ALL OUT 2021 is less than two weeks away, and AEW is white hot heading into that pay-per-view spectacular! Last Friday night on RAMPAGE: THE FIRST DANCE, was an absolute once in a lifetime experience when CM Punk returned to professional wrestling for the first time in over seven years; it could even be said 16 years based on the words he shared with the fans during that historic speech.
In addition to that momentous arrival, fans also witnessed Jurassic Express advance in the World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament, bringing them one step closer to meeting The Young Bucks inside a Steel Cage on September 5th. Plus Daniel Garcia took the fight to former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley in the main event, very nearly scoring the major upset before falling to the Bulldog Choke, and Jade Cargill made an impactful statement to the Women’s Division with her rapid victory over Kiera Hogan.
This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, the action just keeps getting hotter as The Lucha Bros and Varsity Blonds battle it out in the second World Tag Title Eliminator Semi-Final bout, Matt Hardy attempts to delete Orange Cassidy, Jamie Hayter steps back into an AEW ring against Red Velvet, Brock Anderson faces the toughest fight of his young life in Malakai Black, and CM Punk will make his first appearance on DYNAMITE!
The excitement begins LIVE Wednesday night at 8pm Est/7pm CST on TNT, or on AEWPlus for our International audiences. To get yourself prepared for this explosive evening, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel and subscribe so as not to miss out on DARK: ELEVATION, AEW DARK, ROAD TO episodes, and all the amazing content uploaded regularly!
“I AM BACK”…
It was a return that reverberated well beyond the walls of The United Center, and into the world beyond. Even before the first notes of “Cult Of Personality” blared out over the sound system within the arena, fans were unified in chanting his name. Anticipation built throughout the night as the beginning of RAMPAGE: THE FIRST DANCE drew closer, and when that signature Vernon Reid riff kicked in, the entire audience exploded in a passionate, emotional roar creating a moment unlike any other in All Elite Wrestling’s history. This was a moment as visceral, as overwhelming, as any other experienced in the annals of pro wrestling’s history, and it was evident by the face of CM Punk that he reciprocated the feelings of the fans around the world.
His words to the fans, expressing gratitude for their support and letting them know he has heard their voices for the last seven years, were as heartfelt as any ever heard before, and when Punk sat down in the center of the ring to tell his story, the fans response was tangible. These minutes were truly special, and can be heard in the video embedded above, but when Punk turned his attention to Darby Allin and Sting, in their position in the rafters high above, the fans grew even more electric at what they learned was coming their way at ALL OUT 2021!
This Wednesday night, LIVE on TNT, Milwaukee will have their opportunity to welcome CM Punk to the fold when he makes his DYNAMITE debut! Clearly Darby Allin and Sting are the primary focus of this former multi-time World Champion with ALL OUT 2021 (INSERT LINK) but there is unquestionably a great deal more than just that on Punk’s mind after seven years away from the squared circle. Tune into TNT this Wednesday night to witness his first DYNAMITE appearance and hear what AEW’s newest acquisition has on his mind!
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE ELIMINATOR SEMI-FINAL MATCH…
Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison)
Vs.
Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix)
***WINNER FACES JURASSIC EXPRESS IN THE FINALS***
On Friday night’s edition of RAMPAGE: THE FIRST DANCE, the Jurassic Express pairing of Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus topped Private Party to advance to the finals of this World Tag Title Eliminator Tournament. This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, the second-half of those finals will be set when The Varsity Blonds and The Lucha Brothers meet for the very first time!
The prize that awaits the winner of all this is a World Tag Team Title Match with The Young Bucks at ALL OUT 2021, but not just any match, it will be contested inside a Steel Cage! But that is putting the horse before the cart, these four men have to get through each other before that even becomes a potentiality, and all are hungry to be the next challengers for the championship. For Brian and Griff, they earned their first bid at The Young Bucks on the May 19th DYNAMITE but obviously were unsuccessful in that attempt to dethrone the champs. As for The Lucha Brothers, while Penta and Eddie Kingston had a shot at The Young Bucks titles after the pair beat the Jackson brothers in an Eliminator Match, he and Rey Fenix have not challenged for the World Tag Team Titles since February 19, 2020 when they failed to dethrone Hangman Page and Kenny Omega. As one of the premiere teams on AEW’s roster, Penta El Zero Miedo would likely say it has been far too long and they are amped up to get one step closer to their championship goals.
