***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Le Champion and “Demo God” Chris Jericho joined the commentary team at the opening of the show.
And what a way to kick it off! It was a Tag Team Gauntlet Match (The winning team earns a tag title match against champs “Hangman” Page & Kenny Omega at ALL OUT, airing on pay-per-view on September 5th)!
The Natural Nightmares (QT Marshall & Dustin Rhodes) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)!
The order of the gauntlet was determined by the official AEW rankings as of today:
#4 Contenders – Natural Nightmares
#3 Contenders – The Young Bucks
#2 Contenders – Best Friends
#1 Contenders – FTR
QT Marshall and Nick Jackson started for their respective teams. They traded pinning combinations on one another. Matt was tagged in and hit a sunset flip on QT for a near fall.
Dustin tagged in and took down Matt with consecutive arm drags, until Matt returned the favor with arm drags of his own! Dustin used two powerful scoop slams on the Young Bucks! QT came in with a high dropkick on Matt Jackson.
Nick Jackson was tagged in and the brothers blasted Dustin with double-team offense! Dustin rallied back with a Canadian destroyer on Nick. Dustin tagged in QT who came at the Bucks like a bolt of electricity. Unfortunately QT’s momentum fizzled out. The Bucks moved out of the way of the QT Special! The Bucks pinned QT Marshall after the BTE Trigger!
“That’s a skull crusher right there. Perfectly timed BTE Trigger on QT, who was trying to be too fancy,” said Jericho.
Best Friends were out next, with Chuck Taylor and Nick Jackson squaring up. Taylor got Nick with a collar and elbow, pushing him into the corner and a quick tag from a fresh Trent. Nick fought back and tried for a moonsault off the apron, but Trent had it scouted. Trent moved and speared Nick on the outside.
Chuck Taylor got a near fall on Nick after a double arm suplex. Trent was tagged in and came down with a double ax handle onto Nick’s back. Trent tried for a piledriver on Nick on the apron, but Nick superkicked him! Nick countered with a German suplex on the apron!
“That’s like getting suplexed on the concrete!” said Jericho.
Matt Jackson hit the locomotion suplex sequence on Trent after being tagged in, but after the third suplex, Trent countered with a swinging DDT! Nick and Chuck were each tagged in, and Best Friends planted Nick with a Sole Food Half and Half combo!
Matt held Trent on the outside while Nick crashed down onto Trent with a senton. Trent kicked out after a 450 splash! The Bucks were setting up for the Meltzer Driver finisher, when out of nowhere, “Hangman” Page appeared ringside. He grabbed Nick’s leg and held onto it. Trent rolled up Matt Jackson after the assist from “Hangman” Page, and Best Friends beat the Young Bucks by pinfall!
FTR came to the ring with Tully Blanchard (and sweet looking old school satin ring jackets) for the final round of the Gauntlet Match!
FTR got the jump on Best Friends. Dax worked over Chuck Taylor’s leg, which was tweaked earlier against the Bucks. Cash propped up Trent in the corner in the Tree of Woe, and FTR double teamed Chuck in their corner! Chuck Taylor was nursing his knee. Dax chop blocked Chuck’s leg.
“That’s strategy, going after that injured knee,” observed Jericho.
Dax Harwood had a leglock on Chuck and made him submit! Chuck had no choice but to tap out with the way Dax had the leg tied up!
“Who’s gonna stop FTR with Tully Blanchard in their corner? I’m really impressed with FTR. I really am,” said Jericho.
Footage was shown of Darby Allin jumping off the top of a steep railroad bridge, down into the water. Darby said he wasn’t afraid of Ricky Starks!
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer (with Jake “The Snake” Roberts) vs. Sean Maluta was next!
Archer pounced on Maluta with a running shoulder block! He chopped Maluta’s chest, nearly caving it in from the force! Maluta tried to fight back but Archer laughed and hurled his opponent overhead with a release suplex!
Archer steamrolled Maluta with running elbows in the corner turnbuckle. Archer choke slammed Maluta.
“That was sky high!” said Jim Ross.
Archer hit the Blackout and then palmed Maluta’s skull with the EBD claw, and that was enough to pin Maluta for the three-count!
“That’s a restaurant quality ass whoopin’,” said Jim Ross.
After the mauling, Jake “The Snake” Roberts entered the ring to join Lance Archer.
Jake Roberts was on the microphone, talking about the Casino Battle Royale at ALL OUT. Jake said Archer had better eliminate the other twenty men in that match. Archer replied, “Everybody dies!”
