https://www.youtube.com/embed/ALKhUPQnlKY?si=TsrJJirQ1ljHTBah

The end of 2023 is upon us and this Saturday night marks the final event of the year for All Elite Wrestling! Appropriately entitled WORLDS END, this pay-per-view offering features multiple championship matches, as well as the finals of the historic Continental Classic, which itself is also a title fight as the winner will be crowned the first Continental Champion, as well as ROH World Champion and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, creating an all-new North American Triple Crown!

Preceded by ZERO HOUR on the official AEW YouTube channel, WORLDS END begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT and hails from the historic Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island! Be sure to watch all the COUNTDOWN content to get up to speed for the latest happenings leading to AEW’s year-end extravaganza, and do not miss out as the stage is set for 2024!

AEW World Championship Match…

MJF(c) vs. Samoa Joe

https://www.youtube.com/embed/y3mVgI4K3Xg?si=Ct4giTEtXpTRiiij&start=45

Betrayal; is there any other way to encapsulate the last month of MJF’s life since he beat Jay White at FULL GEAR 2023? Samoa Joe stepped up, after vacating the ROH World Television Championship and declaring the AEW World Championship as his sole focus, and told Maxwell Jacob Friedman that no matter what he would chauffeur the AEW World Champion to WORLDS END intact. Joe took it upon himself to be MJF’s bodyguard, to protect the hot-headed AEW World Champion from himself, and insure Max made it to December 30th at peak physical condition so there would be no excuses if he lost the AEW World Championship to Joe live on pay-per-view.

But this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, after Samoa Joe seemed to be taken out by The Devil and his lackeys ahead of a scheduled ROH World Tag Team Championship defense against said masked men, the entire situation went a drastic overhaul. MJF, as he’d done with The Righteous at WRESTLEDREAM 2023, elected to go solo in a tag title defense, only to be laid out by the superior numbers of The Devil’s henchmen, and watch the championship he’d earned with Adam Cole slip away just like that.

For MJF it was more than just losing a title, it was also breaking a promise to his best friend Adam Cole, the only man who’d given Max an opportunity to prove himself a better man than the scumbag he’d shown the world the last four years. After Adam Cole got hurt at GRAND SLAM 2023 while trying to come to MJF’s aid in his last fight with Samoa Joe, Friedman promised Cole he’d keep the ROH Tag Titles around his waist until Cole could return, but the machinations of this Devil made it a difficult situation, and the willingness of Samoa Joe to do business with the masked man turned it into an impossibility. As much heart as MJF as where it comes to Adam Cole, even he can’t overcome the multitudes willing to serve The Devil, much less Samoa Joe’s apparent willingness to do anything for an edge heading into WORLDS END this Saturday.

So with that broken promise to Adam Cole hanging over his head, with the various injuries MJF has sustained during his record-setting AEW World Championship reign, what chance does he have fighting the monster that is Samoa Joe? 

After all, Joe is the man who held both the ROH World Championship and the ROH World TV Championship longer than any man who came before him. He is the man who, unarguably, changed the landscape of professional wrestling for all those who came after him, and the man who broke the mold of what being Samoan meant as a professional wrestler. Samoa Joe traversed the independent landscape, battled across Japan, took Kenta Kobashi to his limit in game changing Ring of Honor fight, and tested a generational competitor like Brock Lesnar like no man before or since. Once upon a time Samoa Joe would look into a camera and unblinkingly tell the world “I am Pro Wrestling” in the same tone with which he now tells the world he is “The King of Television” and there is no doubt that he believes it with every fiber of his being. Ask anyone who has stood in that ring waiting for Samoa Joe’s arrival and they will tell you there are few individuals of this generation, maybe Jay Briscoe, who struck fear into the hearts of their foes before they ever stepped between the ropes. As soon as Joe steps before the people, the man standing in the ring knows he is in for the fight of his life, and that is what Maxwell Jacob Friedman has awaiting him on Long Island this Saturday night.

It’s not the first big-time fight of MJF’s AEW career, this is a man who has beaten Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and even Samoa Joe over the last four years, just to name a few, as well as the other Four Pillars of Jack Perry, Darby Allin, and Sammy Guevara. He’s been big-time for almost as long as he’s been in All Elite Wrestling, and although he has beaten Samoa Joe in the recent past, he’s never come at “The Samoan Smashing Machine” under these circumstances. Max is hurt, he’s fighting from behind, he’s got the specter of The Devil over his shoulder, but he’s fighting on his home turf and with everything to lose. His body may want to give up the ghost, but his spirit, that indomitable Fighting Spirit, isn’t ready to call it quits on this historic AEW World Championship reign just yet…

Continental Classic Championship Finals…

Gold League Winner Jon Moxley vs. Blue League Winner Eddie Kingston

https://www.youtube.com/embed/lTXNt4T0XQA?si=QnEoSdoKxmPTtByx&start=408

The AEW website took a deep dive into the history between Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston on Thursday night with “You Always Hurt The One You Love”, reflecting on the violence that has gone down between these two friends, these brothers-by-choice, ever since Kingston first came to AEW.

A dissection of their relationship can be read there, this is a look at the immediate history and what brought these two men to WORLDS END and the Continental Classic Finals! For Jon Moxley the road to Gold League success began on the November 22nd edition of DYNAMITE, one night before American Thanksgiving, with a match against Mark Briscoe. It was a first-time collision between the two men, and was every bit as hard-hitting as one would anticipate given their history as fighters. The end came with Mark Briscoe surviving one Death Rider, but eventually succumbing to a second, only after Moxley had to stomp Mark’s skull into the canvas: three points for the 3-Time AEW World  Champion.

Moxley’s second foray into the Gold League came against Jay Lethal, and that too went in his favor, but again only after stringing together a succession of moves that, under some circumstances would’ve put a lesser man away. Lethal survived a Paradigm Shift, a King Kong Lariat, and a piledriver, kicking out of the last maneuver at a 2.5 count, only to end up tapping out to Moxley’s Rear Naked Choke: two matches down, six points to his name, and three more to go.

For his halfway point Moxley welcomed a fight with RUSH, a man capable of matching Jon’s capacity for violence, but who ultimately fell to The Blackpool Combat Club member. In this case the leader of La Faccion Ingobernable survived a massive King Kong Lariat and Death Rider, kicking out just before the three, but could not escape the same choke that tapped out Jay Lethal a week prior. Unlike Lethal, RUSH never tapped out or said he quit, it was a matter of referee stoppage to protect the safety of the unconscious RUSH. It was a decision that did not sit well with RUSH, but it was final, and sent Moxley into his fourth bout with nine points to his name.

Enter Swerve Strickland, another man with nine points to his name, and one of the other favorite’s to win the entire Continental Classic. The winner of this bout would be etched into the Gold League Finals with twelve points, and though it was hard-fought by the head of The Mogul Embassy, it was Mox who squeaked out with a victory, but not with a lariat or Death Rider or choke, but rather via roll-up with a little pulling of Swerve’s tights. By hook or crook, Jon Moxley became the only man with 12 points to his name, and guaranteed himself a spot in the League Finals.

Then came the last night of the points competition, Moxley versus “Switchblade” Jay White, and perhaps it was the rigors of what had come the previous four weeks, but with this fifth tournament bout, Jon Moxley finally tasted defeat after being dropped with a Blade Runner. That victory by Jay, combined with Swerve’s over RUSH, meant the Gold League Finals would be contested in a Three Way match, and as we all saw this past Wednesday on DYNAMITE, it ended with Moxley’s hand raised after evening the score with Jay White as Swerve watched on from the outside. 

For Eddie Kingston, the tournament first began with him upping the ante from just the Continental Championship awaiting the winner to it being a Triple Crown situation involving both Eddie’s ROH World Championship and his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. It was a huge risk no doubt, and one that very nearly backfired in Kingston’s face as he dropped his first match with Brody King as well as his second with Bryan Danielson, sending “The Mad King” to the halfway mark with zero points to his name. He had to rebound with his third fight, a bout with long-time rival Claudio Castagnoli, and that’s exactly what happened after a series of counters ended with Kingston scoring the pinfall victory. 

There was a definite change in Kingston through this tournament, rather than a man beaten down by his losses, he was a man who fought through them, through the self-loathing that they could bring, and instead lived off the phrase “Humble in victory, humble in defeat”. It seemed his role as a dual champion had made an honest change to Kingston’s usual mentality, and it paid off as he racked up a victory over Daniel Garcia in his fourth Continental Classic match, and another in his fifth against Andrade El Idolo. Neither came easy, both took a toll on the champion, but he persevered through both and found himself, through hard work and determination, in the finals of the Blue League opposite “The American Dragon”. 

Despite the fact that he’d never beaten Bryan Danielson in their prior encounters, be it in AEW or elsewhere, Eddie Kingston latched onto the Fighting Spirit that had motivated him from the first time he saw an AJPW tape, powered through Danielson’s relentless punishment, and dropped the man many consider the greatest of this generation with that Kawada-style Folding Powerbomb that beat Claudio at GRAND SLAM 2023. 

With that victory it became locked in stone that Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston would fight at WORLDS END in the finals of the Continental Classic with ownership of the ROH World Championship, the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship, and the brand-new Continental Championship all at stake. It’s a modern-day North American Triple Crown, one that will belong to either Jon Moxley or Eddie Kingston in this battle of brothers by choice rather than blood, but can their relationship survive yet another blow after everything it has endured since Kingston first challenged Moxley for the AEW World Championship more than three years ago?

AEW Women’s World Championship Match…

“Timeless” Toni Storm(c) vs. Riho

https://www.youtube.com/embed/O67wxotbvCQ?si=KMqs2pF3soazKzzj&start=45

Over the course of the last several months the AEW faithful have watched Toni Storm spiral out; it began when Hikaru Shida ended her second championship reign back in August, and kicked into full gear (no pun intended) as Storm neared her rematch with Shida at FULL GEAR 2023 on November 18th. Now RJ City and Renee Paquette have had to endure the “Timeless” experience more than any others, while Luther has thrown himself fully into the experience as her…butler, but the entire Women’s Division has had to take a step back and question what has happened to Storm.

She seems trapped in a delusion of Old Hollywood stardom, of key parties, of celluloid dreams, and only vaguely aware of anything going on outside of her own head. Toni’s barely cognizant of Mariah May’s fawning presence, despite the former STARDOM champion actively helping her fight Riho, and only remotely aware of an entire division of competitors gunning for the title around her waist. That division includes women that Toni, as part of The Outcasts, made a point to verbally denigrate and physically assault, women like original AEW Woman’s World Champion Riho!

That “Timeless” moniker matters not to Riho, no matter what she’s called Toni Storm is still part of the Outcast trio that took Riho out of AEW action many months ago, and she returned with a vengeance to right those wrongs. It started with a victory over Ruby Soho, continued with a #1 Contender’s victory over Saraya, leaving just Toni Storm and her AEW Women’s World Championship to be conquered this Saturday night at WORLDS END!

Can Riho etch her name into the AEW history book as a 2-Time Women’s World Champion, or will “Timeless” Toni Storm continue to live out her fantastical delusions with the title belt securely strapped around her waist?

TNT Championship No Disqualification Match…

Christian Cage(c) vs. Adam Copeland

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-4WAjPlrWS0?si=1V7FZJZ55llJnbnD&start=294

What can possibly be said about this championship match that adequately encompasses what it means to the two men involved in the battle. Christian Cage and Adam Copeland have been part of each other’s lives for more nearly four decades, they have fought side-by-side and been champions many times over, they’ve even battled one another on multiple occasions, and each man has seen the other have to give up their professional wrestling dreams when their body decided enough was enough. 

Each man has also seen the other fight back against the body that betrayed their dream, has watched the pain and sacrifice the other has experienced to get back inside the squared circle, and celebrated the moment each returned to the ring to continue living the dream they’d each had for as long as they could remember. And that’s the thing about dreams like the professional wrestling one; no matter the championship successes, the time spent on television and pay-per-view, or the opportunity to step into the ring with the legends one admired as they came up themselves, it’s a dream that is never fully realized. There is always something more to dream about, though for Adam Copeland the culmination of that dream was ending his career standing alongside Christian Cage, the best friend Jay Reso he’d grown up with before either actually laced up a pair of boots, the man with whom he’d changed the landscape of tag team wrestling.

Christian had other ideas…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XzQCnL4IzzY?si=g12hkWW_J5vWselF

So after saying he would never fight his brother, Copeland had to come to a hard realization that Cage did not feel the same way and, in fact, was willing to break Adam’s neck if that’s what it took to insure their relationship was quits. Christian invoked the names of Copeland’s wife and children to express just how much animosity he had towards the very idea of every reuniting the band, and it took “The Icon” Sting, a man quite familiar with betrayal by those he called his friends, to convince Copeland that the man he considered his best friend was anything but. That resulted in the two colliding in Montreal during a recent edition of DYNAMITE, and showed just how far Christian Cage would stoop in order to see that he remained the top man in the Cage/Copeland dynamic…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_Z4gJPwYjg?si=YtN4RE_7Nq-v5bre&start=172

Whether it was something Cage expected or not, the choice Shayna Wayne made to align herself with her son’s surrogate father figure changed the landscape of the game, putting even more forces against Adam Copeland, and that one largely because of choices Adam made in the heat of the battle. After all, what mother could watch their son’s head get caved in with a chair and not choose to oppose the individual who inflicted the pain? 

So now we enter WORLDS END and Adam Copeland’s challenge to face “The Patriarch” Christian Cage in one more TNT Championship match, only this time under No Disqualification rules. It was made clear by how Copeland responded to the idea of a sit-down interview with his former best friend just how this fight is likely to go down. There’s no quarter asked, and none likely to be given, between these two men who’ve gone up-and-down the wrestling roads together. 

After this there will likely be no more family dinners, no more “Uncle Jey”, nor the possibility of ending their hall of fame careers standing side-by-side as AEW World Tag Team Champions. This TNT Championship match on Saturday night may indeed be the end of the Copeland/Reso world and regardless of if it’s Adam Copeland or Christian Cage who walks away from the battle as TNT Champion, both will have to ask themselves whether it was worth sacrificing something built over a lifetime…

TBS Championship Match…

Julia Hart(c) vs. Abadon

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7G-QxEwAdTk?si=qjYGnvPRgLAFy9eU&start=45

A darkness has fallen over the TBS Title, the shadow of The House of Black dimming the light once brought to this championship by Kris Statlander’s reign, replaced by something wicked, something intensely scary with the reign of Julia Hart.

Thus perhaps it is apropos that this Saturday night at WORLDS END the Princess of The House defends her championship against “The Living Dead Girl” known as Abadon! With just four loses on their singles record, they are one of the most successful competitors in the Women’s Division, with two of the longest singles win streaks in AEW’s history to their name, seventeen matches between 1/26/21 and 10/22/21 and fifteen from 12/21/21 to 10/27/23. Abadon has drawn blood from foes with their own teeth, struck fear in the hearts of even the strongest competitors, and even in those few losses, come so close to the AEW Women’s World Championship on two occasions. Hikaru Shida has been the bane of Abadon’s existence, responsible for three of those losses, while the other has Dr. Britt Baker’s name attached to it in a Trick of Treat Match two years ago. Other than that, Abadon has been largely untouchable and unfazed by any opponent who’s stood across the ring.

Their desire for the TBS Championship that’s built up over these past few weeks has even led to some very strange bedfellows as Skye Blue, after weeks of successfully fighting against the darkness Julia Hart spat into her soul, finally succumbed to the House and aligned with the TBS Champion against Abadon. In turn, that alignment brought Thunder Rosa away from the commentary table and back into active competition as the former AEW Women’s World Champion chose to stand alongside “The Living Dead Girl”. Their tag team victory over Skye and Julia during last week’s COLLISION certainly gave an edge to Abadon heading towards this PPV battle, even if it was Thunder pinning Skye to bring the win for their team. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7G-QxEwAdTk?si=-w2xc8MNSHEEWyC8&start=172

This past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, Julia Hart played a decisive role in helping Skye Blue defeat Kris Statlander, as well as assisting in the post-victory assault on the former TBS Champion that only ended with the arrival of Willow Nightingale. As the two women fled the scene of their crime, Abadon appeared on the stage, essentially trapping Skye and Julia between the proverbial rock and hard place, forcing them to flee to the side of the stage to escape from any repercussions. 

But Saturday night there will not be any running from the situation, there will not be an opportunity to flee from this TBS Championship fight, no hiding from Abadon when the bell rings at WORLDS END! “The Living Dead Girl” has been a dominating force from the moment they debuted in AEW, only Hikaru Shida has really had their number, but a title has eluded Abadon thus far. Perhaps that will all change on Long Island, perhaps The House of Black will lose its hold on the only championship under its roof, and watch it fall into a different kind of darkness.

This will be a fight unlike any other Julia Hart has experienced during her time in All Elite Wrestling, but if she can survive Abadon, she will have proven herself truly worthy of the mantle she ripped away from Kris Statlander. This is the abyss staring back at The Princess of the Black Throne, will she blink?

EIGHT-MAN TAG…

Chris Jericho, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, & Sting vs. AEW World Tag Champions Big Bill & Ricky Starks and The Don Callis Family (ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/lHfYiBHaMHE?si=iiw3Jwh4Tf10rRyp

Just a few weeks ago Chris Jericho was set to fight Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship with Kenny Omega as his partner, with the match scheduled for WORLDS END this Saturday night. Unfortunately Kenny Omega was struck down before the match, a diagnosis of diverticulitis forcing him away from the ring for an indefinite amount of time, and leaving Chris Jericho without his #1 Contender partner. Of course this made Don Callis extraordinarily happy, seeing his two former friends in pain and misery, even though the situation at that moment had nothing to do with him.

Unsurprisingly Callis chose to celebrate himself and, to a degree his “Family”, this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE. He considered it a Boxing Day celebration, recognition of the holiday celebrated around the world, and chose to give each member of his Family a painting of himself, with them of course, but in each one Callis looked every bit a conquering hero. Still, he seemed quite surprised when one member of his family returned to the fold that night, one who’d been injured fighting for Don, and who’d also celebrated the birth of his baby during that time spent healing up; none other than “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara!

It wasn’t all that long ago that Guevara chose Don Callis over Chris Jericho, turning his back on a history dating back to the very first DYNAMITE, but it only took a fraction of that amount of time for Don Callis to forget all about Sammy. That’s why Guevara said what he had to say upon his arrival, about how Callis leeches off the men he surrounds himself with, and uses them to keep himself in the spotlight rather than doing anything to bolster their careers. Perhaps the truth hurt because it only took moments for Callis to unleash his hounds upon Sammy Guevara, but “The Spanish God” was as shocked as everyone else to find Chris Jericho the man coming to the rescue, and it was not just because of his issues with Callis.

Guevara actually stood up and embraced Jericho, only for Ricky Starks and Big Bill to jump on the two men for a vicious assault, and then to the shock of the former Le Sex Gods, another save was made, only this time by Darby Allin and Sting! Considering that just six months ago Darby and Sting were beating up Jericho and Guevara in a Tornado Tag on DYNAMITE, it was absolutely a surprise to see them stepping to the assistance of these two. It wasn’t as if there was some pressing matter against Big Bill and Ricky Starks either, the bad blood between Sting, Darby, and Starks had been put to bed at REVOLUTION 2021 in that unforgettable Street Fight. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/owgfbdGtSu0?si=ZBZd9Sqc8ges_nCS&start=196

Perhaps this is just Darby Allin and Sting doing the right thing, helping out two men who were being assaulted by an uneven numbers game, and offering their services as “The Icon” heads down the road to his final match at REVOLUTION 2023. It’s quite the intriguing scenario as this brings Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs back on the same side of the fence after their relationship soured some time ago, puts Darby and Sammy Guevara on the same side after years of back-and-forth, and gives Le Sex Gods an opportunity to heal their wounds in real time combat. 

This has all the elements to be quite explosive if tempers flare the wrong way, very combustible elements all crammed together in an unpredictable 8-Man tag! 

ONE-ON-ONE…

“Limitless” Keith Lee vs. Swerve Strickland

On July 13, 2022, during DYNAMITE: FYTER FEST N. 1, Swerve In Our Glory won a Three Way battle over Team Taz and The Young Bucks to become the 8th AEW World Tag Team Champions. Together Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee would reign over the division for seventy days, successfully defending on three occasions before The Acclaimed took the crown at DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2022. There partnership was tense, to say the least, as Swerve Strickland leaned towards a darker bent while Keith Lee wanted to travel the more righteous path. Those differences in philosophy made the partnership difficult, but yet successful, at least until the point it reached the point where it just wasn’t anymore.

That led to DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2022 where Swerve and his new assembled Mogul Affiliates destroyed Keith Lee, leaving him easy prey for Strickland to Swerve Stomp a cinder block on the chest of “Limitless”. It officially marked the end of Swerve In Our Glory, but it never felt like Keith Lee got his chance to right the wrong done to him. Sure he partnered up with Dustin Rhodes to swing at The Mogul Affiliates, and later was able to team with Darby Allin, Sting, and Orange Cassidy for a shot at The Mogul Embassy, a conglomerate of Swerve’s Affiliates and Prince Nana’s Embassy, but satisfaction was never achieved. 

Even when the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament forced the two men back together for one night, it didn’t lead to a resolution for Swerve’s betrayal, or Keith’s need to avenge it. They both continued their mutual business, Swerve building The Mogul Embassy up, competing in the Continental Classic while Keith Lee stepped to Samoa Joe, dealt with his past with Shane Taylor, and let it be known after his FINAL BATTLE 2023 victory that it was time for “him”. Initially the assumption was that the “him” to which Keith Lee kept referring was Shane Taylor, but he quickly put that notion to bed following the Taylor victory.

A confrontation with The Mogul Embassy, sans Swerve Strickland, made it quite clear who “Limitless” was talking about, and a victory over Brian Cage got the man one step closer to that goal of finally fighting Swerve one-on-one. Of course there was the matter of the Continental Classic, but Swerve’s loss in the Three Way Gold League Finals this past Wednesday on DYNAMITE left him free and clear for competition at WORLDS END, and he wasn’t going to wait any longer to settle this score.

