Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX!
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!
No Disqualification Match!
Jeff Hardy (with Matt Hardy) vs. Sammy Guevara!
Jeff taunted Sammy, slapping him in the face. Sammy fired back with a slap of his own, refusing to back down.
“We’ve seen Jeff’s behavior change the past few weeks,” said Excalibur.
Jeff Hardy pulled a ladder out from beneath the ring, but Sammy dropkicked it into Jeff’s face! Jeff whipped Sammy into the guardrail. Jeff flew off the apron and wiped out Sammy on the floor!
Sammy connected with a knee strike on the apron. Sammy nailed Jeff with a thrust kick. Sammy followed up with a foot stomp on the apron! Jeff lunged at Sammy with a dropkick. Jeff moved the steel ring steps. Jeff charged, launched off the ring steps, and crushed Sammy against the barricade.
Jeff threw a steel chair at Sammy’s head. Jeff began to climb the ladder in the middle of the ring. Sammy met Jeff on the opposite side of the ladder. The two exchanged blows, perched on the ladder. Jeff stunned Sammy with a Twist of Fate off the ladder for a near fall!
Matt Hardy set up another table at ringside, along with a massive ladder. Jeff propped up Sammy on the table. Jeff began to climb the ladder, but Sammy got up and clubbed Jeff, preventing Jeff from ascending any higher. Sammy put Jeff’s head between a steel chair and then blasted Jeff with a cutter off the ropes! Sammy placed Jeff on the table at ringside. Sammy climbed the ladder all the way to the top! Sammy crashed down onto Jeff with a senton from the top of the massive ladder!
Sammy hit a shooting star press on Jeff Hardy. Jeff countered by raising his knees into Sammy’s ribcage, but Sammy’s knee smacked into Jeff’s face on the landing! Sammy reversed a Twist of Fate and scored the pin fall victory after the GTH!
Powerhouse Hobbs jumped in the ring after the match, ambushing Sammy from behind with a spinebuster! Don Callis was clapping on from ringside. Powerhouse Hobbs squashed Sammy with the World’s Most Dangerous Slam!
Renee Paquette was backstage with “The Machine” Brian Cage and Prince Nana, talking with him ahead of his huge match next Wednesday on Dynamite when he teams with Swerve Strickland and AEW World Champion Samoa Joe to take on FTW Champ HOOK, Rob Van Dam, and “Hangman” Adam Page!
Cage: “I got something to say. It doesn’t matter who are partners are. Hook, I’m going to be real with you. You don’t belong here. You come in here as some fad flavor of the month. And the fact that I go out there and they cheer you, it pisses me off. This is what I love. This is what I want to do. Everyone cheering for you when they should be cheering for me. I’m what a real wrestler looks like. I’m sick of taking a back seat to you. Next Wednesday you’re getting your ass beat!”
Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli were backstage!
Moxley: “You know what they say: you can’t fix stupid, but you can choke it. FTR—they are the standard bearer, they are the benchmark of great tag team wrestling. You don’t think we know tag team wrestling? You don’t think we are every bit the artists when it comes to tag team wrestling that you are?
Claudio: “We don’t walk around calling ourselves Top Guys. We don’t have to. We get results. We don’t play this. We are this.”
Renee Paquette interviewed Ruby Soho backstage!
Renee asked what she was expecting tonight now that Angelo Parker requested some time with her. Before Ruby could answer, Saraya and Harley Cameron walked onto the set.
Saraya: “I forgive you by the way.
Harley: “You know what? I forgive you too.”
Ruby: “You forgive me? Here’s the thing. I’m not sorry. I’ve known this whole time, every bad thing that has happened to me lately, you’ve been behind. I’m hoping maybe it was because you were doing what you thought was best for me. But I’m a grown woman. I know what’s best for me. And what’s best for me is space. Especially from you.”
Ruby walked off.
Saraya: “It’s time to really end that.”
Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs—Ross & Marshall
vs. Hitt, Shimbashi, & Romero Crews!
Dustin locked up with Hitt. Dustin nailed Hitt with a stiff strike. Ross tagged in and landed a dropkick on Hitt. Dustin came in and destroyed Crews with the Cross Rhodes. Ross and Marshall locked on the claws on Shimbashi and Hitt and Dustin finished Crews with the Final Reckoning for the pin!
Renee Paquette was backstage with AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm, Luther the Butler, and Mariah May!
Toni put Mariah in an arm bar! Toni: “Is this what you want Deonna No body likes a drama queen Deonna, so piss off!”
Anna Jay vs. Queen Aminata!
Aminata took down Anna with a side headlock. Anna Jay walloped Queen with a backstabber for a near fall. They traded chops but Queen Aminata wiped out Anna with a snap suplex. She followed up with a running PK to Anna Jay!
Anna Jay dodged a hip attack. Aminata avoided a kick and then annihilated Anna Jay with a boot slide for a two-count! Aminata countered the Queen Slayer with a jaw breaker! Queen Aminata headbutted Anna Jay in the abdomen as Anna Jay charged in. Queen Aminata scored the pin on Anna Jay!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Stokely Hathaway, Kris Statlander, and Willow Nightingale!
Renee asked Willow if she was happy with her victory over Skye Blue. Willow freaked out and questioned Stokely’s involvement in the match.
Kris: “This might have been my fault. We should have had a team meeting. I’ll make sure this won’t happen again. We’ll try this one more time.”
Willow: “Okay, Stokely, you’re going to shake on it?
Kris forced Stokely to shake Willow’s hand. “So, we’re all good here, right?” Kris asked.
Willow and Stokely nodded yes.
Next Renee Paquette interviewed Ruby Soho and “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker!
Angelo: “I know this is kind of a weird place, but I wanted to start off by saying Happy Valentine’s Day. Ruby, you have me feeling things that I don’t even know how to wrap my head around. I slipped you a note because I thought I lost you after what happened a few weeks ago with Harley, and you smashed the cake in my face. It was the only way I could get to you. Then I saw what you did last week on Rampage with Saraya, so I’m just going to go for broke and…”
Ruby: “Do you want to have a drink with me? I can’t tonight because I have a red eye. But how about next week?”
Angelo: “Yeah, yeah.”
Ruby: “Pick me up next Wednesday night, Cool Hand.”
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang—AEW World Trios Champs Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed—Anthony Bowens & Max Caster and ROH World Six-Man Champions Bullet Club Gold—Jay White & Austin & Colten Gunn
vs.
Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Dark Order—Alex Reynolds & John Silver!
Lethal and White locked up first. Lethal used a side headlock takeover. Jeff Jarrett hit Jay White in the back with a knee when White ran into the ropes. Evil Uno tagged in, and Jay White served up stiff chops to Uno’s chest.
Colten grabbed a tag and splashed Evil Uno in the corner. Colten followed up with a dropkick. Caster held Evil Uno while Bowens nailed Evil Uno with the Scissor Me Timbers! Satnam Singh tagged in and hurled Austin Gunn across the ring!
Daddy Ass tagged in and cleaned house on the opposition! Billy bashed Reynolds with the Fame-Asser! Silver hit a flurry of offense on Bowens. Satnam tried for a double choke slam on the Acclaimed, but Colten launched off Austin and drilled Satnam with a flying forearm. Colten blasted Lethal with the Colt .45! Jeff Jarrett jumped in and stunned Colten with the Stroke!
Jay White entered the fray and walloped Jeff Jarrett with the Blade Runner! Alex Reynolds shoved Daddy Ass into Jay White and then rolled up Daddy Ass for a near fall. Daddy and Austin rocked Reynolds with the 3:10 to Yuma and then Daddy Ass scored the pin!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK!
This Friday RAMPAGE comes your way from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX, beginning this week at a special start time of 7pm ET/6pm CT on TNT, and is staked up with a quartet of tremendous match-ups! REVOLUTION 2024 is coming on fast and with that in mind, the wrestlers of AEW are fighting to earn their way onto that pay-per-view extravaganza! Jeff Hardy meets Sammy Guevara for the first time with the fight contested as a No Disqualification match, Queen Aminata goes head-to-head with Anna Jay, The Bang Bang Scissor Gang will be in action for the first-time as an six-man entity, and Dustin Rhodes welcomes Marshall and Ross Von Erich back to AEW for a Trios bout!
Before the night gets underway, 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!
NO DISQUALIFICATION…
Jeff Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara
All is not right in the world of The Hardys; part of it is the downward slide both Matt and Jeff have been on that began in 2023, and part of it is how they’ve responded to these losing efforts; that is to say poorly. Moxley, Darby, and Swerve all witnessed Jeff’s poor responses first-hand, but perhaps that will finally turn around for the death-defying veteran this Friday night on RAMPAGE when he faces Sammy Guevara for the very first time!
Now brother Matt and Sammy have plenty of history here in All Elite Wrestling, history that nearly ended the careers of both men at various times, so if there’s anyone to give Jeff Hardy advice on how to take this fight, it is most certainly his brother. Then there is the x-factor of this match, the stipulation that could sway it in either man’s favor, the fact that this is a No Disqualification contest where everything is legal!
This is a situation where we have seen Jeff Hardy thrive for years, the world of tables and ladders and chairs and the assorted weaponry stashed under the ring, but the AEW faithful have also witnessed Sammy Guevara commit spectacular acts when ladders are involved, when chairs are in the mix, and when tables are set-up to be destroyed. This first-time fight between Jeff Hardy and “The Spanish God” will be a sight to witness this Friday night on RAMPAGE, but what version of Jeff will we see if the bout doesn’t go his way?
ONE-ON-ONE…
Anna Jay vs. Queen Aminata
It’s been said before and repeated ad nauseam; Queen Aminata has been one of the most impressive women in All Elite Wrestling through these first six weeks of 2024. Her fights with Mariah May, Thunder Rosa, Serena Deeb, and Toni Storm have been superb, hard-hitting fights that demonstrated Aminata’s willingness to throw down against the best AEW has to offer without backing down.
Unfortunately, as impressive as the young woman has looked in each of those bouts, she has not scored a single victory in those bouts, and looking good in defeat is only going to get one so far. Yet Aminata perseveres, and continues to take enter the ring show-after-show, including this Friday night on RAMPAGE where she takes on the ever-improving Anna Jay!
