Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Trios Match!
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, & Trent Beretta
vs.
Undisputed Kingdom—ROH World Tag Champions Matt Taven & Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong (with Adam Cole & Wardlow)!
Best Friends charged at the Undisputed Kingdom as the Undisputed Kingdom made their entrance. They were furious over Undisputed Kingdom for injuring Chuck Taylor.
Bennett booted Trent in the face. Trent jumped on Bennett, squashing him with double knees to the sternum. Taven tagged in and Rocky and Trent rocked Taven with stereo knee strikes. Trent followed up with a sliding knee for a near fall.
Roderick grabbed a blind tag, but Trent tossed Roddy with a German Suplex. Roddy pulled Trent off the turnbuckles and nailed Trent with a backbreaker. Taven and Bennett double teamed Trent in their corner.
“Great tag team continuity by Taven and Bennett,” said Excalibur.
Orange tagged in and cleaned house on Taven and Bennett. Orange planted Taven with a DDT and smashed Bennett with a Stun Dog Millionaire. Bennett blindsided Orange with a spinebuster. Cassidy connected with a thrust kick on Taven. Orange was looking for the Orange Punch, but Taven knocked Orange’s block off with a kick of his own!
Roderick Strong distracted the ref while Bennett blasted Orange with a low blow. Taven jumped off the top turnbuckle while Bennett held Orange and they pulped Orange with a stuffed piledriver.
Rocky was the legal man now, and he took flight, rocketing out of the ring and wiping out Bennett and Taven with a tope suicida. Rocky rocked Bennett with the Sliced Bread! Taven cut off Rocky’s flurry with a boot to the midsection. Romero took Taven down to the mat with a hurracanrana.
Rocky smashed Taven and Bennett with the Forever Clotheslines. Roddy came in with a blindside knee and then decimated Rocky with the End of Heartache backbreaker. Taven covered Rocky and scored the pin!
The Undisputed Kingdom set up chairs in the ring and Roddy planted Rocky right onto the chairs with the End of Heartache! Trent and Orange chased the Undisputed Kingdom out of the ring.
“Adding insult to injury, that was completely uncalled for by Roderick Strong,” said Excalibur.
The Young Bucks—Nicholas & Matthew Jackson vs. Mondo Rox & Robbie Lit!
Matthew seized on Robbie Lit, stomping him in the corner. Matthew bulldozed Robbie with a lariat. Nicholas tagged in and the Bucks used a backbreaker-neck breaker combo on Robbie.
Mondo got a tag and Nicholas kicked Mondo with a low blow as Matthew was distracting the referee. The Young Bucks smashed Mondo with the EVP Trigger and Matthew pinned Mondo!
Nicholas: “I am so tired of the disrespect that each and every one of you fans show us. I heard a heckler in the front row calling us by the wrong name. It’s time to show your EVPs a little more respect! Call us by our God-given names of Nicholas and Matthew Jackson!”
Matthew: “I apologize my brother is a bit of a hothead. Listen! Listen! The reason we’re out here in the first place is to say congratulations to AEW’s new Tag Team Champions Darby Allin and Sting! Incredible match! You’re putting your blood, sweat and tears on the line. You’ll be great champions but there is one caveat. I got an email, an injury report from Doc Sampson and apparently both Darb and Sting are a little bit banged up coming out of their big win. So, we just wanted to say we’re thinking about you guys, we’re praying for you guys, and we hope you’re ok.
“However, boys I want to make one thing clear. Our objective is to get our tag team titles back! And you may be looking at us and saying, ‘Oh, but you’re EVPs and you’re going to politic to do whatever it takes to do that!’ No, no, no. We’re going to play by the rules, climb up the rankings, and have competitive matches just like we did tonight on Rampage! We will get ranked, we will be number one contenders, and we will get our belts! And we’ll continue to climb up those rankings on Wednesday when you see Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, your EVPs in tag team action! We love you guys so much! Let’s have a killer show!”
“Tony Khan has just informed me that on Wednesday night on Dynamite Nicholas and Matthew will have some top flight competition when they face Dante and Darius Martin!” said Excalibur.
CMLL’s Mistico (with Esfinge & Star Jr.) vs. Matt Sydal!
Sydal and Mistico chain wrestled to start the match, exchanging a flurry of offense and going move for move with one another. Mistico hit Sydal with a tope suicida. Sydal jumped back in the ring and caught off Mistico’s momentum with a kick.
Matt Sydal placed Mistico in a bow and arrow submission. Sydal followed up with a senton splash. Mistico caught Sydal off guard with a crossbody press.
“This has been a back and forth battle,” said Excalibur.
Sydal caught Mistico in the face with a jumping knee strike. Sydal landed an Air Raid Crash for a near fall on Mistico. Mistico tried for a moonsault press but Sydal got the boots up, countering it! Sydal charged Mistico but Mistico walloped Sydal with a powerslam! Mistico hit a Spanish Fly on Sydal off the top rope and pinned Sydal!
“That was a desperation move by Mistico but man, it worked!” said Tony Schiavone.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Prince Nana and “The Machine” Brian Cage!
Brian Cage: “HOOK thinks he can hit me in the back with a chair and get away with it like a hit-and-run? Not today! I’m looking for HOOK. Where is he? Coincidentally, he’s not here. Of course he’s not here. He doesn’t want to feel the rage of Cage on Rampage.”
Prince Nana: “You know what? I think HOOK is at home reading a book because that’s what he needs to do instead of running around town hitting people with chairs in the back. Prince Nana knows how that feels. It happened to me on Wednesday, Renee.”
Cage: “Big deal, HOOK, you beat two guys the other night. I could beat two guys any day of the week. I could do that tomorrow. As a matter of fact, let’s do that on Collision. Any two sloppy Joes in the locker room that want to face me, come on down.”
The Outcasts—Ruby Soho & Saraya (with Harley Cameron)!
As Ruby was making her entrance on the ramp, she noticed there was a note scribbled on a piece of paper that was inside the pocket of her leather jacket.
Stokely Hathaway joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Kris took down Saraya with a side headlock. Statlander hit a dropkick. Willow and Ruby came in for their respective teams and Willow rocked Ruby with a Russian Leg Sweep. Willow followed up with a fisherman’s suplex. Statlander shoulder tackled Ruby, slammed her, and followed up with a sliding lariat.
Willow splashed Ruby in the corner. Willow climbed to the top turnbuckle. Harley grabbed Willow’s ankle and then Saraya shoved Ruby to the mat! Statlander tagged in and took Ruby off her feet with a powerslam.
Ruby and Saraya double teamed Statlander. Willow charged in to make the save but Saraya grabbed her and shoved her through the ropes. Saraya cracked Kris with a running knee strike and went for the cover, but Willow broke it up just in time.
Statlander clubbed Saraya with a discus lariat. Ruby rocked Statlander with the No Future kick! Ruby held Willow and Saraya went to strike Willow, but Willow escaped, forcing Saraya to inadvertently strike Ruby! Willow walloped Saraya and Ruby with a double clothesline.
Saraya and Kris traded forearms in the center of the ring. Statlander blasted Saraya with a massive roundhouse kick. Statlander planted Saraya with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall! Saraya caught Kris off guard with a jawbreaker. Saraya went for the tag, but Ruby refused, turning her back and jumping off the apron, leaving Saraya in the lurch.
“Tony, I wonder if that note that Ruby was reading had anything to do with this?”
Harley grabbed Ruby and tried to stop Ruby from walking away. Ruby turned around and decked Harley!
“Ruby Soho finally standing up for herself to Saraya,” said Excalibur.
Willow power bombed a shocked Saraya and pinned her!
After the match Stokely celebrated with both Kris and Willow!
Skye Blue appeared in the aisle, smirked, and waved at Kris and Willow. The arena lights went dark!
“What is going on here?” wondered Excalibur.
The lights came back on, and TBS Champion Julia Hart was standing beside Skye Blue! They were staring at Willow and Kris, taunting them as Julia held up her title.
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV featuring:
-AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Tomohiro Ishii!
– “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Kiera Hogan!
-We’ll hear from the “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm vs. Queen Aminata!
-BCC’s Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. CMLL’s Esfinge & Star Jr.!
& Much, much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX!
This Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE hails from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, and gets underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, with a collection of amazing match-ups! We will see Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander, with Stokely Hathway at their side, take on The Outcasts of Ruby Soho and Saraya, while Matt Sydal battles CMLL’s Mistico in singles competition! Plus, as their REVOLUTION 2024 date nears, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy teams with Roppongi Vice to take on The Undisputed Kingdom of Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett! And for the first time since last November’s FULL GEAR 2023 loss to Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho, The Young Bucks will actually step inside the ring to compete!
Before the show begins, swing by 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!
TRIOS GRUDGE MATCH…
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, & Trent Beretta vs. Undisputed Kingdom (ROH World Tag Champions Matt Taven & Mike Bennett and Roderick Strong)
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and The Undisputed Kingdom’s Roderick Strong are set to do battle at REVOLUTION 2024 provided “Freshly Squeezed” remains champion until that point. Strong is in no hurry to get to the title fight, though Orange has been more than willing to put the belt up at any point, instead he’d rather wear the champion down and bring down those around him. We witnessed it on DYNAMITE with the attack on Chuck Taylor, and that assault brings us to this Trios bout taking place on RAMPAGE!
Though he is set to battle fellow CHAOS member Tomohiro Ishii on COLLISION this Saturday, Orange Cassidy is more than willing to step into this Friday night fight alongside Roppongi Vice of Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero! Frankly Trent seemed less than enthusiastic about Orange fighting Ishii, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be game to pick up this battle alongside a trio he absolutely cannot stand, and Rocky is ready to stand right alongside his brothers-in-arms!
The Undisputed Kingdom, on behalf of Roderick, seems more than willing to remove all the pieces from the chess board before REVOLUTION 2024, leaving Orange all by himself for that championship bout, so that means Trent and Rocky best be wary of what The UK is capable of doing. This may not be about winning for them, and more about hurting Orange and those around him in advance of March 3rd’s pay-per-view extravaganza!
Last week on RAMPAGE, Matt Sydal was one of the members of Team AEW who welcomed the CMLL contingent to their first taste of All Elite competition. Though it was Christopher Daniels who ultimately took the pinfall at Hechicero’s hands, Sydal still felt the sting of that loss though he, and the rest of the men in the match, were taken out of the climax by a Mascara Dorada dive to the floor.
Looking for some redemption, Sydal was on hand Wednesday night to back up The Blackpool Combat Club against the CMLL contingent’s swelling numbers, and this Friday night he will step back into the ring for singles competition against one of the preeminent members of that roster. Unquestionably, Mistico is one of the biggest names on that CMLL side of this fight, his resume includes championships won around the globe, and these two even have a bit of shared history in the form of one lone match over a dozen years ago won by Mistico.
As representatives from CMLL continue to assert their forces on the members of the AEW locker room, each match pitting one side against the other becomes increasingly important, meaning Sydal isn’t just fighting for himself anymore, but rather for the entirety of All Elite Wrestling!
TAG TEAM BATTLE…
Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale vs. The Outcasts (Ruby Soho & Saraya)
Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale, despite the presence of Stokely Hathaway, have managed to persevere through whatever drama he’s tried to kick up, with a friendship that seems tighter than ever. They both come into this Friday having had a successful 2024 thus far, scoring singles wins, tag wins, and even a DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024 multi-woman victory over a team that included The Outcasts!
Speaking of Ruby Soho and Saraya, they are the two women who will face off with Statlander and Nightingale this Friday on RAMPAGE, but in stark contrast to their opponents, The Outcasts don’t seem to be any where near the same page! The source of their tension is clear, it’s all been about the Ruby/Cool Hand Ang relationship, and all that has been done to disrupt it from taking place. The inclusion of Harley Cameron into the dynamic has really poisoned the well, but with this tag team bout, can The Outcasts find that good place again? Can their friendship be restored to the place where it mirrored what Willow and Kris have?
ALSO FEATURING:
-THE YOUNG BUCKS RETURN TO ACTION!
Phoenix, AZ and the Footprint Center host this Friday’s RAMPAGE, beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and featuring AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, and Rocky Romero battling The Undisputed Kingdom in Trios action! Plus, CMLL’s Mistico takes on Matt Sydal, Willow & Statlander take on The Outcasts in tag team competition, and the EVP’s get back to work inside the ring after four months away!
Before the night gets underway, be sure to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, plus the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Winner earns Revolution 2024 World Title Match!
Swerve Strickland (#1 ranked) (with Prince Nana) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page (#2 ranked)!
Page slapped Swerve in the face. Swerve swept out Page’s legs. They tussled to the outside. Swerve whipped Page into the barricade. Swerve jumped over the barricade and crashed onto Page on the arena floor.
Back in the ring, Page chopped at Swerve’s chest. Swerve fired back with a high boot, catching Hangman flush in the face. Swerve stomped Page in the corner. Hangman retaliated with a fallaway slam. Page was a bit ticked off by the live crowd’s reaction to him, who were about 90% behind Swerve tonight.
Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Page yanked out Swerve’s legs. Page grounded and pounded Swerve on the mat. Swerve flattened out Page and locked him in a crucifix hold. Swerve was looking to snap Page’s arm. Hangman countered and clubbed Swerve in the back of Swerve’s head. Page rammed Swerve into the top turnbuckle and Swerve tumbled to the arena floor. Prince Nana kept his distance, just like Swerve had told him to do.
Hangman hurled Swerve into the barricade. Hangman nailed Swerve with a fallaway slam on the floor. Page blasted Swerve with a sliding kick in the ring. Page rolled up Swerve for a near fall. Page was looking for the buckshot lariat, but Swerve charged him. Page backdropped Swerve onto the floor. Swerve hit a flatliner on Page out of nowhere. Swerve drilled Page with a diving uppercut.
Swerve planted Hangman with a vertical suplex. Swerve connected with the House Call for a near fall.
“That was so close,” said Taz.
“And Swerve has wrestled a smart match tonight all without the help of Prince Nana,” added Excalibur.
Swerve was looking for a superplex, but Hangman chomped down on Swerve’s forehead. Page went for a sunset flip powerbomb, but Swerve landed on his feet! Swerve cracked Page with a kick to the head. Page rallied back with a pop-up powerbomb for a two-count on Swerve.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Swerve avoided a buckshot lariat from Page and fired back with his own buckshot lariat! Swerve splashed Page with the Swerve Stomp, but Page kicked out at the two-count! Swerve was looking for a piledriver on the barricade, but Hangman countered with a DDT!
Both men knocked one another down with big stereo boots—both men had the same idea. Swerve laughed at Page as Page was hitting him with fists. Swerve rocked Page with a backbreaker for a near fall. Swerve pounced on Page with the Swerve Stomp. Swerve pulled a table out from beneath the ring and set it up. Swerve went for a 450 splash, but Page countered by raising his knees! Justin Roberts announced five minutes remained. Page nearly decapitated Swerve with the buckshot lariat! Page covered Swerve but Swerve got his boot on the bottom rope to stop the ref’s count!
Hangman crushed Swerve with the Dead Eye on the apron! Page dropkicked Swerve as Swerve was getting back into the ring. Page cracked Prince Nana with a steel chair. Page yelled at Nana to stay out of this! When Page turned back around, Swerve pump kicked the steel chair into Page’s face!
Swerve smashed Page with the Swerve Stomp. Swerve’s ankle buckled upon landing. Hangman reversed the JML Driver and then snapped at Swerve’s ankle. On the apron, Page was thinking dragon screw leg whip, but Swerve kicked him first. Swerve hoisted up Page and planted him through the table outside the ring with the deadeye!
Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Swerve Stomp, but Page dodged it and Swerve collapsed immediately, his injured ankle not able to support the landing. Swerve countered the buckshot lariat from Page with the JML Driver!
“Swerve’s ankle is hurting, though, he can’t cover!” said Tony Schiavone.
Swerve went for the cover and the ref counted 1…2…and the bell rang!
Justin Roberts announced that the time limit expired, and the match went to a time limit draw!
Swerve: “No, no, I didn’t go through all this just for this to end like this. Hangman, I’m not letting you get away with this so easily. You know how this goes. Five more minutes.”
Page was smiling.
Page: “Swerve, tonight you had to beat me to become the number one contender. And Swerve, you didn’t do it! You will not be the World champion! For you, it is over!”
Tony Schiavone: “Hang on one minute. Tony Khan has just talked with me. This is not done. Because we know have two number one contenders. And that means at Revolution, there will be a three way match for the World title against Samoa Joe!”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview AEW World Champion Samoa Joe!
Samoa Joe: “I cannot believe I am dealing with this right now! Once again, we celebrate mediocrity! This was a draw! The powers-that-be have stacked the deck against me and they don’t want me as champion, but it is not your choice!
“I am Samoa Joe. I am the AEW World Champion! No matter what you do, come Revolution I walk out AEW World Champion. It is only a shame that the both of you will suffer because of it!”
Eliminator Match!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm (with Luther & Mariah May)
vs. Red Velvet!
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Toni took down Red Velvet with a side headlock. Velvet fired back with a leg lariat. Storm jumped on Red Velvet and pummeled her with lefts and rights. Toni planted Red Velvet with the Sky High for a near fall.
Red Velvet blasted Toni with a big time bulldog. Velvet rocked Toni with a double knee strike. Red Velvet splashed Toni with a standing moonsault for a near fall. Toni tripped Red Velvet and then smashed her with a hip attack. Toni spiked Red Velvet with a DDT for a near fall.
Toni ducked a corkscrew kick from Red Velvet. Toni applied an ankle lock and forced Red Velvet to tap out! Toni would not release the ankle lock. Deonna got in the ring, but Luther separated the two of them!
Renee Paquette was backstage with AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Trent, and Rocky Romero!
Renee asked them about their trios match on Rampage against the Undisputed Kingdom, and if Orange was worried about the wear and tear on his body he might have from that match ahead of his Collision match against Ishii. Orange said “yeah, but it’ll be fine.” Orange said they were going to check on the injured Chuck Taylor now, but Rocky would be subbing for Chuck on Rampage.
Trios Match!
Blackpool Combat Club—Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, & Jon Moxley
vs.
CMLL’s Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, & Volador Jr.!
Hechicero took down Danielson with a shoulder tackle. Hechicero put Danielson into a crucifix cradle for a near fall. Claudio tagged in and Dorada fired an overhand chop. Claudio tripped Dorado and planted him hard.
Moxley and Volador Jr tagged in for their respective teams. They traded forearm strikes. Volador took down Mox with a hurracanrana and followed up with a tope suicida. Moxley retaliated with a tope suicida of his own!
Claudio hurled Volador in the Giant Swing! Mox tagged in and covered Volador, but Volador kicked out at the two-count. Volador connected with a thrust kick. Dorado launched off Moxley and clobbered Danielson with a corkscrew kick. Volador and Hechicero connected with stereo topes on the BCC and then Dorado followed up with a shooting star press off the middle rope to the outside!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Hechicero spiked Danielson with a backbreaker and then Dorado followed up with a 450 splash for a near fall! Volador rocked Mox with a backstabber, but Danielson was there to hit Volador with a running knee strike!
Hechicero and Claudio exchanged strikes. Hechicero placed Claudio in a leg lock. Danielson stomped on Hechicero until Hechicero released Claudio. Hechicero placed Danielson in the stretched muffler. Moxley kicked Hechicero in the ribs to break it up. Moxley clobbered Dorada and Volador with a stereo clothesline. Claudio blasted Hechicero with a massive European Uppercut. Hechicero retaliated with a guillotine leg drop for a near fall!
Claudio shoved Hechicero backwards and Hechicero inadvertently collided into the ref who was standing behind him. Claudio struck Hechicero with a low blow while the ref was still collecting himself. Claudio covered Hechicero and scored the pin!
