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Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley
vs.
Shane Taylor Promotions’ Shane Taylor (with Lee Moriarty)!
Taylor jabbed at Moxley, taking the fight right to Mox. Jon Moxley fired back with kicks and chops. Taylor stunned Moxley with a stiff shot to the jaw. Moxley popped back up and both men traded forearms. Taylor whipped Moxley into the corner and then connected with a running lariat, leaving Mox gasping for air.
Moxley was looking for a piledriver, but Taylor countered with a backdrop. They began to brawl outside the ring. Moxley hurled Taylor into the steel ring steps. Taylor got back into the ring, but Lee Moriarty cracked Moxley with a pump kick. Taylor dropped Moxley with a side slam for a near fall. Taylor tried for a splash off the second turnbuckle, but Moxley rolled out of the way.
Moxley rocked Taylor with a cutter out of nowhere. Moxley battered Shane Taylor in the corner. Taylor retaliated with a side suplex, but Moxley came back with a suplex of his own. Moxley nailed Taylor with the King Kong Lariat. Taylor nearly decapitated Moxley with a Western Lariat.
Moxley and Taylor traded headbutts! Taylor planted Moxley but Moxley trapped Taylor in a triangle choke. Taylor deadlifted Moxley and slammed him back down, escaping the choke. It backfired and Moxley started pounding Taylor with the hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Moxley clocked Taylor with a flying knee strike.
Moxley applied a rear naked choke. Moxley bridged backwards and Taylor was out cold. Moxley won via ref stoppage!
Moxley: “Everybody watching hear this. Right now, I am pissed off. I am pissed off beyond belief. I am hungry beyond belief. From this moment on I am not taking any crap from anyone or anything. In the year of 2024 anyone who wants to step in the ring with me, anyone who calls themselves a colleague or teammate, you only have to do one thing: keep the hell up!”
The “Cope Open” Challenge Match!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Top Flight’s Dante Martin!
They shook hands before the match, showing mutual respect.
Dante took down Copeland with two big arm drags. Copeland tried for a cross body press off the second turnbuckle, but Dante dodged it. Copeland blocked a kick and then rammed Dante’s head into the turnbuckle. Copeland was trying to take away the equilibrium of Dante, going after Dante’s ear.
Dante clocked Copeland with a reverse question mark kick. Dante was looking for a springboard, but Adam knocked Dante off the top rope. Dante wiped out Copeland with a hurracanrana from the apron. Dante Martin followed up with a tope! Dante followed up with a crossbody press for a near fall on Copeland.
“Dante Martin is pulling out all the stops,” said Kevin Kelly.
Copeland stopped Dante in his tracks with a DDT. Copeland went for the spear, but Dante moved out of the way! Dante retaliated with a moonsault and covered Copeland, but Copeland’s boot touched the ropes, breaking the referee’s count. The crowd was stunned. Dante stunned Copeland with a sunset powerbomb off the top rope, but Copeland managed to kick out at two!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Dante springboarded off the top, but Copeland speared Dante midair! Copeland cranked on the Grindhouse and Dante Martin submitted!
“A standing ovation for Dante Martin!” said Nigel.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Adam Copeland in the ring after the match.
Copeland: “Tony, it gets harder and harder every week. What was I thinking with this Cope Open? I have to give all the credit to Dante Martin. I see all these young guys stepping up to take a bite out of me. I am going to keep coming out here, and working hard, and working hard, and working hard, just like Christian Cage said he was going to when he first came to AEW.
“And Tony, God bless you, I’m going to keep working until I get the TNT Championship and bring it back to TNT. And get in here every Saturday so these people can see their championship, our championship, defended. The next time I set foot in this ring in this great city, I’m going to be your TNT champ.”
Lexy Nair was backstage interviewing Top Flight and Action Andretti when Private Party interrupted!
Private Party started taunting Top Flight because Dante and Darius lost to them when Private Party returned.
Action Andretti: “Sure, you guys got the W, but as far as we saw, Marq Quen grabbed the ropes to get that pinfall!”
Marq Quen: “Nah, I lost my balance. It happens.”
Isiah Kassidy: “Imagine what would happen if we partied with Adam Copeland? We both beat Dante and we’re both Rated R!”
Darius: “If you’re so confident, how about we run it back? I mean, unless you guys are afraid.”
Isiah: “We will, anytime.”
Thunder Rosa vs. Queen Aminata!
“It looks like Top Flight wants another match with Private Party, and I think they deserve it,” said Tony Schiavone.
Thunder Rosa cracked Queen Aminata with a stiff chop. Thunder Rosa grabbed a side headlock. Thunder Rosa knocked Aminata down with a shoulder tackle. Queen Aminata nailed Thunder Rosa with a back breaker.
Thunder Rosa rocked Aminata with a running dropkick. Aminata rallied back with a snap mare and then kicked Thunder Rosa in the back. Aminata walloped Rosa with a hip attack. Thunder Rosa dodged a second hip attack and then took the wind out of Aminata with a double knee strike. Thunder Rosa followed up with a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall.
Queen Aminata headbutted Thunder Rosa and then blasted her with an air raid crash for a two-count! Queen Aminata climbed up, looking for the double stomp, but Thunder Rosa pulled her down. Thunder Rosa took Queen Aminata off her feet with a shotgun dropkick. Thunder Rosa planted Aminata with the Tijuana Bomb and then scored the pin!
Ring of Honor World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and the Gunns—Austin and Colten Gunn, came out to the ring!
Jay White: “We feel it, the people feel it, it’s a different vibe, with the Collision Cowboys back on Saturday night. But something is missing still.”
Austin pulled a cardboard cut out of Juice Robinson from beneath the ring and stood it next to them.
AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass stormed onto the stage!
Daddy Ass: “We’re just out here to congratulate you guys over your recent title win. And we are the AEW Trios Champions. But we can do so much more!”
Max Caster: “That’s right, Bang Bang Gang. It’s one thing to get to the top of AEW, but it’s another thing to stay there. Just think if we were a supergroup. Together we’d be unstoppable in the ring, unstoppable in the back, unstoppable where it counts—with all the people. And I know the people want to see Billy Gunn with some singles gold.”
The fans started chanting “Daddy Ass! Daddy Ass! Daddy Ass!”
Max Caster: “I know the people want to see the Gunns with tag team titles, and Jay, I know the people want to see you as the World Heavyweight Champion. Listen! This is not our ceiling.”
The fans now chanted “Bang Bang Scissor Gang! Bang Bang Scissor Gang!”
Anthony Bowens: “The Acclaimed—we’ve been given the runaround before and we’re not going to take it anymore. We want an answer now. You don’t just have to answer to us. You have to answer to St. Louis. Do you want to see the Acclaimed and Bullet Club Gold unite?”
The fans chanted “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Bowens: “Of course you do! Everyone loves the Acclaimed! Scissors up! Guns up! Guys, this could be us every single week! The Bang Bang Scissor Gang!”
The Bang Bang Gang and the Acclaimed scissored with their hands and the crowd erupted!
“The formation of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang!” said Kevin Kelly.
“What a moment and you saw it live on Collision on TNT,” added Tony Schiavone.
Backstage footage aired from this past week’s Dynamite, with AEW Women’s Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm, Mariah May, and Luther the Butler addressing “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo!
Toni Storm: “Fine, I know who you are, Ms. Purrazzo. Yes, I remember our time very well, I remember our dojo days in the land of the rising sun. And as for me, I am cursed with this rampant sexuality. I will meet you, I will complete you, and then I will beat you!”
The House of Black’s Buddy Matthews (with Malakai Black & Brody King)
vs.
Daniel Garcia!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Before the match began, FTR—Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, walked down to the ring to corner Daniel Garcia.
Buddy Matthews shoved Garcia to the mat. Buddy followed up with a big shoulder tackle. FTR shouted words of encouragement to Garcia, telling Garcia to outwrestle Matthews. Buddy spiked Garcia with a DDT. Buddy walloped Garcia with a knee strike on the apron. Garcia rallied back with a piledriver on the apron!
“Guys, we may be getting a double count out here,” said Tony Schiavone.
Both men made it back into the ring just in the nick of time before the 10-count. Garcia stormed Buddy with fists of fire and then stepped on Buddy’s head. Garcia applied a figure four around the ring post, shades of the great Bret “the Hitman” Hart! Back in the ring, Garcia applied the sharpshooter! Buddy grabbed Garcia’s head and began bashing it against the mat, escaping the sharpshooter.
Buddy blasted Garcia with knee strikes! Buddy nailed Garcia with a deadlift jackhammer for a near fall! Buddy was looking for a powerbomb, but Garcia slipped out, and scored the surprise jackknife pin!
The House of Black and FTR and Garcia began to brawl! Referees and security tried to separate the two teams. The locker room emptied and rushed to the ring, trying to tear the teams apart!
“I’m not so sure anyone can stop this! My God what are we watching!” yelled Schiavone.
“Only these six men can settle this!” added Kevin Kelly.
After a commercial break, Lexy Nair caught up with FTR and Daniel Garcia backstage for their comments!
Dax Harwood: “This has been going on for too long! I think we need to end it! Next week, six man tag, elimination style, inside a cage! Top guys out!”
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Roderick Strong (with ROH World Tag Team Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett)
vs.
Matt Sydal!
Strong and Sydal chain wrestled, going hold for hold. Sydal connected with a spinning kick and then a plancha. Roddy caught Matt Sydal and drilled him with a perfect back breaker. Sydal took Roddy down with a hurracanrana. Sydal staggered Strong with a spinning heel kick. Sydal rocked Roderick with a meteora.
“Fans we have breaking news from Tony Khan! Next week Elimination Trios Steel Cage Match live on Collision! FTR and Daniel Garcia against the House of Black!” announced Tony Schiavone.
Sydal covered Roddy after an air raid crash, but Roddy escaped before the three-count. Roderick retaliated with a big knee lift. Roddy finished off Sydal with the End of Heartache and then pinned Sydal!
“Perfect strategy from Roderick Strong,” said Nigel.
Roddy looked into the camera and said, “Orange Cassidy, you see that?”
Danielson took down Kingston and blasted Kingston in the spine with a kick. Kingston used a snap mare takeover and kicked Danielson in the back! Ortiz tagged in and he and Kingston double suplexed Danielson.