With the drama of Ruby Soho and Angelo Parker behind her, Anna Jay is free to focus on what’s important, and that’s building her own resume up to the levels of title contention! Several weeks ago, Anna scored an impressive when over the aforementioned “Runaway”, and aims to continue building that momentum at the expense of the Queen!
THE BANG BANG SCISSOR GANG!
AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) & Daddy Ass
and ROH World Six-Man Champions BULLET CLUB GOLD (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, & Jay White)
vs.
Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, & John Silver) & Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett,& Satnam Singh
Well these two forces came together in the new year, and though it doesn’t seem like a good fit given the history and the combustible elements within, thus far The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass have gelled quite well with BULLET CLUB GOLD! It seems that Daddy Ass and The Gunns have mended fences over their familial issues, ones that stemmed from Billy choosing The Acclaimed over his own kids in the first place! Then, of course, there is the fact that Austin and Colten dethroned Caster and Bowens as AEW World Tag Champions just about a year ago; suffice to say there is plenty of baggage wrapped up in this union, but yet they’ve found a way to make it work outside the ring.
But what about inside the squared circle? Can these six men make it work as a unit once the bell rings and they’ve got to tag one another, sync up as partners, and actually rely on one another for assistance? We will find out this Friday night on RAMPAGE when The Bang Bang Scissor Gang unites for the very first time!
ALSO FEATURING:
-Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs in action!
-We will hear from Ruby Soho & Cool Hand Ang!
Austin, TX and the H-E-B Center welcome back RAMPAGE this Friday night, and we’re starting early at 7pm ET/6pm CT on TNT, and we’ve got The Bang Bang Scissor Gang in action for the first time as a six-man unit! Plus, Anna Jay faces Queen Aminata, Dustin Rhodes brings The Von Erichs back to AEW for Trios action, and Sammy Guevara faces Jeff Hardy for the first-time ever in a No Disqualification fight!!!
Before the night gets underway, drop on by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, plus the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX!
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!
FTR’s Dax Harwood vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley!
Moxley flipped off Dax, trying to get under Harwood’s skin. Moxley put his hands behind his back and invited Dax to hit him. Dax blasted Mox with stiff strikes and chops. Moxley hammered the jaw of Harwood with forearms. Moxley bit the side of Dax’s head.
Moxley applied a bulldog choke on Dax. Dax countered with a roll-up, but Mox kicked out quickly. Moxley kicked Dax with the heel of his boot, kicking upward at Harwood. Moxley whipped Dax into the barricade. Moxley catapulted Dax into the steel ring post!
Dax and Mox slugged it out back in the ring. After one last volley from each man landing flush on the jaw, they both fell to the mat. The fight moved to the top turnbuckle and Dax superplexed Moxley!
“A car crash in the center of the ring!” said Excalibur.
“Tough landing for both of them but Mox got the worst of it,” replied Taz.
Moxley changed levels, kicking Harwood in the leg and striking him in the head. Harwood dodged an arm bar attempt and countered with a sharpshooter on Moxley!
Justin Roberts announced that five minutes remained in the match.
Moxley escaped and back body drop Harwood. Dax fired back, spiking Mox with a piledriver for a near fall!
The fan chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Moxley rocked Dax with a cutter and then curb stomped him. Moxley nailed Dax with a piledriver, but Dax kicked out at the two-count! Dax countered a Paradigm Shift with a brain buster for a near fall! Justin Roberts announced there were two minutes remaining. Dax jumped off the top turnbuckle, but Mox countered with a rear naked choke and Dax tapped out!
Moxley wouldn’t release the hold! Cash Wheeler sprinted down, jumped in the ring and began to pummel Moxley. Claudio Castagnoli jumped into the ring and leveled Cash! Moxley put Dax in another sleeper while Claudio wrenched back on Cash Wheeler.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Don Callis, Takeshita, and Powerhouse Hobbs!
Callis said they’re a victim of their own success because no one wants to wrestle Takeshita or Hobbs and the Revolution pay-per-view is coming up. Callis said he looked within the family and put together a match: “The Alpha” Takeshita vs. Will Ospreay!
“The best part about this is the Don Callis Family wins and after Revolution you’ll all be talking about the Don Callis Family and the match of the decade!”
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Wardlow vs. Barrett Brown!
Adam Cole joined the commentary team for this match.
Wardlow hoisted up Brown onto the turnbuckle and then dropped Brown right into Wardlow’s own knee. Wardlow began posing and flexing, admiring himself on the big screen. Wardlow power bombed Brown and pinned him!
Footage aired from earlier in the day of EVPs the Young Bucks landing in a private jet, still wearing their white suits that were stained with the blood of Sting and Darby Allin!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia!
Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Copeland missed a splash and Garcia rolled up Copeland for a near fall. Garcia brought Copeland down with a drop toehold. Garcia danced and stomped on both of Copeland’s knees. Garcia hammered Copeland’s head with elbows. Garcia jumped off the turnbuckles, but Copeland caught him and countered with a shoulder breaker.
Copeland baited Garcia into the corner and then wrenched on Garcia’s arm over the top rope. Garcia swept out Copeland’s legs. Garcia yanked Copeland down with a dragon screw leg whip! Garcia backed Copeland into the corner and stomped him down! Garcia connected with a running boot. Garcia worked on Copeland’s leg with another dragon screw. Garcia applied an STF on Copeland in the middle of the ring. Copeland countered into a front headlock.
Copeland met Garcia on the top turnbuckle and rocked Garcia with an avalanche Impaler! Copeland went for the spear, but Garcia kicked Copeland in the head! Garcia jackknifed Copeland for a near fall. Copeland escaped and hung on to Garcia, putting Garcia in a cross face submission!
The Patriarchy—Nick Wayne and Killswitch—jumped into the ring and began to beat down Copeland and Garcia. The match was thrown out. TNT Champion Christian Cage and Shayna Wayne walked down to the ring.
“Christian ordered that because he doesn’t want to face either of these men!” said Tony Schiavone.
Christian Cage pulled a chair from beneath the ring, but Matt Menard saw enough, got up and threated to whack Christian with his own chair! Killswitch ambushed Matt Menard from behind!
“Extinction from Killswitch! Daddy Magic never saw it coming!” said Excalibur.
Killswitch choke slammed Daniel Garcia in the ring! Nick Wayne and Killswitch set Garcia onto a chair, positioning him for a con-chair-to. Adam Copeland jumped into the ring with a chair of his own and cleaned house on the Patriarchy! Christian Cage and Adam Copeland swung their chairs at one another, but Christian dropped his chair upon impact! Christian Cage was down in the corner, begging off Adam Copeland, when Shayna Blazer snuck up from behind and hit Copeland with a low blow!
Nick Wayne rocked Copeland with the Wayne’s World! Killswitch hit Cope in the back of the neck with the Extinction! Christian Cage blasted Copeland with a con-chair-to!
“That was just disgusting,” said Taz.
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe came to ring ahead of his 3-Way Battle at AEW Revolution on March 3rd ring with “Hangman” Adam Page & Swerve Strickland!
Samoa Joe: “My name is Samoa Joe and I stand here proudly your AEW World Champion. But tonight, I come here with the spirit of apology. When I became champion, I reenacted a ranking system to insure that only the very best victims were served up in front of me to destroy.
“Everything was going so well until last week when Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland battled tooth and nail for thirty minutes to a draw. The AEW Championship Committee took a page out of the Texas playbook and made my match bigger and dumber. We reward mediocrity around here. Instead of telling these pretenders they don’t belong in a ring with me, at Revolution I find myself in a three-way match.
“Obviously a crime has been committed against me and now there must be repercussions. You send your two bright stars in the ring with me, and I guarantee I’m hurting one if not both of them. They may walk in, but I guarantee they will both limp out. Because I am Samoa Joe, I stand here the AEW World Champion, and there is nothing anything can do about that.”
Swerve Strickland’s music began to play! Swerve walked down to the ring with Prince Nana.
Swerve: “Joe, when we started this whole thing, like I said it wasn’t supposed to be personal. But as we get closer to Revolution and you run your mouth, I can’t help but feel it’s become personal. When you became World Champion, you said the new champion protocol, you show up with your reputation and you show up with your resumé. You also said hunger is what defines the great. Well, if you look at me, I’m on my way to becoming one of the greatest of all time.
“No one outhustles me. No one outworks me. And no one out grinds me. So, check my résumé. 15 years I’ve been grinding so maybe one day someone will say Swerve you’ll go down as one of the greatest. And this year I proved that. Today is that day. I’ve gone toe to toe with former world champions and some of the best legends that AEW has to offer. And the same result every time. I’m the one left standing. At Revolution, nothing changes! Except for one difference, is the fact that I will be holding that championship above my head.”
Hangman Adam Page walked down to the ring!
Page: “Hold on, hold on! First, I want to set the record straight about last week’s match—I wasn’t mad. When you’re writing your Dynamite reports, don’t say I was mad. Last week was horses—t! Because I signed a contract for a match to determine the number one contender for the World championship. And the winner of that match became the number one contender. And he couldn’t do it. Swerve had 30 minutes and he couldn’t do it.
“So, if it were up to me, Joe, at Revolution, the match would be between two men who value and respect that championship for everything it stands for. But unfortunately, I don’t make the matches and it looks like Swerve, you have been added to this match. Swerve I’m going to need to look you in the eyes and hear this. After everything that you have done to me, you don’t deserve one second of my time. You don’t deserve for me to give you five more minutes because you couldn’t get the job done. And you, Swerve, you don’t deserve to be in this championship match!”
Samoa Joe: “This walking domestic dispute ends tonight! As far as you’re both concerned, I’m Samoa Joe, and come Revolution, I’m whipping both your asses!”
Up next: AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm had the world premiere of her newest film, Wet Ink!
“What do you do when you can’t change the past? You kill it!” said Storm, as she had a dagger tattooed through the bird tattoo that she once shared with “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo!
Renee Paquette was backstage to get Deonna Purrazzo’s reaction!
Deonna: “Renee, Toni Storm talks too much. So, I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Toni, I’m going to break your arm!”
AEW EVPs Nicholas and Matthew Jackson—The Young Bucks, pulled up to the arena in a stretch limo!
The Young Bucks—Matthew & Nicholas Jackson
vs.
Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin!
Dante used an arm drag on Nick. Matt tagged in and gave a condescending fist bump to Dante. Dante and Darius battered Matt back and forth with strikes. Top Flight tried for sliding dropkicks but the Bucks dodged them.
