[6.0] "This was a disappointing episode, especially considering it was their first show on MAX. The opening match between Adam Page and Orange Cassidy failed to live up to either guy's standards and just drug on. The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Acclaimed was so inconsequential that I already forgot it happened and can't think of a single thing that occurred. Julia Hart and Jamie Hayter battled ring rust as much as each other in a very underwhelming match. Jay White earned the #1 spot in the Casino Gauntlet Match by beating both Roderick Strong and Swerve Strickland in a match that really only existed so that Ricochet could attack Swerve. Powerhouse Hobbs squashed Jon Cruz and Rob Killjoy in entertaining fashion. Finally, Rated FTR and Death Riders saved this card from mediocrity with their match of the night performance."
[5.0] "[5.4] The first episode of AEW Dynamite on MAX ends up being underwhelming. I was expecting a hit out of the ballpark type show but this was just underwhelming, not We opened with Orange Cassidy and Hangman Adam Page, they were fighting because they fought in the four-way at Worlds End, I think? The match was just fine, nothing too amazing, it felt oddly slow paced and the ending was just meh. It seems these two are feuding now. The Acclaimed vs. Hurt Syndicate is what you expected, Syndicate squashed The Acclaimed with Bowens leaving Caster in the ring. Hayter vs. Hart was just alright but forgettable, Julia wasn't the strongest in the ring before and since. The Mone segment was absolutely useless, it was an excuse to get her on the show. We also got a lot of interviews and short segments to show what AEW has to offer but to older fans who've been watching AEW it felt like filler. Strong vs. White vs. Strong was alright, another nice match that was decent but didn't stand out. Ricochet after the match decided to murder Swerve Strickland with scissors and made Ricochet look like a madman, he still has some kinks to work out cause the crowd chanted, "Awkward" at one point. The Jeff Jarrett segment was raw and emotional, the best part of the show by far. The Hobbs squash was another case of absolute filler. The main event was odd. It was good but it was held down by the booking and the absolutely hilarious, VKM styled renaming of Adam Copeland to, "Cope" I heard more about the rename then the match itself. It doesn't work and is just so silly. This show could have been so much more in introducing the MAX audience to AEW but it felt half-cooked at times."
[5.0] "Kind of a lackluster show all things considered. Three solid matches that probably should have/could have been better and a bunch of fluff in between them. Alright for a TV show as there wasn't anything bad here except for the women's match. [MOTN: Adam Page vs. Orange Cassidy]"
[7.0] "I returned to AEW after a long hiatus from burnout and enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Crowd reaction was pretty good for 95% of the show. Hangman vs. OC: A great showcase of AEW wrestling to new eyes watching on Max with a good tease for something with Daniels and Page. Hurt Syndicate vs. The Acclaimed: This is my first time seeing the build to the Acclaimed breakup and it feels needed. Match did what it needed to do. Hayter vs. Hart: It was fine. A bigger women's match would've been better to showcase, though. Mercedes segment was a waste of time. Triple Threat: Really enjoyed this one. The most interesting I've ever found Ricochet to be. Jeff Jarrett's "retirement segment" gets me behind the outlaw in 2025. Hobbs handicap squash match was a flash from the AEW Dark past. Main Event: A really good main event. Never was a huge fan of trios matches but when they're good, it's a fun time."
[7.0] "[7.5] Pretty solid show. The show started very well with Page defeating OC in a nice opener. Second match was short but served its purpose, establishing Hurt Syndicate and preparing ground for a future Acclaimed feud. Third match was the women's match, and I was very happy to see Julia back after being sidelined for so long, she's still somewhat green and this match was kinda sloppy plus Jaime still hasn't recouped her former self in the ring yet, still I'm very excited to see how this feud will unfold. The triple threat for the first contender in the casino gauntlet was ok and since Jay White won and I can't give a single F* for Jay White the result was meh to me, the highlight was the bloody mess caused by Ricochet at the end, setting up his showdown with Strickland for the PPV in Australia. Powerhouse Hobbs squashed 2 local guys very quickly in the fifth match. And the ME was Rated FTR defeating the Death Riders in an ok match with some really cool moments like the Big Rig + Spear final sequence. Overall it was a very enjoyable show to watch, all the In-ring and backstage segment were entertaining with some minor nitpicks on my part, since I never really liked Jeff Jarrett, nor am i interested in older wrestlers at this point of their careers. I could've given a high score for the show, but this was their first simulcast with Max, and this show should've been a banger, but it wasn't, not a single moment that really stood out. They should've kept Cope's return for the Dynamite. Him returning on the PPV overshadowed Kenny's return and the CC final could've been the main event of the PPV. Still I'm very excited for AEW in 2025, I think they're finally getting on their rails again and this year could be their best year since 2021 for sure!"
