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All Elite Wrestling presents a thrilling lineup with COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS X this Saturday on TNT. Featured matches include Toni Storm vs. AZM in an Eliminator Match, Blackpool Combat Club vs. Don Callis Family in tag action, and Roderick Strong vs. Rocky Romero. Champions Athena and HOOK defend their titles against Red Velvet and Shane Taylor, respectively. With DYNASTY 2024 approaching, the stakes are high for all competitors. Fans can catch up on the latest AEW action online before Wednesday’s DYNAMITE in Indianapolis.
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, WV!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
AEW World Title Eliminator Match!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
As Samoa Joe was making his entrance, Swerve Strickland ambushed the champ on the ramp! They brawled onto the arena floor. Swerve speared Samoa Joe through a table that Samoa Joe had propped against a guardrail. Security pushed Swerve back to the locker room. Samoa Joe eventually staggered to his feet and seemed to pursue Swerve.
Renee Paquette was backstage outside Orange Cassidy’s locker room.
Renee said that Orange would have a match on Rampage this Friday, and she was assured by Orange that he’d be addressing the heartless actions of Trent Beretta.
TNT Championship Match!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland (c.)
vs.
Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes)!
Penta speared Copeland and then stuck him with a diving double foot stomp for a near fall.
“Shock and awe right out of the box, trying to win the TNT Title,” said Taz.
Penta El Zero Miedo hit Copeland with a clothesline, knocking Copeland to the arena floor. Copeland got back in the ring and Penta greeted him with a chop to Copeland’s chest. Copeland rallied back with flying head scissors. Copeland and Penta El Zero Miedo both had the same idea, fighting fire with fire, clubbing each other with lariats and then high boots.
Penta El Zero Miedo had Copeland rocked after a sling blade. Penta flipped over the top rope with a dive onto Copeland. Back in the ring, Copeland found an opening, planting Penta face first on the mat.
Copeland applied a modified sharpshooter onto Penta El Zero Miedo, but Penta made the crawl to the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Penta stunned Copeland with a stalling dropkick. Copeland secured the cross face on Penta, wrenching back, but once again Penta reached the ropes.
Copeland was looking for a Death Valley Driver on the apron, but Penta escaped. Penta charged at Copeland but Copeland power slammed Penta onto the apron! Copeland tried to spear Penta but inadvertently speared Alex Abrahantes. Penta got to his feet and clocked Copeland with a thrust kick.
Penta El Zero Miedo drilled Copeland with an avalanche Code Red! Penta jumped off the middle rope, but Copeland countered with a spear and pinned Penta El Zero Miedo!
After the match, the arena lights went out. The lights came back on, and TBS Champion Julia Hart was standing in front of Copeland. The House of Black’s Brody King blindsided Copeland and began to kick and stomp him. Brody smashed Copeland with a running boot. Brody applied a rear naked choke on Copeland.
Willow Nightingale sprinted to the ring and began to ground and pound Julia. Brody pulled Julia out of harm’s way. Copeland got back to his feet and decked Brody, forcing him out of the ring! Brody and Julia retreated, while Brody barked at Copeland.
Renee Paquette was backstage with ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe and “Mad King” Eddie Kingston!
TNT Champion Adam Copeland, Willow Nightingale, and Stokely Hathaway interrupted Renee’s interview.
Copeland said he wanted to make sure Briscoe and Kingston were good for their trios match against the House of Black at Dynasty. Briscoe and Kingston assured Copeland they were ready.
Stokely: “What about next week on Dynamite, you put that TNT Championship on the line against Willow Nightingale!”
Willow: “No, no, that’s not what we were saying Stokely. Brody, I saw you beating up on Adam. Julia, you tried to get me with the mist, but not this time. So Dynamite next week, what do you say we team up Adam?”
Copeland: “I’ve got an idea. Before Dynasty, before the three of us, the Rated Chicken Hawks, I just made that up, before we take out the House of Black, Willow, what do you say, me and you against Julia and Brody, next week on Dynamite?”
Willow: “Yeah!”
The Young Bucks—Nicholas & Matthew Jackson—were in their dressing room to present backstage footage from ALL IN: London 2023!
Matthew told Nicholas to set it up with a little context.
Nicholas said AEW has a massive pay-per-view coming up on April 21st, AEW Dynasty. Taking place at Dynasty will be the finals of the tag team tournament, featuring FTR against the Young Bucks. Nicholas said the last time they wrestled FTR was at All In, and he still has some wounds that haven’t healed.
Matthew said right before the match there was an incident backstage involving two individuals, “the first being the scapegoat in this entire situation, Jack Perry.” Nicholas interrupted Matthew and said the other individual “tried to make this entire show about himself. As a matter of fact, this individual happens to be good friends with FTR. Which got me thinking maybe FTR were the masterminds behind this entire thing.” Matthew said the incident threw them off their game and FTR’s win should come with an asterisk in the history books.
Nicholas said at Dynasty they weren’t shaking hands with FTR and called them pricks. “Be ready,” said Nicholas.
FTR—Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood—came out to the ring!
Cash: “Why are we showing this? What are you two hoping to accomplish other than having a built-in excuse as to why you lost at Wembley. I am sick and tired of hearing about this and talking about this. Everybody back there, us, we are ready to move on and put this in the past. But instead, we’re showing videos from eight months ago because the Bucks can’t let go that they lost to FTR. At Dynasty, we have to beat you. It’s not for legacy or history, it’s because I’m sick of you!”
Dax: “So that’s our bosses. Every interview they have they let us all know that without them, hundreds of people would be out of a job and without them AEW probably wouldn’t exist. The scary thing is I don’t necessarily disagree with them. Without the Young Bucks I might still be shaving Cash’s back.
“But because of the Young Bucks, we have something that makes them sick. We have eclipsed them as the absolute best tag team on this planet. And at one time the Bucks cared about AEW, but somewhere along the way, whether it was greed or jealously, you guys lost that. And now three other letters have taken over. The only thing you care about is what’s best for the EVPs. So, if it takes my last breath, on our backs, we will continue to build this place. We are building it for the future of all professional wrestlers. We are building this for every person who spends their hard earned money on one ticket to get lost in our drama and our action. We are doing this for you.
“And if the Young Bucks don’t want to be part of that AEW, grab your ball, go home, we got this. This ain’t about Wembley. This is about AEW, a company I love, an industry I love. But more importantly this is about the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Two teams walk in, one team walks out as the first ever three time AEW World Tag Team Champions. Young Bucks, you may have built this foundation, but we will put the roof on top of this house, just to blow it right off. Top guys out!”