Back in the ring, Top Flight concentrated on the arms of Matt Jackson. Matt shut down Darius and Dante after Nick got involved with a cheap shot. Darius kicked Matt in the back of the head with a guillotine like kick.
Dante tagged in and connected with a big springboard crossbody press on Matt for a near fall! Top Flight hit stereo sunset flips on the Bucks for a near fall. Matt caught Dante with a DDT! Top Flight got back in control and Darius launched off Dante and spiked Matt with a DDT! Nick broke up the pin attempt, but Dante drove him hard into the barricade with a tope! Darius nailed Matt with a Spanish Fly for a near fall!
Nick interfered to help Matt, and Matt put his foot on the ropes for leverage while trying to pin Darius. The ref saw Matt cheating and stopped him. As the ref was admonishing Nick (and Nick was using the opportunity to distract the ref), Matt kicked Darius between the legs! The Bucks smashed Darius with the EVP Trigger and pinned him!
Tony Schiavone interviewed the Bucks after the match.
Matt said they were undefeated this year, which makes them the top unbeatable team in AEW, in his opinion. “After beating a team like that, I think it’s safe to say we’re number one contenders!”
Matt said Tony Schiavone was under breach of contract by publicly disparaging the AEW EVPs. “That’s unprofessional. That is bush league, and you know it Tony,” said Matthew.
“That’s a $1000 fine! Do you have a problem with that? You heard me!” said Nick, as he shoved Tony, knocking him to the mat.
Matthew apologized saying his brother was a bit of a hot head. They offered to help Tony up but were really putting him in position for the EVP Trigger. Darby Allin sprinted to the ring with Sting’s baseball bat and the Bucks retreated!
Darby: “Young Bucks, remind everyone what was the original mission statement of AEW! It was to change the world! You know when I was homeless and AEW first started, and I begged for a job. Yet you saw nothing in me, and I had to sit by and watch all your s—t friends get hired! And thank God at the time there was an EVP here with a sense of brains, and I’m not talking about Kenny Omega!
“You did a little interview last year why you re-signed with AEW. You said you re-signed because the travel schedule was light, the money was good, it was no longer about changing the world. The mission statement was dead. I thought this was All Elite Wrestling, but it looks like this is All Friendship Wrestling. Think about the first episode of Dynamite. Darby Allin wasn’t on it. You know who was? Brandon Cutler! What the—?
“You guys want to be Sting’s final match. I don’t think you guys understand what you guys got yourselves into. You’re talking about a man who’s got nothing left to lose. It’s showtime!”
“The match has been made for Revolution, March 3rd, Sting’s last match, when he and Darby Allin put the AEW World Tag Team titles against the line against the Young Bucks!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang!
Jay White: “What’s the goal for the Bang Bang Scissor Gang? We’re running smoothly. We have new merch. We still have yet to test our cohesiveness in the ring.”
Daddy Ass: “What about this Friday we have a twelve-man match on Friday?”
Anthony Bowens said it was a great idea!
Willow Nightingale (with Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway) vs. Skye Blue (with TBS Champion Julia Hart)!
Blue blasted Willow with a shotgun dropkick. Willow did a cartwheel and scooped up Skye and body slammed her. Willow sent Skye Blue to the outside with a pounce!
Skye Blue connected with a thrust kick, but Willow walloped Blue with a lariat! Willow used a hip attack in the corner. Willow nailed Blue with a spinebuster for a near fall! Willow avoided a kick from Blue and sent Blue spilling to the floor with a pounce!
Willow set up Skye on the top turnbuckle. Skye escaped and power bombed Willow off the top rope for a near fall! Skye rocked Willow with the Code Blue, but Stokely jumped on the apron to distract the referee! Willow clobbered Skye Blue with the Doctor Bomb and scored the pin, thanks to the big assist from Stokely!
Main Event! Texas Death Match!
AEW International Champion “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy
vs.
ROH World Tag Champion Matt Taven!
The only way to win is by knockout or submission.
Taven chopped Orange in the corner. Taven knocked down Orange with a beautiful dropkick. Taven planted Orange with a Blue Thunder Bomb!
Cassidy whipped Taven into the guardrail. Orange baited Taven in and booted Taven in the jaw. They began to brawl into the crowd. Taven launched an elbow drop off the stage and landed on Orange who was on a table!
Taven propped up the partially broken table against the stage. Taven suplexed Orange against the table, breaking it in half! Orange’s head was busted open. Taven obliterated Orange with a running knee strike on the ramp!
Taven tossed Orange back into the ring. Taven spiked Orange with a DDT! Orange got to his feet before the 10-count. Taven pulled another table out from beneath the ring and propped it up against the broadcast booth. Cassidy jumped out at Taven with a tope!
Taven jumped off the turnbuckles and connected with a kick to Orange. Taven smashed into Orange with a dropkick. Taven ran and jumped over the top rope like a missile at Orange Cassidy, but Orange moved, and Taven went crashing through the table!
“What the hell did we just see?!” said Tony Schiavone.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Orange pulled a heart-shaped box of chocolates from under the ring. It had a tag that read: “To: OC, From Chuckie T. XOXO”. Orange opened the box, and it was filled with thumb tacks! Orange poured the thumbtacks onto the canvass. Taven shoved Orange from the turnbuckles right on top of the thumbtacks! Taven attempted to land a frog splash onto Orange, but Orange rolled out of the way and Taven landed right on top of the thumbtacks! Orange DDT’ed Taven into the thumbtacks!
Orange pulled a steel chain from beneath the ring. Mike Bennett ran down to the ring and smashed another heart-shaped box across the head of Cassidy! Bennett filled the ring with steel chairs. Trent walked down the ramp with a steel pipe! Trent swung the pipe right at Bennett’s head and it bashed into a steel chair, colliding into Bennett’s head! Taven hurled a steel chair at Trent’s head! Taven planted Trent face first into a steel chair! Orange was there, though, and drilled Taven with the Orange Punch! Orange planted Taven with a Beach Break on a chair on top of the tacks!
“There’s blood everywhere! My God!” said Schiavone.
Taven ripped at the pockets of Orange’s jeans. Orange wrapped the chain around his fist and smashed Taven with the Orange Punch! Roderick Strong ran to the ring and rocked Trent with a jumping knee strike! Trent had jumped in the way to protect Orange!
“Trent took the bullet for Orange,” said Excalibur.
Orange chucked Roddy out of the ring! Taven couldn’t get to his feet before the ref counted to 10 and Orange won via knockout!
“Orange is lucky to have a friend like Trent,” said Excalibur.
“Yes, he is. Trent took the bullet for Orange. What a Texas Death Match! That was nuts,” replied Taz.
“That’s one of the craziest we’ve ever seen,” added Tony Schiavone.
**Special programming note: This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at the special start time of 7/6c on TNT featuring:
-Queen Aminata vs. Anna Jay!
-No DQ Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast live from The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley
vs.
CMLL’s Esfinge & Star Jr.
Moxley took down Star Jr with a side headlock. Moxley grabbed Star’s hair. Star escaped and put Mox in a submission until Claudio came in and broke up the hold with a boot to Star. Moxley swung at Star, but Star ducked it and smacked Moxley in the mush. Star and Esfinge were about to go for stereo topes, but the BCC walked away. Esfinge and Star pumped the brakes.
Claudio tagged in and hurled Esfinge with the Giant Swing! Moxley grabbed a tag but so did Star Jr. Star shoved Claudio into Moxley. Star jumped off the top rope and took down both Moxley and Claudio. Esfinge and Star jumped out of the ring with a tope and a tope con hiro onto both members of the Blackpool Combat Club.
Star tried for a springboard, but Claudio countered with a European Uppercut. Moxley whipped Esfinge into the steel guardrail. Esfinge clocked Claudio with a thrust kick and then hit a monkey flip on Moxley. Esfinge tried to apply an Indian Death Lock pinning combo on Moxley, but Claudio jumped in to break up the pin. Star wiped out Moxley with a running lariat and then followed up with a tornillo on Claudio!
Moxley nearly decapitated Esfinge with a King Kong lariat for a near fall. Moxley ate a kick and then a risking knee strike from Moxley. Claudio gorilla press slammed Star right into a cutter from Moxley!
Claudio smashed Esfinge with the Ricola Bomb! Moxley put Star in an arm submission and forced him to tap out!
Moxley: “Gracias, amigos. You take that message back to CMLL in Mexico, or anywhere else in the world, and you tell any team that if they want to step up, they get stepped on!”
FTR—Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler—came down to the ring!
FTR had a stare down with BCC! It quickly escalated and the two teams traded fists!
“It did not take long for the fisticuffs to fly here,” said Tony Schiavone.
The locker room emptied as wrestlers and security guards tried to separate the BCC and FTR and contain them!
Daniel Garcia vs. Shane Taylor Promotion’s Shane Taylor (with Lee Moriarty)!
Matt Menard accompanied Garcia and then joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Taylor was throwing haymakers, but Garcia dodged them. Taylor knocked down Garcia with a shoulder block. Garcia came back with a dragon screw leg whip on Taylor. Shane Taylor shoved Garcia out of the ring with his leg. Taylor rammed Garcia into the ring apron and then whipped Garcia into the front row guardrail.
Garcia got out of the way of Taylor’s leg drop. Garcia dropkicked Taylor in the legs and then stomped him in the corner. Taylor retaliated with a pop up powerbomb and then a nasty right hand for a near fall.
Garcia escaped a package piledriver when Taylor’s leg gave out. Garcia locked on a kneebar, and Taylor tapped!
“Five in a row on Collision for Daniel Garcia,” said Tony Schiavone.
Lexy Nair interviewed Continental Champion Eddie Kingston backstage!
Kingston: “First off, Young Bucks, what you did on Dynamite was disgusting. You stole Sting and Darby’s thunder. Just like you Bryan Danielson. When you stole the thunder from Bryan Keith. That kind finally got a contract, and you took away his moment to get under his skin. Well, you did, and now I’m going to challenge you to a match at Revolution.
“Me and you, one on one, but I’m going to add a little stipulation. At the end of this match, after I beat you, you’re going to have to shake my hand. Because I know you don’t respect me. So now after I beat you again, you have to shake my hand and act like you respect me. And I know, and I pray, that that legit eats you up inside.”
