Last week on DYNAMITE, fans were witness to several pieces of history with the IWGP United States Title match between the legendary Yuji Nagata and Jon Moxley and an ending, in brutal fashion, to the tag team career of Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels. The loss SCU suffered at the hands of their former friends forced the pair to disband, in accordance with their own self-imposed stipulations, but has also left many speculating as to the future of “The Fallen Angel” with tweets like “that might be all” coming in the aftermath of last Wednesday and the first few minutes of this week’s BEING THE ELITE embedded below.
This week, there will be more championship matches going down as not only will the men who ended SCU once more be defending their World Tag Team Titles, but the NWA Women’s Title will also be on the line when Serena Deeb returns to competition! Plus we will find out if The Inner Circle will accept The Pinnacle’s challenge to Stadium Stampede II, the new TNT Champion will be on-hand, Christian Cage is back in action, and plenty more!
The action starts at 8pm EST/7pm CST on TNT, or at AEWPlus.com (International) for our International audience, but don’t forget to check out the official AEW YouTube channel (Watch Here) beforehand for the loaded line-up of Elite action there! We’ve got AEW DARK: ELEVATION, AEW DARK, WRESTLING WITH THE WEEK, OUTSIDE THE RING, and so much more content for your viewing pleasure!!!
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH…
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (c) vs. (#1) The Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr/Griff Garrison)
Growth is a necessary part of life; it’s either grow or stagnate and one team that has chosen to grow over the course of the last nine months has been The Varsity Blonds, Brian Pillman Jr and Griff Garrison. First forming as a team on the August 4th edition of AEW DARK to take on FTR, the young duo would walk out of 2020 with 4-7 record under their belt. Not the best, not the worst, but two bouts against FTR as well as fights with Private Party, Butcher & Blade, Santana & Ortiz, and TH2 on their resume, it’s not as if the nascent team wasn’t facing stiff competition.
But Pillman and Garrison clearly learned from those match-ups and came into 2021 with a desire to establish themselves among the top tier of teams like the ones they had faced in their first few months together. This drive to grow as a team has led to great success for The Varsity Blonds in the form of an 11-3 record in 2021 thus far, sliding into the #1 spot in the tag team rankings after SCU’s loss last week, and having won nine of their last ten matches! There has been a tremendous growth spurt for Brian and Griff through these last five months of competition and all the hard work pays off in this World Tag Team Title opportunity going down on DYNAMITE this Wednesday night!
The unfortunate aspect of this championship fight for The Varsity Blonds may be that they are facing champions who are arguably hotter than they have ever been. Yes, Griff and Brian have been in their with the absolute best in FTR, PnP, and the other aforementioned teams, but they have never been in a title fight, nor been in a fight with The Young Bucks, and right now Matt and Nick are operating at a scary level.
It’s not just their 5-0 record in 2021 that makes them scary, or the fact they haven’t lost a tag team bout since the Tag Team #1 Contender Gauntlet in August of last year. It’s not even their renewed Elite relationships with Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers that make them such a terrifying team to have to lock up with for any other duo. It is their willingness to do absolutely anything to maintain their spot at the top of heap that makes them such a threat. All one has to do is look at the SCU bout one week ago for a ready-make example; Matt and Nick versus Frankie and Chris, two of their long-time friends in professional wrestling, two men they have shared holidays with and with whom they have enmeshed their families. Two men at times as close as brothers, and The Young Bucks had no problem pulling the trigger and ending SCU’s decade long run as a tag team.
Sadly though, not only did they end the Kaz/CD tag team, Matt and Nick also split the skull of Christopher Daniels wide open and left him with an facial injury that looked far worse four days later than it initially did on Wednesday. The Young Bucks were utterly remorseless in doing what they felt it took to remain champions, and that was in a bout with two men they once cared about. What on Earth will they be willing to do when the two men trying to take their titles are ones in which they have zero personal investment, nor history to speak on?
