Wow, what a night last Friday when a special edition of DYNAMITE kicked off the weekend! The Young Bucks got a stern reminder that Eddie Kingston is not going anywhere, and neither is Frankie Kazarian! Mark Henry shared his thoughts with the AEW fans, while Vickie Guerrero dropped a huge bombshell on the entire wrestling world. In addition, Jungle Boy and Christian Cage got one over on The HFO only for Hardy to drop Cage with Twist Of Fate, and we found out who the next challenger for Miro’s TNT Title will be!
This week it’s another edition of FRIDAY NIGHT DYNAMITE coming at you at 10pm EST on TNT, or on AEWPlus.com (https://www.fite.tv/join/aew-plus/) for our International audiences! The TNT Title is on the line as The Dark Order tries to bring it back home, the World Tag Team Champions will pay the piper in six man action, “The American Nightmare” has a big announcement, Don Callis is promising some expose, and there is plenty more on tap for this Friday!
THE IDOL…
Last week, Vickie Guerrero introduced one of the hottest free agents in professional wrestling, Andrade El Idolo to the All Elite Wrestling audience. To say it was a shock to those inside Daily’s Place, not to mention the fans watching live on TNT, would be quite an understatement, and has left fans speculating as to what his next move will be.
It is common knowledge that Andrade is set to challenge Kenny Omega for the AAA Mega Title at Triplemania XXIX on August 14th, so is this part of his plan heading towards that championship match with AEW’s resident belt collector? Has he come in search of the AEW World Title also around the waist of “The Cleaner”? El Idolo closed by stating he will be “…the new face of All Elite Wrestling”, and that is a pretty strong statement given the men and women who compromise the roster already. It is safe to say that that everyone in AEW, not just the World Champion, was served notice one week ago!
TNT TITLE MATCH…
MIRO (c) VS. EVIL UNO (W/ THE DARK ORDER)
The TNT Title represents something powerful for the members of The Dark Order. It isn’t just a championship to be coveted and claimed, it is also a connection to one of its former holders, The Exalted One of The Dark Order, the late Mr. Brodie Lee. John Silver has tried to reclaim it for his family, a match with Darby Allin that actually resulted in the injury which prevented Silver from taking this bout himself. The Dark Order’s Ten also tried to best Allin for the championship but he too came up short in that hard-fought battle.
This week on FRIDAY NIGHT DYMAMITE, a member of The Dark Order will once more try to capture the championship but the landscape is not exactly the same. Now there is a different champion clutching that champion, different in all facets from his predecessor. Where Allin carried the belt with a desire for competition and a need to establish himself a worthy successor to those who came before, particularly Brodie Lee, Miro only desires to smash the bodies of any foe who challenges him. He doesn’t care about prior champions, Miro only cares about domination in the here-and-now, and is looking at Evil Uno as the next victim for whom it is game over.
Will this Dark Order original step up to the monstrous challenge to claim the TNT Title, or will Evil Uno follow in the footsteps of Dante Martin and Lance Archer before him to crumble before the onslaught? We shall see this Friday night!
SIX MAN GRUDGE MATCH…
WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE YOUNG BUCKS (MATT/NICK JACKSON) & BRANDON CUTLER
VS.
THE DEATH TRIANGLE (PAC/PENTA EL ZERO MIEDO) & EDDIE KINGSTON
Brandon Cutler getting involved where he is not wanted is one of the least surprising actions in the world of The Young Bucks. Ever since Matt and Nick Jackson elected to realign themselves with Kenny Omega, Don Callis, and The Good Brothers, they have used Cutler time and again to insure their spot is secure, that the World Tag Team Titles remain around their waists. They even made sure he was there with camera in hand when the champions attacked Rey Fenix prior to the bout with PAC and Penta El Zero Miedo last week…
What was quite shocking though was the arrival of Eddie Kingston in the aftermath of The Young Bucks victory over PAC and Penta El Zero Miedo last Friday night. The history between “The Mad King” and Death Triangle is filled with strife, to say the least, and plenty of bad blood seeing as how Kingston once pit Penta and his brother Rey Fenix against each other, seemingly for his own amusement. Eddie would likely say his mind was not in the best place right then, that his hunger for the World Title led him to do things he might not be proud of in retrospect, and though he would certainly own those decisions, it does not mean the people he crossed in the process don’t still hold resentments. Such is the case with PAC and Penta, and yet here Kingston came in their moment of need to lend a hand against The Elite. Don’t get it twisted, Eddie’s timely arrival had nothing to do with The Death Triangle or his “former best friend”, it was all about The Young Bucks and the recent past with the brothers Jackson.
Nonetheless, here Eddie was, crossing the aisle so to speak, and lending a hand to two men that hate his guts with as much passion as they despise The Young Bucks. Hence why this interaction after the fact was very little surprise:
So how on this Earth, or any other for that matter, will Kingston, PAC, and Penta manage to coexist long enough to defeat The Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler? It’s not unreasonable to think this trio may implode before they even get to the ring, there is no trust, no bond, nothing to hold them together save mutual disdain for the World Tag Team Champions. With Jon Moxley shelved after the locomotion BTE Trigger he sustained at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021, Kingston would go at The Elite solo if need be, but instead he is now allied with his enemies to face their mutual enemies (as is Death Triangle) and this has to be a situation The Young Bucks actually look forward to being involved. They are pot stirrers, they like to poke the bear as the saying goes, and they will no doubt relish this opportunity to spin Kingston against PAC and Penta where possible.