“The Machine” Brian Cage (with Prince Nana) vs. The Outrunners—Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum!
“Chance”, the mascot of the Vegas Golden Knights, was ringside cheering on the Outrunners.
Brian Cage hit a German release suplex on Truth. He double suplexed the Outrunners. Cage stepped on the head of Turbo and Turbo submitted!
Chance did the Swerve dance with Prince Nana after the match. Brian Cage clubbed Chance from behind!
FTW Champion HOOK’s music began to play!
HOOK and Cage brawled on the ramp! The fight continued all the way to the back!
Lexy Nair was backstage with the Undisputed Kingdom and Tomohiro Ishii!
Taven: “I have a bone to pick with this goofy melvin right here. I used to be in Chaos and then one day I get knee surgery and no emails, no texts, no nothing from you Ishii!”
Roderick: “Ishii! None of that matters. The only thing that matters is if you win tonight, March 3rd at Revolution, I’m coming to beat you for the AEW International Title, and I’ve been waiting eight long years for this rematch. And I can’t wait to break you. So good luck.”
Tony Schiavone was in the ring to interview “The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!
Schiavone: “4-0 in the Cope Open, I want to tell you this, as far as top contenders are concerned, as we know, at Revolution Samoa Joe has the two top contenders to deal with in that three-way match. You’re number three, which means you have your pick. We have the International Championship, we have a TNT Championship. What’s going through the mind of the Rated R Superstar right now?”
Copeland: “First off, if I had been at Dynamite, that wouldn’t have happened to Sting and Darby. So, Nicholas, Matthew, that’s a warning. Now you talked about the other championships that I can challenge for. There’s Christian Cage. There’s that TNT Championship that I won and had ripped out of my hands. So, I think you know where I’m leaning.”
Daniel Garcia’s music began to play, and Garcia came down to the ring.
Garcia: “Adam it sounds to me like you think you deserve a shot at the TNT title because you’ve been getting a lot of wins. And I could not agree with you more. I believe that championship opportunities should be rewarded through wins. But you’re not the only person that’s been picking up a lot of wins. Somebody else right in front of you has been on a hot streak. And I don’t mean any disrespect, but last week when I beat the Patriarchy, I looked at Christian Cage and saw that championship, and I thought maybe, just maybe I deserve a shot at the TNT title. The thing about me is I’ll fight through that line a million times over if it means I get to hold championship gold in AEW.”
Copeland: “Okay, and I can respect that. And you didn’t beat the Patriarchy by yourself. FTR helped you. But the FTR boys speak highly of you. And that’s enough for me. I respect you. But Daniel, if you’re saying you want a shot at the TNT Championship, I want a shot at the TNT Championship, I’ve got a proposal. Wednesday, Dynamite, you and I fight each other and the last man standing fights Christian. What do you say?”
Garcia: “I accept.”
Copeland: “Now I know you had a match tonight and that’s the only reason I’m not taking your face off right now. But make no mistake about it, you’re now threatening to take food off my family’s table, and that does not work for me. So, I am going to beat your ass next week.”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Stokely Hathaway!
Renee said she thought the addition of Stokely was working out for them, especially after their win last night against the Outcasts.
Stokely had words for Skye Blue and Julia Hart and said that there were only two bad asses that he knows in the AEW Women’s Division, and that’s the former TBS champion Kris Statlander and the first ever New Japan Strong Women’s champion Willow Nightingale.
Willow said that she thought Skye would have been right there with them, but Skye chose a different path. Willow said that she and Skye had done a lot together, but they still hadn’t fought one another.
Mark Briscoe vs. The House of Black’s Brody King (with TBS Champion Julia Hart)!
Mark chopped away at Brody, but Brody hoisted up Mark and threw him half way across the ring. Brody blasted Briscoe with a cannonball in the corner. Brody followed up with a running senton for a near fall.
Brody King battered Mark in the corner with a stiff chop and then a boot. Briscoe pulled Brody out of the ring. Mark jumped off the apron and nailed Brody with a neck breaker. Mark used a steel chair and launched himself off it to land on Brody with a tope con hiro!
Mark tried to pull a table out from beneath the ring, but the ref stopped him, admonishing Mark. Mark went for a plancha, but Brody caught him and slammed him onto a steel chair. Back in the ring, Brody planted Briscoe with a Bossman slam for a two-count.
Briscoe kicked Brody in the head, knocking Brody to the floor. Mark climbed to the top turnbuckle and connecting with a twisting moonsault, landing on his feet! Brody blocked a Death Valley Driver and then leveled Briscoe with a lariat!
Mark Briscoe climbed to the top, but Julia Hart jumped on the apron to distract Briscoe. Brody shoved Briscoe and sent Briscoe flying, crashing onto the table on the arena floor! Brody drilled Briscoe with a Gonzo Bomb and pinned Briscoe!
Brody held Mark back while Julia Hart hit Briscoe with a spike on the forehead! Mark was busted wide open!
“The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith was backstage with some strong words!
Keith: “It’s no secret that I’m all about my payday. So, when I came here to AEW, I’m looking to climb the ranks and collect my bounty, whether you’re good, bad, or ugly, you stand across the ring from me, you’d better be ready to pay up, sucker.”
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Kiera Hogan!
Deonna Purrazzo yanked at Hogan’s arm. Kiera fired back with a hip attack. Deonna dodged a charging Kiera. Deonna went back to working on Kiera’s arm. Deonna drilled Hogan with a backstabber for a near fall.
Hogan caught Deonna with a thrust kick. Deonna blocked a piledriver attempt. Deonna applied the Venus De Milo and Hogan had to submit verbally!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm (with Mariah May & Luther the Butler) vs. Queen Aminata!
Toni had a headlock on Aminata. The Queen fought out of it and taunted Toni. Storm took down Queen Aminata with a Thesz Press. Toni Storm applied a full nelson. Toni Storm kicked Queen Aminata right in the face. Toni charged at Queen Aminata, but Aminata cradled Toni for a near fall!
Queen Aminata walloped Toni with a snap suplex. Toni spiked Aminata with a DDT but the challenger kicked out at the two-count. Queen Aminata retaliated with an Air Raid Crash for a near fall on the champ! “Timeless” Toni cracked Queen Aminata with a hip attack and then crunched Aminata with a piledriver for the pinfall victory!
Toni Storm: “Mister Schiavone, I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But we’re in Henderson so stop looking at me like that. Darling, did you see that? Another fantastic technical show of brilliance. This week on Dynamite I will be releasing a brand new film!”
Main Event Time! AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. “The Stone Pitbull” Tomohiro Ishii!
Ishii knocked Orange to the floor with a shoulder tackle. Ishii waffled Orange with chops to the chest!
“Orange Cassidy was freshly squeezed,” said Nigel.
Orange came back with a Stun Dog Millionaire and then a twisting DDT! Orange flew out of the ring with a tope suicida to Ishii. Orange spiked Ishii with another DDT for a two-count!
Orange jumped off the top rope and planted Ishii with a diving DDT! Orange stomped Ishii in the corner. Orange connected with a shotgun dropkick, but Ishii popped back up and pounced Orange!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Ishii blasted Cassidy with an avalanche brain buster and covered Orange for a near fall! Orange fired up but collapsed to the mat. Orange got up and went for the Beach Break, but Ishii reversed it and countered with a powerbomb! Ishii went for a sliding lariat, but Orange dodged it and cradled Ishii for a near fall.
Ishii headbutted Orange but Orange caught Ishii with an Orange Punch! Orange drilled Ishii with a Beach Break, but Ishii lifted his shoulder in the nick of time! Ishii nailed Orange with a dragon suplex. Ishii hit the sliding lariat, but Orange kicked out!
Ishii attempted the vertical brain buster, but Orange escaped! Orange decked Ishii with the Orange Punch! Ishii wouldn’t go down! Orange tried for another Orange Punch, but Ishii blocked it! Orange rolled up Ishii in a small package and pinned Ishii!
The Undisputed Kingdom surrounded the ring after the match! Taven and Bennett spiked Orange with a stuffed piledriver! Ishii sprinted back to the ring and the Undisputed Kingdom retreated! Trent came down with a steel chair as reinforcement!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX!
Coming off a red-hot RAMPAGE and a history-making DYNAMITE, this Saturday night All Elite Wrestling comes to Henderson, NV and the Dollar Loan Center for a stacked edition of COLLISION! After their fight on Wednesday, and the locker room clearing situation that erupted afterward, The Blackpool Combat Club of Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley will take on CMLL’s Esfinge and Star Jr. in tag team action! Plus, AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm is in action once again, this time against the hard-striking Queen Aminata, Mark Briscoe takes on The House of Black’s Brody King, and Deonna Purrazzo will be in a fight with Kiera Hogan!
The night begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
AEW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Orange Cassidy(c) vs. “The Stone Pitbull” Tomohiro Ishii
Despite his date with Roderick Strong on March 3rd, Orange Cassidy still plans to be a fighting champion on the road to REVOLUTION 2024, willing to take on any competitor, be it friend or foe, enemy or ally. That’s why this Saturday night on COLLISION, the AEW International Champion will take on one of his CHAOS allies in “The Stone Pitbull” Tomohiro Ishii!
This seems to be a bit of an issue for Trent Beretta, though he hasn’t outright said it, but it’s not as if OC didn’t give Beretta an opportunity during his first International Championship reign, it’s not as if Ishii is the first friend Orange has fought over the title, Rocky Romero had one too. In fact, in the eyes of Cassidy, it seems like giving “The Stone Pitbull” a title shot is the right thing to do because of the times he’s been there for OC and The Best Friends.
It’s difficult to say is the toughest challenge of Orange Cassidy’s second reign as champion, after all he went to battle with Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley in his first month, but Ishii is certainly one of the toughest of either run with the International Title, certainly one of the hardest hitting who will not hesitate to blister Cassidy the way he blistered Chris Jericho in their ROH World Championship bout back on Thanksgiving Eve 2022. Cassidy is going to have to fight for every inch in this meeting on Saturday, and do his best to avoid a striking situation as Ishii’s hands are like stone. If nothing else, getting hit by those hands will at least prepare Cassidy for what it feels like to get chopped by Roderick Strong…
ONE-ON-ONE…
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm vs. Queen Aminata
Queen Aminata has had numerous opportunities over the past several weeks to fight the best AEW has to offer, the likes of Thunder Rosa, Mariah May, Serena Deeb, and Willow Nightingale to name a few, and though she’s looked impressive in each, Aminata has yet to secure victory in AEW singles competition. Seventeen singles losses since her April 2021 debut, six of those in 2024, and no matter how much you may hear commentary and fans sing your praises, and discuss your strong suits in the ring, it becomes frustrating to be so close to breaking through.