“The luchadores at ringside are just livid,” said Tony Schiavone.
Mistico, Esfinge and Star Jr. jumped into the ring! Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Angelo Parker and Matt Menard sprinted down to even up the odds for the BCC! The luchadores retreated!
Backstage, a camera crew caught the Undisputed Kingdom assaulting Chuck Taylor!
Adam Cole rolled up in his wheelchair and said, “Get well soon, Chuck!”
“We need to get some medical attention for Chuck Taylor! What is the meaning of this?” asked Excalibur.
AEW CEO & GM Tony Khan had a major announcement!
“Like so many of you, I am excited by tonight’s big announcement. You might have heard earlier today that the TD Garden announced AEW is returning to Boston on March 13th! That will be a very important night for AEW and the entire pro wrestling industry because Wednesday, March 13th, five weeks from tonight will be AEW: Big Business, live in Boston. You’re not going to want to miss this show. Tickets go on sale this Saturday. The event takes place five weeks from tonight, and if you can’t join us live in Boston, you’re going to want to join us right here on TBS on March 13th because Big Business is going to be one of the most important nights ever in AEW and a night that the entire pro wrestling industry will remember.”
Chris Jericho vs. The Don Callis Family’s Konosuke Takeshita!
Jericho sent Takeshita over the top rope with a lariat. Hobbs and Callis approached Takeshita and Callis slapped Takeshita in the face, showing him some tough love. Takeshita whipped Jericho into the barricade. Takeshita nailed Jericho with a brain buster on the arena floor!
Takeshita splashed Jericho with a senton in the ring. “The Alpha” hit the Takeshita Line on Jericho. Hobbs swiped at Jericho’s leg and Takeshita struck Jericho from behind. Sammy Guevara clocked Hobbs with a steel chair from out of nowhere!
Hobbs grabbed the chair from Sammy and threw it down. Sammy used his quickness and jumped off the ring steps and delivered a cutter to Hobbs! Sammy struck Hobbs with the steel chair again. Inside the ring, Jericho dodged a jumping knee strike from Takeshita. Jericho dropkicked Takeshita from the turnbuckles. Jericho jumped off the turnbuckles and crash landed on Takeshita outside the ring.
Takeshita flattened Jericho with a fireman’s carry. Takeshita ran and flipped over the top rope and wiped out Jericho outside the ring! Jericho countered Takeshita’s senton by raising his knees. Jericho went for a lionsault, but Takeshita likewise got the knees up to counter it!
Takeshita flung Jericho backwards with a wheelbarrow suplex. Jericho countered the Takeshita Line with the Code Breaker for a near fall! Jericho went for the lionsault, but Takeshita grabbed him and spiked Jericho with a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Jericho kicked out at the two-count. Jericho positioned himself on the top turnbuckle and was punching down on Takeshita. Takeshita slipped under and pulled Jericho’s face into the turnbuckle! Takeshita rocked Jericho with an avalanche blue thunder bomb! Jericho kicked out just in time!
Takeshita connected with the power drive knee. Jericho countered a second knee strike attempt with the Walls of Jericho! Don Callis threw a steel chair into the ring, but the ref saw it and grabbed it. As the ref had his back turned, throwing the chair out of the ring, Don Callis jumped on the apron and blasted Jericho in the head with a screwdriver! Takeshita applied the lion tamer on Jericho, but Jericho refused to give up! Jericho tried to reach the ropes, but Takeshita pulled Jericho to the center of the ring and finally Jericho was forced to tap!
“I have never seen anyone beat Chris Jericho with the Lion Tamer!” said Excalibur.
“Me neither! That was so impressive,” replied Taz.
Main Event Time! AEW World Tag Team Championship Tornado Match!
“Absolute” Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Darby Allin & Sting!
Big Bill whipped Darby into the barricade right in front of Sting’s family. Sting brawled with Starks through the crowd. Sting slammed a trash can onto Starks’ back. Darby lured Big Bill and Starks closer to him…and Sting jumped off a balcony and wiped out the tag champs beneath him!
“I can’t believe what we just saw,” said Excalibur.
Sting splashed Big Bill against the barricade! Big Bill fired back with a clubbing strike. Darby rocketed out of the ring like a missile, but Big Bill caught him and planted him with the Bossman Slam!
Big Bill bounced Darby’s head against the mat! Big Bill hurled Darby overhead and behind him! Big Bill pulled out a table from beneath the ring. Starks told Big Bill to press slam Darby. Big Bill lifted Darby up, but Sting charged in, knocking Starks and sending him colliding into Big Bill.
Sting took on Big Bill and Starks, dishing out big right hands to the champs! Starks grabbed Sting from behind and spiked him with the Scorpion Death Drop! Starks covered Sting but Darby broke up the pin!
“Great save by Darby Allin,” said Taz.
Darby nailed Big Bill with a Coffin Splash in the corner. Sting followed up with the Stinger Splash! Darby decimated Big Bill with a Code Red! Darby hit the Coffin Drop on Big Bill outside the ring! Starks tried for a dropkick on Sting, but Sting stopped in his tracks, avoiding it. Sting applied the Scorpion Death Lock on Starks! Big Bill, with Darby Allin on his back, climbed onto the apron, attempting to break up Sting’s finisher. Darby turned around, gouged Big Bill’s eyes, and forced Big Bill to fall off the apron and through the table!
“Big Bill was driven through the table by Darby,” said Excalibur.
Starks crawled and grabbed the ropes, but there are no rope breaks in a Tornado Match! Starks was able to pull his body far enough under the ropes that Sting lost his grip. Sting went for the Stinger Splash, but Starks moved, ripping the buckle pad out of the way! Sting collided with the exposed turnbuckle! Starks speared Sting but Sting managed to kick out at the two-count!
Starks went for another spear, but Sting caught Starks! Sting drilled Starks with a Scorpion Death Drop and pinned Starks!
And new AEW World Tag Team Champions…Darby Allin and Sting!
“History has been made!” said Tony Schiavone.
Sting’s sons got into the ring to congratulate their father!
“He’s got gold again!” said Tony Schiavone.
The Young Bucks—Mattew and Nicholas Jackson, ambushed Sting and Darby Allin with white baseball bats! They assaulted Sting’s sons next!
“They stole the spotlight from the new Tag Team champions and are putting the beating on them,” said Taz.
The Bucks smashed a busted open Darby with the BTE Trigger!
“Tony, Matthew called me into their office earlier today and said it is now called the EVP Trigger,” said Excalibur.
Matthew held Sting back while Nicholas hit Sting with the bat! Nicholas punted Sting in the head! The Young Bucks grabbed the belts and tossed them on top of Darby and Sting.
“The Young Bucks, like it or not, made a heavy statement right now,” said Taz.
“This is beyond the pale. Nicholas and Matthew Jackson will never recover from what went down tonight. Their reputation is destroyed,” said Excalibur.
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 Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV featuring:
-AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Tomohiro Ishii!
-We’ll hear from the “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!
-BCC’s Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. CMLL’s Esfinge & Star Jr.!
& Much, much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX!
After an exciting week in AEW action, All Elite Wrestling returns to the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ this Wednesday night with a jam-packed episode of DYNAMITE! Beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, fans will see Ricky Starks & Big Bill defend their AEW World Tag Team Championship against the #1 Ranked duo of Darby Allin & Sting, just as the #1 Ranked Swerve Strickland and #2 Ranked Adam Page fight for a shot at Samoa Joe’s AEW World Championship at REVOLUTION 2024! Plus, Red Velvet will fight AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm in an Eliminator Bout, Konosuke Takeshita steps up to fight Chris Jericho on behalf of The Don Callis Family, and The BCC battles the CMLL unit in Trios competition!
REVOLUTION 2024 is a month out, and the pieces are falling into place for what will certainly be one of the most memorable nights in professional wrestling history! Part of that history-building will take place this Wednesday on DYNAMITE starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! Before showtime, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! Then join us Saturday night in Henderson, NV where AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy will defend his title against “The Stone Pitbull” Tomohiro Ishii!
AEW World Tag Team Championship Match…
Big Bill & Ricky Starks(c) vs. Darby Allin & Sting
Together they are 14-0 in tag team competition, a streak that first began at REVOLUTION 2021 when Darby Allin and Sting defeated Team Taz in a Street Fight. That night it was Ricky Starks and Brian Cage officially fighting under the FTW banner, but let’s be honest, every member of the group got involved in that situation to try and shut down Sting’s return to professional wrestling, but they failed.
Fast forward almost three years, the landscape is very different for Ricky Starks, the ally standing at his side hasn’t been a Team Taz member for quite some time, nor has the championship around his waist been the FTW Title. Instead stands Big Bill, one of the most impressive specimens in professional wrestling, and man that Starks proudly says is not his friend, just his championship tag team partner, and Bill will claim the same. They don’t know much about each other’s personal lives, Starks was even shocked when he learned who Bill is involved with, but that like of a personal relationship hasn’t prevented them from gelling into quite the impressive duo. They utterly decimated FTR to win the titles in the first place, survived a wild Ladder Match to retain the belts, and put down the tandem of Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara in a Street Fight. They’ve been dominant because of their skills inside the ring, and how they compliment each other, not necessarily because they are best friends.
On the other side of this fight are Sting and Darby Allin; two men who, despite their difference in age and experience, have formed a formidable bond both personally and professionally. Ever since Sting first came to the AEW fold at WINTER IS COMING 2020, he and Darby have been thick as thieves, partners always, but giving space when needed, and quite unstoppable. No active tag team is even close to their 14-match win streak, and no individual is even close to Sting’s 27-match win streak. There’s is a bond built on respect, built on friendship earned, something that runs deeper than that of Starks and Big Bill, but also makes them care about the other in a way the defending champions do not.
Beyond the bond of holding titles together, it doesn’t seem likely Bill and Ricky care about the well-being of one another, whereas “The Icon” and the former 2-Time TNT Champion have that investment in one another. This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, with the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the line, we will all see which approach to tag team competition wins out. Will Big Bill and Ricky Starks add the first loss to Sting’s AEW resume as he heads towards his last dance at REVOLUTION 2024? Or will Sting and Darby Allin, a man “The Icon” calls the best partner he’s ever had, add one last championship to Sting’s trophy case before his legendary career is over?
It is a fact that the record books show Swerve Strickland has beaten “Hangman” Adam Page twice in the last four months; once at WRESTLEDREAM 2023 in a traditional singles contest, and then again at FULL GEAR 2023 in that infamous Texas Death match. However, what the numbers on a piece of paper don’t show is that both victories came about as a result of Prince Nana and The Mogul Embassy lending The Boss a helping hand. In the former, it was absolutely a case of cheating when Swerve used Nana’s crown to knock Hangman across the skull, but in the latter, when both Nana and Brian Cage got involved, it was at least in the purview of Texas Death Match rules. Still, neither victory came about as a result of Swerve working alone, neither win can be credited to Strickland alone, and that is the point Hangman Page aims to prove on Wednesday night!
That point of pride isn’t the only thing on the line come DYNAMITE though, with Swerve sitting atop the newest rankings, and Hangman at number two, this fight is also to see who will challenge Samoa Joe at REVOLUTION 2024 live on pay-per-view! Page is on a mission to regain the title he lost at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2022, while Swerve aims to become champions for the first time, as well as make history as the first African-American AEW World Champion!
Which of these two warriors, both deserving of the opportunity, will win this rubber match and move on to face AEW World Champion Samoa Joe next month? Can Swerve live up to the challenge to do it by himself this time around? Or will that lack of Mogul Embassy assistance be all Hangman needs to get his first AEW World Championship opportunity since Jon Moxley knocked him out back in October 2022?
Trios Battle…
Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, & Jon Moxley) vs. Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, & Volador Jr.
It began with Jon Moxley getting into it with the CMLL contingent during his fight with Jeff Hardy, and the assault they perpetrated on the former 3-Time AEW World Champion after his victory. It continued with Bryan Danielson’s hard-fought victory over Hechicero last Saturday night on COLLISION, a win that pushed Danielson to his limits as much as any match he’s experienced during his AEW tenure. It demonstrated to the AEW faithful the kind of threat that Hechicero is on his own, just as the CMLL contingent’s victory on RAMPAGE the night prior showed how good they are as a unit.
Well this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, they are going to be pushed to their limits as a trio when they face The Blackpool Combat Club of Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Jon Moxley! This will be the very first time Hechicero, Mascara Dorado, and Volador Jr. unite as a trio, just as it will be the first time Bryan, Claudio, and Mox will fight as a trio, and what a first-time outing it will be for each!
Moxley made mention about gang warfare several weeks ago in relation to his fights with Shane Taylor Promotions, and how it was avoided in that situation, but it looks like it’s upon him and The BCC now with these luchadors representing CMLL! With Danielson’s victory on Saturday, The BCC are up a victory over CMLL, will the luchadors even that score in Phoenix?
Chris Jericho is essentially running a gauntlet match against The Don Callis Family, though he may not be battling them one after another on the same day, he is still in the midst of having to fight each one. The original AEW World Champion managed to best ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher in his first battle with the Family, but the road isn’t even close to done yet because this Wednesday night Jericho will face “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita!
Back in November, at DDT Pro Wrestling’s ULTIMATE PARTY 2023, Jericho traveled to Japan to defeat Takeshita on his home turf, and in their four other meetings as foes, it has been Jericho’s team that has come out on top three of those times! The in-ring momentum is certainly on the side of Chris Jericho, but aside from Sammy Guevara, is there anyone on the side of “Le Champion”? He had the assistance, temporarily, of Sting and Darby Allin, but they’re engaged in their own battle in Phoenix, so is there anyone to counteract the supreme numbers advantage held by The Don Callis Family? Will Jericho’s quest to take down each man surrounding Don Callis be cut off at the knees this Wednesday night, or will he get one step closer with a victory over “The Alpha”?
Eliminator Match…
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. Red Velvet
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm is officially on the road to REVOLUTION 2024 for a championship fight with “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo! After having her state of mind questioned by Purrazzo, and her abilities inside the ring placed in doubt, Toni Storm requested what she called “a public workout” this week on DYNAMITE. The reality, whether she realizes it or not, is that Toni Storm will be entering into an Eliminator Bout against one of the most capable competitors in the AEW locker room: Red Velvet! Red has been chasing an AEW championship for almost as long as she’s been part of the company, and though she’s come up short on several occasions, as well as tangled with injury stalling her momentum, none of it has stopped Red Velvet from perpetually pursuing her goals!
If she can pull off a victory this Wednesday night in Phoenix, Red Velvet will earn herself a future championship match, but she’s got some history to overcome. Nine times the AEW Women’s World Champion has competed in an Eliminator Match, and nine times the champion has been victorious, with the champion in question being Toni Storm in four of those bouts. Can Red Velvet be the first woman to win an Eliminator bout, as well as the first challenger since Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo to win an Eliminator contest in any division?
This Wednesday night, All Elite Wrestling returns to Phoenix, AZ and the Footprint Center with one of the most stacked editions of DYNAMITE yet! Starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, Darby Allin & Sting will challenge Big Bill & Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, while Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page battle for an AEW World Championship opportunity at REVOLUTION 2024! AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm will face Red Velvet in an Eliminator Bout, Chris Jericho continues his fight against The Don Callis Family when he meets Takeshita in singles competition, and The BCC takes on the CMLL contingent in Trios battle!
All that and more comes your way this week on DYNAMITE, so before the show gets underway, make a point to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the newest edition of the CONTROL CENTER! Then come on down to Henderson, NV and The Dollar Loan Center this Saturday for an all-new edition of COLLISION!
Halo Season 2 Episode 1 & 2 Review & Recap “Sanctuary” & “Sword” by Big Gold Belt Media with @AroundTheGeek-Episode Synopsis:Episode 1 – “Sanctuary”A deadly evacuation mission signals a shift in Master Chief’s war with the…
Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
Keith and Kingston traded shots, with Eddie rocking Keith with knees to the face. Both tried for suplexes but neither man budged. Kevin Kelly informed us that Bryan Keith just returned from a tour in Japan.
Keith stunned Kingston with a mule kick. Kingston was clutching his jaw. Outside the ring, Keith whipped Kingston into the barricade, with Kingston’s right arm and shoulder taking the brunt of it.
“Bryan Keith is starting to show he’s got the goods,” said Kevin.
“Giving Eddie one hell of a fight,” replied Schiavone.
Keith headbutted Kingston, knocking Kingston off the turnbuckles and sending Kingston tumbling to the arena floor. Kingston got back up on the apron, but Keith connected with a pump kick. Keith followed up with a cannonball senton.
Kingston fired back with an exploder suplex. Keith hit one of his own and then rocked Kingston with a Liger Bomb for a near fall.
“Eddie Kingston is in trouble. You can see it on his face,” said Schiavone.
Eddie blasted Keith with a backfist and then a suplex for a two-count. Kingston blistered Keith’s chest with rapid fire chops. Eddie applied a sleeper and then spiked Keith with a DDT for a near fall. Eddie smashed Keith with the spinning back fist and pinned Bryan Keith!
Tony Schiavone entered the ring to interview Kingston.
Kingston: “Go talk to Bounty Hunter, not me.”
Tony Schiavone: “Starting tonight Bryan Keith is All Elite!”
Kingston hugged Keith.
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson’s music hit! Danielson made his way to the ring, and Nigel said Danielson was trying to steal Keith’s thunder. Kevin Kelly said Danielson was trying to provoke Kingston. Danielson held up Bryan Keith’s arm, congratulating him on joining the AEW roster.
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. CMLL’s Hechicero!
“Hechicero is the greatest technical wrestler to come out of Mexico in the last 20 years,” said Nigel.
Hechicero grappled Danielson to the mat. Both men were looking for leg locks. Danielson put Hechicero in a surfboard submission, but Hechicero escaped. Hechicero rolled Bryan around in a surfboard, but Danielson got to the ropes to force the ref to break the hold.
“Danielson looks frustrated,” said Kevin Kelly.
Danielson swatted Hechicero in the thigh with a leg kick. Danielson was stunned by a guillotine leg drop. Hechicero caught Danielson in a rear naked choke, but Danielson grabbed the bottom rope. Hechicero chopped at Danielson’s chest. Hechicero was one step ahead and cracked Danielson with a jumping knee strike in the corner.
“Put this dragon to sleep!” said Nigel.
Danielson knocked Hechicero off the top rope with a headbutt. Danielson went for a diving headbutt, but Hechicero countered, tying up Danielson in a pretzel and cradling Danielson for a near fall.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Hechicero jumped over the top rope with a tope, crashing onto Danielson on the arena floor! Back in the ring, Bryan hit a double underhook suplex. Danielson applied the LeBell Lock. Hechicero escaped and locked up Danielson, but Danielson inched his way to the ropes.
Danielson found his mark with round kicks to Hechicero’s chest. Hechicero picked up Bryan with a spinning hammerlock into a back breaker! Danielson took down Hechicero with a dragon screw leg whip. Hechicero cradled Danielson but Danielson reversed it and pinned Hechicero!
Hechicero attacked Danielson after the match! BCC’s Claudio Castagnoli sprinted to the ring and forced Hechicero to retreat!
FTW Champion HOOK vs. The Outrunners—Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum!
Hook used a judo throw but was poked in the eyes when the ref was distracted. The Outrunners double teamed Hook. Hook double clotheslined them and sent them flying with overhead suplexes. Hook applied the Redrum to Truth and forced him to tap right out!
“It takes a lot of guts to fight two men,” said Nigel.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Mark Briscoe!