It’s certainly a risk The Varsity Blonds need to be aware of heading into this fight, but it is safe to assume it is a risk they are willing to take to ascend to the upper echelon of the division. To no longer be “an up-and-coming team” but rather THE team in AEW is a prize worth ever risk, especially when it can come by knocking off a generation-defining team like The Young Bucks.
The intriguing thing about Matt and Nick right now is that to get into this current position, this championship mindset, they had to find a third option. It wasn’t stagnation that got them here, nor was it growth as with The Varsity Blonds, rather it was regression to a part of themselves buried deep inside that Kenny Omega, The Good Brothers, and Don Callis had to drag out kicking and screaming. But perhaps what Matt and Nick present now is truly who they always were and everything else was just artifice, a public face to look presentable when inside they were raging to be the men they once were, with no care save their own well-being and the titles around their waists.
NWA WORLD WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH…
Serena Deeb (c) vs. (#5) Red Velvet
Serena Deeb has been out of action since her loss to Riho in the opening round of the Women’s World Title Eliminator Tournament back on February 17th. It was not an absence by choice, rather the current NWA World Women’s Champion had to take care of nagging injuries that were aggravated in that tournament match, and be sure she was back at 100% before reentering the squared circle.
During her absence, there have been a great many women in the NWA jockeying for a shot at the championship Deeb has held for over 200 days, but this week on DYNAMITE, it will be AEW who is fortunate enough to host, not just Serena’s first match back, but also her first championship defense since defeating Tay Conti in January!
The woman who has been granted this title opportunity currently sits in the number five spot of the Women’s Division, has a 6-1 singles record in 2021, and is primed to stir things up by claiming this historic NWA championship as her own! Red Velvet has proven time and again since coming into AEW that she is hungry for competition, and has a strong desire to make her name as one of the best women in all of professional wrestling.
This is her opportunity to just that and add her name to the annals of history alongside Deeb, Thunder Rosa, Jazz, Amazing Kong, Moolah, Malia Hosaka, and the other great women who have held the NWA Women’s World Championship! And speaking of Thunder Rosa, she will be keeping a very close eye on this contest as her desire to reclaim the title is one that “La Mera Mera” has made abundantly clear. Whoever walks away from this fight, be it Deeb or Velvet, will have Rosa waiting in the wings!
THE NEW FACE OF TNT…
Going into the TNT Title match last week, Darby Allin referred to his challenger as “…the most underwhelming Thing I’ve seen” and mocked him for showing up in AEW to “…talk about video games and be some best man”. There can be no doubt after the conclusion of that match that the NEW TNT Champion Miro took those words to heart and shoved them right back in the face of the now ex-champion!
Darby made history as TNT Champion, holding the record for both longest reign and most successful defenses in the title’s history, but nothing is eternal, and on May 12th the end came for The Relentless One (a result celebrated by these two (View Here). After nine successful defenses over 186 days, the reaper came for Darby in the form of Miro, and this week on DYNAMITE, we will hear from the 5th TNT Champion!
The new Face of TNT is going to have plenty of challengers looking to dethrone him, particularly one “Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer as he expressed in that tweet above, but after seeing how Miro viciously assaulted Darby, one can’t help but wonder if anyone on the roster can actually stop this champion!?!?
TAG TEAM CONTENTION…
(#3) The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens/Max Caster) vs. (#4) Eddie Kingston/Jon Moxley
Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley only want a few things out of AEW at this moment; as many opportunities to punch Kenny Omega in the face as possible, any chance to torment The Elite, and a fight with The Young Bucks. Matt and Nick, already looking past their foes for this week’s DYNAMITE, have stated they would fight Kingston and Mox at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 (Order Now) come May 30th but that is not a match that has officially been sanctioned by Tony Khan. Eddie and Jon may be undefeated in their tag team outings, four wins overall and three in the last two weeks after DARK: ELEVATION on Monday, but they haven’t cracked the rankings yet.