But that doesn’t mean stop, that doesn’t mean lay down and die, that means keep fighting until there is no fight left in your body, keep fighting until you break through to that next level, keep fighting until you’re standing on top of that mountain and prove all that praise was well-deserved. That is the path of Queen Aminata at this point, that is her struggle, and this Saturday night she has the biggest opportunity of her AEW career because it will be AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm standing across the ring.
This may not be a championship bout or even an Eliminator fight, but it is still a match with the World Champion and that means a victory will garner headlines, earn respect, and prove Queen Aminata belongs among the elite. Toni has her focus on Deonna Purrazzo at the moment, and their impending championship fight at REVOLUTION 2024, meaning she may be ripe for the picking by another foe, meaning this could be Aminata’s opportunity to rise up the ranks with a quickness. Can she finally get the “W” that’s eluded her in AEW thus far?
SINGLES MATCH…
(#1) Deonna Purrazzo vs. Kiera Hogan
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander; if Toni Storm is going to be in action against a top tier opponent to stay tuned up for REVOLUTION 2024, than so too will Deonna Purrazzo! That is why Saturday night on COLLISION, “The Virtuosa” will go one-on-one with “The Girl on Fire” Kiera Hogan for the first time since October 2016!
They’ve fought in a handful of matches since that victory by Deonna, four way and three ways and multi-woman affairs, but nothing one-on-one until this evening in Nevada. Though her championship challenge is set for March 3rd on pay-per-view, each time “The Virtuosa” steps into the ring, she is putting her title opportunity at risk, as well as that #1 spot in the rankings. If she loses to someone like Kiera Hogan who, though a supremely talented a competitor she may be, is not a ranked combatant, will it play against Deonna’s championship opportunity? Or does it simply serve to slide Hogan into a better position for the aftermath of REVOLUTION 204 should Purrazzo defeat Toni Storm?
However it plays out, Toni Storm better keep as close an eye on this one as Deonna will keep on Storm’s Saturday night fight!
TAG TEAM BATTLE…
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) vs. Esfinge & Star. Jr
Esfinge is the current Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion, Star Jr. is a former CMLL World Trios Champion with Volador Jr. and Atlantis Jr., and together they make their in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling on Saturday night! In what appears to be their first tag team bout (though they are quite versed in trios competition together) these two CMLL representatives will take on two of AEW’s best in Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley!
Coming off a RAMPAGE where Mistico was victorious over Matt Sydal, but a DYNAMITE where The BCC defeated Hechicero, Mascara Dorada & Volador Jr., this fight marks the latest in the ever-escalating battle between The Blackpool Combat Club specifically, AEW as a whole, and the CMLL contingent.
Thus far, with Danielson’s victory over Hechicero as well as the aforementioned win on DYNAMITE, The BCC hold dominance over the luchadors from CMLL, and this will be an interesting test as you’ve got a BCC duo that’s 9-1 as a team versus a first-time tag pairing, though Star Jr. and Esfinge’s experience as trios allies may prove a boon for this bout.
Can the CMLL duo score their units first victory over The Blackpool Combat Club, and prove themselves equals to “the elite of the elite”, as Moxley referred to his unit? Or will this be The BCC continue to prove why they are the most dominating force in professional wrestling today?
SINGLES MATCH…
Mark Briscoe vs. The House of Black’s Brody King
Mark Briscoe had every intention of being there for FTR against The House of Black, and he was more than willing to step inside that Steel Cage in Daniel Garcia’s stead after the assault perpetrated on Garcia put his status in doubt. The House of Black had different idea though, and made sure the 13-time former ROH World Tag Champion was taken out of the equation before anyone set foot inside the cage.
But if The House thought that would be the end of Mark Briscoe in their life, well they’ve got another thing coming, and Brody King absolutely should’ve known better. See Mark and Brody are no stranger to each other, from Ring of Honor to GCW to the NWA, these two men have gone into battle in tag team situations, as well as trios, and have fought over several different championships. They’ve taken the measure of one another with partners at their side, and as a result of all that, Brody King should’ve known Mark Briscoe wasn’t just going to fade away; he should’ve know a fight was coming, and coming fast.
That fight is here this Saturday night on COLLISION when Mark Briscoe and Brody King lock up in their very first one-on-one match! Each man went through it in the Continental Classic, and now they step back into singles competition as Mark aims to bring the battle right to The House’s front door!
Daniel Garcia wants that TNT Championship, and even though he got the victory in the trios match last week, he’s going to need to build up his resume to get a shot at Christian Cage, and that begins this Saturday night on COLLISION with a fight against Shane Taylor!
Taylor, along with Lee Moriarty, are primed to ascend up the AEW ladder and take the respect they feel they’re owed. We all saw it with the fight they gave The Blackpool Combat Club, and Shane Taylor will throw those same blows at Daniel Garcia in their impending one-on-one battle! It’s a huge opportunity for both men to assert themselves in the singles ranks, a realm in which both previously had championship success under the ROH banner, but neither have managed to be a title holder in All Elite Wrestling as of yet.
Who will step up in the ranks on COLLISION, and who will be left frustrated in defeat?
This Saturday night, All Elite Wrestling brings some Saturday night fighting to Henderson, NV and the Dollar Loan Center! We’ve got The BCC fighting CMLL, “Timeless” taking on Queen Aminata, Orange Cassidy defending his AEW International Championship against CHAOS mate Tomohiro Ishii, Kiera Hogan fights Deonna Purrazzo, Mark Briscoe meets Brody King in singles competition, and more!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Trios Match!
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero, & Trent Beretta
vs.
Undisputed Kingdom—ROH World Tag Champions Matt Taven & Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong (with Adam Cole & Wardlow)!
Best Friends charged at the Undisputed Kingdom as the Undisputed Kingdom made their entrance. They were furious over Undisputed Kingdom for injuring Chuck Taylor.
Bennett booted Trent in the face. Trent jumped on Bennett, squashing him with double knees to the sternum. Taven tagged in and Rocky and Trent rocked Taven with stereo knee strikes. Trent followed up with a sliding knee for a near fall.
Roderick grabbed a blind tag, but Trent tossed Roddy with a German Suplex. Roddy pulled Trent off the turnbuckles and nailed Trent with a backbreaker. Taven and Bennett double teamed Trent in their corner.
“Great tag team continuity by Taven and Bennett,” said Excalibur.
Orange tagged in and cleaned house on Taven and Bennett. Orange planted Taven with a DDT and smashed Bennett with a Stun Dog Millionaire. Bennett blindsided Orange with a spinebuster. Cassidy connected with a thrust kick on Taven. Orange was looking for the Orange Punch, but Taven knocked Orange’s block off with a kick of his own!
Roderick Strong distracted the ref while Bennett blasted Orange with a low blow. Taven jumped off the top turnbuckle while Bennett held Orange and they pulped Orange with a stuffed piledriver.
Rocky was the legal man now, and he took flight, rocketing out of the ring and wiping out Bennett and Taven with a tope suicida. Rocky rocked Bennett with the Sliced Bread! Taven cut off Rocky’s flurry with a boot to the midsection. Romero took Taven down to the mat with a hurracanrana.
Rocky smashed Taven and Bennett with the Forever Clotheslines. Roddy came in with a blindside knee and then decimated Rocky with the End of Heartache backbreaker. Taven covered Rocky and scored the pin!
The Undisputed Kingdom set up chairs in the ring and Roddy planted Rocky right onto the chairs with the End of Heartache! Trent and Orange chased the Undisputed Kingdom out of the ring.
“Adding insult to injury, that was completely uncalled for by Roderick Strong,” said Excalibur.
The Young Bucks—Nicholas & Matthew Jackson vs. Mondo Rox & Robbie Lit!
Matthew seized on Robbie Lit, stomping him in the corner. Matthew bulldozed Robbie with a lariat. Nicholas tagged in and the Bucks used a backbreaker-neck breaker combo on Robbie.
Mondo got a tag and Nicholas kicked Mondo with a low blow as Matthew was distracting the referee. The Young Bucks smashed Mondo with the EVP Trigger and Matthew pinned Mondo!
Nicholas: “I am so tired of the disrespect that each and every one of you fans show us. I heard a heckler in the front row calling us by the wrong name. It’s time to show your EVPs a little more respect! Call us by our God-given names of Nicholas and Matthew Jackson!”
Matthew: “I apologize my brother is a bit of a hothead. Listen! Listen! The reason we’re out here in the first place is to say congratulations to AEW’s new Tag Team Champions Darby Allin and Sting! Incredible match! You’re putting your blood, sweat and tears on the line. You’ll be great champions but there is one caveat. I got an email, an injury report from Doc Sampson and apparently both Darb and Sting are a little bit banged up coming out of their big win. So, we just wanted to say we’re thinking about you guys, we’re praying for you guys, and we hope you’re ok.
“However, boys I want to make one thing clear. Our objective is to get our tag team titles back! And you may be looking at us and saying, ‘Oh, but you’re EVPs and you’re going to politic to do whatever it takes to do that!’ No, no, no. We’re going to play by the rules, climb up the rankings, and have competitive matches just like we did tonight on Rampage! We will get ranked, we will be number one contenders, and we will get our belts! And we’ll continue to climb up those rankings on Wednesday when you see Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, your EVPs in tag team action! We love you guys so much! Let’s have a killer show!”
“Tony Khan has just informed me that on Wednesday night on Dynamite Nicholas and Matthew will have some top flight competition when they face Dante and Darius Martin!” said Excalibur.
CMLL’s Mistico (with Esfinge & Star Jr.) vs. Matt Sydal!
Sydal and Mistico chain wrestled to start the match, exchanging a flurry of offense and going move for move with one another. Mistico hit Sydal with a tope suicida. Sydal jumped back in the ring and caught off Mistico’s momentum with a kick.