Mark: “I told FTR I’d be there for them last week. I came out to the aid of my blood brothers FTR and my good friend Danny Garcia. That’s what we do. I wasn’t five feet onto that stage when the House of Black threw me off like a sack of taters. But fast forward and it was FTR, Garcia and Briscoe with their hands held high. You knock us down and we get back up.
“After 20 years of being one half of the baddest tag team on the planet, now all of a sudden, I’m flying solo. Everything didn’t go my way, but that’s alright. You shoot me, you’d better kill me. We fight until we can’t fight no more!”
The arena lights went dark!
The House of Black appeared on the giant screen!
Malakai Black: “Well Mark, that’s beautiful. That’s really touching. You like magic tricks? I love magic tricks. I specifically like the one where the magician makes people disappear. Because that is what we intend to do to you and everything you just spoke about. We are going to eradicate you from the history of professional wrestling, and it’ll happen just like this.”
Malakai Black snapped his fingers and the House of Black disappeared from the screen. The lights in the arena turned back on and Mark Briscoe was alone in the ring.
Malakai Black: “See, it’s that easy.”
“Mind games from the House of Black,” said Nigel.
Queen Aminata vs. “The Professor” Serena Deeb!
Deeb grappled Aminata to the mat, showing off why she is a technical tyrant. Deeb applied a half crab, but Queen Aminata reached the ropes. Queen hit a snap suplex on Serena Deeb. Serena Deeb used a guillotine neck breaker. Deeb disoriented Aminata and brought her down with a back slide. Aminata cracked Deeb with a head butt and then a hip attack.
Deeb dodged a running knee strike from Queen Aminata. Deeb wrapped Aminata’s legs around the ring post and applied the figure four. Deeb applied the Serenity Lock and Aminata tapped out!
Out next: The #1 Contender for the AEW World Championship—Swerve Strickland with Prince Nana!
Swerve: “Hey Tony Schiavone, you know it’s Black History Month, right? I’m noble enough to show appreciation to all the people who paved the way for me to talk to you tonight. People like Ron Simmons. Kofi Kingston. How about Athena, what up sis? And very soon we’re going to add another name to that list. Who’s house? This Wednesday I’ve got an opportunity to become AEW World Champion.
“Now about Hangman Page, this is a man that’s in my way of my quest of becoming great. He has left scars on my body. He has shed my blood. This is a man I’ve beaten twice now. You know what they say, third time is a charge. But when I put him behind him, I become black history, and then I move on to Samoa Joe and I become AEW World Champion.
“Nana, you understand Mogul Embassy is family and it is business? Trust me, I want you there right by my side. No interferences. Because there’s going to be no more excuses. Is that right, Hangman Page? I’ll see you Wednesday. Who’s house?”
Red Velvet vs. Vertvixen!
Red Velvet took down Vertvixen with a leg lariat. Red Velvet planted Vertvixen with a bulldog. She blasted Vertvixen with body shots. Red Velvet smashed Vertvixen with a running knee strike, and then after stirring it up, she pinned Vertvixen.
Trios Match!
The Patriarchy—TNT Champion Christian Cage, Killswitch, & Nick Wayne
vs.
Daniel Garcia & FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined commentary for this match.
Dax cracked Nick Wayne with a stiff chop. Christian Cage tagged in, but Dax grabbed an inside cradle for a near fall. Nick Wayne tagged back in and slapped Dax in the face! Garcia wanted in so Dax tagged him.
Garcia hit Wayne with two shoulder tackles. Nick Wayne slapped Garcia in the face and taunted him by dancing. Nick Wayne charged at Garcia, but Garcia chucked Wayne over the top rope. Christian Cage entered the fray again and took some of the steam out of Garcia’s momentum. Christian Cage worked over Garcia in the corner. Garcia fought out of the corner and went for a sunset flip. Christian escaped and went for a diving headbutt, but Garcia rolled out of the way.
Cash Wheeler tagged in and cleaned house on the Patriarchy. FTR knocked down Killswitch with the high-low, but Killswitch wasn’t the legal man. Nick Wayne climbed to the top rope, but Dax met him up there. Dax superplexed Nick Wayne!
Killswitch came in and back body dropped Dax. Killswitch choke slammed Dax after interference from Christian Cage. Chrisitan went for the killswitch, but he and Dax collided heads, both men falling to the mat. Christian tagged out to Nick Wayne, and Daniel Garcia tagged in.
Garcia tossed Wayne with a suplex. Garcia stomped Wayne in the corner and then pummeled him with strikes. Garcia opened up the ropes so Cash could fly out with a tope suicida on Killswitch! Garcia rocked Nick Wayne with a brain buster for a near fall!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Nick Wayne hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count on Garcia. Daniel Garcia answered with a big swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Garcia climbed to the top, but Christian knocked him down, right into a Wayne’s World!
Cash jumped in and powerslammed Nick Wayne! Killswitch was there to choke slam Cash! Garcia rammed Killswitch into the steel ring post. Garcia turned around and was flattened by a spear from TNT champ Christian Cage! Dax got back in the ring and applied the sharpshooter on Christian. Nick Wayne jumped off the turnbuckles and drilled Dax with the Wayne’s World cutter.
“Party time for the Patriarchy,” said Nigel.
Nick Wayne attempted to go for the spear, like father like son, but Garcia countered it with a jackknife pin and scored the victory!
“That’s two weeks in a row,” said Daddy Magic.
Garcia started at Christian Cage, who was standing outside the ring. Garcia taunted Christian Cage by doing his dance. Christian Cage eyed Daniel Garcia with a sour look on his face.
“I think it’s a look of concern from Christian Cage. Daniel Garcia may have staked a claim for a title shot at Christian Cage,” said Tony Schiavone.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ featuring:
-Trios Match: The Stars of CMLL vs. Blackpool Combat Club!
-AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (c.) vs. Red Velvet!
-Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
-AEW World Tag Championship Tornado Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
-Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page: Winner Gets a Shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
RAMPAGE was wild night, especially with that main event win from the CMLL contingent, and All Elite Wrestling keeps the action going this Saturday night on COLLISION! Emanating from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX, COLLISION will feature Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston battling a man who has made quite an impact on AEW and ROH over the last two months, “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith! And speaking of that CMLL contingent, ahead of their trios match on DYNAMITE, Hechicero will be in action against Blackpool Combat Club representative “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, plus Serena Deeb takes on Queen Aminata, The Patriarchy battles FTR & Daniel Garcia, and more!!!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful 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!
A TECHNICIAN’S DREAM…
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero
He is in the top three for longest reigning NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Champions, reigned as CMLL World Heavyweight Champions for 409 days, and spent 245 days atop the CMLL Trios division alongside Los Infernales partners Eufora and Mephisto. He is Hechicero, and for twenty three years he has been competing inside the squared circle, primarily in Mexico, but he has competed in the United States for PWG, was part of the original ROH World Six-Man Championship tournament in 2016, and has stepped into the rings of New Japan Pro Wrestling during his career as well. He is known as “The Mad Scientist of CMLL”, “The Alchemist of the Ring”, and “The Man who was born to Wrestle”, and in facing Hechicero, “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson is going to have his work cut out for him!
Stylistically, this is a sublime pairing, pitting two of the greatest technical wizards of the day against one another, but so too are both men capable of throwing down in a fight when the situation calls, the brazen assault Jon Moxley is proof enough of that.
The world knows Bryan Danielson is winding down his in-ring career, declaring 2024 to be his last full-time year of competition, but we also know he isn’t going out with a whimper. For Bryan this last year is a search for the best fights, the toughest competition, and opponents he never had the opportunity to fight over the years, perhaps even that personal dream match he has with CMLL’s Blue Panther. This battle with Hechicero qualifies as all of the above, with fans getting a glimpse at what he brings to the table just last night on RAMPAGE, and no doubt Danielson was paying close attention to that because, regardless of who wins here, The Blackpool Combat Club has a date with the CMLL contingent this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith
Ever since ROH’s FINAL BATTLE 2023 event, “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith has been building his reputation with the AEW faithful, as well as within the locker room. Orange Cassidy gave him an opportunity to fight for the International Championship on COLLISION: WINTER IS COMING 2023 based on his Survival of the Fittest 2023 performance, Keith competed in a Four Way for a shot at the Continental Crown on the first DYNAMITE of 2024, and less than a week ago, returned from his first trip to Japan where he fought for DDT Pro Wrestling, getting the opportunity to compete in historic Korauken Hall!
After eleven years busting his tail competing everywhere he could, it seems “The Bounty Hunter” is finally getting the eyes of the wrestling world upon him thanks to hard work, grit, and determination, and that is something the Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston can appreciate. That is why this Saturday night on COLLISION, though the championships are not at stake, “The Mad King” will step into the ring with the Bryan Keith for their first-ever meeting, and test the mettle of “The Bounty Hunter”! Should Bryan Keith defeat the Continental Crown Champion, it will no doubt boost his profile and the look he gets when it comes time for the next set of rankings to be reviewed.
Can Bryan Keith knock the crown off Kingston’s head this Saturday night? Or will Eddie notch his eight consecutive singles victory on COLLISION?
It was a long, hard road back to the ring for “The Professor of Professional Wrestling” but Serena Deeb managed to overcome every bit of adversity thrown her way outside of the ring, so she could step back into the squared circle, and get back to showing the world why she is unquestionably one of the greatest competitors to ever lace up the proverbial boots. Robyn Renegade experienced it last Saturday night, and this week on COLLISION it will be the red-hot Queen Aminata who tests herself against the purveyor of Deeb’s Dojo!
Aminata had an excellent effort against Willow Nightingale on RAMPAGE last night, albeit a losing one, but today is another day and this is another fight, another chance to prove she deserves to dance with the best in the business, to be labeled as an Elite right alongside her contemporaries. Deeb is going to be tested by this fight, she’s going to get hit and get hit hard at that, just look at Aminata’s fights with Thunder, Willow, Shida, and others to see her willingness to throw hands. Will this be Queen Aminata’s night to finally score that big victory, the one that breaks her through to the next level? She was so close on Friday, can this fight be the one that makes her?
TRIOS MATCH…
The Patriarchy (TNT Champion Christian Cage, Killswitch, & Nick Wayne) vs.
Daniel Garcia and FTR cannot possibly be feeling 100%, and we are not talking the general sub-100 that comes from being a professional fighter, we are talking the kind of pain that comes from taking part in a brutal Steel Cage Match against three of the nastiest fighters in All Elite Wrestling. We are talking the pain of being assaulted before the match even starts, and then pushing yourself through that feeling to get back in the fight alongside your friends. That’s what Daniel Garcia had to do last Saturday night when he was left laying backstage prior to the Cage Match, making his status for the fight questionable, but yet he pushed through it, and when they ended up the last two men in the cage, he went toe-to-toe with Malakai Black, and won the match for his trio!
Despite that, despite the aching Garcia, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood have to be feeling deep into their bones, they are stepping back into the fight, and it is with good reason. When the rankings were released on January 31st, FTR and Garcia discovered they were the fourth ranked unit in the Trios Division, meaning a championship opportunity could be within their reach after a few more victories! So back to the grind they go, right back into the fray, and they are doing so against a trio that, while loaded with talent, has only fought together on one other occasion: The Patriarchy of TNT Champion Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, and Killswitch.
We know Adam Copeland is gunning for another shot at Cage, and the TNT Championship, but he’s willing to put in the work with these Cope Open Challenges to get there, but Christian Cage has other business to focus on, business such as building his Patriarchy up into viable trios contenders, and avoiding another fight with his former best friend at all costs. With Nick Wayne and Killswitch at his side, and Mother Wayne ringside, Christian Cage’s “family” is a very dangerous unit, and considering what Garcia and FTR went through in the steel cage, The Patriarchy may find themselves an easier fight than had this gone down two weeks ago. That’s not to say it will be easy, not by any means where these three are concerned, just that FTR & Garcia battered and bruised, potentially making them a little easier for The Patriarchy to take advantage of come COLLISION!
This Saturday night, All Elite Wrestling brings the action to the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX with an all-new COLLISION featuring Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston fighting “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith,The BCC’s own Bryan Danielson taking on CMLL representative Hechicero ahead of their Trios clash on DYNAMITE, The Patriarchy battling Daniel Garcia & FTR, and Serena Deeb taking on Queen Aminata!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful 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!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin (with Action Andretti)
vs.
Private Party—Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen!
“Both teams have an abundance of confidence and think they’re the best. You know what? Why not think it,” said Tony Schiavone.
Top Flight used tandem offense on Marq Quen. They isolated Quen in their corner. Darius swept out Quen’s leg and Dante hit Quen with a DDT, demonstrating beautiful combo offense. Quen pulled a dropkick out of midair and then tagged in Isiah.
Isiah rocked Darius with a stunner. Quen came in and drove Darius face first with a stomp. Quen rolled up Darius, holding the ropes, but Andretti caught him red handed and alerted the referee. Darius rocked Zay with a Pele kick and then tagged out to Dante.
Dante connected with a big cross body press on Zay for a near fall. Zay fought his way out of Top Flight’s technical prowess and planted Dante with the Silly String! Quen connected with a shooting star press on Dante, but Darius jumped in to break up the pin attempt. Dante stunned Quen with a thrust kick and then spiked him down on the mat, scoring the pin!
“I would love to see a rubber match between these two teams,” said Excalibur.
Top Flight extended their hands as a sign of good sportsmanship, but Private Party didn’t want any part of it.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Sammy Guevara!
Sammy: “Losing always sucks, but this loss against the tag champs in that Street Fight with Jericho feels different. We were this close to finally becoming the AEW World Tag Team champions, titles we’ve been chasing since 2019. Maybe this loss stings a little bit more because it’s not just about me anymore. I have a little girl at home that depends on me to go to work to provide a better future for her.
“So those championships don’t just represent the best, they represent a better life. And Will Hobbs and the Don Callis Family took that away from me! My wife! My family! So now this is personal. I’m medically cleared now, but I’m not going to wait for a match. Will Hobbs, I hope you’re watching. You don’t know where, you don’t know when, but I’m coming for you.”
Sonjay Dutt was backstage with Jeff and Karen Jarrett, and Satnam Singh!
Sonjay: “Jay is late as always. Jeff, you think he wants us to really work out?”
Jeff: “Sonjay, I’m a two-time hall of famer. I damn sure ain’t getting in the ring today.”
Jay Lethal walked into the room.
Lethal: “All right, I made it. I’ve got some great drills I want to go over in the ring. Hey, why are you still in your suit, Sonjay?”
Sonjay: “I’m not working out, but Karen has her workout clothes on.”
Karen: “I’m not working out, but I narrowed down the team names and I put up a photoshoot for next week.”
Lethal: “Fine. Satnam, are we working out or not?”
Satnam: “Jay, I’m undefeated. You need to work out. You lost all your matches.”
Lethal: “Fine, no practice today.”
Jeff: “Jay, that’s the problem! I’m sick of it. You’re the problem of the team, and your problem is you’re too damn nice. What brought us together is that we were both ruthless SOBs. That’s what we gotta get back to. I’m running the meeting next week. I’ll tell you boys where and when.”
AEW World Tag Team Championship Eliminator Match!
“Absolute” Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.)
vs.
The Dark Order—Alex Reynolds & John Silver!
Darby Allin joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Silver and Reynolds got the jump on Starks and Bill. Evil Uno grabbed Big Bill’s leg from outside the ring. Silver power bombed Starks onto Reynolds’ knees for a near fall. Big Bill tagged in and bulldozed the Dark Order with a double clothesline.
Big Bill pummeled Reynolds with stiff shots. Evil Uno distracted Big Bill. Reynolds pushed Bill to the outside and followed up with a tope suicida, but Big Bill intercepted him. Silver rammed into Bill with a cannonball senton.
Back in the ring, Big Bill spiked Reynolds with the Bossman slam. Starks grabbed a tag and clubbed Reynolds with forearms and then body slammed him. Ricky splashed Reynolds in the corner with a flying elbow. Starks was looking for a spear, but Evil Uno tripped him up. Starks got out of the ring and speared Evil Uno on the arena floor!
Silver peppered Starks with kicks. Starks rallied back with the roshambo and pinned Silver! Darby stared at Starks from the broadcast booth. Big Bill screamed at Darby, taunting him ahead of their match this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Powerhouse Hobbs and Don Callis!
Don Callis: “I feel sick to my stomach because I’m tired of hearing about Sammy’s family. Congratulations. You’re medically cleared, but you’re obviously not mentally cleared. Because if you were, you’d know that you’re not hunting Will Hobbs, Will Hobbs is hunting you.”
Powerhouse Hobbs: “You see, Sammy, I know exactly what I took away from you and Chris Jericho. But what you don’t realize is I always have a family. I have three mouths at home that depend on their daddy. You think this is the first time in my life that someone tried to hunt me? Check my track record, dawg, you’d just better hope I don’t see you first.”
Willow flattened out Queen Aminata with a big shoulder tackle. Aminata cradled Willow but Willow kicked out at one. Willow scoop slammed Aminata. Willow dropkicked Aminata from the turnbuckles.
Queen Aminata swept out the legs of Willow as Willow was looking for a senton from the apron. Aminata headbutted Willow and followed up with a German Suplex. Aminata went for a hip attack, but Willow dodged it. Willow cannonballed Aminata and drilled her with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Willow hit the doctor bomb and pinned Queen Aminata!
Renee Paquette was backstage with The Best Friends—AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero, & Chuck Taylor!
Orange: “I knew if I asked for this time that Roddy and his friends would come in and interrupt us. So, they’re probably going to do that in 3…2…1.”
Trent: “What if they don’t show up?”
Orange: “I didn’t think of that.”
Roderick Strong: “Orange!”
Roderick Strong interrupted the interview, and he had Adam Cole and the Undisputed Kingdom in tow.
Orange: “Roddy, I was looking for you because everyone knows you and I are going to fight each other March 3rd at Revolution for my International Championship. But you and your friends keep doing things that are making my friends really angry. So why don’t all of you guys get with all of us and then we fight each other?”
Adam Cole: “That’s a great idea. I’d recommend a four on four but ol’ Chuckie T is too injured to compete! So instead, I’m going to recommend a three on three. I’m talking about my best bud Roderick Strong, and Mike Bennett and Matt Taven against you Rocky Romero, you Trent, and you Orange.”
Roddy: “I love that idea. And how about we do it on Rampage next week?”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Stokely Hathaway!
They were interrupted by Saraya, Harley Cameron, and Ruby Soho.
Stokely: “Hey, last time I checked this was Rampage, not Dawson’s Creek.”
Saraya: “I don’t know what that means.”
Willow: “This was my time.”
Stokely: “Listen, if anyone is going to make fun of Willow, it’s going to be me.”
Willow: “Really, you mean that? Listen, Ruby, you’re insulting us, you’re taking up our time. If that’s what you want to do, we can settle this in the ring. Next week! So, we’ll see you there!”
Main Event Time! CMLL’s Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, Mistico, & Volador Jr.
vs.
“Cool Hand” Angelo Parker, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, & Matt Sydal!
Sydal and Dorada began for their respective teams. Sydal took him down with a hurracanrana. Volador tagged in, but Matt Menard whipped him into the ropes. Volador connected with a thrust kick.
Mistico and Daniels entered the ring. Mistico nailed Daniels with a big handspring elbow. Mistico kicked Daniels in the corner. Hechicero dropkicked Daniels. Volador planted Daniels with a lung blower. Dorada hit a running shooting star press on Daniels.
Daniels planted Dorada with a heel trip and tagged out to Parker. Menard, Parker, and Sydal triple teamed Dorada with a flurry of offense. Sydal punished Dorada with a bow and arrow submission hold.
