All Elite Wrestling

***CONTAINS SPOILERS*** “Le Champion” Chris Jericho and Tony Schiavone welcomed viewers to DYNAMITE and ran down tonight’s card, which featured a double main event! Up first: in a TNT Championship Tournament Semi Final—“The American Nightmare” Cody (accompanied by Brandi Rhodes) vs. Darby Allin! Jericho said he was impressed with the previous performances in the match between Darby and Sammy Guevara, as both wrestlers left everything they had in the ring. It showed how important the TNT Championship is to both of them, and everyone in the tournament. Shawn Spears was watching behind the ringside barrier, still stewing over his loss to Cody. Cody and Darby locked up in the center of the ring. Cody tried to pin Darby after a shoulder tackle, “just to show him he has the upper hand,” added Jericho. After some excellent amateur wrestling was put on display, Cody bridged out of a pinning attempt by Darby, and in the process, tweaked his knee. Darby seized the moment and clipped Cody’s knee! They brawled outside, and Cody shot a mean look at Shawn Spears. Darby charged Cody, and Darby inadvertently knocked Brandy into the barricade as Cody sidestepped him! Billy Gunn helped Brandi to the back to get her medical attention. Back in the ring, an infuriated Cody kicked it into high gear, stomping and kneeing Darby. Cody put Darby into a bow and arrow type submission hold, but Darby escaped for a quick pin attempt. Cody kicked out and went right back on the attack, injured knee and all. Cody dropped Darby’s abdomen right across the top rope with a forward suplex. “Look at him, he’s trying to hurt Darby,” said Schiavone. “He’s still blaming Darby for his own mistake that took out his wife Brandi,” added Jericho. Cody lifted Darby for a vertical suplex but Darby countered with a knee to Cody’s head, and then chop blocked Cody’s leg. They traded strikes and Darby hit a Code Red on Cody for a two count! Darby went right back to working on Cody’s wheels with a leg lock. He then secured Cody’s leg in the turnbuckle and gave him a running splash. Darby slammed Cody’s knee onto the mat. Cody limped outside to buy himself some time. While the referee was distracted, Dr. Britt Baker, who was watching from behind the barricade, hit Cody with her shoe! Darby was head-butting Cody’s knee in the ring. Cody knocked some of the face paint off Darby with an uppercut, then the Disaster Kick! Cody’s leg was in bad shape. Cody removed his weight belt and possibly contemplated whipping Darby with it, but he handed it to ref Aubrey Edwards in a sign of good sportsmanship. Cody wrapped up Darby with an inside cradle for a two count! Darby got up and gave Cody the Cross Rhodes, Cody’s own finishing move, for a near fall! “That took a lot of balls to do that. That’s like slapping him in the face,” noted Jericho. Darby applied the figure four to Cody, another of Cody’s favorite moves. “You can tell that Darby has scouted Cody very well here,” said Schiavone. Brandi Rhodes limped back out to the ring. She handed Cody a bottle of water. Cody took a swig from the bottle, but Darby grabbed it and smashed it across Cody’s face! Darby went for a Coffin Drop but Cody caught him and gave him a ripcord clothesline! Cody went for another but Darby countered with a stunner. Darby went for an Asai moonsault but Cody caught Darby again. Cody connected with the Cross Rhodes but Darby kicked out at the two count! Now Cody went for one of Darby’s own moves—the Coffin Drop—but Darby had it scouted and raised his knees in time to meet Cody’s lumbar region! Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Cody was able to maneuver his shoulders, rollup Darby, and get the pin on Darby! Cody is going to the finals of the tournament! A video package aired on Scorpio Sky (part one was shown last week). “Frankie and Chris were looking for a third guy for a while then and I was completely on board because I always looked up to those guys.” He said he didn’t want to be just the third guy in a team that had been established as stars years ago, but things clicked when the “This is the worst town I’ve ever been in” catchphrase took off, thanks in part to the Being The Elite YouTube series. He said that Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels have been a huge part of his career and his growth. “I’m never satisfied. I don’t want to be good. I don’t even want to be great. I want to be a legend,” he concluded. Next we had an update on MJF’s condition, from Max’s Rat’s Estate, in Massapequa, NY. “Because of my unapologetic courageousness, I was able to rehab my horrible injury” (his hangnail). MJF said he was so excited to get back to DYNAMITE, and while he was getting “TV ready,” he was shaving and the unthinkable happened: he nicked his neck. MJF revealed a neck brace. Despite this, MJF said he is a warrior, and he’ll be back, because “…he’s the storm thundering across the horizon, the candle lit in the darkness. I am the only hope this company has left. I am better than you and you know it.” Musa vs. “Mr. Mayhem” Wardlow was next! “If you were going to create the perfect wrestler in a lab, Wardlow is what you