Matt Sydal placed Mistico in a bow and arrow submission. Sydal followed up with a senton splash. Mistico caught Sydal off guard with a crossbody press.
“This has been a back and forth battle,” said Excalibur.
Sydal caught Mistico in the face with a jumping knee strike. Sydal landed an Air Raid Crash for a near fall on Mistico. Mistico tried for a moonsault press but Sydal got the boots up, countering it! Sydal charged Mistico but Mistico walloped Sydal with a powerslam! Mistico hit a Spanish Fly on Sydal off the top rope and pinned Sydal!
“That was a desperation move by Mistico but man, it worked!” said Tony Schiavone.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Prince Nana and “The Machine” Brian Cage!
Brian Cage: “HOOK thinks he can hit me in the back with a chair and get away with it like a hit-and-run? Not today! I’m looking for HOOK. Where is he? Coincidentally, he’s not here. Of course he’s not here. He doesn’t want to feel the rage of Cage on Rampage.”
Prince Nana: “You know what? I think HOOK is at home reading a book because that’s what he needs to do instead of running around town hitting people with chairs in the back. Prince Nana knows how that feels. It happened to me on Wednesday, Renee.”
Cage: “Big deal, HOOK, you beat two guys the other night. I could beat two guys any day of the week. I could do that tomorrow. As a matter of fact, let’s do that on Collision. Any two sloppy Joes in the locker room that want to face me, come on down.”
The Outcasts—Ruby Soho & Saraya (with Harley Cameron)!
As Ruby was making her entrance on the ramp, she noticed there was a note scribbled on a piece of paper that was inside the pocket of her leather jacket.
Stokely Hathaway joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Kris took down Saraya with a side headlock. Statlander hit a dropkick. Willow and Ruby came in for their respective teams and Willow rocked Ruby with a Russian Leg Sweep. Willow followed up with a fisherman’s suplex. Statlander shoulder tackled Ruby, slammed her, and followed up with a sliding lariat.
Willow splashed Ruby in the corner. Willow climbed to the top turnbuckle. Harley grabbed Willow’s ankle and then Saraya shoved Ruby to the mat! Statlander tagged in and took Ruby off her feet with a powerslam.
Ruby and Saraya double teamed Statlander. Willow charged in to make the save but Saraya grabbed her and shoved her through the ropes. Saraya cracked Kris with a running knee strike and went for the cover, but Willow broke it up just in time.
Statlander clubbed Saraya with a discus lariat. Ruby rocked Statlander with the No Future kick! Ruby held Willow and Saraya went to strike Willow, but Willow escaped, forcing Saraya to inadvertently strike Ruby! Willow walloped Saraya and Ruby with a double clothesline.
Saraya and Kris traded forearms in the center of the ring. Statlander blasted Saraya with a massive roundhouse kick. Statlander planted Saraya with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall! Saraya caught Kris off guard with a jawbreaker. Saraya went for the tag, but Ruby refused, turning her back and jumping off the apron, leaving Saraya in the lurch.
“Tony, I wonder if that note that Ruby was reading had anything to do with this?”
Harley grabbed Ruby and tried to stop Ruby from walking away. Ruby turned around and decked Harley!
“Ruby Soho finally standing up for herself to Saraya,” said Excalibur.
Willow power bombed a shocked Saraya and pinned her!
After the match Stokely celebrated with both Kris and Willow!
Skye Blue appeared in the aisle, smirked, and waved at Kris and Willow. The arena lights went dark!
“What is going on here?” wondered Excalibur.
The lights came back on, and TBS Champion Julia Hart was standing beside Skye Blue! They were staring at Willow and Kris, taunting them as Julia held up her title.
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV featuring:
-AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Tomohiro Ishii!
– “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Kiera Hogan!
-We’ll hear from the “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm vs. Queen Aminata!
-BCC’s Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. CMLL’s Esfinge & Star Jr.!
& Much, much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX!
Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
Keith and Kingston traded shots, with Eddie rocking Keith with knees to the face. Both tried for suplexes but neither man budged. Kevin Kelly informed us that Bryan Keith just returned from a tour in Japan.
Keith stunned Kingston with a mule kick. Kingston was clutching his jaw. Outside the ring, Keith whipped Kingston into the barricade, with Kingston’s right arm and shoulder taking the brunt of it.
“Bryan Keith is starting to show he’s got the goods,” said Kevin.
“Giving Eddie one hell of a fight,” replied Schiavone.
Keith headbutted Kingston, knocking Kingston off the turnbuckles and sending Kingston tumbling to the arena floor. Kingston got back up on the apron, but Keith connected with a pump kick. Keith followed up with a cannonball senton.
Kingston fired back with an exploder suplex. Keith hit one of his own and then rocked Kingston with a Liger Bomb for a near fall.
“Eddie Kingston is in trouble. You can see it on his face,” said Schiavone.
Eddie blasted Keith with a backfist and then a suplex for a two-count. Kingston blistered Keith’s chest with rapid fire chops. Eddie applied a sleeper and then spiked Keith with a DDT for a near fall. Eddie smashed Keith with the spinning back fist and pinned Bryan Keith!
Tony Schiavone entered the ring to interview Kingston.
Kingston: “Go talk to Bounty Hunter, not me.”
Tony Schiavone: “Starting tonight Bryan Keith is All Elite!”
Kingston hugged Keith.
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson’s music hit! Danielson made his way to the ring, and Nigel said Danielson was trying to steal Keith’s thunder. Kevin Kelly said Danielson was trying to provoke Kingston. Danielson held up Bryan Keith’s arm, congratulating him on joining the AEW roster.
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. CMLL’s Hechicero!
“Hechicero is the greatest technical wrestler to come out of Mexico in the last 20 years,” said Nigel.
Hechicero grappled Danielson to the mat. Both men were looking for leg locks. Danielson put Hechicero in a surfboard submission, but Hechicero escaped. Hechicero rolled Bryan around in a surfboard, but Danielson got to the ropes to force the ref to break the hold.
“Danielson looks frustrated,” said Kevin Kelly.
Danielson swatted Hechicero in the thigh with a leg kick. Danielson was stunned by a guillotine leg drop. Hechicero caught Danielson in a rear naked choke, but Danielson grabbed the bottom rope. Hechicero chopped at Danielson’s chest. Hechicero was one step ahead and cracked Danielson with a jumping knee strike in the corner.
“Put this dragon to sleep!” said Nigel.
Danielson knocked Hechicero off the top rope with a headbutt. Danielson went for a diving headbutt, but Hechicero countered, tying up Danielson in a pretzel and cradling Danielson for a near fall.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Hechicero jumped over the top rope with a tope, crashing onto Danielson on the arena floor! Back in the ring, Bryan hit a double underhook suplex. Danielson applied the LeBell Lock. Hechicero escaped and locked up Danielson, but Danielson inched his way to the ropes.
Danielson found his mark with round kicks to Hechicero’s chest. Hechicero picked up Bryan with a spinning hammerlock into a back breaker! Danielson took down Hechicero with a dragon screw leg whip. Hechicero cradled Danielson but Danielson reversed it and pinned Hechicero!
Hechicero attacked Danielson after the match! BCC’s Claudio Castagnoli sprinted to the ring and forced Hechicero to retreat!
FTW Champion HOOK vs. The Outrunners—Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum!
Hook used a judo throw but was poked in the eyes when the ref was distracted. The Outrunners double teamed Hook. Hook double clotheslined them and sent them flying with overhead suplexes. Hook applied the Redrum to Truth and forced him to tap right out!
“It takes a lot of guts to fight two men,” said Nigel.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Mark Briscoe!
Mark: “I told FTR I’d be there for them last week. I came out to the aid of my blood brothers FTR and my good friend Danny Garcia. That’s what we do. I wasn’t five feet onto that stage when the House of Black threw me off like a sack of taters. But fast forward and it was FTR, Garcia and Briscoe with their hands held high. You knock us down and we get back up.
“After 20 years of being one half of the baddest tag team on the planet, now all of a sudden, I’m flying solo. Everything didn’t go my way, but that’s alright. You shoot me, you’d better kill me. We fight until we can’t fight no more!”
The arena lights went dark!
The House of Black appeared on the giant screen!
Malakai Black: “Well Mark, that’s beautiful. That’s really touching. You like magic tricks? I love magic tricks. I specifically like the one where the magician makes people disappear. Because that is what we intend to do to you and everything you just spoke about. We are going to eradicate you from the history of professional wrestling, and it’ll happen just like this.”
Malakai Black snapped his fingers and the House of Black disappeared from the screen. The lights in the arena turned back on and Mark Briscoe was alone in the ring.
Malakai Black: “See, it’s that easy.”
“Mind games from the House of Black,” said Nigel.
Queen Aminata vs. “The Professor” Serena Deeb!
Deeb grappled Aminata to the mat, showing off why she is a technical tyrant. Deeb applied a half crab, but Queen Aminata reached the ropes. Queen hit a snap suplex on Serena Deeb. Serena Deeb used a guillotine neck breaker. Deeb disoriented Aminata and brought her down with a back slide. Aminata cracked Deeb with a head butt and then a hip attack.
Deeb dodged a running knee strike from Queen Aminata. Deeb wrapped Aminata’s legs around the ring post and applied the figure four. Deeb applied the Serenity Lock and Aminata tapped out!
Out next: The #1 Contender for the AEW World Championship—Swerve Strickland with Prince Nana!
Swerve: “Hey Tony Schiavone, you know it’s Black History Month, right? I’m noble enough to show appreciation to all the people who paved the way for me to talk to you tonight. People like Ron Simmons. Kofi Kingston. How about Athena, what up sis? And very soon we’re going to add another name to that list. Who’s house? This Wednesday I’ve got an opportunity to become AEW World Champion.
“Now about Hangman Page, this is a man that’s in my way of my quest of becoming great. He has left scars on my body. He has shed my blood. This is a man I’ve beaten twice now. You know what they say, third time is a charge. But when I put him behind him, I become black history, and then I move on to Samoa Joe and I become AEW World Champion.
“Nana, you understand Mogul Embassy is family and it is business? Trust me, I want you there right by my side. No interferences. Because there’s going to be no more excuses. Is that right, Hangman Page? I’ll see you Wednesday. Who’s house?”
Red Velvet vs. Vertvixen!