[5.0] "Some solid matches but a lot of filler on a show that was supposed to be a big deal with the first streaming on Max show. Main Event was the highlight along with a solid Hangman/Cassidy matchup."
[6.0] "For the first episode of Dynamite in 2025, this had a couple of good matches and a few matches that were either not booked right or should not have happened, some good segments including the promo from Jeff Jarrett about his wrestling future which was filled with passion and fire. Adam Page vs Orange Cassidy: OC countering Page's Buck Shot Lariat into a Beach Break was surprising to watch, they have good chemistry and they had an enjoyable match, a good opening match for the new year within AEW for 2025 [***3/4]. Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin vs Anthony Bowens & Max Caster: Basically a squash match that was an extended one, Bowens and Caster splitting teases continue in this one and allowed Lashley and Benjamin to get the win [*3/4]. Julia Hart vs Jamie Hayter: This match was sloppy and the pacing was off at times, Hart having her first match in nearly a year was not good to be honest, the chemistry was not there [*1/2]. Jay White vs Roderick Strong vs Swerve Strickland: An interesting three way match, they did have a decently worked match, the ending stretch with Ricochet getting involved to hit Swerve with the scissors was shocking to see, White winning was the right choice [***1/2]. Powerhouse Hobbs vs Jon Cruz & Rob Killjoy: A squash match that was just there to get Hobbs on the show following the PPV loss [*]. Cash Wheeler, Cope & Dax Harwood vs Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta: A great six man tag team match that had some memorable moments like the exchanges of Moxley and Cope, Jay White coming in for the interference spot which ultimately allowed Rated FTR to get the win, interesting match to end the first Dynamite of 2025 [****]"
[6.0] "Not the best dynamite to start off the year I'd give it a 6.4. Even many of the promos didnt hit home here but my favorites were Mox, MJF and May. Ricochet laying out and massacring Swerve with the scissors was amazing and will fuel the rivalry which is a win for the fans. The Cope name change is embarassing and the new Dynamite music is out of touch. The Jeff J promo was good but dont really see what he did to deserve the world title shot just coming off a win over QT of all people. I have no issues with him challenging for the world title but he's not worthy enough for it imo. Jay seems to be very much in the title picture along with Copeland so a one on one meeting with Jay on a Dynamite and then against Copeland on a PPV."
[5.0] "This show did not feel adequate for the first simulcast episode. Opening and main event matches were just fine. Ricochet angle was probably the best part of the show. The rest was average and bad. Julia and Jamie was confusing as hell, Jamie's whole run since returning is bafflingly booked. Some squash matches that didn't do anything to elevate the competitors and the show as a whole. So many promos, most of them weren't very good. Shoutout to Mariah and Max for being standouts. And that useless Mone segment was easily the worst part of the show, she got zero reaction whatsoever after delivering a ''classic'' on the weekend. She's so bad at promos and fails to be interesting but what's new?"
[9.0] "I really enjoyed this show. I thought it flowed nicely and had a good balance of promos and segments with in ring action. I was a huge fan of both the three way match and Hangman Adam Page versus Orange Cassidy. The segment with Swerve Stickland & Ricochet after the three way was the high point of the whole show. I also enjoyed the main event six Man Tag Team Match between Rated FTR & The Death Riders. A fast based car crash affair with the home town boys making good. One other note I would mention is that the MAX stream was crisp with no lag or buffering I was quite satisfied with it although I do wish they had picture in picture."