Claudio grabbed a tag and tore off Ortiz’s shirt. Claudio clubbed Ortiz with European Uppercuts. Ortiz fought off Danielson and Claudio until the numbers became too much for him. Claudio drove Ortiz back into the BCC’s corner with his power. Claudio hurled Ortiz around the ring with the Giant Swing!
Danielson tagged in and walloped Ortiz with kicks. Ortiz got to his feet and nailed Bryan with a clothesline.
Tony Schiavone announced he had breaking news from Tony Khan; the ranking system is returning to AEW, so every win is crucial!
Ortiz tagged out to Kingston, and Claudio tagged in. Claudio and Ortiz exchanged chops and forearms in the center of the ring, going back and forth. Claudio slapped Eddie in the face! Eddie answered with machine gun chops to Claudio’s chest! Kingston sent Claudio crashing and burning with an exploder suplex!
Claudio connected with a short arm clothesline for a two-count. Danielson tagged in and cracked Kingston with a flying headbutt, a move made famous by Kansas City’s own Harley Race. Kingston stunned Danielson with a DDT out of nowhere! Ortiz tagged in and he and Kingston dropped Danielson with tandem offense. Ortiz hit a tope on Danielson, and Kingston hit one on Claudio on the other side of the ring!
“Nobody has had the back of Kingston quite like Ortiz,” said Kevin Kelly.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Danielson put Ortiz in the LeBell Lock. Ortiz reached the ropes. Danielson captured the wrists of Ortiz and began to stomp on his head. Claudio forced Kingston to watch the assault on Ortiz. Danielson nailed Ortiz with a running knee strike and pinned Ortiz!
After the match, Danielson told Kingston he would not hold his titles long and then spat at him! Danielson left the ring, smirking, while Kingston checked on Ortiz.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
After an exciting RAMPAGE on Friday night, AEW is right back in the action with an all-new COLLISION, coming to you from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis! Last night we saw an amazing clash between Jeff Hardy and Darby Allin, the continuing…something…with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway, Anthony Henry give Penta El Zero Miedo a tremendous fight, and Chris Jericho get back to business in a bout with Matt Sydal!
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, featuring a huge Grudge Tag match pitting Eddie Kingston and Ortiz against The BCC of Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson, Adam Copeland laying out another Open Challenge, Buddy Matthews and Daniel Garcia going head-to-head, and Jon Moxley back in the house after a wild trip through New Japan Pro Wrestling! Fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston & Ortiz
vs.
Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli)
As if there wasn’t enough fuel to the fires that burn between Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston and The Blackpool Combat Club, last week during RAMPAGE: HOMECOMING 2024 Eddie beat ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta in a Continental Crown defense, leaving the young man battered and bruised.
So this Saturday night, with Bryan Danielson back on the scene after his New Japan excursion for WRESTLE KINGDOM 18 and NEW YEAR DASH!! 2024, and Claudio coming off a victory over Bryan Kieth Thursday night during ROH ON HONOR CLUB, The Blackpool Combat Club will reunite for tag team action against Kingston and his partner, friend-turned foe-and back again, Ortiz! When last we saw Ortiz and Eddie Kingston engage with one another, the former came to ringside at FULL GEAR 2023 to help the latter in his ROH World Championship match with Jay Lethal. That was on the heels of Sonjay Dutt trying to recruit Ortiz to their little unit, and given that Jeff Jarrett’s guitar ended up around Dutt’s head, that was a clear indication of where Ortiz stood. The question of whether or not that choice had anything to do with Kingston, or was just a response to Dutt, was answered fairly quickly when Ortiz and Eddie stood side-by-side in the ring; it was as if the Stadium Stampede at ALL IN: LONDON got the bad blood out of their system, and now they could move forward as friends.
Hopefully that is the case because Eddie and Ortiz will have to be on the same page when facing The BCC if they want any hope of leaving St. Louis with a victory. Claudio and Bryan are 2-1 as a duo with their last fighting being the bout with Orange Cassidy and Okada in October while Ortiz and Eddie are 9-2, but it’s been over a year since their last time teaming up. Will the bonds forged by The BCC in their time together prove stronger than the ones between Kingston and Ortiz that were so tested in the last year?
ONE-ON-ONE…
The House of Black’s Buddy Matthews vs. Daniel Garcia
Last Saturday night, in one of the many super trios matches AEW has produced, FTR and Daniel Garcia fell to The House of Black, the end coming after Buddy Matthews smashed Dax Harwood’s face into the canvas for the pinfall. It was an intense, chaotic, hateful battle, but the result doesn’t appear to have settled anything between these six men, or should that be seven given how The House pulled Matt Menard into the fray in the aftermath of their victory.
Garcia and FTR may have ran The House off before they could inflict too much damage, but all that means is the fight will continue in one form or another as long as all these men are still able to throw hands. The next form this explosive issue will take goes down this Saturday night on COLLISION when Buddy Matthews and Daniel Garcia meet in singles competition for the first time! Garcia has come so far in his career since debuting in AEW, and seems to have the number of House member Brody King, but will that success parlay over to Buddy as well? Or will Garcia be the next man whose face Matthews stomps into the mat?
ASK AND SOMETIMES YOU RECEIVE…
Jon Moxley vs. Shane Taylor
Though Jon Moxley has not been seen in All Elite Wrestling since WORLDS END, that doesn’t mean he’s been inactive, sitting on the sidelines, watching the world pass him by. As a matter of fact, it has been quite the opposite as the former 3-Time AEW World Champion returned to New Japan for WRESTLE KINGDOM 18 where he vied for the NJPW Global Heavyweight Title against Will Ospreay and David Finlay. Finlay would be the one who ultimately walked away with the newly created crown, pinning Ospreay to claim the title, and sending Mox to NEW YEAR DASH!! 2024 empty handed. Unfortunately loss would follow Mox to his eight-man tag on that event as well, with TMDK’s Shane Haste pinning Moxley’s partner Tomohiro Ishii to get the victory.
Thankfully Moxley rebounded in his No Disqualification bout at NJPW’s BATTLE IN ALLEY 2024, scoring a victory over Shingo Takagi after twenty-six minutes of hard-hitting, violent action, and subsequently let new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuyo Naito know that he had eyes on that prize, issuing a challenge for WINDY CITY RIOT 2024 on April 12th.
But before Moxley gets to that potential championship challenge, he’s coming back home to All Elite Wrestling this Saturday night! And initially we wondered if he was coming for a fight, or was he simply making the trip to St. Louis to let the world know where he’s focusing his energy in the new year; but thanks to one social media follower in particular sharing an older video of Shane Taylor’s, we know now just what’s in store:
Just goes to show that sometimes when you ask for something, you get it, and boy are we all going to get it this Saturday when Shane Taylor throws down with Jon Moxley! These are two of the hardest-hitting, rough and tumble individuals in all of AEW, and Shane Taylor has proven in his fights with Samoa Joe and Keith Lee that he gives as good as he gets in a fight. Aside from the fight with Joe last year, this is Shane T’s biggest match since joining on with AEW, and he aims to leave an impression on the AEW fans, as well as on Jon Moxley’s face! There’s nothing more Mox loves than a fight, and he is now guaranteed to get one on COLLISION!
Last week it was Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty who answered the call of the Adam Copeland Open Challenge, giving the Hall of Famer a fight he did not anticipate, but one he certainly appreciated, with Moriarty showing the world he’s got the potential down the line to stand with the greats in this business. But that time wasn’t last week, Copeland’s drive to earn himself another stab at Christian Cage is too strong, and it is going to take a very special individual to disrupt this man’s track to the TNT Championship.
Well with “The Rated R Superstar” set to appear on COLLISION for another Open Challenge, someone else will have that opportunity to play spoiler to Copeland’s quest, and given how the competition has escalated with each outing, it’s going to be very interesting to see just who answers the call this week in St. Louis!
LA MERA MERA IS BACK!
It’s been awhile since her last singles match, an August 6, 2022 championship fight with Jamie Hayter during BATTLE OF THE BELTS III to be exact, but this Saturday night Thunder Rosa is back in action! We got a taste of “La Mera Mera” on the December 23rd COLLISION and on DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, but those were in multi-person bouts, a singles match is a whole different story that could put the former AEW Women’s World Champion to the test! Who will step up to the fight with Thunder Rosa this Saturday in St. Louis?
COLLISION comes to St. Louis this Saturday night, with the action starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and showcasing a massive Grudge Tag Team fight pitting Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston and Ortiz against Blackpool Combat Club members Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson! Plus, Adam Copeland plans to lay out another Open Challenge while, after their tremendous trios bout last week, Buddy Matthews and Daniel Garcia will meet one-on-one! We haven’t seen Jon Moxley since WORLDS END as he’s been putting in work with NJPW, but he will be back home this Saturday night! Before showtime, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and Don Callis!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal!
They started with a collar and elbow tie up. The fans chanted “Jericho! Jericho! Jericho!” Jericho ran the ropes and sent Sydal crashing with a shoulder tackle. Sydal sent Jericho over the top rope with a clothesline. Sydal connected with a meteora knee strike off the apron! Sydal drove Jericho down in the ring with another meteora for a near fall.
“The only thing that would make me happier is if it was one of my guys in the Don Callis Family with their hands around Jericho’s throat,” said Callis.
Jericho regained momentum with knife edge chops. Sydal chopped away at the legs and chest of Jericho with kicks. Jericho countered Sydal and locked in the Walls of Jericho! Sydal used his flexibility and finally reached the bottom rope, forcing the rope break. Jericho dropkicked Sydal from the turnbuckles, and Sydal crashed to the arena floor.
Back in the ring, Jericho jumped off the top rope, but Sydal countered with a kick and then a standing moonsault for a near fall! Jericho fired his shoulder up at the last possible moment. Sydal power bombed Jericho for another near fall.
“What a back and forth matchup this has been,” said Ian.
Sydal jumped off the ropes and Jericho cracked him with the Code Breaker! Jericho played possum and then went for a lionsault, but Sydal got his knees up. Sydal rocked Jericho with an Air Raid Crash for a two-count!
Jericho sent Sydal flying with a hurracanrana from the top rope. Jericho followed up with the Judas Effect and pinned Sydal!