Hechicero grabbed a tag and dropped Daniels with a running lariat. Hechicero locked on a sleeper on Daniels in the ropes. Hechicero blasted Daniels with a springboard forearm. Daniels retaliated with a flatliner. Things broke down as both teams entered and began to brawl! Volador took out Parker with a tope! Mistico jumped from the top and crashed onto Daddy Magic! Dorado wiped out Sydal with a tornillo into an arm drag. Dorado dived over the top and wiped out the pile!
Back in the ring, Daniels was looking for the Angel’s Wings on Hechicero, but Hechicero countered with a back drop. Hechicero followed up with a rising knee strike in the corner. Herchicero cradled Daniels and pinned him!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX featuring:
-Queen Aminata vs. Serena Deeb!
-Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
-Trios Match: TNT Champ Christian Cage & The Patriarchy vs. FTR & Daniel Garcia!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero!
-And so much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ featuring:
-Trios Match: The Stars of CMLL vs. Blackpool Combat Club!
-AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (c.) vs. Red Velvet!
-Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
-AEW World Tag Championship Tornado Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
-Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page: Winner Gets a Shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
This Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE comes to you from New Orleans and the UNO Lakefront Arena, beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and includes some monumental match-ups! In your main event, the quartet from CMLL will take on the four men who assisted Jon Moxley on Wednesday night, and Willow Nightingale will throwdown with Queen Aminata! Plus, we will hear from AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and The Best Friends, witness a rematch between Private Party and Top Flight, and see AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks take on The Dark Order in an Eliminator match!
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!
CMLL VS. AEW…
Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, Mistico, & Volador Jr. vs. Angelo Parker, Christopher Daniels, Matt Menard, & Matt Sydal
When the announcement was made that four competitors from the CMLL promotion in Mexico would be appearing for All Elite Wrestling, the excitement level was through the roof. Mistico stoked those fires back in October with this 2/3 Falls bout against Rocky Romero, and the additions of Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, and Volador Jr, only amplified AEW fans’ desire to see their brand of professional wrestling injected into All Elite Wrestling.
Well on Wednesday night those four men certainly injected their presence right into the top of AEW by assaulting Jon Moxley following his victory over Jeff Hardy! Without the rest of The Blackpool Combat Club in the house, one would’ve thought Mox was a man on an island, but perhaps due to the amount of respect he’s built over the years, a most unlikely assortment of men from the AEW locker room hit the ring to stand by his side. Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Angelo Parker, and Matt Menard all stepped up in defense of Moxley, as well as AEW, in the face of this assault by the CMLL quartet!
Well this Friday night, in the main event of RAMPAGE, those four AEW stalwarts will have another opportunity to stand tall for the land they love when they fight all four Luchadors in an eight-man tag! This comes less than twenty-four hours before Hechicero battles Bryan Danielson on COLLISION, and is sure to be a wild ride for the fans experiencing it in-person, as well as those watching on TNT! What will this CMLL contingent bring to the table, and will the AEW quartet be prepared?
ELIMINATOR MATCH…
AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill & Ricky Starks vs. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)
Big Bill and Ricky Starks have a major challenge on their plate next Wednesday night when AEW returns to Phoenix and the Footprint Center for DYNAMITE. It’s not just that they’ll be defending their AEW World Tag Team Championship, it’s that they will be defending them against the unbeaten tandem of Darby Allin and Sting! There’s an irony in the fact that Sting and Darby began their alliance fighting Ricky Starks, and that they could win their first championship together by beating him as well, but that’s something “Absolute” will have to put out of his mind for the time being as this Friday on RAMPAGE, they’ve got potential challengers gunning for them!
The Dark Order of Alex Reynolds and John Silver have been on a bit of a tag team roll lately; they’ve won six straight tag team bouts dating back to November 1st, are 3-0 in 2024, and that record has landed them the number two position in the Tag Team rankings released Wednesday night! In addition, it has earned Silver and Reynolds this Eliminator contest where they could potentially score a championship match with Big Bill and Ricky Starks! The Dark Order has strong momentum heading into this one, but so do the champions, the only difference is Alex and John have nothing else to focus on while Bill and Ricky have Sting and Darby looking over their shoulders and lingering on their brain!
Can that be the key to The Dark Order earning themselves their first AEW Tag Team Championship match in over two years?
ONE-ON-ONE…
Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata
It’s been over two years since these two women last met inside the squared circle, but this Friday night on RAMPAGE, Willow Nightingale and Queen Aminata will lock-up in the first AEW meeting! On September 11, 2021 it was Willow who walked out of the match with the victory, but with how both have grown as competitors in the time since, it’s going to be very intriguing to see how this one plays out. Queen Aminata, though failing to score any victories, has impressed fans and pundits alike with her fights against Thunder Rosa, Mariah May, Hikaru Shida, and Kris Statlander over recent weeks, proving herself to be on the cusp of breaking through to that next level. She hits hard, and she can take the return fire, and that alone will take her right to the brink, but to truly become next level, Aminata has to start picking up the wins.
Now with all the drama going on between Kris Statlander, Willow, and Stokely Hathaway (or should that be drama created by Stokely), this may be the most opportune time to score a marquee victory for Queen Aminata. If Willow is distracted by that business, especially with both Stat and Stoke coming ringside with her, then Aminata will certainly score her first major victory in All Elite Wrestling.
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
Several weeks ago, when DYNAMITE swung through North Charleston, SC, Private Party scored a huge tag team victory over Top Flight in the former’s first match since December 2, 2022. It was a tremendous fight, one that showcased the skills of both young teams, and Private Party looked exceptional despite Marq Quen’s long road to recovery stalling their tag team momentum. Unfortunately, after being unable to put down the Martin brothers for a three count, Marq resorted to a rope-assisted pinfall in order to get the victory, somewhat dampening the overall feel of the contest, and what should’ve been a comeback to celebrate.
That’s not wholely accurate, Private Party has certainly been celebrating the victory like it was perfectly legit, like Marq didn’t mean to hook the ropes for leverage, and he and Isiah are certainly walking around like they proved themselves the better team. Well this Friday night on RAMPAGE, Private Party will have a chance to show once and for all who is the best between these two young teams because Top Flight is getting their rematch! Not only that, but this time Action Andretti has promised to be at ringside to make sure there are no more shenanigans from Isiah or Marq that cost Top Flight the bout!
On Wednesday night we saw The Undisputed Kingdom’s Wardlow decimate Komander, the latest ally of AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy to be targeted by The UK, and as if that wasn’t enough, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett were primed to continue assaulting the man after the bout. Thankfully Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta, and Orange Cassidy were on-the-spot to prevent any further damage from being inflicted on Komander, but rather than fight with them, The Undisputed Kingdom elected to leave the ring.
OC knows that Roderick Strong is trying to drag their potential fight out to REVOLUTION 2024, likely to see “Freshly Squeezed” get worn out the way he was before Jon Moxley ended the last International Championship reign, but Cassidy has made it clear he’s got no intention of stopping his way of doing business. That being said, this Friday night on RAMPAGE, we will hear from Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta about this situation!
The UNO Lakefront Arena in The Big Easy is where the fights go down this Friday night on RAMPAGE, and it gets underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! We will hear from AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and The Best Friends, as well as witness four of CMLL’s best take on four of AEW’s best, Willow and Queen Aminata go head-to-head, and The Dark Order attempt to earn a shot at the AEW World Tag Titles in an Eliminator fight with the champs! To top it all off, two of AEW’s most impressive young teams will dance again when Top Flight goes a second round with Private Party!
Before the night gets underway, be sure to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, plus the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Jeff Hardy vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley!
CMLL’s Mistico, Hechicero, Mascara Dorada 2.0, and Volador Jr. were watching from ringside.
Moxley backed Hardy into the corner and pounded him with strikes. Hardy jumped off the apron and landed on Moxley. Hardy choked Moxley with Hardy’s towel. Excalibur notified us that the rules would be relaxed for this match.
Moxley drove Hardy down with a tope suicida! Moxley dumped Hardy onto the guardrail and then knocked Hardy down with a clothesline. Moxley stomped on Hardy’s hand. Moxley walloped Hardy in the chest with round kicks. Jeff Hardy back dropped Moxley.
Jon Moxley whipped Hardy hard into the turnbuckles. He followed up by catapulting Jeff’s throat into the bottom rope. Moxley hurled Hardy into the barricade right in front of the luchadores. Hardy reversed another throw, this time whipping Moxley into, and over, the barricade. The luchadores shoved Moxley, and Mox flipped them off.
Jeff Hardy threw a steel chair into Moxley’s face. Hardy jumped off the steel ring steps but Moxley anticipated it and slugged Hardy in the face. Moxley took Excalibur’s pen, put it threw Jeff’s earlobe, and then twisted it. Hardy had enough and hit Moxley with a dropkick.
Hardy connected with the Manhattan Drop. Moxley retaliated, spiking Hardy with a piledriver for a near fall. Hardy nailed Mox with a Twist of Fate on the apron. Hardy climbed to the top and flipped onto Moxley for a two-count. Hardy climbed up again, but Moxley met him up there, raking Hardy’s back. Moxley superplexed Hardy.
Hardy and Moxley traded strikes in the center of the ring. Moxley escaped a Twist of Fate and countered with a cutter. Hardy escaped the Paradigm Shift and countered with a Russian Leg Sweep. Hardy hit Mox with a stunner and then a Twist of Fate! Jeff climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Swanton, but Mox moved out of the way. Jeff crashed and burned. Moxley applied a choke hold and put Jeff Hardy to sleep! Mox won via ref stoppage!
Moxley offered his hand to Jeff Hardy, but Jeff Hardy flipped off Moxley.
“I did not expect that out of Jeff Hardy,” said Taz.
The CMLL wrestlers jumped the barricade and got into the ring! Moxley tried to fend them off, but the odds were too great. The BCC weren’t in the building tonight, so this was a 4-on-1 beatdown! The locker room cleared out, forcing the luchadores to exit the ring!
Dealer’s Choice Match!
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Toa Liona!
Page was swinging with big right hands. Toa cracked Page in the ribs with a knee strike. Hangman connected with a sliding lariat on Toa, right on target. Hangman jumped off the turnbuckles and delivered two lariats to Toa, but Toa shrugged them off. Toa flattened Hangman with a diving crossbody off the apron and onto the arena floor.
Toa pounced on Page with a running shoulder block. The force sent Page over the top rope and crashing onto the floor. Toa had Page in the Tree of Woe and then followed up with a diving headbutt, smashing him like he was a human missile. Hangman smashed Toa with a tope suicida.
Hangman hit a big cross body press on Toa for a near fall. Hangman tried for the Dead Eye, but Toa was too much weight, and he smothered Page. Toa rocked Page with a thrust kick in the jaw for a near fall. Hangman blocked the Raw Mana and then swung for the fences with a lariat. Page got Toa up and drilled him with the Dead Eye! Toa got right back up and clobbered Page with a headbutt! This time Toa hit the Raw Mana, but Page kicked out at the two-count!
Toa connected with a running senton on the apron. Toa went for a moonsault off the apron, but Page dodged it. Page climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit his own moonsault on Toa! Page attempted the Buckshot Lariat, Toa ducked it and hoisted Hangman for a Samoan Drop! Page held on, cradled Toa, and scored the pin!
“I was just informed by Tony Khan that after Dynamite tonight, the rankings will be revealed!” said Excalibur.
Toa charged at Hangman, but Hangman ducked, sending Toa spilling to the floor.
Footage was shown from earlier in the day of EVPs Nicholas and Matthew Jackson—The Young Bucks—arriving at the arena in their chauffeured limo!
A production assistant handed them the show format, accidentally calling them Nick and Matt. Nicholas scolded the PA, and told him to refer to them as Nicholas and Matthew. Nicholas also said the PA would be fined because of that slip up!
Up next: Wardlow (with the Undisputed Kingdom) vs. Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)!
Adam Cole joined commentary for this match.
Wardlow flung Komander to the mat as Komander tried for a collar and elbow tie up.
“That’s raw power,” said Adam Cole.
Komander fired back with a pair of dropkicks. Wardlow popped up Wardlow and power slammed him! Wardlow threw Komander across the ring, the force spinning Komander like a propeller.
Komander walked the ropes and dropkicked Wardlow, creating an opening for himself. Komander hit the Phoenix Splash for a near fall. Wardlow power bombed Komander and pinned him!
Roderick Strong: “Komander! You should have taken the deal that I offered you on Saturday. But now you’re going to pay the price!”
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends stormed down to the ring to even up the odds!
The fans chanted “Freshly Squeezed! Freshly Squeezed!”
Roderick Strong: “Shut up! Hey, thanks for coming out here. See ya later.”
Tony Schiavone had a sit down interview with Sting and Darby Allin, and AEW World Tag Team Champions “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Bill Big ahead of their title match next week on Dynamite!
Starks: “I just thought it’d be appropriate for both of you to talk to us since this is about respect now. I wanted to take this time out to personally tell you Sting, not to forget that this journey in AEW started with me, Sting.”
Sting: “What did I do? You didn’t tell me what I did?”
Starks: “Well, you had your first win here over me. And that does not sit right.”
Darby: “You want to talk about respect? That’s what this is about, right? You’re saying you respect the Icon?”
Starks: “Absolutely.”
Darby: “That’s a load of crap. This is a stepping stone for you Ricky. You don’t respect Sting. I don’t think you respect anyone. This man’s career is not a stepping stone!”
Starks: “You’re the one who had to attach yourself to someone like Sting! The point I am making is next week, two things are going to happen, and I want you to know. I am going to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships, me and Big Bill are going to be the AEW World Tag Team Champions. And secondly, I’m going to get my lick back on you. The chip on my shoulder? Guess what? It ends next week. I am going to make sure you don’t even make it to your retirement. Darby, you on the other hand, I have no respect for you. There is no space in my body for respect for you. Who are you?”
Big Bill: I’m hearing a lot of talking out of Sting and Darby. You two run your mouths. All you two have done is brag about how you’re going to go into Revolution without ever mentioning us. You have done what everyone else here has done, you’ve overlooked us. Next Wednesday you two represent everybody else here. And we’re going to take out all of our frustrations on you two.”
Sting: “Ricky I guess I’ll start out with you. You said I was the first one that got face to face with you. I kind of admired something about you in those days because you were the only one in those days who had balls to get in my face and talk some smack. And as far as respect goes, you have to earn that, Ricky. And you, Big Bill, I have faced many big men before in the ring. The only difference between you and them is they were killers. I’m not so sure about you yet.”
Darby: “Alright Ricky, I’m just going to end it here. Look, I respect you, I respect what you do in this ring, but every time you point the finger at somebody else, there’s only one person to blame, and that’s you.”
Starks threw his drink into Darby’s face!
Starks: “Hit me!”
Sting: “I’ve always hated talk. Darby will hit you…in Phoenix. Oh, and I will too.”
ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher (with Don Callis & Powerhouse Hobbs)
vs.
Chris Jericho!
Things broke down immediately with Jericho and Fletcher pummeling one another with stiff shots. Fletcher planted Jericho with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall! Jericho connected with a dropkick off the turnbuckles.
Jericho charged after Don Callis outside the ring. Fletcher caught up with Jericho and blindsided Jericho. Fletcher kicked Jericho in the spine. Fletcher climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Jericho met him up there! Jericho sent Fletcher down hard with a hurracanrana!
Hobbs distracted the ref while Don Callis swept out Jericho’s leg. Fletcher stomped on Jericho. Chris Jericho was sent flying with a half and half suplex from Fletcher. Kyle Fletcher blasted Jericho with a brain buster for a near fall!
Jericho dropped a double sledge from the top. Jericho drove Fletcher face first into the mat. Jericho was looking for a lionsault, but Hobbs cracked Jericho while the ref was distracted by Callis!
“They caught Jericho right in the middle of one of his favorite moves,” said Schiavone.
Jericho countered a piledriver, sweeping out Fletcher’s legs and putting on the Walls of Jericho! Fletcher lunged for the ropes, grabbed them, and forced the ref to break the hold. Fletcher stunned Jericho with a thrust kick.
Jericho smashed Fletcher with a Code Breaker out of nowhere! Jericho climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Fletcher blasted Jericho with a kick. Fletcher planted Jericho with a brain buster on the corner for a near fall.
Fletcher kicked Jericho in the back of the head and followed up with a thrust kick. Fletcher ducked the Judas Effect! Fletcher rocked Jericho with a rolling roundhouse kick! Fletcher rocketed outside the ring with a tope suicida, but Jericho countered with the Judas Effect! Powerhouse Hobbs charged at Jericho, but Jericho side stepped him, sending Hobbs into the steel ring steps!
Jericho rolled Fletcher back into the ring. Jericho climbed to the top turnbuckle and nearly decapitated Fletcher with a Judas Effect off the top! Jericho covered Fletcher and pinned him!
“Jericho earned that win,” said Schiavone.
“Boy, did he ever. But I want to point out that it took two Judas Effects to put down Kyle Fletcher,” added Excalibur.
After the match, “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita, the man that will face Jericho on next week’s Dynamite, walked onto the ramp and stared at Jericho!
Out next: Ring of Honor World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and The Gunns—Austin and Colten…along with AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass—The Bang Bang Scissor Gang!
Jay White: “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I love your guys’ thing. I’m a big fan of scissoring. But don’t forget we have our own thing, too. Guns up!”
Max Caster: “Yo! Yo! Yo! Listen! You’re looking at the six men who have dominated trios wrestling for years. But it’s not just the six of us. There is somebody missing. Bowens, get Cardblade!”
Colten said they fired Cardblade a long time ago. “Austin, get the Juiceboard!”
Austin: “If you’re not down with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang, then we’ve got…”
Daddy Ass grabbed the microphone from Austin’s hands.
Daddy Ass: “I am literally standing right here.”
Austin: “Dad, this is kinda my thing.”
Daddy Ass: “Well it was my thing first. Shall we some him how to do it? So, if you’re not down with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang, we got two words for ya! Guns up!”
Taya Valkyrie (with Johnny TV) vs. “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm was on commentary for this match. She was accompanied by Luther the Butler and Mariah May.
Taya grabbed a handful of Deonna hair and pushed her back into the turnbuckles. Deonna pulled Taya to the mat with a wristlock. Johnny TV distracted Deonna while Taya speared Deonna on the ramp!
Back in the ring, Deonna connected with two lariats and a knee lift. Deonna blasted Taya with a pump kick. Taya fired back with a sliding lariat. Deonna smashed Taya with a sliding dropkick. Deonna grabbed Taya and whipped her into Toni!
Deonna smacked Taya with a pump kick. Deonna put Taya into a submission while staring at Toni Storm and forced Taya to tap out!”
“For the first time all night, Toni Storm with nothing to say, but perhaps a statement victory by Deonna Purrazzo,” said Excalibur.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Darby Allin!
Renee: “I would love to talk to you about your admiration for the Young Bucks.”
Darby: “Excuse me?”
Matthew and Nicholas Jackson showed up wearing headsets. They said it was a great question and Darby should answer it. They told Renee she deserved a raise, clearly having put her up to it.
Darby: “Did you tell her to say that?”
Matthew: “We love you Darb. You’re an AEW Original. ‘Change the world.’ You fit that quote. Young. Hot. Star. Just like us. I just have one thing I’m a little perturbed about. Why are you letting a 65-year old blood sucking leech take more money from you, out of your pocket. I mean, save some for the rest of us, am I right, Darb? Once Sting is gone, I have a really good idea for a new gimmick. Why don’t the three of us get together and become a new, hot trio?”
Nicholas: “All jokes aside, Darby, we’ve been back for a month now and you’re ducking, you’re dodging us, you’re being unprofessional. You got a problem with us or what?”
Darby: “No offense but there’s only one thing on my mind and that’s the AEW World Tag Team Championships.”
