Last Wednesday night, ST. PATRICK’S DAY SLAM proved to be a DYNAMITE for the ages! Right off the bat, Cody and Penta El Zero Miedo had a tremendous fight that saw “The American Nightmare” gut through that wicked shoulder injury to pick up the victory. The action only got hotter from there as MJF, Wardlow, FTR, Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard united as The Pinnacle, Rey Fenix bested Angelico, Jade Cargill picked up her first singles win, and Mox and Kingston teamed up for the first time for a rather pyrrhic victory over The Good Brothers.
But most notably last week, it was the Unsanctioned Lights Out Match between Thunder Rosa and Dr. Britt Baker that snagged all the headlines. In the main event of the evening, those two woman engaged in an all out war as violent and brutal as any match in AEW’s history. It was the former NWA World Women’s Champion Rosa who emerged from the trenches with her bloody hands raised in victory, but it took everything she had to put Baker down to get that win.
Although Thunder Rosa was the winner, both women demonstrated a determination and toughness, a grit, to endure the punishment doled out and the blood each spilt in their pursuit of victory. The video below speaks volumes:
This week on DYNAMITE, as AEW heads into the Spring months, we are set for another week of top shelf wrestling action with the TNT Title up for grabs, the AEW World Champion in action, The Pinnacle making their in-ring debut as a united front, and Tay Conti looking to slay the Native Beast! All that and more is coming your way on Wednesday night when All Elite Wrestling returns at 8pm EST/7pm CST LIVE on TNT, or over at AEWPlus.com for the International audiences!
DNAMITE is the cap on a tremendous trio of wrestling days with AEW DARK: ELEVATION on Monday, and AEW DARK on Tuesday, plus everything else our official YouTube (Watch Here) channel has to offer with Pre- & Post-DYNAMITE show, Scorpio Sky’s WRESTLING WITH THE WEEK, and more!
AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATOR MATCH…
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (w/ Don Callis) vs. Matt Sydal (w/ Mike Sydal)
During the premier episode of AEW DARK: ELEVATION last week, the AEW World Champion made a promise to Matt Sydal that he would give Sydal a golden opportunity if he could beat Michael Nakazawa in a singles match RIGHT NOW! Matt and brother Mike were fresh off a tag team victory, but that didn’t stop the former from accepting the challenge and going on to top Nakazawa for the second time in his AEW career. By virtue of the agreement with Omega, Matt Sydal had earned himself a World Title Eliminator match for DYNAMITE, and potentially a future World Title bout should he defeat Omega there!
Kenny had different plans and, ever the under handed tactician, tried to get that match in immediately following the Nakazawa one, but as can be seen in the video embedded above, AEW GM Tony Khan made a rare appearance to right Kenny’s wrongs, and hold the champion to this agreement.
Now, with time to prepare for both men, that one-on-one World Title Eliminator contest will go down this Wednesday night LIVE on DYNAMITE! Matt Sydal and Kenny Omega, while not the most intimate of foes, are no strangers to one another, having met a half-dozen times in the past. As a point of fact, they have also competed over a championship or two in those meetings, those being New Japan’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title and their NEVER Openweight Six Man Championship.
In their few encounters over the six and a half years since the first, Kenny has won both one-on-one meetings over Sydal; the first in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s 2014 Battle of Los Angeles and the second in that aforementioned IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title fight. Will this Wednesday night mark a third notch in the win column for Omega, or will the golden opportunity before Sydal prove the motivating factor that propels him to victory?
Tune into TNT for DYNAMITE to see how it all unfolds for Sydal and Omega, and it would be a safe bet that after last week’s chaos (Watch Here) Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston will both be keeping an eye on this situation!
TNT TITLE MATCH…
Darby Allin (c) vs. The Dark Order’s John Silver
It is clear from the clip embedded above that TNT Champion Darby Allin, since he first defeated Cody Rhodes at FULL GEAR 2020, had every intention of being a fighting champion and taking on any competition. Unfortunately for Darby, the men who comprise Team Taz did not care a wit about those aspirations and have kept him, along with Sting, embroiled in fights that had very little to do with said championship. Sure Brian Cage unsuccessfully attempted to wrest the belt from Allin, but it was two months between that initial title victory in November on pay-per-view and Darby’s first defense in January.
Allin would make his second defense against Joey Janela in February, and his third just two weeks ago against Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match winner Scorpio Sky. The former was insisted upon by the defending champion, an effort to bring out a side of Janela that Darby had experienced in the past but felt was missing in Joey’s current state. It would indeed be one of the best in-ring outings of Joey’s AEW career, and although unsuccessful as a championship bid, it showed the world (and Janela himself) that he could compete with the best.