would want. Look at him!” said Chris Jericho. Musa charged at Wardlow and Wardlow choke slammed him hard to the mat. It was like running into a freight train. Wardlow tried a running powerslam on Musa but Musa put the brakes on and tried to get Wardlow down. Wardlow chuckled. Wardlow pulled Musa by the throat off the top turnbuckle and smashed him face-first to his knee! “Wardlow is not done with the man. This is an assassination,” said Jericho. Wardlow used the airplane spin on Musa and rag dolled him down for the victory! Another episode of The Bubby Bunch aired. Jericho said that word on the street is people actually think Sammy beat him in the Flim Flam challenge last week. The members of The Inner Circle debated on who they thought was the winner—Sammy or Le Champion. Jericho said they should agree to disagree and instead, had an old fashioned Manitoba Melee. A virtual melee ensued, one that needs to be seen to be believed! “Stop! Because that was awesome! That was one of the best Manitoba Melees that I’ve ever been a part of. Long live The Inner Circle! Was that Lou Ferrigno with a Taser?” asked Jericho. Up next in a No DQ, No Count out match—Jimmy Havoc & “SuperBad” Kip Sabian (with Penelope Ford) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent, with Orange Cassidy)! Kip and Havoc attacked Best Friends as Trent and Chuck entered the ring! They battled to the outside, but Trent used a tope con giro on Kip and Havoc! Jimmy pulled out a steel chair and threw it at Orange Cassidy’s head, knocking him down. Jimmy suplexed Chuckie onto steel chairs on the outside of the ring. Jimmy tried to whack Chuckie with a chair but Trent saved him with a spear to Jimmy! Kip launched himself with a tope con giro onto Trent! Kip worked over Trent inside the ring while Jimmy assaulted Chuck with chairs on the outside. Jimmy threw a ladder at Trent inside the ring! Jimmy bit on Trent’s ear. Kip and Jimmy double-teamed Trent while Chuck tried to recover on the outside. Kip opened a steel chair and set it up in the corner. Havoc launched Kip at the chair and a prone Trent, but Trent moved, sending Kip crashing! Jimmy tried to ram Chuck with a chair but Chuck raised a knee, and Jimmy’s skull crashed into the steel chair! Trent and Chuck each picked up chairs and swung them at Jimmy’s head, and then Best Friends hugged! “Got to give people what they want!” said Schiavone. Kip tried to attack from behind as Best Friends were hugging, but they were smart to him and sent him flying with Chuck’s sole food maneuver! It was good for a two count on Kip. Chuck wedged a chair into the corner turnbuckle, but Kip countered and rammed Chuck into it! Trent ran up the turnbuckles, though, and blasted Kip with a tornado DDT! “Trent’s got star quality written all over him,” said Jericho. Trent used his knee with the chair as a battering ram on Kip! Trent went for the pin but Jimmy jumped in for the save. Trent propped Kip onto the ladder that had been set up in the corner, but Jimmy came to the aid once again, pushing Kip out of the way. Jimmy got on the ladder and used it as a standing platform. While Trent was sitting on the top turnbuckle, he and Jimmy duked it out! Jimmy pulled Trent by the ankles and sent Trent crashing down on the ladder! Jimmy set up two chairs in the ring and crunched Trent’s back again! Kip did a flying foot stomp onto Trent, who was still on the chairs. Kip and Jimmy went for a double pin but Chuckie made the save and broke the pin attempt! Chuckie body slammed Jimmy onto the chair, and then gave a pile driver to Kip onto the chair! Chuck went for the pin on Kip but Penelope grabbed Chuck’s leg, interfering to stop the count! Chuck propped up the ladder in the corner again, but Jimmy backdropped Chuck onto the ladder. Orange Cassidy ran to the ring with a chair. Kip went after Orange but “Freshly Squeezed” evaded him and Kip crashed into Penelope instead. Orange climbed to the top rope and jumped backwards, landing onto Kip and Penelope, neutralizing them! Chuckie saw Jimmy on the top rope and caught him with the Awful Waffle onto a pile of chairs for the three count from ref Paul Turner! From on location at her dental practice, Dr. Britt Baker gave a behind the scenes glimpse into what goes into producing her “Role Model” segments. Britt introduced Rule #2: Not everyone can be a role model! “The Chairman” Shawn Spears vs. Baron Black followed this! Spears used a full arm drag and twist on Black, and then rubbed his elbow into Black’s face. Spears flexed his glutes and then pancaked Black to the mat! Spears used a wicked snapsuplex on Black. Spears blasted Black with the C4, and then submitted his opponent with a picture perfect sharpshooter! “Shawn Spears is on a roll!” said Schiavone. “Mr. Fun Size” Marko Stunt vs. “The Exalted One” Mr. Brodie Lee was next! Stunt charged Lee but ran right into a big boot from The Exalted One! Lee chopped Stunt, nearly caving in his chest. Lee manhandled Marko, hurling him right across the ring! Marko tried a running dive but got caught on the outside by Lee, who then hit a nasty thrust kick on Marko! Lee tried for a suplex on Marko, but Marko