So while Keith Lee left the contract, Swerve still had to put pen-to-paper, putting the ball fully in his court as to whether or not this bout would happen. It should come as no shock that after being frustrated in the Continental Classic Gold League Finals, after seeing the match slip away when Jon Moxley pinned Jay White, Strickland was looking for a fight. Thankfully Keith Lee is ready to give him that fight and finally put this issue to bed like he did the decade-old one with Shane Taylor.

As 2023 comes to its close, so too will the saga of Swerve In Our Glory, but only one of these two men can walk away with the victory…

A FIGHT…

“The Redeemer” Miro vs. Andrade El Idolo

At ALL OUT 2023, after Miro defeated Powerhouse Hobbs, his wife CJ Perry emerged as Hobbs began a post-match assault. Perry delivered a relatively ineffective chairshot of her own to Hobbs, ineffective but providing Miro enough time to recover and smack Hobbs with a chair of his own. To say “The Redeemer” was surprised to see his “hot and flexible wife” would be an understatement, he half-thought she was a delusion come to taunt him for forsaking his God.

But CJ Perry was all too real, and if her husband was going to reject her as his manager, then she was going to find herself new clientele within the AEW locker room. Unfortunately Miro made sure that any competitor who even thought about taking on his wife as a manager paid a price for her consideration. Action Andretti, Ryan Nemeth, and Daniel Garcia all paid the price for showing interest in CJ Perry’s offers, but her most recent consideration was not one who’d easily suffer the same fate as those individuals.

Andrade El Idolo, heading into the Continental Classic, agreed to take CJ Perry on as his manager and even though she wasn’t allowed at ringside during those bouts, he excelled in the tournament with her working in that role. Three straight wins, nine points, and likely a fourth if Claudio hadn’t resorted to a low blow to get his victory; it announced to the world that Andrade El Idolo and CJ Perry were a combination to be reckoned with, but there is one man who wants that reckoning.

For “The Redeemer”, knowing his wife is overseeing the career of another individual has not sat well, and he clearly sees her presence as poisoning this well of professional wrestling. For Miro, that means expunging the poison from his life, i.e. removing Andrade El Idolo from the equation. No Andrade means no one for CJ Perry to manage meaning no reason for her to remain with All Elite Wrestling. That’s Miro’s logic going into this fight on Saturday night, with his mission to end the world as he knows it and begin something new where CJ Perry is not in the picture. 

ALL-STAR EXTRAVAGANZA…

Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, & Mark Briscoe

vs.

Brody King, Jay Lethal, Jay White, & RUSH 

What is there to say about this one? Eight of the best men in professional wrestling, all who fell short in the Continental Classic, battling it out on the final pay-per-view event of 2023! Some came within a blink of being in the finals, some left the field without a point to their name, but all are elite-level athletes who will unite this Saturday night in an all-star tag team battle! Will they all get along? Probably not, but victory is more important than the individual squabbles that may exist because of the Continental Classic, or perhaps existed before the tournament even started; either way, this is an all-star extravaganza of talent, and it can only be witnessed as part of WORLDS END!

ZERO HOUR

FTW CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH/FTW RULES…

HOOK(c) vs. ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sL4V7e96a3Y?si=3mpl3EY4vevdQ07D&start=196

TNT CHAMPIONSHIP #1 CONTENDER’S BATTLE ROYALE…

ONE-ON-ONE…

Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale

WORLDS END emanates from the historic Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island this Saturday night, and live on pay-per-view around the world! Samoa Joe will challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship, former champion Riho will take on “Timeless” Toni Storm with the AEW Women’s World Title at stake, and TBS Champion Julia Hart defends against “The Living Dead Girl” Abadon! Plus, Christian Cage puts his TNT Title on the line against former best friend Adam Copeland in a No DQ Match, the FTW Title is up for grabs in a FTW Rules match between champion HOOK and challenger Wheeler Yuta, and the landmark Continental Classic comes to an end with ???? taking on ???? with the winner crowned the first Continental Champion, as well as ROH World Champion and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, to form the new North American Triple Crown!

With ZERO HOUR beginning at 7pm ET on the official AEW YouTube channel, WORLDS END starts at 8pm ET/7pm CT, so make a point to visit that YouTube channel to catch up on the latest happenings leading to WORLDS END, including the COUNTDOWN special, as well as highlights from this week’s edition of DYNAMITE, the CONTROL CENTER, and more! This pay-per-view event not only marks the end of AEW’s 2023, but will set the tone as we move forward into 2024 and the first event of the new year in Newark, NJ! 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/EV-DRnjamZA?si=RD8yXylXeNWAlyCG

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE: Holiday Bash was broadcast live from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK!

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!

Continental Classic: Gold League Standings!

Jon Moxley (12)

Swerve Strickland (9)

Jay White (9)

RUSH (6)

Mark Briscoe (0)

Jay Lethal (0)

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Mogul Embassy’s Swerve Strickland (9) vs. LFI’s Rush (6)!

Rush and Swerve grappled to the mat, chain wrestling. Rush got to his feet and landed big chops. Both men used arm drags, resulting in a stalemate early on. Rush knocked Swerve out of the ring and followed up with a running flip over the top and down onto Swerve. Rush’s leg was all taped out and he began to limp slightly after landing on Rush.

Out of nowhere, Swerve jumped on Rush and applied an arm bar. Rush escaped but Swerve went to work on Rush’s injured let, pulling him down with a dragon screw leg whip. Ref Aubrey Edwards checked on Rush, who was writhing in pain.

Rush grabbed Swerve’s leg, tripping him up and Swerve landed hard on the edge of the ring. Swerve fired back with a German Suplex on the arena floor, but Rush retaliated with a shotgun dropkick, knocking Swerve into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Rush and Swerve stunned one another with rolling elbow strikes. They each went to boot the other and they knocked the other down to the mat, with both competitors having the same idea. Rush was looking for the Bull’s Horns, but his leg gave out on him. Swerve grabbed Rush’s legs and applied a stretch muffler. Rush countered with a cradle for a near fall.

Rush put Swerve in a straitjacket arm lock and then spiked Swerve with a piledriver for a two-count. They traded chops on the apron. Swerve charged at Rush, but Rush sent Swerve flying with a belly-to-belly suplex. Swerve landed hard on the arena floor, as Rush used Swerve’s own momentum against him. 

Rush struggled to climb to the top turnbuckle. Rush went for a senton, but Swerve moved out of the way. Swerve hit Rush with a 450 splash, but Rush managed to kick out of the pin attempt. Swerve smashed Rush with a brain buster for a two-count. Swerve connected with the House Call kick. Swerve rocked Rush with the Swerve Stomp from the top and pinned Rush!

“Tip your cap off to Rush. He kept it competitive with an injury, but Swerve pulled off the victory,” said Taz.

Chris Jericho was backstage with an important announcement!

Jericho: “Last week, on the Thursday after Dynamite, Kenny Omega ended up in the hospital after suffering the effects of diverticulitis. And as he shared on social media, we now have the news that Kenny Omega is out of AEW indefinitely. 

“We don’t know how long or how short that’s going to be. But one thing that’s affected is the Golden Jets’ opportunity to become the AEW World Tag Team Champions by beating Ricky Starks and Big Bill at Worlds End. And while we decide what we’re going to do in the meantime, the most important thing is Kenny’s health. And I just wanted to let you know. We’re all pulling for you Kenny. 

“We’re pulling for you Kenny, the AEW fans as you can hear, the entire locker room, and most importantly, me. And take as long as you need to get healthy, but when you come back, we’re all going to be here and I’m going to be waiting for you. And the Golden Jets will resume. Goodnight and goodbye, but only for now. We’re pulling for you Kenny. We’ll see you soon.”

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Jay Lethal (0) vs. Mark Briscoe (0)!

The fans chanted “Dem Boys! Dem Boys!”

Mark used an inside trip into a side headlock on Jay Lethal. Lethal slapped Mark Briscoe in the face. Mark smiled and chopped Jay in the chest. Lethal hip tossed Mark and then dropkicked him in the face. 

Lethal and Mark jockeyed back and forth for position on a vertical suplex, but Lethal won the battle. Jay Lethal followed up with a tope suicida, knocking Mark Briscoe into the safety rail. Lethal tried for another tope, but Mark caught him and countered with a vertical suplex on the arena floor. 

Lethal clocked Mark with the Lethal Combination! Lethal was looking for the King’s Elbow, climbing to the top. Mark met him up there, tried for a superplex, but Lethal brought his base down and rocked Mark with an elbow to the back of the neck. Mark knocked Jay off the turnbuckles with his Redneck Kung Fu. Mark pulled up a steel chair, ran across the ring and used the chair as a launching pad to fly over the top and land on Jay outside the ring!

Lethal hoisted up Mark in a torture rack, transitioning to a back breaker. Lethal dropped an elbow from up top and Briscoe kicked out at the two-count! Mark countered the Lethal Injection. Mark Briscoe nailed Lethal with a fishermen’s buster for a near fall.

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Mark planted Lethal with a Death Valley Driver. Mark tried for the Froggy Bow but Lethal countered. Jay Lethal spiked Mark with the Jay Driller for a near fall! Briscoe blasted Lethal with a burning hammer, followed up with the Jay Driller, and pinned Jay Lethal!

Reach for the sky, boy!

“Look at this, a standing ovation, deserved for both men,” said Taz.

Footage was shown from earlier of the week of AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF being inducted in the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame!

A vignette aired of Wardlow! 

“Max, we are getting closer to your world ender. Soon the world will see you broken. Max, the payment for your sins cannot be delayed any longer. And I will be the one to bring the devil to his knees!” said Wardlow.

Samoa Joe came out to the ring!

The fans chanted “Joe! Joe! Joe!”

Samoa Joe: “My name is Samoa Joe. And once again I have come here seeking answers. Last week I was asking the right questions but maybe I wasn’t asking the right questions. Even though Roderick Strong may be the dimmest bulb on the Christmas tree, he brings up a good point.

“Week after week, we are assaulted by the devil, and it seems are illustrious World Champion isn’t the only victim. As a matter of fact, for some odd reason, Hangman Adam Page was a victim. And then we think back to the malicious attack on our World Champion, and it seems every time the devil attacks someone, we get plenty of footage of them getting stomped out, but our World Champion was just found gingerly laid down in the back passed out. Very conveniently on the ground. So once again I have come asking the right questions, but maybe not to the right people. So MJF, why don’t you come out here right now!”

AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF walked down the ramp to the ring!

MJF: “Cut my music! Joe, let me get this straight. So, I get jumped in the back by a bunch of goons, I get hit in the back by a beer bottle, and you’re out here accusing me of being the man behind the mask. The devil. Is that correct?”

Samoa Joe: “Correct.”

MJF: “That’s really interesting, Joe. I recall that you said you were going to protect me in our main event going out to Long Island for the World Title. Matter of fact, I think you said, ‘From hence forth, MJF, you are my property.’ So ‘No Show Joe’ it’s become pretty clear that you care about your property about as much as you care about your diet. 

“So, if we’re throwing accusations around, Joey, I got some accusations of my own. So, I get jumped in the back, the goons surround the ring, but I don’t recall them laying a finger on you, Joe. So, let’s see. I don’t like you. Now, I don’t trust you. So, why am I waiting until December 30th at Worlds End when I can end your world right now?”

MJF shoved Samoa Joe. A swarm of masked men ran into the ring and Samoa Joe and MJF had to beat them away! MJF and Samoa Joe fought off the masked assailants but even more came over the barricade and surrounded the ring. MJF and Samoa Joe were back to back and had to work as a unit because the entire ring was surrounded by masked men!

The arena lights went dark!

The man in the devil mask appeared on the big screen! There was a graphic scrawled across the screen that read: 

“Where can you go? Who can you trust? Next week, will you accept a challenge…for your ROH World Tag Team Championship? Are you a hero, Max?”

MJF: “Joe, I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say no again. But I made a promise to my best friend that I would defend those tag team titles, no matter what, until he comes back.”

Samoa Joe: “We accept! Seems the best way to handle a devil is with our bare hands. Next week we beat his boys’ asses!”

“Allies again for a moment,” said Taz.

“Wow, blockbuster announcement as MJF and Samoa Joe united in the face of this devil. But at Worlds End they will not be partners. Champion MJF, challenger Samoa Joe on pay-per-view, one week from Saturday,” said Excalibur.

Renee Paquette was backstage with the Best Friends—Kris Statlander, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Trent, and Rocky Romero!

Rocky: “Renee, I just spent 329 days as a CMLL World Historic Welterweight Champion until last week when I lost it. But I’m just looking for new international opportunities and I just want to bring gold around this waist.”

Orange: “Oh, ok, I get it. Fine. I’ll see you Friday, Rocky.”

Renee: Sounds like it’s official for this Friday on Rampage. Orange Cassidy versus Rocky Romero for the AEW International Championship.”

Saraya vs. Riho!

Winner faces “Timeless” Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Title at AEW Worlds End!

AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm joined the broadcast booth for this match. 

Ruby Soho was watching the match from backstage.

Riho charged at Saraya, but Saraya rolled out of the ring. Riho followed Saraya and rocked her with her innovated offense. Saraya hid behind an AEW security guard and then hit Riho with a cheap shot. Saraya swung Riho into the ringside barricade, bouncing her off it!

Riho countered a suplex attempt with an inside cradle for a near fall. Riho brought down Saraya with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two-count. Riho jumped off the top rope with a double stomp and followed up with charging double knees, pinning Saraya and becoming the #1 contender for Worlds End!

Luthor carried Toni Storm to the ring. Storm got in the ring and Riho began to clobber her with strikes. Riho blasted Storm with a Tiger Faint Kick but out of nowhere Mariah May smashed Riho with the AEW Women’s World Title Belt!

Tony Schiavone read a prepared statement from TNT Champion Christian Cage!

Tony Schiavone: “Schiavone, you’d better read this statement word for word. As the biggest, hottest, and most talked about star in AEW, I have no double the hole my absence has left in your lives. After my career-defining victory over Adam Copeland, I decided to take my prodigy Nick Wayne on a well deserved vacation. 

“I understand that the Rated R Superstar has challenged me to a No Disqualification Match at Worlds End on December 30th. So just to put all your tiny minds at ease, I want everyone to know that I will make my triumphant return this Saturday live on TNT on Collision, where I will address Adam Copeland and address any lingering questions people may have about what’s transpired a couple of weeks ago on Dynamite in Montreal. I expect nothing less than a hero’s welcome upon my return. Sincerely the TNT Champion, the Patriarch of AEW, Christian Cage.”

AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF was walking backstage!

Max stopped in his tracks when he saw a black mask on the floor. It was right in front of the Mogul Embassy’s dressing room. MJF knocked on their door. Prince Nana opened the door and Max grabbed him!

Max: “Explain this black mask! What the hell is it?”

Swerve walked out into the hallway and Max let Prince Nana go. 

Swerve: “Be careful handling my property. Nice to finally see you out. I feel like you’ve been ducking me my whole time here in AEW.”

MJF: “Shane Strickland! Swerve! Look at you, man. See a lot of people don’t know this but we’ve got a big history. We used to do these long car rides on the road every single week when we were trying to make a name for ourselves on the independents. And now look at you! All grown up! All the momentum in the world, beating some of the biggest stars this company has to offer. Man, I’m so proud of you. However, I haven’t been ducking you.

“The reason you and I haven’t made eye contact in this place is because unfortunately there’s levels to this. And you’re just not on mine. And to make matters worse, I don’t hear your theme music. Therefore, neither is your star power.”

Swerve: “It’s funny you brought up those car rides, those were amazing. You remember that. You were the best chauffeur I ever had in my life. Thank you, man. Let’s go back to the interaction between you and William Regal years ago. Didn’t you bring up an email about a tryout that you just failed at and turned you into the whiny little guy that you are today? Yeah, you’re right, there are levels to this. You do tryouts. I sign contracts. And be careful how you talk to me. Because the last person that did, I hung him outside the ring in front of 13,000 people by a chain.”

MJF: “Solid monologue, bro. You’re starting to get so good at talking. I’m proud of you. But you talk about Hangman an awful lot. It’s almost obsessive. Now it’s funny you’re talking about respect because I’m your World Champion, kid. So, I think you need to check your tone and watch your mouth. But I do have a question for you. I find a couple things odd. Let me run them by you.

“You hate Hangman. More than anything you want to be AEW World Champion. So, putting those things together when I’m really thinking about it, why wouldn’t you frame Hangman with a beer bottle. Why wouldn’t you consistently try to get inside my head? And your goons in the Mogul Embassy are jumping people creating a clear path for you to finally be a world champion, be on top like yours truly. So, are you the devil? A part of me really hopes so. You say this is your house. Well, you’re looking at the Big Bad Wolf of professional wrestling. And when I feel like it, I’ll blow your house down. And then while I’m at it, I’ll break both your arms so you can always swerve while you drive.”

Swerve: “I ain’t the devil you’re looking for, but you keep waving that championship in front of me, I’m gonna be the one to bring you hell.”

Prince Nana opened the door and Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony stood behind Swerve!

 

Samoa Joe walked up to MJF, put his arm around him, and said to Swerve, “Well what is all good on this side of the hood, my friends? My associate and I have business elsewhere.”

Swerve: “Go handle it.”

Roderick Strong (with The Kingdom—Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) vs. Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)!

Roddy used a leg sweep to trip Komander and grounded him. Roderick smashed Komander with a running knee strike. Roddy rocked Komander with stiff chops to the chest. Komander leveled Roddy with a dropkick. 

Roddy knocked the wind out of Komander with a back breaker. Komander dodged a charging knee from Roddy. Komander cracked Roddy with a round kick. Komander stunned Roddy with elbow strikes. Komander connected with a Phoenix Splash for a near fall on Roddy!

Komander climbed back to the top, but the Kingdom pulled Roderick out of harm’s way to the arena floor. Komander did a backflip and wiped out all three men on the floor! Komander went for a springboard, but Roderick countered with a jumping knee strike to Komander’s face! Roderick finished off Komander with the End of Heartache and pinned Komander!

After the match the Kingdom passed out signs to the fans that said: “MJF is the Devil”!

After the match Renee Paquette interviewed Roderick Strong in the ring!

Roderick Strong: “Oh Renee! I’m so happy you’re here! Samoa Joe, please listen to me! It is so, so obvious now that Max is the devil. I mean look, Hangman mentions Max as the devil, and he gets taken out. C’mon Joe, it’s time to wake up. It’s time to believe me. Samoa Joe is my best friend by proxy. Joe listen to me!”

Main Event Time! Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley (12) vs. Bullet Club Gold’s Jay White (9)!

Jim Ross returned tonight to provide his main event analysis! 

Moxley went for the sleeper right away. Jay White escaped but Moxley nailed him with the hammer and anvil elbows Moxley sat out with a piledriver for a near fall on Switchblade. 

Jay White whipped Moxley into the steel ring steps outside the ring. Jay White stomped on Mox in the corner. Moxley slugged Jay White. Moxley back dropped Jay White on the ramp. Moxley chomped on the head of Jay White. Mox charged at Jay, but Jay dodged it and then clipped Moxley’s legs.

Moxley absorbed forearms from Jay White. Mox set Jay White on the top turnbuckle. Moxley gouged at White’s back, digging his fingers into Jay White’s flesh. Moxley superplexed Jay White. Moxley hit a lariat on White, knocking him over the top rope. Mox followed up with a tope suicida. Moxley may have buckled his knee when he landed, immediately grabbing his knee.

Jay White countered a suplex and planted Moxley across the steel ring steps! Jay White grabbed two steel chairs. The ref admonished White and Jay White tossed one of the chairs in the ring. The ref went to grab the chair in the ring, unbeknownst to him that Jay White had a second chair. Jay White smashed the chair into Moxley’s leg.

Moxley jumped into the ring, barely beating the 10-count. Moxley countered the Blade Runner with a Paradigm Shift for a near fall! Jay White wiped out Moxley with a dragon screw leg whip. Moxley smashed Jay White with a knee strike for a two-count!

Moxley grabbed White and planted him with a cutter! Jay White fired back with a sleeper suplex for a near fall! Jay White spiked Mox with the Kiwi Crusher! Moxley fired up and fired back with a lariat! Moxley curb stomped Jay White! Switchblade escaped the Death Rider! Jay White drilled Mox with the Blade Runner and scored the pin!

“Jay White beats Jon Moxley! What a hell of a match!” said Jim Ross.

“And now we know one week from tonight in the Gold League Finals it’ll be a three-way match! Jay White and Swerve Strickland and Jon Moxley! There’s no man with a clear tiebreaker win over the other so it’ll have to be a three-way match one week from tonight,” added Excalibur.

After the match, Swerve Strickland walked onto the ramp and stared at Moxley and Switchblade in the ring! Moxley managed to get to his feet, but Jay White clipped him from behind!

“That changed the game,” said Jim Ross.

“This could be disastrous for Jon Moxley,” replied Excalibur.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL!

This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT!

Don’t miss AEW Collision: Holiday Bash on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX featuring:

-TBS Champ Julia Hart & Skye Blue vs. Thunder Rosa & Abadon!

– Continental Classic Blue League Match!

Andrade El Idolo vs. ROH World Champ/NJPW Openweight Champ Eddie Kingston!

-AEW World Trios Championship Match!

The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass (c.) vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti!

– Continental Classic Blue League Match!

Daniel Garcia vs. Brody King!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/d4rUN6WpBzs?si=atTiIJu3sGCA5OWe

For the first time in AEW history, All Elite Wrestling heads to Oklahoma and the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City! With WORLDS END just ten days away, the last bouts of the Continental Classic Gold League will go down Wednesday night, setting up the Finals in Orlando next Wednesday on DYNAMITE!

Jon Moxley versus Jay White, Swerve Strickland versus RUSH, and Jay Lethal versus Mark Briscoe are all on tap for this Wednesday with the potential for some intriguing results to be explored shortly. Suffice to say, while Jon Moxley may not be as comfortable as his twelve points would make it seem. In addition, Roderick Strong goes one-on-one with Komander, Saraya faces Riho for the right to challenge Toni Storm on the line, and we will hear from both AEW World Champion MJF and his WORLDS END challenger Samoa Joe!

