Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Jon Moxley vs. Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty (with Shane Taylor)!
Moriarty took Mox down with a snap mare. Lee flexed and posed and let Mox get to his feet. Lee showed off his technical prowess, taking Mox down again with a side headlock. Moxley escaped and trucked Lee with a running back elbow. Moxley had a face off with Shane Taylor on the floor.
Moxley chopped Moriarty. Lee ducked a lariat attempt and rolled up Mox in a Border City Stretch. Moxley lunged toward the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty and Moxley traded stiff forearms in the center of the ring. Moxley knocked Moriarty’s block off. Moxley charged at Lee in the corner with a lariat and then pummeled him with shots.
Moriarty blasted Mox with a shotgun dropkick off the second turnbuckle. Moxley was looking for a piledriver on the apron, but Lee countered with a hammerlock, using Mox’s own body weight against him, planting Mox hard on the apron. Moriarty connected with a belly-to-belly suplex and then applied a cross arm breaker. Moriarty rocked Mox with a high stack German Suplex for a near fall.
Lee charged at Mox, but Mox wiped him out with a King Kong lariat! Moxley was looking for the bulldog choke, but Moriarty escaped and transitioned into the border city stretch. Moxley reversed and crashed down with hammer and anvil elbow strikes.
Moriarty fired back with a flurry of offense. Moriarty kicked at Mox’s arm. Lee went for a springboard forearm, but Mox countered with a big right elbow. Mox stomped Moriarty and then spiked him with a piledriver. Moxley locked in a choke and Moxley won via ref stoppage!
“A victory for Jon Moxley but a hell of a match for Lee Moriarty,” said Excalibur.
“No question. I don’t think Moxley expected to go this long with Lee. I’m impressed,” replied Matt Menard.
After the match, Shane Taylor mauled Mox with a cheap shot!
“What a sucker punch that was!” said Tony Schiavone.
Moriarty took advantage of Shane Taylor’s heavy right hand and stomped on Moxley’s injured arm.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Anna Jay and Angelo Parker!
Parker wanted to know if Anna had anything to do with Harley Cameron kissing him two weeks ago. Anna Jay slapped Cool Hand Ang!
Anna Jay: “I cannot believe you just asked me that! After everything we’ve been through. I am so sick of this. Tonight, I was defending you against your girlfriends. But tonight, I am doing this for me. I am tired of having everyone’s back, and no one having mine. Tonight, I am done!”
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs. “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita (with The Don Callis Family)!
Daniels got the jump on Takeshita at the bell. Takeshita walloped Daniels with a massive shot. Takeshita landed the Takeshita Line on CD. Takeshita followed up with a dive on Daniels. Takeshita attempted a superplex but CD headbutted Takeshita, knocking him to the mat. Daniels swung down, driving Takeshita face first into the mat.
Daniels hurled Takeshita with a German Suplex. Takeshita countered the Angels Wings and drove Daniels down on the back of the head. Takeshita finished off Daniels with a running knee strike and pinned Daniels!
“A statement made by Takeshita with that victory,” said Excalibur.
Don Callis: “I have something important to say. The Don Callis Family takes everything. Jericho you took 33 years from me. I can’t get those years back. We took your tag team partner from the Golden Jets. Then we took Sammy. But you keep coming back. Now it’s time to end this. So, Jericho, in two weeks on Dynamite, we challenge you to face the real Alpha of professional wrestling, Takeshita, and this time, there’s going to be nothing left!”
Kyle Fletcher: “Pardon the interruption, Don. Hasn’t Takeshita already had his shot at Chris Jericho? Hasn’t Will Hobbs already had his shot at Chris Jericho? If anybody deserves the next shot at Chris Jericho it’s me!”
Callis: “You’re right. Jericho, you’ve got Takeshita in two weeks. How about next week in New Orleans, you got Kyle Fletcher if you’ve got the guts. And whatever is left at the end of the next two weeks is going to be mine and Jericho, there’ll be nothing left but the tears!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Top Flight and Action Andretti, and Private Party!
Private Party said they won last time. Action Andretti said next time he’d be in Top Flight’s corner, watching their back!
Anna Jay vs. Ruby Soho (with Saraya and Harley Cameron)!
Ruby ambushed Anna Jay, trying to ruin her homecoming. Ruby whipped Anna into the barricade outside the ring. Anna connected with a high boot to Ruby’s face. Anna followed up with the pendulum kick.
Saraya swept out Anna Jay’s leg on the apron. Anna got to her feet and planted Ruby with a DDT for a near fall. Anna was looking for the Queen Slayer, but Harley grabbed Anna Jay’s boot. Saraya held back Anna Jay, but the referee saw it and ejected Saraya and Harley from ringside.
Anna attempted a backslide, but Ruby escaped and rocked Anna with Destination Unknown. Anna stunned Ruby with a blockbuster and then forced Ruby to tap out with the Queen Slayer!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Continental Champion Eddie Kingston!
Kingston: “Bryan Danielson, you don’t respect me? That’s fine. I don’t respect you at all. I want to be on Collision. I’m going to go against somebody I respect. And if he beats me, he gets a title shot. And said person is Willie Mack. Me and you Willie, we paid our dues, so I want to give you an opportunity. Bryan, good luck with Nagata tomorrow.”
Main Event Time! Freshly Squeezed Four Way Match!
Kip Sabian vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander vs. The Butcher!
The winner earns an International Championship Match on tomorrow’s Collision.
Butcher turned his back and Sabian rolled him up for a near fall. Vikingo swept out Sabian’s legs, and Komander hit a tope on Kip while Vikingo smashed Butcher with a tope!
Butcher blocked a springboard dropkick from Komander and applied a Texas Cloverleaf. Vikingo rocked Butcher with a thrust kick. Kip dropkicked Vikingo. Kip cannonballed Komander in the corner. Butcher went over the top with a splash on Komander.
Butcher tossed Komander at Kip and Kip nailed Komander with a lung blower. Kip booted Butcher in the midsection. Butcher stunned Sabian with a back breaker. Vikingo staggered Butcher with a corkscrew kick!
Sabian swept out Vikingo’s legs. Komander walloped Sabian with a Spanish Fly for a two-count. Komander climbed to the top rope, but Vikingo tripped him up. Vikingo climbed to the top, but Butcher put Vikingo on his shoulders, while Vikingo had Komander locked in a superplex position. Kip got on his hands and knees behind Butcher, tripped him up, and knocked all three men to the mat!
Komander jumped off Alex Abrahantes’ back like a launching pad and crushed Kip with a Canadian Destroyer on the arena floor! Vikingo took out both men on the floor with a moonsault. Vikingo tried for a moonsault, but Komander booted him. Butcher power bombed Komander and covered him, but Vikingo broke up the pin attempt.
Kip snuck in and drilled Komander with a German Suplex. Komander reversed a vertical suplex attempt, grabbed Kip’s legs and pinned him!
“Now we know it’ll be Orange Cassidy defending the International Championship tomorrow against Komander on Collision,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, LA:
-AEW International Championship Match! Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. Komander!
-Serena Deeb’s First Match Since 2022!
-Mariah May vs. Lady Frost!
-Continental Champion Eddie Kingston vs. Willie Mack!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Yuji Nagata!
-Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty!
-The Escape The Cage Elimination Match! FTR & Daniel Garcia vs. House of Black!
The Death Tour review by Big Gold Belt MediaDirector: Stephan Peterson, Sonya BallantyneProducer: Chris Jericho, Stacey Tenenbaum, Sergeo KirbyPremiere Status: World PremiereScreenwriter: Stephan PetersonCinematographer: Van Royko csc.Cast: Tony Condello, Sean Dunster, Sage Morin, Dez Loreen, Sarah…
After an exciting RAMPAGE on Friday night, AEW is right back in the action with an all-new COLLISION, coming to you from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis! Last night we saw an amazing clash between Jeff Hardy and Darby Allin, the continuing…something…with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway, Anthony Henry give Penta El Zero Miedo a tremendous fight, and Chris Jericho get back to business in a bout with Matt Sydal!
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, featuring a huge Grudge Tag match pitting Eddie Kingston and Ortiz against The BCC of Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson, Adam Copeland laying out another Open Challenge, Buddy Matthews and Daniel Garcia going head-to-head, and Jon Moxley back in the house after a wild trip through New Japan Pro Wrestling! Fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston & Ortiz
vs.
Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli)
As if there wasn’t enough fuel to the fires that burn between Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston and The Blackpool Combat Club, last week during RAMPAGE: HOMECOMING 2024 Eddie beat ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta in a Continental Crown defense, leaving the young man battered and bruised.
So this Saturday night, with Bryan Danielson back on the scene after his New Japan excursion for WRESTLE KINGDOM 18 and NEW YEAR DASH!! 2024, and Claudio coming off a victory over Bryan Kieth Thursday night during ROH ON HONOR CLUB, The Blackpool Combat Club will reunite for tag team action against Kingston and his partner, friend-turned foe-and back again, Ortiz! When last we saw Ortiz and Eddie Kingston engage with one another, the former came to ringside at FULL GEAR 2023 to help the latter in his ROH World Championship match with Jay Lethal. That was on the heels of Sonjay Dutt trying to recruit Ortiz to their little unit, and given that Jeff Jarrett’s guitar ended up around Dutt’s head, that was a clear indication of where Ortiz stood. The question of whether or not that choice had anything to do with Kingston, or was just a response to Dutt, was answered fairly quickly when Ortiz and Eddie stood side-by-side in the ring; it was as if the Stadium Stampede at ALL IN: LONDON got the bad blood out of their system, and now they could move forward as friends.
Hopefully that is the case because Eddie and Ortiz will have to be on the same page when facing The BCC if they want any hope of leaving St. Louis with a victory. Claudio and Bryan are 2-1 as a duo with their last fighting being the bout with Orange Cassidy and Okada in October while Ortiz and Eddie are 9-2, but it’s been over a year since their last time teaming up. Will the bonds forged by The BCC in their time together prove stronger than the ones between Kingston and Ortiz that were so tested in the last year?
ONE-ON-ONE…
The House of Black’s Buddy Matthews vs. Daniel Garcia
Last Saturday night, in one of the many super trios matches AEW has produced, FTR and Daniel Garcia fell to The House of Black, the end coming after Buddy Matthews smashed Dax Harwood’s face into the canvas for the pinfall. It was an intense, chaotic, hateful battle, but the result doesn’t appear to have settled anything between these six men, or should that be seven given how The House pulled Matt Menard into the fray in the aftermath of their victory.
Garcia and FTR may have ran The House off before they could inflict too much damage, but all that means is the fight will continue in one form or another as long as all these men are still able to throw hands. The next form this explosive issue will take goes down this Saturday night on COLLISION when Buddy Matthews and Daniel Garcia meet in singles competition for the first time! Garcia has come so far in his career since debuting in AEW, and seems to have the number of House member Brody King, but will that success parlay over to Buddy as well? Or will Garcia be the next man whose face Matthews stomps into the mat?
ASK AND SOMETIMES YOU RECEIVE…
Jon Moxley vs. Shane Taylor
Though Jon Moxley has not been seen in All Elite Wrestling since WORLDS END, that doesn’t mean he’s been inactive, sitting on the sidelines, watching the world pass him by. As a matter of fact, it has been quite the opposite as the former 3-Time AEW World Champion returned to New Japan for WRESTLE KINGDOM 18 where he vied for the NJPW Global Heavyweight Title against Will Ospreay and David Finlay. Finlay would be the one who ultimately walked away with the newly created crown, pinning Ospreay to claim the title, and sending Mox to NEW YEAR DASH!! 2024 empty handed. Unfortunately loss would follow Mox to his eight-man tag on that event as well, with TMDK’s Shane Haste pinning Moxley’s partner Tomohiro Ishii to get the victory.
Thankfully Moxley rebounded in his No Disqualification bout at NJPW’s BATTLE IN ALLEY 2024, scoring a victory over Shingo Takagi after twenty-six minutes of hard-hitting, violent action, and subsequently let new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuyo Naito know that he had eyes on that prize, issuing a challenge for WINDY CITY RIOT 2024 on April 12th.
But before Moxley gets to that potential championship challenge, he’s coming back home to All Elite Wrestling this Saturday night! And initially we wondered if he was coming for a fight, or was he simply making the trip to St. Louis to let the world know where he’s focusing his energy in the new year; but thanks to one social media follower in particular sharing an older video of Shane Taylor’s, we know now just what’s in store:
Just goes to show that sometimes when you ask for something, you get it, and boy are we all going to get it this Saturday when Shane Taylor throws down with Jon Moxley! These are two of the hardest-hitting, rough and tumble individuals in all of AEW, and Shane Taylor has proven in his fights with Samoa Joe and Keith Lee that he gives as good as he gets in a fight. Aside from the fight with Joe last year, this is Shane T’s biggest match since joining on with AEW, and he aims to leave an impression on the AEW fans, as well as on Jon Moxley’s face! There’s nothing more Mox loves than a fight, and he is now guaranteed to get one on COLLISION!
Last week it was Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty who answered the call of the Adam Copeland Open Challenge, giving the Hall of Famer a fight he did not anticipate, but one he certainly appreciated, with Moriarty showing the world he’s got the potential down the line to stand with the greats in this business. But that time wasn’t last week, Copeland’s drive to earn himself another stab at Christian Cage is too strong, and it is going to take a very special individual to disrupt this man’s track to the TNT Championship.
Well with “The Rated R Superstar” set to appear on COLLISION for another Open Challenge, someone else will have that opportunity to play spoiler to Copeland’s quest, and given how the competition has escalated with each outing, it’s going to be very interesting to see just who answers the call this week in St. Louis!
LA MERA MERA IS BACK!
It’s been awhile since her last singles match, an August 6, 2022 championship fight with Jamie Hayter during BATTLE OF THE BELTS III to be exact, but this Saturday night Thunder Rosa is back in action! We got a taste of “La Mera Mera” on the December 23rd COLLISION and on DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, but those were in multi-person bouts, a singles match is a whole different story that could put the former AEW Women’s World Champion to the test! Who will step up to the fight with Thunder Rosa this Saturday in St. Louis?
COLLISION comes to St. Louis this Saturday night, with the action starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and showcasing a massive Grudge Tag Team fight pitting Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston and Ortiz against Blackpool Combat Club members Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson! Plus, Adam Copeland plans to lay out another Open Challenge while, after their tremendous trios bout last week, Buddy Matthews and Daniel Garcia will meet one-on-one! We haven’t seen Jon Moxley since WORLDS END as he’s been putting in work with NJPW, but he will be back home this Saturday night! Before showtime, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and Don Callis!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal!
They started with a collar and elbow tie up. The fans chanted “Jericho! Jericho! Jericho!” Jericho ran the ropes and sent Sydal crashing with a shoulder tackle. Sydal sent Jericho over the top rope with a clothesline. Sydal connected with a meteora knee strike off the apron! Sydal drove Jericho down in the ring with another meteora for a near fall.
“The only thing that would make me happier is if it was one of my guys in the Don Callis Family with their hands around Jericho’s throat,” said Callis.
Jericho regained momentum with knife edge chops. Sydal chopped away at the legs and chest of Jericho with kicks. Jericho countered Sydal and locked in the Walls of Jericho! Sydal used his flexibility and finally reached the bottom rope, forcing the rope break. Jericho dropkicked Sydal from the turnbuckles, and Sydal crashed to the arena floor.
Back in the ring, Jericho jumped off the top rope, but Sydal countered with a kick and then a standing moonsault for a near fall! Jericho fired his shoulder up at the last possible moment. Sydal power bombed Jericho for another near fall.
“What a back and forth matchup this has been,” said Ian.
Sydal jumped off the ropes and Jericho cracked him with the Code Breaker! Jericho played possum and then went for a lionsault, but Sydal got his knees up. Sydal rocked Jericho with an Air Raid Crash for a two-count!
Jericho sent Sydal flying with a hurracanrana from the top rope. Jericho followed up with the Judas Effect and pinned Sydal!
Jericho barely took a step through the ropes and Don Callis ran for the hills!
As Jericho was returning to the back, “The Alpha” Takeshita blindsided Jericho! Security came out along with Christopher Daniels and Takeshita wiped out Daniels before leaving!
Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes) vs. The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for the rest of the evening.
Penta El Zero Miedo walloped Henry with a stiff kick to Henry’s midsection. Anthony Henry managed to string together a flurry of offense on Penta. Henry charged at Penta, but Penta caught him with a thrust kick. Penta dropped Henry with a spinning Spiccoli Driver for a near fall!
Penta El Zero Miedo was looking for the Made in Japan, but Henry blocked it and hit a double stomp on Penta! Henry tried for a double stomp, but Penta dodged it and fired back with a suplex into the turnbuckles. Penta spiked Anthony Henry with the Fear Factor and pinned Henry!
Renee Paquette was backstage when Ruby Soho and Saraya walked up, arguing with one another!
Renee asked what was going on with them.
Saraya: “I don’t know! She’s paranoid!”
Ruby came back around the corner and this time she was holding Harley Cameron by the throat.
Ruby: “Why him?! Tell me!”
Harley: “To help you!”
Ruby: “To help me!? Are you kidding me?!”
Saraya was motioning to Harley from behind Ruby’s back.
Harley: “It was Anna Jay. She told me to do it.”
Saraya: “Yeah, that makes perfect sense Ruby. Let her go.”
Kris Statlander (with Stokely Hathaway) vs. Queen Aminata!
Excalibur noticed Willow Nightingale’s absence from Kris’ side.
Queen Aminata took Kris down with an arm drag. They both went for a pump kick and they both blocked each other. Statlander charged at Aminata with a shoulder tackle. Statlander swept out Aminata’s legs and then splashed her with a senton.
Statlander charged at Aminata, but the Queen ducked it. Queen Aminata took the advantage with a diving crossbody through the ropes. Back in the ring, Statlander trucked Aminata with a discus lariat for a near fall!
Queen Aminata rocked Statlander with a running knee. Statlander slipped behind and power slammed Aminata. Statlander planted Aminata, hooked the leg and pinned her!
“Stokely Hathaway seems to think he played a major role in Statlander’s victory,” said Excalibur.
Sonjay Dutt once again commissioned a camera crew to document his attempts to get his gang back on track!
Sonjay was backstage with Satnam Singh and Jay Lethal.
Lethal: “Where the heck is Jeff? I’m glad he’s not here. That way I can talk openly without him interrupting. I want to get back to what this company was built on and that’s great in ring action. I can’t do this in this group.”
Sonjay: “I got it. It’s time to kick Karen Jarrett out of the group.”
Satnam: “Whoa, whoa, we need to keep the best leader of this team. We need to keep Karen and kick out Jeff!”
Jay Lethal: “Guys stop! This is what I’m talking about. We’re arguing after stupid things. I don’t know how much more of this I can take! Maybe it’s singles gold I’m after!”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Kris Statlander after her huge victory!
Stokely Hathaway was standing beside Statlander.
Willow Nightingale rushed to see Kris. Willow was still in her street clothes.
Willow: “I missed it! I’m so sorry.”
Kris: “Are you ok?”
Willow: “I’m fine but my flight was cancelled.”
Stokely: “Cancelled?”
Willow: “No, the flight happened. I just couldn’t get on it. Somebody cancelled my trip.”
Stokely: “Oh my, damn. But you know what? If you’re supposed to be her best friend and you love this business so much, you wouldn’t have been hopping on Soul Plane. Maybe if you would have picked a dedicated airline like United or Delta!”
Willow: “I wanted to be in your corner!”
Kris: “We’re going to figure this out.”
Stokely: “You mean we? Oh, so we’re a thing?”
Willow: “You’re giving him a chance?”
Main Event Time!
Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy!
Jeff slapped Darby in the face. Darby fired back with a shotgun dropkick. Darby jumped from the top turnbuckle and crashed onto Jeff on the outside! Jeff Hardy whipped Darby into the announcers’ desk!
“Jeff Hardy showing a real mean streak here,” said Matt Menard.
Jeff hurled Darby into the barricade. Jeff jumped off the ring apron and connected with a big clothesline. Jeff ran and jumped off the steel ring steps, but Darby moved, sending Jeff crashing into the barricade.
Darby clubbed Jeff with right hands across the jaw. Darby sat Jeff on a metal chair and then charged at him with a tope suicida, but Jeff dodged it! Darby was writhing in pain. Back in the ring Jeff hit a neck breaker. Jeff followed up with two more neck breakers. Jeff face planted Darby and covered him, but Darby kicked out at the two-count.
Both men jockeyed for position on the top turnbuckle. Darby raked Jeff’s back. Darby rocked Jeff with an avalanche Code Red for a near fall!
“How did Jeff Hardy kick out of that one?” wondered Excalibur.
Jeff stopped Darby from doing a Coffin Drop. Jeff countered with a neck breaker on the ring apron, with Darby’s feet elevated on the top turnbuckle! Jeff pulled a table from beneath the ring. Jeff rammed Darby’s head into the steel ring post and then placed Darby on the table. Jeff attempted a Swanton, but Darby dodged it and sent Jeff crashing through the table!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Darby rolled Jeff back into the ring. Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Jeff raised his knees right into Darby’s back! Darby escaped a Twist of Fate, jackknifed Jeff and scored the pin!
“He’ll take those risks, but Darby is such a highly technical wrestler as well,” said Excalibur.
Darby tried to fist bump Jeff after the match to show respect, but Jeff wouldn’t reciprocate, simply choosing to leave the ring instead.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO featuring:
-House of Black’s Buddy Matthews vs. Daniel Garcia!
-Thunder Rosa returns to singles action!
-The “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland’s “Cope Open”!
-The Return of Jon Moxley as he goes one on one with Shane Taylor!
-Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Continental Crown Champ Eddie Kingston & Ortiz!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Wednesday night’s edition of DYNAMITE was loaded up with one championship fight after another, capped off with FTW Champion HOOK giving AEW World Champion Samoa Joe everything he had in an attempt to snatch the crown from Joe’s head. HOOK survived more than anyone, even Joe, thought was possible, but ultimately he succumbed to the onslaught of the World Champion. One team that managed to add a championship to their ranks was BULLET CLUB GOLD when they dethroned The Mogul Embassy as ROH World Six-Man Champions, but Dustin Rhodes was not so successful in his bid to take the TNT Championship from Christian Cage. We heard from The Young Bucks, from Swerve and Hangman Page, and watched Roderick Strong challenge Orange Cassidy for REVOLUTION 2024! Now the eyes of the AEW faithful turn to Friday night…
This Friday RAMPAGE airs from North Charleston, SC and the North Charleston Coliseum, getting underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and featuring four tremendous contests! As seen on DYNAMITE, Matt Sydal has challenged Chris Jericho to meet him in singles competition, The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry will take on The Lucha Brothers Penta El Zero Miedo, Kris Statlander takes on a fight with Queen Aminata, and your the main event, in a rematch of the 2022 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Darby Allin will take on Jeff Hardy! Before the show begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal
On Wednesday night we heard Chris Jericho speak on the events of BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and it certainly seemed like the original AEW World Champion was growing increasingly unhinged as he recounted the actions of The Don Callis Family. It was certainly unexpected to find Matt Sydal attempting to be the voice of reason, to talk Jericho down from escalating himself into a frenzy, but it was not a surprise that the end result of their conversation was a fight for this Friday night on RAMPAGE.
Now these two men are no strangers to one another; as a matter of fact, in another life Sydal scored six consecutive singles victories over Jericho, and actually holds an 8-2 record over Chris in their one-on-one encounters! While it has been over thirteen years since their last encounter, the memory remains, and perhaps that’s why Sydal was willing to challenge Jericho to this bout in North Charleston, SC.
Will this help Jericho refocus, to channel his rage into something positive rather than self-destructive, or will it be Sydal finding a way to recapture the magic he had in 2010 to score a seventh straight win over “Le Champion”?
REMATCH!
Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy
On May 11, 2022, as part of the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, something of a generational dream match went down, the kind of match no one ever thought they would get to see, but discussed how it would play out if it was ever possible. That bout was Darby Allin versus Jeff Hardy, and it became a reality at UBS Arena in the First Round of the 2022 Owen, one contested under No Disqualification Rules, and ultimately won by Jeff Hardy.
Fast forward twenty months to January 19, 2024 and this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE; for the second time in their careers, Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy will go one-on-one in the main event of the night! Now the entire wrestling world knows Sting’s end is approaching, but on Wednesday night he and Darby made it clear they have a desire to end that run as AEW World Tag Team Champions, a goal that The Hardys share as they aim to rebound from a rather downward spiral in their tag team career last year.
Will Darby march towards REVOLUTION 2024 with a victory over Jeff Hardy to his resume, evening the score for 2022, or will Jeff make it a second win over the former 2-Time TNT Champion as he and his brother look to make 2024 their year?
SINGLES MATCH…
Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata
Though these two have met in the past, with Kris Statlander holding a June 7, 2021 victory over Queen Aminata, it is abundantly clear that neither woman is the same competitor she was at that point in their careers. Statlander stands before the AEW faithful a more confident competitor than she ever was in the past, a former TBS Champion, the woman responsible for ending the longest title reign in all of AEW history. Aminata, to her credit, has become a more seasoned competitor since that 2021 bout, one of her earliest in All Elite Wrestling. That experience has shown over the last several weeks in the Queen’s fights with Hikaru Shida, Mariah May, and Skye Blue, revealing her to be a particularly hard-hitting wrestler who enjoys going strike-for-strike with her opponents.
That’s the kind of fight Statlander needs, especially as she’s potentially distracted by all this nonsense with Stokely Hathaway and his desire to drive a wedge between Stat and Willow Nightingale. Though all that means this fight may be the perfect moment for Queen Aminata to score her first singles victory in AEW, and over a former champion no less!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Penta El Zero Miedo vs. The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry
Though Wednesday night’s tag team battle against AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta did not go as hoped for Penta El Zero Miedo and Komander, the former AEW & ROH World Tag Team Champion has a second chance to make his week a positive one! This Friday night on RAMPAGE, Penta will go into singles competition against another man more conditioned to tag team competition in AEW, The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry!