Renee Paquette interview “The Aerial Assassin” Will Ospreay!
Ospreay: “I’ve been thinking about this all week. There’s this rumor going around that I’m afraid of the grind. I’ll be honest with you, I have no idea where this conversation has come from. I travel every single week from the US to the UK and back and I’m delivering some of the best professional wrestling matches this world has ever seen. And normally I wouldn’t take the bait, but since the guy who said it is only in the position he’s in because he was grinding on the boss’s daughter, you are in no position to tell me what the grind is all about because you have no idea what I fight for. So let this be a painful little jab back that you do not throw stones at an assassin with a machine gun.
“Now Bryan, you said I’m stronger and faster than you, which I am. And you said the only way you have a chance at beating me is if you can ground me, but healthier and younger and better men than you have tried and failed. But Bryan Danielson, you are a living legend in this game, and I cannot say I am the best wrestler in the world until I pin you at Dynasty. This is AEW where the best wrestle! It’s my time, Mr. Danielson, to show every single person what I’m about and why I’m the ace of AEW! Bryan Danielson, you find out Sunday, April 21st, why my name is Will Ospreay, and I am on another level!”
Trios Match!
“Lionheart” Chris Jericho, FTW Champion HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata
vs.
Shane Taylor Promotions— “The Guv’nor” Anthony Ogogo, Lee Moriarty, & Shane Taylor!
Jericho hit Moriarty with a shoulder block and then a lionsault for a near fall. Jericho battered Lee with short clotheslines in the corner. Jericho sent Moriarty for a ride with a hurracanrana off the top turnbuckle.
Shibata tagged in and mauled Moriarty with a forearm and then a round kick to the spine. Shane Taylor entered the match and Hook asked to be tagged in, so Shibata obliged. Taylor clubbed Hook with a lariat. Hook fired back with a German Suplex to Taylor!
Shibata tagged in and cracked Lee with a high boot in the corner. Shibata chopped down Lee and then decimated Lee with a running dropkick in the corner. Shibata went for a running kick to Lee, but Lee dodged it. Shibata inadvertently caught Jericho with the kick.
Shibata tried to tag out to Hook, but Jericho pulled Hook off the apron to prevent the tag. Jericho asked Hook what Shibata’s problem was. Hook and Jericho argued outside the ring, trying to sort things out. Shibata locked Lee in a sleeper. Shane Taylor ran in and clubbed Shibata with his right hand, and Lee grabbed the pin on Shibata!
“The argument between Chris Jericho and Hook left the door open for Shane Taylor to land that big right hand and put him out, setting him up for Lee Moriarty,” said Excalibur.
Tempers were flaring and Hook told Jericho to leave!
AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Christiano Argento!
Okada leveled Argento with a big elbow strike. Okada wasn’t even breaking a sweat. Okada smashed Argento with a dropkick and then the rainmaker to score the pin!
Okada: “Hey Pac, I accept your challenge! I’ll see you at Dynasty.”
“The Bastard” Pac’s music began to play. Pac walked onto the stage and paced back and forth, staring at Okada! Pac walked to the ring to confront Okada, but the Bucks ran out and hit Pac from behind. The Elite triple teamed Pac. The Bucks nailed Pac with superkicks. FTR sprinted into the ring and cleaned house on the Bucks! FTR wanted to hit the Shatter Machine on Matthew, but Okada jumped back into the ring with a steel chair and whacked FTR with chair shots!
The Bucks blasted FTR with superkicks and then the EVP Trigger! Okada cracked Pac in the side of the head with a steel chair!
Backstage we heard from the ROH Six-Man Champions the Bang Bang Gang!
They ran down a list of their recent accomplishments, including “Switchblade” Jay White putting a beating on Billy Gunn. Jay White said he wanted another match on Rampage, but he wanted the Gunns to find him someone besides Billy.
Up Next: AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm hosted a Charleston Championship Champagne Toast for Thunder Rosa!
Renee Paquette was on the ramp and introduced Thunder Rosa first. Renee then welcomed Toni Storm “Toni Storm, the floor is yours, toast away,” said Renee.
Storm threw a glass of champagne into Thunder Rosa’s eyes! Storm cracked Thunder Rosa in the head with a silver tray. Storm smeared Thunder Rosa’s face paint. Deonna Purrazzo ran out to the aid of Thunder Rosa, but Thunder Rosa pushed Deonna away! Deonna stormed off!
Mariah May vs. Anna Jay!
Anna ducked a shot from Mariah and fired back with a chop to Mariah. The two exchanged overhand chops in the center of the ring. Anna nailed Mariah with a neck breaker. Mariah headbutted Anna Jay.
Mariah May scored with a dropkick. Anna dodged a hip attack and rallied back with forearms. Anna charged at Mariah and clobbered her with a kick in the corner. Mariah retaliated with a running hip attack. Mariah rolled up Anna and pinned her!
After the match, Anna applied the Queen Slayer, not taking the loss lightly. Mina Shirakawa from Stardom sprinted to the ring, having the back of her former partner in Japan, Mariah May. Anna Jay retreated to the back. Mina brought in two glasses of champagne, gave some to Mariah, and then kissed Mariah.
Alex Marvez was backstage with “The CEO” Mercedes Moné!
Mercedes: “Double or Nothing! Five years ago, history was made when AEW had their first pay-per-view there. And I’m a history maker. And I decided to make history yet again when I head to Vegas to be the TBS Champion because Moné changes everything.”
Marvez asked if Mercedes would rather face Julia Hart or Willow Nightingale, but before Mercedes could respond, the lights went out! Someone attacked Mercedes in the dark!
Main Event Time! AEW World Title Eliminator Match!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
Samoa Joe and Dustin Rhodes traded strikes. Samoa Joe whipped Dustin into the guardrail. Joe jabbed Dustin, but Dustin fired back with a lariat. Dustin Rhodes was taking the fight to the champion. Samoa Joe headbutted Dustin.
Samoa Joe rammed Dustin into the steel ring post! Dustin Rhodes was busted wide open! Samoa Joe bludgeoned Dustin with more strikes in the ring. Dustin turned things around with a powerslam!
Dustin Rhodes walloped Samoa Joe with a Code Red for a near fall. Dustin went for a running bulldog, but Samoa Joe countered with a lariat. Dustin Rhodes grabbed the World title and brought it into the ring. Dustin wanted to use it on Samoa Joe, but ref Paul Turner warned Dustin not to use it. Dustin put the championship belt down. Dustin nailed Samoa Joe with the Cross Rhodes for a two-count!