The battle with Sky two weeks back, in the aftermath of both men going through their own physical punishments at REVOLUTION 2021, was also a tremendous athletic contest that forced each to push through the pains. Counter-for-counter and hold-for-hold, Sky and Darby were so evenly matched, but a tightly secured Small Package counter out of Sky’s nasty TKO allowed Allin to retain the title.
The champion paid for that victory though as Sky abruptly attacked afterwards and sunk a vicious heel hook in on Darby. When Scorpio finally released the submission, he stared at his hands in a mix of shock and satisfaction while the champion required assistance just to get to his feet.
That assault did not stop the man who personifies “relentless” from coming onto the DYNAMITE stage last week, limp quite noticeable, and declaring his intent of being a fighting champion. As can be heard in the clip, in his own form of tribute to the late Mr. Brodie Lee, Allin issued an Open Challenge to any member of The Dark Order to try and reclaim the championship once held by The Exalted One.
“The Murderhawk Monster” and Jake Roberts crashed the proceedings before Darby could further speak his mind, but the challenge was out there before the world, all that was left was for The Dark Order to decide just who would take up the bout on their behalf…
And so it would be “The Meat Man” himself, or rather Four by Dark Order standings, the much beloved John Silver, who would be granted the opportunity to reclaim the TNT Title for his family! Although the majority of his AEW career has been spent enmeshed in tag team and multi-man situations, including a tag bout against The Chaos Project on Tuesday’s DARK episode, Silver is quite experienced as a solo competitor throughout his decade-plus long career, and having held multiple singles championships.
Yet this is, without question, the singles biggest opportunity of John Silver’s professional wrestling career. Joining The Dark Order, battles with The Young Bucks, Adam Page, The Nightmare Family, attempts to become number one tag title contenders, all of it has led John Silver to this moment where he can solidify his name in the annals of AEW history alongside Cody Rhodes, Mr. Brodie Lee, and his Wednesday night foe Darby Allin, as a TNT Champion.
Of course The Dark Order has become known for having some fun with everything they do, just check out the training regimen Silver undertakes on BEING THE ELITE (Watch Here) this week, but “play hard, work hard” is such an apropos cliché for this collection of characters. Once the members of The Dark Order walk through that curtain, the fun and games are left behind, and each one of them enters the ring ready for the fight. Silver, possibly more so than any other, has proven that to be the case with his superb combination of strength, speed, and technique.
Darby Allin is in for one tremendous fight on DYNAMITE come Wednesday night, but that seems to be exactly what the defending champ is looking for, as he said, week in and week out!
TRIOS ACTION…
The Pinnacle (Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood, Shawn Spears)
vs.
Dante Martin & Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr & Griff Garrison)
Two weeks ago, following their World Tag Team Championship loss at REVOLUTION 2021, Chris Jericho forcefully ejected Maxwell Jacob Friedman from The Inner Circle. It was something that had been building almost since the second MJF officially became a member of the group, attempting his own little machinations to divide the members of The Inner Circle, and pit them against one another. It drove Sammy Guevara from the group and, for a moment, seemed to also turn the other members of the unit against Jericho.
That proved to not be the case as Ortiz, Santana, and Jake Hager, along with a returned Guevara, stood beside their guiding force as Max was shoved on his keister, and left to beg for mercy. But just as the rest of the Inner Circle turning their back on “The DemoGod” was not as it seemed, nor were MJF’s gesticulations or sudden attack of remorse. Before The Inner Circle could make Max suffer for his sins, out went the lights and when they once more illuminated the arena, there stood FTR, Shawn Spears, Wardlow, and Tully Blanchard (Watch Here).
This newborn alliance laid waste to The Inner Circle, first smashing a bottle across the skull of Hager, then Spears driving Sammy face first thru a chair which result in “The Spanish God” needing some dental work. This alliance proceeded to handcuff the hands of Santana and Ortiz behind their backs before delivering a spike piledriver to the duo, and as if all that was not enough to prove a point, MJF would split Jericho wide open with his Dynamite Diamond Ring, bash him with that baseball bat Chris had nicknamed Floyd, before bringing the brutality to an end with Wardlow powerbombing The Inner Circle leader off the stage and threw a table.