DYNAMITE gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and don’t forget to check out one of the best professional wrestling events of the year FINAL BATTLE 2023 over at ROH Honor Club (www.watchroh.com)!

CONTINENTAL CLASSIC: GOLD LEAGUE

Standings

Jon Moxley (12)

Swerve Strickland (9)

Jay White (9)

RUSH (6)

Mark Briscoe (0)

Jay Lethal (0)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wmr-pfxHZrE?si=poW6tBp_HpoLUOjv

Jon Moxley(12) vs. Jay White(9)

For the last week, Moxley has been on top of the Continental Classic’s Gold League with 12 points, but as soon as the night begins on Wednesday, there’s the possibility that he will not get any higher and could even end up sharing the top spot depending on how RUSH/Swerve plays out. It’s a sure thing that Jon Moxley will end up in the Finals of the Gold League next week in Orlando, it’s just a matter of what things will look like once the former 3-TIME AEW World Champion gets there. The man who could stop Moxley from being the undisputed points king of the Gold League is none other than “Switchblade” Jay White!

Now White has managed, on his own merit and without BULLET CLUB GOLD involvement, to bounce back from his loss to Swerve Strickland and win his last two tournament bouts to net a total of nine points. Those wins have put him on the precipice of tying up the top spot with Moxley at twelve points, all “Switchblade” has to do is repeat the performance he had against Moxley in their 2019 G1 Climax bout for New Japan. That night, in the first and last singles match between the two prior to this Wednesday, it was White who took home the victory en route to his loss in the tournament finals against Kota Ibushi, and helped stifle Moxley’s strong push towards winning the B Block that year. 

Will this Wednesday be a repeat of that outcome with a “Switchblade” Jay White victory? Or will we see Moxley run the table, net 15 points, and head to Orlando to meet one of the several possibilities that await him in the Gold League Finals? What are those possibilities? Read on to see how this half of the Continental Classic could play out…

Swerve Strickland(9) vs. RUSH(6)

Undaunted; that is what Swerve Strickland appears to be following his loss to Jon Moxley last week, a loss that kept him from claiming the position as points leader in the Gold League, at least for the time being. Strickland seems to garner motivation from loses such as that one, loses he can learn from to become a better competitor, loses that push him to improve and come back stronger. When that loss comes against one of the best in the game, well there is a great deal to take away form it but it call comes down to if a competitor is capable of seeing their flaws and getting better, or if they’re only capable of placing blame elsewhere. In this instance, Swerve seems completely capable of seeing where he went wrong to insure he doesn’t make the same mistake when he and Moxley meet again, and the possibility is very real they could fight against next week in the Gold League Finals.

The match of it breaks down like this: Moxley is at the top of the field with 12 points but both Jay White and Swerve Strickland could move up to into a tie with the former 3-Time AEW World Champion, and “Switchblade” would be doing so at the expense of Moxley. Should Moxley lose to Jay White, and Swerve beat RUSH, then we have ourselves a three-way tie at the top with each man sporting 12 points. Should Moxley win, he is the undisputed points winner of the Gold League and it’s just a matter of whether Swerve or RUSH wins this fight. See RUSH saved himself last week with that victory over Jay Lethal, staying alive for another week, but entirely dependent on how others perform in these last matches to make it to the second spot in the finals, and even then he won’t be alone.

As stated, a Moxley win nets 15 and makes him the king of the Gold League in terms of points, whereas a “Switchblade” victory ties them up at 12. Should Swerve win to get 12, he’s either tied with Jay White at 12 or there’s a three way tie at 12, but if RUSH wins to bump to 9 points, then both he and Swerve sit at 9 with the potential that Jay White could also end up at 9, creating a three way tie for the second spot in the Gold League Finals. Either that or, worst case scenario for the two men in this match, White wins and RUSH wins, tying “Switchblade” up with Moxley at 12 points, and insuring a rematch between the two in the Finals. That’s just scratching the surface of what could happen without looking at the possibility of draws in either match!

There are a multitude of ways this could go down, but nothing will be for sure until the final bell rings on the last Continental Classic match of the night! The only thing we know for certain at this moment is that neither of the men involved in the third Continental Classic bout of the night will be a factor in the Gold League Finals…

Mark Briscoe(0) vs. Jay Lethal(0)

Here we have two men with, on paper, nothing left to fight for in the Continental Classic. They both lost their previous four matches, have scored zero points despite their best efforts, and yet in the face of what could be a depressing, heartbreaking situation leading either man to throw in the towel, Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe have found something to fight for: honor.

The history of these two men dates back twenty years to the formative days of each man’s career, and even saw The Briscoes face the Special K duo of Lethal (then Hydro) and Deranged as part of a Gauntlet Match for the ROH Tag Team Titles at GLORY BY HONOR II in 2003. The two would have their first singles match of record at GATEWAY TO HONOR 2011, a Proving Ground match during Lethal’s 1st ROH World TV Title reign, and would go one-on-one several more times in ROH, with Lethal getting the victory in all but one situation, and only because that one time ended in a No Contest.

In AEW they’ve had one match, back on the January 25th edition of DYNAMITE, a bout to honor the late Jay Briscoe, and one of the most emotional matches ever presented on AEW television. Mark finally got a victory over Jay Lethal on that night, and as sweet as that may have been, ultimately the fight was about honoring the memory of our fallen brother more than about who actually won the contest.

Though they’ve had their issues, primarily stemming from Lethal’s choice to associate with The Jarretts, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh, Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe are still bonded, through shared history, through the fights they’ve had together, and through their experiences with Ring of Honor. There’s something unique to those men and women who came through the ROH ranks during the first twenty years, especially those who were there in 2002 when The Murphy Rec Center in Philly was the home of honor. Mark and Jay are two such competitors, and it seems they found their reason to fight this Wednesday night by looking back to that history, focusing on those letters, and putting Honor before everything else.

ONE-ON-ONE…

Roderick Strong vs. Komander

Roderick Strong is clearly just picking fights now that he’s decided to get back into active competition; he did it with Action Andretti and now he’s doing it with Komander, a man who did nothing more than have the audacity to show up and show out at both FINAL BATTLE 2023 (www.watchroh.com) and on last week’s RAMPAGE. Komander may not have been on the winning end of either Survival of the Fittest 2023 or that epic Trios Match, but he absolutely showed he’s got the tools to be a top tier player in AEW or ROH, as well as add more titles to a mantle already holding the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship.

So it will be this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE that Roderick Strong and Komander go head-to-head in their first meeting, and there’s little doubt that The Kingdom will be close at hand. Wherever Roderick goes, so too do Matt Taven and Mike Bennett, and Komander might want to bring some back-up of his own to even the odds lest he fall victim to a piledriver and a…groin…punch from Bennett to soften him up for Roddy!

WORLDS END OR BUST…

Riho vs. Saraya

***WINNER FACES AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION TONI STORM AT WORLDS END***

When she last stepped onto the AEW stage Riho back in April, it was with the dual purpose of fighting for the AEW Women’s World Championship held at the time by Jamie Hayter and in defense of the AEW Women’s locker room in the face of The Outcasts. Unfortunately the former AEW Women’s World Champion failed in both missions, losing to Hayter on the April 5th edition of DYNAMITE, and being decimated by The Outcasts one week later following a tag match loss to Ruby and Toni Storm.

So it came as no surprise that, upon her return to the fold, Riho’s first order of business was last week’s match with Ruby Soho, a match that ended in Riho’s favor, and now this week it continues with a bout against Saraya. Not only is it a fight with the Outcast member, but it is also one upon which the future of the AEW Women’s World Championship hangs!

See to the winner of this contest on Wednesday night go the spoils of fighting “Timeless” Toni Storm at WORLDS END with the AEW Women’s World Championship at stake! So there is still the possibility for Riho to achieve one of the goals she first set for herself last Spring; as for the other one, well The Outcasts did a grand job of imploding all by themselves, starting with Toni Storm being blackballed from their stage, and continuing with this separation of Saraya and Soho:

So that will be the question this Wednesday won’t it? Can Saraya pull off this all-important victory by herself, without Ruby Soho in her corner, or has she pulled Anna Jay into her corner based on their mutual issues with the entire Cool Hand Ang/Ruby situation? After all, Anna was Saraya’s side a week ago when she interrupted Parker and Menard’s words before their tag match in Montreal…

THE CHAMP AND THE CHALLENGER…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/gwWaA6TgWHQ?si=jrgwhbJV-mznSA-N

When last we saw AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF, he was face down on the concrete after apparently being struck in the head with a beer bottle. The conclusion was made by Samoa Joe that the presence of the beer bottle meant Hangman Page was responsible, and the confrontation earlier in the night between the former AEW World Champion and the current further reinforced Joe’s beliefs.

Well the last time we saw Samoa Joe, he was standing face-to-face with that former World Champion and telling Page straight up that he knows Hangman was responsible for the attack on Max and thus, presumably, was also the man behind the devil’s mask that’d been stolen from MJF’s bags weeks ago. 

At the end of the night last Wednesday, fans all witnessed Hangman end up another victim of The Devil’s masked men, this time in the parking lot outside the arena, and essentially eradicating any notion that Page was still a suspect. After all, if it’s possible to believe Hangman staged his own assault, than one must accept the possibility that MJF staged his own, or Jay White staged his, or that even The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn stage theirs. Occam’s Razor would suggest removing any victim of The Devil or his ilk from suspicion, and looking elsewhere for suspects.

So perhaps this Wednesday night, when we hear from both champion and challenger, we will all get fresh illumination on the subject. Perhaps MJF saw something or heard something during his attack that points a finger in the right direction, any clue would help unravel this tangled web, and perhaps allow MJF to focus solely on this impeding fight with Samoa Joe.

DYNAMITE debuts in Oklahoma City, OK this Wednesday night Paycom Center and we’ve got the three final bouts in Continental Classic: Gold League on tap! Jay White and Jon Moxley, the winless Mark Briscoe versus the winless Jay Lethal, and RUSH fighting Swerve! Plus former ROH Women’s World Champion Riho battles Saraya for the right to move on to a WORLDS END championship fight with Toni Storm, Roderick Strong will be in action against Komander, and we will hear from both AEW World/ROH World Tag Champion MJF and Samoa Joe!

The bouts begin at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, just be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel for all the highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER!

Ego Nwodim Interview by Big Gold Belt Media as apart of the @theaafcachannel2297 Roundtable interview-Synopsis:Ego Nwodim returns to “Saturday Night Live” for her sixth season as a cast member.Nwodim has entertained viewers with her standout impression…

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC!

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.

Continental Classic Blue League Standings:

Brody King (6)

“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson (6)

Claudio Castagnoli (3)

Andrade El Idolo (3)

ROH World Champion/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston (0)

Daniel Garcia (0)

Continental Classic Tournament: Blue League Match!

Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli 

vs. 

ROH World Champion/NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston!

Kingston cracked Claudio with a spinning backfist. Claudio left the ring and Eddie followed up with a tope suicida. Things were intense right out of the gates, with Kingston trying to finish Claudio early. Claudio pancaked Kingston, his face slammed into the mat, good for a two-count.

Claudio clotheslines Kingston, who was on the apron of the ring. Claudio connected with a big double stomp on the sternum of Kingston. Claudio ducked a chop and put Kingston in the Giant Swing! Claudio transitioned into the sharpshooter. Kingston reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold.

Claudio battered Kingston in the corner with vicious forearms. Eddie was dazed. Claudio blasted Kingston with a short arm lariat. 

The fans chanted “Let’s go Eddie! Let’s go Eddie!”

“Eddie may be out here. He can’t even get his hands up,” said Tony Schiavone.

Claudio pulled Eddie to his feet and hoisted him up onto the top turnbuckle. Claudio dug his fingernails into Eddie’s back and then superplexed Eddie! Claudio grabbed a waist lock suplex for a two-count on Eddie.

“Claudio just toying with Eddie, asking him to fire up,” said Schiavone.

Eddie responded with two exploder suplexes on Claudio for a near fall.

“It looks like Eddie has flipped the switch,” said Kevin Kelly.

Kingston fired off machine gun chops to Claudio. Kingston rocked Claudio with a lariat for a two-count. Claudio countered a knee strike with a suplex. Claudio applied an STF on Kingston at the 15 minute mark. Kingston crawled to the ropes and forced the ref to break the hold. 

Claudio went for the Ricola bomb, but Kingston tried to counter with a spinning backfist. Claudio ducked it and hit a clothesline for a two-count on Kingston. Eddie hit the half-and-half and then two spinning backfists for a near fall on Claudio! Claudio used a hurracanrana, but Eddie rolled up Claudio, pinning him with a cradle!

“Eddie Kingston stays alive! An incredible gut check win for Kingston,” said Tony Schiavone. 

Renee Paquette interviewed FTW Champion HOOK backstage about the consistent issues he’s been having with Wheeler Yuta!

Paquette: “What’s going on with you two?”

ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta walked onto the set and interrupted Renee before HOOK could answer.

Wheeler Yuta: “Renee, I’ll tell you what’s up. Hook you are a paper champion. Renee you shouldn’t be wasting your time with amateurs like this when you could be interviewing honorable guys like myself.”

Hook: “Yeah, real honorable. You kicked Shibata in the balls.”

Wheeler: “Hook, I pinned Shibata in the middle of the ring to become a record-setting three-time Ring of Honor Pure champion. I can do it under Pure rules, but I can do it under your rules too. And I am tired of dealing with you. You’re the one who started this. I’m ready to put you out. So, let’s do it under FTW Rules.”

Hook: “All right.”

Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez (with Diamante)!

Willow clocked Martinez with a clothesline. Willow clubbed Martinez with repeated shots and then a shoulder block. Willow splashed Martinez with a senton. Willow followed Martinez to the floor and Martinez rammed Willow into the edge of the ring. Martinez whipped Willow into the steel barricade.

“That is one vicious lady right there,” said Tony Schiavone. 

Martinez spiked Willow with a draping DDT off the timekeeper’s table! Back in the ring Martinez hit Willow with two vertical suplexes, but Willow countered with her own suplex and then face planted Martinez for a near fall. 

Willow smashed Martinez with a cannonball splash in the turnbuckles. Diamante jumped onto the apron, but Willow knocked her to the arena floor. Martinez used the distraction to her advantage and stunned Willow with a fisherman’s bomb for a two-count. Martinez followed up with a backdrop driver, and then another. Martinez hoisted up Willow and planted her, but Willow managed to roll up Martinez with a small package and pin her!

“How did Willow do it?” asked a shocked Kevin Kelly.

Martinez and Diamante attacked Willow after the match. Diamante pulled a ladder out from beneath the ring and slid it to Martinez, who used it on Willow. 

Kris Statlander ran to the ring with a chain wrapped around her fist! Martinez and Diamante retreated while Statlander checked on Willow.

Renee Paquette interviewed Daddy Magic, Cool Hand Ang, and Jake Hager backstage!

Hager was outraged that Danhausen had stolen his purple bucket hat. “I got bad hat fever!” said Hager.

Ruby Soho showed up and began to smile at Cool Hand Ang. Saraya and Anna Jay walked onto the set. Saraya ordered Daddy Magic to handle the situation. 

Saraya: “We’ve been looking for you all day. What are you hiding?”

Ruby: “Nothing. It’s cold.”

Saraya pulled Ruby’s jacket open and saw she was wearing a Cool Hand Ang t-shirt underneath. 

Saraya: “You’re an evil witch. You’re going to leave me just like her! You haven’t been there for me and I’m not going to be there for you next week when you face Riho, unless you prove to me that you still want to do this.”

Up next: Wardlow vs. Willie Mack!

“Willie Mack is AR Fox’s friend, but you’ve got to be some kind of friend to want to fight Wardlow,” said Kevin Kelly. 

Willie hammered Wardlow with some strikes but then Wardlow dropkicked Willie. Wardlow rocked Willie with uppercuts in the corner. Wardlow headbutted Willie Mack. Willie fired back with a standing moonsault, but Wardlow kicked out at the one-count. Wardlow caught Willie in midair and powerbombed him!

Wardlow powerbombed Willie Mack again and then walloped Willie with a lariat. Wardlow devastated Willie Mack with another powerbomb, and the ref stopped the match! Wardlow was victorious via ref stoppage!

The House of Black had a message for FTR!

Malakai Black: “So your best friend is gone. And the only people that truly seem to care about you, well, it’s us. 

“All Ego” Ethan Page vs. “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega!

“Ethan Page is not 100% right now, after being put through a table by Tony Nese,” noted Tony Schiavone.

Omega charged into Page with a shoulder tackle. Page wailed away at Omega in the corner with stiff shots. Tony Nese was seen scouting the match backstage. 

Ethan Page jumped through the ropes with a cutter on Omega out of nowhere! Omega immediately rolled to the outside, clearly hurt from the cutter. Page followed Omega and whipped Omega into the guardrail. Kenny put the brakes on and then hit a moonsault off the guardrail onto Ethan Page!

Back in the ring Page scoop slammed Omega. Kenny lured Page in and suplexed Page over the ropes and both men spilled out onto the arena floor!

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Omega powerbombed Page and then targeted him with a V-trigger for a near fall. Page brought down Omega with an Iconoclasm and then a DDT for a near fall. Omega retaliated with a snapdragon suplex. Omega hit a second snapdragon on Ethan Page. 

Page rocked Omega with an avalanche slam off the top rope for a near fall. Omega tried for the One-Winged Angel, but Page countered with a cradle for a near fall. Kenny smashed Page with two V-triggers and then finished him off with the One-Winged Angel, scoring the victory over Page!

“Standing ovation here in Montreal,” said Nigel.

After the match, Big Bill blindsided Kenny Omega with a big boot to the head!

“So now the World Tag Team Champions have put both the Golden Jets down,” noted Kevin Kelly. 

Lexy Nair interviewed CJ Perry backstage when “The Redeemer” Miro interrupted!

Miro: “I am your husband, and I’m trying to figure out when was the last time you said so many good things about me, like you do about Andrade El Idolo? Why are you so mad because I told you to stay home? I am the bread earner and you’re my queen.”

CJ Perry: “Are you really that delusional Miro? I mean, you told me to stay home and cook, clean and listen. And then you denounce me. Make up your mind.”

Miro: “A lady needs to get her hands dirty every now and again. When my dad goes fishing, my mom cleans the fish. When my dad kills bull with his bare hand, my mom guts them. When I hunt, you clean. But don’t worry. I’m not going to touch your client Andrade in this tournament. But once it’s finished, so is he.”

Penta El Zero Miedo & Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)

vs. 

“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard & “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker!

The hometown crowd chanted “Daddy Magic! Daddy Magic!”

Penta El Zero Miedo punted Daddy Magic in the face. Menard offered his hand to Penta, shook it, and then blindsided him. Komander and Parker tagged in for their respective teams. Komander took down Parker with two arm drags and a dropkick. 

Komander and Penta used tandem offense on Parker. Menard charged in and was staggered but stereo thrust kicks. Penta monkey flipped Komander into Parker and Menard! Komander and Penta went for double dives but Menard and Parker crashed the party with stereo forearms.

Penta rallied back with sling blades to Menard and Parker. Komander and Penta connected with double thrust kicks to Parker and Menard. 

“The fans are chanting ‘This is awesome!’ and I would agree,” said Schiavone. 

Menard applied a Montreal Crab to Penta, but Komander charged in and broke it up. Penta picked up Parker for the Fear Factor and then Komander walked the ropes and crashed onto Parker, more than enough to score the pin on Cool Hand Ang!

Main Event Time! Continental Classic Tournament: Blue League Match!

Blackpool Combat Club’s Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo!

“The crowd seems to be evenly split with respectful chants for both Andrade and Danielson,” said Kevin Kelly. 

Andrade had a tight side headlock on Danielson, putting pressure on Danielson’s surgically repaired orbital socket. Andrade shoulder blocked Danielson but Danielson came back with a suplex. 

Danielson kicked Andrade but Andrade countered with a dragon screw leg whip. Andrade tried to smash into Danielson with the double knees, but Danielson dodged it. Danielson rocketed out of the ring with a dive to Andrade. 

Andrade ripped off Danielson’s protective mask and nailed him in the eye with a forearm! Danielson was busted open. Andrade El Idolo applied a figure four to Danielson in the center of the ring. Danielson rolled and managed to reach the ropes. 

Andrade headbutted Danielson on the top turnbuckle. Andrade put his thumb in Danielson’s eye socket. They hit one another with open palm strikes. Danielson slapped Andrade off the turnbuckles. Danielson connected with a missile dropkick!

Bryan Danielson punished Andrade El Idolo with round kicks. Danielson tried for the LeBell Lock, but Andrade fought it off. Both men went down after they collided into one another with clotheslines. 

The fans chanted “Fight forever! Fight forever!”

Andrade superplexed Danielson at the 15 minute mark. Andrade grabbed a near fall after the three amigos suplex. Andrade climbed to the top turnbuckle, looking for a moonsault, but Danielson countered with an avalanche belly to back suplex for a two-count. Danielson applied the LeBell Lock and screamed for Andrade to tap!

Andrade escaped and caught Danielson with a spinning back elbow for a near fall! Danielson’s eye was swelling up. Both men peppered one another with stiff shots to the face. Andrade smashed Danielson with another spinning elbow and then rocked him with double knees in the corner. Andrade spiked Danielson with an arm bar DDT and pinned the American Dragon!

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have seen an unforgettable match here tonight,” said Tony Schiavone. 

Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta ran to the ring to check on Danielson. Claudio shoved Andrade away, but Andrade was merely trying to check on Danielson.

“The concern right now is the condition of Bryan Danielson,” said Tony Schiavone. 

Catch AEW DYNAMITE: Winter Is Coming on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the College Park Center in Arlington, TX!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-GAJk5UbvqM?si=VnTaEho-5PATJejt

As we reach the halfway point, things are heating up with the Continental Classic in both the Gold and Blue League with both Mark Briscoe and Jay Lethal eliminated from victory in the Gold, Daniel Garcia (depending greatly on Saturday night) stands on the precipice of suffering the same fate in the Blue following his loss on RAMPAGE, and Eddie Kingston could end up in the same position depending on his COLLISION contest! We are heading full speed toward WORLDS END on December 30th, but there’s a lot of story to be told before All Elite Wrestling gets onto Long Island, and Montreal plays host to the next chapter!