landed on his feet! Marko jumped from the second turnbuckle but was caught by Lee who planted him to the mat. Mr. Brodie Lee finished off Marko with the sit out powerbomb! AEW Champ Jon Moxley gave an update to fans. “Tough times never last forever and I promise one day, we will all be back together, and I will be bleeding and swearing in a sea of fans once again. But right now it’s a good time to reflect on the things you’re thankful for. I, myself, have a lot to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my wife. I’m thankful for steel chairs. I am thankful most of all that AEW is live next week, and circumstances aside, I’ve still got a job to do. I will be live at AEW DYNAMITE next week. And I understand with AEW DOUBLE OR NOTHING coming up, I’ve got a big target on my back. Please remember before you step up to the World Champion, you do so at your own risk.” And announced for next week: The return of MJF! AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Frankie Kazarian of SCU! In a Street Fight—Kenny Omega & Matt Hardy vs. Le Sex Gods, Chris Jericho & Spanish God Sammy Guevara! But first, it was time for our second of two main events tonight! In a TNT Championship Tournament Semi Final Match—“Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes (accompanied by Brandi Rhodes)! Archer pushed Dustin into the corner after they locked up. They were sizing up one another in the early moments of this match. Dustin hit Archer with a shoulder block and Archer barely budged. Archer returned the favor and knocked Dustin off his feet. Archer charged Dustin but Dustin pulled down the top rope, sending Archer to the outside. Dustin flipped from the ring apron and came crashing onto Archer. “It worked, taking Archer off his feet. Dustin is doing these things with 31 years of experience and he’s wrestling better now than ever,” noted Jericho. Dustin tried for the big powerslam but Archer blocked it. Archer pounced Dustin, knocking him to the outside! Archer grabbed for a steel chair and swung it at Dustin, but Dustin beat him to the punch, literally. He met Archer with strikes and a kick, knocking the chair out of his grip. Dustin grabbed the steel chair for himself but Archer kicked it, knocking Dustin in the face! Dustin’s forehead was busted open! Back in the ring, Archer continued to dismantle Dustin. “The Natural” fought back with a string of offense, but Archer clotheslined Dustin and then began the ground and pound attack! On the outside, Archer rammed Dustin into the steel post! They exchanged chops until Archer hit a stiff forearm on Dustin, ringing his bell. Archer rolled into the ring and commanded ref Aubrey Edwards to count out Dustin. Archer waited long enough and picked up Dustin and tossed him back into the ring. Archer suplexed Dustin, and then was driving Dustin’s face into the mat. The canvas of the mat pooled with Dustin’s blood! Dustin tried to rally back and set up Archer’s legs on the turnbuckles, forcing Archer into a leg split. Dustin punted the turnbuckle beneath Archer’s groin! Dustin took down Archer with a snapmare but then Archer got up and began pummeling Dustin with fists again! “Look at Archer! He still won’t stay down!” said Jericho. Dustin rocked Archer with a couple of overhand rights! Dustin landed the Code Red Canadian Destroyer on Archer, but was too exhausted to go for the cover! Both wrestlers got back up to their feet and slugged it out. Dustin connected with a lariat. Archer ducked a running bulldog but Dustin hit him with a powerslam! Dustin had Archer in the corner and climbed the turnbuckle to drop some fists on the MurderHawk Monster. Archer powered out but Dustin countered with the Cross Rhodes! Archer kicked out at one! Dustin methodically climbed to the top rope but Archer caught him, gripping Dustin’s throat. Archer choke slammed Dustin but Dustin kicked out at two! Archer walked the entirety of the top rope and then hit a moonsault on Dustin! Somehow Dustin found the energy to kick out at two, but just barely! Archer went for his Blackout finisher, but Dustin fought out of it, pushing Archer into the ropes! Dustin attempted a DDT but Archer countered and choke slammed Dustin! Archer went for the pin attempt but Dustin rolled him up. Archer escaped at the two-count! “Now Archer’s mad!” said Jericho. Archer booted Dustin. Archer removed the top turnbuckle pad, exposing the steel cable. He rammed Dustin’s forehead into the exposed corner. QT Marshall came to the ringside area and was about to throw in the towel. Cody ran down and grabbed the towel from QT. Cody checked on his brother; Dustin was telling Cody not to throw in the towel when Archer grabbed Dustin by the legs and pulled him to the center of the ring. Archer palmed Dustin’s head like it was a basketball and began bouncing it off the mat! Archer squeezed Dustin’s forehead and put all of his bodyweight on Dustin, pinning him in the process! With this victory Lance Archer has advanced to the finals of the TNT Championship Tournament! It’ll be Cody vs. Archer on May 23rd at DOUBLE OR NOTHING! Catch all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT next week!