Matthew: “Is that right? I guess we’re going to have to get his attention a different way.”
Main Event Time! Dealer’s Choice Match!
Swerve Strickland vs. Rob Van Dam!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joined the broadcast booth for this match.
The fans chanted “RVD! RVD! RVD!”
Page appeared on the screen before the match and told Swerve that not only did Page get to pick the opponent, but he also got to pick the match. “So tonight, Swerve, you’re wrestling RVD not in a normal match but in a hardcore match. Goodluck.”
RVD hurled a steel chair at Swerve! RVD whipped Swerve into the guardrail. RVD followed up with a leg lariat! And then RVD blasted Swerve with a round kick. RVD smashed Swerve with a leg drop on the apron!
The fans chanted “You still got it! You still got it!”
RVD hoisted Swerve onto the barricade and then rocked him with a leg drop off the apron! Back in the ring, Swerve rammed RVD into a steel chair that was propped between the turnbuckles. Rob used a reversal and sent Swerve into the chair. RVD followed up with Rolling Thunder.
RVD dropkicked a chair into Swerve’s face, crushing Swerve in the corner. Swerve countered a monkey flip and power bombed RVD onto a steel chair for a near fall. RVD deposited Swerve on the top rope. RVD climbed to the top turnbuckle. Out of nowhere, Brian Cage jumped up onto the apron and shoved RVD to the mat!
FTW Champion HOOK sprinted to the ring with a steel chair in hand!
HOOK waffled Cage in the back with a steel chair! HOOK and Cage brawled ringside as RVD watched on. Swerve snuck up behind RVD, but RVD reversed Swerve’s grasp and nailed him with a kick. Swerve dodged the Rolling Thunder and planted RVD for a near fall.
Swerve set up a steel chair outside the ring. Swerve backed Van Dam into the chair with a kick. Swerve wrecked RVD with a stomp from the apron onto the steel chair! The back of RVD’s head hit the ring steps. Swerve climbed to the top rope, but RVD threw a chair at Swerve, sending Swerve crashing off the top rope and down through a table on the arena floor!
RVD sandwiched Swerve between two steel chairs. RVD attempted the five-star frog splash, but Swerve dodged it! Swerve smacked RVD with the House Call Kick, while RVD was holding a steel chair! The chair went right on target against RVD’s head! Swerve covered RVD but RVD kicked out at two! Swerve went to the top rope, but RVD met Swerve up there. Swerve shoved RVD’s face into the turnbuckle, knocking RVD to the mat! RVD flipped off Swerve, but nonetheless, Swerve crushed RVD with the Swerve Stomp and pinned Van Dam!
Hangman Page marched down to the ring with a microphone!
Adam Page: “Congratulations you evil bastard! Swerve later tonight the rankings for the AEW World Championship come out and despite my best efforts, we are both undefeated. So, I can only assume that we are both at the top of that list. And you said that you wanted Samoa Joe. You said you wanted the AEW World Championship. I need you to look in my eyes. I will never let that happen! Swerve I am the next World champion. Not you!”
Swerve: “You still just don’t get it. I’ve beaten you twice now! I got nothing to prove! Not to you, not to anyone else. You just can’t beat me!”
Adam Page: “You keep saying that because I think you believe if you say it enough it’ll be true. The two times we fought, you didn’t beat me. It took all of the Mogul Embassy. Swerve, I know that man to man, when it counts, you can’t lace my boots.”
Swerve: “You know what? You must want suffering or something. But I’ll give you what you want. Me and you! One more time! This is the third time and after that we are done! After I move past you, all I care about is that AEW World Championship!”
Excalibur announced that Tony Khan just made it official! Next week on Dynamite! Swerve Strickland vs. “Hangman” Adam Page. The winner gets a shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT featuring:
-Top Flight vs. Private Party!
-AEW World Tag Champs “Absolute” Ricky Starks & Big Bill vs. Dark Order!
-Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata!
-We’ll hear from AEW International Champ Orange Cassidy & Best Friends!
– CMLL’s Mistico, Hechicero, Mascara Dorada 2.0, & Volador Jr
vs. Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Angelo Parker, & Matt Menard!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX featuring:
-Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero!
-And so much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ featuring:
-Trios Match: The Stars of CMLL vs. Blackpool Combat Club!
-Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
-AEW World Tag Championship Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
-Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page: Winner Gets a Shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
The landscape of All Elite Wrestling keeps getting more competitive with each passing week, and the knowledge that new rankings will drop shortly has only exacerbated the drive to victory for the members of the AEW locker room. Wins and losses matter more than ever before, AEW World Champion Samoa Joe has made that abundantly clear each time he’s spoken, and plenty of people want that next shot at his title. That means they need to win, win, win, no matter what, and the same goes for the people pursuing Toni Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship, and all the other titles under the AEW banner!
Those fights continue this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, when AEW returns to the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans with a loaded edition of AEW’s flagship program! Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page will engage in a Dealer’s Choice scenario where each man hand-picks the others opponent for the evening. An old rivalry will pick right back up when Deonna Purrazzo takes on Taya Valkyrie for the first time in AEW, while another rivalry rages on as Chris Jericho battles Don Callis Family member Kyle Fletcher!
REVOLUTION 2024 is coming upon us fast, and this Wednesday DYNAMITE brings us one step closer starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! Prior to that kickoff, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! Then it’s time for the Elimination Trios Cage Match on Saturday night in Bossier City, Louisiana pitting The House of Black against FTR and Daniel Garcia!
DEALER’S CHOICE # 1…
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Toa Liona
Last week it was laid out that “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland would be placed in a Dealer’s Choice situation; what this meant was that each man would choose the other’s opponent for this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE. It did not take long for the boss of The Mogul Embassy to lay out Hangman’s foe for the evening, keeping choice in the family, and selecting one-half of The Gates of Agony, the monstrous Toa Liona!
In his first televised singles match on AEW programming, the behemoth of the Mogul Embassy will attempt to massacre Swerve Strickland’s greatest enemy! Hangman has fought monsters and giants before, but likely not one with the sheer unrestrained savagery of Toa Liona, certainly not one whose sole purpose may not be to win the match but simply to maim the former AEW World Champ. One can only guess under what marching orders Toa will be dispatched into this fight, but whether he’s coming to defeat Hangman, or simply to hurt Hangman on behalf of Swerve Strickland, Adam Page is going to just lay down and die. He will give Toa Liona the toughest fight that man has ever had, and that is saying something considering what The Gates of Agony just went through in New Japan with Tag League.
DEALER’S CHOICE # 2…
Swerve Strickland vs. ?????
While Swerve Strickland had no problem laying all his cards on the table to reveal fellow Mogul Embassy member Toa Liona as Hangman Page’s foe this Wednesday, the former AEW World Champion did not offer the same.
Instead, playing his cards close to the vest, Page told Swerve he would have to “wait the whole f’n show” to find out his opponent for this Dealer’s Choice scenario. Now for any professional wrestling fan, that seems like a dead giveaway for who Strickland’s opponent will be; after all there is but one man in the wrestling world associated with Hangman’s chosen verbiage. That being said, Hangman could be throwing out a red herring, a misdirect to keep Swerve Strickland on his toes, expecting one opponent while he will actually be facing another. It looks like the AEW faithful will be waiting right alongside the boss of The Mogul Embassy to see who walks onto that stage to fight Swerve Strickland!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Taya Valkyrie vs. Deonna Purrazzo
***TONI STORM ON COMMENTARY***
Taya Valkyrie and Deonna Purrazzo are no strangers to one another; they’ve battled each other in singles bouts, tag team competition, in the United States, in Mexico, and in multiple promotions; Taya is even the woman who ended Purrazzo’s 252-day reign as the AAA Reina de Reinas champion! Their last interaction inside the ring was nearly a year ago as part of AAA’s LUCHA LIBRE WORLD CUP 2023 event, a match won by Deonna’s team, but in one-on-one competition it is “La Wera Loca” who holds the advantage with two victories to The Virtuosa’s one.
This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, the two world-class competitors will renew their rivalry with their first clash under the auspices of All Elite Wrestling! Taya feels like Deonna is attempting to jump the line into a championship fight without earning her way there, somewhat ironic considering Taya’s fourth ever AEW fight was a TBS Championship match and this fight will mark Purrazzo’s third since signing with AEW, and fourth overall.
So with both women championship contender hopefuls, can “The Virtuosa” even the tally with “La Wera Loca” and continue pushing towards a title fight with “Timeless” Toni Storm? Speaking of the champ, she will be joining the commentary team for this match and you never know what she will have to say about any subject at hand!
FIGHTING THE FAMILY…
ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher vs. Chris Jericho
Don Callis and his ilk have been that thorn in Jericho’s paw for months now, ever since Callis chose to stab the man in the back rather than take him in as part of the Family. What’s always been ironic about Callis’ choice is that all signs pointed to the original AEW World Champion signing on with his long-time friend, but the perpetually paranoid Callis assumed he’d be stabbed in the back first, and decided to get Jericho first.
It’s led us down the path of Jericho and Will Ospreay having an epic collision, Jericho being destroyed by Powerhouse Hobbs, slamming Jericho and Kenny Omega into an unintended alliance, Chris going to DDT Pro Wrestling in Japan to fight Takeshita, and these acts of betrayal inadvertently causing a reunion between Chris and Sammy Guevara. Throughout the entire ordeal, Callis has never stopped trying to make life hellish for “The Ocho”, and that continues this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE when Chris, fresh off his signature cruise, returns to AEW’s flagship to take on ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher!
Now Kyle’s on a tremendous run as of late, winning five straight singles matches, including Survival of the Fittest at FINAL BATTLE 2023 and three consecutive title defenses, with his last singles loss ironically coming at the hands of Takeshita back in October. With Jericho already slotted to face Takeshita next week as part of AEW’s return to Phoenix, is this fight more about a victory for Fletcher or about hurting Jericho for the rest of the Callis Family? A victory over Jericho would be huge for the ROH World TV Champion, but is that what Don cares with this fight? Or does Callis just want Kyle to soften up his former friend for the future fights?
MAKING THE RANKINGS…
Jeff Hardy vs. Jon Moxley
In a previous life, they dance in tags and trios, they were even been partners on a couple of occasions, but never before in their careers have Jeff Hardy and Jon Moxley gone one-on-one inside the squared circle. This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE that changes; for the first time ever, with the rankings set to make their return this week, Hardy and Moxley will lock up! Moxley has won eight of his last ten fights, as well as all three of his 2024 bouts, while Hardy is struggling to get himself back on track, both as a singles competitor, and as a team with brother Matt. Of his last ten fight, Jeff has won but three, and none of this in singles competition; In fact, Hardy has not won a singles match in AEW since beating Darby Allin in the 2022 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, though he has infrequently competed under those circumstances.
As he has made quite clear to the rest of the AEW locker room, Moxley considers himself (and the rest of The BCC) the measuring stick of All Elite Wrestling, and anyone who expects to ascend up the ladder is going to have to go through them first. Can Jeff Hardy do that and score a long-awaited singles victory, or will be the former 3-Time AEW World Champion picking up his fourth consecutive victory as the rankings return to prominence?
This Wednesday night, All Elite Wrestling is back in New Orleans at the UNO Lakefront Arena with a loaded-up edition of DYNAMITE, starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! For starters, we’ve got Dealer’s Choice with Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page choosing the other man’s opponent for the evening; now we are already aware of Swerve picking Toa Liona for Hangman, but we will have to wait to see who Page chooses for Swerve until it’s time for that fight! AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm will be on commentary as Taya Valkyrie faces an old rival in Deonna Purrazzo, and Chris Jericho picks up his fight against the Don Callis Family with ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher!
All that and more comes your way this week on DYNAMITE, so before the show gets underway, make a point to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the newest edition of the CONTROL CENTER! Then come on down to Edinburg, TX and the Bert Ogden Arena this Saturday for an all-new edition of COLLISION!
Shane Taylor Promotions—Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor!
The teams brawled around ringside. Moxley choked Shane Taylor with his Blackpool Combat Club t-shirt. Taylor decked Moxley with a stiff shot, knocking Mox to the mat. Taylor mauled Mox in the corner with forearms. Moxley dodged a splash and tagged out to Claudio.
Claudio rocked Taylor with European Uppercuts. Lee Moriarty jumped in and put Claudio in an octopus hold while Taylor hit Claudio with a cheap shot. Taylor whipped Moxley into the metal ring steps. Claudio charged at Taylor, but Taylor moved; Claudio’s own momentum carried him into and over the steel guardrail.
Shane Taylor used his bulk and dropped a leg on Claudio on the apron. Claudio fought out of the opposition’s corner until Lee trapped him with a suplex and then an arm bar. Taylor tagged in and slammed Claudio. Taylor followed up with his second leg drop of the match. Claudio blocked a suplex attempt from Shane Taylor and walloped Taylor with a vertical suplex of his own.
Moxley tagged in and cleaned house. Moxley hoisted up Lee and planted him with a release suplex. Moxley ate an elbow from Lee. Lee climbed the turnbuckles, about to go for a dropkick, when Claudio jumped in and shoved Moxley out of harm’s way. Claudio caught Moriarty and placed him in the Giant Swing! Shane Taylor entered the ring, and he slugged it out with Claudio. Claudio knocked Taylor out of the ring with a lariat.
Lee snuck up behind Moxley, but Moxley stuffed him with a cutter! Taylor tagged in but Claudio came in from behind, grabbed Taylor, and Moxley nearly decapitated Taylor with the Hart Attack. Claudio pounced on Taylor with a double foot stomp! Moxley captured Taylor’s wrists and stomped on Taylor’s head. Moxley locked in a rear naked choke on Taylor and won the match via ref stoppage!
Lexy Nair was backstage with the Undisputed Kingdom and Komander!
The Undisputed Kingdom had a few words they wanted to say to Komander before Komander’s big match tonight with Orange Cassidy. Roddy told Komander that he had a match scheduled with Orange at Revolution. Roddy said Komander could be the champion for five weeks…until Roddy beats Komander at Revolution. “But obviously, the only way that can happen is with our help,” Roddy said.
Roddy asked if they had a deal, and grabbed Komander’s hand, shaking it, as Komander looked confused.
“He had no idea with they were talking about,” said Tony Schiavone.
AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. Komander!
Orange and Komander chain wrestled at the start of the match. They went to a stalemate. Finally, Orange blasted Komander with a Stundog Millionaire and a spinning DDT.
The Undisputed Kingdom walked down the ramp and set up chairs ringside, looking to scout the match.
Komander rattled Cassidy with a DDT! Orange regained momentum with a thrust kick. Komander came back with a Destroyer and then a lung blower for a near fall on Cassidy. Komander frog splashed Orange, but Orange kicked out at the two-count.
Orange grabbed Komander and bashed him with the Beach Break out of nowhere! Komander ducked the Orange Punch and then took down Orange with a hurracanrana for a near fall. Roderick distracted the referee while the Kingdom held back Orange. Roddy was motioning to Komander, perched up on the ropes, telling him the door was open. Komander ran the tight tope, leaped off the top, but Orange moved! Komander crashed into Mike Bennett and Matt Taven!
Komander jumped back into the ring, but Orange wasted no time and drilled Komander with the Orange Punch and scored the pin! Roderick was in the ring, applauding Orange. Roddy presented the belt to Orange but dropped it at Orange’s feet before Orange could grab ahold of it.
A camera crew was dispatched to capture a scene backstage!
Daniel Garcia was on the concrete floor, writhing in pain, a bloody mess, while Daddy Magic “Matt Menard” check on him. Menard signaled for help!
Mariah May vs. Lady Frost!
Mariah May shoved Lady Frost. Lady Frost fired off an ice cold chop. Mariah May yanked Lady Frost by the hair. Mariah May thawed out Frost with a shotgun dropkick. Mariah May ducked a kick but Lady Frost flung May with a release German Suplex.
Lady Frost spiked Mariah May with the Chiller Driller. Mariah May retaliated with a dropkick off the top rope. Lady Frost clobbered Mariah with a handspring into a cannonball. Lady Frost climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Mariah met her up there. Mariah May nailed Lady Frost with May Day and pinned Lady Frost!
“Mariah May has arrived in AEW! I know talent when I see it!” said Nigel.
Swerve Strickland had some choice words for “Hangman” Adam Page ahead of the upcoming Dealer’s Choice Match this Wednesday on Dynamite!
Swerve said he was sending Toa Liona to inflict punishment on Page on Dynamite!
After a commercial break, “Hangman” Adam Page responded to Swerve!
“Swerve, I get to pick your opponent, but nothing says I have to tell you who you’ll face. So, I guess you’ll have to wait the whole f’n show to find out!”
Continental Crown Championship Eliminator Match!
“Mad King” Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. Willie Mack!
Willie Mack charged at Kingston and booted him. Mack smashed Kingston with a brain buster for a near fall! Willie Mack clobbered Kingston with a big splash in the corner and followed up with a standing moonsault for a two-count!
Kingston chopped and kicked Mack, rebounding nicely. Eddie launched Mack with an Exploder Suplex. Mack power bombed Kingston for a near fall. They exchanged chops in the center of the ring, blistering the chest of one another. Willie staggered the champ with a short jab. Willie hit a stunner. Willie went for the six-star frog splash, but Eddie countered by raising his knees into Willie’s ribs. Kingston cracked Mack with the spinning backfist and pinned Mack!
As Eddie was walking to the back, “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson made his entrance for his match. Danielson walked past Kingston and ignored Kingston.
Eddie Kingston decided to join the broadcast booth for the next match…
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata!
Nagata grabbed a wrist lock on Bryan. Bryan escaped and locked up with Nagata. Nagata lit up Bryan with kicks and stomps in the corner. Bryan returned in kind. Bryan suplexed Nagata and tried to lock in an arm bar. Nagata rolled to the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold.
Danielson started to work on Nagata’s knees, dropkicking Nagata’s knee as he was trapped in the ropes. Danielson followed up with a shotgun dropkick from the top. Danielson smashed Nagata with the hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Nagata fired back with an exploder suplex.
Nagata was looking for the Nagata Lock. Danielson was struggling to escape. Danielson reversed it and applied a heel hook. Nagata escaped and cracked Danielson with the Justice Boot.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Danielson tried to headbutt Nagata off the top rope, but Nagata wouldn’t go down, Blue Justice showing off his monstrous fighting spirit. Nagata hit an avalanche exploder and then put Danielson in the Fujiwara Arm Bar. Danielson reached the ropes with his boots, forcing the ref to break the hold.
Danielson used a dragon screw leg whip on Nagata. Danielson and Nagata traded round kicks. Danielson caught Nagata in the back of the head with a kick. Danielson rocked Nagata with a running knee strike and pinned Nagata!
Danielson and Nagata shook hands after the match, showing mutual respect. Danielson flipped off Kingston as Danielson was returning to the dressing room.
Lexy Nair was backstage looking for a medical update on Daniel Garcia from FTR!
Mark Briscoe approached FTR. “My brothers, you all know we’ve been to war against each other, and I would love to go to war on your side. So, if DG isn’t cleared tonight, look no further.”
Dax: “We’ll see if Daniel wants to go tonight, but if we need someone, you’ll be the first person we call.”
Renee Paquette interviewed “The Machine” Brian Cage backstage!
Cage: “We’re no longer the ROH Six-Man Champions. We didn’t become the AEW Trios Champions. And speaking of champions, why in the world is everyone talking about the FTW Champion HOOK? Speaking of Team Taz, that was all me. I was the first FTW Champion here in AEW. And all you hear about is HOOK.”
FTW Champion HOOK interrupted Cage.
HOOK: “Any time you want another shot at this, I’m right here.”
“The Professor” Serena Deeb vs. Robyn Renegade!