Dustin Rhodes charged at Samoa Joe, but Joe wiped out Dustin with an STO! Samoa Joe grabbed a steel chain out of the corner and wrapped it around his fist. It was the chain that previously belonged to Swerve Strickland. Ref Paul Turner removed the chain from the ring. As the ref was handing the chain to an AEW ring crew member, his back was turned, and Samoa Joe seized the opportunity to bash the championship belt into Dustin’s head! Samoa Joe covered a knocked out Dustin and pinned him!
Samoa Joe applied a sleeper to Dustin after the match, trying to send a message to Swerve Strickland. Swerve appeared out of nowhere and cracked Joe with the House Call kick! Swerve Strickland grabbed the steel chain and drilled Joe with a chain-wrapped fist!
The locker room emptied and kept both wrestlers apart! Prince Nana handed Swerve Strickland the AEW World Championship, and Swerve held it up, while Joe looked on, seething!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET!
Don’t miss AEW Collision & Battle of the Belts X live on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Truist Arena in Highland Heights, KY!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, IN!
After this past Wednesday, the paper is signed (in blood), sealed, and delivered for our AEW World Championship match at DYNASTY 2024 in St. Louis on April 21st, and we also know that The Young Bucks will be competing in the AEW World Tag Team Title Tournament Finals against the winner of FTR and Top Flight. In addition, we learned that AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm will have to face Thunder Rosain a title fight on that pay-per-view extravaganza, and we bore witness to Will Ospreay surviving Powerhouse Hobbs as his April 21st bout with Bryan Danielson draws near!
This Friday the action continues, first with ROH's SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2024 starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT, and then we continue our loaded week of events with an all-new RAMPAGE at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT! We've got a very intriguing first-time for AEW match between “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, “The Professor” Serena Deeb in action as she continues to climb the rankings, AEW International Champion Roderick Strong in action, and a big Final Four Elimination bout pitting Action Andretti, Bryan Keith, Daniel Garcia, and Komander against one another!
Before the action gets underway, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel , as well as AEW's assorted social media platforms, to see highlights from Wednesday night's DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER! Then be sure to tune into TNT this Saturday night beginning at 11:30p ET/10:30p CT for a loaded COLLISION featuring FTR versus Top Flight in the second Semi-Final bout of the AEW World Tag Title Tournament!
A CHALLENGE ISSUED…
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs. Malakai Black
After seeing Malakai Black confront Adam Copeland after his Cope Open TNT Championship Match against Matt Cardona, “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels elected to make a challenge of his own to the master of The House of Black. This may be the first singles match in All Elite Wrestling between the two men, but it is not their first match against one another. In fact it was only four months ago that Malakai and Buddy Matthews topped Daniels and Matt Sydal in tag team action, but two years prior to that, on a Northeast Wrestling event in Poughkeepsie, NY, Malakai actually bested “The Fallen Angel” in singles competition.
So not only is this Friday night on RAMPAGE an opportunity for Daniels to test the mettle of Malakai in a head-to-head bout, it's also a chance to even the score with Black for that bout January 2022 meeting, and perhaps to catch the attention of the TNT Champion as well. After all, it was very clear from what happened on COLLISION that Malakai Black has eyes on Adam Copeland and that title, so if “The Fallen Angel” can get one over on Malakai this Friday, perhaps he can also work himself into a position to challenge for Copeland's hard-earned TNT Championship!
FINAL FOUR ELIMINATION BOUT…
Action Andretti vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Komander
This is going to be a wild one Friday night as AEW offers up a little March madness of its own in the form of a Four Way Elimination bout featuring a quartet of the best young athletes in All Elite Wrestling! It's a combination of hard-hitting striking, tough as nails grappling, high-flying maneuvers, and good old fashioned wrestling when Andretti, Keith, Garcia, and Komander lock-up on RAMPAGE! A bit of an outlier for AEW multi-man bouts, this one is being fought under Elimination Rules rather than first pinfall, meaning there is no urgency in breaking up every pinfall that takes place because it behooves each man to let another get eliminated from the fray.
There are quite a few interesting dynamics at play in this Final Four Elimination as well, ones that could factor into how the game is played and how alliances may be formed to help whittle it down to two men. Take Komander and Bryan Keith, they have served as tag partners both in ROH, as well as in AEW on several occasions, and both were involved in the Elimination Survival of the Fittest contest at ROH's FINAL BATTLE 2023 event last December. Komander has been on opposite sides of several Trios matches against Action Andretti, while this will be the only time he's shared a ring with Daniel Garcia outside of Battle Royal situations. Speaking of Garcia, he was actually beaten by Action Andretti in January 2023, but this will mark the first time he's ever been inside a ring with “The Bounty Hunter” in any fashion.
So with all those little threads wrapping these men together, who will be the one to survive the Final Four and be the last one standing to cut the proverbial net?
SINGLES MATCH…
(5)Serena Deeb vs. Trish Adora
“The Professor of Professional Wrestling” Serena Deeb has defeated Lady Frost, Robyn Renegade, and Queen Aminata since returning to in-ring competition on the January 27th edition of COLLISION, with each victory in service of accomplishing a goal that eluded her prior to her 15-month absence: an AEW Championship. Those victories earned Deeb the number five spot in the March 27th Rankings update, but that spot isn't good enough, that spot isn't what “The Professor” came back for, she wants the spot Thunder Rosa occupies, she wants what Thunder Rosawon on Wednesday night, and Serena Deeb will break apart every woman in the AEW locker room in order to get there.
The work towards that goal continues this Friday night on RAMPAGE when Serena meets The Infantry's Trish Adora in their very first singles match! Like so many other young competitors, it feels like Adora is on the cusp of breaking through to that next level as an athlete, that she is just missing one little thing that enables her to get those big wins that get her noticed, get her into the rankings, and get her into conversations about championship fights. While Trish may have looked great in her 2024 fights with Mariah May and Riho, and while she may have given Julia Hart a run for her money in a TBS Championship match, the reality is Adora was only in that title fight because Julia made it an Open House Challenge. Trish Adora was not in a championship situation because of a stellar win percentage, or because she'd won a contender's bout, she was there because she was one with enough guts to enter The House of Black and fight its Queen on her terms.