Will The Young Bucks and Cutler be able to capitalize on their enemies mutual disdain for one another, or will the hate Kingston and Death Triangle have for the champs outweigh their own issues? We shall all witness how it all plays out this Friday night!
TAG TEAM BATTLE…
DARK ORDER’S 10 & (#2 RANKED SINGLES) HANGMAN ADAM PAGE (W/ -1 & DARK ORDER)
VS.
“THE MACHINE” BRIAN CAGE & POWERHOUSE HOBBS (W/ TEAM TAZ)
At DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021, Hangman Adam Page avenged his earlier defeat to “The Machine” Brian Cage with Cage actually keeping to his word and refusing the assistance offered by Team Taz. Even though that interference could have secured Brian the win, he tossed the FTW Title right back to Ricky Starks, much to the dismay of his stablemates and their head man Taz, and chose to fight clean after Page challenged him to go it alone.
This Friday night on DYNAMITE will be a different story as neither man will be going at it alone following Taz’s challenge in the video embedded above. Although it has been the most unlikely of friendships, Hangman and The Dark Order have proven time again to support one another, and as such Taz told Page to pick a partner from that lot and face the two monsters he has in his stable.
Now, recent appearances to the contrary, all has not been smooth sailing for Team Taz for quite some time, and was one of many reasons Christian Cage refused Taz’s offers to join the “dumpster fire” as he so quaintly called the unit. Heading into DoN, there seemed to be a unity returning to Team Taz, but clearly that was just surface level based on how Brian Cage responded to Starks’ attempt to assist.
As the leader of the team, the team branded with his name, it falls on Taz to pull his men together into a cohesive unit going into this tag bout on FRIDAY NIGHT DYNAMITE. Cage and Hobbs certainly worked together like a, pardon the pun, well-oiled machine on DARK: ELEVATION with their total domination of Kendall Blake and Trevor Aeon. It is doubtful there is more physically powerful pair in professional wrestling than these two Team Taz representatives, but Ten is no slouch in the strength department, and with the experience of Hangman Page also on their side, this is going to be a tremendous fight!
DON CALLIS’ EXPOSE…
So the self-dubbed “Invisible Hand” is putting all his chips down on this idea that there is some conspiracy against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega bent on getting the title off of “The Cleaner”. Considering the source, a man who is as beneficial as infectious human waste, whatever facts he may present to back up his case are already suspect at best, but Callis is intent on presenting his case this Friday night on DYNAMITE. Presumably he will hinge this entire argument on the fact Omega had to defend his World Title against both PAC and Orange Cassidy at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021, neglecting the fact it was a situation Callis and Omega created themselves, but it will at least be amusing to see what sort of “facts” that Don presents as evidence of this anti-Omega conspiracy.
A BOUNTY…
CHRISTIAN CAGE VS. ANGELICO (W/ MATT HARDY)
$8,450 and a spot in the HFO…for a fee of course; that is what “Big Money” Matt Hardy has offered up to The Hybrid2, Angelico specifically, to take Christian Cage out for good, to delete him from All Elite Wrestling, to make sure he can no longer interfere in the life of Hardy. It’s not the first time TH2 has taken money from Matt to do a job, they did it prior to the Hardy/Adam Page Big Money Match at REVOLUTION 2021, and clearly from the video above, they have no problem doing it again.
As for Christian Cage, he heads into this one-on-one fight with Angelico after beating HFO members Private Party last week with number-one ranked Jungle Boy as his partner. A spiteful Hardy attacked Christian Cage after the match, delivering a Twist of Fate to his long-time foe on the stage area, as revenge for his team taking the loss. Cage has made it abundantly clear from the moment he arrived in AEW that his focus is on claiming the AEW World Title, Christian nearly dropped Kenny Omega with a Killswitch on his first DYNAMITE, but there is a path to get there and racking up wins to climb the rankings is the best way to do it following his elimination from the Casino Battle Royale at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021. For Christian Cage, the World Title is all, everything else is a roadblock, including Matt Hardy dragging him into one fight after another with various members and associates of the Hardy Family Office.
The sooner Christian Cage puts The HFO in the rear view mirror, the sooner he can resume his pursuit of that AEW World Title, but Matt Hardy’s history has shown he does not let go of things easily and Big Money will likely use all his resources to pursue Christian Cage to the ends of the Earth.
