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From Sting's retribution against Team Taz to a qualifying contest for the Face of the Revolution Ladder match, this week's edition of AEW Dynamite featured many contrasting moments.
This particular episode from AEW was an engaging ride from start-to-finish. It included a couple of important developments for next month's Revolution pay-per-view as well.
A few hours before the show, it was announced that Paul Wight fka The Big Show became All Elite. There are several interesting feuds he could have in Tony Khan's promotion.
What are your thoughts on Wight's AEW signing? How did NXT fare against AEW in terms of quality this week? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of AEW Dynamite (February 24, 2021).
#5 Matt Hardy promised to hurt every member of The Dark Order on AEW Dynamite
Hangman Page's feud with Matt Hardy led to a significant involvement from The Dark Order on this week's AEW Dynamite.
Page faced Isiah Kassidy of Private Party in one-on-one action during the episode. Hardy was present near ringside to root for Hangman's opponent. The veteran's shenanigans helped Kassidy to turn the tables at one point.
Dark Order's John Silver and Alex Reynolds came out to inform the referee about Hardy's unfair involvement. As a result, Hardy was ejected from the match.
Eventually, Page won the match, which seemed like the obvious outcome before his pay-per-view contest against Hardy at AEW Revolution. After the bout, Hardy expressed his frustrations over Page choosing The Dark Order as his allies over the veteran.
Money Matt promised to hurt The Dark Order's members as a form of revenge against AEW's resident cowboy. Hardy kickstarted his agenda by tossing 'Five' of The Dark Order through a table.
Both The Dark Order and Hangman Page have become sympathetic aspects of AEW Dynamite in recent memory. The faction has suffered the loss of the late great Brodie Lee, while Page has been lonely since leaving The Elite. These two elements fit together perfectly. This is why it will be a satisfying moment when Page and The Dark Order will overcome Hardy and his group in the near future.
#4 Jon Moxley sounded like a man who seems prepared to die in the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch at AEW Revolution
This week's AEW Dynamite kicked off with an opening contest between Jon Moxley and Dolph Ziggler's brother, Ryan Nemeth.
It almost seemed as if this bout was a warm-up match for Moxley before his big contest at AEW Revolution. The big contest for Moxley at Revolution, of course, is an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the AEW World Championship against Kenny Omega.
Compared to Moxley's high-stakes bouts from the past, he picked up an easy victory over Nemeth on this week's AEW Dynamite. Post-match, Mox commented on his upcoming Deathmatch against Omega. He is addicted to violence, which is something that everyone knows at this point. Moxley added that he knows Omega and The Good Brothers could be luring him into a trap.
However, if this is the end of the road for him, then he can’t think of a better way to go out. Despite his statements, Moxley will probably have a plan heading into the Deathmatch. Otherwise, it's as if The Master of Unscripted Violence is asking for a death wish at Revolution.
#3 Chris Jericho and MJF brutalized Matt and Nick Jackson's father on AEW Dynamite
A standard feud between The Inner Circle and The Young Bucks became personal on this week's AEW Dynamite.
Earlier in the episode, Matt and Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks were seen backstage with their parents. This moment set up a major plot development later in the show.
Jake Hager faced Brandon Cutler on this week's AEW Dynamite. For those unaware, Cutler is friends with The Bucks in real life. Hager proved to be too much for Cutler in the ring this week.
As The Inner Circle member took down Cutler to earn a victory, other members of the faction arrived to beat up the babyface. Soon, Matt and Nick Jackson came out to rescue their friend. However, Chris Jericho and MJF had a vicious surprise for the AEW Tag Team Champions.
Jericho and MJF appeared on the big screen and revealed that they had bloodied Matt and Nick's father backstage.
The Young Bucks rushed to check up on Papa Buck, as Jericho and MJF escaped from the arena. The whole sequence was executed in an intriguing manner, which added a lot of depth to the pre-existing feud between both teams.
#2 Lance Archer and Rey Fenix fought in a hard-hitting AEW main event with a major opportunity at stake
AEW's main events have delivered more often than not, and this week's clash between Lance Archer and Rey Fenix was no exception.
The two wrestled each other to earn a spot in the Face of the Revolution Ladder match at the upcoming pay-per-view. The winner of the said ladder match will get a future AEW TNT Championship match.
Archer and Fenix fought for the spot as if they were in a title match on AEW Dynamite. Fenix's aerial offense mixed well with Archer's hard-hitting move-set.
Fenix was the underdog in this match, so it made sense when Archer dominated the high-flyer towards the end of their contest. Archer picked up the victory and earned his place in the ladder match at Revolution.
After the bout, the two also shared a fist bump to end the episode on a feel-good note.
Archer was the right man to win in the aforementioned scenario. Although Fenix would definitely be a great ladder match contestant, Archer fits more efficiently in the current TNT title picture than the luchador.
#1 Darby Allin returned from the rafters and reunited with Sting on AEW Dynamite
Sting and Darby Allin's feud with Team Taz took a cinematic turn on this week's AEW Dynamite.
Allin had been kidnapped by Taz and his crew not too long ago. This week, the TNT Champion was being dragged across the desert with Sting at the wheel in a bizarre video clip. It symbolized how Allin was addicted to pain and even enjoyed it to a certain extent. After all, what else can you deduce from a scenario where a man smiles in pleasure after being dragged across the desert in a body bag?
This video aired after Brian Cage and Ricky Starks had defeated The Varsity Blondes in a tag team match.
Sting came out with his own body bag to confront Taz and his goons. Because of the video, everyone assumed that Allin was the person inside the body bag. Surprisingly, it was Taz's son, Hook, inside the bag instead. It looks like both sides have had their fair share of kidnappings now.
Allin made a more dramatic return when he ziplined down to the ring from the rafters.
The babyface duo beat up their rivals. Sting executed a Stinger Splash and a Scorpion Death Drop on Cage. As a result, the WCW icon earned his revenge on Cage after the latter had power-bombed him last week.
This particular storyline had become somewhat repetitive in recent memory. However, the cinematic sequence of events between all parties involved was a refreshing touch during this week's episode, before their ultimate showdown at AEW Revolution.
In the video embedded above, do check out SK Wrestling's 'The Debrief', where Jose G and Rico El Glorioso review the latest episodes of AEW Dynamite and NXT.