The fans chanted “Welcome Back! Welcome Back!”, cheering on the returning Deeb.
Robyn slapped Deeb and Deeb slapped her right back. Deeb knocked Renegade down with a lariat. Deeb rocked Robyn with a neck breaker. Deeb drilled Renegade with the Deeb Tox. Deeb applied the Serenity Lock and forced Renegade to tap out!
Deeb: “I have one question: did you miss me? For the past 15 months, I’ve been sitting at home asking myself if I’m coming back, how I’m coming back, and tonight I’m standing in this ring, and it feels damn good to be back!
“And amongst all of the questions, one thing has always been certain in my mind. And it’s been why. First, I’m here to elevate this Women’s Division. Second, I’m here to put the wrestling back in All Elite Wrestling. And third, I am back to become champion. This is not just what I do. This is who I am. And the Professor is back!”
The stars of CMLL are coming to AEW! Catch Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Volador Jr., and Hechicero next Friday on AEW Rampage!
Main Event Time! Six-Man Elimination Steel Cage Match!
Mark Briscoe & FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood
vs.
The House of Black—Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black!
It appeared that Mark Briscoe was replacing the injured Daniel Garcia. As Briscoe was making his entrance, the lights went out. When the lights returned, the House of Black stood behind Briscoe. They threw him off the ramp and sent him crashing through a table below!
FTR sprinted up the ramp, but they were outnumbered by the House of Black. Cash grabbed two tables from beneath the ring. Buddy catapulted Dax into the steel cage! Garcia appeared on the ramp, throwing a steel chair at Brody! Black backdropped a bandaged up Garcia onto the ramp. Malakai threw Garcia and Dax into the ring.
The House of Black triple teamed Dax in the ring. Cash climbed to the top of the cage, jumped off the very top, and wiped out the entire House of Black below!
Dax planted Malakai Black with a spinebuster. Brody cracked Cash with the Bossman Slam. Buddy and Malakai hurled Garcia into the cage. The House of Black began to scale the cage. FTR and Garcia pulled the House of Black down, preventing them from escaping the cage and winning the match.
FTR walked to the cage door. The ref opened the door. Garcia stopped FTR and said, “We’re not done with them yet!” FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Black. Brody King retaliated on FTR. Matthews destroyed Dax with a kick. Cash curb stomped Matthews. Dax rocked Black with a brain buster!
“Look at the bodies! Listen to the fans chanting FTR!” said Schiavone.
Dax was leaving the cage when Brody speared him! Both men escaped the cage.
“Once you leave you can’t go back in!” said Schiavone.
Matthews scored with a meteora on Garcia. Matthews began to scale the chain link, but Cash climbed up after him. Buddy rammed Cash’s head into the cage. Cash lost his grip and plummeted down, crashing onto a table at ringside!
“I don’t know if he realizes it or not, but Cash has escaped the cage,” said Tony Schiavone.
“He didn’t escape the table,” replied Nigel.
Garcia rammed Black into the cage, knocking Buddy off the cage and threw the other table! Black caught Garcia with a knee strike! Garcia rallied back with a running lariat!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Julia Hart appeared out of nowhere, scaled the cage, and sprayed black mist into Garcia’s eyes!
“Garcia has been blinded!” said Schiavone.
Malakai ordered the referee to open the cage door. Garcia screamed at Black, “Come and finish me!”
“Garcia dared Black to come back in!” said Schiavone.
Daniel Garcia ducked a roundhouse kick from Black! Garcia drilled Black with a piledriver onto a steel chair! Garcia, still blinded, began to climb the wall of the cage while Black crawled to the cage door! Mark Briscoe slammed the cage door in Black’s face! Garcia managed to escape the cage! FTR and Daniel Garcia celebrated with Mark Briscoe!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
This Saturday night All Elite Wrestling makes our debut in Bossier City, LA at the Brookshire Grocery Arena with what will surely be an unforgettable edition of COLLISION based on the Cage Match alone. That’s right, six of the best in the world, locked inside a Steel Cage together, The House of Black battling FTR and Daniel Garcia, and fighting it out under Elimination rules! Plus, “Blue Thunder” Yuji Nagata returns to AEW to take on “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson in their first-ever singles match; they’ve got some New Japan history from two decades back, but never went one-on-one until now! In addition to those two huge bouts, Mariah May will be in action against Lady Frost, Serena Deeb makes her return to in-ring competition, and Orange Cassidy defends his AEW International Championship against Komander!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful 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!
SIX-MAN ELIMINATION STEEL CAGE MATCH…
Daniel Garcia & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs.
The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black)
Since October, there has been a war going on between FTR and The House of Black, the details of which can be viewed in great detail on this Timeline presentation, and that war has also pulled in Daniel Garcia as an ally on the side of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. See in their final match of the Continental Classic, Daniel Garcia defeat The House’s Brody King, his second singles victory over Brody in 2023 actually, and Daniel has suffered for that sin against The House repeatedly.
But that hasn’t stopped Garcia from stepping up against The House of Black, from aligning himself with FTR, and fighting them with every ounce of his being. He did it two weeks ago on COLLISION when he and FTR lost in a standard Trios bout to The House of Black, and again last week when he bested Buddy Matthews in their singles bout. FTR has done their part as well, tussling with House of Black as two of the teams in FULL GEAR 2023’s Championship Ladder Match, and beating the Buddy/Malakai combination three weeks ago, but every contest involving these six individuals seems to end up in a fight after the bell.
That’s why this Saturday night on COLLISION, with AEW’s debut in Bossier City, all six of these competitors will be locked inside a Steel Cage! This will be the first time in AEW’s history a Trios battle will be contested under this circumstances, as well as the first Elimination Rules Cage match, and that could lead to very painful outcome for any one of these six men. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to find one man alone against all three House of Black members, or FTR going 2-on-1 with a House member; the Elimination factor makes this even more an unpredictable battle that it would be as a standard Cage Match.
This will be a violent affair, of that there is no doubt, but will even this be enough to end the hostilities perpetually erupting between these six combatants? Or will the outcome just be adding more fuel to the burgeoning inferno?
DREAM (MATCHES) DO COME TRUE…
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata
The very first time Bryan Danielson stepped into the ring with Yuji Nagata was November 2, 2002 at the tail end of American Dragon’s very first tour with New Japan Professional Wrestling. That night, with Scott Norton and a man named Jack The Bull at his side, Danielson’s team bested Nagata, Masahiro Chono, and Heat (aka Minoru Tanaka). Over the course of the next two years, Bryan and “Blue Justice” would be on opposite sides of the ring a total of nine times, all in tags or trios, with Danielson’s side of the coin winning just twice, that aforementioned first match and their last on July 16, 2004, making Bryan 1-2 in tags and 1-5 in trios all-time against Yuji Nagata.
What that means in the grand scheme of things is that this Saturday night on COLLISION, when Yuji Nagata returns to All Elite Wrestling nearly three years since he fought Jon Moxley over the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship! In the years since, Nagata reigned as All Japan’s Triple Crown Champion for 133 days during the course of 2023, competed in the NJPW’s 2023 World Tag League as Minoru Suzuki’s partner, fought in AJPW’s Real World Tag League and Royal Road Tournament’s in 2022, competed for DDT Pro Wrestling, GLEAT, ZERO1’s Shinjiro Otani Benefit Show, and even for West Coast Pro here in the United States; Nagata generally made his way across the wrestling landscape, and now the oldest 55 year old returns to AEW for this dream battle with Bryan Danielson!
We know Bryan has his eyes set on ripping that Continental Crown away from Eddie Kingston, a man he clearly does not respect in any fashion, but before that can become reality, “The American Dragon” has to contend with Nagata this Saturday night!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Mariah May vs. Lady Frost
Several weeks ago, Mariah May made her much anticipated in-ring debut by scoring a victory over Queen Aminata. It wasn’t the easiest of wins, Amanita gave Mariah May a tremendous fight in the process, but it was a win nonetheless. Unfortunately for the former Stardom champion, not only did her idol Toni Storm neglect to watch the match, but Mariah’s moment was crashed by a Deonna Purrazzo more interested in challenging the AEW Women’s World Champion than in Mariah May.
This Saturday night, Mariah will have a second chance to make the night all about her as she gets back into the ring for the first time since January 3rd, and her opponent will be one of the more impressive competitors gunning for a spot at the top of the locker room: Lady Frost! While Mariah may be new to All Elite Wrestling, these two women that are no stranger to one another, each having been a part of a pivotal moment in the other’s career.
For Lady Frost, when she made her first excursion to the United Kingdom in November of 2019, the very first match she competed in was spent working as Mariah May’s partner, and the two were actually victorious in that bout.
For Mariah May, when she traveled to the United States for the very first time in March of 2022, the opponent standing across the ring from her that night in the South Philly’s legendary Arena was in fact Lady Frost! In that singles outing, it was May who came out with the victory, and Frost has been itching for another go for nearly two years.
Well she will have her opportunity this Saturday night on COLLISION when she and Mariah May lock horns under the AEW banner! May is still desperate for the approval and acknowledgment of the AEW Women’s World Champion, so she will be fighting as much for that as for herself, while Frost is fighting for to establish her position within the grand scheme of the Women’s Division. Will this rematch go the same way as the first, or can Lady Frost dim May’s spotlight?
Last night on RAMPAGE, Komander scored the victory on Kip Sabian in the “Freshly Squeezed Four Way” that also included The Butcher and AAA Mega Champion El Hijo Del Vikingo. With that pinfall victory, the AAA World Cruiserweight Champion earned himself a shot at Orange Cassidy’s AEW International Championship this Saturday on COLLISION! This will mark Komander’s first singles opportunity at that title, though he did participate in the 21 Man Blackjack Battle Royale at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2023, as well as the first one-on-one encounter between he and “Freshly Squeezed”. OC does hold a tag team victory over Komander from the January 17th edition of DYNAMITE, and between a desire to even that score, as well as to earn his first AEW championship, Komander will no doubt go all out on Saturday night!
Something else that no doubt will happen on Saturday night is this bout having the eyes of Roderick Strong all over it. Roddy may have the patience to wait until REVOLUTION 2024 to fight Orange Cassidy, but with that willingness to wait comes the possibility it won’t be OC holding the International Title. That means the former ROH World Champion will also have to keep his eyes on anyone Cassidy faces between now and March 3rd, just to stay prepared for whoever may be standing across the ring from him in Greensboro, NC! For Roderick, that fight does not seem to be about the person, but rather about the prize, and it doesn’t appear to matter who he fights as long as they have what he wants!
ELIMINATOR MATCH…
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. Willie Mack
If wrestling is a matter of respect earned, then there are few men who’ve fought harder to earn it than Eddie Kingston, and not because he was seeking it out like some individuals may be compelled to do. Instead, that respect came from those who watched Kingston grind it out across the independent landscape for the last two decades before he earned his way into All Elite Wrestling. That respect grew in those who watched Eddie struggle publicly with his demons and his mental health, never denying he had issues to work through, and willing to fail in the process of learning. Eddie is respected by fans and most of his peers because he’s willing to be an open, honest man about himself, as well as those around him, but that kind of honesty can cut when it’s pushed towards someone who refuses to hear it.
That someone is Bryan Danielson, that someone is Claudio Castagnoli, and there is nothing that Eddie Kingston can ever do that will make those two men see him as any other than the street kid they first met twenty years ago. Even though they share the Blackpool banner with Jon Moxley, they will never see Kingston the same way Mox does, but after all these years of being ridiculed and derided by men like Bryan and Claudio, it doesn’t matter to Eddie. His love and respect, his time and energy, it will be reserved for those who have earned it, and that is where Willie Mack comes into the picture.
Just like Eddie, and many of their AEW compatriots, Willie Mack has been through the independent grind of little-to-no pay, long drives, small crowds, and yet he still stands, and yet he too has worked his way into fighting on the AEW stage. That is why Eddie Kingston is giving Willie this Eliminator opportunity on COLLISION; all he’s got to do is beat Eddie and a shot at the Continental Crown will be his! History isn’t on the side of Mack, the only Eliminator match in AEW history that’s gone the way of the potential challengers was actually the night Kingston and Jon Moxley beat then AEW World Tag Champions The Young Bucks, but if there’s anyone who can pull it off, it may just be Willie Mack!
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) vs.
Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor)
Short and sweet, after Jon Moxley defeated a very game Lee Moriarty last night on RAMPAGE, the two members of Shane Taylor Promotions did something very few men in All Elite Wrestling had done: left Jon Moxley laying in the middle in the ring. Perhaps it was frustration over both Shane Taylor and Lee taking an “L” from Moxley in the last week, perhaps it’s a bigger picture than just those two matches, either way it marked a new level for Shane Taylor Promotions, and with that leveling up (or down depending on your perspective) comes a whole new level of competition.
That is why this Saturday night on COLLISION, STP will have to answer for this assault and those consequences come in the form of a tag team fight against Blackpool Combat Club! Of the few men Jon Moxley has deemed worthy of partnership in his AEW career, Claudio Castagnoli has been one of his strongest alliances, the two marking an 8-1 record as a team (ironically the same record he holds with Eddie Kingston), whereas Lee and Shane T’s experience working as a team has all been under the ROH banner, but at least they are 4-0 in traditional tag team competition, including a 2/3 Falls victory over The Infantry.
So will this be Shane Taylor Promotions elevating their game to overcome BCC or will it be, as Robert Southey wrote over 200 years ago, “Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost”?
SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION…
459 days; that is how long it has been since Serena Deeb stepped out onto the AEW stage and into an AEW ring to compete in front of the AEW faithful. For 459 days she fought with her mind, body, and soul to get back to a place where she was ready to step back between the ropes and do what she does best: wrestle.
As a former Women’s Champion, many times over, Deeb has made a career out of being spoken of as one of the best technical wrestlers in the game, a woman capable of breaking an opponent’s body down, treating a match like a complete dissection, and making sure her opponent left the match realizing they had a lot left to learn. Serena Deeb is “The Professor of Professional Wrestling”, a woman who teaches lessons in pain and suffering to those hapless enough to be across the ring from her, but one lesson she still has to learn herself is that of an AEW champion.
Despite the accolades she has earned across her career, Serena Deeb has yet to wear a championship around her waist bearing the letters AEW, but with this return to form “The Professor” aims to fix that blemish on her record, to make up for failures against Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa, and show that she herself learned the lessons taught from those championship losses. For all those women in the AEW locker room, and for whoever stands across the ring from Serena Deeb on Saturday night, this fight on COLLISION will be a warning that “The Professor” is back, and she has plenty of lessons to teach the division!
Bossier City, LA and the Brookshire Grocery Arena play host to COLLISION this Saturday night! The House of Black will be locked inside a Steel Cage with FTR and Daniel Garcia, battling one another under Elimination rules, in hopes that this violent affair will bring an end to their rivalry! Danielson versus Nagata, Serena Deeb returns, Mariah May takes on Lady Frost, and so much more in store for your Saturday night fights! The action gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful 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!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Jon Moxley vs. Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty (with Shane Taylor)!
Moriarty took Mox down with a snap mare. Lee flexed and posed and let Mox get to his feet. Lee showed off his technical prowess, taking Mox down again with a side headlock. Moxley escaped and trucked Lee with a running back elbow. Moxley had a face off with Shane Taylor on the floor.
Moxley chopped Moriarty. Lee ducked a lariat attempt and rolled up Mox in a Border City Stretch. Moxley lunged toward the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty and Moxley traded stiff forearms in the center of the ring. Moxley knocked Moriarty’s block off. Moxley charged at Lee in the corner with a lariat and then pummeled him with shots.
Moriarty blasted Mox with a shotgun dropkick off the second turnbuckle. Moxley was looking for a piledriver on the apron, but Lee countered with a hammerlock, using Mox’s own body weight against him, planting Mox hard on the apron. Moriarty connected with a belly-to-belly suplex and then applied a cross arm breaker. Moriarty rocked Mox with a high stack German Suplex for a near fall.
Lee charged at Mox, but Mox wiped him out with a King Kong lariat! Moxley was looking for the bulldog choke, but Moriarty escaped and transitioned into the border city stretch. Moxley reversed and crashed down with hammer and anvil elbow strikes.
Moriarty fired back with a flurry of offense. Moriarty kicked at Mox’s arm. Lee went for a springboard forearm, but Mox countered with a big right elbow. Mox stomped Moriarty and then spiked him with a piledriver. Moxley locked in a choke and Moxley won via ref stoppage!
“A victory for Jon Moxley but a hell of a match for Lee Moriarty,” said Excalibur.
“No question. I don’t think Moxley expected to go this long with Lee. I’m impressed,” replied Matt Menard.
After the match, Shane Taylor mauled Mox with a cheap shot!
“What a sucker punch that was!” said Tony Schiavone.
Moriarty took advantage of Shane Taylor’s heavy right hand and stomped on Moxley’s injured arm.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Anna Jay and Angelo Parker!
Parker wanted to know if Anna had anything to do with Harley Cameron kissing him two weeks ago. Anna Jay slapped Cool Hand Ang!
Anna Jay: “I cannot believe you just asked me that! After everything we’ve been through. I am so sick of this. Tonight, I was defending you against your girlfriends. But tonight, I am doing this for me. I am tired of having everyone’s back, and no one having mine. Tonight, I am done!”
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs. “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita (with The Don Callis Family)!
Daniels got the jump on Takeshita at the bell. Takeshita walloped Daniels with a massive shot. Takeshita landed the Takeshita Line on CD. Takeshita followed up with a dive on Daniels. Takeshita attempted a superplex but CD headbutted Takeshita, knocking him to the mat. Daniels swung down, driving Takeshita face first into the mat.
Daniels hurled Takeshita with a German Suplex. Takeshita countered the Angels Wings and drove Daniels down on the back of the head. Takeshita finished off Daniels with a running knee strike and pinned Daniels!
“A statement made by Takeshita with that victory,” said Excalibur.
Don Callis: “I have something important to say. The Don Callis Family takes everything. Jericho you took 33 years from me. I can’t get those years back. We took your tag team partner from the Golden Jets. Then we took Sammy. But you keep coming back. Now it’s time to end this. So, Jericho, in two weeks on Dynamite, we challenge you to face the real Alpha of professional wrestling, Takeshita, and this time, there’s going to be nothing left!”
Kyle Fletcher: “Pardon the interruption, Don. Hasn’t Takeshita already had his shot at Chris Jericho? Hasn’t Will Hobbs already had his shot at Chris Jericho? If anybody deserves the next shot at Chris Jericho it’s me!”
Callis: “You’re right. Jericho, you’ve got Takeshita in two weeks. How about next week in New Orleans, you got Kyle Fletcher if you’ve got the guts. And whatever is left at the end of the next two weeks is going to be mine and Jericho, there’ll be nothing left but the tears!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Top Flight and Action Andretti, and Private Party!
Private Party said they won last time. Action Andretti said next time he’d be in Top Flight’s corner, watching their back!
Anna Jay vs. Ruby Soho (with Saraya and Harley Cameron)!
Ruby ambushed Anna Jay, trying to ruin her homecoming. Ruby whipped Anna into the barricade outside the ring. Anna connected with a high boot to Ruby’s face. Anna followed up with the pendulum kick.
Saraya swept out Anna Jay’s leg on the apron. Anna got to her feet and planted Ruby with a DDT for a near fall. Anna was looking for the Queen Slayer, but Harley grabbed Anna Jay’s boot. Saraya held back Anna Jay, but the referee saw it and ejected Saraya and Harley from ringside.
Anna attempted a backslide, but Ruby escaped and rocked Anna with Destination Unknown. Anna stunned Ruby with a blockbuster and then forced Ruby to tap out with the Queen Slayer!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Continental Champion Eddie Kingston!
