Photos: AEW Dynamite Exclusive Pics From August 2, 2023, By Wrestling Inc.
For the second week, Wrestling Inc. has some exclusive photos to share with its readers. "WWE Raw" came to Tampa on July 24 and last night, "AEW Dynamite" made its Tampa debut at the Yuengling Center on the campus of the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!). So we dusted off the ol' press credentials and Nikon D7500 — no, these exclusive pics weren't shot on a phone, peanut gallery — and went out to see the show.
In addition to AEW debuting in a new city, fans in attendance got to witness another debut, with Rob Van Dam coming out to Pantera's "Walk" and a huge crowd pop. AEW World Champion MJF gave rival-turned-best-friend Adam Cole a shot at the title at the upcoming AEW All In pay-per-view event at Wembley Stadium in London, England. And last, but not least, Hikaru Shida captured the AEW Women's World Championship in the main event of the 200th episode of "AEW Dynamite."
Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Daniel Garcia & Sammy Guevara
Different wrestlers bring different attributes to the ring; some bring charisma, others incredible athletic abilities, others still manage a healthy portion of both. Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia brought their dance moves to the ring when "AEW Dynamite" kicked off in Tampa, while Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita brought a baseball bat and Don Callis, respectively. Apparently the latter were the better options, given that Callis and said baseball bat were the deciding factors in the match, to Jericho's seeming displeasure. That didn't stop him from making the cover for the win, mind you.
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Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Jack Perry Confrontation With Jerry Lynn
The former Jungle Boy, Jack Perry, came out to confront Jerry Lynn, who maintained his retirement and elected not to mix it up with Perry. He did, however, say he talked to an old friend, who had also wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling. And just like that, Rob Van Dam is in the building. Not interested in an ostensibly fair fight, Perry ducked out of the ring, but he snuck back in with a steel chair. He was unable to catch RVD unaware, however, and "The Whole Effin' Show" dodged the attempted chair shot. Perry ducked the spin kick RVD launched in response and the FTW Champion promptly vacated the premises.
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Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Jon Moxley vs. Trent Beretta (Anything Goes)
Up next in extreme action came a triple threat match between Trent Beretta, Penta El Zero Miedo and Jon Moxley. Fans of harcore wrestling got an absolute treat, with multiple table spots, barbed wire, trash cans and — of course — thumbtacks. They even got to see some brawling in the stands, as Moxley's fellow Blackpool Combat Club members Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli brawled with Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy. In the end, Beretta picked up the W, stealing a pinfall on Penta after Moxley had laid him out with the Paradigm Shift.
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Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
MJF promo
Unlikely fan favorite MJF came out next to discuss his redemption arc. He regaled the crowd about being bullied when he was younger and conceded his own unsavory character traits, but then invited out the man who helped him turn the corner: his new best friend, Adam Cole, bay bay! Cole expressed how proud he was of Max for his continued character growth, leading MJF to bring up the title shot he'd promised Cole. The champ then puled a swerve, saying Cole didn't deserve a title shot; he deserved the title shot, on the biggest stage in professional wrestling: AEW All In at Wembley. Just like that, with a contract signed, AEW's biggest PPV to date has a title match.
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Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
The Elite vs. Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, & Satnam Singh
Up next, it was trios time, with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks taking on Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh. The match was a back-and-forth affair, with each side gaining the advantage and seemingly no one wanting to take on Singh one-on-one. But who needs to go it alone in a tag team match anyway? The Bucks were able to cut the big man down to size, but of course Karen Jarrett and Sonjay Dutt got involved. The Hardys came out to attack Dutt and even things up a bit, as did "Hangman" Adam Page, allowing Omega to hit the One-Winged Angel on Lethal to secure the win via pinfall.
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Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Toni Storm (c) vs. Hikaru Shida
In the "AEW Dynamite" main event, Hikaru Shida took on Toni Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship and while the challenger keeps a kendo stick handy, the champ travels with her fellow Outcasts Saraya and Ruby Soho. Shida was more than happy to introduce the three to each other; when Storm's stablemates tossed the kendo stick into the ring, Shida considered using it on Storm, but instead nailed Soho and Saraya to avoid the loss by disqualification. It proved to be a smart decision, as she went on to win the match via pinfall and become your new AEW Women's World Champion.
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Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.
Kevin Tall/Wrestling Inc.