Jericho barely took a step through the ropes and Don Callis ran for the hills!
As Jericho was returning to the back, “The Alpha” Takeshita blindsided Jericho! Security came out along with Christopher Daniels and Takeshita wiped out Daniels before leaving!
Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes) vs. The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for the rest of the evening.
Penta El Zero Miedo walloped Henry with a stiff kick to Henry’s midsection. Anthony Henry managed to string together a flurry of offense on Penta. Henry charged at Penta, but Penta caught him with a thrust kick. Penta dropped Henry with a spinning Spiccoli Driver for a near fall!
Penta El Zero Miedo was looking for the Made in Japan, but Henry blocked it and hit a double stomp on Penta! Henry tried for a double stomp, but Penta dodged it and fired back with a suplex into the turnbuckles. Penta spiked Anthony Henry with the Fear Factor and pinned Henry!
Renee Paquette was backstage when Ruby Soho and Saraya walked up, arguing with one another!
Renee asked what was going on with them.
Saraya: “I don’t know! She’s paranoid!”
Ruby came back around the corner and this time she was holding Harley Cameron by the throat.
Ruby: “Why him?! Tell me!”
Harley: “To help you!”
Ruby: “To help me!? Are you kidding me?!”
Saraya was motioning to Harley from behind Ruby’s back.
Harley: “It was Anna Jay. She told me to do it.”
Saraya: “Yeah, that makes perfect sense Ruby. Let her go.”
Kris Statlander (with Stokely Hathaway) vs. Queen Aminata!
Excalibur noticed Willow Nightingale’s absence from Kris’ side.
Queen Aminata took Kris down with an arm drag. They both went for a pump kick and they both blocked each other. Statlander charged at Aminata with a shoulder tackle. Statlander swept out Aminata’s legs and then splashed her with a senton.
Statlander charged at Aminata, but the Queen ducked it. Queen Aminata took the advantage with a diving crossbody through the ropes. Back in the ring, Statlander trucked Aminata with a discus lariat for a near fall!
Queen Aminata rocked Statlander with a running knee. Statlander slipped behind and power slammed Aminata. Statlander planted Aminata, hooked the leg and pinned her!
“Stokely Hathaway seems to think he played a major role in Statlander’s victory,” said Excalibur.
Sonjay Dutt once again commissioned a camera crew to document his attempts to get his gang back on track!
Sonjay was backstage with Satnam Singh and Jay Lethal.
Lethal: “Where the heck is Jeff? I’m glad he’s not here. That way I can talk openly without him interrupting. I want to get back to what this company was built on and that’s great in ring action. I can’t do this in this group.”
Sonjay: “I got it. It’s time to kick Karen Jarrett out of the group.”
Satnam: “Whoa, whoa, we need to keep the best leader of this team. We need to keep Karen and kick out Jeff!”
Jay Lethal: “Guys stop! This is what I’m talking about. We’re arguing after stupid things. I don’t know how much more of this I can take! Maybe it’s singles gold I’m after!”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Kris Statlander after her huge victory!
Stokely Hathaway was standing beside Statlander.
Willow Nightingale rushed to see Kris. Willow was still in her street clothes.
Willow: “I missed it! I’m so sorry.”
Kris: “Are you ok?”
Willow: “I’m fine but my flight was cancelled.”
Stokely: “Cancelled?”
Willow: “No, the flight happened. I just couldn’t get on it. Somebody cancelled my trip.”
Stokely: “Oh my, damn. But you know what? If you’re supposed to be her best friend and you love this business so much, you wouldn’t have been hopping on Soul Plane. Maybe if you would have picked a dedicated airline like United or Delta!”
Willow: “I wanted to be in your corner!”
Kris: “We’re going to figure this out.”
Stokely: “You mean we? Oh, so we’re a thing?”
Willow: “You’re giving him a chance?”
Main Event Time!
Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy!
Jeff slapped Darby in the face. Darby fired back with a shotgun dropkick. Darby jumped from the top turnbuckle and crashed onto Jeff on the outside! Jeff Hardy whipped Darby into the announcers’ desk!
“Jeff Hardy showing a real mean streak here,” said Matt Menard.
Jeff hurled Darby into the barricade. Jeff jumped off the ring apron and connected with a big clothesline. Jeff ran and jumped off the steel ring steps, but Darby moved, sending Jeff crashing into the barricade.
Darby clubbed Jeff with right hands across the jaw. Darby sat Jeff on a metal chair and then charged at him with a tope suicida, but Jeff dodged it! Darby was writhing in pain. Back in the ring Jeff hit a neck breaker. Jeff followed up with two more neck breakers. Jeff face planted Darby and covered him, but Darby kicked out at the two-count.
Both men jockeyed for position on the top turnbuckle. Darby raked Jeff’s back. Darby rocked Jeff with an avalanche Code Red for a near fall!
“How did Jeff Hardy kick out of that one?” wondered Excalibur.
Jeff stopped Darby from doing a Coffin Drop. Jeff countered with a neck breaker on the ring apron, with Darby’s feet elevated on the top turnbuckle! Jeff pulled a table from beneath the ring. Jeff rammed Darby’s head into the steel ring post and then placed Darby on the table. Jeff attempted a Swanton, but Darby dodged it and sent Jeff crashing through the table!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Darby rolled Jeff back into the ring. Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Jeff raised his knees right into Darby’s back! Darby escaped a Twist of Fate, jackknifed Jeff and scored the pin!
“He’ll take those risks, but Darby is such a highly technical wrestler as well,” said Excalibur.
Darby tried to fist bump Jeff after the match to show respect, but Jeff wouldn’t reciprocate, simply choosing to leave the ring instead.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO featuring:
-House of Black’s Buddy Matthews vs. Daniel Garcia!
-Thunder Rosa returns to singles action!
-The “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland’s “Cope Open”!
-The Return of Jon Moxley as he goes one on one with Shane Taylor!
-Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Continental Crown Champ Eddie Kingston & Ortiz!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Wednesday night’s edition of DYNAMITE was loaded up with one championship fight after another, capped off with FTW Champion HOOK giving AEW World Champion Samoa Joe everything he had in an attempt to snatch the crown from Joe’s head. HOOK survived more than anyone, even Joe, thought was possible, but ultimately he succumbed to the onslaught of the World Champion. One team that managed to add a championship to their ranks was BULLET CLUB GOLD when they dethroned The Mogul Embassy as ROH World Six-Man Champions, but Dustin Rhodes was not so successful in his bid to take the TNT Championship from Christian Cage. We heard from The Young Bucks, from Swerve and Hangman Page, and watched Roderick Strong challenge Orange Cassidy for REVOLUTION 2024! Now the eyes of the AEW faithful turn to Friday night…
This Friday RAMPAGE airs from North Charleston, SC and the North Charleston Coliseum, getting underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and featuring four tremendous contests! As seen on DYNAMITE, Matt Sydal has challenged Chris Jericho to meet him in singles competition, The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry will take on The Lucha Brothers Penta El Zero Miedo, Kris Statlander takes on a fight with Queen Aminata, and your the main event, in a rematch of the 2022 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Darby Allin will take on Jeff Hardy! Before the show begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal
On Wednesday night we heard Chris Jericho speak on the events of BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and it certainly seemed like the original AEW World Champion was growing increasingly unhinged as he recounted the actions of The Don Callis Family. It was certainly unexpected to find Matt Sydal attempting to be the voice of reason, to talk Jericho down from escalating himself into a frenzy, but it was not a surprise that the end result of their conversation was a fight for this Friday night on RAMPAGE.
Now these two men are no strangers to one another; as a matter of fact, in another life Sydal scored six consecutive singles victories over Jericho, and actually holds an 8-2 record over Chris in their one-on-one encounters! While it has been over thirteen years since their last encounter, the memory remains, and perhaps that’s why Sydal was willing to challenge Jericho to this bout in North Charleston, SC.
Will this help Jericho refocus, to channel his rage into something positive rather than self-destructive, or will it be Sydal finding a way to recapture the magic he had in 2010 to score a seventh straight win over “Le Champion”?
REMATCH!
Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy
On May 11, 2022, as part of the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, something of a generational dream match went down, the kind of match no one ever thought they would get to see, but discussed how it would play out if it was ever possible. That bout was Darby Allin versus Jeff Hardy, and it became a reality at UBS Arena in the First Round of the 2022 Owen, one contested under No Disqualification Rules, and ultimately won by Jeff Hardy.
Fast forward twenty months to January 19, 2024 and this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE; for the second time in their careers, Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy will go one-on-one in the main event of the night! Now the entire wrestling world knows Sting’s end is approaching, but on Wednesday night he and Darby made it clear they have a desire to end that run as AEW World Tag Team Champions, a goal that The Hardys share as they aim to rebound from a rather downward spiral in their tag team career last year.
Will Darby march towards REVOLUTION 2024 with a victory over Jeff Hardy to his resume, evening the score for 2022, or will Jeff make it a second win over the former 2-Time TNT Champion as he and his brother look to make 2024 their year?
SINGLES MATCH…
Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata
Though these two have met in the past, with Kris Statlander holding a June 7, 2021 victory over Queen Aminata, it is abundantly clear that neither woman is the same competitor she was at that point in their careers. Statlander stands before the AEW faithful a more confident competitor than she ever was in the past, a former TBS Champion, the woman responsible for ending the longest title reign in all of AEW history. Aminata, to her credit, has become a more seasoned competitor since that 2021 bout, one of her earliest in All Elite Wrestling. That experience has shown over the last several weeks in the Queen’s fights with Hikaru Shida, Mariah May, and Skye Blue, revealing her to be a particularly hard-hitting wrestler who enjoys going strike-for-strike with her opponents.
That’s the kind of fight Statlander needs, especially as she’s potentially distracted by all this nonsense with Stokely Hathaway and his desire to drive a wedge between Stat and Willow Nightingale. Though all that means this fight may be the perfect moment for Queen Aminata to score her first singles victory in AEW, and over a former champion no less!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Penta El Zero Miedo vs. The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry
Though Wednesday night’s tag team battle against AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta did not go as hoped for Penta El Zero Miedo and Komander, the former AEW & ROH World Tag Team Champion has a second chance to make his week a positive one! This Friday night on RAMPAGE, Penta will go into singles competition against another man more conditioned to tag team competition in AEW, The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry!