Red Velvet took down Vertvixen with a leg lariat. Red Velvet planted Vertvixen with a bulldog. She blasted Vertvixen with body shots. Red Velvet smashed Vertvixen with a running knee strike, and then after stirring it up, she pinned Vertvixen.
Trios Match!
The Patriarchy—TNT Champion Christian Cage, Killswitch, & Nick Wayne
vs.
Daniel Garcia & FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined commentary for this match.
Dax cracked Nick Wayne with a stiff chop. Christian Cage tagged in, but Dax grabbed an inside cradle for a near fall. Nick Wayne tagged back in and slapped Dax in the face! Garcia wanted in so Dax tagged him.
Garcia hit Wayne with two shoulder tackles. Nick Wayne slapped Garcia in the face and taunted him by dancing. Nick Wayne charged at Garcia, but Garcia chucked Wayne over the top rope. Christian Cage entered the fray again and took some of the steam out of Garcia’s momentum. Christian Cage worked over Garcia in the corner. Garcia fought out of the corner and went for a sunset flip. Christian escaped and went for a diving headbutt, but Garcia rolled out of the way.
Cash Wheeler tagged in and cleaned house on the Patriarchy. FTR knocked down Killswitch with the high-low, but Killswitch wasn’t the legal man. Nick Wayne climbed to the top rope, but Dax met him up there. Dax superplexed Nick Wayne!
Killswitch came in and back body dropped Dax. Killswitch choke slammed Dax after interference from Christian Cage. Chrisitan went for the killswitch, but he and Dax collided heads, both men falling to the mat. Christian tagged out to Nick Wayne, and Daniel Garcia tagged in.
Garcia tossed Wayne with a suplex. Garcia stomped Wayne in the corner and then pummeled him with strikes. Garcia opened up the ropes so Cash could fly out with a tope suicida on Killswitch! Garcia rocked Nick Wayne with a brain buster for a near fall!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Nick Wayne hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count on Garcia. Daniel Garcia answered with a big swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Garcia climbed to the top, but Christian knocked him down, right into a Wayne’s World!
Cash jumped in and powerslammed Nick Wayne! Killswitch was there to choke slam Cash! Garcia rammed Killswitch into the steel ring post. Garcia turned around and was flattened by a spear from TNT champ Christian Cage! Dax got back in the ring and applied the sharpshooter on Christian. Nick Wayne jumped off the turnbuckles and drilled Dax with the Wayne’s World cutter.
“Party time for the Patriarchy,” said Nigel.
Nick Wayne attempted to go for the spear, like father like son, but Garcia countered it with a jackknife pin and scored the victory!
“That’s two weeks in a row,” said Daddy Magic.
Garcia started at Christian Cage, who was standing outside the ring. Garcia taunted Christian Cage by doing his dance. Christian Cage eyed Daniel Garcia with a sour look on his face.
“I think it’s a look of concern from Christian Cage. Daniel Garcia may have staked a claim for a title shot at Christian Cage,” said Tony Schiavone.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ featuring:
-Trios Match: The Stars of CMLL vs. Blackpool Combat Club!
-AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (c.) vs. Red Velvet!
-Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
-AEW World Tag Championship Tornado Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
-Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page: Winner Gets a Shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
RAMPAGE was wild night, especially with that main event win from the CMLL contingent, and All Elite Wrestling keeps the action going this Saturday night on COLLISION! Emanating from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX, COLLISION will feature Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston battling a man who has made quite an impact on AEW and ROH over the last two months, “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith! And speaking of that CMLL contingent, ahead of their trios match on DYNAMITE, Hechicero will be in action against Blackpool Combat Club representative “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, plus Serena Deeb takes on Queen Aminata, The Patriarchy battles FTR & Daniel Garcia, and more!!!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
A TECHNICIAN’S DREAM…
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero
He is in the top three for longest reigning NWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Champions, reigned as CMLL World Heavyweight Champions for 409 days, and spent 245 days atop the CMLL Trios division alongside Los Infernales partners Eufora and Mephisto. He is Hechicero, and for twenty three years he has been competing inside the squared circle, primarily in Mexico, but he has competed in the United States for PWG, was part of the original ROH World Six-Man Championship tournament in 2016, and has stepped into the rings of New Japan Pro Wrestling during his career as well. He is known as “The Mad Scientist of CMLL”, “The Alchemist of the Ring”, and “The Man who was born to Wrestle”, and in facing Hechicero, “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson is going to have his work cut out for him!
Stylistically, this is a sublime pairing, pitting two of the greatest technical wizards of the day against one another, but so too are both men capable of throwing down in a fight when the situation calls, the brazen assault Jon Moxley is proof enough of that.
The world knows Bryan Danielson is winding down his in-ring career, declaring 2024 to be his last full-time year of competition, but we also know he isn’t going out with a whimper. For Bryan this last year is a search for the best fights, the toughest competition, and opponents he never had the opportunity to fight over the years, perhaps even that personal dream match he has with CMLL’s Blue Panther. This battle with Hechicero qualifies as all of the above, with fans getting a glimpse at what he brings to the table just last night on RAMPAGE, and no doubt Danielson was paying close attention to that because, regardless of who wins here, The Blackpool Combat Club has a date with the CMLL contingent this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith
Ever since ROH’s FINAL BATTLE 2023 event, “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith has been building his reputation with the AEW faithful, as well as within the locker room. Orange Cassidy gave him an opportunity to fight for the International Championship on COLLISION: WINTER IS COMING 2023 based on his Survival of the Fittest 2023 performance, Keith competed in a Four Way for a shot at the Continental Crown on the first DYNAMITE of 2024, and less than a week ago, returned from his first trip to Japan where he fought for DDT Pro Wrestling, getting the opportunity to compete in historic Korauken Hall!
After eleven years busting his tail competing everywhere he could, it seems “The Bounty Hunter” is finally getting the eyes of the wrestling world upon him thanks to hard work, grit, and determination, and that is something the Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston can appreciate. That is why this Saturday night on COLLISION, though the championships are not at stake, “The Mad King” will step into the ring with the Bryan Keith for their first-ever meeting, and test the mettle of “The Bounty Hunter”! Should Bryan Keith defeat the Continental Crown Champion, it will no doubt boost his profile and the look he gets when it comes time for the next set of rankings to be reviewed.
Can Bryan Keith knock the crown off Kingston’s head this Saturday night? Or will Eddie notch his eight consecutive singles victory on COLLISION?
It was a long, hard road back to the ring for “The Professor of Professional Wrestling” but Serena Deeb managed to overcome every bit of adversity thrown her way outside of the ring, so she could step back into the squared circle, and get back to showing the world why she is unquestionably one of the greatest competitors to ever lace up the proverbial boots. Robyn Renegade experienced it last Saturday night, and this week on COLLISION it will be the red-hot Queen Aminata who tests herself against the purveyor of Deeb’s Dojo!
Aminata had an excellent effort against Willow Nightingale on RAMPAGE last night, albeit a losing one, but today is another day and this is another fight, another chance to prove she deserves to dance with the best in the business, to be labeled as an Elite right alongside her contemporaries. Deeb is going to be tested by this fight, she’s going to get hit and get hit hard at that, just look at Aminata’s fights with Thunder, Willow, Shida, and others to see her willingness to throw hands. Will this be Queen Aminata’s night to finally score that big victory, the one that breaks her through to the next level? She was so close on Friday, can this fight be the one that makes her?
TRIOS MATCH…
The Patriarchy (TNT Champion Christian Cage, Killswitch, & Nick Wayne) vs.
Daniel Garcia and FTR cannot possibly be feeling 100%, and we are not talking the general sub-100 that comes from being a professional fighter, we are talking the kind of pain that comes from taking part in a brutal Steel Cage Match against three of the nastiest fighters in All Elite Wrestling. We are talking the pain of being assaulted before the match even starts, and then pushing yourself through that feeling to get back in the fight alongside your friends. That’s what Daniel Garcia had to do last Saturday night when he was left laying backstage prior to the Cage Match, making his status for the fight questionable, but yet he pushed through it, and when they ended up the last two men in the cage, he went toe-to-toe with Malakai Black, and won the match for his trio!
Despite that, despite the aching Garcia, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood have to be feeling deep into their bones, they are stepping back into the fight, and it is with good reason. When the rankings were released on January 31st, FTR and Garcia discovered they were the fourth ranked unit in the Trios Division, meaning a championship opportunity could be within their reach after a few more victories! So back to the grind they go, right back into the fray, and they are doing so against a trio that, while loaded with talent, has only fought together on one other occasion: The Patriarchy of TNT Champion Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, and Killswitch.
We know Adam Copeland is gunning for another shot at Cage, and the TNT Championship, but he’s willing to put in the work with these Cope Open Challenges to get there, but Christian Cage has other business to focus on, business such as building his Patriarchy up into viable trios contenders, and avoiding another fight with his former best friend at all costs. With Nick Wayne and Killswitch at his side, and Mother Wayne ringside, Christian Cage’s “family” is a very dangerous unit, and considering what Garcia and FTR went through in the steel cage, The Patriarchy may find themselves an easier fight than had this gone down two weeks ago. That’s not to say it will be easy, not by any means where these three are concerned, just that FTR & Garcia battered and bruised, potentially making them a little easier for The Patriarchy to take advantage of come COLLISION!
This Saturday night, All Elite Wrestling brings the action to the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX with an all-new COLLISION featuring Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston fighting “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith,The BCC’s own Bryan Danielson taking on CMLL representative Hechicero ahead of their Trios clash on DYNAMITE, The Patriarchy battling Daniel Garcia & FTR, and Serena Deeb taking on Queen Aminata!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin (with Action Andretti)
vs.
Private Party—Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen!
“Both teams have an abundance of confidence and think they’re the best. You know what? Why not think it,” said Tony Schiavone.
Top Flight used tandem offense on Marq Quen. They isolated Quen in their corner. Darius swept out Quen’s leg and Dante hit Quen with a DDT, demonstrating beautiful combo offense. Quen pulled a dropkick out of midair and then tagged in Isiah.
Isiah rocked Darius with a stunner. Quen came in and drove Darius face first with a stomp. Quen rolled up Darius, holding the ropes, but Andretti caught him red handed and alerted the referee. Darius rocked Zay with a Pele kick and then tagged out to Dante.
