AEW Dynamite advertised three championship matches, including Dustin Rhodes challenging Christian Cage for the AEW TNT Championship, Bullet Club Gold challenging the Bryan Cage and the Gates of Agony for the ROH Trios Championships and Hook challenging Samoa Joe for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.
Last week’s broadcast of AEW Dynamite underperformed with 774,000 viewers, but was solid in 18-48 with 377,000 viewers and a .29 against stout competition.
AEW Dynamite Results | January 17, 2024
- Christian Cage def. Dustin Rhodes | AEW TNT Championship
- Orange Cassidy and Trent def. Penta El Zero M and Kommander
- Bullet Club Gold Def. Mogul Embassy | AEW Six-Man Tag Team Titles
- Donna Purrazzo def. Anna Jay
- Private Party def. Top Flight
- Samoa Joe Def. Hook | AEW World Heavyweight Championship
AEW Dynamite Ratings
- January 10, 2024 | 774,000
- January 3, 2024 | 801,000
- December 27, 2023 | 843,000
- December 20, 2023 | 782,000
- December 13, 2023 | 845,000
AEW Dynamite Ticket Sales
- AEW Dynamite Venue: North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, SC)
- AEW Dynamite Tickets Distributed: 2,451
- AEW Dynamite Tickets Available: 59
AEW Is Imploding | Pro Wrestling Bits
AEW Dynamite Winners And Grades
Christian Def. Dustin Rhodes
Suicide Squad was brandished everywhere AEW could brand it on this show in honor of the video game.
Christian Cage came off as a tremendous heel in front of this small crowd.
Dustin Rhodes can have one great match a year with anybody, if not more.
Christian Cage dove onto Dustin Rhodes as AEW Dynamite went to commercial.
This match could have absolutely passed for an Attitude Era match 25 years earlier. Christian may be 50 years old, but boy can he still bump.
Keeping up with the branded theme of the night, Dustin Rhodes teased a Suicide Dive, and fans in South Caroline begged him to do it. Unfortunately, Christian Cange countered it with an uppercut.
Dustin Rhodes then teased the Shattered Dreams, and this time, Rhodes gave it to them just like old times. Dustin Rhodes followed up with a Cross Rhodes, which Christian barely kicked out of. Fans chanted “that was three!”
After honorably fighting off Killswitch and Nick Wayne and kicking out of a Killswitch, Christian Cage was able to put Dustin Rhodes down with a second Killswitch.
Orange Cassidy And Trent Def. Penta El Zero M And Kommander
This was a lively tag team match and one of best showings.
Trent showed a lot of aggression while in the ring against Kommander.
True to his winning ways Orang Cassidy picked up another win alongside Trent.
After the match, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven and Michael Bennett appeared and Strong challenged Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship. Cassidy accepted, and wanted to have the match on the spot, but Strong declined and said he’d have to wait until pay-per-view. Fans chanted “Shut the F up” throughout Strong’s promo.
Mark Briscoe Appears Live To Honor His Brother Jay
Mark Briscoe appeared to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Jay Briscoes’s death.
Fans were radio silent the moment Mark Briscoe began speaking. Fans were never more silent than when Mark Briscoe said his niece would never walk again, but then both his nieces walked out to greet him.
As heartwarming as this moment was, Mark Briscoe only got less than 60 seconds to speak, but AEW then aired a touching tribute to Jay Briscoe.
Young Bucks Interview
Renee Young did a backstage interview with The Young Bucks who were dressed like suburbs. Nick Jackson preferred they go by their government names Nicholas and Matthew Jackson.
Matthew addressed “rumors” of relying on “self-serving, superficial, cancerous superstars” to build their company.
Matthew Jackson admitted he’d have to say goodbye to Sting “and everyone like him.”
Nicholas Jackson really leaned into their heel characters by using the term “EVPs.”
I love how CM Punk and the Young Bucks had this big feud, and in the fallout, CM Punk became a huge babyface in WWE while the Young Bucks are heels in their own company of AEW. Hilarious.
Bullet Club Gold Def. Mogul Embassy
Toa Liona is one of the many hidden gems in AEW. They just have to do something with him outside of this listless trios group. In fact, he could pass for an Anoa’i.
Austin Gunn connected with Bryan Cage with a series of right hands, just like his (honorary) uncle Road Dogg.
Prince Nana danced right in Austin Gunn’s faces. A sign of straight disrespect.
The Mogul Embassy connected with a series of moves on Colton Gunn and the inevitable three-count was only broken up when his teammates interrupted it.
Aubrey Edwards was once again distracted, bringing out Prince Nana to try to use the ROH Six-Man Tag Title as a weapon. Anthony Bowens nixed that, and Jay White to beat Bishop Khan and become the new Six-Man tag team champion. This was the genesis of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang.
Deonna Purrazzo Def. Anna Jay
“Timeless” Toni Storm appeared on commentary during this match, and every time the camera cut to her, it was in black and white.
When Deonna and Anna were doing the “boo, yeah!” spots, the crowd seemed more into Anna Jay.
Deonna Purrazzo won in what was basically a showcase of Purrazzo’s skillset as well as a showcase of Toni Storm’s character.
After the match Deonna Purrazzo cut a promo on Toni Storm and Toni responded by sitting on Luther’s shoulders and threatening to “punch Deonna Purrazzo in her box.”
Private Party Def. Private Party
Top Flight vs. Private Party started out as a ground battle, which literally nobody expected.
Coming out of the break, this continued to be a ground battle, but the crowd was actually pretty into it.
This match actually built into the high-flying spectacle it was destined to be, a sign that both teams are maturing before our very eyes.
Private Party won when Marq Quen rolled up Darius Martin and grabbed the bottom rope. I see a rematch coming.
Samoa Joe Def. Hook
AEW took its final commercial break to air Hook vs. Samoa Joe commercial-free.
Despite Hook’s popularity, fans in South Carolina were chanting “Joe” while Hook was waiting for the world champion in the ring.
Hook remained with his back to Samoa Joe during the ring introductions, with fans chanting “Joe is gonna kill you!”
There was a handful of fans chanting “Hook” in the same way that three kids cheer for the guy losing a fight at school.
Samoa Joe continued to ask Hook if he understood yet, and Taz begged Hook not to taunt Samoa Joe. Joe slammed Hook with a Uranage on the table, and then a power bomb on the apron Taz had to take his headset off for a bit.
Samoa Joe hit the Muscle Buster and Hook kicked out at one and launched a blaze-of-glory comeback. But Samoa Joe countered the Redrum with the Coquina Clutch as Hook passed out.
I don’t care what AEW thinks they’re booking Samoa Joe as, he’s a babyface world champion. Period, end of story.
Samoa Joe tried to finish off Hook, but Hangman Adam Page made the save. AEW then cut to Swerve Strickland, who was wearing eyeliner, nad fans chanted “Swerve’s House!”