Statement made, but as evidenced last week, these men were not done yet. The legendary Tully Blanchard would introduce the world to The Pinnacle, and MJF would lay it out before the world just what his intentions were for The Inner Circle from the very start. It was never about taking it over from Chris Jericho and making it his own, it was always about pulling it apart from the inside out while simultaneously building something of his own with the men who now stood by his side in the ring. Much like Cody before him, Jericho got played by MJF and when the relationship no longer served Max’s interests, he pulled the plug, this time with the assistance of five of the most dangerous individuals in All Elite Wrestling. Oh, and it should be mentioned that just to pour salt in the wound after the previous week’s decimation, The Pinnacle went and made The Inner Circle locker room their own.
Now thinking back on the last year of AEW, the question pops of just how long this has been brewing. Was it something talked about when MJF and Spears were drinking wine and gambling at ringside? Did it begin when Tully Blanchard, who already had Shawn Spears, also took FTR under his wing? It is certainly not something that was born, fully realized, onto the AEW stage on that night, but rather something carefully formulated over some time. Regardless of its born on date, given the make-up of this group and with a mind like Tully Blanchard’s involved, The Pinnacle has a shelf life that may be eternal.
This week on DYNAMITE, everyone will get a taste of what The Pinnacle brings to AEW as a united front when FTR and Shawn Spears combine to take on the Varsity Blonds and Dante Martin in a six man tag! The fight about to go down on Wednesday night may be a harbinger of things to come for the rest of AEW, so there best be a great many eyes on this contest!
VARIATION ON A REMATCH…
World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) and Brandon Cutler
Vs.
The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) and Laredo Kid
At the 2019 FYTER FEST event, Laredo Kid stepped inside an AEW ring for the first and only time to unite with two other Lucha all-stars in Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo. That night those three men stood across the ring from The Elite team compromised of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. For twenty minutes, the six competitors fought their hearts out for the victory, dazzling fans live in Daytona Beach and watching around the world on BRLive.com (Watch Replay), but it was The Elite who snagged the victory when the final bell rang.
Fast forward 635 days and the world is quite a different place than it was that June evening, especially in the landscape of All Elite Wrestling. At that time, there were no AEW World Tag Team Titles in existence and the very idea of The Death Triangle was months away from its inception. DYNAMITE, DARK, DARK: ELEVATION; none of those had begun broadcasting and foundation of The Elite was still quite strong. Today The Elite feels like a distant memory as AEW World Champion Kenny Omega is off on his own trip with Don Callis and The Good Brothers, Hangman Page’s journey saw him evicted from the group, and Cody’s path has also led to a different destination. Matt and Nick Jackson are the only ones still standing together, and they do so as the holders of the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
Penta and Fenix, after an extremely rough journey that nearly drove them apart, have reunited with “The Bastard” PAC , once more wave the banner of The Death Triangle. With that unit, The Lucha Brothers bond that Eddie Kingston once desperately tried to rend asunder has been fortified. They have contended with their demons, conquered, and have moved forward. For Rey Fenix and PAC, that meant victory in the Casino Tag Team Royale at REVOLUTION 2021 and the future World Tag Team Title match that came as a reward. Unfortunately that victory came with a price as PAC suffered an ankle injury that’s sidelined “The Bastard” and delayed his and Rey’s title opportunity. That hasn’t stopped Fenix from competing as he has topped both Matt Jackson and Angelico in the last couple weeks, looking just as good in singles competition as he does in tags, keeping himself ready for when the championship opportunity comes.
As for Laredo Kid, well he has been a very busy man since he last competed under the AEW banner. He only recently lost the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship after reigning for 725 days, unsuccessfully challenged Kenny Omega for the AAA Mega Title back in December, has plied his craft in Mexico, Texas, Ohio, and Philadelphia to name a few, and also evened the score with The Elite in a rematch two months after that FYTER FEST 2019 loss. Clearly Laredo Kid has been quite productive and he is bringing all that added experience back to AEW to help The Death Triangle get any advantage before their eventual World Tag Team Title opportunity.
As for the champions, it is also quite clear that the man they looked to for help in 2019 is no longer a viable option. Kenny Omega’s only concern is his championship, his own well-being, and his only remaining “brothers” are the two Good ones whose history with The Young Bucks runs deeper but whose aspirations run tighter to Kenny and Don Callis’.
So where do they look for assistance? The closing moments of BTE (Watch Here) this week certainly seemed like Matt Jackson was experiencing some remorse for how the relationship with Adam Page crumbled, but Hangman’s new found friendship with The Dark Order put the brakes on that. Perhaps it’s a door to knock on down the road, but this was not that day.
But there is one man in AEW who has had Matt and Nick’s back come hell or high water. Even in moments of doubt, this life long friend managed to see through the quagmire and know that The Young Bucks were in his corner and he was in theirs. Never was this more clear than when Brandon Cutler fearlessly stepped up to defend his friends, nay family, against The Inner Circle and specifically Jake Hager. Cutler not only stepped into the fray while the brothers Jackson were being assaulted, he also went toe-to-toe with Hager in a singles bout on DYNAMITE. It was not a victory for Cutler, but it was a sign that he would take on any fight.