Saying all that is no discount to Trish's abilities inside the ring, in fact it's meant as a credit to the fire in her belly, but also to illustrate that she has to find that element that makes her a contender because she earned her way into that spot with wins, by beating top competition, and showing that she's got what it takes to wear an AEW Championship around her waist. Facing “The Professor of Professional Wrestling” is a big step in the right direction, there are few women who can give Trish Adora that on-the-job learning experience like Serena Deeb, and if Adora can find a way to victory, it will be because she earned it the hard way.
So will Trish Adora be the next woman Serena Deeb steps on the climb up the rankings, or will she be the first woman in 2024 to put Deeb down for a three count?
ELIMINATOR MATCH…
AEW International Champion Roderick Strong vs. London Lightning
Last week in Quebec City, it was “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard who stepped up to the International Title Eliminator Challenge and faced Roderick Strong in a one-on-one contest, or at least on paper it was a one-on-one contest, with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett lurking at ringside the reality was more like a three-on-one situation. That numbers advantage directly led to Menard's defeat at Roderick's hands, and could've ended in a much worse assault had Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta not been on the spot to run The Undisputed Kingdom off.
Well this week on RAMPAGE, another individual is stepping up to the International Challenge in hopes of earning himself a title opportunity against “The Messiah of the Backbreaker”, a young man by the name of London Lightning. London is taking a huge leap in accepting this Eliminator Match, he's a kid with barely a year of experience under his belt, coming off a pair of losses in Ring of Honor to Lee Johnson and Evil Uno, but who is brave enough to take this unbelievable opportunity to score an AEW International Championship match!
There's no doubt Roderick has every conceivable advantage here, but any given night a match can wildly swing in unexpected directions, and that is what London Lightning is hoping to experience this Friday on RAMPAGE! If he can earn himself an International Championship match by beating Roderick Strong, it'll be an upset rivaling Action Andretti's over Chris Jericho, and a situation that immediately puts London Lightning's name in headlines!
This jam-packed week of AEW/ROH action continue Friday night on TNT beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT with an all-new RAMPAGE featuring four tremendous contests! AEW International Champion Roderick Strong will be in action, as well “The Professor” Serena Deeb, and we kick the night off with “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels taking on The House of Black's Malakai Black in singles competition! As if that wasn't enough, there's also the Final Four Elimination contest where Action Andretti, Bryan Keith, Daniel Garcia, and Komander do battle to see who the last man standing will be!
Prior to bell time, make a point to check out the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW's numerous social media outlets, to watch highlights from this past Wednesday's edition of DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER! And don't forget, this Saturday night COLLISION gets underway at 11:30p ET/10:30p CT on TNT with a stacked card highlighted by LionHOOK versus Shane Taylor Promotions and the second Semi-Final Match in the AEW World Tag Title Tournament!
This Wednesday night, DYNAMITE hails from Worcester, MA and the DCU Center and we will witness AEW World Champion Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland sign their DYNASTY 2024 contract, The Young Bucks face Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta in the Semi-Finals of the World Tag Title Tournament, Thunder Rosa and Mariah May vie for the next shot at Toni Storm's AEW Women's World Champions, and The Don Callis Family continues to test itself with Will Ospreay facing Powerhouse Hobbs! All that and more comes to you this Wednesday night live on TNT starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, but don't forget to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW's various social media platforms, for highlights from last week's episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Then join Ring of Honor's Philadelphia homecoming this Friday night for SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2024 (https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/roh-supercard-of-honor-2024), live from the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University, and available exclusively on Honor Club (www.watchroh.com)! Eddie Kingston faces Mark Briscoe with the ROH World Championship at stake, ROH Women's World Champion Athena puts her title on the line against 3-Time AEW Women's World Champion Hikaru Shida, the first-ever ROH Women's World TV Champion will be crowned when Billie Starkz faces Queen Aminata, Stardom will be in the house, and so much more coming your way this Friday night in Philly!
AEW World Tag Team Title Tournament Semi Final…
The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) vs. Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta
After escaping their Quarter-Final match against Private Party with a suspect victory, The Young Bucks made sure to be on the spot at the first opportunity to take a shot at Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta ahead of their Semi-Final encounter. Leave it to Matthew and Nicholas to take those two Best Friends lending a hand to another individual, in this case “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and turning it into something terrible with their underhanded tactics.
Thankfully Orange and Trent don't have to wait long to even the score with The EVPs since this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE features their Semi-Final contest in the AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament! Now Trent Beretta is extremely familiar with fighting The Young Bucks, between AEW, ROH, NJPW, and PWG, they've fought countless times, but OC has only ever met Matthew and Nicholas in tag team action one time, and that was with HOOK serving as his tag team partner. This is a rather unfamiliar experience for the former 2-Time AEW International Champion, but that's part-and-parcel of being a professional wrestler, one won't always have experience with your foes, but that just means learning as you go, and that feels like a situation where Orange Cassidy can thrive.
History shows how strong a team The Young Bucks are, and recent history shows how low they will stoop to come out on top, but recent history also shows how strong a duo Trent and OC have quickly become, unbeaten in five straight matches, and coming into this tournament arguably with more momentum than any other pair. Can this Best Friends pairing continue to roll that momentum forward into a spot in the tournament final at DYNASTY 2024, or will The Young Bucks continue to dig down into new depths in order to get their much-coveted third AEW World Tag Team Championship reign?
Sign On The Dotted Line…
Last week on DYNAMITE, with his victory of Konosuke Takeshita, Swerve Strickland cemented himself as the challenger at DYNASTY 2024 for ROH World Champion Samoa Joe. It's the position Swerve has been fighting for ever since ALL IN: LONDON, that he went through vicious clashes with Hangman Page to acquire (including that unforgettable Texas Death match), and now has finally earned without having to worry about a third party as he did at REVOLUTION 2024.
This Wednesday night in Worcester, Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe make their April 21st championship fight official when they sign their names on the contract, but professional wrestling contract signings are notorious for turning into chaos. Just look at the last time Swerve was involved in one of them, and how he got stabbed in the hand with the very pen Hangman used to sign the deal! Will this contract signing see a similar breakdown in decorum, or will professionalism actually be the rule of the night with Samoa Joe and Swerve?
One-On-One…
(1)Thunder Rosa vs. (2)Mariah May
Intruder Alert…
AEW World Trios Champion Billy Gunn vs. ROH World Six-Man Champion Jay White
It wasn't all that long ago that a Gunn family reunion could be looked at as a joyous occasion; after months and months of Billy, Austin, and Colten being at odds with one another, the union of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang seemed like a way for fences to be mended, for a father and his sons to become a family once again.
