainer’s room. He addressed it in the press conference talking about how terrible he felt and that he didn’t see the doctors, but Tony Khan didn’t seem too concerned about Danielson.

Jack Out Of The Box

The tag team championship ladder match between the Young Bucks and FTR got the expected and appropriate ending, but it was a small important detail that made it even better.

Jack Perry made his return to AEW television for the first time since being suspended after All In, where he had a notorious backstage incident with CM Punk. He jumped out of the crowd with a mask on and pushed Dax Harwood – who was all alone – off the ladder. Cash Wheeler was out of commission after doing a full-speed suicide dive through a table into the barricade after Nicholas Jackson moved out of the way.

Perry, who ripped up his AEW contract in New Japan,was immediately swarmed by security before revealing himself. While that was going on, Matthew Jackson was able to climb the ladder to get the Bucks the tournament win and makes them the first three-time AEW tag team champions.

But the most important thing that happened is that Perry was escorted out of the arena by security, opening the door for The Bucks to use their EVP power to reinstate him and make him part of the Elite. Perry’s first feud could be Daniel Garcia or New Japan Strong champion Eddie Kingston.

The match itself was a wild affair filled with high-risk violence with all four men being put through objects. At one point late, Nicholas Jackson did a 450 off the top rope onto Wheeler through a table on the outside as a bloody Harwood pile drove Matt Jackson through a propped up ladder on the other side in a fitting fourth chapter for these two teams.

The crowd at one point chanted: “Please be careful.”

It was part of a big night for The Elite as Kazuchika Okada retained his Continental championship in a banger of an opener against PAC. Okada’s facial, especially on a one German suplex were outstanding as he continues to make the transition to wrestling in the U.S. and showing off his emotions and personality more.

Jeri-No

The Chris Jericho-Hook feud continues to feel like it has the wrong kind of heat around it and AEW is married to it for the foreseeable future after the wrestling legend used a low blow and two Judias Effects an strike with a bat – while telling Hook he’s ‘sorry’ – to win the FTW world championship.

I’m all for Hook needing to overcome some adversity, so from that standout have Jericho win as the right call. But nothing felt good about it with the St. Louis crown divested from the match outside of telling Jericho to go home and to “please retire.”

It’s possible a portion of the audience shas continued to reject Jericho since December when rumors that were never corroborated arose about him potentially having non-disclosure agreements and his conduct allegedly having a role in wrestler Kylie Rae leaving the company 2019. But mostly the action — despite use of plenty of weapons — just fell a little flat. Though Hook hit a great-looking suplex of Jericho through a table on the outside.

Jericho has played into all the ill feelings toward him as best as he can, acting in storyline that he is doing what’s in Hook’s best interest by allowing him to sit under his learning tree to finally reach world champion status.

The problem is it feels like the audience isn’t interested in the long game AEW is playing here. It may need to redirect course a little to protect Hook as they bring this story to an eventual close down the road.

Future Endeavors

AEW did an excellent job all night of setting up what comes next.

In the trios match, TNT champion Adam Copeland and perspective challenger Malaki Black did not touch until the closing seconds of a fun match that saw Copeland, Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston really work well together as a team. Black thwarted Copeland’s spear attempt with the mist and a Black Mass kick to seal it and clearly make him the No. 1 contender.

After Rodrick Strong got the best of friend Kyle O’Reilly to retain the Continental championship, we got Adam Cole returning and standing up from his wheelchair for the first time since his ankle injury. As he walked into the ring, he gave Warlow – who failed to deliver the AEW world championship to Cole – a nasty look that could be the foreshadowing of a betrayal and could bring back MJF.

On the women’s side, Toni Storm had her best title defense in AEW against Thunder Rosa with the pace and aggressiveness a step above what we normally see from the “Timeless” champion, but Deonna Purazzo’s interference could mean Rosa or Storm might not be done with the her.

Willow Nightingale won the TBS championship with too much ease from Julia Hart from my liking after all the mystique built up around her. But the hug between Nightingale, Kris Statlander and Stokley Hathaway was a nice moment. Mercedes Mone’ – Nightingale scheduled opponent at Double or Nothing coming out to reign on it was the right call. And no one revealing themselves as the one who attacked Mone’ makes me think it’s someone we aren’t considering.

Other Matches

Bullett Club Gold defeats The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to unify the AEW and Ring of Honor trios championships.

Trent Berreta over Mike Sydal

Orange Cassidy and Shibota over Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty

Biggest winner: Swerve Strickland

Biggest loser: Julia Hart

Best match: Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay

Grade: A