Kingston: “Bryan Danielson, you don’t respect me? That’s fine. I don’t respect you at all. I want to be on Collision. I’m going to go against somebody I respect. And if he beats me, he gets a title shot. And said person is Willie Mack. Me and you Willie, we paid our dues, so I want to give you an opportunity. Bryan, good luck with Nagata tomorrow.”
Main Event Time! Freshly Squeezed Four Way Match!
Kip Sabian vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander vs. The Butcher!
The winner earns an International Championship Match on tomorrow’s Collision.
Butcher turned his back and Sabian rolled him up for a near fall. Vikingo swept out Sabian’s legs, and Komander hit a tope on Kip while Vikingo smashed Butcher with a tope!
Butcher blocked a springboard dropkick from Komander and applied a Texas Cloverleaf. Vikingo rocked Butcher with a thrust kick. Kip dropkicked Vikingo. Kip cannonballed Komander in the corner. Butcher went over the top with a splash on Komander.
Butcher tossed Komander at Kip and Kip nailed Komander with a lung blower. Kip booted Butcher in the midsection. Butcher stunned Sabian with a back breaker. Vikingo staggered Butcher with a corkscrew kick!
Sabian swept out Vikingo’s legs. Komander walloped Sabian with a Spanish Fly for a two-count. Komander climbed to the top rope, but Vikingo tripped him up. Vikingo climbed to the top, but Butcher put Vikingo on his shoulders, while Vikingo had Komander locked in a superplex position. Kip got on his hands and knees behind Butcher, tripped him up, and knocked all three men to the mat!
Komander jumped off Alex Abrahantes’ back like a launching pad and crushed Kip with a Canadian Destroyer on the arena floor! Vikingo took out both men on the floor with a moonsault. Vikingo tried for a moonsault, but Komander booted him. Butcher power bombed Komander and covered him, but Vikingo broke up the pin attempt.
Kip snuck in and drilled Komander with a German Suplex. Komander reversed a vertical suplex attempt, grabbed Kip’s legs and pinned him!
“Now we know it’ll be Orange Cassidy defending the International Championship tomorrow against Komander on Collision,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, LA:
-AEW International Championship Match! Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. Komander!
-Serena Deeb’s First Match Since 2022!
-Mariah May vs. Lady Frost!
-Continental Champion Eddie Kingston vs. Willie Mack!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Yuji Nagata!
-Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty!
-The Escape The Cage Elimination Match! FTR & Daniel Garcia vs. House of Black!
On Wednesday night’s DYNAMITE, fans watched as Samoa Joe stood in the center of the ring and told the AEW locker room just how things were going to go moving forward. Showing he still had no fear despite their vicious fight a week prior, HOOK shook Joe’s hand but told him they would meet again down the line. With that, Joe watched ringside as Adam Page bested Penta El Zero Miedo, saw Swerve Strickland beat Jeff Hardy later in the night, as well as Wardlow defeat Trent Beretta; three men all with aspirations of dethroning the AEW World Champion, all picking up wins as they await the new ratings to drop. On top of that, we saw Thunder Rosa score victory over Red Velvet, the AEW World Trios Championship titles at stake, and that gritty fight between Adam Copeland and Minoru Suzuki!
This Friday RAMPAGE comes your way from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and featuring a quartet of top shelf battles! AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy has laid it out, he wants another challenger, and one will be set when The Butcher, El Hijo del Vikingo, Komander, and Kip Sabian battle it out for the next title fight! Jon Moxley has promised to bring the fight to RAMPAGE to which Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty has stepped up to the challenge, Anna Jay and Ruby Soho will lock horns, and Konosuke Takeshita will battle “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels!
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!F
RESHLY SQUEEZED FOUR WAY…
***WINNER EARNS AN INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH ON COLLISION***
Kip Sabian vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander vs. The Butcher
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy knows that Roderick Strong wants a shot at the title, but rather than pushing for the immediate fight that “Freshly Squeezed” is willing to give, he wants to wait until March 3rd at REVOLUTION 2024. Well OC isn’t going to just sit around and wait until then, he’s been a defending champion since the moment he beat “The Bastard” PAC to win this championship the first time, and he’s been the same since beating Rey Fenix to kick off the second reign.
That is why he requested a championship fight this Saturday night on COLLISION when AEW debuts in Bossier City , and why this Freshly Squeezed Four Way is going down on RAMPAGE to determine who gets the title opportunity! Cassidy has plenty of history with all four of these men, be it as friend or foe, and successfully defended the International Championship against Kip Sabian, The Butcher, and Komander over the course of his first championship reign, though the last one was only as part of the Blackjack Battle Royale at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2023 rather than a singles match. Vikingo is the only one OC has never competed against as a foe, only as an ally in a Trios Match last summer. So it’s reasonable to believe that Cassidy is fine with any one of these men being the one to challenge him Saturday, but what makes the getting there interesting is the alliances that exist between the men here; Kip Sabian and Butcher have been close allies for quite some time now, competing regularly as a trio with The Blade, while Komander and Vikingo have a relationship as both friend and foe dating back several years, with quite a bit of teamwork exhibited on Ring of Honor programming.
All this means that alliances could be made to help accomplish goals, like Kip and Butch working together to eliminate their foes, and then settling the matter between each other after the fact. Will that be how it plays out on Friday night, or will it truly be every man for himself with a championship opportunity on the line?
ONE-ON-ONE…
Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriarty
Last week on COLLISION, Jon Moxley made his return to All Elite Wrestling after several weeks away competing with NJPW, and even making a challenge towards IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuyo Naito for a championship fight. Waiting for Mox was one of the hardest-hitting individuals in professional wrestling today, the namesake of Shane Taylor Promotions himself, former ROH World TV Champion Shane Taylor. Shane gave Mox a tremendous fight, putting the 3-Time AEW World Champion on his heels several times, but eventually Mox was able to overcome. It was a loss that didn’t sit well with Taylor, but one which he clearly intends to learn from and move on a better fighter than he was beforehand.
After all, Shane has a young man at his side by the name of Lee Moriarty who also has aspirations of being the best fighter in the world, and that means taking on the best in the game in order to evolve. With that in his mind, #TAIGASTYLE has stepped up to face Jon Moxley this Friday night on RAMPAGE, answering the former champ’s challenge to the rest of the AEW locker room.
Moriarty danced these steps with Jon Moxley before, and was found wanting when the final bell rang, but that was many moons ago, and Lee has garnered quite a bit of experience since that night. Is it enough to push Moriarty to the next level of competition and give him the biggest victory of his life?
SINGLES MATCH…
Anna Jay vs. Ruby Soho
This all feels like a set-up, Saraya and Harley Cameron framing Anna Jay for something she’s not remotely responsible for, but Ruby Soho has enough trust left in her Outcast sister to follow in the direction that she is pointing. That brings Ruby to this Friday night on RAMPAGE where, in retaliation for that kiss and how she believes it came to pass, she will fight Anna Jay one-on-one!
Now the intriguing part of this fight is that Anna Jay will be stepping into the ring just 75 miles away from her hometown of Brunswick, GA, meaning she will have the support of the fans on her side, all while insisting that this drama is not of her doing.
Ruby isn’t hearing that though, all she knows is her relationship with “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker has been put in jeopardy and apparently Anna Jay is to blame! It’s time for vengeance, at least in Ruby’s world, and getting it so close to Anna’s home is just icing on the cake. Will Ruby listen to reason and hear Anna Jay out, or has her anger made her unwilling to listen? And can the relationship between Ruby and Angelo survive all this drama being heaped upon it from outside forces?
ALSO FEATURING:
-“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs. “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita
Savannah, GA hosts this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and features four men vying for a shot at AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy on COLLISION, Anna Jay and Ruby Soho looking to settle their issues, Jon Moxley taking on Lee Moriarty, and Takeshita battling “The Fallen Angel” in singles competition! Prior to showtime, be sure to 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, and COLLISION, plus the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe kicked off the show, dressed in a business suit, and eager to speak his mind!
Samoa Joe: “I stand before you your undisputed, undeniable AEW World Champion. And tonight is a night of celebration because a new championship endeavor, we embark upon tonight. No more will AEW Championship opportunities be given. No, tonight, they must be earned. That’s why all your favorite AEW superstars are going to battle tooth and nail in this ring, all for an opportunity at my championship gold.
“I come here with a warning. You may think you’re getting an opportunity at a championship. But I’m here to tell you it’s going to be an opportunity to have the worst night of your life. Anyone that comes in here, I’m going to do them like I did Hook last week. I will take everything from you!”
FTW Champion Hook’s music began to play! Hook entered the ring with a microphone.
HOOK: “Last week you won, I lost.”
Hook extended his hand and offered it to Samoa Joe before they embraced.
Hook: “I don’t know when, and I don’t know where, but I will see you again.”
Samoa Joe: “I bet you will. Now if you excuse me, I came here to survey the field, so you can get to the back of the line. Security, get the unworthy out of my ring.”
AEW Security entered the ring but Hook suplexed them until Hook had enough and stormed off, defiantly scowling at Samoa Joe on his way out.
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes)!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joined the broadcast team.
They began with a collar and elbow tie up. Page backed Penta into the ropes and then allowed for a clean break. It quickly escalated as both men brought heavy shots, blistering one another with chops. Penta connected with a thrust kick, but Page returned with a big boot of his own. Penta El Zero Miedo wiped out Hangman Page with a Sling Blade. Hangman retaliated with a fallaway slam and then a standing shooting star press for a near fall.
Penta El Zero Miedo hit a leg drop from off the bottom rope for a two-count on Page. They traded chops again. Hangman landed a thrust kick but then they knocked each other down with clotheslines, both men having the same idea.
Penta flew over the top rope with a tope con hiro and crashed onto Hangman Page outside the ring! Page dodged a double stomp and countered with a Death Valley Driver on Penta El Zero Miedo for a near fall. Penta planted Page in the center of the ring and nearly put away the former AEW World Champion.
Hangman Page stunned Penta El Zero Miedo with a pop up powerbomb. They traded strikes on the ring apron. Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Penta blocked it and nailed Hangman with the Made in Japan for a two-count!
Hangman Page drilled Penta El Zero Miedo with a Dead Eye on the apron! Page connected with the Buckshot Lariat and pinned Penta El Zero Miedo!
“Boy, that’s a big win as far as rankings go,” said Tony Schiavone.
Page pointed at Samoa Joe and his championship and yelled, “I am taking that away from you!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with AEW International Champion “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy!
Renee wanted to know Orange’s reaction to Roderick Strong’s challenge.
Orange: “My reaction to that is okay. I will wrestle you for my International Championship at Revolution on March 3rd. If you want to wait that long, fine, but I’m not going to wait. I’m going to keep wrestling because that’s what I do. I told Tony to put some of my friends and enemies in a match on Rampage and the winner of that will face me for my championship on Collision. So, I guess Tony is going to do it.”
The Young Bucks—Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, were walking backstage when Alex Marvez approached them, hoping to get a word with them!
Nicholas: “Our first plan of action as executives? Let’s talk about your first plan of action. By showing a little more respect to us. By calling us by our passport names of Nicholas and Matthew Jackson.”
Matthew: “Alex, as the last two remaining, surviving, EVPs, backstage chatter and buzz is through the roof. We fixed the catering problem. Did you have lunch? You’re welcome. Most importantly we’re just here to make sure the show runs smoothly. Let’s have a killer show.”
Top Flight—Dante and Darius Martin were walking down the hall past the Young Bucks.
Nicholas: “Look who’s showing up so late tonight.”
Matthew: “Did you guys just get here?”
Darius: “No, we’ve been here since one.”
Matthew: “Why aren’t you in your gear and where’s your dang credentials?”
Dante: “Credentials? You guys hired us.”
Nicholas: “Next time it’s going to be a fine, but we love you guys.”
Matthew: “Hey, we’re just kidding.”
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Wardlow (with Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and ROH World Tag Team Champions Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)
vs.
Best Friend’s Trent Beretta (with Rocky Romero, Chuck Taylor, & AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy)!
Wardlow sent Trent for a loop with a big shoulder tackle right out of the gate! Wardlow hurled Trent halfway across the ring. Wardlow was looking for the Powerbomb Symphony, but Trent cradled him with a small package for a near fall.
Wardlow charged at Trent, but Trent ducked him and then dropkicked Wardlow through the ring ropes. Trent went over the top rope, but Wardlow countered with a beautiful anti air forearm. Wardlow whipped Trent into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Wardlow headbutted Trent in the chest. Trent countered a lariat with a jumping knee strike. Trent connected with a tope suicida. Trent walloped Wardlow with a steel chair. Trent rocked Wardlow with a half and half suplex in the ring, followed by a DDT. Trent spiked Wardlow with a piledriver for a near fall!
Trent climbed to the top rope and went for a crossbody, but Wardlow caught him and powerslammed Trent! Wardlow power bombed a limp Trent and pinned him! After the match, Wardlow tried to grab Trent again, but the Best Friends saw enough and entered the ring. The Undisputed Kingdom called off the “War Dog”.
Excalibur announced that this Saturday on Collision it’ll be the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs Yuji Nagata!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm went face-to-face with “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo during an interview on the stage with Renee Paquette!
Luther the Butler and Mariah May joined Toni on the stage.
Toni: “I will speak first. Deonna, I believe you were recently body shamed. Which I think is ridiculous because there is so much more to shame about you. Yes, we do have history, but that doesn’t mean you can just waltz in here to get yourself a title shot! I have had many friends and all of them less talented than me. You may be the greatest technical wrestler in the world today but let me make one thing clear. If you step into that ring with me, I will twist your lips so hard you will need an epidural!”
Deonna: “This is insane. I didn’t come to AEW to make friends. I came to become the AEW Women’s World Champion. It just so happens, Toni, that the champion used to be my friend. But I have no problem earning a title opportunity and winning arm by arm. This isn’t the Toni Storm that I want to wrestle, this delusional sham.
“I want to wrestle the Toni Storm that lived on dojo floors with me, that moved to America and lived in my house. That Toni Storm was arguably one of the best in the world. And that Toni Storm is the one I want to beat for the AEW Women’s World Championship. So, I’m begging you, dig down deep inside yourself and find that version of yourself. And if you need a reminder, take a look at your ankle, because I’m sure it looks a lot like mine.”
Deonna revealed she and Toni had matching ankle tattoos.
Deonna: “You might have everyone here fooled, Toni, but not me.”
Toni: “You know what, Deonna You can take your little tattoo and blow it right out of your bumhole!”
Toni whipped a shoe at Deonna and Deonna threw a shoe right back at Toni! Deonna attempted to put Toni in the Venus De Milo but Mariah May grabbed Toni by the leg and yanked her away from Deonna’s grasp! Deonna pump kicked Luther in the face! Mariah May and Toni Storm were fleeing when Deonna took Toni’s World championship and hoisted it into the air!
“Could this be a vision of the future?” wondered Excalibur.
Jon Moxley was backstage!
Mox: “Since you first heard the words ‘Blackpool Combat Club’, do you know how many matches we’ve won. I don’t keep track, but trust me, it’s a lot. Do you know how many victory parties we’ve had? Zero. We don’t spend a lot of time patting each other on the back because we don’t have the time. There’s always another match around the corner. And that’s what it takes to be the best, to be elite.
“A lot of people come here, and they don’t know what elite means. In 2024 I will maim and torture anyone that can’t keep up in the ring! I’m going to do it every single time!”
Excalibur announced this Friday on Rampage it’ll be Jon Moxley against Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty!
Taya Valkyrie and Johnny TV requested a moment of our time!
Taya: “Let me reintroduce ourselves. I am Taya Valkyrie, and this is Johnny TV. The most TV-ready couple in AEW. Now I’ve been watching, and some things are really starting to piss me off. That girl that’s trying to jump to the head of the line? Deonna Listen, I’m not one of those girlies that don’t know who ‘the virtuosa’ is. I know her very well. So, I challenge you to a little match next week on Dynamite. And then after that you can get to the back of the line.”
Up next: Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) vs. Jeff Hardy (with Matt Hardy)!
Swerve used a side headlock takeover, looking to make a quick end to this, but Jeff escaped. Hardy rolled up Swerve, grabbing a handful of tights, but Swerve kicked out. Swerve nailed Jeff with a nasty back breaker. Swerve was going for an arm breaker, but Matt jumped on the apron and pointed at Swerve. As Swerve was distracted by Matt, Jeff kicked upwards at Swerve.
Jeff dropkicked Swerve in the back. Jeff used a Russian Leg Sweep. Jeff rammed Swerve into the top turnbuckle. Swerve swept out Jeff’s legs and then kicked him in the jaw. Swerve blasted Jeff with a neck breaker from the apron, as Jeff’s legs were hung up in the ropes. Swerve set up a folding chair and put Jeff on it. But Jeff got up and swept out Swerve’s legs. Jeff ran and leaped off the steel ring steps, crashing onto Swerve who was on the barricade!
Jeff knocked Swerve off the turnbuckles with a headbutt. Swerve climbed back up and clubbed Jeff with forearms. Jeff fought back, took flight and landed on Swerve! Jeff connected with a sling blade and then a Manhattan Drop. Jeff dropped an elbow, but Swerve kicked out at the two-count.
Swerve shoved Jeff Hardy over the top rope. Swerve pulled Jeff into the steel ring post! Swerve pulled Jeff onto the steel ring steps but Jeff countered with a Twist of Fate, driving Swerve’s forehead into the steps! Jeff climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Swanton, but Swerve rolled out of the way. Swerve blasted Jeff with the House Call for a near fall!
“What a kick out! I thought he had Hardy dead right there,” said Taz.
Swerve was looking for a Twits of Fate of his own, but Jeff reversed it with a cradle for a near fall. Jeff stunned Swerve with a series of jawbreakers. Swerve lured Jeff in and planted him with a flatliner. Swerve nailed Jeff with a delayed vertical suplex. Swerve crushed Jeff with the Swerve Stomp and pinned Jeff Hardy!
After a commercial break, Renee Paquette interviewed “Hangman” Adam Page backstage!
Renee congratulated Hangman on being 3-0 in 2024, which, in her opinion, should be putting him pretty close to the top of the rankings once they drop at the end of the month.
Prince Nana and Swerve Strickland interrupted Renee.
Swerve: “Why are you interviewing this man? Did you see what I just did out there to Jeff Hardy? I’m undefeated in 2024 as well. Another fun fact. Who is the last person that beat you, Hangman?”
Hangman: “It’s New Year, New Me, dumbass. So, I’m 3-0, and if I were a betting man, I would bet that someone is going to come along and knock you down these rankings before you get a whiff of the World title.”
Renee had some breaking news! “Next week on Dynamite both of you will be in Dealer’s Choice matches, choosing each other’s match,” Renee said.
“Well, they choose each other’s opponent,” added Tony Schiavone on commentary.
Thunder Rosa used a gator roll on Red Velvet until they reached the ropes. They got to their feet and traded arm drags. Red Velvet swept out Thunder Rosa’s legs on the ring apron. Red Velvet rocked Rosa with stiff chops.
A slug fest broke out in the ring. Thunder Rosa connected with a running clothesline in the corner, and they drove her knees into Red Velvet. Thunder Rosa hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Red Velvet stomped on Thunder Rosa’s midsection. Red Velvet followed up with a knee strike to the back of Thunder Rosa’s head.
Thunder Rosa blasted Red Velvet with a shotgun dropkick. Thunder Rosa finished off Red Velvet with the Tijuana Bomb and pinned her!
Tony Schiavone was in the ring to interview Darby Allin and Sting!