Well that idea went to hell the moment The Bang Bang Gang decided that assaulting Darby Allin, that putting him on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time, was more important than keeping their six-man power group together. Perhaps it was a group destined for failure from jump street, given the egos and attitudes involved, but if there's life there is hope, and there's nothing wrong with hoping for the most favorable outcome.
Unfortunately that's not what The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass got for their time, for the willingness to trust the Bang Bang Gang, in fact Daddy Ass got a home invasion for his hopes of long-term reconciliation with his sons, so as a consequence of that, Billy Gunn has got a beating in mind for “Switchblade” Jay White!
Gunn doesn't often dabble in singles matches at this point in his career, preferring to ride in trios action with Max Caster and Anthony Bowens, but he's got decades worth of experience in that role to pull from when it comes to teaching Jay White a lesson in respect and humility! This is just the beginning of what is sure to be several heated battles between these two dominating trios…
A Battle Of Will(s)…
Powerhouse Hobbs vs. (4)Will Ospreay
For better or worse, Don continues to pit members of his family against one another inside the squared circle under the belief that the only way to get better is to fight the best, and that since his family is the best, they just have to fight one another to get better. While there may be some merit to Callis' thinking, we've already witnessed tension within the ranks with Ospreay fighting ROH World TV Champion Kyle Fletcher on DYNAMITE and Takeshita at REVOLUTION 2024, and now he's signed up to facing the monster of The DC Family, the strongest man in all of All Elite Wrestling, Powerhouse Hobbs!
Ospreay's schedule since fully devoting his time to AEW has been rather mad; in addition to those two matches, he's heading into this fight with Hobbs after just having faced Katsuyori Shibata last Wednesday on DYNAMITE and he's got the impending bout with Bryan Danielson at DYNASTY 2024! That's just the in-ring portion of his last couple weeks, it says nothing of his travel schedule back-and-forth between the UK, Canada, and the United States. That being said, Ospreay does have some experience with demanding travel schedules from his time in NJPW and weeks consisting of, as an example, five matches in seven days.
Ospreay's been through it, but fighting a foe like Powerhouse Hobbs is such a unique endeavor; the former TNT Champion possesses such a rare combination of power and speed, as well as strength and agility, plus a sheer ruthlessness to back it all up, that makes him one of the most dangerous men in All Elite Wrestling. He's a man who can throw around any individual in the company like they are rag dolls, just look at how he treated Paul Wight in the Like a Dragon Gaiden Street Fight last November, and while it takes a tremendous feat of strength to even rock Hobbs much less get him off his feet.
They may both be part of The Don Callis Family, but that doesn't mean Ospreay or Hobbs are going to take it easy on one another, in fact it seems the hope from Callis is that the exact opposite be true. He wants to see his men go to war with one another, to sharpen each other's iron so to speak, and to get one another at the peak of their game. Well, he will certainly get that this Wednesday night when Will Ospreay clashes with Powerhouse Hobbs as we continue down the road to DYNASTY 2024!
JERICHO CALLS OUT HOOK!
After falling to FTW Champion HOOK in singles competition two weeks ago, “Lionheart” Chris Jericho extended the offer to essentially serve as a mentor for the young man. Jericho himself pointed out he's never been a trainer, never ran a wrestling school, never been a manager, but yet he was willing to try to be those things for “The Cold-Hearted, Handsome Devil”. Now HOOK may be young, both in life and in terms of time as an active competitor, but he's not a stupid human being, as HOOK said, he knows who Jericho is. He knows the leader of the Inner Circle who caused Sammy Guevara to walk away from the group, and who tossed aside Ortiz and Santana as soon as they questioned how Jericho operated. He knows the Jericho who built his own Appreciation Society, but was ultimately abandoned by all of those associates because of his behavior as their leader. HOOK knows “The Ocho” and “Le Champion”, but what Chris seems to want to show him is the “Lionheart”, a man of integrity and worth who actually cares about the future of AEW, who knows it's bigger than just Chris Jericho, and who actually wants to see it grow beyond Chris Jericho.
So what is it that Jericho intends to call out HOOK for this week on DYNAMITE? Is it for a public workout? A training match? A lesson in technique? There are a great many lessons that a man with the tenure of the original AEW World Champion can teach to a young competitor like the FTW Champion, but what will that be this Wednesday night?
This Wednesday night, DYNAMITE hails from Worcester, MA and the DCU Center and we will witness AEW World Champion Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland sign their DYNASTY 2024 contract, The Young Bucks face Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta in the Semi-Finals of the World Tag Title Tournament, Thunder Rosa and Mariah May vie for the next shot at Toni Storm's AEW Women's World Champions, and The Don Callis Family continues to test itself with Will Ospreay facing Powerhouse Hobbs! All that and more comes to you this Wednesday night live on TNT starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, but don't forget to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW's various social media platforms, for highlights from last week's episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Then, this Friday night, Ring of Honor returns home to Philadelphia for SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2024, available exclusively on Honor Club, and featuring ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston battling Mark Briscoe, ROH Women's World Champion Athena and 3-Time AEW Women's World Champion Hikaru Shida locking horns, Billie Starkz and Queen Aminata going one-on-one to determine the first-ever ROH Women's World TV Champion, Kyle Fletcher defending the ROH World TV Title against Lee Johnson, the women of Stardom coming to blow the roof of Liacouras Center, and plenty more in store for ROH's homecoming!
Fala Chen Interview by Big Gold Belt Media-Synopsis:The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of “Godzilla vs. Kong” with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome…
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
3-Way Trios Match!
Action Andretti & Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin
vs.
“The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith, Komander, & Penta El Zero Miedo
vs.
Matt Sydal & Private Party—Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen!
Sydal used a side headlock takedown on Action Andretti. Action fired back with a dropkick, taking Sydal off his feet. Bryan Keith tagged in and booted Darius Martin in the face. Private Party utilized tandem offense on Keith.
Penta El Zero Miedo entered the fray. Dante Martin grabbed a blind tag from Kassidy and then the match broke down with all three teams brawling. Komander paired off with Dante in the ring and took him down with head scissors. Komander hit Dante with an arm drag off the ropes. Penta jumped in and connected with a Sling Blade on Dante.
Bryan Keith nailed Action with a neck breaker. Action used a handspring elbow and rocked both members of Private Party! Keith blasted Darius with a running boot, sending Darius spilling out to the arena floor. Komander locked up Sydal in a flying surfboard on the apron. Sydal escaped and crushed Komander with a meteora! Penta El Zero Miedo was right there to grab Sydal and impale him on the apron with the Fear Factor!