In a clash of Canadians, “All Ego” Ethan Page goes head-to-head with Kenny Omega in their first-ever contest, Willie Mack steps up to defend his friend AR Fox against Wardlow, an old rivalry renews between Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Martinez, and the Blue League continues with Claudio versus Kingston and Danielson versus Andrade!  The night begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and to best get prepared for it, visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to catch highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as events from last week’s COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!

CONTINENTAL CLASSIC: BLUE LEAGUE

Standings

Brody King (6)

“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson (6)

Claudio Castagnoli (3)

Andrade El Idolo (3)

ROH World Champion/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston (0)

Daniel Garcia (0)

ROH World Champion/NJPW STRONG Eddie Kingston (0) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (3)

The history between these two men is well-documented; former training partners, as well as former roommates, whose bad blood blossomed long ago and spilled all over the independent wrestling landscape in the years before Castagnoli left that landscape to ply his trade elsewhere. It was never laid to rest, never settled, and the truth was, even after Eddie Kingston finally defeated Claudio Castagnoli at GRAND SLAM 2023 to win the ROH World Championship, that animosity wasn’t going to fade away even if the two men planned on never fighting each other again. 

Unfortunately for Kingston and Castagnoli, their plan to never have to fight one another again became impossible as soon as the brackets were set for the Continental Classic and both were positioned in the Blue League. That made a conflict inevitable, whereas if they’d been kept in separate leagues then the finals would’ve been their only possible meeting place. Instead this Saturday night on COLLISION, in their third tournament matches, the ROH World & NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion will fight the man he dethroned for the former, only this time no title will be at stake, rather three points in the league and the potential for Kingston to be mathematically eliminated from tournament victory. That loss would be a blow more devastating than any other he’s experienced thus far because not only would it mean Kingston is out of contention in the Continental Classic, it also means that he has effectively lost both the ROH World Championship and the NJPW STRONG Openweight Title. 

He may have the championship sobriquet attached to his name until December 29th, but if Kingston is eliminated from this tournament before WORLDS END, its a meaningless distinction and he’ll only have himself to blame for putting both titles into the mix to create this modern North American Triple Crown! Can Kingston ward off elimination with a second consecutive victory over Claudio Castagnoli? Or will “The Swiss Superman” bounce back from his loss to Brody King with yet another victory over “The Mad King”?

Bryan Danielson (6) vs. Andrade El Idolo (3)

The last time these two men met in combat was on the October 21st edition of COLLISION, and also the last singles match Bryan Danielson had before the orbital bone injuries he sustained just four days later in that DYNAMITE tag team bout against Okada and Orange Cassidy. It took nearly 19 minutes of fierce battle, but “The American Dragon” managed to topple Andrade on that night to emerge the victor. Now this Continental Classic tournament has given Andrade an opportunity to even their score…

It’s common knowledge that Bryan Danielson comes into this fight still healing from that eye injury, but it didn’t stop him from defeating Eddie Kingston last week in Bryan’s first tournament bout, it didn’t stop him from beating Daniel Garcia on RAMPAGE less than 24 hours ago, and it isn’t going to prevent Danielson from giving it his all against Andrade either. Much like how Danielson had to be wary of Kingston’s spinning back fist when it came to protecting the eye, this time around he needs to be cognizant of that deadly spinning back elbow Andrade employs to knock his opponents senseless. If that connects, not only could it mean the end of Danielson’s bid for three more points, it could mark the end of his participation in this tournament as a whole thanks to another re-fractured orbital bone…

A CANADIAN CHALLENGE…

“The Cleaner” Kenny Omega vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page

For the very first time in their careers, “All Ego” Ethan Page and “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega will go one-on-one after Ethan challenged AEW’s only Triple Crown winner to see who was the better Canadian! Back in June, when AEW came to Hamilton, Ontario for the first time, Ethan stepped up to give AEW World Champion MJF a run for his money in an impromptu title bout, and now he’s making another stand in the Great White North by calling out one of the most influential athletes of this generation!

Omega has had a rough 2023, losing four of his last six singles matches beginning with the night Don Callis stabbed him in the head inside a Steel Cage, and constantly being on the wrong end of an assault from Callis’ Family, but he’s now won three straight in tag team and multi-man affairs, including beating his own best friends The Young Bucks to steal their guaranteed AEW World Tag Title match while apparently sending them off to lick their wounds.

In Montreal, will Omega continue to get himself back on track or will it be Ethan Page’s time to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park?

FOR A FRIEND…

Wardlow vs. Willie Mack

Willie Mack and AR Fox have ties that run deep, back some ten years to shows in Mexico, even include the two men reigning as champions together as part of a trio back in 2015, and those ties have led Wardlow to putting himself in the path of “The War Dog”! For Wardlow, the path ends at MJF’s grave, but the AEW World Champion has a whole lot on his plate and his former bodyguard is going to have to get in the queue. Until then, every one who slows Wardlow down from getting to his goal is going to suffer, and he intends to make Willie Mack the next victim!

TIME FOR A FIGHT…

Mercedes Martinez vs. Willow Nightingale

Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Martinez have a rivalry that has spanned a half-decade, crossed across multiple companies, and across the United States. It began in 2018 in the Berwyn Eagles Club and picked back up in 2022 at ROH’s SUPERCARD OF HONOR event when the two competed for the Interim ROH Women’s World Championship. Both those singles matches were won by Martinez, as was their first AEW bout, a tag team match on COLLISION in August where Martinez and Diamante topped Willow and Kris Statlander. A Trios bout on the ZERO HOUR of ALL OUT 2023 finally saw Nightingale, with Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue as her partners, get that first victory over Mercedes who had ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and Diamante as her allies, and she would score another win over Martinez in a tag match for the Kitsune Women’s Wrestling promotion a few weeks later.

But nothing has brought an end to this rivalry, and the insistence of Mercedes and Diamante to engage with the woman Willow calls friends has kept them in each other’s lives as well. So it comes to blows once again this Saturday night on COLLISION in the third singles match between Nightingale and Martinez! After scoring the last two victories in their rivalry, can Nightingale finally get her first one-on-one win over Mercedes Martinez?

The Blue League tournament action continues, Mercedes Martinez and Willow Nightingale clash, Wardlow goes into battle with Willie Mack, and in a first-ever battle, Ethan Page meets Kenny Omega! COLLISION gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and to get prepared for it all, drop by the official AEW YouTube channel to watch highlights from this week’s editions of DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as events from the last COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC!

Your broadcast team was Ian Riccaboni, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone!

It’s Friday night and you know what that means!

AEW International Championship Match!

“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) (with Danhausen & FTW Champion HOOK)

vs.

Angelico (with Serpentico)!

Orange and Angelico chain wrestled and then Cassidy loaded up for the Orange Punch. Angelico rolled to the outside to take a breather and collect his thoughts. Back in the ring, Angelico punted Orange in the hip.

Orange played mind games, placing his hands in his pockets. He used a wristlock takeover and flying head scissors on Angelico. Orange crumbled as Angelico chop blocked him. Angelico kicked Orange’s leg, inflicting more damage.

“Orange Cassidy is going to have to try to fight through this,” said Tony Schiavone. 

Angelico tied up Orange in a submission. Orange escaped, and nailed Angelico with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Orange followed up with the Beach Break, but he couldn’t make the cover because he was writhing in pain. The crowd willed him to his feet. Orange was looking for the Orange Punch, but Serpentico grabbed Orange’s leg. Angelico blasted Orange with a pump kick. Then Danhausen evened up the score by grabbing Angelico’s leg, tripping up Angelico. 

Danhausen placed a curse on Angelico, and then Cassidy grabbed Angelico with an O’Connor Roll. Angelico managed to kick out and Orange inadvertently collided with Danhausen, who was on the ring apron. 

Angelico twisted Orange in a grapevine ankle lock, while Serpentico had Danhausen in a camel clutch on the arena floor. Orange rolled to the ropes forcing the ref to break the hold. As ref Paul Turner was admonishing Angelico for not breaking the hold sooner, Serpentico tried to blindside Orange. Luckily Danhausen was there and cracked Serpentico with a low blow!

“Jingle Bells have rung in Montreal,” said Ian.

Orange rocked Angelico with the Orange Punch and pinned him!

Abadon vs. Trish Adora!

Abadon dared Adora to strike them in the face, and Adora complied. Trish Adora chopped Abadon, but Abadon shrugged them off, absorbing them. Abadon picked up Trish by the arms and then stomped on her.

Abadon cracked Trish with a knee strike and then began to pummel her with punches. Adora pump kicked Abadon, but Abadon got right to her feet. Abadon connected with two thrust kicks and then pinned Trish with the Black Diamond!

The arena lights went dark! The lights turned back on, and TBS Champion Julia Hart was standing in the ring behind Abadon! Julia placed the belt down in front of Abadon, drawing the battle line. Abadon picked up the title. The arena went dark again and this time, when the lights came back on, Julia Hart vanished, along with her title!

“Abadon is having a fit,” said Tony Schiavone.

The Don Callis Family— “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs

vs.

“Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal!

Don Callis joined the broadcast booth for this match. 

Daniels ducked a chop from Powerhouse and then hit him with elbows. Hobbs wasted no time and bulldozed Daniels. Hobbs body slammed Daniels halfway across the ring!

Takeshita tagged in and charged at Daniels with a running strike. Sydal tagged in and dished out kicks to Takeshita. The Alpha caught Sydal, looking for a front plant, but Sydal escaped and countered with a wrist lock takeover. 

Hobbs powerslammed Sydal and covered him for a near fall. Takeshita tagged back in, but Sydal used a hurracanrana on him. Hobbs grabbed a tag, but so did Daniels. CD used a drop toe hold and then a hurracanrana on Hobbs. Powerhouse Hobbs signaled for the end, though, and decimated Daniels with a spinebuster. Hobbs pinned Daniels after the world’s most dangerous slam!

Backstage Renee Paquette interviewed Action Andretti and Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin!

Dante: “What we’re not going to do is accept Penta’s disrespect walking in while we were talking. But what we are going to do is accept your little one, two, three challenge. So, guess what? There’s three things you need to know.”

Action Andretti: “It’s that Double A don’t play.”

Darius: “And it’s time to step up.”

Dante: “Or take flight!”

Main Event Time! Continental Classic Blue League Match!

Blackpool Combat Club’s “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia!

Garcia came out wearing trunks instead of his leather pants. Garcia grabbed a wrist lock. Danielson suplexed his way out of it. Garcia was looking for the Dragon Tamer, but Danielson grabbed the ropes.

Danielson blasted Garcia with kicks to the hamstring and the shin. Garcia backed up Danielson with rapid fire strikes. Garcia dropkicked Danielson in the corner for a near fall. Danielson sent Garcia flying with a German Suplex.

Danielson taunted Garcia: “Dance, Danny, dance!”

Garcia absorbed a kick and then exchanged open hand strikes with Danielson. Garcia suplexed Danielson for a near fall. Garcia tried for a powerbomb, but Danielson countered with a triangle choke. Garcia fought back but Danielson mounted Garcia with the ground and pound. Garcia got to the ropes and forced the ref to break the hold.

Garcia played possum and rolled up Danielson with an inside cradle for a two-count. Garcia applied the Dragon Tamer on Danielson. Garcia spiked Danielson with a piledriver for a near fall!

“What a main event!” said Daddy Magic. 

Garcia punted Danielson in the injured eye. Garcia stomped on Danielson, going to the orbital socket. Garcia started to dance but Danielson seized the moment and charged at Garcia with the running knee strike! Danielson applied the LeBell Lock, and the ref stopped the match after Garcia went unconscious!

“He had Danielson right where he wanted him but then Garcia just had to dance!” said Daddy Magic. 

“And now in less than 24 hours Danielson must climb back into the ring and take on Andrade El Idolo,” noted Tony Schiavone.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE: Winter Is Coming on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the College Park Center in Arlington, TX!

Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC featuring:

-Continental Classic Blue League Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo!

-Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez!

-Continental Classic Blue League Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston!

– “All Ego” Ethan Page vs. Kenny Omega!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_Z4gJPwYjg?si=pm4daG2ss5oskV4A&start=300

This past Wednesday on DYNAMITE the AEW faithful in Montreal, and those watching worldwide, witnessed the Gold League reach its halfway point, putting Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe on the cusp of elimination while both Moxley and Swerve Strickland shot for their ninth points. While the last two men achieved their goal of nine points, the first two sadly found themselves on the outside looking in with two matches in the tournament still to go. Moxley did it at Rush’s expense, Swerve did it a Jay Briscoe’s, and Jay White gained his 6th point by knocking Lethal out of contention. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/CaXu6XTFPZQ?si=HzF78OKSsQcODZMj

In addition, AEW World/ROH World Tag Champion MJF was laid out, apparently with a broken bottle, while Samoa Joe stood in the ring awaiting their tag bout against The Devil’s Masked Men, Toni Storm retained her AEW Women’s World Championship over Skye Blue only to be confronted by Riho, and TNT Champion Christian Cage managed to defend his title over Adam Copeland in no small part due to the involvement of Shayna Wayne. 

This Friday night RAMPAGE comes to you from Montreal starting at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and features a Continental Classic match in the Blue League between Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia, Abadon in action against The Infantry’s Trish Adora, and The Don Callis Family in Tag Team action, plus we will see AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, with Danhausen in his corner, in action against Angelico stemming from ROH ON HONOR CLUB Thursday night! Beforehand, be sure to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, before showtime to up to speed with highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this latest CONTROL CENTER!

Continental Collision Blue League…

Bryan Danielson (3) vs. Daniel Garcia (0)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/VrhcnljbWP0?si=JqjG7kuJJocB8XRN&start=336

Last Saturday night Bryan Danielson, with one eye concealed due to his orbital bone injury, defeated ROH World/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston in The American Dragon’s first Continental Classic bout. It was hard-hitting, draining, pushed Danielson to his limit, and yet here he less than a week later competing in his second Blue League bout, with his third scheduled for COLLISION opposite Andrade El Idolo!

And just who will “The American Dragon” face this Friday night on RAMPAGE? Why it’s the man who dubbed himself “The Dragon Slayer” after beating Bryan back on the July 27, 2022 edition of DYNAMITE. Danielson might hold the overall advantage over Daniel Garcia in their series of matches, including a 2 of 3 Falls victory on the 8/17/22 edition of DYNAMITE, but the man once called “Red Death” knows what it feels like to be the ROH Hall of Famer. 

Garcia is coming into this fight without a point to his name in the Continental Classic, just two painful losses to Andrade El Idolo and Claudio Castagnoli, and certainly considered the dark horse of the Blue League. He still has Brody King, he still has Eddie Kingston, but this Friday night he must remain focused on Bryan Danielson and take the rest of this tournament one fight at a time. Garcia needs to get on the board with this match, his halfway point of the tourney as the first man to compete in his third bout, otherwise he could end up in the same position as Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe.

But if Daniel Garcia can find a way to another victory over Bryan Danielson, this one without the helping hand of Jake Hager, it may very well be the launching point he needs to rebound from those two painful losses and run the table the rest of the way to a nine point showing! Playing spoiler to Bryan Danielson’s pursuit of Blue League superiority is a tremendous resume builder, and if Garcia can be that guy, Kingston and King better take notice and be prepared.

On the other hand, if it’s Danielson who comes out with the victory, he better hope it’s a fast victory with minimal damage to his person because less than 24 hours later, “The American Dragon” will be right back in Continental Classic action with a fight against Andrade El Idolo! For someone who’s freshly back from injury, is it wise taking two fights of this caliber in just one day’s time?

AEW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (w/ Danhausen) vs. Angelico (w/ Serpentico)

AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Danhausen were just trying to do the right thing by Christopher Daniels, help someone out when their foe was taking advantage of a numbers situation, and that has now brought the champ into direct conflict with The Spanish Announce Project this Friday night on RAMPAGE!

Though not endeavoring into quite the hectic schedule he kept with his first International Championship reign, Orange Cassidy still aims to defend his title against anyone brave enough to step up to the challenge, and it looks like Angelico will be the next individual to try “Freshly Squeezed”!

This encounter will mark their third since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, with OC taking the victories in 2020 and 2021, but their first with a championship on the line. Will Angelico be able to parlay his unique pro wrestling style, with maybe a little help from Serpentico, to his first AEW championship title? Or will Orange Cassidy continue the success he experienced in his first International Title reign?

TAG TEAM BOUT…

The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs) 

vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal

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As witnessed last week, Don Callis’ Family is on a roll and this Friday night on RAMPAGE they aim to continue elevating their dominant presence inside the squared circle. This weekend they will do so in a tag team encounter when Powerhouse Hobbs and Konosuke Takeshita, two of the most powerful men in All Elite Wrestling, unite for the first time to create a team that could be the most terrifying in the locker room.

Their foes on RAMPAGE will be former ROH Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal who, though their reign took place some 17 years ago, have set their sights on finding that magic once again. They’ve been frustrated thus far, losing four consecutive bouts in AEW, but with careers as rich as theirs and 53 years of combined experience in the mat wars, Daniels and Sydal are not about to lay down and give up. They want to face the best competition, the hungry young faces looking to take the top places in the game, and one would be hard-pressed to find two hungrier individuals than Takeshita and Hobbs!

ONE-ON-ONE…

Abadon vs. Trish Adora

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The TBS Championship is clearly on the mind of “The Living Dead Girl” Abadon, but it is just as evident that reigning champion Julia Hart is not the least bit spooked by what Abadon brings to the table. That makes the potential of an Abadon/Julia Hart showdown quite intriguing, two people who live in the shadows and darkness, but before that potentiality becomes reality, Abadon will be in action this Friday night on RAMPAGE against The Infantry’s Trish Adora.

Adora has been building her name on Ring of Honor each week, and now she aims to bring that to the AEW stage as well, but with one of the most fearsome entities in the Women’s Division standing across the ring from her, can Adora rise above any fears and put “The Living Dead Girl” back in the ground?

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RAMPAGE comes to you at 10pm ET/9pm CT from Montreal’s Bell Centre this Friday night on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and it is one stacked event! Sadly Don Callis’ “Family” will be in action to spoil the party, but thankfully the Continental Classic will continue with Blue League action between Bryan Danielson and Daniel Garcia! Plus, Orange Cassidy will defend his AEW International Championship against Angelico after their encounter following ROH ON HONOR CLUB, and Abadon will be in action! Before the show begins, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, to get up to speed with highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this latest CONTROL CENTER!

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC!

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!

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley vs. LFI’s Rush!

Rush chopped at Moxley and Moxley returned fire! Mox changed levels and kicked Rush, but Rush countered with a belly-to-belly suplex. Mox came down hard on his shoulder with an awkward landing, his shoulder and arm being caught under Rush’s body.

They brawled outside the ring and Mox whipped Rush over the barricade. Moxley pursued Rush through the fans. Rush gouged Moxley’s eyes and then smashed a drink over Moxley’s head. Back in the ring they traded more strikes. Rush stomped on Moxley in the corner and then booted Moxley in the face.

Rush taunted Moxley, but Moxley flipped him off in response. Rush scoop slammed Moxley for a near fall. Moxley rallied back with a big cutter to Rush. Moxley rocked Rush with a lariat in the corner. Moxley superplexed Moxley for a two count.

Outside the ring, Moxley charged at Rush and Rush countered with a belly-to-belly suplex, sending Mox flying into the steel barricade. Rush returned Moxley to the ring and Moxley spiked Rush with a DDT.

The fans chanted “Moxley! Moxley! Moxley!”

Rush blasted Moxley with a stalling piledriver. Rush superplexed Moxley for a near fall. Moxley got to his feet and rocketed out of the ring with a tope suicida at Rush! Both men returned to the ring, barely beating the ref’s 10-count.

Moxley and Rush collided in the ring, Rush resorting to a headbutt, knocking Mox down. Rush was looking for the Bull’s Horns, but Mox rocked Rush with the King Kong Lariat and the Death Rider. Rush kicked out of the pin attempt, and then Moxley transitioned to the bulldog choke and put Rush to sleep!

“That’s how you do it, with the proper fundamentals,” said Taz.

“Rush is frustrated. He woke up and heard Moxley’s music playing,” added Excalibur.

Renee Paquette interviewed Roderick Strong and The Kingdom on the ramp!

Roderick Strong: “Renee! It’s obvious that Max is going to put his dagger into the heart of my best friend by proxy Samoa Joe. But you know, Joe is a big boy, and if life has taught me anything, actions have consequences. And tonight, Joe is going to put his hand on a hot stove and it’s going to burn.

“Renee, you sound crazy! Every decision has consequences. Look at me! This is my life. I’m in this wheelchair because of decisions I’ve made. This is my life every single day! And I will live with the consequences of my decisions until now!”

Roderick Strong stood up from the wheelchair and began to walk!

Roderick Strong: “I will no longer suffer consequences for my decisions. I will no longer be held back by this wheelchair! This wheelchair has held me back for far too long. Far too long.”

Renee Paquette was backstage outside of AEW World Champion MJF’s locker room, hoping to get a word with him!

“Hangman” Adam Page walked by, unaware that Renee was doing a live shot. She transitioned to interviewing Page, who hasn’t been seen since his Texas Death Match with Swerve Strickland.

Adam Page: “I got hit in the back of the head with a cinder block and then choked unconscious. So, I could not fly for a few weeks. I’m glad you caught me, because there is something I need to say to you, Swerve, and to the world. Swerve you broke into my home. You went into my son’s room. It took Prince Nana, it took Brian Cage, but you beat me in a Texas Death Match on pay-per-view. I can concede, I can recognize when I’ve lost.

“And you have beaten me. But Swerve at Full Gear I took something from you that you will never get back. And I think we are bound by something bigger than either of us. And I think you should know this is not over. And Swerve I know what you want more than anything from this life. And I promise because of what you’ve done to me that you will never have it.”

MJF walked out of his locker room.

MJF: “Howdy Seabiscuit. I just wanted to say to you, bravo on that match at Full Gear against Strickland. I mean it was so impressive to see two guys battle it out to see who could get more STDs.”

Page: “Honestly I don’t have 30 minutes to stand here for you to talk to me like you normally do, so Renee, if this is your interview, have at it.”