Henry, though generally a tag team competitor alongside JD Drake, has had his share of singles matches under the AEW banner, and though none of them have ended in victory, the experience he’s garnered has been invaluable. Fights with Darby Allin, Trent Beretta, Orange Cassidy, and Miro, just to name a few, have toughened Henry up, and his desire to fight has never waned as a result.
That’s why this Friday night Anthony Henry will wade into battle against this multi-time Tag Team Champion and give Penta El Zero Miedo every ounce of fight in his body. After all, that’s what it means to be a Workhorsemen…
Coming your way from North Charleston, SC, this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE begins at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and features Darby Allin colliding with Jeff Hardy, former TBS Champion Kris Statlander taking on the impressive Queen Aminata, Anthony Henry stepping up to a singles match with Penta El Zero Miedo, and Chris Jericho answering Matt Sydal’s call for a fight! Before the show begins, visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
TNT Championship Match!
“The Patriarch” Christian Cage (c.) (with Nick Wayne & Killswitch)
vs.
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
The fans chanted “Let’s go Dustin! Let’s go Dustin! Let’s go Dustin!”
Christian Cage hit Dustin with a cheap shot, kicking him in the abdomen. Rhodes fired back with a scoop slam. Christian rolled out of the ring, swept out Dustin’s legs, and was about to pull Dustin by the legs into the ring post. Instead, Dustin pulled back, sending Christian headfirst into the steel ring post. Dustin flew off the ring steps with a clothesline, taking the fight to the champion outside the ring.
Rhodes hit Christian Cage with a haymaker. Christian Cage took a huge risk and jumped off the turnbuckles and landed on Dustin Rhodes outside the ring. Back in the ring, Dustin strung together a flurry of offense and punctuated it with a bulldog for a near fall!
Dustin rocked Christian with a Code Red for a two-count! Christian played possum, begging off Dustin but then pulling him down onto the ropes. Dustin went for a tope, but Christian countered with a stiff strike. Christian connected with a frog splash for a two-count on Rhodes.
Christian grabbed his title from the timekeeper’s table. Christian was about to smash the title against Dustin’s head, but ref Aubrey Edwards grabbed it away. As the ref was distracted, Dustin rolled up Christian in a small package. Nick Wayne jumped in the ring and reversed the cradle attempt, rolling Christian on top of Dustin. “The Natural” managed to kick out!
“That was quick thinking by Nick Wayne. It didn’t work but it was smart,” said Taz.
Dustin slugged Christian. Dustin superplexed Christian Cage as more interference from Nick Wayne backfired. Dustin Rhodes rocked Christian with the Cross Rhodes for a near fall! Nick Wayne grabbed at Dustin’s ankle. Dustin met Wayne outside the ring while Christian distracted the ref. Killswitch diverted Dustin’s attention this time, and Nick Wayne climbed to the top turnbuckle. Nick went for Wayne’s World, but Dustin countered with a Canadian Destroyer on the arena floor!
Dustin got back into the ring and Christian speared him! Christian smashed Dustin with the Killswitch but Dustin kicked out at the two-count! Dustin got back up, but Christian connected with a second Killswitch and pinned Dustin!
“That spear was a direct message to Adam Copeland,” said Taz.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Swerve Strickland!
Swerve said not only did he have his eyes on the main event, but he also has his eyes everywhere. He said it didn’t matter if it was Samoa Joe or Hook who came out as champion. Swerve said he’s the most dangerous man going after the most coveted prize in the industry. Renee mentioned “Hangman” Adam Page, another man going after that prize. Swerve said, “Like I said, I’ve got eyes everywhere.” Swerve said he’s beaten Hangman twice now and he’s got no reason to prove it again.
Renee Paquette interviewed “The Ocho” Chris Jericho backstage!
Jericho said the Don Callis Family ripped those AEW World Tag Team championship belts out of his and Sammy Guevara’s hands at Battle of the Belts last Saturday. “Takeshita, Hobbs, you caused us to lose, and you injured Sammy. Now, even though I just beat you in Tokyo, Takeshita, suddenly that match doesn’t mean as much anymore. I’m going to seek and destroy your ass!”
Matt Sydal interrupted and questioned why Jericho was losing it over this defeat. “To get over this loss, you have to get back in that ring and you have to fight somebody who’s beaten you before, like me.”
Jericho: “You’re asking for a match? I respect you as a wrestler. Some would even say you’re born to do this. Maybe we need to do this match on Rampage, but I’ve got to warn you, I’ve got a lot of pent up aggression. So be careful what you wish for. I’ll see you on Friday.”
Komander & Penta El Zero Miedo (with Rey Fenix and Alex Abrahantes)!
Orange and Penta El Zero Miedo had a stare down in the center of the ring. Penta blasted Orange with round kicks. Orange attempted a DDT, but Penta countered with a massive thrust kick. Penta was about to fly out of the ring, but Trent cut him off. Komander tagged in and hit a missile dropkick on Trent.
Trent suplexed Komander with a half-and-half and then returned Orange back to the ring. Orange covered Komander for a near fall. Komander took Trent over the top rope with his legs. Komander up kicked at Cassidy. Penta tagged in and stunned Orange with a sling blade, and then a second sling blade! Penta pulped Orange with the Made in Japan, good for a two-count!
Orange spiked Penta with a DDT. Trent tagged in and pie faced Komander. Trent hammered Komander against the ropes. Komander cradled Trent for a near fall. Trent chopped Komander, backing him up to his corner. Penta tagged in, jumped off Komander’s back, and walloped Trent with an assisted Canadian Destroyer! Komander walked the ropes and splashed Trent. Komander covered Trent for the pin, but Orange jumped in to break it up.
Komander climbed to the top turnbuckle and tried for the Phoenix Splash. Trent dodged it and returned fire with a knee strike! Penta popped up out of nowhere and nailed Trent with a thunderous thrust kick. Penta springboarded off the ropes but Orange jumped in, shoved Trent out of the way, and rocked Penta with the Beach Break! Cassidy cracked Komander with the Orange Punch! Trent hoisted up Komander, hit the Crunchy, and pinned Komander!
After the match, the Undisputed Kingdom walked onto the ramp and down to the ring!
Roderick Strong: “I know you’ve heard me say it to the fans and other people, but I came out here to say it to your face, Orange. So, take off your glasses and look me in the eyes! Orange, take your glasses off now! We can end you right now if we wanted to.
“Listen, you have been a fighting champion, willing to take on anyone at any time, but tonight you decided to wrestle in a tag match and not defend the AEW International Championship. But why? Is it all becoming too much? Are you afraid you don’t have enough in the tank to keep it? Or are you afraid of me coming for it, and you can’t face it? It belongs to me and I’m coming for it. I’m here to make you face it!”
Orange Cassidy: “Alright, you know what. You got it. Let’s do it, right here, right now.”
Roderick Strong: “No, no, not right now. You, you’re going to have to wait until March 3rd, live on pay-per-view on Revolution. Because I want you for the next six weeks to live with that, to accept that, to wake up every day knowing that you’re just keeping my title warm for me.”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview “Hangman” Adam Page!
Page: “If you think back on the past five years, you will not find another soul on the planet who cared more about the AEW World Championship than I have. Who treated it with reverence. Who needed it. But in 2024, not only will I win it, but I will also put my name on it and keep it there for as long as I can.
“Swerve seems to think about me a lot. I don’t think about him at all. If he says he can beat me, I would say it doesn’t matter. Because he’s not the World Champion. Samoa Joe is. I’ll be watching tonight. And if Hook wins, God be with you.”
Mark Briscoe walked onto the ramp to honor his brother, Jay!
The Briscoe family was in the front row.
Mark Briscoe: “I come to you tonight representing the baddest tag team in the history of this planet, the Briscoe Brothers. Tragically, one year ago tonight, my brother passed on in a car accident. He moved onto the next level of existence. My nieces were in the truck with him, and tragically they told my oldest niece she’ll never walk again. However, damn it, God is on the throne! We won’t stop because we can’t stop!”
Mark’s niece walked onto the stage!
Mark Briscoe: “We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!”
A tribute package aired honoring Jay Briscoe.
#Demboys
Renee Paquette had a sit down interview with the Young Bucks—Nick and Matt Jackson!
Nick: “I’m sorry to cut you off, but can you show us some respect and call us by our God-given names, Nicholas and Matthew? We’re executive vice presidents around here, and it’s time to take this job a little more seriously.”
Matt: “Good point.”
Renee: “We’ve heard about the public tantrums, the rumors…”
Matt: “Rumors, you want to go there? I think I know which rumor you’re talking about. You don’t believe the things they say or write about us, do you? None of those are true. Let’s say hypothetically some of those things were true. What would you do to preserve and protect your life’s work? What would you do to protect your baby? I know what I would do. So just think of that the next time you come at us with rumors again. And again, this is all hypothetical, but what would you be willing to lose?
“Also, would you be willing to lose your relationship with coworkers and your friends? How about your legacy and reputation, out the window. If you knew all that in hindsight, would you do all that if it meant there’d be a healthy, sustainable company called AEW? I’ll answer that. Hell yeah. And speaking of there being a company around, you got your paycheck this week, right? You’re welcome.”
Renee: “Switching gears, let’s talk Sting.”
Matt: “When we started AEW there in the beginning, you weren’t there, so you wouldn’t know. But we used to say, ‘Change the world.’ We were disrupters. We were changing the world and somewhere along the way, we lost our way. It’s like the culture shifted and toxicity crept into the locker room. It was just different. I think I know why. I think it’s because we started to lean on yesterday’s self-serving, cancerous superstars.
“And you mentioned Sting. This isn’t about Sting. Sting is none of those things. Sting is great. Sting is a role model employee. I’m envious of the way they talk about Sting. Maybe they’ll talk about us like that one day. However, it’s what Sting represents. Sting is the last of that dying breed. And the image of Sting isn’t in line with what we wanted to do with AEW. We wanted to change the world. Unfortunately for Sting, we’re going to have to say goodbye to Sting and everybody like Sting. And we would never ask anybody to do anything that we weren’t willing to do ourselves.”
Nick: “Good point.”
Renee: “Is that an official call out to Sting at Revolution for his final match?”
Nick: “As EVPs, we’ll pull some strings.”
ROH World Six-Man Championship Match!
The Mogul Embassy (c.)—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage
vs.
Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and The Gunns—Austin & Colten!
Toa backed up Jay White. Toa tried for a chop, but Jay ducked it. Jay blistered up Toa’s chest with chops of his own. Toa retaliated with a heavy chop and then multiple knee strikes to Jay’s lower back.
Bishop Kaun tagged in and continued the assault on White. Jay White landed a dragon screw leg whip and tagged out to Colten. Colten stomped on Kaun and then Austin tagged in. Cage grabbed a tag but ate some right hands from Austin. Brian Cage retaliated with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony double teamed Austin, double teaming him.
Colten tagged in and cleaned house on the Mogul Embassy! Colten nailed Cage with a neck breaker. Toa ran in and sent Colten for a ride with a wicked pounce! The Gates of Agony hurled Colten into Cage and Cage power bombed Colten! Kaun connected with an Air Raid Crash, but Austin and Jay ran in to make the save and break up the pin.
Jay White shoved Cage into the steel ring post! Jay White lit up Bishop with heavy chops, sending thunderous echoes throughout the arena. The Gunns blasted Cage with the 3:10 to Yuma! Bishop Kaun split leg dropkicked the Gunns. Kaun distracted the ref while Prince Nana tripped up Jay White. Kaun hit a lung blower on Jay White for a near fall. Prince Nana jumped in the ring with the belt, ready to hit White while Kaun distracted the ref. Anthony Bowens sprinted to the ring and pulled the belt away from Prince Nana! Jay White rocked Kaun with the Blade Runner and pinned him!
And new ROH World Six-Man Champions…Bullet Club Gold!
AEW Trios Champs The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass came out onto the ramp and saluted Bullet Club Gold with the scissor hand gesture.
“Could we be seeing the genesis of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang?” wondered Excalibur.
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Adam Cole and Wardlow were backstage!
Cole: “Wardlow hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he’s capable of, but now with the Undisputed Kingdom, this man will be unbeatable. This man will go down as the most dominant AEW professional wrestler of all time, I promise you that. And just wait and see until Wardlow continues to run over opponent after opponent after opponent until there is nothing left but the AEW World Championship, which will then be the property of the Undisputed Kingdom. Ain’t that right, big man?”
Wardlow: “Boom!”
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm joined the commentary team for this match. She was flanked by Mariah May and Luther the Butler.
Deonna hit an uppercut to Anna’s arm. Anna fired back with a neck breaker over the ropes on Deonna. Deonna rocked Anna with clotheslines. Deonna pump kicked Anna for a near fall. Anna cracked Deonna with a backstabber for a two-count.
Anna tried to lock in the Queen Slayer, but Deonna rolled through. They traded forearms. Deonna flattened out Anna, locked on the Venus de Milo, and Anna was forced to submit!
Renee Paquette interviewed Deonna Purrazzo in the ring!
Renee: “Toni Storm said she’d like to meet with you, but the champ is right there. Is there anything you’d like to say to her?”
Deonna: “Absolutely. Toni, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. We’ve known each other for a long time. We used to be like sisters. And it’s clear since I arrived at AEW that you’ve changed. But you know what? So, have I. You might have been friends with Deonna Purrazzo, but you have never met the greatest technical wrestler in the world, ‘the Virtuosa.’”
Toni: “Technical? You’re technical? Well technically speaking, you’re an artificially tanned hack. My past is none of your concern. I aught to march right in that ring and sock you right in that box! But we must go to commercial. So, chin up, t-ts out, and watch for the shoe!”
Mariah May threw a shoe at Deonna! Deonna threw it back!
Toni: “You’re toast! You’re going down!”
Luther carried Toni away on his shoulders.
Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin vs. Private Party—Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy!
Kassidy and Darius exchanged a flurry of offense, each countering the other, going hold for hold! Dante and Marq grabbed tags. Marq Quen went after Dante’s ankle. Kassidy hit a big springboard crossbody on Dante.
Marq Quen hit two planchas on both members of Top Flight! Quen went to the top turnbuckle and connected with a 450 splash, but Dante managed to kick out! Top Flight rocked Marq Quen with a quick combination. Dante cracked Quen in the nose with a knee strike. Isiah stunned Dante with a step over kick.
Private Party served up Gin & Juice on Dante! Darius ran in to make the save but Marq Quen rolled him up, and with the help of the ropes, scored the pin!
“Whoa a little highway robbery there,” said Taz.
Excalibur wondered if it was intentional or if it was just instinct.
“Either way, Top Flight feeling like they were wronged here tonight,” said Excalibur.
A Sting and Darby Allin video package aired!
“This story is going to end with me and Sting as AEW World champions,” said Darby.
Sting: “It’s showtime.”
Main Event Time! AEW World Championship Match!
Samoa Joe (c.) vs. FTW Champion HOOK!
Hook charged into battle, peppering the champ with shots. Samoa Joe immediately sent Hook to the outside. Samoa Joe whipped Hook at the barricade, but Hook jumped onto the barricade and then jumped back at Joe with a shot!
Back in the ring, Samoa Joe sent Hook into the ropes and then drove him hard to the mat with a running back elbow. Samoa Joe jabbed at Hook with right hands! Samoa Joe pummeled Hook in the corner with more strikes.
Samoa Joe walloped Hook with a kick and then an elbow drop for a two-count. Hook was looking for a T-bone suplex, but Samoa Joe stopped him with an elbow strike. Hook tripped Samoa Joe and then clobbered him with a wild ride hand from off the apron! Samoa Joe spiked Hook onto the announcer’s desk, and it collapsed under Hook!
Hook flipped off Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe power bombed Hook onto the ring apron! The ref had Doc Sampson examine Hook at ringside. Hook wouldn’t stay down; he shoved the doctor away and got back into the ring. Samoa Joe powerslammed Hook for a near fall!
“What is this man made of?” wondered Excalibur.
Samoa Joe nailed Hook with a Death Valley Driver for a two-count! Hook was still alive, despite being put through hell! Samoa Joe planted Hook with a muscle buster and Hook kicked out at the one-count!
Hook blasted Samoa Joe with three consecutive lariats. Hook sent Samoa Joe for a ride with a T-bone suplex! Hook tried to lock in the Red Rum, but Samoa Joe blocked it! Samoa Joe countered with his own submission. The ref raised Hook’s arm three times, but Hook didn’t respond. The ref ended the match, declaring Samoa Joe the winner.
“Hook wrestled the match of a lifetime. The good news for Hook is this is only the beginning. Hook has quite a career ahead of him,” said Ian.
As Samoa Joe was leaving with his title, Hook yelled, “Is that all you got?”
Samoa Joe jumped back into the ring and kicked Hook between the legs! Samoa Joe planted Hook with another muscle buster!
“Not after this match! Joe didn’t need to do this,” said Excalibur.
Hook was undaunted and got back to his feet, pointing at Samoa Joe who was outside the ring! Samoa Joe got back into the ring. “Hangman” Adam Page sprinted to the ring, having seen enough out of Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe finally left the ring, glaring at Hangman Page. Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana appeared in the front row! Swerve was smirking at Page and Samoa Joe. Hangman helped Hook to his feet.
“Hook put up a hell of a fight, but he came up short. That’s all right. He will be a world champion. That will happen,” said Taz.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
After a loaded week of AEW action featuring FOUR massive events, the week begins anew with AEW’s flagship program returning to South Carolia! This Wednesday night DYNAMITE will emanate from North Charleston for the very first time, featuring three championship matches, including Samoa Joe’s first AEW World Title defense, Christian Cage’s first TNT Championship defense of his second reign, and a huge ROH World Six-Man Championship fight! Plus Deonna Purrazzo makes her return to DYNAMITE when she faces Anna Jay one-on-one, and so much more on tap!
AEW DYNAMITE begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, just make a point to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! Then we head to St. Louis and the Chaifetz Center for an all-new COLLISION on the road to REVOLUTION 2024!
When Samoa Joe fought his first professional match, HOOK was less than one year old, and when the current AEW World Champion first began his historic 645-day reign as ROH World Championship on March 22, 2003, HOOK was almost four years old. When “The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil” had his first professional match, Joe had just began his twenty-second year in the sport, and yet despite those differences, in spite of his massive experience disadvantage, HOOK put himself out there as Samoa Joe’s first World Title challenger!
HOOK may be a young man, just twenty-four years old, but he’s not a stupid one. He’s a man well aware of the advantages Joe has over him, very cognizant of the fact he’s coming into this bout as a massive underdog, but he’s also a man very confident in his own abilities. It isn’t luck that led HOOK to a twenty-five match singles win streak or his thirty-four consecutive wins overall, or brought him the FTW Championship two times over. It was hard work that brought him there, that put him behind only Orange Cassidy on that list of singles win streaks, and tied with Jon Moxley. It was that hard work that earned him the respect of the fans, and causes them to rise to their feet with the opening beats of “The Chairman’s Intent”. HOOK knows that he’s worked his tail off to get to this point, but it’s Samoa Joe he’s got standing across the ring from him on Wednesday night, and it’s going to take something extra to overcome that mountain. Perhaps that extra comes from the knowledge his father Taz holds from being rather close to Joe years earlier in their careers…
That knowledge isn’t experience though, that isn’t coming from someone who was in the ring with Samoa Joe and felt what it’s like to have him staring at you as you walk to the ring, or to have those roles reversed and be the one watching him heading your way. At no point was Taz an opponent of Joe’s, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t learn a few things about how the man ticks during his time with the AEW World Champion, knowledge he may have passed on to his son heading towards this showdown.
But once that bell rings, that knowledge has to be applied, application requires room to breathe, and Samoa Joe isn’t likely to let HOOK do that for very long. He will either look to end this quickly, or be the animal that plays with his food before devouring it, hoping men like Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page are watching to see the fate the AEW World Champion has in store for all who step to his title. Those are the moments HOOK needs to look for, the openings Joe might accidentally give, the spaces between that provide a moment to turn the tide; that is where HOOK will thrive, that is where he will find his successes. Create space, be relentless, and perhaps look for a roll-up victory given that Joe has proven susceptible to those throughout his career. HOOK may be an underdog, he may be the only one who believes he can pull this off, but self-belief goes a long way towards actualization, and given his track record of success in AEW to date, there is certainly a possibility we could be hearing the words “AND NEW AEW WORLD CHAMPION…” at the end of this contest!
TNT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
“The Patriarch” Christian Cage(c) vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
TNT Champion Christian Cage sure knows how to make enemies, in fact all it takes to be labeled his enemy is to have any association with Adam Copeland, and “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes joined that field simply by teaming up with Copeland during DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024. Now Rhodes wasn’t the only one at Adam’s side, Orange Cassidy and Preston Vance were there too, but Dustin is the only one singled out by Christian, and perhaps that’s because he’s the one without allies by his side. Dustin doesn’t have Best Friends, Danhausen, and HOOK like “Freshly Squeezed” nor La Faccion Ingobernable like “Perro Pelligroso”, he stands alone that majority of the time, and that can’t be a coincidence for why Christian Cage chose to single him out.
But this numbers game the TNT Champion plays, the intimidation factor of Killswitch at his side, it obviously doesn’t faze “The Natural”, after all with 35 years spent lacing up his boots, there’s very little Dustin hasn’t experienced. He’s been the victim of that numbers game countless times, he’s been up and he’s been down, experienced life as both champion and challenger, and still comes back to the fight every day. Still, there are some things he hasn’t accomplished during his illustrious career and one of those is the acquisition of the TNT Championship. Dustin was part of the inaugural tournament back in 2020, defeating Kip Sabian in the opening round before falling to Lance Archer in the next, and he unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Brodie Lee on the September 9, 2020 edition of DYNAMITE. Dustin also tried to fill the role of Interim TNT Champion when he fought Sammy Guevara on the very first BATTLE OF THE BELTS, but the title eluded him that evening as well.
So now the possibility of finally acquiring AEW gold is upon Dustin once more as he faces Christian Cage this Wednesday night in South Carolina! One of the biggest wins in Rhodes’ career took place in this very venue twenty-seven years ago, can he add another one to his North Charleston record with this TNT Championship fight on DYNAMITE?
ROH WORLD SIX-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage, & Toa Liona)(c) vs.
BULLET CLUB GOLD (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, & Jay White)
On the heels of defeating The Righteous and “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer to retain the ROH World Six-Man Titles, Prince Nana actually stepped up to the plate and made the challenge himself for BULLET CLUB GOLD to fight The Mogul Embassy this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE! It wasn’t The Bang Bang Gang chasing after them, although they’ve definitely voiced those intentions, but the champions taking the first shot rather than potential challengers.
“Switchblade” Jay White and The Gunns had no problem accepting the challenge, nor any qualms about mocking their opponents this week in South Carolina. While that may not be the smartest move, mockery is something in which The Bang Bang Gang is well versed, and frequently uses to play with their opponents before the big fight. These three members of BC GOLD have had a few weeks to rest up, something sorely needed by Jay White after his tour of duty in the Continental Classic, and are ready to bring some gold to their little clique, but to do that, they’ll have to survive three of the biggest, baddest monsters in All Elite Wrestling or Ring of Honor, as well as one of the craftiest managers pro wrestling has seen in the last twenty years!
THE BOYS ARE BACK HOME!
At the close of the night last Wednesday in Jacksonville, Tony Schiavone posited the question to Sting of just who he would face at REVOLUTION 2024 in his final professional wrestling match. Before “The Icon” could even take a breath, the all-too familiar music of The Young Bucks kicked in, and out walked the former 2-Time AEW World Tag Team Champions. Matt and Nick Jackson had been absent from AEW programming since losing their guaranteed World Tag Team Championship opportunity to Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho at FULL GEAR 2023. Brandon Cutler, often disparagingly referred to as their stooge, even tweeted to respect their privacy as they took time away. Then again, perhaps disparagingly isn’t appropriate because Cutler also tweeted that high-fives and hugs erupted upon their return to AEW last week…
Anyway, given the timing of their return, it is quite evident that The Young Bucks are propping themselves up as the REVOLUTION 2024 opponents for Sting and Darby Allin, aiming to be the ones who put “The Icon” out to pasture with a devastating loss rather than triumphant victory. Well this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE we will hear directly from the brothers Jackson about their intentions with that interruption. It’s the first time Matt and Nick have been on AEW programming in two months, so they’ve likely got plenty to say!
ONE-ON-ONE…
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay
***AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION TONI STORM ON COMMENTARY***
Last Saturday night two of AEW’s women had huge nights, but only one was successful! Deonna Purrazzo made her debut on COLLISION, defeating a very game Red Velvet, and sending a clear message to AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm about why “The Virtuosa” came to All Elite Wrestling; the title is what’s on her mind, and Purrazzo doesn’t intend to let anyone stop her from acquiring that championship!
Anna Jay, however, was less successful with her Saturday night fight as she came up short in a TBS Championship challenge opposite The House of Black’s Julia Hart. It was a very close call, alas not one that went Anna’s way, but that doesn’t mean she’s done striving for her first championship success! That’s why this Wednesday night, Anna Jay is getting right back into the fight and welcoming “The Virtuosa” back to DYNAMITE competition, her first since fighting Mercedes Martinez in May 2022, while the eyes of “Timeless” Toni Storm watch from commentary!
As the AEW Women’s World Champion gives her unique perspective on this contest, will she also watch as her next challenger ascends to the top?
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe began his reign over AEW at WORLDS END, and will make his first defense of the title this Wednesday night when AEW debuts in North Charleston, South Carolina against FTW Champion HOOK! Plus, The Mogul Embassy will put their ROH World Six-Man Titles on the line against The Bang Bang Gang, Deonna Purrazzo and Anna Jay collide for the first time, and Christian Cage’s TNT Championship will be at stake when he faces Dustin Rhodes one-on-one for the first time since November 2009!It all begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s numerous social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX was broadcast live from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Open Challenge Match!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Shane Taylor Promotion’s Lee Moriarty!
Collision kicked off with the “Cope Open”!
Copeland whipped Moriarty into the turnbuckles. Copeland clubbed Lee with forearms. Copeland swept out Lee’s legs. Moriarty wrenched Copeland’s arm over the top rope and followed up with a dropkick.