***CONTAINS SPOILERS*** Tonight’s episode began with a video package of “The American Nightmare” Cody, sitting behind a desk in a leather chair. Cody faced a wall of monitors, where he was scouting footage of the remaining seven wrestlers in the tournament to crown the inaugural winner of the TNT Championship. Footage played of Sammy Guevara: “A self-proclaimed Spanish god,” said Cody. “A ‘murderhawk,’” said Cody of Lance Archer. Cody looked at a monitor that played images of Kip Sabian, with Penelope Ford in Kip’s corner. “A UK paragon with pretty blue eyes in the back of his head.” He saw footage of Darby Allin: “The intangible.” Cody looked at a monitor with “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes: “A legend.” “So who am I?” Cody asked himself. “I wonder…during these pressing times, has my sword been sharpened, or have I not answered the call? Where do I fit into all of this? It really can’t be ‘future endeavors’ unless you actually intend to endeavor. So am I the three-star general, mid-card for life, broke the throne because I was afraid to sit in it? You hear something enough times and it starts to get comfortable like old leather. Am I comfortable? Am I scattered in my role? I’m going to meet one of these men in the semi-finals and I need to answer the call. “All of these men could be champion…there’s plenty of will in this tournament…now we find out who has enough of it.” Tony Schiavone and “Le Champion” Chris Jericho ran down tonight’s card from the broadcast table. The first match of tonight’s DYNAMITE was Sammy Guevara of The Inner Circle vs. Darby Allin in the Quarter Finals of the TNT Championship Tournament! The winner will go on to face Cody in the second round. Sammy is on a three-match winning streak. “Has there been a bigger break-out star since the beginning of DYNAMITE eight months ago than Darby Allin?” pondered Jericho. As Darby made his way to the ring, Sammy jumped him, propelling himself over the top rope! “The match has not even started! The bell has not even sounded!” said Schiavone. Sammy whipped Darby into the steel barricade on the outside. “This was The Inner Circle’s plan, and Sammy followed through,” explained Jericho. Sammy set up a steel ladder, balancing it on top of the outside guardrail and the ring apron. Sammy positioned Darby onto the ladder and then splashed onto him from the top turnbuckle! Sammy pulled Darby into the ring and ref Aubrey Edwards called for the match the start. Sammy immediately went for the cover but Darby managed to kick out at two! Sammy pulled on Darby’s arms and stomped down on his head. Sammy propped up Darby on the top turnbuckle but Darby fought back! Sammy was caught in the ropes, and Darby yanked off Sammy’s boot and wrenched on his ankle. “It’s a reverse ankle lock from the top rope. I’ve never seen that before!” said Jericho. Darby began head-butting the ankle of Sammy, until Sammy kicked him away with the free leg. With one foot, Sammy hit a springboard cutter on Darby! There was another near-fall on Darby, who was bleeding from the nose. Sammy walked up to a downed Darby, but Darby rolled him up with the ankle lock on the foot that had no wrestling boot! They began slugging it out until Darby finally released the hold. Sammy caught Darby with a spinning back-fist, and then kicked him right in the face. Darby rolled out to the floor after escaping the pin attempt, luring Sammy out with him. Darby ran back into the ring and launched himself through the ropes, but Sammy moved, sending Darby crashing into the guardrail! Back in the ring, Sammy smashed onto Darby with a 630 splash! Darby grabbed the bottom rope just in time to break the pin attempt. Darby rallied back with a cutter, and tried for a quick Coffin Drop, but Sammy caught him mid-flight! Sammy tried for the GTS but Darby countered with the Last Supper and pinned Sammy! Darby Allin is advancing to the semi-finals of the TNT Championship Tournament! Matt Hardy checked in from the Hardy Compound! “I invited Christopher Jericho to the iconic Hardy Compound to face me in a battle that I would coin ‘The Elite Deletion,” explained Hardy. “Seven nights ago on DYNAMITE, I did not hear a word. The only thing I saw was an episode of The Bubbly Bunch. Jericho—while I was watching that, my essence, Damascus, could tell that your essence was trembling in fear as you spilled the juice that is orange all over your counter. The only one of your underlings who said a word, who had the testicles to mention my name was Sammy Guevara—the false god! Well Samuel I welcome you here if you wish to fight Jericho’s fight for him but be warned…if you come to the Hardy Compound, I will mash you up and eat you, fraud Latino! Sammy, come here and I will sentence you to deletion! “Wait, it all makes sense. I understand why Jericho did not mention my name: because he does not know how to handle my broken brilliance. Fortunately things are different this time with Broken Matt Hardy: for some people, a broken Matt Hardy is too intense, too over-the-top. And maybe that is the case for you, Jericho. Maybe you should speak to a different entity, the other entity that is Matt Hardy, the mortal vessel, the one that is unkillable. Speak to him Jericho.” Suddenly the mortal vessel that is unkillable Matt Hardy appeared: “I’ve known Chris Jericho for a long time, well over 20 years, and during that time, we’ve been friends, we’ve been enemies, we’ve gotten along, we’ve had heat, we’ve been through it all. But still, whenever I showed up on DYNAMITE, and you were so angry that I had the back of The Elite—my friends, great guys—Matt and Nick Jackson, two of my closest friends in life. Cody—a great friend. Kenny Omega—I respect the hell out of him. “These guys are powerful people in AEW. They’re the foundation, the pillars of All Elite Wrestling. And then I got it, I understood why you’re so mad, Chris. Because if you knock out all the pillars of AEW, it creates chaos, and in chaos there is opportunity…opportunity for you to sit atop the mountain, Chris. I can’t allow that to happen. Because AEW is not a platform for