Page walked off.

MJF turned to Renee: “The reason that I have to go out there for 30 minutes is to wake the crowd up after they have to deal with somebody like you putting them to sleep.”

Page turned around and came back to MJF!

Page: “Is there something else you want to say to me?”

MJF: “Funny you ask. My memory is not all that great, Renee, I’ve been hit in the head a few times. I think the last time you and I saw eye to eye was when I verbally bent you over in front of Bret Hart at Double or Nothing.”

Page: “Yeah, yeah, I think you were talking about a match where I buckshotted you and threw you over the top rope. Was that the one?”

MJF: “That’s a good memory. See what I remember is the first time I won the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but I can’t recall who I beat. I think it was this white trash hick. Renee, do you remember who I beat for the Dynamite Diamond Ring, because it’s escaping me.”

Page: “You know, I think it was me, and I think it made me so upset I had to console myself by becoming the World champion instead.”

MJF: “Oh yeah, that reign was fantastic. Lasted about six months, right? The thing is my reign has been well over a year.”

Page: “Well I’m sure you’re really proud of that. And I’m sure you’ll continue to be proud of it until you’re 70 years old, at home, by yourself, telling your ninth cat about your one year title reign.”

MJF: “Funny stuff. You want to get honest here Hangman. You know what I think? I think out of everybody in this locker room, there’s one guy I think…I think you’re the devil.”

Page: “The devil? The masked guy? You think I’m running around in a Party City mask? I have known you for a long time, Max, and as long as I have known you, you have been a manipulator, Max. Just be honest with me, Max. It’s probably just you, right? You put on a mask, you run around, you attack your opponents, you pretend you attack yourself. I don’t know what the deal is but it’s just you. Be honest with me.”

MJF: “You want honesty? How about I honestly beat the living crap out of you!”

Hangman got into MJF’s face, but Samoa Joe intervened.

Samoa Joe: “Easy there, he’s my responsibility now. And MJF, what is wrong with you? We have other issues tonight that do not involve him.”

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Mark Briscoe vs. Mogul Embassy’s Swerve Strickland!

“This is a must win match for Mark Briscoe,” said Excalibur.

“He’s facing elimination here tonight,” replied Tony Schiavone.

Briscoe used an arm drag on Swerve and followed up with an inside trip and a headlock. Briscoe connected with a high boot into the jaw of Strickland. Mark hit a tight Russian leg sweep on Swerve.

Swerve managed to rally back with a diving uppercut to Briscoe’s neck. Swerve followed up with a delayed neck breaker. They exchanged strikes on the apron. Mark clocked Swerve with a kick, knocking him to the floor. Briscoe charged at Swerve and Swerve backdropped him over the barricade. Swerve superplexed Briscoe off the barricade and onto the arena floor!

Back in the ring, Briscoe rang Swerve’s bell with redneck kung fu. Briscoe was on target with an elbow strike and then a high boot in the corner. Briscoe nailed Swerve with a fisherman’s buster for a near fall.

Swerve turned the corner with a German suplex. Swerve cracked Mark with a roundhouse kick for a two-count! Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Mark knocked Swerve off his perch with a big uppercut. Briscoe connected with a lariat for a near fall. Swerve had the Jay Driller scouted and countered with the House Call kick! Swerve tried for a 450 splash, but Mark raised his knees to counter! Briscoe tried for the Froggy Bow, but Swerve raised his knees to counter!

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Mark was looking for a Jay Driller on the apron, but Swerve countered with a Death Valley Driver! Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the Swerve Stomp, scoring the pin on Briscoe!

“Nine points for Swerve Strickland,” said Excalibur.

“Briscoe deserves a lot of credit, putting his body out here, but he was not able to get the victory,” said Taz.

Renee Paquette was backstage with Mariah May!

Mariah: “The meeting last week with Tony Khan went really well. He’s watched all of my work in Stardom. He loves Japanese wrestling. I mean, he’s not an idiot, he signed me. And we planned my debut. We want it to be as good as it can possibly be, bring some much needed glamour to AEW.”

Renee: “You guys planned your debut. Can you give me information on who your first opponent is going to be?”

Mariah: “Renee, that’s none of your business, because tonight is all about ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm. Her first title defense, I’m going to be there, watching, studying.”

AEW World & ROH World Tag Team Champ MJF & Samoa Joe

vs.

The Devil’s Masked Men!

Samoa Joe made his entrance first, by himself. The Devil’s masked men surrounded the ring as the lights flickered. Joe was surrounded on all four sides. The lights went out completely. When the arena lights came back on, the devil’s masked me were nowhere to be seen, and Joe was standing alone in the ring.

“Is this supposed to be a warning message to Samoa Joe?” asked Excalibur.

The masked Devil appeared on the big screen, and then live footage began to show from backstage while Samoa Joe watched on. MJF had been knocked out and his body was unconscious on the cement floor, a broken bottle nearby. Samoa Joe sprinted up the ramp to the back.

After a commercial break, Jon Moxley was backstage!

Moxley: “I’m humble before God and my mother, but look, I know exactly who I am. I know exactly what I’m capable of. I expected to be 3 and 0. I expect to be 5 and 0. I expect to win the Continental Classic because I’m the ace of the world.”

Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana walked onto the scene.

Swerve: “9 and 0, 9 and 0. It’s going to take more than those crappy new kick pads that you have on to stop the momentum that I’m on. As you saw in L.A., I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win, at all costs, it don’t matter who’s in my way. Remember that.”

Mox: “Good! Me too!”

Swerve: “See you in Texas.”

TCM host Ben Mankiewicz introduced “Timeless” Toni Storm ahead of her match!

AEW Women’s World Championship Match!

“Timeless” Toni Storm (c.) (with Luther the Butler) vs. Skye Blue!

Mariah May was watching from ringside.

Toni Storm had a tight headlock on Skye Blue. Toni Storm blasted Blue with a stiff shot. Toni bounced Skye’s head against the broadcast booth. Storm hit the hip attack against Blue and the barricade!

Blue connected with a dropkick and then a rising knee strike. Blue got a near fall on Storm after a diving crossbody press. Storm blocked Skye Fall and nailed Blue with a German suplex. Blue dodged the hip attack and fired back with a thrust kick on Storm. Skye Blue cracked Toni Storm with her own version of the hip attack!

Skye Blue rocked Toni with the Code Blue for a (very) near fall! Toni delivered headbutts to Skye Blue, stopping Skye in her tracks. Storm superplexed Skye Blue! Storm used the hip attack, went for the Storm Zero, but Skye countered with a roll-up! Storm reversed the roll-up and pinned Skye Blue!

After the match, Riho’s music hit, and Riho ran down to the ring! Storm charged at Riho, but Riho dodged Storm and dropkicked the champ out of the ring! Luther carried “Timeless” Toni Storm away from the ring.

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

“Switchblade” Jay White vs. Jay Lethal!

Lethal and White locked up as the fans chanted “Let’s go Jay!”

Lethal went to strut and White capitalized, hitting Lethal from behind. Lethal hip tossed White and then dropkicked him. Jay White went to work on Lethal’s leg. Jay White spiked Lethal with a DDT for a near fall.

Lethal retaliated with a tope suicida. Back in the ring Lethal put White into a torture rack. Lethal hit the elbow drop from the top rope for a near fall! Jay White suplexed Lethal into the turnbuckles. Jay White followed up with a brain buster for a two-count!

White sent Lethal flying with a sleeper suplex. Lethal tried for the Lethal Injection but Jay White countered it, going right back to Lethal’s knee. Lethal countered the Blade Runner but White put his weight on Lethal and scored the pin!

“A heartbreaking loss for Jay Lethal,” said Excalibur.

Main Event Time! TNT Championship Match!

“The Patriarch” Christian Cage (c.) vs. “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!

Copeland smacked Christian Cage with an open hand shot! Copeland rammed Christian into the broadcast booth over and over. Christian begged Copeland to stop, pleading for mercy. Copeland intercepted a low blow and stomped on Christian’s hand!

Copeland whipped Christian Cage into the barricades. Christian grabbed Copeland and drove his throat into the steel ring post! Copeland blocked the pendulum kick between the ropes. Copeland hit a clothesline, jumping off the turnbuckles and knocking Christian off the apron!

Christian used a drop toehold, driving Copeland’s face into the ring steps. Christian landed a frog splash for a near fall on Cope! Copeland countered the spear with the Impaler for a two-count! Christian was looking for a superplex, but Copeland knocked him down with a head butt. Adam Copeland nailed Christian with a running powerbomb for a near fall!

“That was an impressive kick out by Christian Cage,” said Taz.

Copeland countered the Kill Switch attempt, planting Christian Cage for a near fall. Copeland locked on the crossface but Christian managed to reach the ropes with his boot to force the ref to break the submission.

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Adam Copeland hammered Christian Cage’s head on the mat with forearm shots. Christian jumped over Copeland’s spear attempt with a leapfrog and then clocked Copeland with the Kill Switch for a two-count!

Copeland dodged the spear attempt from Christian, and as Copeland moved, he inadvertently knocked down the referee. As the ref had his back turn, Christian kicked the ref with a low blow. Christian grabbed his championship title and swung it at Copeland, but Copeland avoided it. Both men went for spears and collided into one another!

“Both men went for the spear!” said Excalibur.

“The referee is still down,” added Taz.

Nick Wayne’s mother, Shanna Wayne, walked to the ring. She got into the ring, grabbing the TNT title!

“She’s torn,” said Excalibur.

Shanna Wayne smacked Copeland in the head with the belt!

“What the hell did she just do?” asked Tony Schiavone.

“She made a decision, that’s what she did,” replied Taz.

Christian planted Copeland with the Kill Switch. Christian placed Copeland’s head on the championship and then stomped on Copeland’s neck! Christian Cage covered Adam Copeland and pinned him.

“One of the worst things I’ve ever seen,” said Tony Schiavone.

“This is scary and Christian Cage has sunk to a new low,” replied Excalibur.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE: Winter Is Coming on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the College Park Center in Arlington, TX!

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 Bell Centre in Montreal, QC featuring:

-Continental Classic Blue League Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo!

-Continental Classic Blue League Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston!

– “All Ego” Ethan Page vs. Kenny Omega!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Si4lxrwy2NI?si=-Y3Jm9Fq2y8jxZck

Last week on DYNAMITE the AEW faithful bore witness to the next round of Gold League bouts in the Continental Classic, including Jon Moxley and Swerve Strickland raising their point total to six as “El Toro Blanco” Rush scored his first three, leaving Jay White with three, while Jay Lethal, as well as Mark Briscoe, have zero to their name. In addition, AEW World Champion MJF was challenged by the devil-masked individual to unite with Samoa Joe for a tag team bout, and Toni Storm was informed she’d be putting AEW Women’s World Championship on the line in Montreal!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/pap7Jhl7xZ8?si=_GilxT19zHKIygmT

This Wednesday night, as AEW brings DYNAMITE to the Bell Centre in Montreal for the very first time, we will see the next three bouts in the Gold League, as well as two huge championship matches! Swerve battles Mark Briscoe, Jon Moxley takes on Rush, and Jay Lethal goes head-to-head with Jay White as some jockey for the top spot while others attempt to stave off mathematical elimination! “Timeless” Toni Storm will put her championship on the line for the first time in this third reign as she faces one of her most persistent foes in Skye Blue, and, in the face of 40-plus years of friendship, TNT Champion Christian Cage will face “The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!

DYNAMITE kicks off at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, to get catch up on highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER!

AEW TNT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

“The Patriach” Christian Cage(c) vs. “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland

It has been more than thirteen years since the last time Christian Cage and Adam Copeland stood across the ring from one another waiting for the first bell to ring that signifies the start of their one-on-one clash. The site of that fight was the Air Canada Center in Toronto, and it came to a conclusion with an Adam Copeland victory, just as it had sixteen other times over their twenty-six singles bouts on record. Though the two men would find their way back to a partnership for a handful of matches in 2011, the neck injuries that should’ve ended Adam’s career, and actually kept him out of the ring for nine years, ended their tag team bond.

Despite Copeland grinding through a grueling recovery, struggling and fighting to get back into the ring in January 2020, the two life-long friends only stood in the ring during a match one more time prior to WRESTLEDREAM in Seattle, and somewhat ironically that was a one night only affair as Christian Cage was forced to step away from in-ring activity in 2014 due to his own medical concerns, and not resuming his in-ring career until that first match for AEW on March 31, 2021.

So in addition to the friendship that begun some 40 years ago, in addition to all the wars they’d fought together as friends, as partners, and even as foes, Adam and Christian were also bonded by the pain of nearly losing their dream as a result of their bodies betraying them. But so too were they bonded by overcoming all odds and fighting their way back to making that dream a reality when there was no rationale reason for either man to still be competing, much less doing so at the highest of levels they are still doing at this point in their careers.

And yet here they are, despite all that connective tissue, standing as far apart as they have ever been with an seemingly insurmountable gap between their desires for AEW. Copeland came here with the dream of standing side-by-side with his best friend and finishing out their careers showing the world why they’ve long been considered one of the best tag teams of their generation, why they were such a game-changing force in tag team wrestling, and just being able to enjoy everything they’d worked so hard to accomplish.

Christian, on the other hand, came to AEW to get as much distance as possible between he and Adam and to establish himself as far away from any notion of the team they used to be once upon a time. He came to be his own individual, and Copeland coming to AEW only served, in Cage’s mind, to cast that shadow over his accomplishments since REVOLUTION 2021, not that great deal of Christian’s accomplishments deserves accolades. He betrayed Jack Perry and Luchasaurus, then turned Luchasaurus on Perry and made the former World Tag Champion into his lapdog, and even though he helped lead Luchasaurus to the TNT Championship, he didn’t even the man to hold his own championship while simultaneously claiming himself as the true TNT Champion. Then, when the opportunity came, Cage robbed Luchasaurus of the TNT Championship to officially make it his own.

He turned Nick Wayne against Darby Allin, as well as his own mother, humiliated Luchasaurus, robbed him of his name, rechristened the man Killswitch as an homage to himself, and threatened to break the neck of his supposed best friend after Adam Copeland came to AEW with a hopeful reunion in his mind. Christian disrespected Copeland’s family, a family that Adam considered him a part of, and has sacrificed both Killswitch and “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne in order to save his own skin. The fact that Christian Cage is proud of those accomplishments goes to show just what kind of man he’s devolved into since his arrival in AEW, it just took Sting shaking some sense into him for Adam Copeland to realize just who his supposed best friend truly was at heart.

So now this Wednesday night in Montreal, they will fight, and Christian’s prized TNT Championship will be on the line! Interestingly enough, though Copeland leads Cage in victories in their one-on-one collisions, it is Cage who has a razor thin edge when titles at stake. Nineteen times on record they’ve fought one-on-one over a championship, ten of those have been won by Christian Cage, but the last four by Copeland, although it has been a dozen years since the last of those championship contests.

While these men may be more familiar with each other than anyone else in AEW could hope to be, neither is dealing with the same man with whom they captured seven tag team titles together. Each has been changed by their experiences, experiences that should’ve brought them closer together than ever, but instead have seen them driven further apart than ever before. If there was ever any hope for this friendship to find a place of healing, it will likely be dashed Wednesday night on DYNAMITE. Some bridges can’t be rebuilt after the fire, some sins are not forgivable…

AEW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

“Timeless” Toni Storm(c) vs. Skye Blue

While “Timeless” Toni Storm may still be basking in the glow of becoming a 3-Time AEW Women’s World Champion, apparently recovering from Hollywood parties and hobnobbing with stars, the rest of the division has had their eye on being the first challenger to her throne, and it looks like Storm will have to deal with a familiar foe for her first defense!

Skye Blue has been a consistent thorn in the side of Toni Storm since the beginning of 2023, and there’s not a woman in AEW the defending champion has faced more in one-on-one matches. Five times they have gone head-to-head inside the squared circle, two of those in championship matches, and all five have gone in favor of Toni Storm. Even the Four Way Title match at HOUSE RULES: HUNTSVILLE over the summer, a bout that also involved Anna Jay and Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, came to an end with Storm pinning Sky. In fact, in the nine total fights these woman have been involved in, Toni holds a 7-2 lead on her challenger, with both of Skye’s victories coming in tag team bouts, though neither conclusion saw Skye pin Toni to get the victory.

The last fight between the two woman went down two months ago on DYNAMITE, and once again it was Skye who fell in defeat, but her transformation over the last several months may be the key to Skye finally claiming, not just a victory over Toni Storm, but also her first AEW Women’s World Championship! Will fans see another Storm/Blue sequel laid out by “The Timeless One”, or will Skye Blue rewrite the script for a whole new take on their franchise? Tune in Wednesday night to see who claims the crown as best lead in the AEW Women’s Division! And just announced as a special guest:

CONTINENTAL CLASSIC: GOLD LEAGUE…

STANDINGS:

Jon Moxley (6)

Swerve Strickland (6)

Jay White (3)

Rush (3)

Mark Briscoe (0)

Jay Lethal (0)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DezZSrkPAGE?si=7Vv15MYnamJfe5Fg

Mark Briscoe (0) vs. Swerve Strickland (6)

One is a man riding high with two consecutive victories and six points to his Continental Classic tally while the other is a man who has twice tasted defeated, meaning zero points on his record for this tournament. The former is Swerve Strickland, the latter Mark Briscoe, and this Wednesday night in Montreal, they will meet in their first-ever singles match and for just the second time in their careers!

That one previous clash between these two men took place a lifetime ago, and a continent away, when Shane Strickland teamed up with the late Ryan Smile at RevPro’s SUMMER SIZZLER 2017 event in a losing effort against Jay & Mark Briscoe. So much has changed for both these men in the six years since, especially for Mark as he forges forward into the world of singles wrestling after the tragic loss of brother Jay back on January 17th of this year.

Singles wrestling isn’t a foreign concept for Mark, after all he has been in the game for 23 years, years that including some hellacious singles matches against his own brother for one, but doing singles work exclusively, now that is uncharted territory for “The Sussex County Chicken” and perhaps why he is taking the losses as good as he can. Mark knows competing in this tournament isn’t the easiest path, that he’s faced with five of the best in the world in this Gold League, but that doesn’t mean he’ll back down or fold up shop. It’s motivation to get better, to keep pushing, and to continue fighting on for the Briscoe name.

Between Mox and Rush, Mark has already thrown down with two of the heaviest hitters in the Gold League, and now he’s got the red-hot Swerve on his plate who proved unquestionably with that Texas Death Match that he’s got the same grit as Mark’s previous two opponents. Getting those first three points out of this one is going to be a grind for Chicken, but that’s what he does and Swerve best not underestimate as he pursues nine points. After all, Mark is a cornered animal now, a loss here mathematically eliminates him from the competition, and you know what they say about cornered animals…

Jon Moxley (6) vs. Rush (3)

This one is going to hurt, and going to hurt both men involved even more than they are already hurting. We all heard it straight from Moxley himself in the interview embedded above, he is aching and sore and sick and tired, but sick and tired of being sick and tired but fighting is what he does, what he knows, and it’s Moxley’s way through the pain wracking his body.

Similarly, the AEW faithful witnessed Rush gut out a victory over Mark Briscoe last week despite clearly going through some intense leg pain throughout the contest. For a minute it seemed as if the doctor might stop the match, but “El Toro Blanco” fought to his feet, threw down with Mark, and found the way to his first three points in the Continental Classic.

Now these two hard-hitting forces will collide in a rematch of their AEW Interim World Title Match that took place at FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN 2022 on July 27th, as well as the Texas Tornado Tag from the 2/15/23 DYNAMITE that saw The BCC of Mox and Claudio defeat Rush and Preston Vance. Everyone knows the kind of fight these to men bring to the table, and how each seems to feed off getting hit by their foes, but as this tournament gets deeper, as their bodies break down further, and WORLDS END gets closer, will their strategies change? A win for Rush will tie him up with Mox at three points, one for the former 3-Time AEW World Champion could potentially put him at the top of the heap with nine depending on how Swerve’s fight plays out. Every win is crucial, but this week marks the halfway point, and no one can afford to take an “L”…

Jay Lethal (0) vs. Jay White (3)

This is one part Continental Collision contest and one part rubber match as, over the course of their careers, Jay Lethal and Jay White each hold a singles victory over the other. For Lethal, his victory over the future “Switchblade” came at ROH’s GLOBAL WARS 2017, NIGHT 2 event during Jay’s stateside excursion from the New Japan Dojo. There were other bouts involving the two, eight-mans and Three Way’s and Four Corner Survivals, even a trios bout in Korakuen Hall, but that October 13th fight in Pittsburgh was their lone singles until “King Switch” came calling five years later.

From December 2021 through April 2022, Jay White held what he called “The U.S. of Jay Open Challenge Series” during NJPW STRONG broadcasts, a five match series where he first battled Swerve, as well as Christopher Daniels, Chris Sabin, and “Speedball” Mike Bailey. In the second match of the series Jay Lethal answered the call, and on 2/19/22, fell before “Switchblade”.

That bring us to this Wednesday night, the halfway point of the Continental Classic with two matches in the rear view mirror and two waiting down the road, but only one of these two men is on the scoreboard. With a shady victory over Rush, but a loss to Swerve, “Switchblade” Jay White sits with three points while Lethal, following losses to Moxley and Swerve, has a zero beside his name.

So not only are these men fighting for the next three points, they are also fighting for dominance in their series of matches, and in the case of Jay Lethal, desperation to get on the board at all. Should Lethal lose again here, and if Moxley and/or Swerve win, well “The Franchise of ROH” will mathematically be eliminated from winning the bracket.

WHAT IS MJF THINKING…

AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF and Samoa Joe

vs.

The Devil’s Masked Men

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6xW-341p1Y4?si=hirMWkgfh3WPV12j&start=50

Given his physical condition, the face that he’s got to fight Samoa Joe at WORLDS END in twenty-four days, and that he’s still carrying the ROH World Tag Team Titles on behalf of himself and Adam Cole, is it wise for MJF to enter into a fight this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, especially when he has no idea who whose foes actually are?