Moriarty went for the Border City Stretch. Copeland powered himself to the ropes, reaching out and grabbing the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Copeland knocked Moriarty off balance. Copeland tossed Lee with an avalanche fallaway slam. Copeland was contemplating a spear, but Shane Taylor distracted him from the arena floor. Moriarty capitalized and booted Copeland. Copeland went outside and speared Taylor and, in the process, Moriarty torpedoed Copeland with a tope!
Back in the ring, Copeland pummeled Lee with stiff shots. Copeland cracked Lee with a backbreaker. Copeland applied the Grindhouse and made Moriarty tap out!
Copeland: “Just in case he forgot, Christian Cage I’m still coming for your scrawny ass!”
ROH World Six-Man Championship Match!
The Mogul Embassy—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage (c.)
vs.
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer, & The Righteous—Dutch & Vincent!
Archer and Cage shoved one another. Cage took down Archer with a vertical suplex. Archer wiped out Cage with a lariat. Cage came back with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony used tandem offense on Vincent. Toa splashed Vincent after a drop toe hold.
Bishop Kaun and Vincent slugged it out in the center of the ring. Things broke down quickly with both teams brawling around ringside! Archer choke slammed Kaun. Cage entered the ring and drilled Archer with a Death Valley Driver. Vincent jumped in but Toa hit a Samoan Drop. Vincent grabbed Toa and nailed him with the Bossman Slam and then flipped over the top rope, wiping out the champs!
Archer was looking for the Black Out on Kaun, but Prince Nana grabbed Archer’s boot. Jake “The Snake” Roberts knocked out Nana with one punch! The fans chanted “You still got it!” Archer was mad at Roberts for getting involved.
Toa pounced Vincent in the ring! The Gates of Agony double teamed Vincent but Archer ran in to make the save. Cage nailed Archer with a twisting neck breaker. Bishop Kaun used his finisher and flattened Vincent for the pinfall victory!
Prince Nana: “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re looking at the greatest ROH Six-Man Champions of all time! And you know what? The boss, Swerve and I, we were watching those guys from the Bang Bang Gang complain about how they need more titles in their collection. More specifically, the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. But you have a boss who couldn’t beat Swerve in the Continental Classic! But since we’re such great guys, this Wednesday, live on Wednesday, it’s Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony challenging you guys in the Bang Bang Gang!”
Lexy Nair was interviewing Preston Vance backstage when…
Roderick Strong and the Kingdom interrupted Preston. Preston Vance said this was his time, but after he was done with his match tonight, he’d beat Roddy next week!
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes vs. Willie Mack!
Dustin arm dragged Mack to the mat. Dustin staggered Willie with a strike to the face. Willie Mack cracked Dustin in the head with a kick. Willie splashed Dustin with a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Willie Mack climbed to the top and went for the six-star frog splash, but Dustin dodged it. Dustin followed up with a Canadian Destroyer and then a power slam! Dustin planted Mack with the Cross Rhodes and pinned him!
“I think he’s catching lightning in a bottle. Message sent!” said Kevin Kelly.
Bullet Club Gold were backstage with an answer for Prince Nana and the Mogul Embassy!
“Switchblade” Jay White said the ROH Six-Man Titles would be going home with him and the Gunns after their match on Dynamite this Wednesday!
FTW World Champion Hook was shown arriving at the arena!
Renee Paquette tried to interview Dustin Rhodes backstage!
TNT Champion Christian Cage interrupted Rhodes and said he didn’t like the company that Rhodes kept. Dustin challenged Christian Cage to put his title on the line this Wednesday on Dynamite!
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. The Workhorsemen’s JD Drake (with Anthony Henry)!
Tony Schiavone mentioned how Page made a challenge to AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, but Hook has the first shot this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Hangman used a side headlock takeover on Drake. Hangman chopped Drake in the corner. Hangman connected with a running moonsault. Page dropkicked Drake into Anthony Henry. JD Drake blasted Page with a big blow!
Hangman landed a top rope plancha on Drake. Page followed up with a crossbody press from the top rope for a near fall. Hangman hoisted up Drake and drilled him with a Death Valley Driver! JD Drake fired back with a belly-to-belly suplex and then a cannonball splash! JD Drake went for a moonsault, but Hangman got out of the way. Hangman blasted Drake with the Buckshot Lariat and pinned JD Drake!
“His first Collision match is a victory, and he earned it, too!” said Tony Schiavone.
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet!
Red Velvet was looking for a thrust kick, but Deonna put the brakes on. Red Velvet snuck in a dropkick though. Deonna grabbed Red Velvet in a Fujiwara armbar, but Velvet grabbed the ropes. Deonna cracked Red Velvet with a baseball dropkick.
Red Velvet shocked Deonna with a Japanese style arm drag. Red Velvet continued to work over Purrazzo’s arm. Deonna rocked Red Velvet with a big pump kick! Deonna grabbed Red Velvet’s arms and pulled back, forcing Red Velvet to tap out to the Venus de Milo!
FTW Champion HOOK vs. Kevin Matthews!
Matthews charged at Hook, trying to blindside him. Hook saw him coming and suplexed Matthews all over the ring. Hook hurled KM on the ramp with another suplex! Hook locked on the Red Rum and Kevin Matthews tapped out!
“Hook has momentum going into Wednesday!” said Tony Schiavone.
Hook looked into the camera and said, “Samoa Joe, I’ll see you Wednesday!”
Collision Main Event! Trios Match!
Daniel Garcia & FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood
vs.
The House of Black—Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black!
Matt Menard joined the commentary team for this match.
Dax smashed Buddy with a guillotine leg drop. FTR hit a double catapult on Buddy. Cash followed up with a brain buster. Garcia tagged in but ate a boot from Buddy.
Malakai Black tagged in and took down Garcia with a big arm drag. Garcia ducked a roundhouse kick from Black. Black and Garcia taunted one another. Brody King entered the fray and FTR knocked him over the top rope with a lariat. The House of Black gathered outside the ring to rethink their strategy.
Back in the ring, big bad Brody and Dax the ax battled it out! Brody power bombed Dax. Malakai tagged in and Malakai and Buddy Matthews double teamed Dax, cutting the ring in half, preventing him from making the tag. The House of Black were relentless in their assault on Dax Harwood.
Harwood finally managed to make the tag to Garcia. Daniel Garcia had fists of fire, taking the fight right to Buddy and Malakai! Garcia held the ropes open and Cash flew out with a tope suicida onto the entire House of Black! Garcia spiked Black with a brain buster for a near fall!
FTR picked up Brody and Garcia jumped off the top rope and they spiked Brody with a triple team piledriver! Black rocked Garcia with a roundhouse kick!
The fans chanted “A-E-W! A-E-W! A-E-W!”
Garcia put Black on his shoulders and Dax jumped off the top with a big bulldog for a two-count! Dax superplexed Black and Garcia jumped for the splash, but Black raised his knees in defense. Matthews tagged himself in. Matthews power bombed Dax twice for a near fall. Dax crunched Buddy with a piledriver for a two-count!
“This is incredible!” said Matt Menard.
Brody distracted the ref from the apron and Black nailed Dax with a round kick. Buddy curb stomped Dax and scored the victory.
“What we have seen tonight has been incredible and the House of Black rises to the top,” said Tony Schiavone.
“You know what they say. The House always wins,” replied Nigel.
Brody blindsided Matt Menard after the match! The House of Black had Daddy Magic surrounded. Black mauled Menard with a roundhouse kick. Garcia and Cash jumped into the ring with steel chairs. The House of Black were forced to retreat, despite winning. FTR and Garcia made a final statement by taking out Brody with the Shatter Machine!
The Battle Of The Belts IX portion of the night began!
AEW World Tag Team Championship Street Fight!
Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks (c.)
vs.
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara!
Both teams were brawling outside the arena! Jericho cracked Starks in the head with a garbage can. Big Bill choke slammed Jericho onto the dirt. Sammy rammed into the champs with a golf cart!
Big Bill had a backpack with bricks inside. Big Bill threw a brick at Sammy, but Sammy moved. The brick broke a car windshield. Jericho and Sammy suplexed Big Bill onto the hood of the car. Rhett Titus was outside with a crowd watching the fight. Titus yelled at Jericho, “That’s my car!” Jericho answered with a Judas Effect to Titus!
Starks and Jericho fought backstage. Starks put a plunger on Jericho’s face! Jericho retaliated with a traffic cone! Sammy and Big Bill traded strikes. Sammy sprayed Big Bill in the face with a fire extinguisher. He sprayed Ricky next!
Starks cracked Jericho in the back with a kendo stick. Jericho had a kendo stick of his own and began to whack Big Bill with it. Jericho picked up a table from ringside. He put two tables side by side. Jericho and Big Bill brawled on top of a crew case. Takeshita smashed Jericho with a kendo stick from out of nowhere. Big Bill power bombed Jericho off the crew case and down through the tables below!
Sammy climbed a lighting truss. Sammy was thirty feet in the air and went for a senton. Powerhouse Hobbs pulled Starks out of the way, and Sammy crashed and burned on the senton! Starks put his arm over Sammy and pinned him!
TBS Championship Match!
Julia Hart (c.) vs. Anna Jay!
Anna Jay stunned Julia with a running snap mare. Julia ducked a round kick. Julia yanked on Anna’s arm, and Anna’s shoulder collided with the turnbuckle. Anna was doing her best to fight with one injured arm. Anna connected with a backstabber for a near fall.
Anna applied the Queen Slayer, but Julia rolled out and put a choke of her own on Anna. Anna escaped and wiped out Julia with a flatliner. Julia locked on Heartless out of nowhere and made Anna Jay tap out!
Footage was shown from earlier in the day of Sonjay Dutt in a locker room with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, and Jay Lethal!
Sonjay told them they needed to get on the same page. Jeff told Jay he had to leave the team. Satnam Singh entered the room and offered food to Jay Lethal, but Lethal shoved it away.
Main Event Time! AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. LFI’s Preston Vance (with Jose the Assistant)!
The Undisputed Kingdom walked down the ramp and sat on chairs watching from ringside.
Preston walloped Orange with a discus lariat. Orange fired back with an Orange Punch! Preston blocked the Beach Break. Preston shoulder tackled Cassidy from off the ropes. Preston connected with a pump kick, sending Orange spilling outside the ring, right in front of the Undisputed Kingdom.
Orange got his hands in his pockets and dropkicked Preston. Orange followed up with a tope suicida. Preston planted Vance with a spinebuster. Preston stomped on Orange in the corner. Orange rallied back with a thrust kick and stomps of his own, pummeling Preston to the mat. Cassidy drilled Preston with the Stun Dog Millionaire and then a spinning DDT for a two-count!
Orange jumped from the top turnbuckle, out of the ring, but Preston caught him! Preston used Orange as a weapon, throwing him overhead with a fallaway slam, taking out the members of the Undisputed Kingdom! Preston flipped off Roderick.
Back in the ring, Preston locked on the full nelson. Cassidy stomped on Preston’s foot and broke free. Orange cracked Preston in the face with the Orange Punch! Orange pulped Preston with the Beach Break and pinned him, retaining the championship!
The Undisputed Kingdom got into the ring after the match. They stared at Cassidy. Jose the Assistant grabbed Roderick, but Roderick retaliated with a jumping knee strike. The Undisputed Kingdom threw Preston and Jose out of the ring. They turned their attention back to Orange Cassidy. Roderick pointed at Orange and said the clock was ticking for him.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Saturday night is loaded up with All Elite Wrestling action as we present three loaded hours of the best professional wrestling action on the planet between two back-to-back programs! For the first time since October 26, 2022, AEW returns to Norfolk’s Chartway Arena and with it comes both COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX! The former will feature “Hangman” Adam Page coming back to Norfolk for the first time since November 2021 where he arrived the new AEW World Champion, Adam Copeland laying out another Open Challenge as he fights towards another TNT Championship opportunity, The Mogul Embassy defending the ROH World Six-Man Championship against Lance Archer and The Righteous, and Deonna Purrazzo making her COLLISION debut against Red Velvet!
For the ninth edition of BATTLE OF THE BELTS, Chris Jericho will use the title opportunity he earned at FULL GEAR 2023 when he teams with Sammy Guevara to challenge Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship titles! Plus, after Anna Jay’s team defeat Julia Hart’s on DYNAMITE this past Wednesday night, “The Queen Slayer” will face “The Princess of the Black Throne” for her TBS Championship title, and Orange Cassidy will put his AEW International Championship on the line against LFI’s Preston Vance!
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, followed immediately by BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
After being robbed of his TNT Championship triumph by Killswitch at WORLDS END, and then having to watch that monster turn his moment over to Christian Cage rather than capitalize on it himself, Adam Copeland is a very angry man. But as someone who understands taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, Copeland can’t fault the former Luchasaurus from trying to seize his moment, but he can look towards Christian Cage as the target of his rage. Copeland may be able to claim a rematch as the former champion, but he’s chosen to play the game “The Patriarch” has laid out, start from scratch, and work his way back towards another shot at Christian and the TNT Championship.
It began last week when a brave Griff Garrison slapped Copeland across the face in response to Adam’s first Open Challenge, and although it ended with Griff tapping out, it showed a more aggressive side to the young man than we’ve seen in the past. This week on COLLISION, Copeland will lay out another Open Challenge and wait to see just who answers the call for a fight! There are plenty of men in the AEW locker room who dream of using the Hall of Famer as their own personal stepping stone, but all they have to do is ask Griff Garrison just how different that dream can be from the reality!
ROH WORLD SIX-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage & Toa Liona)(c) vs. Lance Archer & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)
What an unexpected treat this fight is going to be! Six of the roughest, toughest competitors in professional wrestling locking horns with the ROH World Six-Man Championship titles at stake this Saturday night on COLLISION! The Mogul Embassy are in the midst of their second reign with the titles, having defeated The Elite back on the November 1st edition of DYNAMITE, and sending The Gates of Agony off to New Japan’s World Tag League Tournament on a high note.
Upon their return, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona reunited with Brian Cage at ROH’s FINAL BATTLE 2023 event to make their first successful defense of this second reign over TMDK representatives Bad Dude Tito, Kosei Fujita, and Shane Haste. The trio were back in action together this past Wednesday night during DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, only this time joined by a fourth man in Lance Archer, as they faced Preston Vance, Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, and AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy. Communication broke down, Archer accidentally hit Toa Liona, which in turn led to Brian Cage and Lance Archer coming to blows, and the whole thing falling apart until Bishop Kaun got pinned by Vance.
So this Saturday night on COLLISION, the ROH World Six-Man Champions look to even the score with Lance Archer, but in order to do so they’ll have to put those titles on the line against the nascent team of The Righteous and “The Murderhawk Monster”! Under the guidance of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, they are a dangerous trio who could easily bring an end to The Mogul Embassy’s grip on this Six-Man Championship titles! Vincent and Dutch are familiar with them, having held the belts with Bateman for 224 days from FINAL BATTLE 2021: END OF AN ERA to DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2022, and would love to have them in their possession once again, especially with a behemoth like Lance Archer at their side!
THE VIRTUOSA COMES TO COLLISION…
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet
It was just over a week ago that “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo crashed the in-ring debut of Mariah May, declared herself to be All Elite, and made it clear her sights were set on “Timeless” Toni Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship! It was the first time Purrazzo had been in an AEW ring since her ROH Women’s World Title fight with Mercedes Martinez on May 4, 2022, but back then she was not a part of the AEW roster. This Saturday night on COLLISION, when she steps into the ring against Red Velvet, Purrazzo will be an official member of All Elite Wrestling, and thus beginning her own march towards the title coveted by all the women under the AEW banner.
Eleven times in her career Deonna has worn a championship around her waist, including that ROH Women’s World Title and the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship, but her aim to make the AEW crown her twelfth could very well be stifled by Red Velvet with their mutual COLLISION debut! In November, Red returned from a nine month injury layoff hungry to get back into a title picture, but she has instead been frustrated by the competitors she has faced. This moment that Deonna Purrazzo aims to make her own could be the one Red Velvet steals to put the spotlight back on her own quest to become the top women in AEW.
It’s a tremendous opportunity for Red Velvet, but the pressure is certainly on Deonna Purrazzo to deliver in her debut as an official member of the All Elite Wrestling roster! Purrazzo has the experience advantage, ten years already under her belt at just 29 years of age, but AEW has been Red Velvet’s home for nearly four years, and she intends to remind everyone just who stirs it up around here!
TRIOS GRUDGE MATCH…
Daniel Garcia and FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews
Last week FTR defeated The House of Black, as honored by Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black, in their very first tag team contest, but the meatier story was all that surrounded Dax’s pinfall on Buddy. Prior to the end, Brody King made his way to ringside to help his brothers, but was instead cutoff by a chair-wielding Daniel Garcia, the young man serving as equalizer for The House’s attempt to tip the scales in their favor.
What followed was an all-out assault by The House perpetrated on Dax, Cash, and Garcia, while TBS Champion Julia Hart rang the bell in what can only be likened to a ten bell salute. The message was clear, as was The House’s intent to bury these three individuals, and it looks like the former AEW World Trios Champions will have their opportunity this Saturday night on COLLISION! Aside from a common foe, the only crossing of paths between Daniel Garcia and FTR was a superb HOUSE RULES: TUPELO fight between Garcia and Dax Harwood back in June. They are an inexperienced trio fighting former Trios Champions who hold the record for longest reign in the history of the titles; there’s no doubt FTR and Daniel Garcia are at a disadvantage from the standpoint of working together, but their hunger for a fight, and for revenge after last week, may just be the x-factor that carries them to victory in Saturday night’s fight!
BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP STREET FIGHT…
Big Bill & Ricky Starks(c) vs. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara are no strangers to tag team competition, they netted their very first tag team victory on the second episode of DYNAMITE way back on 10/9/19, and unsuccessfully challenged for the AEW World Tag Titles a month later against Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian. All told, the pair are 7-5 as team since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, but this championship bout on Saturday night comes after a strained relationship turned to betrayal which in turn led to a reunion only a few weeks ago. Jericho and Sammy lived through The Inner Circle together, through the Jericho Appreciation Society together, and even after The J.A.S. fell apart, it seemed Guevara would at least be the one who remained a Jericho-supporter. Yet shockingly, “The Spanish God” did betray Jericho to ally himself with Don Callis and even fought Jericho at WRESTLEDREAM 2023 with Takeshita and Will Ospreay as his partners.
But that match would ultimately tell Guevara everything he needed to know about the poor choice he had made in picking Don Callis, not to say that Jericho himself was a saint over the course of AEW, but neither was Guevara. See “The Spanish God” suffered a serious concussion over the course of that Trios fight in Seattle, and while he was absent from AEW competition, so too was he absent from the mind of Don Callis. No contact, no care, Callis showed not the least bit of concern for Guevara’s health, and that became abundantly clear when Guevara did finally return to AEW during Callis’ self-congratulatory Boxing Day Celebration.
Guevara ended up on the wrong end of an assault from The Don Callis Family, not that it was a surprise Callis sicced his dogs on “The Spanish God”, but what was a shock was Chris Jericho rushing to the aid of his former friend. An even bigger shock was the two men hugging after the fact, Sting and Darby Allin helping them out when an Ricky Starks and Big Bill launched an attack of their own, and the foursome actually beating Starks, Bill, Takeshita, and Powerhouse Hobbs at WORLDS END.
With that victory it was clear that Guevara and Jericho were back on the same page, and that in turn led Chris Jericho to choose Sammy as his partner for this AEW World Tag Team Championship bout! The title shot came about from Jericho and Kenny Omega defeating The Young Bucks at FULL GEAR 2023, but when Omega was forced to step away from AEW to handle his diverticulitis, that left Jericho without a partner to take advantage of the championship opportunity. After all, given everything he’d done to the men in AEW, who would possibly want to team up with “Le Champion” even with a guaranteed title match as part of the deal?
To look towards the future, Jericho certainly had to repair the past, and apparently make amends for what he’d done to Sammy Guevara, and presumably “The Spanish God” also making his apologies for those actions taken several months ago. So now that they’re back on the same page, now that the bond of friendship has been reignited, can they topple Big Bill and Ricky Starks? Unlike Jericho and Guevara, the defending champions are not friends, their relationship is not contingent on being best friends, in fact sometimes it seems like they barely know one another outside of the time they spend fighting side-by-side. The important part to Big Bill and Ricky Starks isn’t a personal relationship, but rather a professional one that keeps the AEW World Tag Team Championship in their possession as long as humanly possible, and if the day comes that it ends, the two men will bid each other farewell and head back onto their own paths.
So in some ways, this fight is a question of which method of conducting your business proves better? Is it the bonds of friendship that make for stronger tag team success, or the bond of business? Will the history of Sammy and Chris be their key to ending the reign of Big Bill and Ricky Starks, or will all their drama over the last five year be their undoing? We will see this Saturday night during BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX!
This past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, TBS Champion Julia Hart and Anna Jay were on opposite sides of an Eight-Woman Tag, with the latter competing in memory of her late-mentor Mr. Brodie Lee. Perhaps it was Lee’s memory, perhaps it was being back in Jacksonville at Daily’s Place, whatever the case may be, it motivated Anna Jay’s team towards victory, with “The Queen Slayer” herself scoring the deciding pinfall over Julia Hart!
Clearly it was a very emotional situation for Anna Jay, but that victory has catapulted her into this championship situation on Saturday night during BOTB IX! Riding on the motivation of that Wednesday night victory, Anna Jay has to remember that Julia Hart holds two decisive victories over her, one in a wild No Holds Barred Match back on May 10th of 2023. Conversely, Anna Jay has no wins over Julia, not directly at least, just this multi-man pinfall over a member of Hart’s team on Wednesday night. In addition, this match marks Anna Jay’s fifth TBS Championship bid since the title’s inception at the beginning of 2022, will it be the night she finally claims it as her own?
On Wednesday night, as part of DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Preston Vance were on the same side of an eight-man tag bout, a match won by Vance when he pinned Bishop Kaun. As a reward for that victory, Orange Cassidy has offered Preston Vance an opportunity to vie for the International Championship this Saturday night during BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, coincidentally also the last championship Vance challenged for back in October 2022. That night it was as part of a Three Way bout with RUSH and then All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy, with Cassidy in the earliest days of his historic championship reign, making his first defense after defeating PAC a week prior.
Fast forward some 15 months and these two competitors will meet again, only now in a singles bout, their first since September 30, 2020, and with the International Championship at stake! Can Vance take that next step in his career and rise to championship status? Or will Cassidy continue on in his goal to surpass the records he set with his previous title run?
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, followed immediately by BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more! Between the two events, we’ve got an AEW World Tag Team Championship match, a ROH World Six-Man Championship Match, a TBS Championship fight, Adam Copeland in action, Hangman Page returning to Virginia, and so much more! Do not miss out on this loaded night featuring the premiere professional wrestlers of All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE: Homecoming was broadcast live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, Jim Ross, and Tony Schiavone!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
Continental Crown Championship Match!
Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta!
Yuta and Kingston chain wrestled at the start of the match. Yuta applied pressure to Eddie’s wrist and arm. Yuta kicked Eddie in the head, taunting him. Eddie got to his feet and smacked Yuta in the face with an open palm strike. Yuta fired back with a tope, driving Eddie into the barricade.
Yuta connected with a big cross body press. Yuta charged at Kingston in the corner, but Kingston moved out of the way. Kingston used his rapid fire chops to Yuta’s chest. They brawled outside the ring. Yuta drove Kingston shoulder first into the barricade. Yuta focused his attack on Kingston’s right arm, stomping on it.
Back in the ring, Wheeler Yuta dropkicked Eddie Kingston. Yuta planted Kingston shoulder first onto the mat. Yuta slapped Kingston in the face. Eddie had enough and hit Yuta with a capture suplex. Kingston followed up with an exploder suplex. Both men were hurting, and both men were down.
Yuta charged at Kingston, but Kingston countered with a DDT for a near fall. Kingston blistered the chest of Yuta with more chops. They jockeyed for position on the top turnbuckle and Yuta spiked Kingston with a diving DDT. Kingston escaped the pin attempt by touching the bottom rope with his boot!
Wheeler Yuta smashed Eddie with hammer and anvil elbows. Yuta applied a cross arm breaker. Yuta wrenched up on the wrist of Kingston. The champ grabbed the bottom rope to force the ref to break the hold. Yuta nailed Eddie with a German Suplex for a close near fall. Yuta climbed to the top and splashed Eddie for a two-count!
Wheeler shoved the ref out of the way and booted Eddie in the face. Eddie got to his feet and cracked Yuta with a spinning back fist. Eddie blasted Yuta with a half and half suplex, followed up with a Northern Lights Bomb, and pinned Yuta!
Renee Paquette was backstage with The Hardys and Mark Briscoe!
Renee asked if the fans could expect to see more of the Hardys and Mark teaming up as a trio.
Briscoe: “Renee, the Hardy Boys and Big Chicken himself kicked ass and took names and I have a feeling we’re not done!”
Jeff: “Not only did we kick ass in the ring, but we also kicked ass in the ratings. Viewership, demos, all categories.”
Matt: “Myself and Jeff, we want to win the AEW World Tag Team Titles, but I could see some Trios gold in the future of this combination. You know why we have so much respect for you? Because when we fought you and your brother, you brought it to us like no one else! We were meant to be a trio. And I see great things in our future!”
Jeff Hardy put a Hardys Boys necklace around Mark’s neck.
Matt: “As of right now, you’re one of us!”
Swerve Strickland vs. Matt Sydal!
Sydal tried to score a pin early on. Swerve answered with a back breaker, showing off his mean streak. Swerve cracked Sydal with a flying European Uppercut.
“There’s sheer confidence on Swerve’s face,” said Excalibur.
“There should be,” replied Tony Schiavone.
Sydal took down Swerve with a rana and then a rising knee strike. Swerve came back with a back breaker once again. Sydal connected with an Air Raid Crash for a near fall. Swerve rallied back with a rolling flatliner and then a vertical suplex. Sydal dodged the Swerve Stomp. Swerve came back with a JML Driver and pinned Sydal!
“A very impressive victory,” said Jim Ross.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Top Flight and Action Andretti!
Private Party interrupted them! Dante Martin took issue with Private Party interrupting them for a second time. Private Party challenged any two of them to a match, and Top Flight and Action Andretti seemed up to the task!