Taz, Ricky Starks, and “The Machine” Brian Cage interrupted Jake Roberts. Team Taz walked down to the ring.
Taz said a member of Team Taz will be victorious at the Casino Battle Royale, not Lance Archer! Taz pointed to Cage and Starks and said, “One of these men will win at ALL OUT!”
Darby Allin skateboarded to the ring and blasted Starks right out of his shoes! They brawled to the back!
Brian Cage lifted his FTW championship in Archer’s face, taunting him!
A video package aired hyping the NWA Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa vs. AEW Women’s Champion Shida at ALL OUT!
It was time for the AEW World Championship Match Contract Signing for ALL OUT with champ Jon Moxley and challenger MJF!
MJF, in a neck brace, came to the ring with the aid of a walker. He was with Wardlow, his lawyer, and his campaign team.
AEW World Champ Jon Moxley came to the ring with the belt and the contract. The socially distanced fans in attendance popped for Mox!
Tony Schiavone mentioned that it was revealed today that Jon Moxley was named #1 on this year’s PWI 500 list!
MJF’s lawyer said the contract states Moxley’s Paradigm Shift will be banned at ALL OUT…if Moxley signs the contract.
MJF said, “I always thought of you as a one-trick pony, Jon, but it turns out I was wrong about you. Turns out you’re good. You’re real good. That’s why these people love you. Because you’re a bad ass. A few months ago, backstage, Mike Tyson was watching and he said, ‘I wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley with him.’ But at ALL OUT, we’re not going to be in a dark alley. We’re going to be in a wrestling ring on September 5th, and I will take you apart systematically and consistently. You’re not a wrestler, Jon, you’re a glorified goon. I have too high of a ring IQ to fall for your stupid tricks, Jon. At the end of ALL OUT on September 5th, I’m wearing ‘Pretty Platinum’ around my waist and walking out with your championship, Jon.”
“Do I need the Paradigm Shift to beat you? No.” replied Jon Moxley.
Moxley continued: “You’re forcing me to get creative. You’re forcing me to think of all the ways I can hurt you without the Paradigm Shift. And that’s what makes this so interesting. I’m gonna go ahead and sign your little contract. But remember two things: nothing you say matters and nothing I sign matters. On September 5th, you’re a dead man.”
Moxley signed the contract. MJF’s lawyer celebrated.
Moxley smirked and then said, “You didn’t read the contract, did you? I added a page.”
Mox pointed to MJF’s lawyer: “Next week we’re gonna have a little tune up match. It’s gonna be me versus you, and if you don’t show up, bonehead doesn’t get his title match at ALL OUT. And next week, the Paradigm Shift is legal!”
Santana and Ortiz told Best Friends it’s time to pay their dues.
The Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero M & Rey Fenix) and The Butcher & The Blade (with Eddie Kingston) vs. “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss and Brian Pillman, Jr. & Griff Garrison!
“Look at this wrecking crew that Eddie Kingston has put together,” said Jericho.
The match broke down almost right away. Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M hit double dives to the outside! Inside the ring, the Butcher took down Garrison with a gut wrench suplex! Garrison booted the Blade and then tagged in Sonny Kiss. From there, Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss utilized some highly effective double teamwork on the Blade.
The Butcher got the tag and he used his brute strength on Janela. Then Butcher tagged in Rey Fenix, who continued the beating on “the Bad Boy.”
Janela was trying to fight out of the corner of Kingston’s team. He finally reached Sonny Kiss for the tag. Sonny kicked Rey Fenix in the head and took down Rey Fenix with a leg drop. Rey Fenix fought back with a nasty kick to Sonny Kiss.
Janela decimated Rey Fenix with a Death Valley Driver on the apron! But Penta El Zero M was waiting for Janela, and he impaled Janela on the apron with a package piledriver!
Brian Pillman, Jr. was tagged in but he was swarmed and quickly outnumbered. He succumbed to the package piledriver double foot stomp combo from the Lucha Brothers, who pinned him after their finisher!
After the match, Eddie Kingston said one of his men will win the Casino Battle Royale at ALL OUT.
Newly crowned TNT Champion “The Exalted One” Mr. Brodie Lee, along with The Dark Order, were on hand to celebrate last week’s victory over “The American Nightmare” Cody!
The Dark Order carried a casket out to the entrance ramp. Evil Uno said he was ecstatic, and he pointed down to the casket. “We bid farewell to the man named Cody.”