And what good is Samoa Joe’s promise to keep MJF intact for their fight on December 30th if the AEW World Champion isn’t taking care of himself? Perhaps that’s why Maxwell feels emboldened to take up this tag team fight against an unknown entity, perhaps he’s just lost the ability to use his common sense, whatever the case, this is certainly not the same MJF who spent most of his AEW career avoiding the fight as much as possible. After all, this is the guy who skated by with just six matches in 2019, two of those being Battle Royales, and may see more ring time this year than in the last two combined! Now MJF is running towards the fight, his physical health be damned, and it may fall on Samoa Joe to protect the man from himself if the former AEW World TV Champion hopes to actually see their scheduled World Title Fight in a few weeks.

If not underneath the guise of The Devil, will we all see who’s under the black masks this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE? Or will that be a mystery that continues to haunt Maxwell Jacob Friedman as struggles to keep the AEW World Champion in his grasp?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/E_UuH_f5_Cw?si=U9iMEtBCDrI9AkEt

DYNAMITE comes to Montreal’s Bell Centre for the very first time, and with it comes two massive championship fights, as well as the next three fights in the Gold League! We will see Swerve Strickland take on Mark Briscoe, Jon Moxley throw down with Rush, and Jay Lethal fight Jay White, plus “Timeless” Toni Storm defends her AEW Women’s World Championship against Skye Blue! And in one of the most anticipated fights in All Elite Wrestling, TNT Champion Christian Cage will fig “The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland with his coveted title on the line!

The night begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, so drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel for all the highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER!

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast live from the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA!

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.

Continental Classic Tournament: Blue League Match!

The House of Black’s Brody King

vs.

The Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli!

Brody and Claudio, both known for their power, began the match by blasting one another with forearms. Brody hit Claudio with a lariat, not afraid to utilize the cast on his injured arm.

“I don’t know if this is for pride or what, but neither man is going down,” said Tony Schiavone.

Brody pump kicked Claudio, taking down Claudio with a big boot to the face. Claudio came back with a body slam and then knocked Brody over the top rope and to the arena floor with a clothesline. Claudio followed up with a running European Uppercut.

Claudio whipped Brody into the steel barricade. Brody charged back with a lariat and then removed the steel padding on the barricade. Brody hurled Claudio back into the exposed barricade. Back in the ring, Brody clobbered Claudio with a scoop slam and a running senton splash.

Claudio rallied back with European Uppercuts to Brody in the corner. Claudio went for the Giant Swing, but Brody pushed him away. Claudio shot back with a double foot stomp for a near fall. Claudio rocked Brody with a pop up European Uppercut!

“He lifted him a good two feet off the mat!” said Nigel.

Claudio grabbed Brody in the Giant Swing! Claudio applied a sharpshooter. Brody crawled to the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Brody managed to German Suplex Claudio and followed up with a running cannonball in the corner. He covered Claudio but Claudio kicked out at one! Claudio hit a Canadian Destroyer on Brody and covered him, but Brody kicked out at one!

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Brody spiked Claudio with a piledriver for a near fall! Brody leveled Claudio with a massive lariat and pinned Claudio!

“I’m wondering if it may have been that cast on the forearm shot,” said Kevin Kelly.

Abadon vs. Kiera Hogan!

Hogan hit a shotgun dropkick on Abadon. Abadon battered Hogan in the corner. They charged at Hogan, but Hogan moved and connected with a thrust kick. Kiera Hogan followed up with a dropkick for a near fall. Abadon used a sidewalk slam on Kiera Hogan. Abadon stunned Hogan with a cutter!

Kiera Hogan nailed Abadon with a neck breaker. Abadon fired back with a knee strike. They planted Hogan hard on the mat with the Black Dahlia and pinned Hogan!

The arena lights went dark. When they came back on, TBS Champion Julia Hart was in the ring, smiling at Abadon. The lights went dark again, and this time, when the arena lights turned on, Julia had vanished!

Alex Marvez interviewed Samoa Joe backstage!

Samoa Joe was interrupted by Roderick Strong and the Kingdom!

Roderick Strong: “Joe, listen, I’m willing to forgive you for trying to end my career by trying to break my neck, not once, but twice. I know you have that World title match with Max, but this is clearly a trap. Max is the devil. But listen, my best friend Adam says he likes you, and you’re a good friend of his. So, it’s his best friend that makes you my best friend by proxy. Listen, Wednesday is just a set up. His goons are going to beat the crap out of you. He’s not even here right now. He’s probably plotting exactly how they’re going to do it. Will you listen to me?”

Samoa Joe smirked and walked off.

Continental Classic Tournament: Blue League Match!

Andrade El Idolo vs. Daniel Garcia!

Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for this match.

Andrade applied a side headlock. Garcia shoved him off, but Andrade came off the ropes with a shoulder block. Andrade hit a big cross body press on Garcia. Andrade jumped over the top with a plancha to Garcia.

Garcia used a pair of dragon screw leg whips on Andrade. Garcia rammed Andrade into the barricade. Garcia climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Andrade shoved him off the perch. Garcia tumbled hard onto the arena floor.

Garcia rallied back, tying Andrade into the Tree of Woe and then hammering on Andrade’s knee. Garcia blasted Andrade with a running dropkick and then a brain buster for a near fall! Garcia missed a lariat and Andrade countered with two suplexes. Garcia escaped a third attempt from Andrade, jumping on Andrade’s back with a sleeper. Andrade climbed to the top rope with Garcia on his back. Andrade superplexed Garcia! Andrade followed up with a series of suplexes, an homage to Eddy. Andrade finished off Garcia with the flatliner and pinned him!

“Andrade cracks the scoreboard,” said Tony Schiavone.

Willie Mack was backstage with some words for Wardlow!

Willie: “See Wardlow, I know you’ve been going through a lot of things these past few weeks. But you don’t put your hands on my friends. So, I’m going to have to reach out and touch you. So next week, we’re going to have to do the damn thing in the ring. So, pack your lunch because I’m a big boy!”

Roderick Strong came to the ring with the Kingdom—Matt Taven and Mike Bennett!

Roderick Strong: “I just wanted to say something to Samoa Joe. Listen to me dude. Everything I said back there was true. Max is the devil, and you are going to find out very soon. Those three dweebs in the ring, Matt and Mike are going to beat their ass. And I want to dedicate this to my best friend, Adam, whether he wants me to or not!”

The Kingdom—Matt Taven & Mike Bennett

vs.

The Iron Savages— “Sauce Boss” Beefcake Boulder & “Dirty Bulk” Bronson!

Boulder knocked down both members of the Kingdom with a cross body. He choke slammed Bennett on the apron. Taven cracked Bronson with a thrust kick. Boulder tried for a moonsault, but Taven rolled out of the way.

Bennett nailed Bronson with a Death Valley Driver and Taven followed up with Just the Tip of the Knee strike! They spiked Bronson with a piledriver, and Taven scored the pin. Roderick Strong jumped into the ring after the match and wiped out the manager of the Iron Savages!

Lexy Nair was backstage with “All Ego” Ethan Page!

Ethan Page: “Ever since losing to MJF in my home nation of Canada, I have had to regroup. I have gotten into the best physical condition of my life. I’ve been in Ring of Honor racking up wins. I want to be the king of Canada. But right now, that crown is sitting on someone else’s head. I want you, Kenny Omega, next week on Collision!”

Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal

vs.

House of Black’s Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews!

Sydal jumped off the top turnbuckle, but Buddy grabbed him and nailed him with an elbow. Sydal fired back with a high kick to Buddy’s head. Daniels tagged in and they exhibited great tandem offense on Buddy.

Malakai wiped out Daniels with a moonsault to the floor! Sydal tagged in and connected with a missile dropkick on Black. Malakai cracked Sydal with an elbow to the back of the head. Buddy blasted Daniels with a meteora, and Sydal had the same idea, taking down Black with a meteora of his own!

Black swept out Daniels’ legs, and then Buddy curb stomped CD! Black ended it with a high roundhouse kick to Daniels’ head and pinned Daniels!

“That kick rocked the jaw of Christopher Daniels!” said Tony Schiavone.

The arena lights went out! They came back on and FTR’s music was playing! Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler walked to the ring!

Malakai Black: “Before you both do anything, I assume that the both of you are here because you joining the House of Black. The only people that have been here for the both of you is the House of Black. I have done a lot of things, but not once have I told a lie.”

Dax Harwood went to pick up the microphone and Buddy rushed in and kicked him. Dax was curb stomped. It was all a ruse by the House of Black. Buddy held down Dax, so he was forced to watch as Malakai Black cracked Cash with a roundhouse kick!

Malakai Black: “You see not one single person is coming for you. Boy, were my predictions right last week. No one is coming for you.”

Dax flipped off Black, and then Black rocked Dax with a devastating spin kick to the head!

Renee Paquette had an exclusive Collision interview backstage with AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm!

Toni Storm: “Skye Blue, if I have any advice for you, it would be for you to walk backwards. Because the only time they have anything nice to say about you is when they are taking pictures of your bottom. You can be the first challenger for my belt!”

After a commercial break, Skye Blue responded to “Timeless” Toni Storm!

Skye Blue: “Toni, I have met you through every one of your phases, but this midlife crisis is the most pathetic one by far. But you haven’t met this Skye Blue. So, bring your little butler, bring your little blonde bimbo, and whatever 1940s crap you’ve got up that robe, because nothing is going to stop me from taking that championship.”

AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kip Sabian!

Vikingo shocked Sabian with a kick and then an arm drag off the ropes. Vikingo went for a tope, but Sabian had an answer, drilling Vikingo with a stiff kick to the face. Kip followed up with an Arabian moonsault.

Vikingo connected with a spinning kick to Kip. He followed up with a torture rack knee lift strike to Sabian. Vikingo came off the ropes with a 360 phoenix splash from the other side for a near fall on Sabian!

Sabian climbed to the top turnbuckle and jockeyed for position with Vikingo. Sabian took down Vikingo with a hurracanrana. Vikingo rallied back with a tornillo from the top and then a running knee strike! Vikingo pinned Sabian after a 630 splash!

Lexy Nair was backstage with “Limitless” Keith Lee!

Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty interrupted Keith Lee.

Shane: “I know you’re not dumb enough to look past me. Last year’s tag match didn’t solve anything for me. So, I say this year we give the people the fight they really want to see. Shane Taylor versus Keith Lee one on one at Final Battle!”

Keith Lee: “Challenge accepted. And I’ll see you later, too, Lee Moriarty.”

Lexy Nair interviewed CJ Perry!

“The Redeemer” Miro interrupted, trying to walk past CJ and into the locker room of her client, Andrade El Idolo.

CJ Perry: “Miro, you can’t go in there. I know you think bad things will happen. I need to do this. You picked your god. And now I have to prove myself. By winning this tournament, I will start to be on that path that will help me. If you want to go in there, I can’t stop you, you’re a grown man. But please, if there’s any love that you have for me, please let me do this and find my own way. And if I mean anything to you, don’t lay a hand on my client. Can you please do that?”

Miro: “My god is gone. If he was still with me, I’d be in this tournament ripping the spine out of Andrade. But I promise you I won’t lay a hand on your client. You have my word.”

Main Event Time! Continental Classic Tournament: Blue League Match!

The Blackpool Combat Club’s “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson

vs.

ROH World/NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston!

Danielson fired off a chop to Kingston’s chest. Kingston retaliated, knocking Danielson off his feet! Danielson’s view was limited as he was wearing an eye patch over his injured eye. Danielson pulled back on Kingston’s arm, driving his knee into Kingston’s back.

Danielson German Suplexed Kingston. Danielson booted Kingston in the face. Danielson slid out of the ring but Kingston back suplexed Danielson on the arena floor! Danielson headbutted Kingston and dropped Kingston with a missile dropkick.

Danielson applied the Le Bell Lock. Kingston escaped, mounted Danielson, and began to ground and pound Danielson. Kingston cracked Danielson with a spinning back fist for a near fall! Kingston grabbed a two-count on Danielson after a vertical suplex. Danielson stunned Kingston with a round kick to the top of the head.

Danielson battered Kingston with a barrage of kicks. Eddie tossed Danielson with a half and half suplex. Danielson blocked a spinning backfist and then dumped Kingston on his head with a suplex!

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Danielson grabbed Kingston’s wrists and began to stomp Kingston’s head! Kingston flipped off Bryan Danielson. Bryan nailed Kingston with the running knee strike and pinned Kingston!

“Beautiful in its brutality,” said Kevin Kelly.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/O0Jut3DVWls?si=HfakuNnyXkJUXZYu

Between an action packed edition of RAMPAGE Friday night, and the Gold League bouts that went down Wednesday during DYNAMITE, this has already been quite the exciting week for All Elite Wrestling! Add in impending TNT Championship clash between Christian Cage and Adam Copeland now set for Montreal at the Bell Centre, and it would be a satisfying week in AEW action if it ended now.

But thankfully it isn’t over yet, because this Saturday night, when AEW makes their Erie, PA debut at the Erie Insurance Arena, the Continental Classic continues with action in the Blue Blue, including the first bouts for Bryan Danielson and Andrade El Idolo as they take on ROH World/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston and Daniel Garcia respectively! Plus, in a battle of unbeatens, Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli will lock up with The House of Black’s Brody King after the former scored a huge victory over Kingston last week.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKV-oD9KQ4I?si=zIv0ZNg7ijMWmfUz

The Blue League tournament action gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and to get prepared for it all, visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to catch highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as events from last week’s COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!

CONTINENTAL CLASSIC TOURNAMENT: BLUE LEAGUE…

The BCC’s “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson(0) vs. ROH World/NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston(0)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/kjfkyl_ZGfA?si=DzCe_JXQILC1XLRN

This may very well be the most intriguing match-up taking place on Saturday night; Eddie Kingston is coming off a loss to Brody King last week in their first tournament bouts, while “The American Dragon” is coming into this one having suffered a fractured orbital bone just over a month ago. The loss to Brody was certainly a rough pill to swallow, not because King is a lesser opponent in any way, but because of the fact Kingston put both his ROH World Championship and NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship into the mix for the winner of the Continental Classic. It is not a good first step for the reigning champion to lose out the gate, but from watching his post-match interview, Kingston is trying to be a better version of himself than he would have been in the past. He knows his flaws, he publicly acknowledges them, and is telling the world he will not follow that path to self-destruction again.

Bryan Danielson, on the other hand, is clearly full of piss and vinegar, coming in as confident as ever despite his injury costing him the last month of his career. It’s the first injury that’s kept Bryan out, hopefully his last, and certainly not the first time his eye was the problem. Credit for that goes back to 2007’s series of matches with former ROH World & GHC Heavyweight Champion Takeshi Morishima, particularly ROH’s MANHATTAN MAYHEM II event. Yet as he did then, Danielson is determined to fight on, taking whatever precautions he is required by medical staff, but still game for the fight to come each and every night. Best be wary though when he’s fighting a man like Kingston whose signature is a spinning back fist liable to crack that orbital bone into powder if it connects; yet Danielson seems to see the ROH World Champion as the same individual he first one-on-one with in Taylor, MI back in 2010. Despite everything Eddie has accomplished in the last 13 years, Bryan Danielson clearly does not respect the man, that much Bryan made clear when he joined commentary on Wednesday night.

And while Bryan may also hold an AEW win from RAMPAGE #12 when both entered the 2021 World Title Eliminator Tournament, that does not mean he’s fighting an Eddie with the same mindset he had then. Danielson know faces a man who has achieved his dreams, he’s fought in NJPW’s G1 Climax, he’s claimed two championship titles this year, and he knows the responsibility on his shoulders as a result. Eddie, despite “Mad” being part of his sobriquet, is not crazy or unhinged or out of control, he knew the risks when he threw his titles into the mix, and after feeling the sting of loss a week ago, he’s not about to fall deeper into that hole.

If he does, eventually he won’t be able to climb out, and that’s not just a statement on his points total…

The House of Black’s Brody King(3) vs. The BCC’s Claudio Castagnoli(3)

The two victors from last week’s Blue League bouts are set to meet in singles competition this Saturday night for the very first time! Never a tag, never a trios, certainly not a one-on-one, this will mark the first time The House of Black’s Brody King and the Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli ever share the ring, and that is an exciting prospect!

Not only are there implications for their respective units, the issues raised between The House and The BCC that began when Malakai attacked Bryan Danielson weeks ago, but it also means one man in the Blue League is going to hit six points while, potentially, two individuals remain at zero and two others gain their first three points.

On paper this is a battle of two of the biggest men in AEW, but they are not big in the same way; where Claudio is strength, muscle, and finesse, Brody King is power, size, and brutish. Claudio is schooled in various disciplines of professional wrestling from his years traveling the globe while King is akin to a Bruiser Brody ripped into the 21st Century, and unleashed upon hapless foes. Yet within that brutish offense, is a speed unexpected from a man looking like Brody King, a true “don’t judge a book” situation for professional wrestling, though the same could’ve been said for Claudio prior to his BCC entry. Most assumed him a devotee of a more pure approach to the fight, but his time with Mox and company has shown how adept “The Swiss Superman” is at violence.

In this battle of The House versus The BCC, for leadership in the Blue League, who will fold?

Andrade El Idolo(0) vs. Daniel Garcia(0)

It was only a few weeks ago that Daniel Garcia and Andrade El Idolo had their first right as CJ Perry watched on from ringside, but now that the Continental Classic has begun, their rematch has a much greater wrinkle than the management of Perry. Both Andrade and Garcia enter into this fight with zero points to their name, but in the case of the former, that’s because it is also his first fight in the Blue League whereas the latter fell to Claudio Castagnoli a week ago.

As heard from Garcia’s own mouth, the young man is struggling with that loss and how it makes him feel. The word “loser” kept falling off his tongue as he spoke, and though he did lose, that does not make Garcia a loser. Eddie Kingston lost, Jay White lost, Jay Lethal and Mark Briscoe have lost twice, given how many fights a man goes through in this tournament, losing is nearly unavoidable but it seems as if that is weighing on Daniel Garcia’s mind. It’s similar to Eddie’s struggle, but perhaps the experience difference is allowing Kingston to push through while Garcia seems on the precipice of getting stuck in that mindset.

If he allows that to become the case, Andrade El Idolo will run all over Daniel Garcia this Saturday on COLLISION and earn his first three points in the Continental Classic, but if the man once called “Red Death” can find the confidence he had before entering the fray, before the losses to MJF, Miro, and Andrade dampened his fighting spirit, he will be deadly. The man who once slayed “The American Dragon” could become the man who raises AEW’s Triple Crown comes WORLDS END (https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-worlds-end) or he could be the man who ends the Continental Classic with a goose egg next to his name…

ONE-ON-ONE…

Abadon vs. Kiera Hogan

It’s been a little over a month since Abadon clashed with Hikaru Shida in that memorable “Fright Night Fight” over the AEW Women’s World Championship, and this Saturday night “The Living Dead Girl” is back in action on COLLISION!

Her opponent this evening is one which she’s never competed against before, “The Girl on Fire” Kiera Hogan! It’s also been a couple months since Hogan has been inside the AEW ring, though she’s done well for herself with ROH ON HONOR CLUB, and is looking to make an impact to get into the title hunt.

It’s a battle of two athletes looking to break through to that next level and earn their first championship here in All Elite Wrestling. Add up those wins and soon that opportunity will come…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMvyXZGi_Rc?si=6ALkhQBgLVp0AJNd

This Saturday night All Elite Wrestling makes their Erie, PA debut at the Erie Insurance Arena with three huge Continental Classic: Blue League match-ups, featuring a clash of three-pointers in Claudio Castagnoli and Brody King, as well as two men in Bryan Danielson and Andrade El Idolo fighting in their first tourney bout. The former will take on Eddie Kingston while the latter meets Daniel Garcia in a rematch of their recent COLLISION confrontation.

The Blue League tournament action gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and to get prepared for it all, drop by the official AEW YouTube channel to watch highlights from this week’s editions of DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as events from the last COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ch3nwSFhahM?si=G9CCRpcSK03Y9Do1

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN!

Your broadcast team was Excalibur and Tony Schiavone!

It’s Friday night and you know what that means!

8-Man Tag Match!

AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, FTW Champion HOOK,

Danhausen, & Trent Beretta

vs.

Angelo Parker & Matt Menard (with Jake Hager),

and The Dark Order—Alex Reynolds & Evil Uno!

Danhausen cleaned house on the Dark Order. Hook tagged in and suddenly things broke down into a donnybrook with both teams brawling. Menard nailed Hook with a backbreaker. Menard power bombed Trent. Cassidy came in, pushed the pace and DDT’ed Menard. Evil Uno ate a German Suplex from Danhausen. Hook sent Parker for a ride with a T-bone suplex. Hook followed up with a suplex to Evil Uno!

ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta walked onto the ramp and had a stare down with Hook. Menard blindsided Hook as Hook was looking at Yuta.

Wheeler Yuta joined the broadcast booth.

“Hook should really learn not to take his eye off the ball,” said Wheeler Yuta.

The Dark Order double teamed Hook with running lariats. Hook fought back and made a tag to Trent. Trent walloped Alex Reynolds with German Suplexes. Trent hurled Evil Uno overhead with a half and half.

Orange Cassidy tagged in and dropkicked both Dark Order members. Orange staggered Evil Uno with a Stun Dog Millionaire. Reynolds ran in and booted Orange in the face. Trent went to the aid of Orange and tossed Evil Uno with a release German Suplex from the turnbuckles!

Danhausen squared off with Matt Menard, cursing Menard. Danhausen pulled out Jake Hager’s purple hat from his trunks and began to wear it and taunt Hager! Jake Hager was livid, jumping into the ring and immediately spilling out on the opposite side as he charged (and missed) Danhausen. Hook applied Red Rum on Parker while Danhausen cradled Menard and scored the pin!

Renee Paquette was interviewing Anna Jay, Ruby Soho and Saraya backstage!

Angelo Parker ran back from his match and told Anna Jay he was ready to go, and it’d be a team effort. Anna Jay said she didn’t want him out there tonight for the match.

“This is why I love her! Isn’t she great?” said Saraya.

Tony Schiavone was in the ring to interview Sting and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair!

Sting: “Lots of great memories here. Thank you for the memories, thank you Tony Khan, thank you Tony Schiavone, and the Nature Boy, Ric Flair!”