Hikaru Shida vs. Queen Aminata!
Shida shoved at the Queen and then took her down with a shoulder tackle. Aminata slipped out of the corner and rocked Shida with a hip attack and then a running boot to the side of Shida’s head. Aminata kicked Shida in the small of the back.
Shida invited Aminata to kick her and Aminata answered. Aminata tried for a running knee, but Shida intercepted it and countered with a dragon screw leg whip. Aminata headbutted Shida to the sternum and followed up with a German Suplex. Shida dazed her opponent with a short arm lariat.
Shida stunned Aminata with a jumping knee. Shida spiked Aminata with a Falcon Arrow with a near fall. Shida finished off Aminata with the katana and pinned the Queen! They hugged after the match.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Ruby Soho and Saraya!
Renee wished Ruby a happy belated birthday. Renee said it seemed like the addition of Harley Cameron has been great for them.
Saraya: “Yeah, there’s a reason why she’s not here. I mean, Ruby, I have to show you something, and I’m sorry, this is going to break your heart. The only reason I’m going to show you this is because I love you. And I’m sorry it’s on your birthday.”
Saraya pushed play on a remote control and hidden footage aired of Harley backstage, approaching Angelo Parker. Harley grabbed Parker by the face and pulled him in for a kiss. Saraya paused the footage.
Saraya: “Yeah, I don’t want to say I told you so Ruby, but…”
Angelo Parker walked onto the set singing Happy Birthday, holding a birthday cake. Ruby shoved the cake in Angelo’s face and told him to go to hell! She stormed off!
Saraya looked at Angelo and said, “I always in.”
Parker: “It’s not what it looks like!”
Parker hit play on the remote control and the footage continued, and it was clear he was pushing away from Harley, not wanting her kiss. But Ruby, Saraya, and Renee had already left.
Main Event Time!
The Dark Order—Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, & John Silver (with -1)
Angelo Parker came out with the cake still on his face. Excalibur noted that Parker never kissed Harley, but Ruby didn’t see that part of the footage play out.
Hager was fired up and rocked John Silver with a stiff shot. Menard tagged in and rammed Silver into the turnbuckle. Alex Reynolds grabbed a blind tag and connected with a flying uppercut to Menard.
The Dark Order triple teamed Menard in the corner with a flurry of offense. Evil Uno planted Parker with a neck breaker. Uno splashed Parker with a senton from the top for a near fall. Silver booted Parker in the back of the head. The Dark Order hit the pendulum bomb on Parker but Menard broke up the pin just in time!
Menard swept out the leg of Silver. Menard and Parker nailed Reynolds with a double DDT. Hager splashed Reynolds with the Hager Bomb for a near fall. Negative One pulled out Jake Hager’s hat and distracted Hager. Hager grabbed the hat out of Negative One’s hand. Silver and Reynolds rocked Hager with tandem offense as Hager had been scolding Negative One. After a jackknife, Reynolds pinned Hager!
“A very special win for Dark Order to cap off our return to Daily’s Place,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Special Programming Note: Don’t miss AEW Collision and Battle Of The Belts IX on Saturday on TNT beginning at 8/7c from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA featuring:
-ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match: Brian Cage & The Gates of Agony (c.) vs. Lance Archer & The Righteous!
-Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet!
– “Hangman” Adam Page making his return to Norfolk!
– “The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland in an Open Challenge!
-Trios Match: FTR & Daniel Garcia vs. House of Black!
-TBS Championship Match: Julia Hart (c.) vs. Anna Jay!
-AEW International Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. Preston Vance!
-AEW World Tag Team Championship Street Fight: “Absolute” Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.)
vs. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE: Homecoming was broadcast live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli vs. “Hangman” Adam Page!
Page charged at Claudio and booted him in the face as Claudio was entering the ring. Page and Claudio brawled outside the ring. Claudio sent Hangman hard into the barricade. He followed up with a running European Uppercut to Hangman.
Back in the ring, Claudio thumbed Page in the eyes. Claudio hit a double stomp on Hangman’s chest for a near fall. Claudio nailed Page with a headbutt in the corner. Hangman absorbed forearms from Claudio. Claudio pulled Page down by the hair and then hurled Hangman in the Giant Swing! Claudio applied a sharpshooter and then transitioned into a cross face. Hangman escaped and blasted Claudio with a Death Valley Driver!
Page countered a European Uppercut with a backslide for a near fall. Hangman clobbered Claudio with a plancha over the top and to the arena floor! Claudio press slammed Page out of the ring and onto the ramp!
Hangman ate a boot from Claudio. They fought on the ramp. Page created some distance, charged down the ramp and sent Claudio back into the ring with a lariat. Claudio countered the buckshot lariat with a popup European Uppercut for a two-count.
Claudio and Page paint brushed one another in the ring. Both men went hard over the top rope, as Page hit a lariat and the momentum toppled them. Hangman went for a moonsault, but Claudio caught him. Hangman spiked Claudio with a DDT on the arena floor. Hangman moonsaulted off a concrete wall!
The fans chanted “A-E-W! A-E-W!”
Hangman reversed a tombstone piledriver with one of his own, drilling Claudio’s head into the mat! Claudio reversed a Dead Eye attempt and sent Hangman flying face first into the turnbuckles. Claudio battered Hangman with stiff shots in the corner. Hangman escaped the hammer and anvil strikes with a Deadeye for a two-count on Claudio.
Claudio clocked Page with an uppercut. Claudio climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Hangman stunned him with a kick. They jockeyed for position up top. Hangman countered an avalanche Ricola bomb with a hurracanrana. Hangman followed up with two consecutive buckshot lariats and scored the pin on Claudio!
“Great match by both athletes. Outstanding! Could have gone either way,” said Taz.
“Two of the best in AEW right there,” replied Tony Schiavone.
A highlight package aired paying tribute to Mr. Brodie Lee!
Eight-Man Tag Match in Honor of “The Exalted One” Mr. Brodie Lee!
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, & LFI’s Preston Vance
vs.
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer & the ROH World Six-Man Champions The Mogul Embassy—Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona!
Dustin Rhodes scoop slammed Toa. Toa cracked Dustin with a headbutt. Preston Vance tagged in, but so did Brian Cage. Preston dodged a splash and then landed a solid shot. Copeland tagged in and used a drop toe hold. Cassidy jumped in and was looking for a chokeslam on Cage. Cage shrugged off Orange, but Orange crushed Cage with a Stun Dog Millionaire!
Lance Archer splashed Cassidy and then rocked Orange with a rising knee strike. Jake Roberts struck Jose the Assistant outside the ring! Orange countered the Black Out from Archer with a DDT! Preston Vance and Bishop Kaun tagged in for their respective teams. Preston hit shoulder tackles on Kaun and Liona! Vance brought Kaun down with a cutter, but Toa broke up the pin attempt.
Brian Cage hoisted up Dustin Rhodes and planted him. Copeland came in and nailed cracked Cage with the Impaler. Orange clobbered Kaun with the Orange Punch and then choke slammed Kaun. Archer attacked Orange with a Bossman Slam! Toa held Vance while Archer moved in. Vance escaped and Archer inadvertently connected with Toa. Copeland speared Cage! Preston Vance smashed Kaun with the discus lariat and pinned him!
“Great win, and a great win for Preston Vance,” said Tony Schiavone.
Renee Paquette was backstage with the Bullet Club Gold!
Jay White said the Undisputed Kingdom are going after all the gold, but whatever they can do, Bullet Club Gold can do better. The AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass interrupted. The Acclaimed made an offer to combine forces again.
“Bang Bang Scissor Gang! Super faction. Think about it,” said Anthony Bowens.
Jay White: “First off, we’re not a faction, we’re a gang. But we’re going to need a little bit more time to ponder that. You guys sit by your phones, alright?”
The AEW World Champion Samoa Joe came to the ring!
Samoa Joe: “Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Samoa Joe and I stand here before you tonight as your AEW World Champion. I was destined for this. And in light of that, tonight we make some changes to the championship challenge protocol. When you’re champion, you become a marked man. I heard even a devil who makes a bad deal is looking for Samoa Joe.
“Here are the changes we’re making to the championship protocol. No more will you have to come out and whine on this mic about your poor misfortune. You bring your record and your reputation, and you submit it to the championship committee, and if you’re deemed worthy, you walk out and have me stomp your ass in front of anyone who’s ever cheered for you. For the new championship era is here. And for all of you who want a piece of me, your champion will be waiting.”
Swerve Strickland onto the ramp with the Mogul Embassy and Prince Nana!
Swerve: “A couple months ago, I told Hangman Page it wasn’t personal. I was just after his spot. And look what happened. I took it. So, I’m going to reiterate the same thing to you, Joe. It’s not a personal thing. I just want that AEW World Championship and I’m going to take it. However, after I take that title and you choose to make this a person thing, I mean, I’d be more than happy to.”
“Hangman” Adam Page approached the ring and stood in there with Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland!
Page: “Well boys, if we’re making New Year’s Resolutions, I’ll go ahead and make mine. I beat Jon Moxley. I reunited with the Elite. And as much as you found me, Swerve, I found you. But the one thing I lost sight of last year was the AEW World Championship. And in 2024 I will make it mine! I see you smirking, Joe, but I haven’t forgotten what you did to me. And I’m going to take that title for it!”
Samoa Joe was alone in the ring when FTW World Champion HOOK’s music hit!
Hook entered the ring and he and Samoa Joe stared at each other. Hook pointed at Joe’s title and said, “One week.”
“Whoa! One week!” said Tony Schiavone.
“Well Samoa Joe is a marked man,” replied Excalibur.
Renee Paquette was backstage with AEW Women’s Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm, Mariah May, and Luther the Butler!
Mariah asked if Toni watched her match. Toni said she was sent a screener, but she didn’t see a single frame. Renee asked Toni about Deonna Purrazzo showing up on Dynamite last week.
Toni: “That name does sound familiar. All these women coming after my title, I feel like the prettiest girl at the dance. Luther, set me up meeting with this Deonna. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
AEW World Tag Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks vs. Sammy Guevara!
Sammy and Ricky locked up. Sammy grabbed a headlock, but Starks escaped. Ricky hit a shoulder block on Sammy. Starks chopped Sammy in the corner. Sammy tripped up Starks. Sammy moonsaulted off the ring post and wiped out Starks on the arena floor.
Starks and Sammy traded shots on the ring apron. Starks rocked Sammy with a roshambo on the ring apron! Sammy managed to fire back with a thrust kick. Sammy ascended to the top turnbuckle. Starks grabbed Sammy’s right ankle. Starks ate a big back elbow from Sammy. Sammy went for a moonsault, but Ricky countered with boots to the face. Starks power bombed Sammy for a near fall!
Sammy dodged a spear! Sammy landed a kick under Starks’ chin. Sammy followed up with a second thrust kick! Sammy rolled up Starks with an inside cradle and scored the pin!
“Sammy is building important momentum ahead of Battle of the Belts this Saturday,” said Excalibur.
Sammy offered his hand to Ricky after the match, showing a sign of good sportsmanship. Ricky accepted. Big Bill blindsided Sammy as Starks had Sammy distracted with the handshake! Starks stomped on Sammy. Chris Jericho ran to the ring and rocked Big Bill with a Code Breaker! Ricky and Sammy continued to brawl!
“There will be no rules this Saturday night. A huge street fight at Battle Of The Belts,” said Excalibur.
Eight-Woman Tag Match in Honor of “The Exalted One” Mr. Brodie Lee!
Anna Jay, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa, & Willow Nightingale
vs.
TBS Champion Julia Hart, Skye Blue, Ruby Soho, & Saraya!
Stokely Hathaway was in the front row holding a sign to support Kris Statlander.
Anna Jay and Ruby Soho began for their respective teams. Anna Jay connected with a solid shot. Statlander tagged in and slammed Soho. Statlander tagged to Anna who hit a flipping neck breaker. Willow walloped Soho. Thunder Rosa tagged in and blasted Ruby Soho.
Julia Hart tagged in and she and Skye Blue double teamed Thunder Rosa. Ruby was taken off her feet with a drop toe hold from Thunder Rosa. Willow grabbed a tag and charged at Ruby and splashed her in the corner. Willow climbed to the top rope, but Harley Cameron swiped Willow off the top rope.
Willow dropped Skye and Julia with a double clothesline. Kris tagged in and cleaned house on the opposition! Kris planted Saraya for a near fall! Skye Blue was looking for Code Blue, but Kris shrugged her off. Willow pounced Skye. Thunder Rosa ate a thrust kick from Saraya. Statlander nailed Saraya with a rolling German Suplex.
Anna Jay and Julia Hart clubbed each other. Skye Blue tagged in, but Anna applied the Queen Slayer and made Skye Blue tap out!
“That’s an impressive victory because Skye Blue has had a plethora of momentum as of late,” said Taz.
ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta had words for Eddie Kingston!
Yuta: “Eddie, you did not beat me in the Continental Classic because I was busy on Rampage. Eddie, the Continental Crown is something I want. So, bring it, on Rampage!”
Roderick Strong (with the Undisputed Kingdom) vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
Strong and Keith chain wrestled. Roderick got the upper hand. Roddy hit a shoulder tackle but then Keith came in with a big boot. Keith chopped at Strong. Both men traded shots on the apron. Roderick picked up Keith and planted him hard on the apron!
Back in the ring, Strong continued the assault on Bryan Keith. The Bounty Hunter applied pressure with boxing elbows. Roderick countered with a suplex for a near fall. Keith headbutted Strong and then came over the top with Diamond Dust. Keith was trying for a Tiger Driver, but Roderick powered out. Roddy cracked Keith with the End of Heartache and scored the win!
“A dominant victory here tonight for Roderick Strong,” said Excalibur.
Adam Cole pulled up a chair while the Undisputed Kingdom flanked him.
Cole: “When I said this place was going to change, I meant that. So many people are so concerned with earning your respect. We are not worried about you at all. We don’t want to earn anything from you because we deserve it. Roderick Strong is a 20-year veteran. As far as I’m concerned, the AEW International Championship has Roddy’s name on it!
“And then Taven and Bennett, not only the greatest ROH World Tag Teams of all time, but your current ROH Tag champions. They have never gotten the credit they deserve! And of course, the monster, the dominator, one of the most physical, vicious mean in AEW, I’m talking about Wardlow. Now that Wardlow is surrounded by people who respect him, when the time is right, we are going to win the AEW World Championship. Boys and girls, say hello to your new home. Or should I say, your new kingdom. And get comfortable because we are going to be here for a very long time.”
Renee Paquette was backstage with “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo!
Deonna: “I am still on cloud nine, but I set my sights on the AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm, and if she wants to pretend she doesn’t know who I am, that’s fine. She’ll be reminded when I make my Collision debut this Saturday.”
Red Velvet walked onto the set to interrupt!
Red Velvet: “I will be making my AEW Collision as well! I say you get in the ring with me, and we can stir it up!”
Main Event Time! Tornado Tag Match!
Darby Allin & Sting
vs.
The Don Callis Family—Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs (with Don Callis)!
Jim Ross joined commentary for the main event!
“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair walked out first to accompany Sting and Darby Allin!
“They’re all standing for Sting!” said Tony Schiavone.
Darby Allin jumped on Takeshita’s back! Sting went right after Powerhouse Hobbs on the outside! Sting whacked Hobbs with a steel chair. Hobbs headbutted Sting. Darby whipped a chair at Takeshita.
Takeshita pointed at Flair and then chopped Darby Allin. Darby dropkicked Takeshita and followed up with a Coffin Drop. Takeshita blocked the Coffin Drop and countered with a German Suplex on the floor!
Takeshita and Hobbs double teamed Sting in the ring. They went after Darby next and swung him around like a sack of flour. Sting fired up and splashed Hobbs. Takeshita rocked Sting with a jumping knee strike. Ric Flair got into the ring and chopped Hobbs and then poked Hobbs in the eyes. Darby rocketed out of the ring at Takeshita. Sting planted Hobbs with a spinebuster!
Darby dodged a running knee from Takeshita. Darby climbed the set to the top of the bleachers and Coffin Dropped onto Takeshita! Hobbs picked up Sting, but Sting escaped and nailed Hobbs with a Scorpion Death Drop off the stage and down through the tables at ringside! Sting covered Hobbs and pinned Hobbs for the victory!
Tony Schiavone interviewed Sting, Darby Allin, and Ric Flair after the match!
The fans chanted “Thank you Sting! Thank you Sting!”
Tony Schiavone: “Sting, I have one question, for your final match, who will your opponent be?”
The Young Bucks’ music hit, and they walked onto the ramp!
“Are they calling out ‘The Icon’ Sting for his final match?” asked Excalibur.
Darby dared the Bucks to get in the ring!
“Sting is taking all this in. The plot continues to thicken,” replied Jim Ross.
“The Young Bucks essentially calling out Sting and Darby Allin for Revolution!” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE: Homecoming at 10pm ET on TNT!
Special Programming Note: Don’t miss AEW Collision and Battle Of The Belts IX on Saturday on TNT beginning at 8/7c from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
It’s been 15 months since the last time All Elite Wrestling came home to Jacksonville, FL and Daily’s Place, but this Wednesday night the time is upon for a Homecoming! For some competitors it is a return to the familiar, for many it means a first time trip to AEW’s home base, one of those being AEW World Champion Samoa Joe. In addition to Joe’s first time live in Duval, “The Icon” Sting will have his final match at the place where his AEW journey began, two big singles bout, and two loaded eight-person tag matches on tap as well!
AEW DYNAMITE gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so make sure to swing by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! This is just the beginning of a loaded week for AEW, capping off with BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX and COLLISION in Norfolk!
THE CHAMPION ARRIVES!
The AEW World Champion is set to be in Jacksonville this Wednesday night, live for the very first time with that title over his shoulder, and he is willing to fight everyone who wants a piece of his AEW World Championship! He specifically mentioned Hangman and Swerve Strickland during the WORLDS END Media Scrum, but there is undoubtedly a slew of other competitors ready to step up as challengers. One of them let himself be heard loud and clear on COLLISION this past Saturday:
Currently reigning as FTW Champion for the second time, HOOK was less than a year old when Samoa Joe stepped into a wrestling ring for his first professional match, just shy of four years old when when Joe’s historic ROH World Championship began, and had his first professional match just after Joe marked his twenty-second year in the sport. Despite that experience disadvantage, both in life and in wrestling, HOOK is quite clearly fearless if he’s calling out Joe for a fight. Will Joe address that challenge on Wednesday night? What else does the champion have to share with the AEW faithful in Daily’s Place and those watching around the world?
ONE-ON-ONE…
AEW World Tag Champion Ricky Starks vs. Sammy Guevara
It has been five years since the last time Ricky Starks and Sammy Guevara went one-on-one inside the squared circle, just not an AEW squared circle. See theirs is a history that predates the existence of All Elite Wrestling, matches as far back as 2014 on the Texas independent circuit, but it wasn’t until January of 2023 that they ever met under the auspices of AEW. That night it was a tag team bout stemming from Starks’ issues with Chris Jericho, Guevara teaming with Jericho while Starks had Action Andretti in his corner, and it was The J.A.S. team that was victorious.
Ten months later at FULL GEAR 2023, Jericho stood beside a different partner, a former foe named Kenny Omega, and together they laid claim to the AEW World Tag Team Championship opportunity that belonged to The Young Bucks. While the brothers Jackson have not been seen since that November loss, Kenny and Chris prepared to face AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks at WORLDS END, at least that was the plan. Omega not only had to pull out of that match due to diverticulitis, but he had to step away from professional wrestling period in order to get the necessary treatment. That left Jericho with a championship match still owed him, but with no partner to claim it. That all changed the night Chris Jericho came to the aid of Sammy Guevara when “The Spanish God” was assaulted by The Don Callis Family; the former allies mended their battered fences, and are now a unified front barreling towards BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX and their Tag Team Championship opportunity.
But first, a stop on the road, to the place where Ricky Starks first appeared in AEW to answer the TNT Open Challenge of Cody Rhodes, and where Guevara went through the hell of two Stadium Stampedes, as well as the first Blood & Guts Cage. Guevara hasn’t competed inside Daily’s Place since December 2021, while for Starks it’s been since April of that same year, but it is still the place that shaped each of them as competitors and their AEW careers. This Wednesday night, when Starks and Guevara face off for the first time in AEW, it will also shape their impending AEW World Tag Team Championship fight
A CHALLENGE…
Claudio Castagnoli vs. “Hangman” Adam Page
Claudio Castagnoli and “Hangman” Adam Page are no strangers to one another; over the course of this past year they were on opposite sides of a few of the most violent matches in AEW’s history. Between Anarchy in the Arena at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2023, and Blood & Guts III in July, not to mention FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 and other DYNAMITE fights, they’ve gone to war plenty of times in the last twelve months.
But one thing Claudio and Hangman have never done is go one-on-one, but that changes on Wednesday night when Hangman returns to Daily’s Place, a site of both triumph and tragedy for his career, to take on “The Swiss Superman” for their very first singles bout! Hangman is on a warpath, looking to fight anyone and everyone, though much of his rage is focused on Swerve Strickland, and Claudio Castagnoli is more than happy to give Page that fight!
This is going to be a hard-hitting clash, of that there is no doubt, but will it be won by the anger of The Hangman or the focus of The Blackpool Combat Club?
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Darby Allin & Sting vs. The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs)
Sting is on the highway to REVOLUTION 2024 and his final professional wrestling match, but with so much road between now and then, there’s plenty of stops along the way for fans to experience “The Icon” one last time, and for his foes to try and take one last stab at The Stinger! Over the last few weeks one of those foes, or rather a group of them, has set their sights on Sting and Darby Allin. It all began when the painted pair helped Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara defeat The Don Callis Family and the AEW World Tag Champions at WORLDS END, and continued last week on DYNAMITE when Konosuke Takeshita defeated Darby Allin in singles competition
Now coming off of a victory over The Workhorsemen on COLLISION, Sting and Darby Allin are ready to head back to where it all began again for “The Icon”, where WINTER IS COMING 2020 brought him to AEW for the first time, and started this magnificent 26-0 winning streak Sting has been on since REVOLUTION 2020. Being a man who loves to ruin everything around him, Don Callis has taken it upon himself (or rather put it upon his collection of combatants) to add that first loss to Sting’s record before AEW gets to REVOLUTION 2024. Can they pull it off at HOMECOMING 2024, or will The Don Callis Family be another victim of The Stinger/Darby Allin team?
EIGHT-MAN TAG…
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, & LFI’s Preston Vance
vs.
ROH World Six-Man Champions The Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona) and Lance Archer
Daily’s Place will always be a special venue at the heart of All Elite Wrestling; not only is it home base for the company, but for sixteen months it was our only home. It was the place where everyone involved in AEW bonded with one another, where AEW grew into a family, a building where every crevice of the facility was explored, where a lounge became known as The Dark Order Room, and became the location for so many memorable moments featuring Evil Uno, Stu, Alex and John, Anna, Alan, Ten, Cabana, Hangman, and others. But one of the biggest parts of what made that room special, what gave Jacksonville such life, was the presence of the late Mr. Brodie Lee. Just over three years since his passing, the shadow of Brodie still looms large over AEW and those who knew him, those who loved him, and returning home to Jacksonville, stepping foot back into Daily’s Place, it serves as another reminder of the great man we all lost way too soon.
That is why this Wednesday night The Exalted One’s hand-picked pupil, Preston Vance, will forego uniting with his La Faccion Ingobernable brethren, and instead stand side-by-side three of the AEW fan’s favorite competitors! Just as he did on December 30, 2020 as part of the Tribute Show, Vance will team up with Orange Cassidy, only now their group will be rounded out by one of the men who went to war with Brodie over that TNT Championship, Dustin Rhodes, and one of the newest entrants into the AEW family: Adam Copeland.
Standing across the ring will be four of the most fearsome competitors on the AEW roster, ROH World Six-Man Champions The Mogul Embassy of Kaun, Toa, and Brian Cage, as well as “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer! Preston Vance’s quartet certainly has their work cut out for them in this fight, but with the memory of Mr. Brodie Lee fueling them, they aren’t going to back down from the fight no matter the odds!
EIGHT-WOMAN TAG…
Anna Jay, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa, & Willow Nightingale
vs.
TBS Champion Julia Hart, Ruby Soho, Saraya, & Skye Blue
And speaking of those inspired by the memory of “The Exalted One”, Anna Jay was brought into The Dark Order by Mr. Brodie Lee as well, given the number “99” as a nod to the legendary Wayne Gretzky, and under his tutelage, she learned quite a bit in her earliest years as a professional wrestler. Now Anna Jay returns to the site where her AEW career truly began, having transformed from who “The Star of the Show” was in 2020, into a woman who truly embodies that nickname in 2024. Wednesday night she will team up with three other fan favorites in Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and the newly-returned Thunder Rosa to do battle with the rather intriguing quartet of TBS Champion Julia Hart, Skye Blue, and The Outcasts of Ruby Soho and Saraya. Hart and Skye have made quite the fearsome pair over the last few weeks since Skye Blue fully embraced the darkness the TBS Champion spat into her soul, but The Outcasts duo have not exactly been on the same page as of late. It felt at one point like Saraya was trying to pull Anna Jay into their orbit, and now it’s Harley Cameron standing at their side, though she’s acting like quite an unhinged individual.
On the other side of the ring, Stokely Hathaway has been trying, quite unsuccessfully, to drive a wedge between Willow and Statlander, while this is just Thunder Rosa’s second match since returning to action after 16 months rehabilitating injuries. It should be noted that the first match back for the former AEW Women’s World Champion was a tag team victory over Julia Hart and Skye Blue with Abadon at her side! So in addition to Anna Jay wanting to pay homage to her mentor and friend Brodie Lee, this one has a load of other threads wrapped around the eight women involved in this bout!
The era of AEW World Champion Samoa Joe began at WORLDS END, and for the first time-ever he will be in Jacksonville this Wednesday night for DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024! In addition, AEW World Tag Champ Ricky Starks takes on Sammy Guevara ahead of their BOTB XI championship clash on Saturday, Castagnoli versus Hangman, two huge eight-person tags, and so much more on tap! It all begins again at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to swing by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast live from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair walked down the ramp at the start of the show, accompanying Sting and Darby Allin for the opening match!
Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Workhorsemen—JD Drake & Anthony Henry!
Anthony Henry blindsided Darby before the match began. Sting pursued Henry, but JD Drake tried to hit Sting in the back with a chair. Sting turned around and smacked the chair back into Drake’s face, only for Flair to chop Drake! Flair sent Drake ping ponging the other way into a lariat from Sting!
Anthony Henry swept out Darby’s legs on the apron. After wiping out Sting, Henry splashed Darby against the barricade. Henry powerslammed Darby and then Drake splashed Darby off the top turnbuckle for a near fall.
Henry tagged in and nailed Darby with a backstabber. Drake grabbed a tag and chopped Darby. JD Drake cut off Darby from making a tag to Sting. Drake muscled over Darby with a belly to belly suplex. Darby dodged a moonsault and tagged Sting. Drake got splashed by the Stinger. Darby nailed Henry with a Coffin Drop from the top to the arena floor! Sting finished off Drake with a Scorpion Death Drop and pinned Drake!
Continental Crown Championship Match!
Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. Trent Beretta!
Kingston chopped at Trent and then battered him with kicks to the spine. Trent fired back with a tornado DDT. Trent snap suplexed Kingston. Eddie charged at Trent and blasted him with rapid fire chops. Eddie chopped Trent in the face and then got an earful from the ref. Trent may have suffered a broken nose as the blood began to pour. Kingston hit a suplex on Trent on the arena floor, not letting up at all.
Trent’s mom, Sue, was sitting in the front row, concerned for her son. Trent stunned Kingston with a jumping knee strike.
“Sometimes the taste of your own blood fires you up,” said Nigel.
Trent smashed Kingston with forearms. Kingston was on wobbly legs. Trent dropkicked Eddie, sending Eddie out of the ring. Trent flew out of the ring with a tope. Trent power bombed Kingston back in the ring for a near fall. Eddie came back with an Exploder and then a DDT for a two-count! The blood was flowing freely down Trent’s face.
Trent rocked Eddie with three consecutive German Suplexes! Trent crushed Eddie with a charging knee strike. Trent spike Kingston with a Gotch style piledriver for a near fall! Trent tossed Eddie with a half-and-half. Eddie retaliated with an exploder suplex. Kingston pinned Trent after a stalling Northern Lights Bomb!
Footage aired from an interview earlier in the day that Tony Schiavone conducted with Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander!
Tony Schiavone asked about the interest that Stokely Hathaway has been paying to them, especially to Statlander.
Willow: “You noticed that too, right, Tony? That was weird. Moving on, let’s focus on what we are excited about. In 2024 I’m only focusing on the hot start we’ve had. We had a victory last night. Let’s keep it rolling!”
Kris: “You’re right! Not only was 2023 huge for the both of us, you won the Owen Hart Cup Tournament, I won the TBS Title, and we’re just gonna keep that going. 2024 is going to be bigger and better than ever because we are two of the best wrestlers in AEW!”
Footage played of FTW Champion HOOK, who was issuing a challenge!
Hook: “My winning percentage in this company is second to none. I think it’s time to get after another championship. Samoa Joe, I’m coming for you and your World Title.”
ROH World Tag Team Championship Proving Ground Match!
Undisputed Kingdom (c.)—Mike Bennett & Matt Taven (with Roderick Strong)
vs.
Komander & “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
Bennett walloped Komander with chops and then rammed him into a turnbuckle. Taven tagged in and crushed Komander with a back breaker. Komander had his first flurry of offense with a hurracanrana to Taven. Bryan Keith tagged in and booted Taven in the face.
Bennett entered the fray and slugged the Bounty Hunter. Bennett and Taven used their tandem offense on Keith. Taven face planted Keith. Taven connected with a leg lariat. Bennett charged at Keith but Keith suplexed Bennett into the turnbuckles. Komander grabbed a tag and rocked Taven with a spinning DDT. Taven climbed to the top but Komander superplexed Taven from on top of Keith’s shoulders!
Keith flipped Komander overhead, with Komander flying over the ropes and landing on the Undisputed Kingdom on the floor! Keith grabbed underhooks on Taven, but Bennett ran and rocked Keith with a lariat. Bennett spiked Komander with a piledriver. Taven smacked Keith with the Just the Tip knee strike! After double teaming Keith, Taven pinned Keith!
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White and Austin and Colten Gunn!
AEW Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass interrupted the interview!
Billy: “We were walking by, and I couldn’t help but overhear you saying how your dad had to save you again.”
Jay White: “Guys, this is none of your business. The whole thing started with Adam Cole and the Undisputed Kingdom laying their hands on me. So, we’re going to be the ones who handle this and bang bang finish it.”
Caster: “We could put our hands on you right now if you want.”
The Gunns asked how well that worked out for them last time.
Bowens: “First off, don’t say it’s none of our business because they threw me through glass. But everyone calm down. It pains me to say this, and it may be a very crazy idea considering everything we’ve done to each other in the past, but I’ve been thinking about this the last two days. One thing I’ve learned since being in AEW is the only way to get to the top is through factions. I mean, Jay, look what you did with the Bullet Club in Japan. And look at a guy like Billy. Billy knows a thing or two about big factions. All I’m saying is I know it’s crazy. Think about it.”
They all went their separate ways, but not before Austin Gunn looked at Renee and said, “I mean, it made sense.”
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland came to the ring!
Adam Copeland: “So in case all of you missed Worlds End, Christian Cage and I beat the living hell out of each other. And I beat him for the TNT Championship. But this past Wednesday on Dynamite, I saw Christian Cage say that Adam Copeland goes to the back of the line.
“I think he’s forgetting that as former champion, I get an automatic rematch. But it’s okay. For our entire careers, he’s said that I’ve been handed all of my opportunities. I’ve had a rocket strapped to my back. Really what the issue is, I just work harder than him. You should be on your hands and knees kissing Killswitch’s ass. So, he wants me to earn my title shot, right? I am going to start doing that right here tonight. I’ll start from the very back. I don’t care. Because like I said, I work hard. I’m here in my gear. I’m ready for a fight. We’re gonna make this an open challenge. We can call it the Cope Open. I’m going to stand here in the middle of the ring and wait for someone to step up.”
Maria Kanellis walked onto the ramp with Cole Karter and Griff Garrison!
Griff Garrison: “I am Griff Garrison! And a lot of you may be asking who is Griff Garrison. Griff Garrison is a guy that steps up to the plate against a hall of famer! Hey bud, I’m over here. How about you look at me and show me some respect, since I’m the one who accepted your open challenge.”
Copeland: “Griff, you know I like you. You remind me a lot of me when I was your age. I appreciate you coming in here. But dude, you are stepping up below sea level to Mount Everest here.”
Garrison slapped Copeland in the face!
Copeland: “You know what, Griff? Strangely that makes me like you even more. But now I am going to have to beat your ass.”
Garrison was smiling but Copeland booted him right in the kisser! Copeland lit up Griff’s chest with stinging chops. Copeland backdropped Griff. Cope smacked Garrison with a running clothesline. Maria grabbed Copeland’s ankle, distracting him. Cole Karter tripped Copeland. Garrison took advantage of the distraction and cracked Copeland with a boot to his face.
Garrison used a hammer throw, sending Copeland hard into the corner. Garrison suplexed Copeland. Adam Copeland ducked a lariat attempt. Copeland climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a big cross body for a near fall. Copeland charged in, looking for the spear, but Garrison countered with a discus shot! Garrison climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Copeland hammered him. Copeland wore out Garrison with repeated head butts. Copeland superplexed Garrison! Copeland applied a submission and forced Garrison to tap out!
Cole Karter dropkicked Copeland from behind. Karter went for a 450 splash, but Copeland moved out of the way! Copeland speared Karter!
“Nature Boy” Ric Flair was backstage with Darby Allin and Sting!
Flair: “Next week, a really big week in Jacksonville! It’s where Sting returned to wrestling. AEW, his first match in six years. It’s where Sting and Darby united and became this entity that’s unbeatable.”
Darby: “26 and 0!”
Flair: “After next week, 27 and 0! Stinger, Darby, and the Nature Boy at Daily’s Place!”
Sting: “Yeah, I’m ready! I’m on my way to Jacksonville, Florida and Daily’s Place, and I’ve got a smack talking guy talking about how he’s gonna take us out! Don’t think, Don Callis and company, that the Stinger is just gonna coast his way through the last few weeks. No! That ain’t the case! I’m coming to Jacksonville and the only thing for sure about Sting is that at Daily’s Place, it’s gonna be showtime!”
Skye Blue vs. Kiera Hogan!
They locked up and Skye tripped Hogan. Skye applied a side headlock. Hogan pushed her off but Blue rammed Hogan’s head into the mat. Skye missed a slap, but Hogan connected with a slap of her own. Hogan hip attacked Skye.
Skye grabbed Hogan by the hair and then cracked her with an elbow shot to the back of the head. Skye stomped on Kiera Hogan, showing off more of her demonic side. Skye jumped off the turnbuckles with Kiera countered with a thrust kick, perfectly timed. Hogan dropkicked Skye. Hogan followed up with a neck breaker for a near fall.
Skye Blue trapped Hogan in the ropes and rocked her with a thrust kick. Blue used a fall away slam and then transitioned into a dragon sleeper, forcing Kiera Hogan to tap out!
A vignette aired showcasing the comeback of Serena Deeb, who is returning imminently!
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Andrew Everett!
Before the match, Claudio challenged “Hangman” Adam Page to a match this Wednesday on Dynamite!
Claudio hoisted up Everett and body slammed him. Claudio choke slammed Everett. Claudio put Andrew in the Giant Swing and hurled him halfway across the ring! Claudio whipped Everett into the turnbuckles.
Andrew sent Claudio to his knees courtesy of a Pele kick. Andrew jumped off the ropes, but Claudio dodged him and spiked him with a piledriver. Claudio clobbered Andrew with a King Kong lariat and pinned Andrew Everett!
“See you on Wednesday Hangman Page!” said Claudio to the camera.
Lexy Nair was backstage with the AEW World Tag Team Champions “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Big Bill!
Starks: “I know that everybody at Daily’s Place are waiting for the return of Ricky Starks. And how fitting that I made my debut there. And while I wasn’t successful, I return there as one half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions. And Sammy, all the history that we have, that goes out the window next week when I destroy you and cut the legs out from under you.”
Big Bill: “It’s Saturday night and neither of you are here. Next Saturday night, Norfolk, Virginia, for the AEW World Tag Team Titles, at Battle of the Belts, it’ll be ‘Absolute’ Ricky Starks and Big Bill defending against Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho in a street fight! That is, Sammy, if you make it past Wednesday.”
Main Event Time!
FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood
vs.
House of Black’s Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black!
Matthews pointed at Harwood’s daughter, who was sitting at ringside. Harwood didn’t take this lightly, to say the least! Harwood chopped at Matthews. Dax grabbed a tax and Buddy took him down with a wrist lock.
Dax hit a drop toe hold and tagged in Cash Wheeler. Malakai Black entered the ring. Dax blocked a kick from Malakai. Dax flipped off Black. Malakai connected with a sliding dropkick. Cash came in and clubbed Black with a forearm, and then delivered a European Uppercut to Matthews. Malakai Black moonsaulted off the second turnbuckle and landed on Cash, who was on the arena floor!
Matthews and Black doubled teamed Cash Wheeler in the corner. Cash sent Black hard into Buddy. Cash crawled to make the tag, but Buddy cut him off with a kick! Dax tagged in and cleaned house…on the House of Black! Dax nailed Black with a brain buster for a near fall!
Black back elbowed Dax, after some assistance from Buddy. Black cracked Dax with a knee. Dax pulled Black down hard onto the turnbuckles as Black was climbing. FTR hit the power and glory suplex and splash on Black! Dax covered Black, but Matthews mauled Cash with the meteora, knocking Cash into Dax and breaking up the pin attempt!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Cash went for a tope, but the House of Black blasted him with stereo knees and then hurled him onto the announcer’s desk! Black grabbed a steel chair and brought it into the ring. Black was staring at Dax’s wife and daughter in the front row. While Black was taunting them, Dax drilled Black with a stiff shot, and then hit Matthews! FTR rocked Buddy with the Shatter Machine, but Black broke up the pin attempt they had on Buddy!
FTR spiked Black with a package piledriver on the apron! Brody King walked down the ramp, but Daniel Garcia chased after him, waffling Brody with a steel chair, helping FTR!
“What a standup guy Daniel Garcia is,” said Kevin Kelly.
As Dax was entering the ring, Buddy curb stomped him. Buddy power bombed Dax and went for the cover, but Dax countered with a pin of his own and scored the victory! After the match, the House of Black triple teamed FTR and Daniel Garcia! Buddy curb stomped Cash on the steel chair. Brody held a chair against Dax’s face and Black hit him with a spin kick, right in front of Dax’s family! TBS Champion Julia Hart rang the bell over and over.
“The bell tolls for thee,” said Kevin Kelly.
“That was a ten bell salute from Julia Hart. Is this the death of FTR?” wondered Nigel.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE: Homecoming on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL featuring:
-AEW World Tag Team Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks vs. Sammy Guevara!
-AEW World Champion Samoa Joe will be in the house!
-Claudio Castagnoli vs. “Hangman” Adam Page!
-Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and Tony Schiavone!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
Trios Match!
Mark Briscoe & The Hardys—Jeff & Matt
vs.
Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade!
Mark Briscoe locked up with Kip Sabian. Mark escaped a wrist lock and then applied a side headlock to Kip. Kip Sabian hit Mark with a shoulder block and then taunted the Hardys. The Hardys double suplexed Kip after a quick series of tags.
Blade ate a boot from Jeff Hardy. Butcher and Matt Hardy tagged in for their respective teams. Matt slugged away at Butcher and then rammed Butcher’s head into the turnbuckles. Matt splashed Butcher from the ropes, but Butcher kicked out at the one-count. Butcher escaped a Twist of Fate attempt with a huge lariat.
Mark Briscoe tagged in and cleaned house on the Butcher and the Blade with his redneck Kungfu. Briscoe scored with a dropkick on the Blade. Butcher swept out Mark’s leg and then planted him face first on the ring apron. Kip followed up with a moonsault onto Mark. Butcher bit down on Matt Hardy’s head. Meanwhile, back in the ring, Mark Briscoe was triple teamed by the opposition.
Butcher blasted Briscoe with a half nelson backbreaker for a near fall! Mark scored a neck breaker on the Blade. Both men tagged out. Jeff Hardy and Kip Sabian came in, and Hardy hit a double leg drop on Sabian. Hardy used a diving splash for a near fall on Sabian.
Matt shocked Sabian with a Side Effect. He was looking for the Twist of Fate, but the Butcher and the Blade blindsided Matt. Mark Briscoe saved Matt Hardy. Matt Hardy smashed Sabian with the Twist of Fate. Jeff followed up with a Swanton bomb. And Mark pinned Kip after the Froggy Bow!
“Tremendous fit for Mark Briscoe and the Hardys,” said Ian.
“If I’m the Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, I’m taking notice of Mark and the Hardys,” replied Excalibur.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara!
Renee mentioned how they still have the tag team championship opportunity in the future, however, next week, it’ll be Sammy against Ricky Starks one-on-one. Sammy already has a victory over Ricky from Worlds End. Renee was wondering how Sammy felt ahead of this competition.
Sammy: “I feel great. Like you just said, we picked up a big pay-per-view win. That’s the past. Now we look to Dynamite. Myself versus Ricky Starks. This is what AEW is about. This is restoring the feeling. Ricky, you and I are a lot alike. No matter what the world wants to throw at us, we always overcome it. Next week, only one of us can be the winner. So, you might be good, some might say great, but you’re not better than the best ever.”
Jericho: “And Big Bill, if you try and get involved, I’m going to stop you. You’re twice my size, sure, but you’ve got half my brainpower. And if you try and get involved, I’m going to take out my proverbial ax and chop you down inch by inch until we’re face to face. Then I’m going to poke you in the eye and knock your teeth down your throat. And Uncle Joe is going to cry. We’ll see you on Dynamite, boys.”
Next, Renee Paquette interviewed Anna Jay backstage, who was accompanied by Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Jake Hager!
Anna Jay said she felt stagnant but that it was a time for a change this year. “This is my year. And tonight, I’m going to beat Shida, and I think I need to do this by myself, ok?”
Harley Cameron interrupted, saying she wanted to introduce herself. She said she wanted to help all of them, and then whispered into Parker’s ear. He replied, “You would actually do that?” Harley made a cat noise and walked off. Menard told Parker that Harley seemed like a nice girl. Parker downplayed it and said it was not what it looked like.
Stokely Hathaway told Justin Roberts that he’d make the ring introductions for this match. Stokely went out of his way to really hype up Kris, and barely put any effort into his introduction for Willow.
Kris and Willow used quick tags to work over Mimi, while Tony Schiavone speculated that Stokely was perhaps smitten with Statlander. Willow double suplexed Hardcastle and Mimi. Kris tagged in and ran over both opponents. Statlander powerslammed Hardcastle and then planted Mimi on top of Hardcastle. Willow scored the pin after a spinebuster!
After the match, Stokely jumped into the ring, but Willow forced him out, and away from her friend Statlander.
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Matt and Jeff Hardy!
Jeff: “We’re feeling great! We just got a huge win on Rampage. Somebody needs to get us on AEW Dynamite so we can boost those ratings, you know what I’m saying?”
Private Party interrupted them!
Isiah Kassidy: “Congratulations, fellas.”
Matt Hardy: “Thank you. We’re very happy to pick up that W, but we’re also very happy for you, and I’m proud of you. Because Marq Quen is back, he’s healthy. You guys got this. Because you have sat underneath the tree of the tag team GOATS. Of the living legends, the Hardys, the greatest tag team to ever do it.”
Marq Quen: “No lies detected.”
Matt Hardy: “They say if you love something, you have to let it go. And it’s time for you guys to be your own men, to be your own team. I was proud of you for calling people out. I heard you call us out there too.”
Matt said he had gifts for Private Party, and they tossed two ring worn Hardy shirts at them. Matt said the Hardys were their childhood, but they’re also going to be their adulthood, and they’re going to see them real soon. The Hardys walked away, and Marq Quen looked at Isiah and said he wanted to kick their asses.
Anna Jay vs. Hikaru Shida!
Shida scored with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker. She followed up with a knee lift on Anna Jay. Shida pulled a steel chair from out beneath the ring and set it up. Shida tried to jump off the chair but Anna side stepped it. Anna whipped Shida into the steel guardrail.
Anna Jay rocked Shida with a thrust kick for a near fall. Shida and Anna Jay traded forearms in the center of the ring. Shida battered Anna Jay down to the mat. Shida smashed Anna in the jaw and followed up with a delayed brain buster!
Anna Jay connected with a pendulum kick. Shida rocked Anna with the Falcon Arrow, but Anna countered with the Queen Slayer. Shida rolled out and nailed Anna Jay with a knee for a near fall. Shida climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the meteora right on target. Shida finished off Anna Jay with the katana kick and pinned Anna Jay!
Sonjay Dutt invited the camera crew into the locker room of Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, and Karen Jarrett.
Dutt: “We need to make sure we get back on the same page, and if it doesn’t happen today, we’ll work every week until we get back on the same page. I got us a big tag team match coming up because I want us to get back to our winning ways.”
Lethal: “A tag match? How does that get us back on the same page?”
Karen: “Start with a name? I’ve been here nine months, and our team doesn’t even have a name.”
Jeff: “Maybe we should involve loser in that name, because of this guy Jay Lethal.”
Lethal: “Who the hell you talking to?”
Jeff: “Jay, just how many matches have you won recently? You know how many I’ve won this past year? I’ve beat Jeff Hardy, I’ve beat Dax, hell, I beat Eddie Kingston in a Memphis Street Fight, and look where that guy is now. He’s on top of the mountain.”
Lethal: “Now wait a minute! You wouldn’t have won any of those matches if it weren’t for me. So, you didn’t win s—t!”
Jeff: “You’re trying to tell me that I need you to win? Why don’t you get out of here and start your own winning streak?”
Lethal got into Jeff’s face!
Karen: “Hey, this is the opposite of what we wanted to happen.”
Dutt: “C’mon, we’ll try it again next week.”
Main Event Time! ROH Pure Championship Match!
ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)!
Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, and Pat Buck were the judges.
Yuta trapped Komander with a double wristlock. Komander exhausted his first rope break, as Yuta left him with no choice. Komander applied a single leg crab and Yuta used his first rope break.
Komander blocked a lariat with a kick. Yuta clocked Komander with a strike and then drove Komander’s shoulder down on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Komander had an inside cradle for a near fall on Yuta. Komander jumped off the ropes and transitioned into a dropkick to Yuta. Komander spiked Yuta with a DDT for a two-count.
Yuta put Komander in a double wrist lock again, grounding Komander. Komander used his third and final rope break here. Yuta was smiling ear to ear. Komander caught Yuta off guard with a hurracanrana. Yuta nailed Komander with a bridging German Suplex. Yuta pounded Komander with the hammer and anvil elbows. Yuta put Komander in the double wrist lock again, and with no rope breaks remaining, Komander had no choice but to tap!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC featuring:
-FTR vs. The House Of Black!
-Continental Crown Match: Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. Trent Beretta!
-Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Workhorsemen!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
WORLDS END proved to be exactly that for Maxwell Jacob Friedman as, in front of his hometown audience, he saw the AEW World Championship slip away to Samoa Joe and witnessed his best friend Adam Cole reveal himself as The Devil. Flanked by The Kingdom of Matt Taven and Mike Bennett, Roderick Strong, and Wardlow, Cole watched as his associates demolished the dethroned champion. Why Cole and these men have traveled this path remains to be learned, though it’s been clear for months Wardlow’s wanted Max’s head, and perhaps we will find out more soon.
In addition, the bums around the world rejoiced as Eddie Kingston defeated Jon Moxley in the finals of the Continental Classic to not only retain his ROH World & NJPW STRONG Openweight Titles, but to also become the first Continental Champion, and the holder of the Continental Crown! It was one of the most emotional moments in AEW’s history, and likely the biggest in the career of Eddie Kingston. WORLDS END was also a night that saw the wildest TNT Championship situation imaginable, including the shortest title reign in history, and Killswitch make a surprising decision in the heat of the moment. Toni Storm retained her AEW Women’s World Championship, as did Julia Hart with the TBS Title, and so much more went down on AEW’s final PPV presentation of 2023!
With a new year upon us, and a new AEW World Champion at the helm, All Elite Wrestling embarks down a new path but starting on familiar territory. The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ will host the first DYNAMITE of 2024 and with it comes an AEW International Championship Match where Orange Cassidy will defend against Top Flight’s Dante Martin! In addition, after two months of anticipation, Mariah May will finally make her in-ring debut this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!
The first AEW event of 2024 begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from WORLDS END, as well last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more!
At WORLDS END this past Saturday, the longest reigning ROH World Champion and ROH World Television Champion of all-time added another accolade to his resume: AEW World Champion. Samoa Joe, after eighteen minutes of a tremendous fight, choked Maxwell Jacob Friedman unconscious to end the longest and most successful AEW World Championship reign experienced since Chris Jericho first won the crown at ALL OUT 2019.
While the way the remainder of the evening played out for MJF will haunt him for some time, knowing that he is no longer the champion will likely linger the longest, especially as he watches DYNAMITE this Wednesday night, healing up from the various injuries sustained over his championship run, and sees Samoa Joe walk to the ring with the AEW World Championship over his shoulder. The added knowledge that the Triple B is in a dumpster somewhere on Long Island may just make it even more painful…
But that’s MJF’s burden to handle; the question at hand is where does Samoa Joe go from here? He made it abundantly clear in the Media Scrum that anyone can try to step to the champ, that he’d fight Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland and anyone else who wants a piece of the action. So who will be brave enough to be the first? We already witnessed Hangman and Joe have a confrontation in recent weeks, will it be him? Will it be Swerve who said his road to the title started December 31st? We will find out soon enough if anyone is willing to put it all on the line for a shot at greatness…
THE DEVIL REVEALED…
Why Adam? Why? That’s the question on everyone’s mind after seeing Adam Cole sitting in that chair Saturday night, surrounded by Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Wardlow, and Roderick Strong, with The Devil’s Mask tossed on the broken body of former AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman. After spending months tolerating Max’s behavior, helping him grow into a legitimately better version of himself, and seemingly driving a wedge into his relationship with Roderick Strong, why did Adam Cole put in all that effort to drive a knife between the shoulder blades of MJF? Has this been the plan since the Blind Eliminator Tournament over the summer? Since after ALL IN: LONDON? Or maybe after Cole got hurt at GRAND SLAM 2023 trying to help MJF in his first match with Samoa Joe?
It’s all speculation at the moment, but tonight on DYNAMITE, we expect to get some answers from Adam Cole about why he donned The Devil mask and betrayed Maxwell Jacob Friedman!
The last time Dante Martin challenged for a singles championship was on the June 3, 2022 edition of RAMPAGE when he challenged Scorpio Sky for the TNT Championship. Obviously that was not his night to claim a singles title, but it was one of many nights that proved with getting experience under his belt, Dante was destined for success with his brother, as well as on his own. Unfortunately a freak injury at SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2023 derailed Dante’s career for months on end, but in truth he’s fortunate the injury didn’t flat out end his wrestling journey.
But since returning from that injury with a November 29th Trios victory on DYNAMITE, Dante has looked superb both in AEW and ROH action. He’s racked up victories in five of the six matches he’s been involved in, the only loss coming to Daddy Ass and The Acclaimed in an AEW World Trios Championship bout, and seemingly hasn’t missed a step. Dante’s confidence is high, something that can often be lacking when returning from injury, and that helped boost his trio to a victory last Friday night on RAMPAGE over Roppongi Vice and AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy.
It may not have been a pinfall on Orange Cassidy, but it was still Dante scoring the pinfall win over his OC’s team, and as such the fighting International Champion is willing to give this half of Top Flight an opportunity to end the run! Can Dante begin the new year by marking the first title change of 2024? Or will “Freshly Squeezed” ground the man’s dream and move forward into the year with the title still in his backpack?