Henry, though generally a tag team competitor alongside JD Drake, has had his share of singles matches under the AEW banner, and though none of them have ended in victory, the experience he’s garnered has been invaluable. Fights with Darby Allin, Trent Beretta, Orange Cassidy, and Miro, just to name a few, have toughened Henry up, and his desire to fight has never waned as a result.
That’s why this Friday night Anthony Henry will wade into battle against this multi-time Tag Team Champion and give Penta El Zero Miedo every ounce of fight in his body. After all, that’s what it means to be a Workhorsemen…
Coming your way from North Charleston, SC, this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE begins at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and features Darby Allin colliding with Jeff Hardy, former TBS Champion Kris Statlander taking on the impressive Queen Aminata, Anthony Henry stepping up to a singles match with Penta El Zero Miedo, and Chris Jericho answering Matt Sydal’s call for a fight! Before the show begins, visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Ash By Elegance Signs With TNA Wrestling News / January 18, 2024 / by IMPACT Wrestling Staff This past Saturday at Hard To Kill, veteran of the ring Ash By Elegance made her stunning TNA…
The Kitchen review by Big Gold Belt MediaHost – Terrell @AroundTheGeek-Synopsis:In a dystopian London, the gap between rich and poor has been stretched to its limits. All forms of social housing have been eradicated and only…
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
TNT Championship Match!
“The Patriarch” Christian Cage (c.) (with Nick Wayne & Killswitch)
vs.
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
The fans chanted “Let’s go Dustin! Let’s go Dustin! Let’s go Dustin!”
Christian Cage hit Dustin with a cheap shot, kicking him in the abdomen. Rhodes fired back with a scoop slam. Christian rolled out of the ring, swept out Dustin’s legs, and was about to pull Dustin by the legs into the ring post. Instead, Dustin pulled back, sending Christian headfirst into the steel ring post. Dustin flew off the ring steps with a clothesline, taking the fight to the champion outside the ring.
Rhodes hit Christian Cage with a haymaker. Christian Cage took a huge risk and jumped off the turnbuckles and landed on Dustin Rhodes outside the ring. Back in the ring, Dustin strung together a flurry of offense and punctuated it with a bulldog for a near fall!
Dustin rocked Christian with a Code Red for a two-count! Christian played possum, begging off Dustin but then pulling him down onto the ropes. Dustin went for a tope, but Christian countered with a stiff strike. Christian connected with a frog splash for a two-count on Rhodes.
Christian grabbed his title from the timekeeper’s table. Christian was about to smash the title against Dustin’s head, but ref Aubrey Edwards grabbed it away. As the ref was distracted, Dustin rolled up Christian in a small package. Nick Wayne jumped in the ring and reversed the cradle attempt, rolling Christian on top of Dustin. “The Natural” managed to kick out!
“That was quick thinking by Nick Wayne. It didn’t work but it was smart,” said Taz.
Dustin slugged Christian. Dustin superplexed Christian Cage as more interference from Nick Wayne backfired. Dustin Rhodes rocked Christian with the Cross Rhodes for a near fall! Nick Wayne grabbed at Dustin’s ankle. Dustin met Wayne outside the ring while Christian distracted the ref. Killswitch diverted Dustin’s attention this time, and Nick Wayne climbed to the top turnbuckle. Nick went for Wayne’s World, but Dustin countered with a Canadian Destroyer on the arena floor!
Dustin got back into the ring and Christian speared him! Christian smashed Dustin with the Killswitch but Dustin kicked out at the two-count! Dustin got back up, but Christian connected with a second Killswitch and pinned Dustin!
“That spear was a direct message to Adam Copeland,” said Taz.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Swerve Strickland!
Swerve said not only did he have his eyes on the main event, but he also has his eyes everywhere. He said it didn’t matter if it was Samoa Joe or Hook who came out as champion. Swerve said he’s the most dangerous man going after the most coveted prize in the industry. Renee mentioned “Hangman” Adam Page, another man going after that prize. Swerve said, “Like I said, I’ve got eyes everywhere.” Swerve said he’s beaten Hangman twice now and he’s got no reason to prove it again.
Renee Paquette interviewed “The Ocho” Chris Jericho backstage!
Jericho said the Don Callis Family ripped those AEW World Tag Team championship belts out of his and Sammy Guevara’s hands at Battle of the Belts last Saturday. “Takeshita, Hobbs, you caused us to lose, and you injured Sammy. Now, even though I just beat you in Tokyo, Takeshita, suddenly that match doesn’t mean as much anymore. I’m going to seek and destroy your ass!”
Matt Sydal interrupted and questioned why Jericho was losing it over this defeat. “To get over this loss, you have to get back in that ring and you have to fight somebody who’s beaten you before, like me.”
Jericho: “You’re asking for a match? I respect you as a wrestler. Some would even say you’re born to do this. Maybe we need to do this match on Rampage, but I’ve got to warn you, I’ve got a lot of pent up aggression. So be careful what you wish for. I’ll see you on Friday.”
Komander & Penta El Zero Miedo (with Rey Fenix and Alex Abrahantes)!
Orange and Penta El Zero Miedo had a stare down in the center of the ring. Penta blasted Orange with round kicks. Orange attempted a DDT, but Penta countered with a massive thrust kick. Penta was about to fly out of the ring, but Trent cut him off. Komander tagged in and hit a missile dropkick on Trent.
Trent suplexed Komander with a half-and-half and then returned Orange back to the ring. Orange covered Komander for a near fall. Komander took Trent over the top rope with his legs. Komander up kicked at Cassidy. Penta tagged in and stunned Orange with a sling blade, and then a second sling blade! Penta pulped Orange with the Made in Japan, good for a two-count!
Orange spiked Penta with a DDT. Trent tagged in and pie faced Komander. Trent hammered Komander against the ropes. Komander cradled Trent for a near fall. Trent chopped Komander, backing him up to his corner. Penta tagged in, jumped off Komander’s back, and walloped Trent with an assisted Canadian Destroyer! Komander walked the ropes and splashed Trent. Komander covered Trent for the pin, but Orange jumped in to break it up.
Komander climbed to the top turnbuckle and tried for the Phoenix Splash. Trent dodged it and returned fire with a knee strike! Penta popped up out of nowhere and nailed Trent with a thunderous thrust kick. Penta springboarded off the ropes but Orange jumped in, shoved Trent out of the way, and rocked Penta with the Beach Break! Cassidy cracked Komander with the Orange Punch! Trent hoisted up Komander, hit the Crunchy, and pinned Komander!
After the match, the Undisputed Kingdom walked onto the ramp and down to the ring!
Roderick Strong: “I know you’ve heard me say it to the fans and other people, but I came out here to say it to your face, Orange. So, take off your glasses and look me in the eyes! Orange, take your glasses off now! We can end you right now if we wanted to.
“Listen, you have been a fighting champion, willing to take on anyone at any time, but tonight you decided to wrestle in a tag match and not defend the AEW International Championship. But why? Is it all becoming too much? Are you afraid you don’t have enough in the tank to keep it? Or are you afraid of me coming for it, and you can’t face it? It belongs to me and I’m coming for it. I’m here to make you face it!”
Orange Cassidy: “Alright, you know what. You got it. Let’s do it, right here, right now.”
Roderick Strong: “No, no, not right now. You, you’re going to have to wait until March 3rd, live on pay-per-view on Revolution. Because I want you for the next six weeks to live with that, to accept that, to wake up every day knowing that you’re just keeping my title warm for me.”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview “Hangman” Adam Page!
Page: “If you think back on the past five years, you will not find another soul on the planet who cared more about the AEW World Championship than I have. Who treated it with reverence. Who needed it. But in 2024, not only will I win it, but I will also put my name on it and keep it there for as long as I can.
“Swerve seems to think about me a lot. I don’t think about him at all. If he says he can beat me, I would say it doesn’t matter. Because he’s not the World Champion. Samoa Joe is. I’ll be watching tonight. And if Hook wins, God be with you.”
Mark Briscoe walked onto the ramp to honor his brother, Jay!
The Briscoe family was in the front row.
Mark Briscoe: “I come to you tonight representing the baddest tag team in the history of this planet, the Briscoe Brothers. Tragically, one year ago tonight, my brother passed on in a car accident. He moved onto the next level of existence. My nieces were in the truck with him, and tragically they told my oldest niece she’ll never walk again. However, damn it, God is on the throne! We won’t stop because we can’t stop!”
Mark’s niece walked onto the stage!
Mark Briscoe: “We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!”
A tribute package aired honoring Jay Briscoe.
#Demboys
Renee Paquette had a sit down interview with the Young Bucks—Nick and Matt Jackson!
Nick: “I’m sorry to cut you off, but can you show us some respect and call us by our God-given names, Nicholas and Matthew? We’re executive vice presidents around here, and it’s time to take this job a little more seriously.”
Matt: “Good point.”
Renee: “We’ve heard about the public tantrums, the rumors…”
Matt: “Rumors, you want to go there? I think I know which rumor you’re talking about. You don’t believe the things they say or write about us, do you? None of those are true. Let’s say hypothetically some of those things were true. What would you do to preserve and protect your life’s work? What would you do to protect your baby? I know what I would do. So just think of that the next time you come at us with rumors again. And again, this is all hypothetical, but what would you be willing to lose?
“Also, would you be willing to lose your relationship with coworkers and your friends? How about your legacy and reputation, out the window. If you knew all that in hindsight, would you do all that if it meant there’d be a healthy, sustainable company called AEW? I’ll answer that. Hell yeah. And speaking of there being a company around, you got your paycheck this week, right? You’re welcome.”
Renee: “Switching gears, let’s talk Sting.”
Matt: “When we started AEW there in the beginning, you weren’t there, so you wouldn’t know. But we used to say, ‘Change the world.’ We were disrupters. We were changing the world and somewhere along the way, we lost our way. It’s like the culture shifted and toxicity crept into the locker room. It was just different. I think I know why. I think it’s because we started to lean on yesterday’s self-serving, cancerous superstars.