Private Party attempted the Gin & Juice on Penta, but Penta countered with a Destroyer on Kassidy! Keith headbutted Quen, knocking him off the top turnbuckle to the arena floor. Komander flew out of the ring with a tornillo and landed on the pile of wrestlers outside the ring! Penta El Zero Miedo spiked Sydal with the Fear Factor and pinned him!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Saraya and Harley Cameron!
Saraya: I don’t give a s—t about Ruby Soho!”
Harley: “Saraya, breathe with me. Feel better?”
Saraya: “So I have some business I have to talk to you about, Renee. You know how my family is like this big family wrestling royalty in the UK? Well, I have a special announcement I have to make. My brother, Zodiac Zack Knight has just become All Elite! Baby brother, come in here! Yeah, he’s scary, and this could have been yours, Ruby! I was going to set you up with him! You messed it up to go with someone greasy and slimy.”
Harley: “Look at him! He’s hot! Your whole family is hot!”
Saraya: “Anyway, things are about to get really spicy around here, Renee.”
AEW EVPs The Young Bucks—Matthew & Nicholas Jackson
vs. Jonny Lyons & Cappuccino Jones!
Nick pummeled Lyons with strikes to the back. Matt tagged in and hit Lyons with a running forearm. Cappuccino grabbed a tag and ate a kick from Matt. Matt battered Cappuccino to the mat, shutting him down. Matt planted Jones with a DDT. Nick knocked Jones’ block off with a lariat. The Bucks spiked Jones with the Tony Khan Driver, then Matt pinned Jones!
After the match, the Bucks invited Tony Schiavone into the ring.
Nick: “We’re not going to attack you, Tony. More than a week ago you interviewed us in this ring. I swear to God I tripped on my shoe and accidentally knocked you down. I just wanted to clear the air and apologize to you right here. I am so sorry.”
Matt: “And to show you how sorry we are, we went and got you this $25 Amazon gift card. We love you. We are sorry. That’s not the only thing we’re sorry about. We’re also sorry that we can’t get Darby Allin and Sting’s bloodstains out of our $5000 white suits.
“There are a couple things we’re not going to be too sorry about, Tony. The first thing is going to be beating the hell out of Darby Allin at Revolution for all the trash he talked about us publicly on television. And the thing we’re going to be least apologetic about will be when we take Sting, and we pin him to the mat, and we say goodbye and we say farewell to one of the most legendary careers of all time.
“Stinger, you can call us Father Time. Because just like Father Time, we’re undefeated. And just like Father Time, we’re coming for you.”
In the next segment, Tony Schiavone interviewed Sammy Guevara in the ring!
Sammy: “Last week I got in the ring with my childhood hero, Jeff Hardy. But on the other hand, I’m mad, Will Hobbs put me through a table. Will Hobbs, I always said you had endless potential. But alone. You don’t need Don Callis sucking the life out of your career. But it is too late because I am mad. So enough talking. Get your ass out here now!”
Don Callis walked down the ramp!
Callis: “You’re back at work after nursing the child? The only thing you’ve done of note in the past six months is reproduce and you shouldn’t be proud of that. Dogs do it. Even these people can do it. You used to be a great athlete, Sammy. You used to be a guy I wanted in the Don Callis Family. Now you’ve become like so many. You’ve become weak.”
Powerhouse Hobbs jumped in the ring to ambush Sammy, but Sammy dodged Hobbs and drilled him with a thrust kick! Sammy flew over the top rope and wiped out Hobbs on the arena floor! Sammy smashed a steel chair into the spine of Hobbs! Sammy tried to hoist up Hobbs for the GTH, but Hobbs countered with a spinebuster! Hobbs hit a second spinebuster! Hobbs crushed Sammy with the World’s Most Dangerous Slam!
“The message has been sent and Hobbs will not rest until Sammy is done!” said Excalibur.
Skye Blue was backstage with some strong words!
Blue: “I had that match won if it wasn’t for some sad excuse of a man. I had that match won and I deserved it.”
TBS Champion Julia Hart walked up to Skye to comfort her.
Julia: “Skye, it’s okay. We shall get our comeuppance. And while getting our revenge, I shall dig three graves. One for Willow, one for Statlander, and one for Stokely. Now who do you want first?”
Skye: “I want whoever is going to step up and fight me!”
Mariah May vs. Anna Jay!
Mariah May went for a dropkick but Anna side stepped it and followed up with a neck breaker. Mariah fired back with overhand chops. Mariah rocked Anna with a knee strike! Anna countered the May Day with the Queen Slayer, but Mariah backed up into the corner, escaping the hold.
Mariah sent Anna soaring with a handstand hurracanrana out of the corner! Anna dodged a hip attack from Mariah. Anna nailed Mariah with a back breaker for a near fall. Anna applied the Queen Slayer, but Mariah hit Anna’s arm! Mariah annihilated Anna with the May Day in the center of the ring and pinned Anna!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Ruby Soho and Angelo Parker, who just returned from their date!
Ruby: “I think the date went really well!”
Parker: “It was incredible. I had a great time with you, Ruby.”
Ruby: “Saraya, you said you didn’t care about me. Here’s the reality of the situation. For the last year, you’ve told me that I needed you. But you needed me. You are sad and unhappy without me. But when you start talking about Angelo, we have a problem. I said I needed space from you. And in that space, I think I found something real in Angelo. Why don’t we invite everyone out next week, bring the crew, and we’ll shove this done your throat.”
Parker: “You’re very hot when you’re mad, by the way. Let’s go grab a drink.”
Roderick Strong (with ROH World Tag Champs Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)
vs. Jake Hager!
Strong booted Hager in the jaw. Hager hurled Strong halfway across the ring! Roddy dodged a charging Hager. Roddy battered Hager to the mat. Hager retaliated with a running lariat for a near fall.
Strong planted Hager with a suplex. Taven and Bennett were about to chase Hornsby, the Drillers’ mascot, when International Champion Orange Cassidy came out to even up the odds! Orange pulled out Hager’s purple bucket hat and tossed it to him! Hager put the hat on and walloped Strong with running clotheslines. Hager followed up with a belly-to-belly suplex. Hager splashed Roddy with the Hager Bomb for a near fall.
The numbers advantage was too much for Orange as Taven and Bennett got the upper hand on him. Back in the ring, Roddy connected with a jawbreaker on Hager. Jake Hager planted Roddy with the Doctor Bomb for a two-count. Hager applied the ankle lock, but Taven was distracted by Bennett and Taven, who jumped on the ring apron! Roderick Strong drilled Hager with a jumping knee strike right on the jaw. Hager crumbled and Strong won via pinfall!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, MO featuring:
-Thunder Rosa in action!