They certainly don’t have the cache of The Acclaimed who, despite an injury to Anthony Bowens that temporarily shelved their tag team action, have racked up an 8-2 record on the year after their own victory on DARK: ELEVATION, and sit in the number three spot in the rankings. That makes this contest a crucial one for both teams as it undoubtedly will effect the standings for both the victor and the defeated. King and Mox need the win over a highly ranked team to potentially slide into the top five while The Acclaimed cannot afford a loss to an unranked duo if they hope to maintain their spot, possibly even move up should The Varsity Blonds fail in their bid to defeat The Young Bucks.
There is a great deal wrapped up in this one tag team affair; the future of contendership for The Acclaimed, the explosive Bucks/Mox/Kingston dynamic, and of course the World Tag Team Titles. It’s all going down on Wednesday night, and it’s a fight between four men who are willing to push the limits of their foes, be it verbally or physically. Max Caster, once he gets a microphone in hand, is not known to pull punches and will throw any verbal jab that comes to mind to get into the psyche of his foes.
Mox and Kingston, as verbally gifted as they are in their own right, are far less likely to get cute or colorful with rhyming insults and just straight-forward deliver their thoughts before punching a foe in the face. Effective and violent, that is their nature, but will The Acclaimed dare to poke the bear before the fight begins? Well earlier this week, Max promised a new video especially for Kingston and Moxley so that answers that question:
Cutting a video or spitting a rhyme on the way to the ring is one thing, but The Acclaimed have to be willing to answer for those words when the bell rings, and thus far in their AEW career Bowens and Caster have proven just that. But even with the resume they’ve built up to date, including their previous World Tag Team Title bid against The Young Bucks, they have never faced men like Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley.
The future of the tag team division may lay in the balance of this one right here…
1ST TIME EVER…
Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal
They have occupied the same wrestling locker room at the same time, met in Multi-Man bouts, and even ascended ladders together, but not once in their careers have Christian Cage and Matt Sydal ever locked up in a one-on-one bout.
That is…until this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!
With both wrestlers signed on for the annual Casino Battle Royal at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 (Order Now), each is looking for a statement victory heading into that wild situation. Clearly, as evidenced by the video embedded above, Christian Cage had it in mind that someone from Team Taz would step up to answer the Open Contract situation but Matt Sydal, smooth as silk, slid right into that spot to take up the challenge.
The Casino Battle Royal represents an opportunity to immediately slide into the title picture, where both Sydal and Cage want to be, and this first-time clash is a surefire way to build momentum for May 30th! Back to Taz for one second though, he has promised to be in the announce position for this match and where the founder of FTW lurks, his team cannot be far behind…
STADIUM STAMPEDE 2???
At DYNAMITE: BLOOD AND GUTS, The Pinnacle made a definitive statement regarding their position in AEW at the expense of The Inner Circle, and specifically Chris Jericho. Even after Sammy Guevara surrendered on his team’s behalf in order to save Jericho from a long hard fall off the roof of the cage, MJF showed the world what everyone already knew, that he was a lying deceitful scumbag, and tossed Le Champion off the roof anyway.
Thinking his unit was now untouchable, FTR, Shawn Spears, Wardlow, Tully Blanchard, and MJF attempted to hold a coronation ceremony for themselves on DYNAMITE, but The Inner Circle had other ideas.
In the midst of The Pinnacle’s navel gazing, The Inner Circle rolled down to the ringside area in what can only be called The Bubbly Mobile and proceeded to douse The Pinnacle with a Bubbly Bath! It was a truly humiliating moment for The Pinnacle that broke up what they intended to be a celebration of themselves, but The Inner Circle’s intent was clear, they wanted a rematch with The Pinnacle one way or another!
MJF refused, of course, but after he and his crew were soaked head-to-toe in Bubbly, the Dynamite Diamond Ring holder would relent, but not without stipulations tacked on to the agreement. The first stipulation Max insisted upon was that the match take place on pay-per-view at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 (Order Now) , the second was that it be a Stadium Stampede battle, and the final stip from MJF was that if The Inner Circle loses, then they must disband forever.