“And you mentioned Sting. This isn’t about Sting. Sting is none of those things. Sting is great. Sting is a role model employee. I’m envious of the way they talk about Sting. Maybe they’ll talk about us like that one day. However, it’s what Sting represents. Sting is the last of that dying breed. And the image of Sting isn’t in line with what we wanted to do with AEW. We wanted to change the world. Unfortunately for Sting, we’re going to have to say goodbye to Sting and everybody like Sting. And we would never ask anybody to do anything that we weren’t willing to do ourselves.”
Nick: “Good point.”
Renee: “Is that an official call out to Sting at Revolution for his final match?”
Nick: “As EVPs, we’ll pull some strings.”
ROH World Six-Man Championship Match!
The Mogul Embassy (c.)—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage
vs.
Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and The Gunns—Austin & Colten!
Toa backed up Jay White. Toa tried for a chop, but Jay ducked it. Jay blistered up Toa’s chest with chops of his own. Toa retaliated with a heavy chop and then multiple knee strikes to Jay’s lower back.
Bishop Kaun tagged in and continued the assault on White. Jay White landed a dragon screw leg whip and tagged out to Colten. Colten stomped on Kaun and then Austin tagged in. Cage grabbed a tag but ate some right hands from Austin. Brian Cage retaliated with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony double teamed Austin, double teaming him.
Colten tagged in and cleaned house on the Mogul Embassy! Colten nailed Cage with a neck breaker. Toa ran in and sent Colten for a ride with a wicked pounce! The Gates of Agony hurled Colten into Cage and Cage power bombed Colten! Kaun connected with an Air Raid Crash, but Austin and Jay ran in to make the save and break up the pin.
Jay White shoved Cage into the steel ring post! Jay White lit up Bishop with heavy chops, sending thunderous echoes throughout the arena. The Gunns blasted Cage with the 3:10 to Yuma! Bishop Kaun split leg dropkicked the Gunns. Kaun distracted the ref while Prince Nana tripped up Jay White. Kaun hit a lung blower on Jay White for a near fall. Prince Nana jumped in the ring with the belt, ready to hit White while Kaun distracted the ref. Anthony Bowens sprinted to the ring and pulled the belt away from Prince Nana! Jay White rocked Kaun with the Blade Runner and pinned him!
And new ROH World Six-Man Champions…Bullet Club Gold!
AEW Trios Champs The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass came out onto the ramp and saluted Bullet Club Gold with the scissor hand gesture.
“Could we be seeing the genesis of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang?” wondered Excalibur.
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Adam Cole and Wardlow were backstage!
Cole: “Wardlow hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he’s capable of, but now with the Undisputed Kingdom, this man will be unbeatable. This man will go down as the most dominant AEW professional wrestler of all time, I promise you that. And just wait and see until Wardlow continues to run over opponent after opponent after opponent until there is nothing left but the AEW World Championship, which will then be the property of the Undisputed Kingdom. Ain’t that right, big man?”
Wardlow: “Boom!”
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm joined the commentary team for this match. She was flanked by Mariah May and Luther the Butler.
Deonna hit an uppercut to Anna’s arm. Anna fired back with a neck breaker over the ropes on Deonna. Deonna rocked Anna with clotheslines. Deonna pump kicked Anna for a near fall. Anna cracked Deonna with a backstabber for a two-count.
Anna tried to lock in the Queen Slayer, but Deonna rolled through. They traded forearms. Deonna flattened out Anna, locked on the Venus de Milo, and Anna was forced to submit!
Renee Paquette interviewed Deonna Purrazzo in the ring!
Renee: “Toni Storm said she’d like to meet with you, but the champ is right there. Is there anything you’d like to say to her?”
Deonna: “Absolutely. Toni, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. We’ve known each other for a long time. We used to be like sisters. And it’s clear since I arrived at AEW that you’ve changed. But you know what? So, have I. You might have been friends with Deonna Purrazzo, but you have never met the greatest technical wrestler in the world, ‘the Virtuosa.’”
Toni: “Technical? You’re technical? Well technically speaking, you’re an artificially tanned hack. My past is none of your concern. I aught to march right in that ring and sock you right in that box! But we must go to commercial. So, chin up, t-ts out, and watch for the shoe!”
Mariah May threw a shoe at Deonna! Deonna threw it back!
Toni: “You’re toast! You’re going down!”
Luther carried Toni away on his shoulders.
Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin vs. Private Party—Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy!
Kassidy and Darius exchanged a flurry of offense, each countering the other, going hold for hold! Dante and Marq grabbed tags. Marq Quen went after Dante’s ankle. Kassidy hit a big springboard crossbody on Dante.
Marq Quen hit two planchas on both members of Top Flight! Quen went to the top turnbuckle and connected with a 450 splash, but Dante managed to kick out! Top Flight rocked Marq Quen with a quick combination. Dante cracked Quen in the nose with a knee strike. Isiah stunned Dante with a step over kick.
Private Party served up Gin & Juice on Dante! Darius ran in to make the save but Marq Quen rolled him up, and with the help of the ropes, scored the pin!
“Whoa a little highway robbery there,” said Taz.
Excalibur wondered if it was intentional or if it was just instinct.
“Either way, Top Flight feeling like they were wronged here tonight,” said Excalibur.
A Sting and Darby Allin video package aired!
“This story is going to end with me and Sting as AEW World champions,” said Darby.
Sting: “It’s showtime.”
Main Event Time! AEW World Championship Match!
Samoa Joe (c.) vs. FTW Champion HOOK!
Hook charged into battle, peppering the champ with shots. Samoa Joe immediately sent Hook to the outside. Samoa Joe whipped Hook at the barricade, but Hook jumped onto the barricade and then jumped back at Joe with a shot!
Back in the ring, Samoa Joe sent Hook into the ropes and then drove him hard to the mat with a running back elbow. Samoa Joe jabbed at Hook with right hands! Samoa Joe pummeled Hook in the corner with more strikes.
Samoa Joe walloped Hook with a kick and then an elbow drop for a two-count. Hook was looking for a T-bone suplex, but Samoa Joe stopped him with an elbow strike. Hook tripped Samoa Joe and then clobbered him with a wild ride hand from off the apron! Samoa Joe spiked Hook onto the announcer’s desk, and it collapsed under Hook!
Hook flipped off Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe power bombed Hook onto the ring apron! The ref had Doc Sampson examine Hook at ringside. Hook wouldn’t stay down; he shoved the doctor away and got back into the ring. Samoa Joe powerslammed Hook for a near fall!
“What is this man made of?” wondered Excalibur.
Samoa Joe nailed Hook with a Death Valley Driver for a two-count! Hook was still alive, despite being put through hell! Samoa Joe planted Hook with a muscle buster and Hook kicked out at the one-count!
Hook blasted Samoa Joe with three consecutive lariats. Hook sent Samoa Joe for a ride with a T-bone suplex! Hook tried to lock in the Red Rum, but Samoa Joe blocked it! Samoa Joe countered with his own submission. The ref raised Hook’s arm three times, but Hook didn’t respond. The ref ended the match, declaring Samoa Joe the winner.
“Hook wrestled the match of a lifetime. The good news for Hook is this is only the beginning. Hook has quite a career ahead of him,” said Ian.
As Samoa Joe was leaving with his title, Hook yelled, “Is that all you got?”
Samoa Joe jumped back into the ring and kicked Hook between the legs! Samoa Joe planted Hook with another muscle buster!
“Not after this match! Joe didn’t need to do this,” said Excalibur.
Hook was undaunted and got back to his feet, pointing at Samoa Joe who was outside the ring! Samoa Joe got back into the ring. “Hangman” Adam Page sprinted to the ring, having seen enough out of Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe finally left the ring, glaring at Hangman Page. Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana appeared in the front row! Swerve was smirking at Page and Samoa Joe. Hangman helped Hook to his feet.
“Hook put up a hell of a fight, but he came up short. That’s all right. He will be a world champion. That will happen,” said Taz.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One Movie Review & Recap by Big Gold Belt Media with @CamsCollection & @DamianGshow-Synopsis:Based on DC’s iconic comic book limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman…
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After a loaded week of AEW action featuring FOUR massive events, the week begins anew with AEW’s flagship program returning to South Carolia! This Wednesday night DYNAMITE will emanate from North Charleston for the very first time, featuring three championship matches, including Samoa Joe’s first AEW World Title defense, Christian Cage’s first TNT Championship defense of his second reign, and a huge ROH World Six-Man Championship fight! Plus Deonna Purrazzo makes her return to DYNAMITE when she faces Anna Jay one-on-one, and so much more on tap!
AEW DYNAMITE begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, just make a point to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! Then we head to St. Louis and the Chaifetz Center for an all-new COLLISION on the road to REVOLUTION 2024!
When Samoa Joe fought his first professional match, HOOK was less than one year old, and when the current AEW World Champion first began his historic 645-day reign as ROH World Championship on March 22, 2003, HOOK was almost four years old. When “The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil” had his first professional match, Joe had just began his twenty-second year in the sport, and yet despite those differences, in spite of his massive experience disadvantage, HOOK put himself out there as Samoa Joe’s first World Title challenger!
HOOK may be a young man, just twenty-four years old, but he’s not a stupid one. He’s a man well aware of the advantages Joe has over him, very cognizant of the fact he’s coming into this bout as a massive underdog, but he’s also a man very confident in his own abilities. It isn’t luck that led HOOK to a twenty-five match singles win streak or his thirty-four consecutive wins overall, or brought him the FTW Championship two times over. It was hard work that brought him there, that put him behind only Orange Cassidy on that list of singles win streaks, and tied with Jon Moxley. It was that hard work that earned him the respect of the fans, and causes them to rise to their feet with the opening beats of “The Chairman’s Intent”. HOOK knows that he’s worked his tail off to get to this point, but it’s Samoa Joe he’s got standing across the ring from him on Wednesday night, and it’s going to take something extra to overcome that mountain. Perhaps that extra comes from the knowledge his father Taz holds from being rather close to Joe years earlier in their careers…
That knowledge isn’t experience though, that isn’t coming from someone who was in the ring with Samoa Joe and felt what it’s like to have him staring at you as you walk to the ring, or to have those roles reversed and be the one watching him heading your way. At no point was Taz an opponent of Joe’s, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t learn a few things about how the man ticks during his time with the AEW World Champion, knowledge he may have passed on to his son heading towards this showdown.