THE DEBUT…
Mariah May vs. Queen Aminata
November 8th; that is the day All Elite Wrestling officially announced the signing of Mariah May. May, a standout from the Japanese promotion Stardom reigned as a Goddesses of Stardom Champion alongside Mina Shirakawa during her tenure with the company, with her primary motivation for touring there being to follow in the footsteps of Toni Storm. See “The Timeless One” called Stardom home from 2016 until 2019, and even reigned as the World of Stardom Champion for 258 days, so being thus inspired by the path of Toni Storm, it was an experience Mariah May had to take.
After wrapping up in Stardom on September 30th, May showed up in AEW with aspirations of meeting Toni Storm, becoming friends with Toni Storm, and just being in the proximity of the current AEW Women’s World Champion. Mariah’s even asked Toni to be at ringside for this debut match, but it seemed like “Timeless” couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge the request being made by a woman whose name she couldn’t be bothered to remember.
Still, even if Toni Storm can’t remember her name, it’s clear from the reaction of the AEW faithful in the arenas, as well as those online, that they know who Mariah May is and have been patiently waiting for her in-ring debut. Well that day is finally upon us, so it’s all on Mariah to make it a memorable one and leave an impression on the AEW Women’s World Champion, otherwise it will be Queen Aminata who makes her mark by spoiling the AEW premiere of “The Glamour”!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Swerve Strickland vs. Daniel Garcia
The last several months in the careers of these two men could not be more different; since WRESTLEDREAM, Swerve Strickland has been on an absolute tear in All Elite Wrestling, winning nine of his last twelve bouts, including that unforgettable Texas Death Match with Hangman Page at FULL GEAR 2023, and had the best pinfall ratio in the Continental Classic. After scoring three straight victories in the Gold League, Swerve experienced his first pinfall loss at the hands of Jon Moxley. Still, with a victory in his final points match-up, Strickland managed to work his way into a Three Way League Final with Mox and Jay White, only to see Moxley pin White to advance to the overall Finals. But with Moxley losing to Eddie Kingston in the tournament finals, that means Swerve was the only man in the entire Continental Classic to only be pinned one time, and he capped off his year with a win over Dustin Rhodes in lieu of Keith Lee being unable to compete.
As for Daniel Garcia, he’s experienced just three victories in his last twelve matches with two of those coming over the course of the last week. It’s been a rough road for the man as of late, a frustrating one that’s often put him at odds with friend Matt Menard, but when he pinned Brody King in their final Blue League match, it felt like perhaps it had all been worth it. That feeling was further amplified at WORLDS END where, as part of the All-Star Eight-Man Tag, Garcia actually scored the winning pinfall for his team, a unit consisting of Blackpool Combat Club members Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli, as well as Mark Briscoe.
It was a triumphant way to end the year for both men, but DYNAMITE marks the beginning of a new one for All Elite Wrestling, and that means nose right back to the grindstone. Swerve stated in the WORLDS END Media Scrum that his mission of becoming World Champion began the day after the pay-per-view, and that means a fight with Daniel Garcia on his plate for Wednesday night! For both men this is the kind of fight that can shape the rest of the year, and neither wants to let 2024 start on a bad foot. This will be two men fighting with every thing they’ve got in their body and soul; may the best one win…
CHRISTIAN CAGE’S 2024 STATE OF THE UNION…
What on Earth just happened? That had to be the thought spiraling through the mind of Adam Copeland after seeing the TNT Championship ripped away just minutes after he pinned Christian Cage to claim it for himself. From the moment Paul Turner’s hand counted three to end Cage’s first TNT Championship run to the second it hit three to begin his second, just three minutes and thirty-two seconds had passed, officially making Copeland the shortest reigning champion in AEW history. It should have been a moment of triumph for Adam, putting to rest the toxic relationship with Christian Cage, but ever the opportunist, “The Patriarch” managed to take Killswitch’s moment and make it his own. Whatever Cage whispered to the former Luchasaurus was enough to make the monster surrender the TNT Championship match he’d earned earlier in the night into Christian’s hands after Killswitch had done all the dirty work to incapacitate Copeland.
So now Christian Cage walks into DYNAMITE as a 2-Time TNT Champion, and it looks like we will all have to suffer through him delivering a State of the Union-style address to the AEW faithful. It will undoubtedly be filled with heaping of self-praise, with little credit given to Killswitch for doing the actual work, and likely little acknowledgment of the fact Adam Copeland beat him in the middle of the ring at WORLDS END. The question Christian Cage should be asking himself as he prepares to deliver this speech is whether or not Adam Copeland will be watching, listening, waiting, for his opportunity to deliver much-deserved retribution?
A new era is upon us with 2023, the era of AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, and it begins when All Elite Wrestling returns to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ for the first DYNAMITE of 2024! On tap is an AEW International Championship Match pitting Orange Cassidy against challenger Dante Martin, as well as the greatly anticipated in-ring debut of Mariah May, and so much more!
It all begins again at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from WORLDS END, as well last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more!
AEW presented Worlds End live from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, NY!
It’s Saturday and you know what that means!
The Zero Hour portion of the show kicked off!
Your announce team for Zero Hour was Excalibur, Taz, and Nigel McGuinness.
Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale!
Stokely Hathaway joined the commentary team for this match.
Willow connected with a crossbody press off the middle rope for a near fall. Willow followed up with a running clothesline and then flipped off the apron, landing on Statlander. Back in the ring, Statlander applied the pressure with body scissors. Willow got to her feet and scored with a kick to Kris. Willow nailed Kris with a massive spinebuster for a two-count.
Kris hoisted Willow up on her shoulders and planted her on her face. Willow fired back with a running pounce! Willow cannonballed Kris in the corner and followed up with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Kris blasted Willow with a scissor kick across the spine. Willow grabbed Kris off the top turnbuckle and power bombed her onto the apron!
Willow reversed Saturday Night Fever will a roll-up for a near fall. Kris tried for a 450 but Willow dodged it. Willow hit the Doctor Bomb and pinned Statlander!
A vignette aired showcasing the impending return of Serena Deeb!
TNT Championship #1 Contender’s Battle Royale!
The winner of this 20-man battle royale will earn a shot at the TNT Championship anytime, anywhere.
Lance Archer and Killswitch were buried under tables while the other competitors whacked away at them with steel chairs. Trent whipped Serpentico over the top rope and eliminated him. Kip Sabian charged at Dalton Castle and knocked him to the arena floor.
Danhausen kicked Johnny TV out of the ring as Johnny was trying to pull Trent out. Lee Johnson connected with a body press to Kip Sabian. Angelo Parker eliminated Lee. Dark Order tossed out Cool Hand Ang. Kip cannonballed Alex Reynolds and then eliminated Reynolds.
Butcher sent John Silver packing. Trent and Rocky rocked Kip with a double knee strike. Bryan Keith kicked Kip out. Danhausen tried to curse Keith, but Butcher cut him off. Keith suplexed the Butcher. Blade charged at Keith and rammed him out to the floor. Lance Archer escaped the pile of lumber and entered the match. Daddy Magic chopped at Archer. The MurderHawk Monster clubbed Daddy Magic and made him vanish from the match. Archer eliminated Christopher Daniels.
Archer picked up Rocky and threw him over the top and sent him crashing onto Daniels. Darius Martin and Action Andretti worked in tandem on Archer. Killswitch emerged and choke slammed Darius and Action. Archer and Killswitch threw Action and Darius out of the ring. Blade ate a big boot from Archer before being tossed out. Killswitch booted Blade out of the match.
Trent and Danhausen grabbed Lance Archer and flipped him over the top and to the floor. Trent and Danhausen hugged, but then Trent eliminated Danhausen. Trent charged at Killswitch with a running knee strike. And then a second, and then a third knee strike! Killswitch caught Trent and planted him with a chokeslam. Killswitch clobbered Trent with a European Uppercut on the apron and then won the match!
FTW Championship Match/FTW Rules!
HOOK (c.) vs. ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta!
Yuta charged at Hook as Hook was making his entrance. Hook pounded away with strikes at Yuta in the corner. Hook headbutted Yuta. They brawled onto the ramp. Hook sent Yuta for a ride with a suplex. Yuta grabbed a trash can lid from under the ring and swung for the fences, clocking Hook in the head.
Yuta whipped Hook into the steel barricade. Yuta was grinding his boot into Hook’s head. Hook jumped into the ring, but Yuta was waiting for him. Yuta had a stop sign and slammed it into Hook’s back. Yuta sat out with a senton for a near fall on Hook.
Hook suplexed Yuta with a Northern Lights throw for a near fall. Yuta countered the Red Rum with a release German Suplex. Yuta chomped on Hook’s forehead and then connected with a fisherman’s suplex. Hook caught Yuta and suplexed him into the trash can with a high cradle. Hook tried for the Red Rum, but Yuta sat back and smashed Hook onto the trash can. Yuta spiked Hook with a DDT on the stop sign for a two-count.
Yuta grabbed a two-by-four, but Hook found a hockey stick. Hook cracked the hockey stick over Yuta’s back. Hook used the remnants of the stick, applied Red Rum, and made Yuta tap out!
The pay-per-view portion of the night kicked off with…
All Star 8-Man Tag Match!
Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, Mark Briscoe, & Daniel Garcia
vs.
Brody King, Jay White, Jay Lethal, & Rush!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the commentary team for this match.
Rush and Claudio started shoving one another. It escalated to stiff chops and forearms. Claudio booted Rush but Rush retaliated with a German Suplex. Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe tagged in for their respective teams.
Lethal dropkicked Mark but Mark answered with some redneck kung fu. Danielson and Jay White grabbed tags. The crowd came alive at the sight of these two competitors entering the ring to square off. Danielson tried for the Le Bell Lock, but Jay White quickly grabbed the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. The “Switchblade” chopped Danielson in the chest, lighting him up. Danielson whipped White into the turnbuckles and then walloped White with round kicks.
Danielson took down Jay White with a hurracanrana. Bryan fired off more round kicks and then Daniel Garcia grabbed a blind tag. Danielson wasn’t happy. Brody King entered the ring and Garcia tried to use his quickness against Brody. Brody blasted Garcia with a Bossman Slam! Brody got in Matt Menard’s face and taunted him.
Garcia’s nose was busted, and Jay White body slammed him. Garcia finally reached the corner and tagged Mark Briscoe. Mark took down Jay White with a flying forearm. Briscoe dropped a Cactus elbow off the apron onto Rush. Back in the ring Briscoe planted Jay White with a fisherman’s bomb for a near fall!
Jay Lethal tagged in and superplexed Mark Briscoe from the top! Brody King and Claudio Castagnoli tagged in. Claudio hit a vertical suplex on Brody! Rush charged at Danielson’ with the Bull’s Horns while Brody cannonballed Claudio. But Claudio answered with the Giant Swing, and then Danielson punctuated it with a dropkick to Brody’s head!
“We’ve got bodies flying everywhere!” said Matt Menard.
Garcia got rocked by Jay’s Lethal Combination. Jay Lethal applied the figure four on Garcia. Briscoe stunned Lethal with the Froggy Bow off the top. Claudio sent Jay White flying with a pop up uppercut. Garcia bypassed the Lethal Injection and folded up Lethal for the pin!
“Garcia said he thinks he fits in, and boy did he prove it here tonight,” said Excalibur.
Brody King blindsided Daddy Magic. Sonjay Dutt came out to give Lethal a talking to.
“The Redeemer” Miro vs. Andrade El Idolo (with CJ Perry)!
Miro bulldozed Andrade from behind as Andrade was entering the ring. Andrade tried for a tope suicida, but Miro cut him of at the pass with a stiff shot. Miro turned Andrade inside out with a suplex overhead, throwing him with ease.
Miro shouted at CJ Perry, “Is this what you wanted?!”
Andrade shoved Miro and Miro went flying over the commentary team’s desk. Andrade whipped Miro into the ring steps. They both got into the ring and traded stiff chops. Andrade used a dragon screw leg whip out of nowhere and followed up with a crossbody off the top turnbuckle. Andrade moonsaulted out of the ring and onto Miro on the arena floor. Andrade connected with another moonsault, this time in the ring, for a near fall on Miro.
Andrade charged at Miro, but Miro made him pay with a massive boot to the face! Miro was feeding off his fury. Miro stomped on Andrade’s back and then applied Game Over. CJ Perry yelled at Andrade, “Do not tap!” Andrade managed to reach the ropes and forced the ref to break the hold. Miro shouted at CJ Perry, “You should cheer for your husband!”
Andrade rocked Miro with the spinning back elbow for a two-count. Andrade applied the figure four leg lock. Andrade transitioned into the figure eight but Miro countered, reversing it. Andrade turned it back over, applying the pressure to Miro. Andrade bridged up, but CJ Perry swept out Andrade’s arms while the ref wasn’t looking! Miro scored with a kick for a near fall on Andrade. Miro trapped Andrade in the Game Over submission and forced Andrade to tap out!
CJ Perry blew a kiss at Miro after the match!
AEW Women’s World Championship Match!
“Timeless” Toni Storm (c.) (with Luther the Butler) vs. Riho!
Toni body slammed Riho and covered her, but Riho bridged right out of it. Riho used a bulldog out of the corner, but Toni kicked out at the one-count. Riho jumped off the apron, but Luther caught her, and then Luther handed Riho to Toni. “Timeless” Toni body slammed Riho on the arena floor.
Riho tried to body slam Toni, but Riho’s back seized up. Toni spotted it and went to work on Riho’s lower back. Toni applied the Texas Cloverleaf, punishing Riho’s lower back. Riho tried to reach the ropes, but Luther pulled the ropes back. The ref saw this and ejected Luther from ringside.
Riho connected with the area code shot! Riho body slammed Toni Storm. Riho jumped off the top and crashed down on the champion with a diving cross body! Riho double stomped Toni on the apron. Riho nailed Toni with a dragon suplex!
Toni Storm retaliated with the Storm Zero, but somehow Riho kicked out! Riho climbed the turnbuckles, but Toni yanked her down. Toni spiked Riho with a DDT and pinned Riho, retaining her championship!
Mariah May came to the ring with a bucket of rose petals. Mariah poured the petals over Toni, helping her idol celebrate her victory tonight.
Lexy Nair was backstage to interview Dante Martin!
Dante: “I’ve been doing good, but good’s not good enough. Last night I got the pin on Rampage.”
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy walked onto the set. Orange told Dante to try to take his title his Wednesday on Dynamite!
Dustin Rhodes vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana)!
Dustin was taking the place of Keith Lee, who wasn’t cleared by the doctor to wrestle today due to injury.
Prince Nana set up a cinder block and put Dustin’s ankle on it. Swerve jumped off the apron with a double stomp, smashing Dustin’s ankle and the cinder block! The match hadn’t even officially started. The AEW medical staff and referees help Dustin up, trying to walk him to the back. Dustin couldn’t put any weight on his ankle. Dustin refused to give up and forced his way back to the ring!
“This is ill advised by Dustin Rhodes tonight,” said Excalibur.
Dustin told the ref to ring the bell. Swerve came in hot with a kick to Dustin’s head! Swerve dropkicked Dustin in the knee. Swerve set up Dustin for a superplex. Dustin headbutted his way out of it, knocking Swerve down to the mat. Dustin connected with a crossbody press for a near fall.
Dustin stunned Swerve with a Canadian Destroyer and then a snapping powerslam for a two-count. Prince Nana looked panicked. Dustin blasted Swerve with the UnNatural Kick. Dustin spiked Swerve with a piledriver and then the Cross Rhodes for a two-count!
“If Dustin wins this, what a comeback it would be,” said Tony Schiavone.
Swerve rolled through with a flatliner! Swerve applied a single leg crab on Dustin. Swerve transitioned to a stretch muffler and then stomped on Dustin’s head. Dustin made it to the ropes, showing off his mat sense and toughness. Dustin popped middle fingers at Swerve and then spat at Swerve! Swerve was infuriated and nailed Dustin with the House Call! Swerve wrecked Dustin with a second House Call kick! Swerve finished off Dustin with the Double Stomp from the top rope and pinned Dustin!
“Swerve is victorious but not a happy expression on his face,” said Excalibur.
“I will not have my time wasted anymore,” Swerve said, as he looked into the camera.
8-Man Tag Match!
Chris Jericho, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, & Sting
vs.
AEW World Tag Champions Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks, and The Don Callis Family—Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs!
Takeshita dropped Sammy with a headbutt. Sammy tagged Jericho in, and Jericho ate a Takeshita line. Starks grabbed a tag and Starks flipped off Jericho. Hobbs tagged himself in and Starks wasn’t happy. Hobbs rammed into Jericho with a shoulder tackle.
Big Bill tagged in and battered Jericho with clubbing shots. Darby jumped in with a dropkick to Big Bill. Takeshita entered the fray, but Darby connected with a lateral press. Darby drilled Takeshita with a Code Red for a near fall! Darby climbed the top for a Coffin Drop but Don Callis distracted him from the apron. Takeshita hoisted up Darby and decimated him with an avalanche helicopter blue thunder bomb!
Hobbs and Big Bill grabbed Darby and swung him across the ring like a sack of potatoes! Starks entered the match and went for a Stinger Splash, but Darby dodged it. Sting tagged in and threw haymakers all over the ring!
Starks walked the rope and dropped an elbow on Sting’s arm. Sting drove Sting to the mat and stomped him. Sammy tagged himself in. Sammy came off the turnbuckles with a cutter. Big Bill jumped in the ring and planted Sammy with a Bossman Slam. Jericho came to even up the odds and smashed Big Bill with a Code Breaker. Hobbs wrecked Jericho with a spinebuster from behind. Hobbs pancaked Jericho with the World’s Most Dangerous Slam. Darby splashed Jericho into Hobbs! Darby impaled Hobbs with a Scorpion Death Drop!
Takeshita suplexed Darby and Sammy with a German Suplex! Sting swept out Takeshita’s leg and applied the Scorpion Death Lock! Callis jumped into the ring with Sting’s baseball bat, forcing Sting to let go of the hold. Callis backed off when Sting saw him. Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho to Hobbs. Starks popped Jericho in the face with a thrust kick.
Darby rocketed out of the ring at Big Bill like a human battering ram! Starks speared Sammy for a near fall! Sammy rocked Starks with a thrust kick and then the GTH! Sammy climbed to the top and walloped Starks with a shooting star press, scoring the pin on Starks!
TBS Championship Match! House Rules Match!
Julia Hart (c.) vs. Abadon!
Abadon chose the stipulation to have biting made legal for this match!
The crowd chanted “This is spooky! This is spooky!”
Abadon hit a cutter out of the gate! Abadon battered Julia in the corner with lariats.
“Those shots will wear Julia out,” said Taz.
Julia fired back, ramming Abadon’s head into the mat! Julia grabbed Abadon in a crucifix for a near fall. Julia hurled Abadon through the ropes and onto the arena floor. Julia suplexed Abadon onto the cold arena floor. Abadon chomped down on Julia’s arm, taking a bite out of the champion!
Abadon followed up with a lung blower for a near fall. Julia came back with a superplex. Julia blindsided Abadon with a running lariat to the back of the head. Abadon caught Julia in the side of the head with a running knee strike. Abadon bit Julia’s forehead. Skye Blue crawled out from beneath the ring and hit Abadon while the ref was distracted. Skye hid back under the ring, but Abadon pulled her out and cracked Skye with a jumped knee strike! Julia Hart blindsided Abadon again, bashing Abadon’s head into the steel steps. Julia Hart scored the victory after a backflipping knee strike from the top rope onto Abadon’s chest!
TNT Championship No Disqualification Match!
“The Patriarch” Christian Cage (c.) (with Mother Wayne & Nick Wayne)
vs. “The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!
Copeland charged at Christian Cage as Christian was making his entrance. Cope hammered Christian Cage with fists. Copeland sent Christian flying into the barricade. The fans chanted “We want tables!” and Copeland smiled. Christian Cage retreated from the ring. Copeland followed him but Cage was waiting with a thrust kick.
Adam Copeland whipped Christian into the steel ring steps. Christian tried to escape, walking up the arena steps. Copeland followed him. Copeland jumped off the top of the 100 section with a crossbody press onto Christian Cage!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Copeland ran across the barricade, jumped off, and clotheslined Christian Cage! Copeland tried to spear Christian, but Christian dodged it and sent Copeland flying into the steel ring post. Christian stomped on Copeland’s neck on the ring steps! Copeland’s eye began to swell up, blood trickling down his face.
Christian Cage grabbed a kendo stick. Christian cracked Copeland in the back over and over with the kendo stick! Christian was using the kendo stick to choke Copeland. Nick Wayne tossed a couple of chairs to Christian. Christian put the chair across Copeland’s back, sat on it, and applied a Boston Crab. All of Christian’s body weight was on the chair, punishing the back of Copeland.
Christian had a metal rod, swung it at Copeland, but Copeland ducked it. Copeland planted Christian onto the mat and then bashed him with the kendo stick! Copeland applied the cross face in the center of the ring, putting the metal rod in Christian’s mouth and pulling back! Christian managed to grab the bottom rope and pull himself free. Copeland pulled a ladder from beneath the ring!
Copeland catapulted Christian Cage face-first into the ladder, which was wedged between the ropes. Christian swung the kendo stick at Copeland. Christian Cage climbed the ladder. Copeland got to his feet and climbed the other side of the ladder. Christian whiplashed Copeland with a sunset powerbomb from the top of the ladder for a near fall!
Christian Cage pulled two tables from beneath the ring. Christian and Nick Wayne set up a table near the ring. Copeland went for a spear, but Nick Wayne pulled Christian away. Copeland cracked Christian with a chair across the spine. Copeland nailed Christian Cage with an Impaler on the chair!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Copeland was going for the conchairto, but Nick Wayne pulled the chair out of Copeland’s hands. Christian Cage blindsided Copeland with a low blow. Nick Wayne pushed a table into the ring. Christian Cage propped up the table against the turnbuckles. Christian tried to spear Copeland, but Copeland avoided it. Copeland answered with a spear of his own, putting Christian through the table! Copeland went for the cover, but Shayna Wayne pulled the ref out of the ring!
Nick Wayne rammed the TNT Title into Copeland’s head. Nick Wayne followed up with the Wayne’s World, bashing Copeland’s head onto the arena floor. Cage used the Killswitch for a near fall!
Christian Cage and Nick Wayne poured lighter fluid on a table! Nick Wayne lit the table on fire! Copeland speared Cage! Copeland put more lighter fluid on the table! Copeland power bombed Nick Wayne off the apron and through the burning table!
Christian tried to hit Copeland with the title belt, but Copeland blocked it and stopped Christian in his tracks with a low blow! Copeland smashed Christian with the Killswitch and pinned him!
New TNT Champion…” The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!
Killswitch appeared out of nowhere! Killswitch choke slammed Copeland! Killswitch set up a chair and then choke slammed Copeland on it! Killswitch had his TNT Title contract and was about to hand it to the ref. Christian Cage jumped in between Killswitch and the ref. Christian demanded the contract from Killswitch. Christian made Killswitch surrender the contract after whispering into Killswitch’s ear. Christian signed the contract, handed it to the referee. The ref rang the bell, and we had another TNT Title Championship Match! Christian Cage speared Adam Copeland and pinned him!
And new TNT Champion… “The Patriarch” Christian Cage!
Continental Classic Championship Finals Match!
Gold League Winner Jon Moxley vs. Blue League Winner Eddie Kingston!
The “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson joined the commentary team for this match.
Moxley took down Eddie with a drop toe hold. Eddie went into the guard and blew a kiss to Moxley. Eddie kicked Moxley, forcing Moxley to take a few steps back. Moxley used a snap mare and then kicked Kingston in the lower back.
Kingston and Moxley traded chops in the center of the ring. Kingston caught Moxley with a kick to the back of the head. Kingston followed up with a tope suicida, but Eddie landed hard on his neck and shoulder.
Moxley baited Kingston and then German Suplexed him. Moxley spiked Kingston with the Paradigm Shift on the floor. Moxley punished Kingston with kicks to the chest. Kingston got to his feet and chopped at Moxley. Moxley blocked one of the chops with his forearm and Kingston felt pain right away. Moxley drove Kingston down on his neck with a piledriver for a near fall.
“Kingston is the hometown favorite, but Moxley just let the oxygen out of the arena,” said Excalibur.
Moxley applied an STF, but Kingston bit Moxley’s hand. Moxley began to get frustrated. Kingston chopped Moxley and brought Moxley down to his knees with it. They traded more chops. Moxley went to the ropes and Eddie tossed him with an exploder suplex! Eddie followed up with a spinning backfist. Both men went down.
Kingston dropped Mox with a DDT. Moxley retaliated with a cutter. Kingston connected with a second spinning backfist, but Moxley answered with a lariat. Kingston smashed Mox with a Northern Lights Bomb for a near fall. Kingston put Mox in a bulldog choke. Kingston transitioned to hammer and anvil elbows. He went to the bulldog choke on Moxley again. Moxley escaped and put Kingston in a bulldog choke of his own!
Kingston escaped and cracked Mox with a spinning backfist. Kingston planted Mox with another Northern Lights Bomb for a two-count! Mox wrecked Kingston with a lariat. Moxley was clutching his arm afterwards. They traded headbutts from their knees. They got to their feet and traded open palm strikes. Eddie spun around with the backfist and pinned Moxley!
“Oh man, Eddie Kingston did it!” said Taz.
The referee handed the three belts to Eddie Kingston and the crowd chanted “You deserve it! You deserve it!”
Moxley and Kingston hugged after the match.
“Eddie Kingston is the first ever Continental Crown Champion,” said Excalibur.
Tonight’s Main Event! AEW World Championship Match!
MJF (c.) vs. Samoa Joe!
The sold out arena chanted “He’s our scumbag! He’s our scumbag!”
MJF pointed to the entrance ramp and Adam Cole’s music hit, baybay! Adam Cole came down to the ring on crutches. Cole stood in his best friend’s corner, and MJF smiled.
MJF thumbed Samoa Joe in the eye and then kicked him. MJF charged at Samoa Joe, but Joe grabbed him and slammed him to the mat. MJF clutched his arm. Samoa Joe punched MJF in the shoulder and then stomped a mudhole into him. Samoa Joe hit a leg drop on MJF’s arm. Samoa Joe put a tight grip on MJF’s shoulder. MJF fought out of it with a series of chops. Samoa Joe booted the champ in the face!