Chris Jericho. It’s not a platform for Matt Hardy. AEW is a platform for the future. They are trying to keep this business alive. They are trying to do something great for the generations that will follow us, and I am going to protect that concept, Chris. And if you want to send Sammy Guevara, who is an amazingly talented dude—I am going to kick your ass, Sammy, and I’ll keep kicking every ass in The Inner Circle until I get to you, Chris. And then ultimately I am going to kick your ass.” “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega (one-half of the AEW World Tag-Team Champions) was in action next against “the Southpaw Serial Killer” Alan Angels! Angels went for a leg sweep but Kenny brushed it off. Kenny knocked Angels down with a shoulder block. Angels snuck out of a snapdragon suplex attempt from Kenny, but that only angered Kenny, who lit up Angels with knife-edged chops. Angels tried a back-splash on Kenny, but Kenny lifted the knees in time! Kenny dropped Angels with a fierce backbreaker. Kenny turned Angels inside out with a lariat. Kenny ducked some offense from Angels and planted him with a snapdragon suplex! He followed up with a V-trigger knee! Kenny wiped out Angels with a gut wrench powerbomb and another V-trigger for the victory! A video package aired of Scorpio Sky: “As far back as I can remember I’ve been a wrestling fan. I don’t have a story that started my love for pro wrestling. There wasn’t a moment where I discovered it. It was kinda always there. “I always wanted to be a pro wrestler and I never thought of anything else. My mom used to tell me, ‘You’re special. There’s a gift that you have.’ That always stuck with me and it resonated with me. And I felt like no matter what obstacle I faced I would get through it.” Scorpio detailed a serious lower back injury he suffered, and seeing a doctor in 2008, who told him he’d probably never wrestle again. He had two options: surgery or pain management. “A lot of people don’t believe in miracles but I woke up one day and my back didn’t hurt that much anymore. And then the next day it felt better. And the first thing I wanted to do was get back in the ring. I haven’t had a problem since. But eventually, year after year after year, of not making it, not having any luck, and anytime an opportunity would come, I would do my best and find out, ‘Oh, he’s great, we love him. But we just don’t have a spot for him.’ “I went to my mom’s gravesite, and kinda talking to myself, talking to her, talking to God, not really sure what my next move was. I just said, ‘Whatever direction I’m supposed to go in, show me.’ And I went home and later on that night, the next day, I kinda made it up in my mind: let’s give pro wrestling one more chance. “I felt like I had two outs, two strikes, and I stepped up to the plate, and I got that one opportunity to hit it out of the park. December 2017 we formed SCU.” To Be Continued… Highlights of the 200th episode of Being The Elite aired. The next match was Jimmy Havoc vs. “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (accompanied by Best Friends—Chuck Taylor & Trent)! Havoc blindsided Orange, storming him from behind. He wacked Orange in the back of the head with a stiff forearm. Havoc removed Orange’s denim jacket and began to choke him with it until ref Aubrey Edwards stopped him. Havoc pulled the shirt off Cassidy and chopped him. Havoc choked him with the shirt. “He loves to torture people,” noted Schiavone. Havoc dumped Orange onto the floor outside the ring and then slung him into the guardrail. Havoc suplexed Orange onto the concrete! Havoc rammed Orange’s head into the steel post. “He’s wiping the mat with Orange here,” said Jericho. Jimmy Havoc applied an arm bar to Orange in the center of the ring. The ref broke the hold, as Orange was able to get to the ropes. Havoc started biting Orange’s hands. Orange rolled out of the way of a clothesline and then dropkicked Havoc! Orange got a second wind and hit a flying cross body on Havoc! Orange nailed Havoc with a big DDT! Havoc barely escaped the pin. Havoc punched Orange in the face and then set him up on the top turnbuckle. As Havoc was climbing to the top, Orange grabbed Havoc’s ankles and sent him crashing to the mat! Orange splashed Havoc for a two-count. Orange connected with a superman punch on Havoc! Penelope Ford climbed the ring apron, trying to distract Orange Cassidy, but Chuck Taylor pulled her down. Kip Sabian ran from the back and jumped over the top rope, taking out both members of Best Friends! Penelope jumped off the top rope but Orange moved. In the middle of all the chaos, Orange rolled up Havoc for the victory! Havoc and Sabian double-teamed Orange after the match until Best Friends ran them off! From Max’s Rat’s House in Cape Cod, MA, MJF provided an update on his “condition.” “Hello. We are currently facing a nationwide epidemic. Mankind has never been through such debilitating, depressing times. The fact that MJF has not wrestled on AEW DYNAMITE is absolutely insane and I understand my fans have been craving to see me! I’m here to explain why I have not been there for you: On my last appearance on DYNAMITE, while gambling earlier in the evening, I suffered a serious injury. “While throwing cash, I got a hangnail. But like a valiant warrior, I proceeded to gamble until the show’s ending. Unfortunately, due to my inability to quit, my severe injury became life threatening. But I am here to tell you, I will be back, and like a phoenix I will rise from the ashes and I will become your AEW World Champion…because I’m better than you, and you know it.” Lee Johnson vs. “Mr. Mayhem” Wardlow was next! Wardlow sent Johnson to the ground with an explosive knee! Wardlow pressed Johnson and then smashed him into the mat! “I think he literally broke him in half,” said Schiavone. Wardlow launched Johnson halfway across the ring with a release suplex! He did it a second time, throwing him like a sack of potatoes. “That’s Mike Tyson-style power coming from that lower half of his body,” added Jericho. Wardlow flung Johnson with a wicked airplane spin! Wardlow