But once that bell rings, that knowledge has to be applied, application requires room to breathe, and Samoa Joe isn’t likely to let HOOK do that for very long. He will either look to end this quickly, or be the animal that plays with his food before devouring it, hoping men like Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page are watching to see the fate the AEW World Champion has in store for all who step to his title. Those are the moments HOOK needs to look for, the openings Joe might accidentally give, the spaces between that provide a moment to turn the tide; that is where HOOK will thrive, that is where he will find his successes. Create space, be relentless, and perhaps look for a roll-up victory given that Joe has proven susceptible to those throughout his career. HOOK may be an underdog, he may be the only one who believes he can pull this off, but self-belief goes a long way towards actualization, and given his track record of success in AEW to date, there is certainly a possibility we could be hearing the words “AND NEW AEW WORLD CHAMPION…” at the end of this contest!
TNT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
“The Patriarch” Christian Cage(c) vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
TNT Champion Christian Cage sure knows how to make enemies, in fact all it takes to be labeled his enemy is to have any association with Adam Copeland, and “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes joined that field simply by teaming up with Copeland during DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024. Now Rhodes wasn’t the only one at Adam’s side, Orange Cassidy and Preston Vance were there too, but Dustin is the only one singled out by Christian, and perhaps that’s because he’s the one without allies by his side. Dustin doesn’t have Best Friends, Danhausen, and HOOK like “Freshly Squeezed” nor La Faccion Ingobernable like “Perro Pelligroso”, he stands alone that majority of the time, and that can’t be a coincidence for why Christian Cage chose to single him out.
But this numbers game the TNT Champion plays, the intimidation factor of Killswitch at his side, it obviously doesn’t faze “The Natural”, after all with 35 years spent lacing up his boots, there’s very little Dustin hasn’t experienced. He’s been the victim of that numbers game countless times, he’s been up and he’s been down, experienced life as both champion and challenger, and still comes back to the fight every day. Still, there are some things he hasn’t accomplished during his illustrious career and one of those is the acquisition of the TNT Championship. Dustin was part of the inaugural tournament back in 2020, defeating Kip Sabian in the opening round before falling to Lance Archer in the next, and he unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Brodie Lee on the September 9, 2020 edition of DYNAMITE. Dustin also tried to fill the role of Interim TNT Champion when he fought Sammy Guevara on the very first BATTLE OF THE BELTS, but the title eluded him that evening as well.
So now the possibility of finally acquiring AEW gold is upon Dustin once more as he faces Christian Cage this Wednesday night in South Carolina! One of the biggest wins in Rhodes’ career took place in this very venue twenty-seven years ago, can he add another one to his North Charleston record with this TNT Championship fight on DYNAMITE?
ROH WORLD SIX-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage, & Toa Liona)(c) vs.
BULLET CLUB GOLD (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, & Jay White)
On the heels of defeating The Righteous and “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer to retain the ROH World Six-Man Titles, Prince Nana actually stepped up to the plate and made the challenge himself for BULLET CLUB GOLD to fight The Mogul Embassy this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE! It wasn’t The Bang Bang Gang chasing after them, although they’ve definitely voiced those intentions, but the champions taking the first shot rather than potential challengers.
“Switchblade” Jay White and The Gunns had no problem accepting the challenge, nor any qualms about mocking their opponents this week in South Carolina. While that may not be the smartest move, mockery is something in which The Bang Bang Gang is well versed, and frequently uses to play with their opponents before the big fight. These three members of BC GOLD have had a few weeks to rest up, something sorely needed by Jay White after his tour of duty in the Continental Classic, and are ready to bring some gold to their little clique, but to do that, they’ll have to survive three of the biggest, baddest monsters in All Elite Wrestling or Ring of Honor, as well as one of the craftiest managers pro wrestling has seen in the last twenty years!
THE BOYS ARE BACK HOME!
At the close of the night last Wednesday in Jacksonville, Tony Schiavone posited the question to Sting of just who he would face at REVOLUTION 2024 in his final professional wrestling match. Before “The Icon” could even take a breath, the all-too familiar music of The Young Bucks kicked in, and out walked the former 2-Time AEW World Tag Team Champions. Matt and Nick Jackson had been absent from AEW programming since losing their guaranteed World Tag Team Championship opportunity to Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho at FULL GEAR 2023. Brandon Cutler, often disparagingly referred to as their stooge, even tweeted to respect their privacy as they took time away. Then again, perhaps disparagingly isn’t appropriate because Cutler also tweeted that high-fives and hugs erupted upon their return to AEW last week…
Anyway, given the timing of their return, it is quite evident that The Young Bucks are propping themselves up as the REVOLUTION 2024 opponents for Sting and Darby Allin, aiming to be the ones who put “The Icon” out to pasture with a devastating loss rather than triumphant victory. Well this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE we will hear directly from the brothers Jackson about their intentions with that interruption. It’s the first time Matt and Nick have been on AEW programming in two months, so they’ve likely got plenty to say!
ONE-ON-ONE…
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay
***AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION TONI STORM ON COMMENTARY***
Last Saturday night two of AEW’s women had huge nights, but only one was successful! Deonna Purrazzo made her debut on COLLISION, defeating a very game Red Velvet, and sending a clear message to AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm about why “The Virtuosa” came to All Elite Wrestling; the title is what’s on her mind, and Purrazzo doesn’t intend to let anyone stop her from acquiring that championship!
Anna Jay, however, was less successful with her Saturday night fight as she came up short in a TBS Championship challenge opposite The House of Black’s Julia Hart. It was a very close call, alas not one that went Anna’s way, but that doesn’t mean she’s done striving for her first championship success! That’s why this Wednesday night, Anna Jay is getting right back into the fight and welcoming “The Virtuosa” back to DYNAMITE competition, her first since fighting Mercedes Martinez in May 2022, while the eyes of “Timeless” Toni Storm watch from commentary!
As the AEW Women’s World Champion gives her unique perspective on this contest, will she also watch as her next challenger ascends to the top?
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe began his reign over AEW at WORLDS END, and will make his first defense of the title this Wednesday night when AEW debuts in North Charleston, South Carolina against FTW Champion HOOK! Plus, The Mogul Embassy will put their ROH World Six-Man Titles on the line against The Bang Bang Gang, Deonna Purrazzo and Anna Jay collide for the first time, and Christian Cage’s TNT Championship will be at stake when he faces Dustin Rhodes one-on-one for the first time since November 2009!It all begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s numerous social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more!
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Tonight’s AEW COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX was broadcast live from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Open Challenge Match!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Shane Taylor Promotion’s Lee Moriarty!
Collision kicked off with the “Cope Open”!
Copeland whipped Moriarty into the turnbuckles. Copeland clubbed Lee with forearms. Copeland swept out Lee’s legs. Moriarty wrenched Copeland’s arm over the top rope and followed up with a dropkick.
Moriarty went for the Border City Stretch. Copeland powered himself to the ropes, reaching out and grabbing the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Copeland knocked Moriarty off balance. Copeland tossed Lee with an avalanche fallaway slam. Copeland was contemplating a spear, but Shane Taylor distracted him from the arena floor. Moriarty capitalized and booted Copeland. Copeland went outside and speared Taylor and, in the process, Moriarty torpedoed Copeland with a tope!
Back in the ring, Copeland pummeled Lee with stiff shots. Copeland cracked Lee with a backbreaker. Copeland applied the Grindhouse and made Moriarty tap out!
Copeland: “Just in case he forgot, Christian Cage I’m still coming for your scrawny ass!”
ROH World Six-Man Championship Match!
The Mogul Embassy—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage (c.)
vs.
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer, & The Righteous—Dutch & Vincent!
Archer and Cage shoved one another. Cage took down Archer with a vertical suplex. Archer wiped out Cage with a lariat. Cage came back with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony used tandem offense on Vincent. Toa splashed Vincent after a drop toe hold.
Bishop Kaun and Vincent slugged it out in the center of the ring. Things broke down quickly with both teams brawling around ringside! Archer choke slammed Kaun. Cage entered the ring and drilled Archer with a Death Valley Driver. Vincent jumped in but Toa hit a Samoan Drop. Vincent grabbed Toa and nailed him with the Bossman Slam and then flipped over the top rope, wiping out the champs!
Archer was looking for the Black Out on Kaun, but Prince Nana grabbed Archer’s boot. Jake “The Snake” Roberts knocked out Nana with one punch! The fans chanted “You still got it!” Archer was mad at Roberts for getting involved.
Toa pounced Vincent in the ring! The Gates of Agony double teamed Vincent but Archer ran in to make the save. Cage nailed Archer with a twisting neck breaker. Bishop Kaun used his finisher and flattened Vincent for the pinfall victory!
Prince Nana: “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re looking at the greatest ROH Six-Man Champions of all time! And you know what? The boss, Swerve and I, we were watching those guys from the Bang Bang Gang complain about how they need more titles in their collection. More specifically, the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. But you have a boss who couldn’t beat Swerve in the Continental Classic! But since we’re such great guys, this Wednesday, live on Wednesday, it’s Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony challenging you guys in the Bang Bang Gang!”
Lexy Nair was interviewing Preston Vance backstage when…
Roderick Strong and the Kingdom interrupted Preston. Preston Vance said this was his time, but after he was done with his match tonight, he’d beat Roddy next week!
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes vs. Willie Mack!
Dustin arm dragged Mack to the mat. Dustin staggered Willie with a strike to the face. Willie Mack cracked Dustin in the head with a kick. Willie splashed Dustin with a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Willie Mack climbed to the top and went for the six-star frog splash, but Dustin dodged it. Dustin followed up with a Canadian Destroyer and then a power slam! Dustin planted Mack with the Cross Rhodes and pinned him!
“I think he’s catching lightning in a bottle. Message sent!” said Kevin Kelly.
Bullet Club Gold were backstage with an answer for Prince Nana and the Mogul Embassy!
“Switchblade” Jay White said the ROH Six-Man Titles would be going home with him and the Gunns after their match on Dynamite this Wednesday!
FTW World Champion Hook was shown arriving at the arena!
Renee Paquette tried to interview Dustin Rhodes backstage!