This week on DYNAMITE, Brandon Cutler is once again johnny-on-the-spot for The Young Bucks as the champs look to their oldest friend for support in this six-man fray! Brandon has another huge opportunity being involved in this contest, a chance to demonstrate his skills just as he did on AEW DARK in his FTW Title fight with Brian Cage on Tuesday night. Can Brandon help Matt and Nick repeat history and notch a second win over the Penta/Fenix/Laredo trio? Or will the three Lucha warriors continue to press Death Triangle’s advantage over The Young Bucks? Tune into DYNAMITE on Wednesday to witness the finest in tag team wrestling!
ROUND THREE…
Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Tay Conti
September 9, 2020…
February 22, 2021…
Those dates mark the first two chapters in the story of Tay Conti and Nyla Rose, pointing to their pair of singles matches. The first chapter heralded Conti’s debut on DYNAMITE as well as her first singles bout in All Elite Wrestling, and it would end with Nyla Rose victorious in just five and a half minutes.
The second chapter marking their second meeting was set five months and change later, and it was not merely a chance for Conti to illustrate how much she’d grown as a wrestler with a win, but also a chance for the victor to advance in the World Title Eliminator Tournament. It proved a little bit of history repeating, with Rose once more conquering Conti after a nine minute fight, but as can be seen in the video embedded above, it was indeed demonstrative of Tay’s evolution as she nearly bested “The Native Beast”.
March 24th will be the day the third chapter of this tale is written, but Tay Conti aims for it to end differently than the prior two. There will be no clean sweep for Nyla Rose in Conti’s next chapter, no third triumph for the former AEW Women’s World Champion, rather a harkening back to the prologue of this tale that took place on August 3rd during the Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament. That was the night Conti had her first official AEW match and, alongside Anna Jay, defeated Rose and her partner Ariana Andrew in the opening round of that tournament. It may have been Andrew who lost the match for her team, but it is something for Conti to look back on with pride, and something to help bolster her going into this third singles meeting with Nyla.
Conti, as seen in her DARK: ELEVATION victory, has the support of The Dark Order through her bond with Anna Jay, and with Vickie Guerrero having Nyla’s back (and apparently Jade Cargill based off Tuesday’s DARK: ELEVATION) that may be crucial for Tay.
Tune in Wednesday night to find out if Tay Conti can finally conquer The Native Beast that has haunted her since her very debut, or if that Beast will devour Conti and bring an end to their story once and for all!
THE DOCTOR WILL BE IN…
While highlights from the epic bout between Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D and Thunder Rosa can be seen at the top of the article, the words of the good doctor in the aftermath of that violent affair can be heard TONIGHT on DYNAMITE! A bloodied and battered Baker may have lost the war a week ago, but she certainly proved to Thunder Rosa (and the world) just how tough of a warrior she truly is when the time comes. Baker will be joined by her BFF Tony Schiavone for a special interview this Wednesday night!
JUST ADDED…
Hangman Adam Page vs. Cezar Bononi (w/ Pretty Peter Avalon)
After picking up a big win on AEW DARK Tuesday night, AEW GM Tony Khan announced that Cezar Bononi will be getting right back into action on DYNAMITE this evening, and what a bout he has signed on for! It was is undoubtedly the biggest opportunity of Bononi’s AEW career, he will lock up with Hangman Adam Page for a one-on-one contest!
Page is riding high after taking all of Matt Hardy’s 2021 1st Quarter earnings, buying a top shelf lawnmower, and spending quality time with The Dark Order, but he is ready to get back in action tonight on TNT! Given the massive size of Bononi, this is going to be a tremendous fight for Page while for Cezar it is a chance to make one tremendous impression on the AEW roster!
This Wednesday night an all-new DYNAMITE is coming your way LIVE on TNT at 8pm EST/7pm CST, or on AEWPlus.com for our International audience! With the TNT Title on the line, the World Champion in action, The Pinnacle making their in-ring debut together, and the third collision between Tay and Nyla, this is going to be one tremendous night of action!
Before DYNAMITE hits the airwaves, be sure to catch AEW DARK: ELEVATION and AEW DARK, exclusively available on the official YouTube page (Watch Here), to get the full Elite Experience! It’s already been a wild 2021 for All Elite Wrestling and it’s only March! What else can this year bring?!? Tune into DYNAMITE to see it all unfold first-hand!
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