pinned Johnson and picked up a decisive victory. A package played of The Dark Order and Mr. Brodie. Mr. Brodie Lee told a new recruit: “I understand where you’re coming from. I understand your frustrations. Trust me, of all people, I get it. See a lot of people here in AEW, they didn’t work for their success. They were handed it. A lot of people around here are afraid of success. “Do I look like I’m afraid of success? I want to offer you success. I want to offer you the power, the strength in numbers. We are the lions of AEW. We feed on the prey. You are home now. You are one of us. You are Dark Order.” Mr. Brodie slid a Dark Order mask across the desk and the new recruit accepted it. Our next match was Justin Law vs. “The Exalted One” Mr. Brodie Lee! Brodie Lee hammered Law with stiff uppercuts and forearms! He followed up with a superkick on Law. “Justin’s out. He could pin this guy at any point now,” said Jericho. Lee sent Law flying with two brutal suplexes. Brodie was staring down Marko Stunt from inside the ring. Brodie knocked out Law with a discus lariat and got the easy victory. Brodie Lee approached Marko at ringside and sized him up. To his credit, Marko didn’t back down. Brodie walked off. “There’s a fine line between courage and stupidity, and Marko is walking that line,” noted Jericho. The second installment of The Bubbly Bunch aired. Sammy was feeling down. The rest of The Inner Circle tried to cheer him up and did a Flim Flam video. The winner would receive a bottle of hand sanitizer. After flashy footwork and dance moves by all, Sammy was declared the winner! It was time for our main event of the evening! “SuperBad” Kip Sabian (accompanied by Penelope Ford) vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes (with Brandi Rhodes) in the TNT Championship Tournament Quarter Final! Rhodes announced that if he couldn’t beat Sabian tonight, he would retire. Dustin offered to shake Kip’s hand at the start of the match, but Kip declined. Dustin missed a forearm and an elbow but eventually found his target with an uppercut and an arm drag to Kip. Dustin chopped away at Kip in the corner. Penelope Ford got involved and grabbed Dustin’s foot, buying Kip some time. Momentum shifted in Kip’s favor with a step-up enzuirgiri and a kick to Dustin. Kip applied a front face lock to Dustin. Dustin powered Kip into the corner turnbuckle. Dustin ran to the corner and lifted a knee but Kip sidestepped it, causing Dustin’s knee to buckle. “Dustin hurt his knee that time,” said Schiavone. Kip wasted no time in targeting Dustin’s knee, stomping on it, and then wrenching it. Kip whipped Dustin into the corner, but Dustin went down in a heap. “Dustin Rhodes can’t even walk now,” added Jericho. Kip hit a dropkick and went for the cover, but Dustin countered with a roll-up for a two-count! Dustin attempted a scoop-slam but his injured leg gave out, and Kip landed on top of him for a near fall. Kip missed a dropkick and Dustin tried to pin him with a forward roll! Kip hit a knee on Dustin, then a discus lariat, and tried for the pin on Dustin. “Dustin better pull out some energy reserves here, because if this was an MMA fight, Dustin would lose on points for sure,” said Jericho. Kip snapmared Dustin over and kicked him in the back! Dustin got back on his feet and hit a quick spinebuster on Kip! Dustin followed up with a bulldog! Dustin used a Rhodes powerslam on Kip for a two-count! “Dustin Rhodes may have a little bit left in his tank!” noted Schiavone. Kip connected with a swinging DDT off the second rope! Dustin kicked out at two! Kip mounted Dustin and began the ground and pound attack, until ref Aubrey Edwards pulled him off Dustin. While the referee was admonishing Kip, Penelope tried to interfere, but Brandi speared Penelope! Kip looked outside the ring to see what happened to Penelope, and Dustin used the opportunity to plant him with the Code Red Canadian Destroyer! Rhodes scored the victory and is advancing to the semi-finals! As the show was going off the air, Tony Schiavone was notified in his headset by Tony Khan that signed for next week’s DYNAMITE is Best Friends with Orange Cassidy vs. Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc in a No DQ, No Count-Out Match! Catch all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT next week!

***CONTAINS SPOILERS*** Tonight’s show opened with Jake “the Snake” Roberts discussing his client, “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer. “You know when TNT came up with this championship and wanting to put somebody out there in front, I think it was made for us, and I’ll tell you why: they would love to have Lance Archer there. You want to take somebody to a party, take him into a party. Everybody’s gonna look. Everybody’s gonna bow down. When he walks into a place, he commands attention. Lance was made for this. “In our minds, that championship belt is a bone. Do you really wanna come and try to take this bone away from that dog? Lance is going to enjoy this because each time he wins he knows he’s going to be getting a little bit closer to what we want. “Colt Cabana—I’ve watched you for years. I know what you’re capable of. And you got some stuff…but not near good enough. You look at Lance Archer. 275 lbs. of raw steel, man. He’s got an attitude. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. He was pushed out of this country, man, and forced to go to Japan just to make a damn living. And he’s pissed off. “He’s got something none of you people have: he’s a friggin animal. Listen to me or regret it. It’s your choice.” Tony Schiavone and “Le Champion” Chris Jericho ran down tonight’s card from the broadcast table. Our opening contest tonight was match #2 in the TNT Championship Tournament! In the tournament quarter final, it’s “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer vs. “Boom Boom” Colt Cabana! Colt and Archer met face to face in the ring and Archer belted Colt with a stiff shot, knocking him off his feet before the bell rang. Colt tried to fight back with strikes of his own but Archer rocked Colt again. “Colt’s not going to back down. He’s a veteran,” said Schiavone. Colt fired up and started chopping Archer’s chest. This only angered Archer, who plowed into Colt with a shoulder block. Colt wrenched Archer with a wristlock. Colt ran into the corner but Archer caught him midflight and manhandled him right down to the mat! “Colt is going to have to change his style here because Archer just wants to fight,” noted Chris Jericho. Archer raked Colt’s eyes. Archer caught a chop from Colt and turned it into a lariat. Archer was dropping fists onto Colt. While Colt was on his knees, Archer dared him to punch him in the face! Colt gave it a shot, but Archer shrugged it off. Archer spun off the turnbuckle and splashed onto Colt! “Colt’s not going to give up,” said Le Champion. Colt moved out of the way from a big splash from Archer. Colt nailed Archer with an elbow right on the dome and followed up with flying head scissors! Colt scored a close near fall on Archer. Colt tossed in some jabs at Archer, but Archer just smiled. “He likes being hit in the face. He likes being punched,” said Schiavone. Archer ran into Colt, nearly pouncing him right out of his boots! He chokeslammed Colt. Archer pinned Colt after the blackout, propelling him into the semifinals of the tournament! “Colt Cabana had a good showing but Lance Archer is going to be tough to beat,” said Jericho. Ariel Helwani from ESPN gave some insight via video into tonight’s #HagerVMox match. His pick to win was Jake Hager, “…my fellow MMA guy. A rising star still in the sport, still breaking barriers. He has been in a cage. He is undefeated as an MMA fighter. This man has seen it all, he has done it all. I’m going with Hager to beat Jon Moxley.” Next was AEW announcer “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz: “You know the deal, it’s no-holds-barred, it’s empty arena. It’s knuckle up time. And I do think that’s exactly what our champion Jon Moxley has to do—knuckle up. Avoid the mat as much as possible. I do think Mox turns this thing into a straight fight. It’s gonna be hard but I do think Mox retains the AEW World Title.” “The Golden One” Cassandra Golden vs. Dr.Britt Baker was next! Hikaru Shida was watching from the ringside area behind the barricade. Anna Jayy was also in the crowd. Baker kicked Golden’s knee out from under her. She followed up with a superkick! Golden was draped over the middle rope while Baker pushed down with her bodyweight, putting pressure on Golden’s esophagus. Baker forced Golden to bite onto the bottom rope and then stomped the back of her head! Baker then pinned Golden for the victory. “Look at that! She’s going to need a root canal,” said Jericho. Mike Goldberg from Bellator MMA gave his prediction for tonight’s #HagerVMox match: “My buddy Jake Hager is going to put a beating on the champion and leave with the belt. Here we go!” A vignette of “The Bubbly Bunch” aired, wherein Chris Jericho and “The Inner Circle” cracked jokes about their competition. This was followed by Suge D (aka “Pineapple Pete”) vs. “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara! Guevara started with an impressive go-behind and then a float-over on Suge. Sammy floored Suge with a big knee to the face. Sammy clubbed Suge with a forearm to the lumbar region, and then a kick. Sammy sent Suge crashing to the mat with a standing vertical suplex. Sammy turned Suge inside out with a lariat. Suge moved out of the way of a splash, and then ducked a punch from Sammy. Suge followed up with some offense but it was short-lived as Sammy countered with a running knee to Suge’s head. Sammy had Suge up in an inverted torture rack and then dropped Suge right on his knee! This was more than enough for Sammy to finish off Suge. “Let me give you an example of how I’m going to beat the hell out of Darby Allin,” said Sammy on the microphone. Sammy started stomping a mud hole on Suge until Darby ran in for the save! Darby Allin invited Sammy into the ring, but “The Spanish God” retreated to the locker room. “Big” John McCarthy of Bellator MMA gave his prediction for tonight’s #HagerVMox match: “I gotta say Jon Moxley is a tough dude but Jake Hager has been arm-triangling everyone in professional wrestling, in MMA, and that’s what’s gonna happen to Jon Moxley. Standby…Jake Hager, AEW World Heavyweight Champion, it’s gonna happen, I guarantee it!” Next was “Superbad” Kip Sabian (with Penelope Ford) vs. Chuck Taylor (with “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy)! The match began with excellent chain wrestling, but Chuck got the best of it after a shoulder block. Kip stopped Chuck’s momentum after he caught him with a kick from the second turnbuckle. Chuckie T. fired up and dropped an elbow onto Kip. He lit up Kip’s chest in the corner with knife-edged chops. Chuck stepped out of the way of a baseball slide dropkick from Kip to the outside. Chuck Taylor set up Kip for a suplex and dropped him on the edge of the ring! Kip moved out of the way of a moonsault attempt from Chuck and then connected with a missile dropkick. Kip hit European uppercuts onto Chuck. Kip threw Chuck to the outside of the ring where Penelope Ford kicked him with her heels on. Back in the ring, Kip worked over Chuck’s back with more knees. Chuck was stuck on the top turnbuckle but fought Kip off him. Chuck attempted a moonsault but landed on his feet. He was able to follow up with a sit-out powerbomb to Kip for a near fall. Chuck called for the Falcon Arrow but Kip slipped behind. Kip ran into Chuckie who used Kip’s momentum against him, sending him crashing to the mat with another sit-out powerbomb. Chuck missed a double stomp from the top rope and Kip blasted him with a knee and a right cross for a two-count. Kip, frustrated, began windmilling punches onto Chuck’s back. Chuck countered Kip’s swinging DDT, but was distracted by Penelope Ford, who had climbed onto the ring apron. Orange Cassidy jumped onto the ring apron to do the same to Kip. Jimmy Havoc jumped the barricade and spiked Cassidy onto the ground! Penelope Ford connected with a top rope hurracarana onto Chuck as the ref had her back turned. Kip rolled