[8.0] "Hangman vs Orange Cassidy was a good matchup that made Hangman look like a killer. Hunt Syndicate vs Acclaimed was more of an angle then an actual match. Hayter vs Hart was not good, Julia needs to shake the ring rust off. Mone's promo was alright. Another good match with the triple threat match with Ricochet going full crazy heel on Swerve after. Jeff Jarrett cuts a great promo. Hobbs has a handicap squash. The Learning Tree without Jericho have a decent segment with Rater FTR. Main Event was the MOTN."
[7.0] "AEW kicks of 2025 with a decent episode of Dynamite. Nothing blow away, but a few very nice matches and some good promo segments. The show kicks of with a new theme, this will take some time getting used to but its nice to freshen things up especially with the move to Max. Three nice matches, Hangman Page Vs Orange turned into a good match - Hangman continues to show intensity. The triple threat match was great, fast paced all action and an excellent post-match segment between Swerve and Ricochet. Main event was MOTN, great match and really happy for Copeland to have returned (he was firing on all cylinders before his injury). There were also a few negatives on this show too. Now the C2 is over the show felt a little bit chaotic and unfocused. Julia Vs Jamie wasn't good - the build has been great but unfortunately the match did not deliver. This was Julia's first match back and even before her injury she was more a character-based wrester rather than in-ring. There were some great backstage segments but maybe there was too many. Overall, a really easy show to watch with some great wrestling (7/10)"
[7.0] "It was a good episode of Dynamite, but not a great one. It wasn't that long ago that Tony would have taken advantage of a moment like simulcasting on Max and TBS and attempted to overload the card and put on something special, but outside of the in-ring return of Adam Copeland (the less said about his new alias, the better to be honest) in a very enjoyable main event, there wasn't anything particular extra or special about it. I thought it was a surprising decision to leave Omega's return to Dynamite until next week (I get it though, he is heading to Japan for Wrestle Dynasty). All of this isn't to say that there weren't smart decisions made too. This episode was a little more promo heavy than usual and there were a number of decent video packages that aired to get people up to speed with what happened in the Continental Classic and at World's End. The highlights of the episode were the insane attack from Ricochet that saw him brutalising Swerve and the main event that was a lot of fun."
[6.0] "Not my favourite episode of Dynamite but by no means a bad show. The undoubted match of the show was the main event and the MJF promo was a welcome return to form."
[9.0] "2025 off the a great start for AEW! Correct booking decision in the first match of the year, with Hangman going over on Orange Cassidy. The Hurt Syndicate annihilate the former tag team champions, for which it appears The Acclaimed are finished. Another tremendous booking decision with Julia Hart earning the win over Jamie Hayter. The House Always Wins! Then Jay White with a victory over Swerve and Roddy Strong! Love it. Please keep pushing Jay White! Powerhouse Hobbs wins a squash match against some jobber and Serpentico, or wait I mean Jon Cruz. In the main event FTR & Cope knock off the Death Riders. I thought Cash was tremendous."
[7.0] "Average episode of Dynamite, especially considering that they usually have really good post-PPV shows and this was the first Max show. Some things hit, others didn't, but the highs of the triple threat match, Ricochet's attack on Swerve, the Hurt Syndicate match, Mariah May's promo and the main event were very good. One thing that I think it absolutely should have happened was the first thing new viewers got when they opened AEW Dynamite was Will Ospreay's entrance with the crowd going wild and then a very good Will Ospreay match to keep them watching the rest. Even when AEW doesn't hit, it still is an enjoyable show."
[5.0] "If you like just the buns, this was a great Dynamite sandwich. Hangman and Cassidy kicked the New Year off in style and did so with a clean finish. It will be exciting to see how things develop for both of them in 2025. The main event six man tag was just as good and featured a chaotic brawl with the right winners. Obviously, this was a charity event and the faces had to go over, but sometimes you never know with these crazy wrestling promoters. The rest of the show ranged from completely uninteresting to rather forgettable. Jamie and Julia had a rough night out there and the three-way, while pretty entertaining, felt way too random for my taste. There's also no chance anyone bought into Jeff Jarrett's retirement tease. This dude is the one person on this planet who would even survive the nuclear winter unscathed. He's never going away."