Ric Flair: “Wow! From 1972 to today and believe it or not, I’m still alive. And that’s saying a lot. Because I’ve covered a lot of ground and had a lot of fun. But there’s three or four people that are always going to be special in my life. Dusty Rhodes, Ricky the Dragon, and the guy I think I’ve wrestled at least 1500 times, Sting.

“To be back in my hometown and to be part of this ride. Think about the history of our business. I’ve been with him since ’88 and I’ll be with him until the end. And man, that doesn’t happen in real life, guys. And we’ve stayed as honest and as respectful with each other as the day we met, and that’s really unusual. We’re gonna dance all night and dance a little longer. Wooooo!”

The Don Callis Family—Powerhouse Hobbs, Konosuke Takeshita, & Kyle Fletcher (with Don Callis)

vs.

Three Local Wrestlers!

Hobbs, Takeshita, and Fletcher put on a total display of domination, planting their opponents hard onto the mat. Hobbs scored the pin with ease!

Don Callis: “Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, the Golden Jets! You put two of the greatest of all time in a tag team and what do you got? You’ve got a team that could be the most dominant of all time. I know that wins and losses matter here in AEW, but in the Don Callis Family, the only thing that matters is winning! The Don Callis Family will continue dominating until there is nowhere for the Golden Jets to hide in All Elite Wrestling!”

Footage played from earlier in the night of Prince Nana with “The Machine” Brian Cage and the Workhorsemen!

Prince Nana: “Hey Brian, it’s an unbelievable time for the Mogul Embassy! We have the Gates of Agony out in Japan, killing it! But tonight, I need to go ahead and hire some people to help us out. Tonight, I’m going to need the Workhorsemen’s services.

“This can be a huge opportunity for both of you guys to prove a point to Swerve Strickland and to the Mogul Embassy. I paid you guys, do the job tonight, and we’ll see if you can be a part of the team. I believe in you guys!”

Trios Bout!

Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander, & Skye Blue

vs.

Anna Jay and The Outcasts—Ruby Soho & Saraya!

Kris powered Anna to the mat and tagged in Shida. Kris and Shida dropped a double elbow on Anna. Skye Blue tagged in and hit a spinning kick on Anna Jay. Shida and Saraya tagged in for their respective teams. Shida hoisted up Saraya in a torture rack.

Kris planted Saraya with a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Anna Jay ran in to break up the pin. Anna tried to apply the Queen Slayer on Statlander, but Statlander escaped. Shida cracked Saraya with a jumping knee strike. Anna walloped Kris with the Flatliner. Ruby Soho inadvertently kicked Anna Jay in the face. Statlander picked up Ruby Soho and planted her. Skye Blue pinned Soho with the Code Blue!

“At the end of the night it was Skye Blue and Kris Statlander working together,” said Excalibur.

Saraya grabbed Ruby by the hair and dragged her away.

Main Event Time! Trios Bout!

ROH World Six-Man Champion Brian Cage & The Workhorsemen—Anthony Henry & JD Drake (with Prince Nana)

vs.

El Hijo del Vikingo, Komander, & Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes)!

Brian Cage suplexed Komander. Penta tagged in and hit a cross body on Cage from the top rope. Anthony Henry grabbed a tag and ate a missile dropkick from El Hijo del Vikingo.

El Hijo del Vikingo wiped out Henry with an implosion dragon rana. JD Drake grabbed a tag and invited Vikingo to chop him. Vikingo chopped Drake and left a handprint on Drake’s chest. Drake fired back and leveled Vikingo!

Penta and Komander dropped Henry and Cage with stereo thrust kicks. Komander dropkicked Cage out of the ring with a boost from Penta. Cage was taken down with a series of sling blades from Penta. He followed up with a DDT to the Workhorsemen!

Komander used a springboard lung blower on Cage, held him, and allowed Vikingo to drop down with a double foot stomp. Penta followed up with a foot stomp of his own onto Cage for a near fall!

“That’s an amazing escape by Cage because he was hit by all three men,” said Schiavone.

Komander jumped in but got shoulder blocked by Cage in mid-air. Cage monkey flipped Komander into the waiting arms of Drake, who power bombed Komander. Drake catapulted Komander into a thrust kick from Henry! Drake held onto Komander so Henry could drop a double foot stomp from the top rope on Komander. Henry covered Komander for the pin, but Vikingo broke it up!

Henry spiked Vikingo with a piledriver. Penta was there and grabbed Henry and drilled him with the Made in Japan! Drake ran in and wiped out Penta. Cage held onto Komander, and Henry tried to boot Komander in the head, but Komander ducked. Henry inadvertently hit Cage instead!

“A miscommunication there,” said Excalibur.

Cage was furious and rocked Henry with a discus lariat! Prince Nana and Brian Cage walked away from the ring, abandoning the Workhorsemen!

Penta smashed Henry with the Fear Factor! Komander flipped onto Henry with a splash. Vikingo finished off Henry with a 630 senton and pinned Anthony Henry!

“The short fuse of Brian Cage would ultimately lead to the win,” said Excalibur.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC!

Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6xW-341p1Y4?si=vusDShYllNxtBhXq&start=240

Wednesday night was a wild on at the Target Center as the Gold League in the Continental Classic resumed action with three huge matches! Opening the night, Jon Moxley defeated Jay Lethal to mark himself the first competitor with six points in the league while Lethal continued without a point to his name. Then, fighting through tremendous pain, “El Toro Blanco” Rush managed to score his first 3 points over Mark Briscoe, leaving “The Sussex County Chicken” in the same boat as Jay Lethal. Finally, in the main event, Jay White and Swerve Strickland battled it out to see who would join Moxley with six point status, with the head of The Mogul Embassy notching the victory!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/47op34VPbjc?si=nKIaACg6NkF_iIUE&start=119

In addition, fans witnessed a tense confrontation between TNT Champion Christian Cage and Adam Copeland that has led to a championship bout next week in Montreal, saw Julia Hart retain her TBS Championship over Emi Sakura, and heard AEW World Champion MJF, whether Samoa Joe likes it or not, accept a challenge from The Devil!

Things are back to normal this Friday night as RAMPAGE begins at its regularly scheduled 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans. Drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, before showtime to up to speed with highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this latest CONTROL CENTER!

EIGHT MAN ACTION…

AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, FTW Champion HOOK, Danhausen, & Trent Beretta vs. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & Evil Uno), Angelo Parker, & Matt Menard

https://www.youtube.com/embed/R_FSGFfT6Q0?si=T97ZYKogwI_AHlph&start=119

This one is stacked! Last week we saw Danhausen return to the AEW stage to lend a hand to his friends and now he’s jumping right into the fray this Friday night on RAMPAGE alongside them! Orange Cassidy, HOOK, and Trent Beretta welcome Danhausen to the fight as they take on a very unlikely quartet in The Dark Order’s Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds who are joined by Angelo Parker and Matt Menard!

The Dark Order have had issues with Parker and Menard dating back at least two years so it will be quite intriguing to see how they work together despite those past problems, just as it will be interesting to see if the tensions between Parker and Menard swirling around the former’s…interest…in Ruby Soho interfere in their ability to function as a team. Oh, and what about that hat?

TRIOS BOUT…

Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander, & Skye Blue vs. Anna Jay and The Outcasts (Ruby Soho & Saraya)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/kS3xD7IB01w?si=e1r8VEh3IAe3ZE-V&start=119

Just last week, on the Thanksgiving Eve edition of DYNAMITE, we witnessed Skye Blue take advantage of the Angelo Parker distraction and pin Anna Jay while Ruby Soho was otherwise occupied. To say all of this has been a major annoyance to Saraya and Matt Menard would be an understatement, and it has certainly cost all parties victories since it first began some weeks ago. The fact that Saraya is now going to play nice with Anna Jay, perhaps because Anna’s also the one for her group trying to keep focused, is not going to sit well with Ruby either, but that’s a bit of the case for both sides of this Trios contest.

Ever since Skye Blue was misted by Julia Hart, with the subsequent transformation that has stemmed from it, she and Kris Statlander have been at odds. They haven’t come to blows, save for the TBS Championship victory Stat holds over Skye, but they are certainly not the friends they were six months ago. That leaves Hikaru Shida as the woman whose responsibility it will be to keep her partners on the same page, and not let their personal issues get in the way of winning this fight. For at least five of the six women involved this is about getting back into championship contention, for Ruby Soho, well one can only speculate if her head is on business or more personal matters, but both trios are capable of great things if they can stay on a unified front. Will that be the case this Friday night on RAMPAGE, or will one teams problems sink this opportunity?

A MOGUL TRYOUT…

ROH World Six-Man Champion Brian Cage & The Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo, Komander, & Penta El Zero Miedo

With The Gates of Agony embroiled in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s 2023 World Tag League that lasts until December 10th, The Mogul Embassy is down a few soldiers, and Brian Cage is out his ROH World Six-Man Championship partners. For Prince Nana that means recruitment season is upon us, and it begins (possibly also ends) with The Workhorsemen of JD Drake and Anthony Henry getting their opportunity to impress!

Unfortunately for this newborn trio, they’ve got their handful with another rather nascent unit in the form of Lucha Libre’s finest: former ROH World Tag & AEW World Tag Champion Penta El Zero Miedo, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo, and AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Komander! Now these three men have worked together before, but as a quartet with Rey Fenix on several ROH ON HONOR CLUB events, and they’ve also fought as foes on several occasions, though always for the competition rather than any animosity.

With the Lucha contingent clearly looking ahead towards Top Flight and Action Andretti, will they be focused on the task at hand? Or will fans see two new men join The Mogul Embassy should JD Drake and Anthony Henry impress the Prince?

ALSO FEATURING:

-The Don Callis Family in action!

-“The Icon” Sting & “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair!!

-And more!!!

RAMPAGE returns to its regularly scheduled 10pm ET/9pm CT time slot on TNT this Friday night, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and it is loaded with multi-man action all night long! Eight man tags, a huge Women’s Trios bout, The Mogul Embassy giving The Workhorsemen a tryout, and unfortunately Don Callis leading his “Family” into action! Be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, before showtime to up to speed with highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this latest CONTROL CENTER!

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN!

Excalibur and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event. They were joined by “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson as a guest commentator.

It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley vs. Jay Lethal!

Lethal and Moxley exchanged side headlock takeovers. Lethal slugged Moxley with a right fist. Lethal applied a figure four but Moxley rolled under the ropes and both men tumbled to the arena floor.

Jay Lethal rocketed outside with a tope suicida to Moxley. Jon Moxley fired back with a tope suicida of his own. Moxley was wrestling with a sense of urgency, while Lethal was showboating early on. Lethal retaliated with a knee breaker and a dragon screw leg whip, sensing Moxley tweaked his knee on the tope suicida landing.

Moxley scouted the Lethal Injection, but Lethal countered Moxley’s attempt at a jawbreaker with a knee breaker. Jay Lethal dropped an elbow off the top for a near fall.

“This is the Jay Lethal I want to see,” said Danielson.

Moxley nailed Lethal with a cutter. Moxley tried for a piledriver but Lethal pushed Mox into the turnbuckles. Lethal wrenched Moxley’s knee with a dragon screw off the ropes!

“This is a different Jay Lethal than we saw last week,” added Danielson.

Lethal and Moxley traded forearms. Moxley nearly decapitated Lethal with a King Kong lariat! Lethal blocked the Death Rider with the Lethal Combination. Lethal went to apply the figure four but Mox countered with a small package for a near fall.

Lethal locked on the figure four again. Moxley grabbed the ropes to force the ref to break the hold. Lethal swiped at Moxley’s knee with a kick. Moxley baited Lethal in and spiked him with a Paradigm Shift! Moxley hit the King Kong lariat and then a stuffed piledriver, but Lethal kicked out. Moxley transitioned into a rear naked choke and Jay Lethal tapped out! Moxley is the first man with six points in the tournament.

Tony Schiavone was backstage and announced Sting’s final match will be Sunday, March 3rd at the Greensboro Coliseum!

“Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Sting walked onto the set!

Sting: “March 1988, my very first World title match against Ric Flair, and I never would have guessed all these years later, I’d be standing here with Ric. The memories, that night, 45 minutes, draw, commercial free on TV. The big deal to me was I was in the ring with the Nature Boy Ric Flair. Thank you, Ric. He put me on the map. What a fitting place for me to end my career all these years later.”

Ric Flair: “Tony, just like before, the words cannot be spoken to the volume and the emphasis of what’s about to take place in Greensboro. Make no mistake. Sting made himself. I’m 74 years old, I’m lucky. I’m working for Tony Khan. I’m standing next to Sting. I’m honored to be there at your side. This will be one for the ages. Sting and the Nature Boy, and AEW, are coming to Greensboro. Wooooo!”

Sting: “It’s showtime!”

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Mark Briscoe vs. LFI’s Rush!

Both men charged at one another and began to fight. Rush landed a big strike. Mark followed up with a running dropkick. Mark unleashed rapid fire chops. Rush returned the favor to his opponent.

Rush kicked Mark in the spine. Mark jumped through the ropes with a dropkick, as Rush was playing to the crowd. Rush whipped Rush into the steel barricade. Mark back dropped Rush onto the top of the barricade. Mark dropped the Cactus elbow off the edge of the ring.

Back in the ring, Rush sent Mark flying with a release German Suplex. Mark threw his whole body into a vicious lariat. Briscoe baited Rush in and caught him with an exploder suplex. Rush rallied back with a belly to belly suplex.

Mark speared Rush for a two-count! Mark followed up with a neck breaker. Rush slipped free from the Jay Driller. Mark dropped Rush with a kick to the back of the head. Rush suplexed Mark off the apron and onto the arena floor!

Mark Briscoe smashed Rush with the Froggy Bow for a near fall. Rush fought out of the Jay Driller, backdropping Mark. Rush baited in Mark and suplexed Mark into the turnbuckles. Rush followed up with the Bull’s Horns, right on target, and pinned Mark!

“Rush is on the board!” said Excalibur.

AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm was backstage!

Storm: “I’m feeling very fatigued after the championship celebration. I’ll be fine for my match next week!”

AEW World Champion and one half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions MJF came to the ring next!

MJF: “December 30th, World’s End, it’ll be Samoa Joe against yours truly for the AEW World Championship. When it comes to Samoa Joe as a person, I don’t like him. But professionally, I respect him. I respect what he’s done for this industry, and because he didn’t come here to line his pockets, but because he believes in AEW.

“Now back in the early 2000s, I remember getting a poster in my mailbox for TNA Wrestling. I tuned in and I couldn’t be happier. I saw the ‘Samoan Submission Machine.’ He looked unconventional, and he didn’t seem to care, and neither did we. Now unfortunately, later on in his career, his talents weren’t fully recognized, and he was not afforded the opportunity to be a world champion in WWE. But what Joe did, for this sport, was bigger than that.

“Samoa Joe proved you don’t have to be a massive, male model body builder to be a top guy in this sport. Samoa Joe broke the mold. He proved alternatives matter. And because of the roads he paved, it has allowed a man like me to stand in the ring in front of you today. Without a guy like Joe, there might not be an AEW. As much as it pains me to admit, thank you.

“I’m not too shabby myself, now am I? I managed to pave a road of my own. I’ve helped build a new alternative and I’ve helped build this place brick by brick. And I did that by defeating some of the biggest names in this industry. Guys like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, but of all the names I have had to face in this squared circle, the one name I look back on and say, not only was I lucky to be victorious, but I was also lucky to survive, that’d be you, Joe. Samoa Joe you are a wrestling legend. But December 30th is not about your wrestling legacy. December 30th is about my mine!

“December 30th is about can Max outlast the final boss of this sport one more time. So now, I’m going to make a promise. I’m going to make a promise to everyone watching at home and everyone in this arena. Joe, on December 30th, I don’t care if you beat me within an inch of my life, because I promise I am going to show the world it is not about the size of the dog in the fight, it is about the size of the fight in the dog! At World’s End, you are going to have to put me down!”

The arena went dark! Lights in the ring began to flicker. Men dressed all in black, their faces in black masks, with the devil logo on their backs, grabbed MJF and held him down. One of the men had a baseball bat and was about to use it on MJF!

Samoa Joe’s music hit! Samoa Joe sprinted to the ring and the men retreated!

A message on the screen read:

“In the shadows, our game begins. Next week, MJF & Samoa Joe…will you face the unknown in a tag match? Are you a hero, Max?”

MJF grabbed a microphone: “I’m so sick of your Scooby Doo BS! Let me explain something to you! I am not dealing with your crap when I’ve got Samoa Joe breathing down my back at World’s End. I am going to take out all of your men one by one. I am going to unmask you, you coward. And next week, you want a tag match? You’re one!”

Samoa Joe tried to calm down MJF and was upset when MJF accepted the challenge for next week.

Up next: Wardlow vs. AR Fox!

Fox jumped over the top rope and landed on Wardlow, but Wardlow seemed to shrug him off. Wardlow caught Fox and slammed him on the ring apron. Wardlow suplexed AR Fox back into the ring. Fox was sent flying from pillar to post!

Wardlow stalked his prey outside the ring. Wardlow threw AR Fox back into the ring. Wardlow tried to press slam Fox, but Fox escaped. Fox hit a 450 splash, but Wardlow kicked out right away! Fox booted Wardlow in the face. Wardlow absorbed it and then walloped Fox with a lariat.

Wardlow powerbombed AR Fox! Wardlow powerbombed Fox a second time! Wardlow climbed to the top and hit a huge senton on Fox! Wardlow powerbombed Fox again, and the ref stopped the match! Wardlow won via ref stoppage!

Trios Match!

Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin, and Action Andretti

vs.

The Hardys—Matt & Jeff, and Brother Zay!

Jeff and Matt used tandem offense on Action. Darius and Brother Zay tagged in. Zay crashed into Dante with a shoulder tackle. Darius dropkicked Zay. Dante tagged in and Dante splashed Zay with a stalling senton!

Matt Hardy drilled Action with a Side Effect for a near fall. Action countered a Twist of Fate and clipped Matt with a combo of moves, including a kick to the back of Matt’s head. Dante tagged in and springboarded onto Zay for a near fall. Top Flight had a flurry of offense on the Hardys.

The Hardys hoisted up Dante on their shoulders and Zay dropkicked Dante for a two-count. Dante pinned Zay after a German Suplex! Dante is back and better than ever!

After a commercial break, Renee Paquette interviewed Dante Martin, Darius Martin, and Action Andretti!

Penta El Zero Miedo, Komander, and El Hijo del Vikingo interrupted! It appeared Penta challenged Top Flight and Action Andretti to a trios match!

TBS Championship House Rules Match!

House of Black’s Julia Hart (c.) vs. Emi Sakura!

Emi Sakura picked the stipulation: the match cannot be won by submission.

Julia bashed Emi’s head into the turnbuckles, battering her in the corner. Julia charged into the corner with a lariat to Emi Sakura. Emi chopped at Julia.

Julia rocked Emi with a spinning kick to the head. Outside the ring, Emi reversed an Irish whip and sent Julia crashing hard into the ring steps. Emi followed up with a splash, sandwiching Julia against the ring steps!

Emi stunned Julia with a stalling back breaker! Emi applied the surfboard to Julia and then dropped her hard. Julia dodged a moonsault. Julia locked in the Heartless, but there is no victory via submission tonight. Julia clubbed Emi in the back of the head with a lariat. Julia moonsaulted Emi and pinned her!

RJ City interviewed Mariah May backstage!

Mariah May: “I know I’m the new girl, but I just came here from Stardom in Japan. I’m dying to show AEW what I can do.”

Mariah knocked on Tony Khan’s door and walked into his office.

TNT Champion “The Patriarch” Christian Cage responded to Adam Copeland’s challenge for next week’s Dynamite!

Christian Cage was flanked by AEW security in the ring.

Christian Cage: “What I’d like to do right now is go ahead and invite the Rated R Superstar Adam Copeland to this ring right now. Adam, I know you’re back there. I just want to speak to you about a few things about what you said last week. If you don’t mind making your presence felt, it’d be very much appreciated.

“Adam, I would like to speak to you in the ring, if you wouldn’t mind. If the truck can hit his music, something. Maybe I should come back there and speak to him then.”

Adam Copeland’s music hit, and Copeland stormed to the ring!

Christian: “Management wanted me to have this security. It wasn’t my idea. We don’t need security here tonight. So, I’m going to ask you gentlemen to vacate the ring.

“Last week you challenged me to a match to the TNT Championship December 6th on Dynamite. I’m here to tell you that we’re not going to make it to Montreal next week. We’re not going to make it because I’m sorry. Now look, I know what you’re thinking, that I’m only sorry because I’m on an island by myself. Last week you took out the Kill Switch. You took out the “Prodigy” Nick Wayne.

“I was so mad when you hit Kill Switch with two con-chair-tos, I ran out of my house and drove with the windows down. I just needed to think. It turned into a road trip of soul searching, digging down deep, trying to figure out how I became this guy who does and says such unsavory things. And then on that drive, it started to remind me of those times we borrowed my mom’s car.

“We didn’t care where we went. We were broke. We were having the times of our lives on the road, and we were going to make it. And did we ever make it! We went on to become multiple times tag team champions. The greatest tag team that ever lived. We both became multi time World champions. Take the wrestling part of our relationship away and it runs even deeper.

“Everyone knows you grew up with a single mom, Adam. Everyone knows you didn’t have a father figure. Yes, I’m the patriarch of AEW, but I am your brother. You might not have had a father, but in turn, my father became your father. To this day, he’s still your biggest fan. I’m just going to say, we weren’t just two random guys that were thrown together. I love you, man. We are family.

“And listen to me, when your mom passed away a few years ago, that was the hardest time of your life. But sometime before she passed, she said, ‘What I wouldn’t give to see you guys in that ring tagging one last time.’ And on my drive, I thought, let’s do it for her, let’s go on this journey again. For your mom! Let’s do it for her, man.”

Adam Copeland turned around to contemplate what he just heard from Christian Cage. Christian charged at Copeland, trying to strike with a cheap shot. But Copeland saw it coming and kicked Christian with a low blow!