-FTR vs. Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty!
-Serena Deeb vs. Kiera Hogan
-Bang Bang Scissor Gang in Trios competition!
– “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith vs. Malakai Black!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Jun Akiyama!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Propst Arena at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL featuring:
This Friday night RAMPAGE hails from The BOK Center in Tulsa, OK, and we are back at our traditional start time of 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, and there is quite an exciting night of combat lined up for the AEW faithful! In the aftermath of his No DQ fight with Jeff Hardy last week, we will hear from “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara, plus Mariah May locks up with Anna Jay, The Young Bucks will apparently be in action to prepare for REVOLUTION 2024’s fight with Darby Allin and Sting, Roddy takes on Oklahoma’s own Jake Hager, and let’s not forget the wild 3-Way Trios going down in Tulsa!
Before the night begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Roderick Strong vs. Jake Hager
In one of the more unexpected moments of one competitor coming to another’s rescue, this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE it was Jake Hager who arrived on the scene to help AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy as he once more fell victim to a Undisputed Kingdom assault. Without Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, or Rocky Romero anywhere in the vicinity to lend a hand, it seemed OC was destined to be battered by Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett, but with AEW being in his home state, Hager took it upon himself to do the right thing.
It may have been the first time since arriving in AEW that Hager actually did the right thing, but late is better than never, and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for Orange Cassidy, insuring he remained intact for his REVOLUTION 2024 championship defense against Roddy. But apparently good deeds do not come without consequence, and this Friday night on RAMPAGE Jake Hager faces his consequences in the form of a singles match with Roderick!
This will mark the first time these two men have ever gone one-on-one inside a wrestling ring, and just the second time they’ve even been in the same match in their entire careers. It’s liable to be a hard-hitting affair, but one that will likely see Matt Taven and Mike Bennett stalking around ringside. Can Hager counteract their presence at ringside? Will OC return the favor Hager did for him by attempting to neutralize The UK members? Tune in Friday night to find out how this one goes down!
SINGLES MATCH…
Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
Anna Jay is coming off a hard-fought loss to Queen Aminata last week on RAMPAGE, one that ended with a show of respect between the two women, a sign of appreciation for the fight they gave one another, and Anna’s recognition of Aminata finally scoring her first singles victory in All Elite Wrestling.
Unfortunately Anna Jay isn’t likely to see that same sort of respect this Friday night, regardless of how the match goes, because her opponent is Toni Storm’s biggest fan: Mariah May! Mariah remains rather desperate to get Toni Storm’s attention on her actual in-ring work rather than just on her slavish fan-girl devotion to the AEW Women’s World Champion, but there always seems to be a reason for Storm to not partake in viewing Mariah’s bouts.
That makes this an interesting bout to watch unfold as Anna Jay really needs a win to not only get back on track, but to also push towards joining the rankings. Mariah, on the other hand, has occupied the number five spot for the first two weeks of the reborn rankings, and a victory would not only keep her there, but also possibly boost her up towards the top spot. That is an interesting situation in itself, the idea of Mariah in the top spot, but one that can wait until after REVOLUTION 2024 to see where the AEW Women’s World Championship rests.
3-WAY TRIOS MATCH…
Action Andretti & Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) vs. Bryan Keith, Komander, & Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Matt Sydal & Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
With the rankings back, one segment of AEW that was never part of their original incarnation was the Trios Division. So while The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass sit atop the division as champions, there are plenty of men who want to ascend to the status of contender, who want that opportunity to score an AEW championship, and those willing to create their own trio could be in a prime spot to take over the rankings!
That’s what we have here this Friday night on RAMPAGE when these three trios, two of which are uniting for the first time, come together in what is sure to be a wild, high-flying affair! Action Andretti and Top Flight are obviously the most experienced unit in this contest, with victories over Isiah Kassidy (as he teamed with The Hardys), Penta and Komander (as they united with El Hijo del Vikingo), and the CHAOS trio of OC, Trent, and Rocky Romero. That being said, their foes in this Three Way are also quite experienced in their own ways, and then there’s the recent history between Private Party and Top Flight that plays into this dynamic as well. Which trio will rise to occasion on Friday night, and perhaps make enough of an impact to crack the rankings? Whichever trio it may be, all three are going to have their work cut out for them trying to score a win among the inevitable chaos!
The BOK Center in Tulsa, OK hosts this Friday night’s edition of RAMPAGE and we are back at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, with a wild Three-Way Trios match pitting Andretti & Top Flight versus Sydal & Private Party versus Bryan Keith, Penta, and Komander! Plus, Anna Jay battles Mariah May, The EVPs Matthew and Nicholas Jackson will apparently be in action, and Roderick Strong will tackle Oklahoma’s own Jake Hager! We will also hear from Sammy Guevara following his No Disqualification battle with Jeff Hardy, and more!
Before bell time, swing on by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE and COLLISION, plus the latest CONTROL CENTER!
This Wednesday night, for the very first time, AEW brings DYNAMITE to Tulsa, OK and the BOK Center! With REVOLUTION 2024 eleven days away, every fights matters as we barrel towards the Greensboro Coliseum, and do we have some serious bouts set for AEW’s flagship! Representing The Blackpool Combat Club, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli will go to battle with Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of FTR! Plus AEW World Champion Samoa Joe forms an uneasy alliance with Swerve Strickland, one of the men he will fight on March 3rd, as well as “The Machine” Brian Cage, to take on the other challenger for REVOLUTION 2024 “Hangman” Adam Page, and his partners FTW Champion HOOK and the legendary Rob Van Dam! In addition, we will see both AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm as well as her pay-per-view opponent Deonna Purrazzo compete, and so much more!!!
DYNAMITE begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans; just make a point to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER! Then join us this Saturday night in Springfield, MO for an brand-new COLLISION where Bryan Danielson will battle Jun Akiyama, and we will see both Thunder Rosa and Serena Deeb in action!