up Chuckie T. for the victory! Justin Law vs. “The Chairman” Shawn Spears followed! Spears sized up Law before the bell rang. He snapmared Law over. Spears sandwiched Law into the corner and the beating started. Spears finished Law with a running C4 for the three-count, not even taking the time to remove his t-shirt for the match. This was a quick and decisive victory for Spears. He didn’t even break a sweat. It was time for the main event! In an Empty Arena, No Holds Barred Match for the AEW World Championship, the challenger—Jake Hager vs. the champion—Jon Moxley! Jim Ross was on commentary by himself for the main event. Paul Turner was the official for the match. “Jake Hager has been training for an MMA fight in Bellator since February. He’s lean. He’s got great cardio,” noted J.R. Mox walked to the ring holding his heavyweight championship title. “If this goes outside and becomes unconventional, I like Moxley in his very first title defense since defeating Le Champion Chris Jericho back at REVOLUTION,” said Jim Ross. Both wrestlers began feeling each other out as the match began. Mox got the first takedown with a quick back heel trip on Hager. Moxley was looking for wrist control and then some submission action, but Hager got a rope break. Hager pulled out and gave a stiff right hand to Moxley. Mox changed levels, trying to control the right ankle of Hager. After a clean break, Hager’s knees found their mark in Mox’s abdomen. Mox started chopping back, and then dropped several elbows onto Hager’s head. Moxley gave up a wristlock in favor of an STF. Hager slipped out of it and started working over Mox’s lower abdomen again with clean shots. The two right-handers slugged it out in the middle of the ring! Mox tossed Hager over the top rope to the outside. “This might be more in Moxley’s world,” noted Jim Ross. Mox hit a plancha onto Hager to the outside and went for the cross arm-breaker. Hager escaped and started dropping sledgehammers onto Moxley. The two began brawling, with Hager whipping Mox into the barricade. Mox raked Hager’s eyes and then flipped Hager over the security railing. Mox attempted a Gotch-style piledriver onto the concrete floor but Hager reversed it with a backdrop. “The concrete is remorseless,” said Ross. Hager kicked Mox square in the jaw! He connected with a straight right hand to Mox’s jawline. Mox fired up with big time forearms and knee shots. Hager went on the defense, blocking most of the knees. Mox applied the figure-four leg lock onto Mox as his legs were wrapped around a guardrail. “Hager went down but he doesn’t stay down,” said Ross. Mox had Hager in a front facelock but then the challenger whipped Mox into the guardrail. He dropped Mox shoulder-first onto the guardrail. Mox spat at Hager! Hager hurled Mox into the steel ring steps. Back in the ring, Mox moved out of the way of a Hager-bomb and followed up with a nice running knee! After the two combatants traded forearms and knees, Hager planted Mox with a gut wrench powerbomb for a two-count! Like a locomotive, Hager ran into Mox again and again! Mox momentarily neutralized Hager with a running clothesline. Mox went for another Gotch-style piledriver but Hager picked the ankle and went for the ankle lock. Mox countered with an inside cradle for a two-count! Hager jumped off the turnbuckle and Mox caught him with a DDT! Mox went to roll-up Hager but Hager countered with a chokehold submission! Mox grabbed the rope and got the break. “It’s anybody’s ballgame here,” said J.R. Mox was on his knees with Hager standing above him. Mox encouraged Hager to punch him. “Yeah?” asked Hager. Hager answered the call. Hager then took a steel chair to Mox’s abdomen. Hager placed the steel chair between the second and third turnbuckles. Mox charged Hager who sidestepped him. Mox ran headfirst into the steel chair! Hager got a two-count here. “He almost won it again,” said Jim Ross. Hager swung the chair at Mox’s ankle, and then put the ankle lock on Mox! Mox countered, taking down Hager, trying to get a submission from the bottom. Hager was able to power up and hoisted Mox up to his feet. They began exchanging strikes again! Hager used a low blow on Mox, but Mox slung a chair at Hager’s face, and then dropped him onto the chair with the Paradigm Shift! Jon Moxley covered Jake Hager and pinned him for the three-count! Catch all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT next week!

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AEW’s DOUBLE OR NOTHING event will be televised on pay-per-view as scheduled on Saturday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).  Additional details related to DOUBLE OR NOTHING, which was initially scheduled to be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will be revealed in the weeks ahead with features of the event itself ultimately being determined by the latest guidance of national and global health authorities. The highly anticipated event will be available for purchase via iN DEMAND cable operators, DirecTV, DISH Network and B/R Live.  International fans can purchase the event at FITE.TV. The DOUBLE OR NOTHING live event originally scheduled May 23, 2020, has been rescheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 29, 2021.  Fans who have already purchased tickets to the May 23, 2020, show will be offered a refund via the point of purchase or have their original ticket valid for admission to the event on May 29, 2021. The AEW DYNAMITE show originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in Las Vegas has been canceled.  Fans who have already purchased tickets to the DYNAMITE show will be issued a full refund within 30 days by their financial institution. As illustrated in our mission statement, the safety and well-being of our fans and talent is always our top priority.  AEW is grateful to MGM Grand Hotel and Resorts and everyone close to and within the AEW family – including fans – for their patience and understanding, and sends thanks around the world to healthcare and other frontline workers who are answering the call to protect and serve their communities.