[7.0] "If your biggest complaint is the choice of theme music or a wrestler choosing to change his ring name, then there's probably not going to be anything that bad on the show. But at the same time, there's nothing that makes this show stand out either, at least, not in the first hour and a half. But AEW television at its most average is still very easy watching, so there's nothing that drags the rating down either. A "gentlemen's 7", if you will."
[6.0] "A decent start to this new era of AEW. OC vs. Hangman was a solid opening match. Really fun win for the Hurt Syndicate against the Acclaimed. Good way to give the Hurt Syndicate a win meanwhile building the Acclaimed break-up angle. Julia vs. Jamie was okay. The three way was good. Glad Jay White won. Perhaps the best part of the entire show was Ricochet's vicious assault on Swerve. I didn't know he had that dawg in him. He looked like a fucking serial killer here. The jacket, the glasses, the look on his face. Amazing. There were also some good promos throughout the enitre show like Mox's opening one, Mariah's promo and MJF's one. JJ promo was alright. Interested to see what he's going to bring to the table for this last run. Rated-FTR vs. Death Riders was the best match of the night. Really fun main event. Overall: not the best show to kickoff this new era but Ricochet's angle and the main event saved the day."
[4.0] "This Dynamite started off with two very not good matches, but got better as the show went on. Mercedes Mone's segment was a waste of time, but Jeff Jarrett announced he's doing one last run with the company so that's cool I guess. The main event was hit and miss, with the hometown boys coming away with the win and a welcome back to Adam Copeland."
[5.0] "Average show. I expected much better for the AEW on Max reboot. The new Pointer Sisters "I'm So Excited" theme for Dynamite is a horrible choice. Doesn't fit the show at all and makes it seem uncool. Hopefully Tony hears the feedback and changes that for next week. I love Jeff Jarrett and so loved his promo and hope he gets the AEW title before he hangs them up, I know most won't agree with me but I'm a sucker for the one last run on top angle with great performers. The Deathriders stuff still isn't working and won't. I hope Mox drops the belt soon. The main event scene is really weak at the moment. Needs a shake-up. Perfect chance to sneak in a Jarrett run!"
[8.0] "A very solid episode of television that furthered stories and had good matches, what else can you ask for? The only weak part was Hart and Hayter but I don't think it was as bad as people have said. A nice episode of dynamite. 8/10."
[5.0] "You'd hope for a bigger and better show than this if it could potentially bring in more viewers. You only get to make one first impression. All matches were pretty average and there's not a whole look to look forward to coming off of this. If you were a first-time viewer, would you feel that the next episode is must-see? I liked annoying Ricochet and the sudden change feels like a reaction to everyone saying he got humiliated last time out (which could also serve as character development), but I liked the visual of Ricochet in his dress shirt and glasses covered in blood. When he sat on the chair and had Swerve's blood running down his face (Swerve continues to get a lot from his blade jobs), it was a real American Psycho kind of look. One thing I think is a bit weird is MVP handing out cards to Caster, Ricochet, and Lio Rush, and then blowing them all off (at least I think he did with Rush). Jarrett is in the same position Dustin was in a few years ago when there was value in an underdog veteran title chase. He doesn't need to win it, but I hope they get something out of it this time. I thought "I'm so excited" felt flat and didn't land as a theme. That intro felt like I was watching on mute with someone playing that song in another room. If they're sticking with it, a few more soundbytes of exciting commentary calls might help."
"Jeff jarret has been amazing for a while but u know for sure that tony will never put the world title on an old dude just for the fact that he's afraid of any retaliation from the IWC"
[5.0] "Pretty dull show. After the whole thing the only memorable thing was Jay White's promo. OC hitting his finisher that many times for Page to no sell was bad booking. I liked Ricochet more as a slimey heel than a psycho. Julie Hart and Jamie Hayter coming back from long injuries to face each other is dumb. Both showed rust and AEW should have just found some local talent for them to squash. I found the main event dull as well. Not really interested in Cope(lol) facing the Death Riders. I was interested in the Death Riders story before but not now."