Clearly both teams are ready for the fight, and luckily they don’t have to wait long. It goes down this Wednesday night LIVE on TNT, and by night’s end we will know which teams will battle for the right to step inside that Steel Cage on September 5th!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Red Velvet vs. Jamie Hayter
The last time AEW fans witnessed Jamie Hayter in a one-on-one bout was nearly two years ago, against Dr. Britt Baker, and it took place the very first time DYNAMITE broadcast from Pittsburgh. Thus it was a great shock to many, particularly Red Velvet and Kris Statlander, when Hayter returned to All Elite Wrestling on the very first RAMPAGE as back-up for the woman who beat her back on 10/23/19.
Now the Good Doctor did tell the world that she would be bringing in some new back-up, but given that the UK native had not even been in the United States since her AEW appearances in 2019, there was not a soul who would have called Jamie Hayter arriving as said back-up. Since AEW fans last saw her, Hayter became a dominant force in Japan’s STARDOM promotion, even briefly capturing their GODDESS OF STARDOM championship with Bea Priestley, a reign that was abruptly ended due to pandemic travel restrictions. Over the last several months in the United Kingdom, Hayter has kept active as well, even capturing the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Title, and has gotten into peak physical condition.
Now she is ready to be unleashed on the women of All Elite Wrestling and it starts with a woman in Red Velvet who has earned her spot as one of the top contenders in the division over the last year. Clearly when in the hometown of the AEW Women’s World Champion, Velvet found herself in the unfamiliar shoes of villain to the audience at hand, but it did not prevent her from doing what she felt was right going into that fight. Whether it was “ruining” Britt’s homecoming on the DYNAMITE prior to RAMPAGE’S debut, or just by having the audacity to challenge the champ, Baker felt slighted by Red Velvet.
So despite the fact that the champion retained her title, Baker felt the need to assault her challenger following the match, which brought out Kris Statlander for the save, and in turn led to the arrival of Jamie Hayter. All that has drawn Hayter and Red Velvet into combat this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE at the behest of the AEW Women’s World Champion! Will it be Baker’s hired hand who gets her hand raised, or Red Velvet who shuts this down en route to getting another crack of The Good Doctor?
ENTERING THE HOUSE OF BLACK…
Malakai Black vs. Brock Anderson (w/ Arn Anderson)
It is hard to argue that this may be one of the most questionable choices made by a wrestler on the AEW roster. After seeing the swath of destruction Malakai Black has cut through The Nightmare Family, including victimizing his own father, Brock Anderson still wants to enter into a match with the head of The House Of Black.
Malakai mercilessly leveled both Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes upon his arrival back at DYNAMITE: ROAD RAGER, and essentially owned Cody at every turn on their way to a one-on-one clash at DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2021. To the shock of The Nightmare Family, fans in attendance, and everyone watching around the world, Malakai decimated “The American Nightmare” in under five minutes. To rub salt on the wound, as Cody delivered what certainly felt like a retirement speech, Black returned to finish the job and Rhodes has not been back on AEW television since.
Credit goes to Brock, he is the first member of The Nightmare Family who has been brave enough to challenge Malakai since that night in Jacksonville, but given that the young Anderson is in his rookie year, it may also be the most foolhardy challenge AEW has ever witnessed. No bloodline, no training, no fatherly advice, none of what Brock has experienced thus far in his brief career could prepare him for what Malakai Black brings to the table once that bell rings. Even his entrance is unsettling and seemingly designed to put an opponent on edge before the bell even rings; Anderson has never experienced the likes of Malakai but bravo to the young man for trying. Let us all just hope that this challenge doesn’t bring an early end to such a promising future…
GRUDGE MATCH…
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy vs. “Big Money” Matt Hardy
For weeks now, The Hardy Family Office and The Best Friends have been at each other’s throats. Both units have scored their share of victories, but DARK: ELEVATION and DARK this week saw Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Wheeler Yuta step out as the victorious squad. “Big Money” Matt Hardy is clearly frustrated with what his underlings have failed to accomplish, thus he will enter the ring himself to try and rid AEW of “Freshly Squeezed” once and for all!