A FIGHT…
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)
DYNAMITE February 9, 2022; Jon Moxley scores a tag team victory over FTR
RAMPAGE, September 9, 2022; Claudio Castagnoli defeats Dax Harwood in a ROH World Championship match
FINAL BATTLE 2023, December 15, 2023; FTR and Mark Briscoe defeat The BCC of Claudio, Jon Moxley, and Bryan Danielson in a nearly 30 minute fight that AEW/ROH GM Tony Khan had to make a Fight Without Honor
DYNAMITE, February 14, 2024: Jon Moxley defeats Dax Harwood
Suffice to say that the bell-to-bell history between these to members of The Blackpool Combat Club and FTR tilts in favor of The BCC, but this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE will mark the very first time Moxley and Castagnoli have faced Cash and Dax in tag team competition. FTR is world-renowned for their prowess as tag team competitors, their 10 reigns with 7 different championships are testament to that, not to mention the fact they held the AAA, IWGP, and ROH World Tag Title simultaneously for six months. This BCC combination, while 10-1 in tag team competition and ranked #2 as of the 2/10/24, does not have that pedigree together, though there is plenty of tag team experience in each individuals back catalog.
Claudio, alongside Chris Hero, holds status as the 2nd longest reigning World Tag Team Champions in Ring of Honor history, while his resume boasts a total of 19 reigns as a tag champion across his career and Moxley carries nine different tag team championship reigns across his time spent in professional wrestling. That is certainly a great deal of experience in the tag ranks, but unlike FTR, none of that championship experience came together, in fact Claudio and Mox had very little experience working as a duo prior to Castagnoli’s entry into The BCC.
That being said, Moxley and Claudio are two of the best individual combatants on the planet today, so pooling their forces does make for quite the formidable team, and that kind of skill does help compensate for their lack of experience in tag team competition. Big Bill and Ricky Starks proved, at FTR’s expense actually, that a lack of experience working together doesn’t automatically put a team at a disadvantage. Those two barely knew each other’s names yet brought an end to Cash and Dax’s second reign as champions, and performed quite impressively as a tandem during their reign atop the division.
So don’t discount The BCC duo because of that advantage FTR holds over them, in fact the one thing that may work against Moxley and Claudio this time around is the one thing that usually gives them an edge over their foes. Their capacity for violence, their willingness to use Cash and Dax to send a message to everyone else in professional wrestling, that may be the thing that comes back and bites them in the end. Now Claudio and Moxley are dealing with two very angry men who want nothing more than to choke out The BCC and do them the way FTR got done. Cash and Dax are out for blood with designs on leaving The Blackpool Combat Club laying in a pool of their own Wednesday night.
PREPARATIONS..
Deonna Purrazzo vs. ???
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. ????
As these two women, former friends once as close as sisters, prepare for their impending AEW Women’s World Championship match at REVOLUTION 2024, each will be in combat this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE. This has been an interesting back-and-forth between Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo ever since “The Virtuosa” questioned Storm’s abilities as she’s spun out into this “Timeless” persona. It seems to have become something of a driving force for Storm, proving she is still as good bell-to-bell as the version of Toni Storm that Purrazzo has challenged to actually come out and play on Sunday night March 3rd. Storm fought Red Velvet and Queen Aminata just three days apart from one another after having refrained from in-ring combat for nearly 40 days following her victory over Riho at WORLDS END, and made it a point to create “Wet Ink” in order to show Deonna just how over their past relationship she is.
Deonna’s response, embedded above, was quite succinct, with her in-ring record also speaking volumes with victories over Taya Valkyrie, Red Velvet, Kiera Hogan, and Anna Jay, putting “The Virtuosa” at the number one position in two consecutive rankings. This Wednesday, as they did on the 2/10 COLLISION, it looks the two women will play “can you top this” once again as each will be in singles competition on DYNAMITE! With their championship fight a little over a week away, neither woman can afford to lose a bout, not just because of how it could affect the rankings, but also because of the psychological ramifications of fumbling the ball so close to the end zone…
TRIOS COMBAT…
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, Brian Cage, & Swerve Strickland vs. FTW Champion HOOK, Adam Page, & Rob Van Dam
Some people could look at the situation before Samoa Joe and assume he’s a man behind the proverbial eight ball; those people clearly don’t know the AEW World Champion all that well. He is a man who smashed his way through every competitor Ring of Honor through at him during his 645 day reign as World Champion between March 2003 and December 2004. He is a man who took the label of longest reigning ROH World TV Champion from Jay Lethal, and carried it for 574 days, only relinquishing the championship to focus his pursuits on the AEW World Title now resting on his shoulder. Keep that mind: no one beat Samoa Joe, he willing turned over that championship to replace it with another. The odds don’t matter to Joe, be it one challenger or two, he should never be the one considered behind the eight ball or the underdog in the situation, Joe is always the man running the table, and should always be considered the odds-on favorite.
Even in this awkward situation where he’s paired with one of his challengers, as well as his challenger’s ally, Joe should be considered in control of the situation. It doesn’t matter that his other REVOLUTION 2024 is on the opposing team, or that Hangman has found two familiar faces as his partners. FTW Champion HOOK may have given Joe a good fight a few weeks ago, and completely bewildered the wrestling world when he kicked from a Muscle Buster just after the one count, but the bottom line is he still lost decisively. As for Rob Van Dam, it’s been over 11 years since he and Joe last faced one-on-one, and that October 2012 night Joe beat RVD, then in their final meeting a few months later, a tag team affair with Chris Daniels as his partner, Joe was again victorious.
Suffice to say Samoa Joe has every reason to be confident about this fight, and can rest assured that his partners, or at least one of them, has designs on something other than the championship Joe carries:
With that in mind, knowing Brian Cage is intent on neutralizing HOOK from this situation, Joe can focus on the other two men standing across the ring from him, and hopefully not have to worry about Swerve taking advantage of the situation to get a leg up on Joe before the title fight. Perhaps Hangman and Swerve will neutralize each other in this situation, leaving Joe with only one man to worry about in Rob Van Dam. There are a lot of variables at play here, ones that affect both this trios affair, as well as the AEW World Championship bout scheduled for REVOLUTION 2024, and the outcome of this fight is going to make quite the interesting fuel to the fire that is burning around Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, and “Hangman” Adam Page!
REVOLUTION 2024 is less than two weeks out and that means every moment counts on the road to Greensboro, NC! This Wednesday marks another stop on that journey as AEW comes to Tulsa and the BOK Center for the first time! We’ve got The BCC in action versus FTR, a huge Trios match involving the AEW World Champion and his two REVOLUTION ’24 challengers, both the AEW Women’s World Champion and her PPV challenger in action, as well as a great deal more!!!
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, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER! Then join us in Springfield, MO on Saturday for an all-new COLLISION featuring Bryan Danielson versus Jun Akiyama, as well as Thunder Rosa and Serena Deeb in action!