For better or worse, depending on which side of ring you were on, The Inner Circle has been part of the foundation of AEW since the inception of DYNAMITE and it is hard to imagine an All Elite Wrestling without Jericho, Hager, Santana, Ortiz, and Guevara standing together. Will Jericho put that all on the line just to get one more shot at The Pinnacle? We expect to have an answer to that question this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!
In addition to The Inner Circle’s decision, we anticipate hearing from MJF and The Pinnacle as well! What will this motley crew have to say after last week’s bubbly bath?
DEFENDING THE FAMILY…
Anthony Ogogo (w/ The Factory) vs. Austin Gunn
Over the course of the last month, many men have felt the wrath of Anthony Ogogo’s devastating hands. Be it Cody Rhodes, Billy Gunn, or Cole Karter in Ogogo’s DYNAMITE debut on April 14th, each one has crumbled before the power behind that vicious body blow. It has led Cody Rhodes to challenge The Guv’nor to a fight at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 (Order Now) on May 30th, and it has also brought about this crucial bout for DYNAMITE.
This Wednesday night, in defense of his family (be it by blood or by bond), Austin Gunn will step into the ring with the Olympic Bronze Medalist and attempt to show Ogogo what wearing the crest of The Nightmare Family truly means to those who believe in it. Austin, be it uniting with his brother Colten or Hall of Fame father as a tag team, or with both at his side as a Trio, has experienced a great deal of success in AEW. Yet as a singles wrestler, Austin is just experienced as Ogogo, having only competed in a single one-on-one bout, albeit a victorious one, against Aaron Solow back on the April 19th edition of DARK: ELEVATION.
Austin Gunn has more ring time as a wrestler while Ogogo, with his boxing background, has a vastly superior edge overall as a fighter, but even if all other things were equal, does Gunn have anything in his arsenal proven as deadly as Ogogo’s Bolo punch? Does Austin have something in his pocket capable of dropping a foe as suddenly as that body shot? If so, this Gunn Club member best bring it out with a quickness because, as Ogogo has demonstrated, he only needs a split-second to crumble a man…
THE SIDEKICK…
AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Rebel (Not Reba) w/ Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D
Monday night on DARK: ELEVATION, while Alex Marvez was attempting to interview Kris Statlander about her DARK bout with Diamante, the above embedded incident took place involving the number one ranked Dr. Britt Baker, Statlander, Rebel, and AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida.
What it amounted to was Baker throwing Rebel to the wolves and pitting her in a match against Shida this Wednesday on DYNAMITE. Listen to the closing seconds of the video and Rebel, with that ever-present crutch under her arm, can be heard yelling “what, what” in what seems like a futile protest to Britt’s challenge.
No offense to Rebel but she only has three matches under her belt in AEW, just one of them in singles competition where Big Swole crushed her in under two minutes, and another happening as a three-on-one handicap match. She is not on the level of the longest reigning champion in the history of AEW, across all divisions, with just shy of a full year as the reigning Women’s World Champion.
So what does the Good Doctor have up her sleeve with this last minute idea to put Rebel inside the squared circle? There is no way Baker is throwing this out there without something up her educated sleeve to help get an edge heading towards DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 (Order Now) on May 30th.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 (Order Now) is less than two weeks ago and the pieces are all sliding into place for what will be another epic pay-per-view presentation from AEW. In fact, on Wednesday night the ENTIRE card for this May 30th extravaganza will be announced! Plus this week we find out if The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle will revisit The Stadium Stampede, we see who will come into DoN as the World Tag Team Champions, and watch as many competitors jockey for an edge heading into their respective bouts on May 30th. It’s going to be a sure-fire fight this Wednesday night when an all-new DYNAMITE hits the airwaves at 8pm EST/7pm CST on TNT, or over at AEWPlus.com (Click Here) for our International audiences.