It’s a fight that’s been brewing for quite some time, and the question is certainly if it will stay a one-on-one battle given the propensity for Hardy’s crew to get involved in each other’s business. But, should The HFO stick their noses in this piece of business, of course OC has his own friends to rely on for support should that be the case.
Tune in this Wednesday night on TNT to see if Orange Cassidy pulls out the victory for The Best Friends, or if the figurehead of The HFO plays spoiler to the group hug?
SIX MAN TAG…
Darby Allin, Eddie Kingston, & Jon Moxley
Vs.
The Wingmen (Cezar Bononi, JD Drake, & Ryan Nemeth w/ Peter Avalon)
It was only a three weeks ago when the debuting 2point0 and Daniel Garcia experienced just what happens when stepping into the ring with three of the most dangerous men in All Elite Wrestling. Darby Allin, Eddie Kingston, and Jon Moxley had no qualms about dishing out the punishment to welcome the trio to the fold, and that will surely be the case once again this Wednesday night when The Wingmen attempt to take the measure of Allin, Mox, and Kingston.
The 1-0 trio of AEW’s most violent professional wrestlers versus the 0-2 threesome of AEW’s pretty picture; it is certainly a scenario in which The Wingmen are certified underdogs, a true 16 seed versus a 1 seed, but Cezar, JD, and Nemeth are hoping to be the 2018 UMBC Retrievers rather than the 1998 Prairie View A&M Squad. The Wingmen have nothing to lose here and everything to gain, while the former record-setting TNT Champion Darby Allin is on course for a historic meeting with CM Punk in less than 2 weeks, Eddie Kingston has been called out by TNT Champion Miro, and former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley has set himself up as the gatekeeper for All Elite Wrestling. With all that, the latter have a whole lot of face to lose in this one should The Wingmen treat their foes like that ’18 Virginia team.
FAMILY BUSINESS…
The Gunn Club (Austin, Billy, & Colten)
Vs.
The Factory (Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto, & QT Marshall)
***PAUL WIGHT ON COMMENTARY***
While Brock Anderson engages in the fight of his life on one front in support of The Nightmare Family, his fellows in The Gunn Club are taking up arms against another family foe in The Factory. But this isn’t just a battle about The Nightmare Family, it’s also about the long-term bond between the Gunn family and Paul Wight. With Wight set to return to action at ALL OUT 2021, making his AEW in-ring debut against QT Marshall, Billy and his kin are looking to get in a few shots of their own to soften up The Factory.
And Paul Wight will join the commentary team for this bout in order to size up the competition for September 5th! With the Gunn Club clan undefeated in trios action with twelve wins, and this Factory threesome holding just two wins under their belt, the odds are certainly in the favor of Billy, Austin, and Colten, but QT Marshall has no problem dealing from the bottom of the deck to get his wins.
THE FUTURE OF JERICHO…
One week ago the original AEW World Champion, The DemoGod, Le Champion, The God Of War, the head of The Inner Circle, Chris Jericho failed to defeat Maxwell Jacob Friedman in the fifth and final labour that had been set before him. With that crushing defeat still fresh on his mind, what does the future hold for Chris Jericho? We will find out this week on DYNAMITE when Jericho returns to address his next step!
DYNAMITE returns to the airwaves LIVE Wednesday night at 8pm Est/7pm CST on TNT, and on AEWPlus.com for our International fans. It is going to be one hot night in Milwaukee, and everything you need to get prepared for it is available at the official AEW YouTube channel. Head over there and subscribe to insure you get every episode of DARK: ELEVATION, AEW DARK, and ROAD TO… episodes, as well as the top shelf wrestling content available every day!
Article source: allelitewrestling.com/