ALL ABOUT THE RANKINGS…
(#3) “THE NATIVE BEAST” NYLA ROSE VS. (#5) “LEGIT” LEYLA HIRSCH
Last week in the midst of Dr. Britt Baker celebrating her newly won AEW Women’s World Championship, “The Native Beast” Nyla Rose took umbrage with the display put on by Baker and did her best to trash the ceremonies. A former champion herself, Rose trashed the Big Mac display that the Good Doctor had set up and popped the balloons adorning ringside, leaving chaos in her wake as she departed. Nyla’s disdain for the entire proceeding was evident throughout, perhaps that comes from her own status as a former champion, or perhaps it stems from the fact Rose was the last woman to defeat Baker in a sanctioned singles bout. Either way, with a spot in the top five rankings, Nyla has the potential to challenge Baker for that championship but with the fight on tap for Friday night, “The Native Beast” is going to have a hell of a time maintaining that number three.
Why’s that?
Because her foe for DYNAMITE will be “Legit” Leyla Hirsch, the number five ranked woman in AEW, who heads into the bout having won eight straight singles matches, and ten consecutive bouts overall. With a vicious armbar as the primary tool in her arsenal, Hirsch has dominated since that loss to Ryo Mizunami in the Women’s World Title Eliminator Tournament and has earned her way into the rankings. Her goal, just as with every woman on the roster, is to become the World Champion and a victory over a former champ, not to mention a competitor higher ranked than her, would propel Leyla up the rankings and possibly into the position for a rematch with Dr. Baker, only this time with the coveted Women’s World Title on the line!
Which of these two warriors will prove the dominant force on Friday night, the monster that is Nyla Rose or the dynamite that is Leyla Hirsch? Clearly the drastic size differential will play a factor in how each competitor approaches this bout, but each will bring their A-game to the ring when there is title contention on the line!
DARBY’S DECISION…
Clearly Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky have a problem letting go, they were decisively beaten by Sting and Darby Allin at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021, but cannot accept that result as fact. As seen in the video clip embedded above, the duo have convinced themselves that Sting was the deciding factor in the equation and that without him, Darby Allin is nothing. Clearly Sky and Page have chosen to ignore Darby’s record-breaking run as the TNT Champion, both in length and in successful defenses, and are looking to get under the skin of the Relentless One.
That is why The Men Of The Year have issued this challenge to Darby to pick any partner BUT Sting and meet them in a tag team bout, so they can prove it’s all about Sting and Allin brings nothing to the table. Perhaps they believe there is no one else willing to back up Darby except The Icon, and although both Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley have teamed with Allin in the past, it is doubtful either man would fill the void here as both have their own concerns to deal with right now.
So just who will it be? Will there even be a partner or will Darby just elect to go into this battle all by himself? Page and Sky have certainly angered enough people over the last several months, particularly in The Dark Order, that someone may step up, not necessarily to help Darby, but rather to hurt the MOTY.
Whoever the partner may be, if there is a partner to be had, we will all hear from Darby Allin and Sting on FRIDAY NIGHT DYNAMITE regarding this challenge!
CODY’S ANNOUNCEMENT…
He topped Anthony Ogogo at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 in a hellacious fight, but Cody fell to Ogogo and QT Marshall in a tag team affair last Friday on DYNAMITE. He has been battered by those vicious hands of the Olympic boxer on numerous occasions, his ribs perpetually sore from the damage inflicted, and yet Cody Rhodes has fought on through that pain. Then he felt that shot from Ogogo on Friday that put Cody down for the count and allowed QT to pin him.
It had to have hurt Cody’s pride to take that loss to a man he once considered his closest confidant, his own personal Benedict Arnold or Judas if you will, but it probably did not sting quite as much as the blow that led to the defeat. So when it was first put out there that “The American Nightmare” would be joined by Tony Schiavone for a special announcement this Friday night, there was certainly some speculation as to what this would entail, but Cody himself tweeted the following about FRIDAY NIGHT DYNAMITE:
“A lil’ match announcement”? What could Cody be talking about here? Tune into TNT on Friday night at 10pm EST to find out what “The American Nightmare” has in mind!
THE MURDERHAWK IN ACTION…
Be afraid, be very afraid; that is the only advice to possibly give whatever individual steps into the ring with “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer on Friday night. Former NWA TV Champion Zicky Dice felt the wrath of the frustrated Archer on DARK, and no doubt that didn’t even scratch the surface of the rage inside The Murderhawk after being beaten by Miro at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021 in their TNT Title fight.
Archer could take solace in the fact he did not tap out nor verbally submit, that it was the referee who stopped the contest, but that is cold comfort when it means he was once again stymied in pursuit on an AEW championship. So just say a little prayer for the well-being of the competitor who finds their name paired up with Lance Archer on Friday night, they are going to need all the ones they can get…
It’s another special FRIDAY NIGHT DYNAMITE coming your way at 10pm EST on TNT, or on AEWPlus.com for the International audience out there! The TNT Title will be on the line, The Young Bucks and Cutler are in for a fight against Death Triangle and Kingston, Cody Rhodes has his announcement while Darby Allin responds to The MOTY’s challenge, and two of the best in the Women’s Division clash in a crucial rankings battle! It’s another loaded edition of DYNAMITE, and what better way to prepare for it than by checking out the official AEW YouTube (Watch Here) page for DARK: ELEVATION, DARK, WRESTLING WITH THE WEEK, OUTSIDE THE RING, and a loads more content!