TNT Champion Christian Cage interrupted Rhodes and said he didn’t like the company that Rhodes kept. Dustin challenged Christian Cage to put his title on the line this Wednesday on Dynamite!
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. The Workhorsemen’s JD Drake (with Anthony Henry)!
Tony Schiavone mentioned how Page made a challenge to AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, but Hook has the first shot this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Hangman used a side headlock takeover on Drake. Hangman chopped Drake in the corner. Hangman connected with a running moonsault. Page dropkicked Drake into Anthony Henry. JD Drake blasted Page with a big blow!
Hangman landed a top rope plancha on Drake. Page followed up with a crossbody press from the top rope for a near fall. Hangman hoisted up Drake and drilled him with a Death Valley Driver! JD Drake fired back with a belly-to-belly suplex and then a cannonball splash! JD Drake went for a moonsault, but Hangman got out of the way. Hangman blasted Drake with the Buckshot Lariat and pinned JD Drake!
“His first Collision match is a victory, and he earned it, too!” said Tony Schiavone.
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet!
Red Velvet was looking for a thrust kick, but Deonna put the brakes on. Red Velvet snuck in a dropkick though. Deonna grabbed Red Velvet in a Fujiwara armbar, but Velvet grabbed the ropes. Deonna cracked Red Velvet with a baseball dropkick.
Red Velvet shocked Deonna with a Japanese style arm drag. Red Velvet continued to work over Purrazzo’s arm. Deonna rocked Red Velvet with a big pump kick! Deonna grabbed Red Velvet’s arms and pulled back, forcing Red Velvet to tap out to the Venus de Milo!
FTW Champion HOOK vs. Kevin Matthews!
Matthews charged at Hook, trying to blindside him. Hook saw him coming and suplexed Matthews all over the ring. Hook hurled KM on the ramp with another suplex! Hook locked on the Red Rum and Kevin Matthews tapped out!
“Hook has momentum going into Wednesday!” said Tony Schiavone.
Hook looked into the camera and said, “Samoa Joe, I’ll see you Wednesday!”
Collision Main Event! Trios Match!
Daniel Garcia & FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood
vs.
The House of Black—Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black!
Matt Menard joined the commentary team for this match.
Dax smashed Buddy with a guillotine leg drop. FTR hit a double catapult on Buddy. Cash followed up with a brain buster. Garcia tagged in but ate a boot from Buddy.
Malakai Black tagged in and took down Garcia with a big arm drag. Garcia ducked a roundhouse kick from Black. Black and Garcia taunted one another. Brody King entered the fray and FTR knocked him over the top rope with a lariat. The House of Black gathered outside the ring to rethink their strategy.
Back in the ring, big bad Brody and Dax the ax battled it out! Brody power bombed Dax. Malakai tagged in and Malakai and Buddy Matthews double teamed Dax, cutting the ring in half, preventing him from making the tag. The House of Black were relentless in their assault on Dax Harwood.
Harwood finally managed to make the tag to Garcia. Daniel Garcia had fists of fire, taking the fight right to Buddy and Malakai! Garcia held the ropes open and Cash flew out with a tope suicida onto the entire House of Black! Garcia spiked Black with a brain buster for a near fall!
FTR picked up Brody and Garcia jumped off the top rope and they spiked Brody with a triple team piledriver! Black rocked Garcia with a roundhouse kick!
The fans chanted “A-E-W! A-E-W! A-E-W!”
Garcia put Black on his shoulders and Dax jumped off the top with a big bulldog for a two-count! Dax superplexed Black and Garcia jumped for the splash, but Black raised his knees in defense. Matthews tagged himself in. Matthews power bombed Dax twice for a near fall. Dax crunched Buddy with a piledriver for a two-count!
“This is incredible!” said Matt Menard.
Brody distracted the ref from the apron and Black nailed Dax with a round kick. Buddy curb stomped Dax and scored the victory.
“What we have seen tonight has been incredible and the House of Black rises to the top,” said Tony Schiavone.
“You know what they say. The House always wins,” replied Nigel.
Brody blindsided Matt Menard after the match! The House of Black had Daddy Magic surrounded. Black mauled Menard with a roundhouse kick. Garcia and Cash jumped into the ring with steel chairs. The House of Black were forced to retreat, despite winning. FTR and Garcia made a final statement by taking out Brody with the Shatter Machine!
The Battle Of The Belts IX portion of the night began!
AEW World Tag Team Championship Street Fight!
Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks (c.)
vs.
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara!
Both teams were brawling outside the arena! Jericho cracked Starks in the head with a garbage can. Big Bill choke slammed Jericho onto the dirt. Sammy rammed into the champs with a golf cart!
Big Bill had a backpack with bricks inside. Big Bill threw a brick at Sammy, but Sammy moved. The brick broke a car windshield. Jericho and Sammy suplexed Big Bill onto the hood of the car. Rhett Titus was outside with a crowd watching the fight. Titus yelled at Jericho, “That’s my car!” Jericho answered with a Judas Effect to Titus!
Starks and Jericho fought backstage. Starks put a plunger on Jericho’s face! Jericho retaliated with a traffic cone! Sammy and Big Bill traded strikes. Sammy sprayed Big Bill in the face with a fire extinguisher. He sprayed Ricky next!
Starks cracked Jericho in the back with a kendo stick. Jericho had a kendo stick of his own and began to whack Big Bill with it. Jericho picked up a table from ringside. He put two tables side by side. Jericho and Big Bill brawled on top of a crew case. Takeshita smashed Jericho with a kendo stick from out of nowhere. Big Bill power bombed Jericho off the crew case and down through the tables below!
Sammy climbed a lighting truss. Sammy was thirty feet in the air and went for a senton. Powerhouse Hobbs pulled Starks out of the way, and Sammy crashed and burned on the senton! Starks put his arm over Sammy and pinned him!
TBS Championship Match!
Julia Hart (c.) vs. Anna Jay!
Anna Jay stunned Julia with a running snap mare. Julia ducked a round kick. Julia yanked on Anna’s arm, and Anna’s shoulder collided with the turnbuckle. Anna was doing her best to fight with one injured arm. Anna connected with a backstabber for a near fall.
Anna applied the Queen Slayer, but Julia rolled out and put a choke of her own on Anna. Anna escaped and wiped out Julia with a flatliner. Julia locked on Heartless out of nowhere and made Anna Jay tap out!
Footage was shown from earlier in the day of Sonjay Dutt in a locker room with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, and Jay Lethal!
Sonjay told them they needed to get on the same page. Jeff told Jay he had to leave the team. Satnam Singh entered the room and offered food to Jay Lethal, but Lethal shoved it away.
Main Event Time! AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. LFI’s Preston Vance (with Jose the Assistant)!
The Undisputed Kingdom walked down the ramp and sat on chairs watching from ringside.
Preston walloped Orange with a discus lariat. Orange fired back with an Orange Punch! Preston blocked the Beach Break. Preston shoulder tackled Cassidy from off the ropes. Preston connected with a pump kick, sending Orange spilling outside the ring, right in front of the Undisputed Kingdom.
Orange got his hands in his pockets and dropkicked Preston. Orange followed up with a tope suicida. Preston planted Vance with a spinebuster. Preston stomped on Orange in the corner. Orange rallied back with a thrust kick and stomps of his own, pummeling Preston to the mat. Cassidy drilled Preston with the Stun Dog Millionaire and then a spinning DDT for a two-count!
Orange jumped from the top turnbuckle, out of the ring, but Preston caught him! Preston used Orange as a weapon, throwing him overhead with a fallaway slam, taking out the members of the Undisputed Kingdom! Preston flipped off Roderick.
Back in the ring, Preston locked on the full nelson. Cassidy stomped on Preston’s foot and broke free. Orange cracked Preston in the face with the Orange Punch! Orange pulped Preston with the Beach Break and pinned him, retaining the championship!
The Undisputed Kingdom got into the ring after the match. They stared at Cassidy. Jose the Assistant grabbed Roderick, but Roderick retaliated with a jumping knee strike. The Undisputed Kingdom threw Preston and Jose out of the ring. They turned their attention back to Orange Cassidy. Roderick pointed at Orange and said the clock was ticking for him.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Saturday night is loaded up with All Elite Wrestling action as we present three loaded hours of the best professional wrestling action on the planet between two back-to-back programs! For the first time since October 26, 2022, AEW returns to Norfolk’s Chartway Arena and with it comes both COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX! The former will feature “Hangman” Adam Page coming back to Norfolk for the first time since November 2021 where he arrived the new AEW World Champion, Adam Copeland laying out another Open Challenge as he fights towards another TNT Championship opportunity, The Mogul Embassy defending the ROH World Six-Man Championship against Lance Archer and The Righteous, and Deonna Purrazzo making her COLLISION debut against Red Velvet!
For the ninth edition of BATTLE OF THE BELTS, Chris Jericho will use the title opportunity he earned at FULL GEAR 2023 when he teams with Sammy Guevara to challenge Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship titles! Plus, after Anna Jay’s team defeat Julia Hart’s on DYNAMITE this past Wednesday night, “The Queen Slayer” will face “The Princess of the Black Throne” for her TBS Championship title, and Orange Cassidy will put his AEW International Championship on the line against LFI’s Preston Vance!
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, followed immediately by BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
After being robbed of his TNT Championship triumph by Killswitch at WORLDS END, and then having to watch that monster turn his moment over to Christian Cage rather than capitalize on it himself, Adam Copeland is a very angry man. But as someone who understands taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, Copeland can’t fault the former Luchasaurus from trying to seize his moment, but he can look towards Christian Cage as the target of his rage. Copeland may be able to claim a rematch as the former champion, but he’s chosen to play the game “The Patriarch” has laid out, start from scratch, and work his way back towards another shot at Christian and the TNT Championship.
It began last week when a brave Griff Garrison slapped Copeland across the face in response to Adam’s first Open Challenge, and although it ended with Griff tapping out, it showed a more aggressive side to the young man than we’ve seen in the past. This week on COLLISION, Copeland will lay out another Open Challenge and wait to see just who answers the call for a fight! There are plenty of men in the AEW locker room who dream of using the Hall of Famer as their own personal stepping stone, but all they have to do is ask Griff Garrison just how different that dream can be from the reality!