The casket was opened and inside was 10, who was dressed as Cody. The Dark Order laughed. Evil Uno said they buried the Nightmare Family! Evil Uno introduced Mr. Brodie Lee, who came to the ring with Anna Jay.
Tony Schiavone was in the ring with a microphone and said, “To be honest, I don’t see anyone taking this title away from you with this group you have with you.”
Mr. Brodie Lee responded to Schiavone, saying it’s people like you who created people like us. “We buried the Nightmare Family, and there’s not a wrestler back there who will take the title from me. Cody, you will never get this title back.”
Mr. Brodie Lee introduced Anny Jay as the newest member of The Dark Order. “She is the Queen Slayer!”
“There is not a soul on Earth who can touch me. We are the hottest act in professional wrestling!” said Mr. Brodie Lee.
Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall sprinted to the ring and attempted to take out their anger and frustration on The Dark Order, after what they did to Cody and Brandi Rhodes last week, but it was too much, there were too many. The Dark Order outnumbered QT and Dustin and stopped them in their tracks.
Scorpio Sky ran to the ring and tried to even up the odds, but Anna Jay slapped him. It was enough to distract Scorpio Sky until Brodie Lee was able to nail Sky with the big boot! Finally Matt Cardona joined the fray, helping the Nightmare Family and Sky, and The Dark Order headed for higher ground.
“Hangman” Page was at the bar when the Young Bucks confronted him.
“Who are you? What have you become? You’re out of the Elite!” said Matt Jackson.
Next it was a handicap match—Big Swole vs. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D., Penelope Ford (accompanied by Kip Sabian), & Rebel!
Britt told Big Swole that if Swole can win tonight, she can have any match she wants. The bell rang and Big Swole started aggressively. Big Swole headbutted Penelope Ford. Britt Baker
poked between the ring ropes at Swole with her crutch. Penelope Ford looked like a high level gymnast when she used a running backflip elbow on Swole!
Rebel climbed to the top rope but was caught—Big Swole took her down to the mat! Sabian distracted Big Swole, which allowed Rebel to score some offense.
Rebel had Baker’s crutch and swung it at Big Swole, but Big Swole ducked with agility straight out of the Matrix movies! Rebel inadvertently blasted Penelope Ford with the crutch! Big Swole scored the pin! Big Swole will now have Dr. Britt Baker at ALL OUT!
Anna Jay, Evil Uno and Stu Grayson of the Dark Order brought out a recruitment folder to Tay Conti, who was sitting at ringside. After encouragement from Anna Jay, Tay accepted the folder and then hugged Anna Jay!
It was time for tonight’s main event! In an AEW Dynamite first –a tables match!
It was Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle’s Sammy Guevara!
The bell rang and Sammy charged at Hardy but Hardy moved out of the way of a knee. Hardy pushed Sammy over the top rope to the floor! Hardy tried to throw a chair at Sammy’s head but Sammy dodged it in the nick of time!
Tables were pulled out! Sammy set Matt on a table on the arena floor. Sammy took flight from the ring out towards Matt on the table, but Matt moved. Sammy crashed through the table! Matt busted open Sammy!
This time Matt Hardy put Sammy on the table and jumped off the apron with an elbow to the outside, but Sammy moved! Matt busted through the table, with no one home!
Sammy got back in the ring with a metal chair but Matt countered with a Twist of Fate with Sammy’s head wedged in the chair!
Matt Hardy pulled a table out from underneath the ring. The table had the word “Deleted” spray painted across it. He pulled it into the ring and set it up. Hardy crawled to the top rope with spaghetti legs but he lost his balance. Sammy saw an open opportunity and took advantage of it. Sammy jumped up and suplexed Matt down through the table, beating Matt Hardy!
Orange Cassidy’s music hit and he charged at Chris Jericho, who was calling the match at the broadcast booth!
“My God where the hell did he come from?” asked Jim Ross.
“All these AEW referees out here! No one can separate these two men right now,” said Tony Schiavone.
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy connected with his superman punch on Le Champion. Orange had Jericho in the mounted position and he showed off his ground and pound game, dropping a frenzy of lefts and rights on Jericho!
“These two men will face each other at ALL OUT on pay-per-view. Until then get some control out here!” yelled Jim Ross.
Be sure to join us next week on Wednesday, September 2nd, for all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT!
And don’t miss ALL OUT on Saturday, September 5th, available on pay-per-view!
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