Darby Allin: “I want to take a few seconds to talk about a few things. Everyone always asks me what it’s like to tag with “the Icon” Sting. I want to talk about the impact that Sting has had on my career. It started back in 2015 in my first year in professional wrestling, when I saw this man’s career essentially end early from a neck injury. I thought to myself, ‘What if that was me? What if my life’s work was cut short?’
“And then all these years later I hear that Sting is coming to AEW. And I don’t know exactly what for because I heard he’d never wrestle again. And you remember this part, Sting. I flew to your house in Texas, you had a wrestling ring in your garage, and we were rolling around in the ring. And within five minutes I looked at you and what did I say to you? I looked you right in the eyes and I said, ‘You’ve still got it.’ And I’m not lying to you.”
The Young Bucks—Matthew and Nicholas Jackson were showing backstage, wearing headsets and watching monitors!
Darby: “And I told you to get back in this ring and finish the career on your own terms! And now look at us, 27-0, undefeated. And the rankings are back so I think that puts us in the top spot as number one contenders against Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. And we’d be kind of dumb asses not to take the opportunity. So, I’m going to look you in the eyes and say this one more time: ‘You’ve still got it.’ But I’m not alone this time. I think the fans agree that you’ve still got it!”
The fans chanted “You still got it! You still got it!”
Darby: “So what do you say, Sting? Do you want to end your career as AEW World Tag Team Champions? It’s all you, man.”
Sting: “Alright, I’m all in.”
After a commercial break, AEW World Tag Team Champions “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Big Bill responded to Sting and Darby Allin backstage!
Big Bill: “Sting and Darby Allin, thank you for finally having the respect to address us by name. Thank you for having the respect to address us as the AEW World Tag Champions. And as far as your challenge goes, we accept your challenge.”
Starks: “It’s kind of fitting, Sting, that you started your career with me and a partner of mine in your very first match back after six years. And it’s very fitting that now and the best partner I have will be the end of you. You are not making it to Revolution, so you might as well pay us the proper respect that we deserve. Lay down so we can walk right over you and Darby Allin.”
AEW World Trios Championship Match!
The Acclaimed—Anthony Bowens & Max Caster and Daddy Ass (c.) (with ROH World Six-Man Champions Bullet Club Gold)
vs.
The Mogul Embassy—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage!
Brian Cage rammed Caster in the corner with his shoulder. Caster dropkicked Cage. Bowens grabbed a tag and chopped Brian Cage. Bowens pounded Cage with elbows to the back of the head.
Toa and Kaun doubled teamed Bowens in the Mogul Embassy’s corner, utilizing rapid tags. Bowens tried for a tag, but Kaun and Toa pulled Daddy Ass and Max Caster off the apron. Toa ate an elbow strike from Bowens. Daddy Ass finally got a tag and cleaned house on the Mogul Embassy!
Daddy Ass got pounced by Toa. Bowens rocked Toa with a thrust kick. Caster struck Brian Cage with a backhand. Kaun nailed Caster with a shotgun dropkick. Prince Nana slid a steel chair into the ring. The ref was distracted by Prince Nana. Bishop Kaun was about to whack Billy with the chair, but “Switchblade” Jay White yanked the chair out of Kaun’s hand!
“The Bang Bang Scissor Gang, they’ve got each other’s backs,” said Excalibur.
The Gunns power bombed Prince Nana through the timekeeper’s table!
“They were right, perhaps there is strength in numbers. Bullet Club Gold the difference makers tonight,” said Excalibur.
Billy Gunn rocked Bishop Kaun with the Fame-Asser! Bowens blasted Bishop with the Arrival! Caster hit the Mic Drop and finished off Bishop Kaun for the pinfall victory!
Main Event Time!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Minoru Suzuki!
Copeland and Suzuki slugged it out in the center of the ring. Copeland got his bell rung and collapsed to the mat. Copeland got back up and Suzuki crumbled him again with a solid forearm on the jaw. Copeland backdropped his way out of an attempted piledriver.
Copeland booted Suzuki through the ropes. Suzuki pulled Copeland onto the floor, but Copeland shoved Suzuki through the barricade. Copeland and Suzuki barely made it back into the ring, but they were able to break the ref’s count just in the nick of time.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Suzuki and Copeland were on their knees but exchanged stinging elbows. They got to their feet and traded open hand palm strikes, both men knocking one another down.
Tony Schiavone announced breaking news from Tony Khan! Two weeks away in Phoenix on Dynamite it’ll be AEW World Tag Team Champions “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Big Bill defending their titles against Sting and Darby Allin!
Suzuki had Copeland on spaghetti legs after more open palm strikes. Copeland spiked Suzuki with the Impaler! Copeland tried for a spear, but Suzuki countered with an arm bar! Copeland reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break up the hold.
Copeland speared Suzuki but Suzuki kicked out at the two-count! Suzuki locked in a rear naked sleeper! Copeland was fading fast. Copeland got to his feet and smashed Suzuki into an exposed turnbuckle corner. Copeland cracked Suzuki with the Killswitch, sending a clear message to Christian Cage! Copeland covered Suzuki and scored the pin!
TNT Champion Christian Cage was seen watching on a monitor backstage.
“Christian Cage looks discussed seeing that,” said Taz.
Copeland asked for a microphone.
Copeland: “I’ve never been hit that hard in my life. Suzuki, respect.”
Copeland offered his hand to Suzuki. Suzuki growled and walked away, not taking the loss easy.
Copeland: “I would have been disappointed if he did shake my hand. That was a war. The kind of war that Christian Cage knows nothing about. Christian, I am still coming for you!”
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT featuring:
-Anna Jay vs. Ruby Soho!
-Konosuke Takeshita vs. Christopher Daniels!
-Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriary!
-Freshly Squeezed 4-Way! Kip Sabian vs. Komander vs. The Butcher vs. AAA Mega Champion El Hijo Del Vikingo! Winner gets a shot at the AEW International Championship this Saturday on Collision!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, LA:
-AEW International Championship Match! Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. Winner of Freshly Squeezed 4-Way on Rampage!
-Serena Deeb’s First Match Since 2022!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Yuji Nagata!
-Mariah May vs. Lady Frost!
-The Escape The Cage Elimination Match! FTR & Daniel Garcia vs. House of Black!
Last week as jam-packed with action as new ROH World Six-Man Champions were crowned in BULLET CLUB GOLD, Jon Moxley returned to AEW action, plus Adam Copeland was tested by Dante Martin only to find out he’s got Minoru Suzuki next on his dance card! Did The Bang Bang Scissor Gang became a real thing? How did Thunder Rosa’s return to singles competition go? How did Jeff Hardy respond to losing to Darby Allin? All of that, and more, went down last week, but now our eyes turn to the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA for an all-new DYNAMITE! Copeland versus Suzuki, Jeff Hardy battling Swerve, a battle for the AEW World Trios Championship, “Timeless” Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo face-to-face, Hangman and Penta, and so much more on tap for the AEW faithful in attendance, and those watching around the world!
The road to REVOLUTION 2024 continues this Wednesday on DYNAMITE beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! Before showtime, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! Then it’s time for the Elimination Trios Cage Match on Saturday night in Bossier City, Louisiana pitting The House of Black against FTR and Daniel Garcia!
Yes, this is really happening; possibly the most unexpected of all matches thus far in 2024, possibly the most unexpected of either man’s career, Adam Copeland and Minoru Suzuki will do battle on DYNAMITE in the latest of the Cope Open Challenges! This contest will mark the fourth such challenge, but the first one where Adam knows in advance who he’s stepping into the ring to fight.
Griff Garrison, Lee Moriarty, and Dante Martin were all surprise opponents for “The Rated R Superstar”, men who stepped up on the night of the event, giving Copeland no time to prepare for individuals he’d never fought before while they had all spent their lives watching the Hall of Famer compete inside the squared circle.
That’s not say Copeland didn’t have some awareness of each young man’s abilities, he is someone who watches everything and everyone as much as possible, but a couple years of tape on someone versus a couple decades is a huge difference. That being said, there’s no experience like actually sharing the ring with an opponent, it’s something no amount of tape study can prepare you for, and Dante, Griff, and Lee all learned that first hand.
But this Wednesday night will be a different experience because, as in response to Adam’s comment that none of the more seasoned fighters have stepped up to the plate, he will get one of the most experienced fighters in the whole of the professional wrestling landscape!
The legendary Minoru Suzuki is coming back to All Elite Wrestling for a fight with Adam Copeland, and is that a sentence anyone thought would ever be written, much less a match that would actually happen?!? In many ways, this is one of the most important fights of Copeland’s historic career, an opportunity to step way outside the wheel house, and take on a man as versed in submissions as he is striking, as willing to choke you unconscious as to knock you out, a champion everyone he’s gone, “The King of Pancrase”, Minoru Suzuki. MiSu has proven himself quite the sadistic, relishing in the pain of his opponents, but fans have absolutely witnessed that in Copeland over the course of his career. Will this one come down to a question of which man can be more wicked than the other? This is not to be missed!
WHO WILL BE NEXT?
Last week, in a hard-won fight against FTW Champion HOOK, Samoa Joe successfully retained the AEW World Championship. There were many moments where it seemed “The Cold-Hearted, Handsome Devil” just could not be put down, but ultimately he had no choice but to succumb to the overwhelming force that is Samoa Joe.
That defeat didn’t stop HOOK from exchanging words with Joe as he recovered from the beating, leading to the FTW Champ getting dropped with a low blow and another Muscle Buster, and even then, with the support of the ropes, HOOK pulled himself to his feet and kept talking at the champ. Luckily for HOOK, before Samoa Joe could inflict even more damage, Adam Page arrived to the ring to ward off the AEW World Champion. So with Swerve Strickland watching on from ringside, Hangman in the ring, and HOOK still conscious despite the beating, Samoa Joe walked away from the ring knowing who had him in their crosshairs.
This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, we will hear from the AEW World Champion about what is next on his agenda, or perhaps that should be who is next!
ONE-ON-ONE…
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
Given that these two competitors have each been part of All Elite Wrestling since the very beginning, it is astounding that they’ve never once faced off in singles competition. They’ve danced in tag team affairs, a realm where their record is 1-1, and a multi-man affair from February 5, 2020, but no contact save several Battle Royals since their February 19, 2020 AEW World Tag Team Championship bout. Well that all changes this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE when, for the very first time, these two AEW stalwarts will go one-on-one!
With Rey Fenix on the injured list, Penta has seen a bit more singles competition than usual, but that doesn’t make him a stranger this realm of competition; after all, he’s been a solo champion many times over throughout his career, just never in All Elite Wrestling. As for Hangman, his credential as former AEW World Champion speaks for itself, and he’s rolling into this having won his last three consecutive singles bouts with one goal on his mind: get the championship back around his waist. Clearly there’s a Swerve Strickland issue lingering in Page’s mind, but the end game is becoming 2-Time World Champion, and that means facing everyone he has to in order to get there. If the title is still around Joe’s waist when that time comes, all the better for Hangman, but no matter who is is, Page has a Buckshot Lariat with their name on it…provided he can show no fear and get past Penta El Zero Miedo!
FACE-TO-FACE…
Clearly AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm hasn’t completely parted ways with reality; as evidenced by the video embedded above, Storm actually does recall her history with Deonna Purrazzo, a relationship that dates back to their shared time in Japan’s Stardom promotion. That time together included bouts as both ally and foe, and even featured a championship fight over their SWA Undisputed Women’s World Title, but that wasn’t the end of their interactions.
They’d meet again in their life pre-AEW, but that didn’t stop Toni Storm from pretending like she had no idea who Deonna was when they finally shared space in All Elite Wrestling. So is this all a mind game from The Timeless One? Where does “Timeless” begin? Or should the question be, where does the Toni Storm we all knew for the first period of her AEW tenure end and this “Timeless” persona come into being? It’s certainly not the person that Deonna Purrazzo knew in Japan, or in the United Kingdom, and hopefully she realizes that as this situation continues to escalate towards the inevitable World Championship clash these women are destined for!
This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, we will all see how it unfolds when these two women are face-to-face on TBS! Will shoes be thrown? Will Mariah May and/or Luther be on-hand, and if so what will their presence mean to these proceedings? Tune in Wednesday night to see what else could possibly come out of Toni Storm’s mouth!
As Swerve Strickland and Jeff Hardy prepare to fight for the very first time, take a look at where these two men currently stand in their All Elite Wrestling careers. Swerve is red-hot at the moment, on a mission to become AEW World Champion, and has declared his intentions, not just to the world, but specifically straight to Samoa Joe’s face. He has no fear about standing toe-to-toe with the AEW World Champion, no interest in anything that “Hangman” Adam Page has to say about their issues, but much like the former AEW World Champ, will do anything he needs to do, fight anyone he needs to fight, in order to make his championship aspirations a reality.
Conversely, Jeff Hardy has experienced a great deal of loss over his last year with All Elite Wrestling. With a record of 8-12 across 2023, seven of those losses came over Jeff’s last ten matches, with two singles losses to his 2023 record as well. While Jeff has not competed in a slew of singles matches, he has not won any since that victory over Darby Allin in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament creeping on two years ago. To add to that, though The Hardys long ago earned consideration as a premiere tag team, they lost six consecutive tag bouts in 2023 before scoring their lone victory in a non-televised match fighting the teams of The Butcher & Blade and Daniel Garcia/Matt Menard. Suffice to say, it’s not been a the best year for the multi-time World Champions, but they’ve declared that changed is afoot, and that was on full display when Jeff Hardy, after losing to Darby Allin on RAMPAGE, bailed out on Darby’s show of respect.
That brings these two competitors to this Wednesday night in Savannah where they will go one-on-one for the very first time! Both men have a goal for their careers, goals certainly at odds with each other, so who will prevail when they lock up on DYNAMITE?
TIME TO FIGHT…
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Wardlow vs. Best Friend’s Trent Beretta
Since unveiling himself as the man behind the devil mask, Adam Cole has repeatedly told the world that Roderick Strong was in pursuit of the AEW International Championship, that ROH World Tag Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett were coming for all the tag teams, and that Wardlow would be AEW World Champion. Of course there’s the comments Cole has made about “The War Dog” handing over the title when the time is rest, though that could also be tongue-in-cheek mocking how MJF used to talk to Wardlow when he was under Max’s thumb, but that’s a situation to be unpacked somewhere down the line.
For now, look at everything Wardlow does as in service of his championship aspirations, and should it be Samoa Joe holding the gold if and when that times comes, all the better given their history with the TNT Championship. The path to title contention has to begin somewhere, with someone, and for Wardlow that person is Trent Beretta, and that somewhere is this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE! This marks Wardlow’s first match under the Undisputed Kingdom banner, and in part it could also be looked at as part of Roderick Strong’s push towards challenging Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship match. After all, this is one of OC’s best friends taking on one of Roddy’s undisputed allies, so there’s more than one layer to this first-ever meeting between Trent Beretta and Wardlow!
AEW WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)(c) vs.
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage, & Toa Liona)
Last week was quite a big one for both of the trios engaged in this championship fight on Wednesday night, and their moments are rather tied together as both involve BULLET CLUB GOLD. For The Mogul Embassy, it was watching the ROH World Six-Man Championship titles slip from their grasp on DYNAMITE as BC GOLD emerged from their clash as the new champions. The end came when Jay White caught Bishop Kaun with his Bladerunner to score the three count, but that triumphant moment wasn’t the last of the week for The Bang Bang Gang!
Come COLLISION, White and The Gunns had a face-to-face with the AEW World Trios Champions, the latter looking for a response to their proposition to unify forces in opposition to The Undisputed Kingdom. It came as a bit of a shock that the six men actually drew together, but under the circumstances it was likely the best decision for all involved, and certainly puts all three Gunns, Jay White, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens at an advantage opposite anyone who tries them. It will be interesting to see where Juice Robinson stands on this decision, but at least Rock Card Juice Board is on the same page with everything.
So now all the events of last week come together on DYNAMITE when the recently-dethroned Mogul Embassy come calling on The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass with Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona aiming to fill the void left behind by the loss of their ROH World Six-Man Championship with the AEW World Trios Championship! This is the first time Prince Nana’s monsters have challenged for these belts and clearly, as 2-Time ROH Six-Man Champions, they have what it takes to dethrone the current champions, and disrupt this newly formed Bang Bang Scissor Gang alliance! It would be wonderful revenge for The Mogul Embassy to take these titles from BC GOLD’s new allies, can they pull it off this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE? Or will the BBSG kick off their new alliance with victory?
The world heard what The Young Bucks had to say last week on DYNAMITE, their words about why they chose to step onto the stage in Jacksonville when Sting was asked who he’d be facing for his final match at REVOLUTION 2024(https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-revolution-2024), but how much stock one puts into what Matthew and Nicholas had to say likely varies from person-to-person. Cataloging all their issues with All Elite Wrestling, and people who’ve come through the locker room, but then saying they don’t see Sting as one of those individuals just reeks of seeking justification for their actions.
Well this week we anticipate hearing from Darby Allin and Sting, and getting their response to what The Young Bucks had to say! Will this be the night that a match is officially made for AEW’s March 3rd pay-per-view event? Do not miss out on what “The Icon” and Darby have to share with the AEW faithful!
After sixteen months away, time spent recovering from injury, joining the Spanish announce team for COLLISION, and generally being unsure if a return to in-ring competition would be the payoff for all the pain, sacrifice, and rehabilitation, Thunder Rosa stepped back between the ropes on the final COLLISION of 2023. That night, on her home field of San Antonio, and with Abadon as her partner, Rosa was victorious in tag team action! It was a sign to the rest of the Women’s Division that “La Mera Mera” was back to claim her place atop the division, but she hadn’t been tested in singles competition since BATTLE OF THE BELTS III on August 6, 2022.
Her second match back at DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024 didn’t put that muscle to the test either, though that eight-woman tag also ended in victory for Rosa’s team, but four days ago there was no more postponing the inevitable. On last Saturday’s COLLISION, the former AEW Women’s World Champion stepped into the ring with rising star Queen Aminata, a woman who’d impressed in her AEW bouts with Kris Statlander, Mariah May, Hikaru Shida, as well as in ROH competition. Aminata, even in her losses, had proven herself to be a hard-hitting competitor, one not afraid to throw hands with her opponents, and proven herself capable taking former World Champions into rough waters. This was going to be a tough fight for Rosa’s return to singles competition, but in victory the former World Champion felt empowered:
Thunder’s road back to the top continues this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE when, for the first time, she locks up with Red Velvet in singles competition! Red returned to AEW action last November after her own nine month layoff thanks to injury, coming back with aspirations of ascending to the top of the division, but was frustrated out of the gate by Julia Hart just prior to The House of Black member winning the TBS Championship. She topped Ruby Soho, but fell to Skye Blue in a TBS Title Eliminator match, and was beaten by Deonna Purrazzo two weeks ago on COLLISION. Suffice to say Red needs this victory as much as Thunder Rosa if she wants to get into contention for either of the division’s championships, and she’ aims to give “La Mera Mera” the toughest fight of her comeback thus far!
This Wednesday, AEW returns to the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA for a stacked DYNAMITE, getting underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com (https://www.fite.tv/join/aew-plus/) for international fans, and featuring one huge bout after another! Adam Copeland meets Minoru Suzuki in a match no one could’ve imagined ever happening, the AEW World Trios Title will be at stake, Jeff Hardy locks-up with Swerve Strickland, as well as “Timeless” Toni Storm going face-to-face with Deonna Purrazzo! All that and more is coming to the AEW faithful this week, so before the show gets underway, make a point to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorte social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the newest edition of the CONTROL CENTER! Then join us on Saturday in Bossier City, Louisiana for a COLLISION featuring a Trios Elimination Cage Match between The House of Black and FTR/Daniel Garcia!
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!