“Max is in deep you know what right now,” said Taz.
Samoa Joe went for the muscle buster, but Max escaped. MJF grabbed an inside cradle for a near fall. MJF tried to schoolboy Samoa Joe and Joe kicked out of it. MJF went for the kangaroo kick, but Samoa Joe anticipated it and blocked it. MJF went to skin the cat, but as MJF was inverted, Samoa Joe kicked MJF in the head. Samoa Joe dived out of the ring with an elbow suicida and mowed down MJF.
Samoa Joe planted Max with a Death Valley Driver in the center of the ring. Joe nailed MJF with a German Suplex and then a dragon suplex. Samoa Joe followed up with a straitjacket suplex! Samoa Joe decimated MJF with a muscle buster on the ring apron! MJF landed directly on his injured left shoulder. Joe covered MJF but MJF managed to kick out at two.
MJF headbutted Joe. MJF connected with a rolling elbow strike to the back of Joe’s head. MJF chomped on Samoa Joe’s forehead. MJF tried for the kangaroo kick, but Samoa Joe booted Max out of the air. MJF thumbed Samoa Joe in the eyes. MJF tried to hoist up Samoa Joe, but MJF collapsed under the weight. MJF ran into Samoa Joe, throwing his body at Joe. MJF landed the heat seeker on Samoa Joe for a two-count! MJF applied the Salt of the Earth armbar on Samoa Joe. The challenger escaped and put MJF into an arm bar. Samoa Joe wrenched upwards. Adam Cole cheered on MJF, and MJF was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold.
Samoa Joe applied a sleeper. MJF pushed backwards, inadvertently shoving Samoa Joe into the referee. The ref collapsed. MJF smiled. MJF stunned Samoa Joe with a low blow. MJF hoisted up Samoa Joe and pancaked him! The ref finally turned around and began to count the pin, but Samoa Joe kicked out at two! MJF signaled for the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Adam Cole had trouble finding it, and in the meantime, Samoa Joe grabbed Max from behind. Samoa Joe wrapped MJF in a deep submission. The referee lifted up MJF’s arm three times and MJF didn’t respond. MJF was choked out!
And new All Elite World Champion Samoa Joe!
Adam Cole got into the ring to console MJF. The Devil’s masked men surrounded the ring. They swarmed MJF and Adam Cole!
Adam Cole said, “Hey, hit me!”
One of the masked goons had a steel chair. MJF yelled, “No, don’t hit him! Hit me!”
The masked goon with the chair turned around and raised the chair, about to swing it at Adam Cole.
The arena lights went dark!
When the lights returned, Adam Cole was free, and he was sitting in the chair! The masked goons stood behind Cole. The masked goons removed their masks—it was Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, and Wardlow!
MJF, with tears streaming down his face, in complete disbelief, yelled, “How could you do this, man?”
Roderick Strong rammed into MJF with a jumping knee strike! Taven and Bennett began to pound MJF with fists. Wardlow power bombed MJF! Adam Cole sat on the chair the entire time. Cole pulled the Devil mask out from behind his jacket. Adam Cole dropped the mask onto MJF and laughed!
“Why? The question is how long have they been planning this!” wondered Tony Schiavone.
“The world of MJF has ended,” added Excalibur.
Missed what the entire wrestling world is buzzing about? Order the replay of the historic AEW Worlds End 2023! It’s available on all traditional cable and satellite providers in the United States and Canada, Bleacher Report, Fite International, PPV.COM, and more! See AEW Worlds End 2023 for yourself!
Catch the fallout from Worlds End on AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
The end of 2023 is upon us and this Saturday night marks the final event of the year for All Elite Wrestling! Appropriately entitled WORLDS END, this pay-per-view offering features multiple championship matches, as well as the finals of the historic Continental Classic, which itself is also a title fight as the winner will be crowned the first Continental Champion, as well as ROH World Champion and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, creating an all-new North American Triple Crown!
Preceded by ZERO HOUR on the official AEW YouTube channel, WORLDS END begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT and hails from the historic Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island! Be sure to watch all the COUNTDOWN content to get up to speed for the latest happenings leading to AEW’s year-end extravaganza, and do not miss out as the stage is set for 2024!
Betrayal; is there any other way to encapsulate the last month of MJF’s life since he beat Jay White at FULL GEAR 2023? Samoa Joe stepped up, after vacating the ROH World Television Championship and declaring the AEW World Championship as his sole focus, and told Maxwell Jacob Friedman that no matter what he would chauffeur the AEW World Champion to WORLDS END intact. Joe took it upon himself to be MJF’s bodyguard, to protect the hot-headed AEW World Champion from himself, and insure Max made it to December 30th at peak physical condition so there would be no excuses if he lost the AEW World Championship to Joe live on pay-per-view.
But this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, after Samoa Joe seemed to be taken out by The Devil and his lackeys ahead of a scheduled ROH World Tag Team Championship defense against said masked men, the entire situation went a drastic overhaul. MJF, as he’d done with The Righteous at WRESTLEDREAM 2023, elected to go solo in a tag title defense, only to be laid out by the superior numbers of The Devil’s henchmen, and watch the championship he’d earned with Adam Cole slip away just like that.
For MJF it was more than just losing a title, it was also breaking a promise to his best friend Adam Cole, the only man who’d given Max an opportunity to prove himself a better man than the scumbag he’d shown the world the last four years. After Adam Cole got hurt at GRAND SLAM 2023 while trying to come to MJF’s aid in his last fight with Samoa Joe, Friedman promised Cole he’d keep the ROH Tag Titles around his waist until Cole could return, but the machinations of this Devil made it a difficult situation, and the willingness of Samoa Joe to do business with the masked man turned it into an impossibility. As much heart as MJF as where it comes to Adam Cole, even he can’t overcome the multitudes willing to serve The Devil, much less Samoa Joe’s apparent willingness to do anything for an edge heading into WORLDS END this Saturday.
So with that broken promise to Adam Cole hanging over his head, with the various injuries MJF has sustained during his record-setting AEW World Championship reign, what chance does he have fighting the monster that is Samoa Joe?
After all, Joe is the man who held both the ROH World Championship and the ROH World TV Championship longer than any man who came before him. He is the man who, unarguably, changed the landscape of professional wrestling for all those who came after him, and the man who broke the mold of what being Samoan meant as a professional wrestler. Samoa Joe traversed the independent landscape, battled across Japan, took Kenta Kobashi to his limit in game changing Ring of Honor fight, and tested a generational competitor like Brock Lesnar like no man before or since. Once upon a time Samoa Joe would look into a camera and unblinkingly tell the world “I am Pro Wrestling” in the same tone with which he now tells the world he is “The King of Television” and there is no doubt that he believes it with every fiber of his being. Ask anyone who has stood in that ring waiting for Samoa Joe’s arrival and they will tell you there are few individuals of this generation, maybe Jay Briscoe, who struck fear into the hearts of their foes before they ever stepped between the ropes. As soon as Joe steps before the people, the man standing in the ring knows he is in for the fight of his life, and that is what Maxwell Jacob Friedman has awaiting him on Long Island this Saturday night.
It’s not the first big-time fight of MJF’s AEW career, this is a man who has beaten Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and even Samoa Joe over the last four years, just to name a few, as well as the other Four Pillars of Jack Perry, Darby Allin, and Sammy Guevara. He’s been big-time for almost as long as he’s been in All Elite Wrestling, and although he has beaten Samoa Joe in the recent past, he’s never come at “The Samoan Smashing Machine” under these circumstances. Max is hurt, he’s fighting from behind, he’s got the specter of The Devil over his shoulder, but he’s fighting on his home turf and with everything to lose. His body may want to give up the ghost, but his spirit, that indomitable Fighting Spirit, isn’t ready to call it quits on this historic AEW World Championship reign just yet…
Continental Classic Championship Finals…
Gold League Winner Jon Moxley vs. Blue League Winner Eddie Kingston
The AEW website took a deep dive into the history between Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston on Thursday night with “You Always Hurt The One You Love”, reflecting on the violence that has gone down between these two friends, these brothers-by-choice, ever since Kingston first came to AEW.
A dissection of their relationship can be read there, this is a look at the immediate history and what brought these two men to WORLDS END and the Continental Classic Finals! For Jon Moxley the road to Gold League success began on the November 22nd edition of DYNAMITE, one night before American Thanksgiving, with a match against Mark Briscoe. It was a first-time collision between the two men, and was every bit as hard-hitting as one would anticipate given their history as fighters. The end came with Mark Briscoe surviving one Death Rider, but eventually succumbing to a second, only after Moxley had to stomp Mark’s skull into the canvas: three points for the 3-Time AEW World Champion.
Moxley’s second foray into the Gold League came against Jay Lethal, and that too went in his favor, but again only after stringing together a succession of moves that, under some circumstances would’ve put a lesser man away. Lethal survived a Paradigm Shift, a King Kong Lariat, and a piledriver, kicking out of the last maneuver at a 2.5 count, only to end up tapping out to Moxley’s Rear Naked Choke: two matches down, six points to his name, and three more to go.
For his halfway point Moxley welcomed a fight with RUSH, a man capable of matching Jon’s capacity for violence, but who ultimately fell to The Blackpool Combat Club member. In this case the leader of La Faccion Ingobernable survived a massive King Kong Lariat and Death Rider, kicking out just before the three, but could not escape the same choke that tapped out Jay Lethal a week prior. Unlike Lethal, RUSH never tapped out or said he quit, it was a matter of referee stoppage to protect the safety of the unconscious RUSH. It was a decision that did not sit well with RUSH, but it was final, and sent Moxley into his fourth bout with nine points to his name.
Enter Swerve Strickland, another man with nine points to his name, and one of the other favorite’s to win the entire Continental Classic. The winner of this bout would be etched into the Gold League Finals with twelve points, and though it was hard-fought by the head of The Mogul Embassy, it was Mox who squeaked out with a victory, but not with a lariat or Death Rider or choke, but rather via roll-up with a little pulling of Swerve’s tights. By hook or crook, Jon Moxley became the only man with 12 points to his name, and guaranteed himself a spot in the League Finals.
Then came the last night of the points competition, Moxley versus “Switchblade” Jay White, and perhaps it was the rigors of what had come the previous four weeks, but with this fifth tournament bout, Jon Moxley finally tasted defeat after being dropped with a Blade Runner. That victory by Jay, combined with Swerve’s over RUSH, meant the Gold League Finals would be contested in a Three Way match, and as we all saw this past Wednesday on DYNAMITE, it ended with Moxley’s hand raised after evening the score with Jay White as Swerve watched on from the outside.
For Eddie Kingston, the tournament first began with him upping the ante from just the Continental Championship awaiting the winner to it being a Triple Crown situation involving both Eddie’s ROH World Championship and his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. It was a huge risk no doubt, and one that very nearly backfired in Kingston’s face as he dropped his first match with Brody King as well as his second with Bryan Danielson, sending “The Mad King” to the halfway mark with zero points to his name. He had to rebound with his third fight, a bout with long-time rival Claudio Castagnoli, and that’s exactly what happened after a series of counters ended with Kingston scoring the pinfall victory.
There was a definite change in Kingston through this tournament, rather than a man beaten down by his losses, he was a man who fought through them, through the self-loathing that they could bring, and instead lived off the phrase “Humble in victory, humble in defeat”. It seemed his role as a dual champion had made an honest change to Kingston’s usual mentality, and it paid off as he racked up a victory over Daniel Garcia in his fourth Continental Classic match, and another in his fifth against Andrade El Idolo. Neither came easy, both took a toll on the champion, but he persevered through both and found himself, through hard work and determination, in the finals of the Blue League opposite “The American Dragon”.
Despite the fact that he’d never beaten Bryan Danielson in their prior encounters, be it in AEW or elsewhere, Eddie Kingston latched onto the Fighting Spirit that had motivated him from the first time he saw an AJPW tape, powered through Danielson’s relentless punishment, and dropped the man many consider the greatest of this generation with that Kawada-style Folding Powerbomb that beat Claudio at GRAND SLAM 2023.
With that victory it became locked in stone that Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston would fight at WORLDS END in the finals of the Continental Classic with ownership of the ROH World Championship, the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship, and the brand-new Continental Championship all at stake. It’s a modern-day North American Triple Crown, one that will belong to either Jon Moxley or Eddie Kingston in this battle of brothers by choice rather than blood, but can their relationship survive yet another blow after everything it has endured since Kingston first challenged Moxley for the AEW World Championship more than three years ago?
Over the course of the last several months the AEW faithful have watched Toni Storm spiral out; it began when Hikaru Shida ended her second championship reign back in August, and kicked into full gear (no pun intended) as Storm neared her rematch with Shida at FULL GEAR 2023 on November 18th. Now RJ City and Renee Paquette have had to endure the “Timeless” experience more than any others, while Luther has thrown himself fully into the experience as her…butler, but the entire Women’s Division has had to take a step back and question what has happened to Storm.
She seems trapped in a delusion of Old Hollywood stardom, of key parties, of celluloid dreams, and only vaguely aware of anything going on outside of her own head. Toni’s barely cognizant of Mariah May’s fawning presence, despite the former STARDOM champion actively helping her fight Riho, and only remotely aware of an entire division of competitors gunning for the title around her waist. That division includes women that Toni, as part of The Outcasts, made a point to verbally denigrate and physically assault, women like original AEW Woman’s World Champion Riho!
That “Timeless” moniker matters not to Riho, no matter what she’s called Toni Storm is still part of the Outcast trio that took Riho out of AEW action many months ago, and she returned with a vengeance to right those wrongs. It started with a victory over Ruby Soho, continued with a #1 Contender’s victory over Saraya, leaving just Toni Storm and her AEW Women’s World Championship to be conquered this Saturday night at WORLDS END!
Can Riho etch her name into the AEW history book as a 2-Time Women’s World Champion, or will “Timeless” Toni Storm continue to live out her fantastical delusions with the title belt securely strapped around her waist?
What can possibly be said about this championship match that adequately encompasses what it means to the two men involved in the battle. Christian Cage and Adam Copeland have been part of each other’s lives for more nearly four decades, they have fought side-by-side and been champions many times over, they’ve even battled one another on multiple occasions, and each man has seen the other have to give up their professional wrestling dreams when their body decided enough was enough.
Each man has also seen the other fight back against the body that betrayed their dream, has watched the pain and sacrifice the other has experienced to get back inside the squared circle, and celebrated the moment each returned to the ring to continue living the dream they’d each had for as long as they could remember. And that’s the thing about dreams like the professional wrestling one; no matter the championship successes, the time spent on television and pay-per-view, or the opportunity to step into the ring with the legends one admired as they came up themselves, it’s a dream that is never fully realized. There is always something more to dream about, though for Adam Copeland the culmination of that dream was ending his career standing alongside Christian Cage, the best friend Jay Reso he’d grown up with before either actually laced up a pair of boots, the man with whom he’d changed the landscape of tag team wrestling.
So after saying he would never fight his brother, Copeland had to come to a hard realization that Cage did not feel the same way and, in fact, was willing to break Adam’s neck if that’s what it took to insure their relationship was quits. Christian invoked the names of Copeland’s wife and children to express just how much animosity he had towards the very idea of every reuniting the band, and it took “The Icon” Sting, a man quite familiar with betrayal by those he called his friends, to convince Copeland that the man he considered his best friend was anything but. That resulted in the two colliding in Montreal during a recent edition of DYNAMITE, and showed just how far Christian Cage would stoop in order to see that he remained the top man in the Cage/Copeland dynamic…
Whether it was something Cage expected or not, the choice Shayna Wayne made to align herself with her son’s surrogate father figure changed the landscape of the game, putting even more forces against Adam Copeland, and that one largely because of choices Adam made in the heat of the battle. After all, what mother could watch their son’s head get caved in with a chair and not choose to oppose the individual who inflicted the pain?
So now we enter WORLDS END and Adam Copeland’s challenge to face “The Patriarch” Christian Cage in one more TNT Championship match, only this time under No Disqualification rules. It was made clear by how Copeland responded to the idea of a sit-down interview with his former best friend just how this fight is likely to go down. There’s no quarter asked, and none likely to be given, between these two men who’ve gone up-and-down the wrestling roads together.
After this there will likely be no more family dinners, no more “Uncle Jey”, nor the possibility of ending their hall of fame careers standing side-by-side as AEW World Tag Team Champions. This TNT Championship match on Saturday night may indeed be the end of the Copeland/Reso world and regardless of if it’s Adam Copeland or Christian Cage who walks away from the battle as TNT Champion, both will have to ask themselves whether it was worth sacrificing something built over a lifetime…
A darkness has fallen over the TBS Title, the shadow of The House of Black dimming the light once brought to this championship by Kris Statlander’s reign, replaced by something wicked, something intensely scary with the reign of Julia Hart.
Thus perhaps it is apropos that this Saturday night at WORLDS END the Princess of The House defends her championship against “The Living Dead Girl” known as Abadon! With just four loses on their singles record, they are one of the most successful competitors in the Women’s Division, with two of the longest singles win streaks in AEW’s history to their name, seventeen matches between 1/26/21 and 10/22/21 and fifteen from 12/21/21 to 10/27/23. Abadon has drawn blood from foes with their own teeth, struck fear in the hearts of even the strongest competitors, and even in those few losses, come so close to the AEW Women’s World Championship on two occasions. Hikaru Shida has been the bane of Abadon’s existence, responsible for three of those losses, while the other has Dr. Britt Baker’s name attached to it in a Trick of Treat Match two years ago. Other than that, Abadon has been largely untouchable and unfazed by any opponent who’s stood across the ring.
Their desire for the TBS Championship that’s built up over these past few weeks has even led to some very strange bedfellows as Skye Blue, after weeks of successfully fighting against the darkness Julia Hart spat into her soul, finally succumbed to the House and aligned with the TBS Champion against Abadon. In turn, that alignment brought Thunder Rosa away from the commentary table and back into active competition as the former AEW Women’s World Champion chose to stand alongside “The Living Dead Girl”. Their tag team victory over Skye and Julia during last week’s COLLISION certainly gave an edge to Abadon heading towards this PPV battle, even if it was Thunder pinning Skye to bring the win for their team.
This past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, Julia Hart played a decisive role in helping Skye Blue defeat Kris Statlander, as well as assisting in the post-victory assault on the former TBS Champion that only ended with the arrival of Willow Nightingale. As the two women fled the scene of their crime, Abadon appeared on the stage, essentially trapping Skye and Julia between the proverbial rock and hard place, forcing them to flee to the side of the stage to escape from any repercussions.
But Saturday night there will not be any running from the situation, there will not be an opportunity to flee from this TBS Championship fight, no hiding from Abadon when the bell rings at WORLDS END! “The Living Dead Girl” has been a dominating force from the moment they debuted in AEW, only Hikaru Shida has really had their number, but a title has eluded Abadon thus far. Perhaps that will all change on Long Island, perhaps The House of Black will lose its hold on the only championship under its roof, and watch it fall into a different kind of darkness.
This will be a fight unlike any other Julia Hart has experienced during her time in All Elite Wrestling, but if she can survive Abadon, she will have proven herself truly worthy of the mantle she ripped away from Kris Statlander. This is the abyss staring back at The Princess of the Black Throne, will she blink?
EIGHT-MAN TAG…
Chris Jericho, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, & Sting vs. AEW World Tag Champions Big Bill & Ricky Starks and The Don Callis Family (ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs)
Just a few weeks ago Chris Jericho was set to fight Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship with Kenny Omega as his partner, with the match scheduled for WORLDS END this Saturday night. Unfortunately Kenny Omega was struck down before the match, a diagnosis of diverticulitis forcing him away from the ring for an indefinite amount of time, and leaving Chris Jericho without his #1 Contender partner. Of course this made Don Callis extraordinarily happy, seeing his two former friends in pain and misery, even though the situation at that moment had nothing to do with him.
Unsurprisingly Callis chose to celebrate himself and, to a degree his “Family”, this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE. He considered it a Boxing Day celebration, recognition of the holiday celebrated around the world, and chose to give each member of his Family a painting of himself, with them of course, but in each one Callis looked every bit a conquering hero. Still, he seemed quite surprised when one member of his family returned to the fold that night, one who’d been injured fighting for Don, and who’d also celebrated the birth of his baby during that time spent healing up; none other than “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara!
It wasn’t all that long ago that Guevara chose Don Callis over Chris Jericho, turning his back on a history dating back to the very first DYNAMITE, but it only took a fraction of that amount of time for Don Callis to forget all about Sammy. That’s why Guevara said what he had to say upon his arrival, about how Callis leeches off the men he surrounds himself with, and uses them to keep himself in the spotlight rather than doing anything to bolster their careers. Perhaps the truth hurt because it only took moments for Callis to unleash his hounds upon Sammy Guevara, but “The Spanish God” was as shocked as everyone else to find Chris Jericho the man coming to the rescue, and it was not just because of his issues with Callis.
Guevara actually stood up and embraced Jericho, only for Ricky Starks and Big Bill to jump on the two men for a vicious assault, and then to the shock of the former Le Sex Gods, another save was made, only this time by Darby Allin and Sting! Considering that just six months ago Darby and Sting were beating up Jericho and Guevara in a Tornado Tag on DYNAMITE, it was absolutely a surprise to see them stepping to the assistance of these two. It wasn’t as if there was some pressing matter against Big Bill and Ricky Starks either, the bad blood between Sting, Darby, and Starks had been put to bed at REVOLUTION 2021 in that unforgettable Street Fight.
Perhaps this is just Darby Allin and Sting doing the right thing, helping out two men who were being assaulted by an uneven numbers game, and offering their services as “The Icon” heads down the road to his final match at REVOLUTION 2023. It’s quite the intriguing scenario as this brings Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs back on the same side of the fence after their relationship soured some time ago, puts Darby and Sammy Guevara on the same side after years of back-and-forth, and gives Le Sex Gods an opportunity to heal their wounds in real time combat.
This has all the elements to be quite explosive if tempers flare the wrong way, very combustible elements all crammed together in an unpredictable 8-Man tag!
ONE-ON-ONE…
“Limitless” Keith Lee vs. Swerve Strickland
On July 13, 2022, during DYNAMITE: FYTER FEST N. 1, Swerve In Our Glory won a Three Way battle over Team Taz and The Young Bucks to become the 8th AEW World Tag Team Champions. Together Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee would reign over the division for seventy days, successfully defending on three occasions before The Acclaimed took the crown at DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2022. There partnership was tense, to say the least, as Swerve Strickland leaned towards a darker bent while Keith Lee wanted to travel the more righteous path. Those differences in philosophy made the partnership difficult, but yet successful, at least until the point it reached the point where it just wasn’t anymore.
That led to DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2022 where Swerve and his new assembled Mogul Affiliates destroyed Keith Lee, leaving him easy prey for Strickland to Swerve Stomp a cinder block on the chest of “Limitless”. It officially marked the end of Swerve In Our Glory, but it never felt like Keith Lee got his chance to right the wrong done to him. Sure he partnered up with Dustin Rhodes to swing at The Mogul Affiliates, and later was able to team with Darby Allin, Sting, and Orange Cassidy for a shot at The Mogul Embassy, a conglomerate of Swerve’s Affiliates and Prince Nana’s Embassy, but satisfaction was never achieved.
Even when the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament forced the two men back together for one night, it didn’t lead to a resolution for Swerve’s betrayal, or Keith’s need to avenge it. They both continued their mutual business, Swerve building The Mogul Embassy up, competing in the Continental Classic while Keith Lee stepped to Samoa Joe, dealt with his past with Shane Taylor, and let it be known after his FINAL BATTLE 2023 victory that it was time for “him”. Initially the assumption was that the “him” to which Keith Lee kept referring was Shane Taylor, but he quickly put that notion to bed following the Taylor victory.
A confrontation with The Mogul Embassy, sans Swerve Strickland, made it quite clear who “Limitless” was talking about, and a victory over Brian Cage got the man one step closer to that goal of finally fighting Swerve one-on-one. Of course there was the matter of the Continental Classic, but Swerve’s loss in the Three Way Gold League Finals this past Wednesday on DYNAMITE left him free and clear for competition at WORLDS END, and he wasn’t going to wait any longer to settle this score.
So while Keith Lee left the contract, Swerve still had to put pen-to-paper, putting the ball fully in his court as to whether or not this bout would happen. It should come as no shock that after being frustrated in the Continental Classic Gold League Finals, after seeing the match slip away when Jon Moxley pinned Jay White, Strickland was looking for a fight. Thankfully Keith Lee is ready to give him that fight and finally put this issue to bed like he did the decade-old one with Shane Taylor.
As 2023 comes to its close, so too will the saga of Swerve In Our Glory, but only one of these two men can walk away with the victory…
A FIGHT…
“The Redeemer” Miro vs. Andrade El Idolo
At ALL OUT 2023, after Miro defeated Powerhouse Hobbs, his wife CJ Perry emerged as Hobbs began a post-match assault. Perry delivered a relatively ineffective chairshot of her own to Hobbs, ineffective but providing Miro enough time to recover and smack Hobbs with a chair of his own. To say “The Redeemer” was surprised to see his “hot and flexible wife” would be an understatement, he half-thought she was a delusion come to taunt him for forsaking his God.
But CJ Perry was all too real, and if her husband was going to reject her as his manager, then she was going to find herself new clientele within the AEW locker room. Unfortunately Miro made sure that any competitor who even thought about taking on his wife as a manager paid a price for her consideration. Action Andretti, Ryan Nemeth, and Daniel Garcia all paid the price for showing interest in CJ Perry’s offers, but her most recent consideration was not one who’d easily suffer the same fate as those individuals.
Andrade El Idolo, heading into the Continental Classic, agreed to take CJ Perry on as his manager and even though she wasn’t allowed at ringside during those bouts, he excelled in the tournament with her working in that role. Three straight wins, nine points, and likely a fourth if Claudio hadn’t resorted to a low blow to get his victory; it announced to the world that Andrade El Idolo and CJ Perry were a combination to be reckoned with, but there is one man who wants that reckoning.