ROH WORLD SIX-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage & Toa Liona)(c) vs. Lance Archer & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)
What an unexpected treat this fight is going to be! Six of the roughest, toughest competitors in professional wrestling locking horns with the ROH World Six-Man Championship titles at stake this Saturday night on COLLISION! The Mogul Embassy are in the midst of their second reign with the titles, having defeated The Elite back on the November 1st edition of DYNAMITE, and sending The Gates of Agony off to New Japan’s World Tag League Tournament on a high note.
Upon their return, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona reunited with Brian Cage at ROH’s FINAL BATTLE 2023 event to make their first successful defense of this second reign over TMDK representatives Bad Dude Tito, Kosei Fujita, and Shane Haste. The trio were back in action together this past Wednesday night during DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, only this time joined by a fourth man in Lance Archer, as they faced Preston Vance, Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, and AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy. Communication broke down, Archer accidentally hit Toa Liona, which in turn led to Brian Cage and Lance Archer coming to blows, and the whole thing falling apart until Bishop Kaun got pinned by Vance.
So this Saturday night on COLLISION, the ROH World Six-Man Champions look to even the score with Lance Archer, but in order to do so they’ll have to put those titles on the line against the nascent team of The Righteous and “The Murderhawk Monster”! Under the guidance of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, they are a dangerous trio who could easily bring an end to The Mogul Embassy’s grip on this Six-Man Championship titles! Vincent and Dutch are familiar with them, having held the belts with Bateman for 224 days from FINAL BATTLE 2021: END OF AN ERA to DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2022, and would love to have them in their possession once again, especially with a behemoth like Lance Archer at their side!
THE VIRTUOSA COMES TO COLLISION…
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet
It was just over a week ago that “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo crashed the in-ring debut of Mariah May, declared herself to be All Elite, and made it clear her sights were set on “Timeless” Toni Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship! It was the first time Purrazzo had been in an AEW ring since her ROH Women’s World Title fight with Mercedes Martinez on May 4, 2022, but back then she was not a part of the AEW roster. This Saturday night on COLLISION, when she steps into the ring against Red Velvet, Purrazzo will be an official member of All Elite Wrestling, and thus beginning her own march towards the title coveted by all the women under the AEW banner.
Eleven times in her career Deonna has worn a championship around her waist, including that ROH Women’s World Title and the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship, but her aim to make the AEW crown her twelfth could very well be stifled by Red Velvet with their mutual COLLISION debut! In November, Red returned from a nine month injury layoff hungry to get back into a title picture, but she has instead been frustrated by the competitors she has faced. This moment that Deonna Purrazzo aims to make her own could be the one Red Velvet steals to put the spotlight back on her own quest to become the top women in AEW.
It’s a tremendous opportunity for Red Velvet, but the pressure is certainly on Deonna Purrazzo to deliver in her debut as an official member of the All Elite Wrestling roster! Purrazzo has the experience advantage, ten years already under her belt at just 29 years of age, but AEW has been Red Velvet’s home for nearly four years, and she intends to remind everyone just who stirs it up around here!
TRIOS GRUDGE MATCH…
Daniel Garcia and FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews
Last week FTR defeated The House of Black, as honored by Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black, in their very first tag team contest, but the meatier story was all that surrounded Dax’s pinfall on Buddy. Prior to the end, Brody King made his way to ringside to help his brothers, but was instead cutoff by a chair-wielding Daniel Garcia, the young man serving as equalizer for The House’s attempt to tip the scales in their favor.
What followed was an all-out assault by The House perpetrated on Dax, Cash, and Garcia, while TBS Champion Julia Hart rang the bell in what can only be likened to a ten bell salute. The message was clear, as was The House’s intent to bury these three individuals, and it looks like the former AEW World Trios Champions will have their opportunity this Saturday night on COLLISION! Aside from a common foe, the only crossing of paths between Daniel Garcia and FTR was a superb HOUSE RULES: TUPELO fight between Garcia and Dax Harwood back in June. They are an inexperienced trio fighting former Trios Champions who hold the record for longest reign in the history of the titles; there’s no doubt FTR and Daniel Garcia are at a disadvantage from the standpoint of working together, but their hunger for a fight, and for revenge after last week, may just be the x-factor that carries them to victory in Saturday night’s fight!
BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP STREET FIGHT…
Big Bill & Ricky Starks(c) vs. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara are no strangers to tag team competition, they netted their very first tag team victory on the second episode of DYNAMITE way back on 10/9/19, and unsuccessfully challenged for the AEW World Tag Titles a month later against Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian. All told, the pair are 7-5 as team since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, but this championship bout on Saturday night comes after a strained relationship turned to betrayal which in turn led to a reunion only a few weeks ago. Jericho and Sammy lived through The Inner Circle together, through the Jericho Appreciation Society together, and even after The J.A.S. fell apart, it seemed Guevara would at least be the one who remained a Jericho-supporter. Yet shockingly, “The Spanish God” did betray Jericho to ally himself with Don Callis and even fought Jericho at WRESTLEDREAM 2023 with Takeshita and Will Ospreay as his partners.
But that match would ultimately tell Guevara everything he needed to know about the poor choice he had made in picking Don Callis, not to say that Jericho himself was a saint over the course of AEW, but neither was Guevara. See “The Spanish God” suffered a serious concussion over the course of that Trios fight in Seattle, and while he was absent from AEW competition, so too was he absent from the mind of Don Callis. No contact, no care, Callis showed not the least bit of concern for Guevara’s health, and that became abundantly clear when Guevara did finally return to AEW during Callis’ self-congratulatory Boxing Day Celebration.
Guevara ended up on the wrong end of an assault from The Don Callis Family, not that it was a surprise Callis sicced his dogs on “The Spanish God”, but what was a shock was Chris Jericho rushing to the aid of his former friend. An even bigger shock was the two men hugging after the fact, Sting and Darby Allin helping them out when an Ricky Starks and Big Bill launched an attack of their own, and the foursome actually beating Starks, Bill, Takeshita, and Powerhouse Hobbs at WORLDS END.
With that victory it was clear that Guevara and Jericho were back on the same page, and that in turn led Chris Jericho to choose Sammy as his partner for this AEW World Tag Team Championship bout! The title shot came about from Jericho and Kenny Omega defeating The Young Bucks at FULL GEAR 2023, but when Omega was forced to step away from AEW to handle his diverticulitis, that left Jericho without a partner to take advantage of the championship opportunity. After all, given everything he’d done to the men in AEW, who would possibly want to team up with “Le Champion” even with a guaranteed title match as part of the deal?
To look towards the future, Jericho certainly had to repair the past, and apparently make amends for what he’d done to Sammy Guevara, and presumably “The Spanish God” also making his apologies for those actions taken several months ago. So now that they’re back on the same page, now that the bond of friendship has been reignited, can they topple Big Bill and Ricky Starks? Unlike Jericho and Guevara, the defending champions are not friends, their relationship is not contingent on being best friends, in fact sometimes it seems like they barely know one another outside of the time they spend fighting side-by-side. The important part to Big Bill and Ricky Starks isn’t a personal relationship, but rather a professional one that keeps the AEW World Tag Team Championship in their possession as long as humanly possible, and if the day comes that it ends, the two men will bid each other farewell and head back onto their own paths.
So in some ways, this fight is a question of which method of conducting your business proves better? Is it the bonds of friendship that make for stronger tag team success, or the bond of business? Will the history of Sammy and Chris be their key to ending the reign of Big Bill and Ricky Starks, or will all their drama over the last five year be their undoing? We will see this Saturday night during BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX!
This past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, TBS Champion Julia Hart and Anna Jay were on opposite sides of an Eight-Woman Tag, with the latter competing in memory of her late-mentor Mr. Brodie Lee. Perhaps it was Lee’s memory, perhaps it was being back in Jacksonville at Daily’s Place, whatever the case may be, it motivated Anna Jay’s team towards victory, with “The Queen Slayer” herself scoring the deciding pinfall over Julia Hart!
Clearly it was a very emotional situation for Anna Jay, but that victory has catapulted her into this championship situation on Saturday night during BOTB IX! Riding on the motivation of that Wednesday night victory, Anna Jay has to remember that Julia Hart holds two decisive victories over her, one in a wild No Holds Barred Match back on May 10th of 2023. Conversely, Anna Jay has no wins over Julia, not directly at least, just this multi-man pinfall over a member of Hart’s team on Wednesday night. In addition, this match marks Anna Jay’s fifth TBS Championship bid since the title’s inception at the beginning of 2022, will it be the night she finally claims it as her own?
On Wednesday night, as part of DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Preston Vance were on the same side of an eight-man tag bout, a match won by Vance when he pinned Bishop Kaun. As a reward for that victory, Orange Cassidy has offered Preston Vance an opportunity to vie for the International Championship this Saturday night during BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, coincidentally also the last championship Vance challenged for back in October 2022. That night it was as part of a Three Way bout with RUSH and then All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy, with Cassidy in the earliest days of his historic championship reign, making his first defense after defeating PAC a week prior.
Fast forward some 15 months and these two competitors will meet again, only now in a singles bout, their first since September 30, 2020, and with the International Championship at stake! Can Vance take that next step in his career and rise to championship status? Or will Cassidy continue on in his goal to surpass the records he set with his previous title run?
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, followed immediately by BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more! Between the two events, we’ve got an AEW World Tag Team Championship match, a ROH World Six-Man Championship Match, a TBS Championship fight, Adam Copeland in action, Hangman Page returning to Virginia, and so much more! Do not miss out on this loaded night featuring the premiere professional wrestlers of All Elite Wrestling!
Bruce Vilanch Interview by Big Gold Belt Media- Saturday, January 6, 2024 @ The Biltmore Los AngelesAbout the Hollywood Creative Alliance:The Hollywood Creative Alliance, commonly called HCA, is a 501 c6 membership-based, not-for-profit organization. Its diverse…
Nicole Sakura Interview by Big Gold Belt Media- Saturday, January 6, 2024 @ The Biltmore Los AngelesAbout the Hollywood Creative Alliance:The Hollywood Creative Alliance, commonly called HCA, is a 501 c6 membership-based, not-for-profit organization. Its diverse…