[7.0] "I don't know why but the main event was highlight for me, with Cope's name change being the main reason. It was so unexpected but at the same time it worked. It can function as both a noun and a verb, that is something you don't see very often for a wrestler's name. So with that single name change I am interested what Cope will do and how his opponents will cope as a result."
[6.0] "There were at least 12 pre-tape segments, which is just unconscionable. If I wanted to watch a WWE "sports entertainment" program, I would tune into Raw or Smackdown. I've pretty much given up on hoping AEW rounds back into form; the die is cast until they have some kind of financial crisis (unlikely given the media rights agreements in place) and that means AEW now is what AEW will be for the foreseeable future. Great PPVs sandwiched by inconsistent booking and WWE-lite TV programming. It's maddening because this could have been the greatest U.S. wrestling programming in decades. As to this episode, it was...fine. But the matches were all average to slightly above average. No bangers on the episode. But hey, at least we got a near infinite number of behind-the-scenes skits. Sigh."
[7.0] "A decent if not barnstorming start for AEW on the US streaming service MAX, and I certainly don't mean the decision to use THE POINTER SISTERS for the new theme song. Tony Khan got away with Elton John for Collision because c'mon he's ELTON JOHN, but the Pointer Sisters don't have the same cache, it should have been a more contemporary act who would have benefited. The opener and main event were the best parts of the show, a main event that featured COPE - I guess Adam Copeland portrayed a character with four letters in the name for over two decades, he must have felt his real name was too long. I liked Jeff Jarrett stating his intentions for one more run towards a world title, if they have that match in Nashville or Memphis, the support for him would be massive."
[7.0] "The Dynamite premier on MAX was a great one, it was a special show, Fight for the Fallen, and everything felt new and fresh, they debuted a new opening song for Dynamite, and the stage looked beautiful, truly like a new era. Bowens watching the Hurt Syndicate squash Max Caster was a pretty cool moment, I'm eagering for that singles run, and the main event was fun as hell. Ricochet and Jeff Jarrett segments were excellent, and we also had some very cool backstage segments and packages, strong episode."
[9.0] "Pretty good start to the streaming era for Dynamite. Don't like the choice of theme music though, this modern disruptive brand with 70s and 80s music as its TV themes, makes no sense."
"As a normal episode of Dynamite it's a 7 or 8. As a hyped up first show of the new year on a new streaming service, it's a 5 or a 6. Very underwhelming for the level of hype it received. They should've planned for something big."
[7.0] "Solid episode of Dynamite for the MAX premier. I feel like for a big episode like this one the card would've been more stacked. Not complaining however. Richochet might've had the most intriguing angle of his career tonight and i'm more interested in him than I have ever been. Main event was match of the night."
[7.0] "So much excellent stuff sprinkled around this card but some things just couldn't quite click. Opener was decent, acclaimed business being kept short was solid, Julia and Jamie didn't do perfect but put in a solid effort all considered. I thought the three way was really something special but I do not love what it leads to. Jay White still isn't fully clicking on American TV and his two opponents blowing him out of the water with how smooth they are solidified that in my eyes. Hobbs squash was whatever, glad they haven't given up on him entirely despite an underwhelming match on ppv, and the main was a real fuckin concoction. His name's Cope. Alright. I feel like Moxley's reign isn't gonna hit home until he starts actually facing younger wrestlers. A 50 year old Copeland and a 40 year old Cassidy being his two singles matches doesn't sit right. Some of the promo segments and post match stuff was absolutely transcendent though. Jarrett cut a fantastic promo, Ricochet beating down Swerve was phenomenal. Best in ring beat down since Danielson had his career very literally killed last year. Solid show, good place to jump off for AEW in 2025 after constantly middling TV for the past 2 years. Hope it sticks."
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