To close out October, AEW Dynamite delivered a show designed to bridge the gap to what promises to be a packed month of November. With both Blood and Guts and Full Gear on the horizon, AEW has already begun laying the groundwork for two of its biggest events of the year.
Wednesday’s episode featured the kickoff of the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament, the crowning of a new No. 1 contender for the AEW World Championship, and the setup for one of the Blood and Guts matches scheduled for November 12.
So what stood out from the show? Let’s take a look:
Samoa Joe Returns To The World Title Scene
It makes sense that AEW didn’t immediately give Samoa Joe a rematch with Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Championship. He just lost to Page at WrestleDream for that same title, and a heel turn alone doesn’t automatically earn him another shot.
Instead, AEW put the Samoan Submission Machine through a fatal four-way match with Bobby Lashley, Ricochet, and Hook to determine the new No. 1 contender. The outcome felt somewhat inevitable, though it would’ve been interesting to see Lashley take a step forward after being so heavily protected with the Hurt Syndicate.
The highlight came when Page disguised himself as Tony Schiavone and attacked Joe as he celebrated in the ring after the match. The Cowboy had vowed to get his revenge by any means necessary, and he delivered.
It still feels like Page’s match to lose. AEW could always make a surprise title change to close out the year, but for now, there’s little reason to take the belt off the company’s hottest babyface while its other top good guys remain sidelined.
Okada-Takeshita Feud Stalls Another Week
AEW is clearly building toward a Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada match. Anyone who has followed the product over the past few months can see it coming. The problem is that the company keeps teasing tension between the two without actually moving the story forward.
This week’s Don Callis Family “summit” on Dynamite was another example. Takeshita was left out of the segment until midway through due to “travel issues,” and when he finally entered the ring, he came face-to-face with Okada. A tense handshake attempt ended with Okada flipping him off, a moment that hinted at a coming showdown but didn’t add much new.
Callis then announced that Takeshita and Okada would team together on Collision this Saturday, presenting it as a fresh twist. In reality, they’ve already teamed three times in the past two months, including at WrestleDream on Oct. 18 against Brody King and Bandido.
The segment fell flat because the idea isn’t new. Okada and Takeshita teaming up is always entertaining in theory, but AEW’s slow pacing has dulled the impact. If the eventual match is happening at Full Gear, it’s time to accelerate this feud and give fans a reason to feel invested again.
Setting The Stage For Blood And Guts
AEW has a lot going on right now. Between multiple major world title feuds, a tournament to crown the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions, and the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view, the company’s schedule already feels packed. Yet there’s still Blood and Guts on November 12, arguably AEW’s most intense and brutal match, one that even surpasses what Jon Moxley and Darby Allin have put each other through this year.
The women’s Blood and Guts match is still being developed, with Queen Aminata and Jamie Hayter searching for partners to face Julia Hart, Skye Blue, Thekla, and two yet-to-be-determined teammates in the first women’s edition of the match. The men’s side, however, appears to be set.
The Conglomeration’s Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe, and Roderick Strong will team with Darby Allin to face Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and Pac of the Death Riders. It’s primarily a continuation of the violent rivalry between Moxley and Allin, but it also gives several others a chance to shine on a big stage. This match could elevate someone like Garcia or Yuta among the heels, or further solidify Allin as one of AEW’s top babyfaces.
There’s still another week of Dynamite left to build this up, which isn’t much time since the challenge was only issued on the October 29 show. Still, given the longstanding tension between Allin and Moxley and the inherent appeal of the match concept itself, Blood and Guts practically sells itself.