For “The Redeemer”, knowing his wife is overseeing the career of another individual has not sat well, and he clearly sees her presence as poisoning this well of professional wrestling. For Miro, that means expunging the poison from his life, i.e. removing Andrade El Idolo from the equation. No Andrade means no one for CJ Perry to manage meaning no reason for her to remain with All Elite Wrestling. That’s Miro’s logic going into this fight on Saturday night, with his mission to end the world as he knows it and begin something new where CJ Perry is not in the picture.
ALL-STAR EXTRAVAGANZA…
Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, & Mark Briscoe
vs.
Brody King, Jay Lethal, Jay White, & RUSH
What is there to say about this one? Eight of the best men in professional wrestling, all who fell short in the Continental Classic, battling it out on the final pay-per-view event of 2023! Some came within a blink of being in the finals, some left the field without a point to their name, but all are elite-level athletes who will unite this Saturday night in an all-star tag team battle! Will they all get along? Probably not, but victory is more important than the individual squabbles that may exist because of the Continental Classic, or perhaps existed before the tournament even started; either way, this is an all-star extravaganza of talent, and it can only be witnessed as part of WORLDS END!
WORLDS END emanates from the historic Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island this Saturday night, and live on pay-per-view around the world! Samoa Joe will challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship, former champion Riho will take on “Timeless” Toni Storm with the AEW Women’s World Title at stake, and TBS Champion Julia Hart defends against “The Living Dead Girl” Abadon! Plus, Christian Cage puts his TNT Title on the line against former best friend Adam Copeland in a No DQ Match, the FTW Title is up for grabs in a FTW Rules match between champion HOOK and challenger Wheeler Yuta, and the landmark Continental Classic comes to an end with ???? taking on ???? with the winner crowned the first Continental Champion, as well as ROH World Champion and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, to form the new North American Triple Crown!
With ZERO HOUR beginning at 7pm ET on the official AEW YouTube channel, WORLDS END starts at 8pm ET/7pm CT, so make a point to visit that YouTube channel to catch up on the latest happenings leading to WORLDS END, including the COUNTDOWN special, as well as highlights from this week’s edition of DYNAMITE, the CONTROL CENTER, and more! This pay-per-view event not only marks the end of AEW’s 2023, but will set the tone as we move forward into 2024 and the first event of the new year in Newark, NJ!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE: New Year’s Smash was broadcast from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur and Tony Schiavone!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
Rampage kicked off with Chris Jericho coming down to the ring!
Jericho: “We had a huge night on Dynamite last Wednesday when Sammy Guevara quit the Don Callis Family, and of course they had to gang up and attack him. So, I came down to help out Sammy, and then Sting and Darby came out to help us. Which leads to the huge eight-man tag at Worlds End tomorrow, and I’ll be tagging with Sting for the first time ever.
“Sting told me he would have my back. And he was a man of his word. And I’ve got a lot of respect for Sting too. Now before we can go to Worlds End, I need to figure out a few things with Sammy Guevara. So, Sammy, come on out and let’s discuss a few things in this ring now.”
Sammy Guevara’s music hit, and he joined Jericho in the ring.
Excalibur wondered if time healed all wounds.
Jericho: “They love you here tonight in Orlando. And I’ve always been a fan of yours. A few months ago, we had a great match on Dynamite, and instead of celebrating that match together, you turned on me and joined the Don Callis Family. I want to ask you man to man, why?”
Sammy: “Chris, it’s hard being in your shadow man. Name any accolade, you’ve done it all. And maybe somewhere along the line I started blaming you for why I wasn’t where I needed to be. I felt like you were holding back but really, I was just holding myself back. It’s time I stop blaming others and I become the man that I know I am.
“I was at home reflecting, and I know I’m that man. I should have been the good friend that you were to me. So really, all I can offer you is, I’m sorry.”
Jericho: “Well Sammy, I accept your apology and I want to say the same to you. I’m sorry, too, and I want to tell you why. Maybe sometimes I’m a little controlling, but I’ve always been one of your biggest fans. I brought you here to AEW. I had you in the Inner Circle, the JAS, and here right now. I’ve always believed in you, and I always will, okay? So let me ask you this: we have the eight-man tag at Worlds End, but after that, I still have a tag team opportunity for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. And I need a partner. So, I want to ask you, will you reunite with Chris Jericho and reunite Le Sex Gods?”
Sammy looked at Jericho and hugged him!
Jericho: “Le Sex Gods are back, baby!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Daniel Garcia and Matt Menard!
Matt Menard: “How about the biggest win of Garcia’s career last Saturday night, taken away by the House of Black!”
Garcia: “House of Black, I’m absolutely sick of people like you thinking you can walk in here and walk all over people like us. We’re not having it anymore. We’re gonna fight back. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but we’re gonna get you back. I promise you that. Pay up.”
Ruby Soho (with Saraya & Harley Cameron) vs. “The Problem” Marina Shafir (with Nyla Rose)!
Ruby dodged a kick from Marina and then grabbed Marina by the hair, pulling her down to the mat. Marina fired back with vicious kicks. Harley grabbed at Marina’s leg and Ruby tripped Marina, taking advantage of the distraction.
Marina smashed Ruby with a running lariat. She followed up with a backbreaker to Ruby. Marina dropkicked Ruby. Saraya jumped onto the ring apron, but Nyla yanked her down. Harley flung herself onto Nyla’s back, but Nyla powered her to the arena floor. Saraya jumped over the guardrail and ran away. Nyla chased after her through the fans. Ruby blasted Marina with the No Future kick for a near fall.
Marina grabbed Ruby but once again, Harley tried to get involved and popped up onto the ring apron. Marina swung at Harley, but Harley avoided it. Ruby rolled up Marina from behind, hung onto Marina’s tights, and pinned her!
Backstage, the Don Callis Family, along with AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Absolute Ricky Starks had some choice words for Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Sting, and Darby Allin ahead of their match at Worlds End tomorrow!
Callis: “Your world ends tomorrow!”
Powerhouse Hobbs: “Look at this team. Tomorrow night the four of you find out why I’m big, black, and jacked.”
Kyle Fletcher: “Hell yeah, tomorrow night on pay-per-view, you’ll find out why the Don Callis Family is the top of the food chain. Along with our new friends Big Bill and Ricky Starks.”
Big Bill: “Tomorrow night, in my backyard, in front of my friends and family, us four are going to whoop all four of your asses.”
Ricky Starks: “Congratulations Chris Jericho. You found four other idiots. This is my retirement gift to you, Sting. You will not make it to Revolution after tomorrow night.”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale!
Renee said Willow asked for this time to address some of the rumors going around at the hands of Stokely Hathaway.
Willow: “Honestly, I just want to make sure you and I are cool, Kris. He’s trying to say I’m taking all the credit for the Street Fight. You yourself are an amazing wrestler. I was kinda thinking, I’m from Long Island, you’re from Long Island, and we’ve got Worlds End coming up in Long Island. I’d really love to share the ring again.”
Stokely Hathaway interrupted!
Stokely: “Share the ring together? I think that’s a great idea. But I have a question for you. What took you so long to save your so-called bestie on Dynamite? How about you two share the ring against each other one on one at Worlds End?”
Statlander: “I’d really like that, actually. I really respect you as a wrestler and as a friend, and so, Worlds End?”
Willow agreed to the match for tomorrow!
ROH Pure Championship Match!
Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta (c.) vs. Matt Sydal!
Your judges were Jimmy Jacobs, “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, and Sarah Stock.
They began the match with some incredible chain wrestling. Sydal escaped a crucifix pin attempt, and then nearly caught Yuta himself. Yuta chopped Sydal but Sydal answered with a chop of his own.
Sydal nailed Yuta with a roundhouse kick. Yuta retaliated with a suplex, hit a snap mare, and then dropped a knee on Sydal. Yuta dropkicked Sydal and covered him for a near fall. Sydal connected with the air raid crash for a two-count on Yuta!
Yuta slipped behind Sydal and rocked him with a bridging German suplex for a near fall. Yuta tied up Sydal in a submission, but Sydal managed to reach the ropes with his boot, utilizing his first rope break.
Yuta smashed Sydal with hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Yuta transitioned to putting Sydal into the seatbelt and pinned Matt Sydal!
Danhausen walked onto the ramp after the match!
Danhausen: “Yuta, it is Danhausen, the ROH legend myself, and I have decided to appoint myself the fourth judge. I noticed you’re wrestling my good friend and sometimes tag team partner Hook at Worlds End. I’ve been keeping a close eyeball on you. You cheated and therefore I have to disqualify you. You lost!”
Wheeler Yuta decked Danhausen! Yuta spiked Danhausen with a DDT. Yuta hammered Danhausen with elbows until FTW Champion Hook headed straight to the ring to even up the odds. Yuta bailed right away!
Main Event Time! Trios Match!
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, & Trent Beretta
vs.
Action Andretti & Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin!
Cassidy rolled up Andretti with a crucifix for a near fall. Orange put his hands in his pockets and dropkicked Action. Trent tagged in and hit an elbow on Action Andretti. Darius grabbed a tag and put Trent in a side headlock. Trent and Darius traded chops to the chest.
Dante tagged in and splashed Trent with a stalling senton over the top. Top Flight and Action Andretti connected with a triple tope suicida on their opponents! Back in the ring, Rocky and Andretti slugged it out. Action took Rocky off his feet, jumping off the top rope with a cross body press.
Dante and Trent tagged in for their respective teams. Dante connected with a big crossbody press for a near fall. Top Flight used their tandem offense and Darius nailed Trent with a flatliner but Orange broke up the pin attempt. Orange crushed Darius with a Stun dog Millionaire. Action hit a 450 springboard on Trent but Rocky and Orange broke up the pin attempt.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Trent drove Darius down with a suplex. Andretti wiped out Trent with a moonsault to the floor. Rocky climbed to the top, but Action kicked Rocky in the head, stunning him. Trent came up from behind and hurled Action with a release German suplex off the top turnbuckle!
Orange went for the Orange Punch, but Dante countered! Rocky tagged in but Dante planted him and scored the pin!
“This was the win that Top Flight and Action Andretti were looking for,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ!
Don’t miss AEW Worlds End live on pay-per-view on Saturday beginning with Zero Hour at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, NY!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
On the final DYNAMITE of 2023, the AEW faithful watched as Samoa Joe stabbed AEW World Champion MJF right between the shoulder blades to cost him the ROH World Tag Team Championship to The Devil’s Masked Men! We also witnessed both Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston advance to the Continental Classic Tournament Finals taking place at WORLDS END, Sammy Guevara apparently reunited with Chris Jericho, Mariah May announce her in-ring debut for the first DYNAMITE of 2024, and so much more! It was an action-packed edition of AEW’s flagship as we barrel towards WORLDS END this Saturday night on pay-per-view!
There’s only one more sleep until WORLDS END, but before you close your eyes, there’s a matter of Friday night RAMPAGE! Coming to you from Orlando, the night begins at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and features AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, and Trent Beretta in Trios action against Action Andretti and Top Flight, plus Ruby Soho goes one-on-one with Marina Shafir, but now with Harley Cameron apparently attached to her side! And less than 24 hours before he engages in a FTW Rules fight with HOOK, ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta puts his title on the line against former ROH Tag Champion Matt Sydal! We will also hear from Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara after their moment with The Don Callis Family as well as AEW World Champion MJF after he was betrayed by Samoa Joe!
Before the show begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
TRIOS MATCH…
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, & Trent Beretta
vs. Action Andretti & Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin)
For the second week in a row, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy has taken the off-handed comments of someone as a challenge. Last week it was his own friend Rocky Romero, and this time around it is the high-flying trio of Action Andretti and Top Flight who “Freshly Squeezed”, and apparently Trent Beretta, assume are looking for a fight!
Well this Friday night on RAMPAGE, less than twenty-four hours before AEW’s last PPV presentation of the year, Cassidy and his friends will clash with Action and his in a huge Trios match! Andretti and the Martin brothers are coming off a hard-fought loss in their AEW World Trios Championship challenge last Saturday night on COLLISION, and are hungry to get another shot at The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass. A victory over the International Champion, Trent Beretta, and Rocky Romero would go a long way towards the three young men achieving that goal, and who knows, if they can get that victory by beating OC, it could even mean a future date with the AEW International Championship!
Knowing what these six men are capable of, this match is certainly going to be a wild one full of high-flying action, hard-hitting offense, and the finest trios competition you’ll see anywhere in professional wrestling today!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Ruby Soho vs. Marina Shafir
Well it seems whether she likes it or not, Ruby Soho has a…helper…in the form of one Harley Cameron. It’s quite clear that Soho does not want this, but Saraya is making it happen no matter what her friend wishes. Obviously that phone call from Angelo Parker was more important to Soho than anything Saraya had to say, but perhaps this is all the former AEW Women’s World Champion’s way of apologizing for her treatment of Soho the last several weeks.
It was only a couple weeks ago that Soho challenged Saraya to go it alone against Riho to earn the WORLDS END championship match with Toni Storm, and the former champion failed to rise up on her own merits. So maybe employing Harley is as much a birthday present as a mea culpa, but regardless of the reason, hopefully it pays off for The Outcasts and isn’t just another distraction for Ruby Soho. That’s the last thing she needs when having to deal with a problem like “The Problem” Marina Shafir!
ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Wheeler Yuta(c) vs. Matt Sydal
Though Yuta has a FTW Championship match at WORLDS END: ZERO HOUR on tap, one contested under FTW Rules, he is set to take on a challenge to his ROH Pure Championship at RAMPAGE, less than 24 hours prior to his clash with HOOK. His opponent this Friday night in Orlando: former ROH Tag Team Champion Matt Sydal!
Though Sydal was part of the 2020 Pure Title Tournament that reintroduced the championship after a fourteen year hiatus, Sydal has never fought in a Pure Rules match, much less a Pure Title bout, making this uncharted territory for the veteran of the mat wars.
Is it wise for Yuta to step into a championship bout so close to his FTW Rules fight with HOOK? Is it worth risking injury, or worse, losing the Pure Championship before WORLDS END? Apparently for someone the mindset of Yuta, someone with The Blackpool Combat Club mentality, the answer is yes. Hopefully Yuta doesn’t go to sleep Friday night regretting his decision…
The relationship between Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho, likely because it dates back to the dawn of DYNAMITE, has been quite tumultuous over the last four years. They’ve generally stood on the same side of the battle, though it has occasionally been a tense situation, justifiably so given the power dynamic of the relationship. Jericho has often seen Sammy as his understudy, as beneath him, while at a certain point the former 3-Time TNT Champion felt he’d proven himself an equal. It popped up during the dissolution of The Inner Circle, when Jericho was reigning as ROH World Champion, and blew up completely in the aftermath of The Jericho Appreciation Society. The final straw, or so it seemed at the moment, was Guevara choosing to stand alongside Don Callis in opposition to “The Ocho”.
Shortly thereafter “The Spanish God” suffered a serious concussion, and during his recovery from that injury, witnessed the birth of he and Tay Melo’s child, and it made a shift in where Guevara’s head is at. No longer dredging in the same depths as Don Callis, Guevara would’ve ended up another victim of a Callis Family assault if not for the arrival of Chris Jericho, followed by Darby Allin and Sting.
So where does that leave Chris Jericho and Sammy after that surprising save? We will hear what the original AEW World Champion has to say about the matter this Friday night on RAMPAGE!
It’s the final night before WORLDS END, and that means Friday night RAMPAGE is on deck! Emanating from Orlando, matches begin at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and include Action Andretti and Top Flight fighting AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, and Trent Beretta in Trios action as well as plus Ruby Soho going head-to-head with Marina Shafir. In addition, Matt Sydal will challenge ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta just 24 hours before The BCC member steps into a FTW Rules match with HOOK! We also anticipate hearing from Chris Jericho after what happened with The Don Callis Family and Sammy Guevara!
Before the show begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
First recorded in 1944 by The Mills Brothers in 1944, the song bearing the title of this retrospective has been covered by Connie Francis, Fats Domino, Ringo Starr, Michael Buble, and even Ryan Gosling in the heartbreaking film “Blue Valentine”. The lyrics include lines such as “You always break the kindest heart with a hasty word you can’t recall, so if I broke your heart last night, it’s because I love you most of all.”
It’s a song very easily projected onto a romantic relationship, but that’s just one type of love, and if nothing else, since the two men first became entangled in All Elite Wrestling, it’s been pretty clear that there is a lot of love between Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley. Love built on shared experiences, on treading common grounds, on time spent together both inside the ring and out, knowing each other’s families, not to mention spilling blood along similar roads en route to the promised land of AEW.
Moxley got here first, making his impact on as grand a scale as possible in the closing moments of DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2019, taking out both Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, and beginning the path that led him to his first AEW World Championship at REVOLUTION 2020, just weeks before the wrestling landscape as we knew it, as well as the world at large, became a different place under pandemic restrictions.
That’s the world in which Eddie Kingston was birthed into AEW, a world where fans were only able to watch from the safety of their own homes, a world where the hard-traveled Kingston was forced to sell his wrestling boots in order to make rent. So with nothing left to lose, and then-TNT Champion Cody Rhodes holding an Open Challenge for his title, Kingston took his shot and called out Cody during one of the few independent wrestling shows running at the time. This led to Eddie walking out on the stage on the July 22, 2020 DYNAMITE, no pomp or circumstance, and fighting Cody in a No DQ match for that championship. Eddie failed to become the champion, but he made such an impact on the AEW landscape that nine days later, Kingston got his “…IS ALL ELITE” graphic.
While Moxley went about building the AEW World Championship up with one of the most impressive streak of defenses amassed to date, Kingston drew men like Butcher, Blade, and The Lucha Brothers to his side, and when the opportunity opened up to take his shot again, Kingston didn’t hesitate to take aim at a man who had been his friend for years…
That fight did not go the way of “The Mad King”, but the aftermath of it set the table for the violent affair that would result at FULL GEAR 2020, a match that would turn out to by Moxley’s final successful title defense before losing to Kenny Omega at DYNAMITE: WINTER IS COMING 2020. Suffice it to say, the “I Quit” bout was twenty minutes of two men hurting the one they love, and came to an end with Kingston failing to claim the crown he’d risked destroying his friendship over…
Shockingly, despite how that fight came to its conclusion, when Moxley fought Kenny Omega in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match at REVOLUTION 2021, it was Eddie Kingston who came to the aid of Jon Moxley. That moment of sacrifice, Kingston’s choice to put his own safety at risk to protect his brother, that was a defining example of the core relationship between Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley. They were brothers, two men who cared about and supported one another, whose passion for pro wrestling bonded them, and whose capacity for violence mirrored one another’s. This reunion led Eddie and Mox into tag team competition, and a march towards The Young Bucks and the AEW World Tag Team Championship…
Though that DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 championship bout did not go in favor of Kingston and Moxley, it solidified their bond before the AEW faithful, and created a duo that continued on throughout the remainder of 2021, including a wild Lights Out fight with Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer at RAMPAGE: GRAND SLAM 2021. Then the FULL GEAR 2022 Eliminator Tournament began, and though the layout of the brackets meant Moxley and Kingston could collide in the finals, Mox having to pull out of the field ended that possibility, and Eddie losing to Danielson in the Semi-Finals nixed his hopes of challenging for the title.
Moxley would return to the fold in January 2022, refreshed and ready for the fight, a return that would lead him into battle with Bryan Danielson at REVOLUTION 2022, and then into the formation of The Blackpool Combat Club alongside “The American Dragon” and William Regal. At the same time, Kingston was in the midst of battle with Chris Jericho, a battle he actually won at REVOLUTION 2022, but would only be the precursor to much greater wars as Jericho abandoned The Inner Circle in the aftermath and formed The Jericho Appreciation Society. The paths of Kingston, Santana, Ortiz, and The Blackpool Combat Club would converge at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2022 when they and The J.A.S. went to battle under Anarchy In The Arena rules. Perhaps it should have been clear before the unit even stepped into Las Vegas that the inherent strife between Kingston’s side and Mox’s side would make success unlikely…
Still, the attempt was made, Kingston tried to work with Bryan Danielson as best he could, but in one of the most horrifying visuals in AEW history, it ended up with Eddie dumping gasoline on Bryan, as well as his foes, in a failed attempt to actually light them all on fire! Perhaps it was fate that Danielson got injured during the course of Anarchy in the Arena and was unable to compete in the Blood & Guts cage match that followed, but much to the chagrin of Eddie Kingston, his friend Jon Moxley would ally himself with yet another of Kingston’s hated foes, perhaps the most hated of them all, Claudio Castagnoli.
The history between Kingston and Claudio has been well-documented since “The Swiss Superman” came into AEW, suffice it to say that it took everything Kingston had in him to fight alongside Castagnoli rather than rip his head off and chuck him off the top of the cage. The fact that Castagnoli, in Eddie’s eyes, stole the victory for their team from him did not help matters, and it sent Kingston back on his own path, completely separate from Moxley, as Jon and The BCC pursued theirs.
But those paths would once again intertwine, as friendships often too, only this time the circle had come back around to their AEW beginning, and Kingston was standing alongside Moxley’s enemies in The Elite, men he himself could not stand and did not respect, but his hate for Claudio burned far hotter. Strange bedfellows indeed…
This animosity put Eddie opposite his brother-by-choice at FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 and during the course of that match, in unarguably the most emotional portion of the fight, the two actually came to blows. The scene would repeat two months later at ALL IN: LONDON, albeit with a twist, as Kingston allied himself with The Best Friends, Orange Cassidy, and Penta El Zero Miedo to fight Moxley, Yuta, Claudio, Ortiz, and Santana in Stadium Stampede! Eddie’s team actually won the fight, though he and Moxley would throwdown with one another yet again, and it certainly left a question as to the status of their relationship moving forward.
For Eddie moving forward meant finishing his issues with Claudio Castagnoli once and for all, and that meant facing him at DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2023 with both Kingston’s NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship and Claudio’s ROH World Championship on the line. In front of his hometown, his family, and his loved ones, Kingston put the final nail in the coffin of his rivalry with Claudio Castagnoli, and became the holder of both the NJPW STRONG title and the ROH one!
For Moxley moving forward meant capturing a championship of his own, one he’d never held before, the AEW International Championship held by Orange Cassidy. That came to be at ALL OUT 2023, though the triumph turned to tragedy quite quickly when Rey Fenix dethroned him just 17 days later, and putting Moxley on the injured list for the next few weeks. Moxley’s return to AEW competition meant failure in regaining the AEW International Championship, once again held by OC who’d beaten Fenix himself in Jon’s absence, but then finding a new focus as the Continental Classic was announced. Another man who found focus in the tournament was Moxley’s brother Eddie, only he chose to up the ante on the entire game, putting both of his championship belts in the mix, to create an American Triple Crown Championship…
Thus on November 22nd, with the field split into two groups dubbed the Gold League and the Blue League, twelve men began their trek towards WORLDS END, the Continental Championship, and now both the ROH World Championship and NJPW STRONG Openweight Title. For Moxley the road began with Mark Briscoe, and was followed in successive weeks with fights against Jay Lethal, RUSH, and Swerve Strickland. Four consecutive victories meant 12 points for the 3-time former AEW World Champion, and berth in the finals of the Gold League, all that remained was his final match with Jay White to either solidify his spot atop the Gold, or to turn the League Final into a more complex situation with a “Switchblade” victory. But that’s exactly what Jay White did, he squeezed out a victory to tie up Moxley at 12 points, then Swerve did the same against RUSH in their fifth bout, thus leaving the Gold League with a three way tie to determine the victor. As we witnessed this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, Moxley would get his back on Jay White, and earn his spot in the Continental Classic finals this Sunday night!
With Kingston slotted into the Blue League, there was a possibility that he and Jon Moxley could end up in the finals together, but the road to get there would be long and arduous for “The Mad King”. Though his two championship titles were not at stake in each of his five matches, each loss brought him closer to losing hold of them without technically being beaten for them in a title bout, but that was the risk Kingston took when he threw them into the pot for the Continental Classic. Unfortunately for Eddie, he started the tournament off on bad footing by dropping matches to Brody King and Bryan Danielson in his first two bouts, the latter especially stinging given the dismissive rhetoric Danielson has long used towards Eddie.
Those losses also put Kingston in a position where each match became a must-win situation if he hoped to have a shot at keeping the two titles in his camp, and gaining the Triple Crown he’d created with his choices. The third match of Kingston’s journey put him opposite Claudio Castagnoli, a man he’d only ever beaten once in their careers, and somehow Eddie found a way to make it two straight wins over this Blackpool Combat Club member. It was as if somewhere along the way, possibly the night he first held the ROH World Championship overhead in front of his mother and father, Eddie learned how to best handle his demons. He knew they were creeping up behind him, just waiting for him to slip up and stumble into their waiting arms, but instead of slipping, Eddie Kingston kept moving forward “humble in victory, humble in defeat”, and that made the difference as he rattled off a second victory in the tournament over Daniel Garcia, and secured himself a spot in the Blue League finals with a win over Andrade El Idolo.
That set Kingston versus Danielson as the match, and put Eddie in a situation where he had to do something he’d never done before: beat Bryan Danielson. Without a twenty-minute time limit hanging over their heads, the two warriors brutalized each other for nearly twenty-five, absorbing blow-after-blow, suplex-after-suplex, and surviving multiple submission attempts, before it came down to Kingston dropping Bryan with the same Kawada-style Folding Powerbomb that defeated Claudio at GRAND SLAM 2023 some months earlier.
With their respective wins in the Gold and Blue Leagues, for the first time since FULL GEAR 2020’s “I Quit” match, Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley will go one-on-one at WORLDS END in the Continental Classic Finals with the winner walking away as a Triple Crown Champion, simultaneously holding the ROH World Championship, the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship, and the Continental Championship! It also means, if Eddie doesn’t want to see his last day as champion of the first two titles, he has to do something else he’s never done before: beat Jon Moxley.
This Saturday night on pay-per-view, as part of AEW’s WORLDS END presentation, Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley will do to each other what they’ve done for years now, hurt the one they love, and in the end they will either embrace one another as brothers, happy for the success of the other, or they will see the rift in their friendship gutted even deeper. For as important as the championship aspect of this fight is, for as historic a contest as it is, this is undoubtedly the most personal fight of either man’s career…