Adam Copeland: “Nice try, dumb ass. Sit up when I’m talking to you. Shine this belt up real nice, because next week, she’s coming home with me! Oh, by the way, I almost forgot, go f—k yourself!”

Main Event Time!

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Swerve Strickland vs. Bullet Club Gold’s “Switchblade” Jay White!

Jay White went right after Swerve. White whipped Swerve into the steel barricade. Back in the ring, Jay White went after Swerve’s taped out shoulder. Swerve chopped Jay White. Swerve suplexed Jay right onto the top of the barricade.

Swerve jumped off the apron and stomped on Jay White’s spine. As Swerve was entering the ring, Jay White grabbed him and planted him with a DDT. Swerve got dropped on his head after a suplex from Jay White.

Swerve intercepted a chop and countered with a suplex to Switchblade. Swerve blasted Jay with a flatliner and followed up with a vertical suplex for a near fall. Jay White retaliated with a German Suplex. Swerve rallied back with a discus lariat!

“These two men! How incredible are these two men?!” said Danielson.

The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”

Jay White chop blocked Swerve’s knee. Jay White nailed Swerve with a uranage. Jay White applied an arm bar. Swerve escaped and blasted Jay with a kill shot to White’s arm. Jay White almost inadvertently collided with the ref. As the ref had his back turned, Jay White went for a low blow, but Swerve had it scouted! Swerve rocked White with a back breaker. Swerve hit the House Call on Jay White. Swerve connected with the Swerve Stomp, but Jay White kicked out at the two-count!

“You have to be impressed with Jay White’s resiliency here,” said Danielson.

Jay White shocked Swerve with the Blade Runner. Swerve was knocked out of the ring, perhaps a saving grace. Back in the ring, Jay chopped at Swerve, and Swerve fired back with his own shots. Jay White planted Swerve with a sleeper suplex! Swerve countered the Blade Runner, rolling up Jay White and pinned him!

“Impressive roll counter right there,” said Taz.

“Cerebral wrestling from Swerve,” replied Excalibur.

“That got him another three points to put him at six,” added Danielson.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC!

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 Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/k0dMoHH3AjE?si=SEYLat8bJWTF71x2&start=128

Last Wednesday night the AEW faithful bore witness to the beginning of the 2023 Continental Classic with three first-time matches against six of the greatest athletes in AEW. In the Gold League, 3-Time former AEW World Champion and former International Champion Jon Moxley scored his first three points at the expense of 13-Time ROH World Tag Champion Mark Briscoe, former ROH World Champion Rush fell to former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White, and former AEW World Tag Champion Swerve Strickland topped ROH Grand Slam Champion Jay Lethal to get his three.

Then in the Blue League, House of Black’s Brody King beat ROH World/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion while former ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli beat former ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia. This Wednesday night in Minneapolis, with AEW’s return to the Target Center, the Gold League continues with three big-time singles matches, including one first-timer, and we will also hear from TNT Champion “The Patriarch” Christian Cage! And as a special bonus:

The night begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans so be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, to get caught up on the action with highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this week’s CONTROL CENTER!

CONTINENTAL CLASSIC GOLD LEAGUE:

Standings As of 11/29/23

Swerve Strickland (3)

Jay White (3)

Jon Moxley (3)

Mark Briscoe (0)

Rush (0)

Jay Lethal (0)

Mark Briscoe(0) vs. Rush (0)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_u8ILqLTEJc?si=E9hPaCZsqujziZnq&start=128

Though both competed in Ring of Honor at the same time, though they actually worked together in CMLL, and fought one another in tags and multi-man bouts under the ROH banner, never before have “El Toro Blanco” and “The Sussex County Chicken” locked horns in a singles bout!

That all changes this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE as both men come into this fight having zero points to their name in the Continental Classic! In the case of Mark Briscoe, his loss came at the end of a hard-fought and bloody contest with Jon Moxley, one where Mark survived a nasty Paradigm Shift and came so close to scoring his first three points at the expense of the 3-Time former AEW World Champion. As for Rush, his loss also came at the end of a hard-hitting contest with “Switchblade” Jay White, but it came to an unfortunate end as a result of White’s underhanded tactics, proving he doesn’t need the rest of BULLET CLUB GOLD to find a way to cheat a victory.

This Wednesday night, in their first singles bout, one of these two men will likely lose their zero, and score their first three points of the tournament, although there’s that possibility of a draw and both leaving the Target Center with a single point..

Jon Moxley (3) vs. Jay Lethal (0)

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In a rematch of their 3/30/22 DYNAMITE clash, Jon Moxley and Jay Lethal will lock-up in their second bouts of the Continental Classic! Mox is coming into this fight with a strong win over Mark Briscoe, one that did not come easy, but a win nonetheless, while Lethal heads to Minneapolis with a loss to Swerve Strickland on his record for the tournament.

So for Moxley it’s an opportunity to add to his point total, possibly ramping it up to six points with a victory over Lethal, at the very least to four with a draw, while it is Lethal’s moment to actually get on the board with a victory or draw. Between he and Claudio, The Blackpool Combat Club has started off this tournament with two victories, so can Moxley continue that streak for his unit, or will he be the first BCC member to taste tournament defeat?

Swerve Strickland(3) vs. “Switchblade” Jay White (3)

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This one is quite intriguing as it is the first Continental Classic bout pitting two of last week’s victors against each other. As mentioned, Jay White got his in large part due to a low blow on Rush while Swerve, coming off that brutal Texas Death match with Hangman at FULL GEAR 2023, got his over Jay Lethal in a tremendous back-and-forth.

Wednesday night the two competitors will clash in their first AEW singles bout, a rematch of a March 12, 2022 NJPW STRONG battle won by “Switchblade”, and it either ends with one man having six, or both remaining tied with four. Swerve is certainly on the bigger role coming into this following his pair of victories over Adam Page, as well as those over Lethal, AR Fox, and Penta El Zero Miedo, while Jay White came up short in his bid to become AEW World Championship prior to finding a way to steal one from “El Toro Blanco” last Wednesday night. It’s going to be a fight for six, that much is for sure, will it be the leader of BC GOLD or the head of The Mogul Embassy who gets this one?

“THE PATRIARCH RESPONDS”…

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The world heard Adam Copeland’s challenge this past Saturday on COLLISION, he wants a match with TNT Champion Christian Cage on December 6th in Montreal and Adam wants the TNT Championship on the line so he can take Cage’s most prized possession away. It’s been more than 13 years since the last time these two lifelong friends got into the ring as opponents, with a vast majority of their singles matches won by Copeland, so will Christian Cage be willing to step into that ring once more, especially if it means putting the TNT Championship up? We will find out what he has to say this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!

TBS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

Julia Hart(c) vs. Emi Sakura

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rOznO9YXvUY?si=o45BfsHDD2ZnpAdF

Just a few days ago on COLLISION Lady Frost attempted to dethrone newly crowned TBS Champion Julia Hart in a House Rules match, and she was shut down in five minutes by the viciousness of the defending champ. This Wednesday on DYNAMITE, just four days after turning back Lady Frost, Hart will once again open the doors of The House to welcome a new challenger to her dark reign.

What woman is brave enough to cross the House’s threshold this Wednesday in Minneapolis? None other than the Queen herself, Emi Sakura! The two women have only ever stood on the opposite sides once before, during a Trios match that took place exactly two years ago on the 11/29/21 edition of DARK: ELEVATION and saw Julia on the losing side of the contest.

The Black Hart of the House is an utterly transformed woman from who she was at that point, but Emi Sakura brings an experience to the table unlike any other competitor Hart has faced in her AEW tenure. Can she find a way to overcome that major disadvantage, along with whatever House Rule is concocted by The Queen? The defending champ does have a bit of home field advantage in Minnesota, but is that a balance for the decades Sakura has on her inside the squared circle?

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AEW returns to the Target Center in Minneapolis for DYNAMITE, featuring the continuation of the Continental Classic’s Blue League with three big matches! Plus, TNT Champion Christian Cage will be in the house to address Adam Copeland’s challenge for Montreal, and so much more!

The night begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans so be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, to get caught up on the action with highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this week’s CONTROL CENTER!

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Tonight’s AEW RAMPAGE & AEW COLLISION shows were broadcast live from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA!

Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, and Nigel McGuinness were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.

It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!

FTW Champion HOOK vs. Rocky Romero!

Rocky escaped a suplex and both men ran across the ring, delivering lariats, knocking one another down. Hook was first back to his feet. Hook hurled Rocky with a bigtime German Suplex. Rocky struck Hook with a rising knee strike and then a vertical suplex on the apron! Rocky followed up with the forever clotheslines back in the ring.

Hook rallied back with a vicious exploder suplex on Rocky. It was a high impact match in a very short time. Hook hit Rocky with body blows in the corner. Hook headbutted Rocky and got a near fall after a Northern Lights Suplex.

Rocky stunned Hook with Sliced Bread #2. Hook employed a leg sweep on Rocky. Hook countered a second attempt at the Sliced Bread with RedRum, and Hook won via ref stoppage!

Kris Statlander vs. Diamante!

Diamante tried to outpower Statlander, but once she realized she couldn’t, Diamante slapped Statlander. Kris knocked down Diamante with a shoulder block. Statlander powerslammed Diamante for a near fall. Mercedes Martinez walked out onto the ramp to scout Statlander.

Statlander was rolled up by Diamante for a two count. Diamante charged at Statlander, but Statlander was waiting for her with a powerslam. Diamante covered Kris after a cutter, but Kris kicked out. Diamante charted at Statlander, but Statlander countered with a discus lariat and scored the pin on Diamante!

Mercedes jumped in the ring and she and Diamante began to double team Kris. Willow Nightingale sprinted to the ring to even up the odds, coming to the rescue of the former TBS Champ Statlander!

The Kingdom—Mike Bennett and Matt Taven came out, asking the audience if they wanted to celebrate #NeckStrengthNovember!

Bennett said that Roderick Strong wasn’t here tonight because he was recovering from the match last week against Action Andretti, but luckily, Roddy is #neckstrong. Taven said MJF was the devil. Taven told MJF they are coming back for what’s theirs.

Duke Davis and Danny Jones got blindsided by the Kingdom, and the match began! Taven hit the Climax on Jones. Bennett spiked Davis on the ramp with a piledriver! Taven then connected with the aurora borealis for the pin!

Rampage Main Event Time!

ROH Pure Championship Match!

Katsuyori Shibata (c.) vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta!

Jerry Lynn, Jimmy Jacobs, and Christopher Daniels were the judges.

The fans chanted “Shi-ba-ta! Shi-ba-ta!”

Shibata applied the bow and arrow submission to Yuta. Wheeler escaped and Shibata followed up with strong knee strikes. Shibata applied a leg submission and Wheeler grabbed the ropes, utilizing his first rope break of the match. Yuta was immediately issued a warning after a closed fist to Shibata’s face.

Shibata dropkicked Yuta’s head against the turnbuckle. Shibata applied the STF and Wheeler managed to reach the ropes, utilizing his second rope break of the match. Shibata put a sleeper on Yuta, but Yuta shucked him off. Wheeler fired himself out of the ring with a tope suicida to Shibata!

Yuta whipped Shibata into the guardrail. Shibata returned the favor, whipping Yuta into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Yuta ducked a PK from Shibata. Yuta knocked Shibata into the ref, hit a low blow while the ref had his back turned, and DDT’ed Shibata right on his head to score the pin!

And new ROH Pure Champion…Wheeler Yuta!

Shibata tried to shake Yuta’s hand after the match, but Yuta nailed Shibata with another low blow and then DDT’ed him.

FTW Champion Hook came down to the ring to check on Shibata. Yuta left, scowling at Hook and holding up the ROH Pure Championship.

The RAMPAGE portion of the evening kicked off!

Continental Classic Match—The Blue League!

Daniel Garcia vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli!

Claudio Castagnoli quickly hit Garcia with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Claudio followed up with a body slam. Garcia lunged at Claudio with a guillotine, but Claudio muscled his way out of it. Garcia chopped at Claudio, but Claudio fired back with a European Uppercut.

Garcia charged at Claudio, knocking Claudio out of the ring with a running knee. Daniel hammered Claudio with stiff shots to the head. Garcia ran at Claudio, but Claudio caught him and swung him into the steel guardrail.

Claudio applied a sharpshooter in the ring. Garcia managed to trap Claudio and cradle him for a near fall. Claudio blasted Garcia with a European Uppercut. Claudio rocked Garcia with the Ricola Bomb and pinned him, earning three points!

Representing the Patriarchy…Killswitch vs. The Boys—Brent & Brandon Tate!

Brent was thrown overhead by Killswitch with a wheelbarrow suplex. Killswitch choke slammed Brandon over the top rope and down onto the edge of the ring! Killswitch clobbered Brent with a lariat to the back of the head and pinned him!

Killswitch grabbed two chairs and placed them into the ring. Killswitch choke slammed Brent onto the chair! Killswitch grabbed Brandon but then the “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland jumped into the ring and cracked a chair over the back of Killswitch! Copeland smashed Killswitch with the con-chair-to!

Killswitch tried to get to his knees but Copeland curb stomped Killswitch onto the chair! Copeland nailed Killswitch with another con-chair-to!

After a commercial break, Lexy Nair interviewed Adam Copeland backstage.

Copeland: “Lexy, I like you, but go. You know what I have to say? I’m coming straight down the barrel to you, Jay. Or should I call you Christian Cage? Or better yet should I call you the Patriarch now? All of this, what just happened to Nick Wayne on Wednesday, what just happened to Killswitch, it’s all because of your insecurity!

“You couldn’t get past your own ego, could you, man? The night I got here, you were about to con-chair-to Sting. Last Wednesday, you were about to have Killswitch con-chair-to Nick Wayne. You know I’ve got a short fuse. You said you were going to break my neck while my children looked at me. You’re not just threatening me and my future, you’re threatening theirs. Now I’m hunting you. I’ve already got two heads on my wall. I’m going to change your soul. I’m going to kick your face in. I am going to take your TNT Title because it’s the most important thing in your world.

“I am challenging you. Dynamite, December 6th, Montreal, Adam Copeland versus Christian Cage for the TNT Championship. And I am going to go places you can’t go, and you haven’t been to because you don’t have that dog in you. I am going to take your TNT Title!”

The House of Black’s Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews

vs.

Komander & Gravity (with Alex Abrahantes)!

Buddy punted Gravity in the face and tagged out to Black. Malakai had a flurry of strikes for Gravity. Komander had a blind tag and caught Black off guard with a hurracanrana. Black planted Komander with a German Suplex for a near fall.

Komander connected with a shotgun dropkick off the top to both House of Black members. Komander nailed Black with a gut buster for a near fall. Gravity took flight with a tope con hiro but Black and Matthews caught him and blocked it. Komander walked the ropes from one turnbuckle from another and then springboarded off the top, taking out Black and Matthews on the arena floor!

Komander and Gravity each jumped off turnbuckles, but Black and Matthews countered by raising their knees. Black cracked Gravity with a knee lift, and Matthews smashed Komander with a knee lift!

Black ravaged Komander with a spinning back elbow and then sat on the mat, waiting for Komander to crawl to him. It was a trap. Buddy curb stomped Komander and then pinned him!

TBS Championship Match! House Rules Match!

Julia Hart (c.) vs. Lady Frost!

Lady Frost chose no count-outs for this match.

Julia Hart whipped Lady Frost into the steel guardrail. The rules were favoring Julia Hart here. Julia picked up a steel chair and placed it on the ground after being admonished by the ref. Lady Frost tried for a moonsault off the ring steps, but Julia dodged it. Lady Frost landed on her feet, but Julia was one step ahead with a thrust kick to the challenger.

Julia propped Lady Frost on the steel chair. Julia ran down the ramp and clotheslined a prone Lady Frost. Back in the ring, Julia applied the Heartless Submission and forced Lady Frost to tap out!

“Julia Hart’s first title defense is a successful one,” said Tony Schiavone.

Lexy Nair was backstage with Don Callis and Powerhouse Hobbs!

Don Callis: “I can’t figure out the calculation that got the Golden Jets—Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega—a tag team title shot. I can’t figure out how you make that calculation when the last time Hobbs had his hands on Jericho and Omega, he broke them, sent them to the hospital. And as Will would say, anyone can get got. And Kenny and Chris, we don’t need two guys to beat the Golden Jets. Hobbs is a one man wrecking crew.”

Powerhouse Hobbs: “It’s simple. I’m big, I’m black, and I’m jacked, and anybody can get it.”

FTR—Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler

vs.

The Righteous—Vincent & Dutch!

Dax used a lariat to knocked Dutch over the top rope. Dax backdropped Vincent out of the ring, and Vincent landed on Dutch. Back in the ring, Dutch splashed Dax for a two-count. Dutch was looking for a senton off the turnbuckles, but Dax dodged it. Vincent grabbed a tag, but Dax used a baseball slide through Vincent’s legs to tag out to Cash!

Cash cleaned house on the Righteous. Dutch grabbed a blind tag and planted Cash with a bossman slam! Dax tagged in and FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Vincent, allowing Dax to score the pin.

Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews walked toward the ring.

Black: “If we would come to the ring right now there would be no one coming to save you. No Claudio, no Yuta. See the misconception is that this place is not the brotherhood that you two think it is.”

The arena went dark. When the lights came back on, FTR were alone in the ring, but the House of Black had vanished.

Action Andretti and Darius Martin were backstage!

Action Andretti: “Eight months, that’s how long it’s been since Darius, and I have been teaming together. Darius, these past eight months, I feel like we’ve grown such a bond together. We’ve had so many great opportunities and I’ve heard that this Wednesday Dynamite is returning to your hometown in Minneapolis.”

Darius Martin: “Yeah, man, we have been building a lot of chemistry. But it seems like there’s something just a little bit off and I think I know what that might be.”

Dante Martin walked onto the scene!

Darius turned to Dante and said, “You ready to step up? It’s time to take flight.”

Dante Martin: “I’m back!”

Tony Schiavone interviewed AEW World Tag Team Champions “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Big Bill!

Ricky Starks: “We thought there was going to be more of a fight from Jericho.”

Big Bill: “These two guys call themselves the Golden Jets. To us you look more like the Golden Girls.”

Starks: “Nice. I like that. They traveled up and down the roads together. Me and Bill don’t even know each other that well. Bill, when’s my birthday?”

Big Bill: “No idea.”

Starks: “Exactly. But what I do know is that you two aren’t built like him.”

Big Bill: “Four years ago when I was in and out of the emergency room having seizures from alcohol withdrawal, I always knew I’d make it back to the top. When I couldn’t get out of bed and I was at the lowest point of my entire life, I always knew I’d make it back to the top! And when nobody believed in me and they counted me out, they said he’s washed, he’s done, I always knew I’d make it back to the top!

“And standing in this ring with this guy, with these titles, I’d say I was right. I made it back to the top. Now Chris and Kenny, we know all about you. We’re very aware of all of the accolades. And you two are two of the best to ever do this. But I don’t think you two realize what you’re dealing with. We are angry, we are motivated, and we’re not only going to beat the living hell out of you, we’re going to embarrass you. When I look at you two, I don’t see Jordan, I don’t see Pippen. When I look at you two, all I see are the dudes that hand Michael Jordan his Bazooka Joe bubble gum before starting lineups are introduced.”

Starks: “I don’t even watch basketball and I know all those people are really good. And I also know two things: one guy tells everybody he’s the best, and the other actually is. After you are done with me and Big Bill, I’m going to let you know one thing. Ricky Starks likes his gum minty fresh and Big Bill likes his Big Red, baby.”

“Limitless” Keith Lee vs. Lee Moriarty!

Lee Moriarty kicked Keith Lee on the thigh. Keith fired back with a kick of his own, but Moriarty ducked it. Keith Lee came back with a pounce on Moriarty!

Lee Moriarty grabbed an arm bar, but Keith Lee pulled him up with a bicep curl. Keith Lee walloped Moriarty with a lariat. Moriarty stunned Keith with a bulldog from the top rope. Moriarty springboarded but Keith countered with a headbutt and then finished him off with a powerslam for the pin!

After commercial break, Lexy Nair interviewed Keith Lee!

Keith Lee: “Initially I planned to come in here and tell you about how good and talented Lee Moriarty is. He is that damned good. But he’s no Keith Lee. And I’m tired of the misrepresentation and the lack of opportunity given to me. And now I’m here to take it. And when I say take it, that means him. You are who I want. And you know who you are.”

Nigel: “Smart money has got to be on Shane Taylor.”

Tony: “That’s the question for us to ponder.”

Main Event Time!

Continental Classic Match—The Blue League!

ROH World Champion & NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston

vs.

House of Black’s Brody King!

Brody and Eddie traded shoulder blocks. Then they exchanged chops in the center of the ring. Brody battered Kingston in the corner with a running cannonball. Outside the ring, Brody pummeled Kingston with more chops and then whipped Kingston into the steel ring steps. Brody charged at Kingston, but Kingston countered with a drop toehold, sending Brody colliding into the steps.

Brody rallied back, splashing Kingston against the barricade. Back in the ring Brody body slammed Kingston and then connected with a senton splash. Brody tried to whip Kingston into the turnbuckles, but Kingston’s legs gave out and he crumbled to the mat.

Kingston collected himself and out of nowhere, in a desperate move, Kingston clubbed Brody with a lariat. Eddie went for an exploder suplex, but Brody countered with a German Suplex. Kingston shocked Brody with a spinning backfist for a near fall!

They traded chops again! Brody switched to forearms. Eddie spiked Brody with a DDT for a near fall! Eddie charged at Brody King, but Brody planted Kingston. Brody was looking for a lariat, but Eddie countered with an exploder and then a half-and-half suplex. Kingston followed up with a third suplex for a two-count on Brody!

Brody nailed Kingston with a piledriver for a two-count. Eddie ducked a lariat and cracked Brody with a spinning backfist! Brody decimated Kingston with Dante’s Inferno and then pinned him! Brody has earned three points!

“Holy smokes! What have we just seen? This is what the Continental Classic is all about,” said Tony Schiavone.

Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN!

And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!

Your Big Gold Belt Podcast is talking the latest in pro wrestling including: -Should Sami Zayn have won the WWE Title in Montreal at Elimination Chamber? – Is it time for AEW to move on...

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