Dante connected with a big cross body press on Zay for a near fall. Zay fought his way out of Top Flight’s technical prowess and planted Dante with the Silly String! Quen connected with a shooting star press on Dante, but Darius jumped in to break up the pin attempt. Dante stunned Quen with a thrust kick and then spiked him down on the mat, scoring the pin!
“I would love to see a rubber match between these two teams,” said Excalibur.
Top Flight extended their hands as a sign of good sportsmanship, but Private Party didn’t want any part of it.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Sammy Guevara!
Sammy: “Losing always sucks, but this loss against the tag champs in that Street Fight with Jericho feels different. We were this close to finally becoming the AEW World Tag Team champions, titles we’ve been chasing since 2019. Maybe this loss stings a little bit more because it’s not just about me anymore. I have a little girl at home that depends on me to go to work to provide a better future for her.
“So those championships don’t just represent the best, they represent a better life. And Will Hobbs and the Don Callis Family took that away from me! My wife! My family! So now this is personal. I’m medically cleared now, but I’m not going to wait for a match. Will Hobbs, I hope you’re watching. You don’t know where, you don’t know when, but I’m coming for you.”
Sonjay Dutt was backstage with Jeff and Karen Jarrett, and Satnam Singh!
Sonjay: “Jay is late as always. Jeff, you think he wants us to really work out?”
Jeff: “Sonjay, I’m a two-time hall of famer. I damn sure ain’t getting in the ring today.”
Jay Lethal walked into the room.
Lethal: “All right, I made it. I’ve got some great drills I want to go over in the ring. Hey, why are you still in your suit, Sonjay?”
Sonjay: “I’m not working out, but Karen has her workout clothes on.”
Karen: “I’m not working out, but I narrowed down the team names and I put up a photoshoot for next week.”
Lethal: “Fine. Satnam, are we working out or not?”
Satnam: “Jay, I’m undefeated. You need to work out. You lost all your matches.”
Lethal: “Fine, no practice today.”
Jeff: “Jay, that’s the problem! I’m sick of it. You’re the problem of the team, and your problem is you’re too damn nice. What brought us together is that we were both ruthless SOBs. That’s what we gotta get back to. I’m running the meeting next week. I’ll tell you boys where and when.”
AEW World Tag Team Championship Eliminator Match!
“Absolute” Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.)
vs.
The Dark Order—Alex Reynolds & John Silver!
Darby Allin joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Silver and Reynolds got the jump on Starks and Bill. Evil Uno grabbed Big Bill’s leg from outside the ring. Silver power bombed Starks onto Reynolds’ knees for a near fall. Big Bill tagged in and bulldozed the Dark Order with a double clothesline.
Big Bill pummeled Reynolds with stiff shots. Evil Uno distracted Big Bill. Reynolds pushed Bill to the outside and followed up with a tope suicida, but Big Bill intercepted him. Silver rammed into Bill with a cannonball senton.
Back in the ring, Big Bill spiked Reynolds with the Bossman slam. Starks grabbed a tag and clubbed Reynolds with forearms and then body slammed him. Ricky splashed Reynolds in the corner with a flying elbow. Starks was looking for a spear, but Evil Uno tripped him up. Starks got out of the ring and speared Evil Uno on the arena floor!
Silver peppered Starks with kicks. Starks rallied back with the roshambo and pinned Silver! Darby stared at Starks from the broadcast booth. Big Bill screamed at Darby, taunting him ahead of their match this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Powerhouse Hobbs and Don Callis!
Don Callis: “I feel sick to my stomach because I’m tired of hearing about Sammy’s family. Congratulations. You’re medically cleared, but you’re obviously not mentally cleared. Because if you were, you’d know that you’re not hunting Will Hobbs, Will Hobbs is hunting you.”
Powerhouse Hobbs: “You see, Sammy, I know exactly what I took away from you and Chris Jericho. But what you don’t realize is I always have a family. I have three mouths at home that depend on their daddy. You think this is the first time in my life that someone tried to hunt me? Check my track record, dawg, you’d just better hope I don’t see you first.”
Willow flattened out Queen Aminata with a big shoulder tackle. Aminata cradled Willow but Willow kicked out at one. Willow scoop slammed Aminata. Willow dropkicked Aminata from the turnbuckles.
Queen Aminata swept out the legs of Willow as Willow was looking for a senton from the apron. Aminata headbutted Willow and followed up with a German Suplex. Aminata went for a hip attack, but Willow dodged it. Willow cannonballed Aminata and drilled her with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Willow hit the doctor bomb and pinned Queen Aminata!
Renee Paquette was backstage with The Best Friends—AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero, & Chuck Taylor!
Orange: “I knew if I asked for this time that Roddy and his friends would come in and interrupt us. So, they’re probably going to do that in 3…2…1.”
Trent: “What if they don’t show up?”
Orange: “I didn’t think of that.”
Roderick Strong: “Orange!”
Roderick Strong interrupted the interview, and he had Adam Cole and the Undisputed Kingdom in tow.
Orange: “Roddy, I was looking for you because everyone knows you and I are going to fight each other March 3rd at Revolution for my International Championship. But you and your friends keep doing things that are making my friends really angry. So why don’t all of you guys get with all of us and then we fight each other?”
Adam Cole: “That’s a great idea. I’d recommend a four on four but ol’ Chuckie T is too injured to compete! So instead, I’m going to recommend a three on three. I’m talking about my best bud Roderick Strong, and Mike Bennett and Matt Taven against you Rocky Romero, you Trent, and you Orange.”
Roddy: “I love that idea. And how about we do it on Rampage next week?”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Stokely Hathaway!
They were interrupted by Saraya, Harley Cameron, and Ruby Soho.
Stokely: “Hey, last time I checked this was Rampage, not Dawson’s Creek.”
Saraya: “I don’t know what that means.”
Willow: “This was my time.”
Stokely: “Listen, if anyone is going to make fun of Willow, it’s going to be me.”
Willow: “Really, you mean that? Listen, Ruby, you’re insulting us, you’re taking up our time. If that’s what you want to do, we can settle this in the ring. Next week! So, we’ll see you there!”
Main Event Time! CMLL’s Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, Mistico, & Volador Jr.
vs.
“Cool Hand” Angelo Parker, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, & Matt Sydal!
Sydal and Dorada began for their respective teams. Sydal took him down with a hurracanrana. Volador tagged in, but Matt Menard whipped him into the ropes. Volador connected with a thrust kick.
Mistico and Daniels entered the ring. Mistico nailed Daniels with a big handspring elbow. Mistico kicked Daniels in the corner. Hechicero dropkicked Daniels. Volador planted Daniels with a lung blower. Dorada hit a running shooting star press on Daniels.
Daniels planted Dorada with a heel trip and tagged out to Parker. Menard, Parker, and Sydal triple teamed Dorada with a flurry of offense. Sydal punished Dorada with a bow and arrow submission hold.
Hechicero grabbed a tag and dropped Daniels with a running lariat. Hechicero locked on a sleeper on Daniels in the ropes. Hechicero blasted Daniels with a springboard forearm. Daniels retaliated with a flatliner. Things broke down as both teams entered and began to brawl! Volador took out Parker with a tope! Mistico jumped from the top and crashed onto Daddy Magic! Dorado wiped out Sydal with a tornillo into an arm drag. Dorado dived over the top and wiped out the pile!
Back in the ring, Daniels was looking for the Angel’s Wings on Hechicero, but Hechicero countered with a back drop. Hechicero followed up with a rising knee strike in the corner. Herchicero cradled Daniels and pinned him!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX featuring:
-Queen Aminata vs. Serena Deeb!
-Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
-Trios Match: TNT Champ Christian Cage & The Patriarchy vs. FTR & Daniel Garcia!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero!
-And so much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ featuring:
-Trios Match: The Stars of CMLL vs. Blackpool Combat Club!
-AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match: Toni Storm (c.) vs. Red Velvet!
-Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
-AEW World Tag Championship Tornado Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
-Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page: Winner Gets a Shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
This Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE comes to you from New Orleans and the UNO Lakefront Arena, beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and includes some monumental match-ups! In your main event, the quartet from CMLL will take on the four men who assisted Jon Moxley on Wednesday night, and Willow Nightingale will throwdown with Queen Aminata! Plus, we will hear from AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and The Best Friends, witness a rematch between Private Party and Top Flight, and see AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks take on The Dark Order in an Eliminator match!
Before the show begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
CMLL VS. AEW…
Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, Mistico, & Volador Jr. vs. Angelo Parker, Christopher Daniels, Matt Menard, & Matt Sydal
When the announcement was made that four competitors from the CMLL promotion in Mexico would be appearing for All Elite Wrestling, the excitement level was through the roof. Mistico stoked those fires back in October with this 2/3 Falls bout against Rocky Romero, and the additions of Hechicero, Mascara Dorada, and Volador Jr, only amplified AEW fans’ desire to see their brand of professional wrestling injected into All Elite Wrestling.
Well on Wednesday night those four men certainly injected their presence right into the top of AEW by assaulting Jon Moxley following his victory over Jeff Hardy! Without the rest of The Blackpool Combat Club in the house, one would’ve thought Mox was a man on an island, but perhaps due to the amount of respect he’s built over the years, a most unlikely assortment of men from the AEW locker room hit the ring to stand by his side. Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Angelo Parker, and Matt Menard all stepped up in defense of Moxley, as well as AEW, in the face of this assault by the CMLL quartet!
Well this Friday night, in the main event of RAMPAGE, those four AEW stalwarts will have another opportunity to stand tall for the land they love when they fight all four Luchadors in an eight-man tag! This comes less than twenty-four hours before Hechicero battles Bryan Danielson on COLLISION, and is sure to be a wild ride for the fans experiencing it in-person, as well as those watching on TNT! What will this CMLL contingent bring to the table, and will the AEW quartet be prepared?
ELIMINATOR MATCH…
AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill & Ricky Starks vs. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)
Big Bill and Ricky Starks have a major challenge on their plate next Wednesday night when AEW returns to Phoenix and the Footprint Center for DYNAMITE. It’s not just that they’ll be defending their AEW World Tag Team Championship, it’s that they will be defending them against the unbeaten tandem of Darby Allin and Sting! There’s an irony in the fact that Sting and Darby began their alliance fighting Ricky Starks, and that they could win their first championship together by beating him as well, but that’s something “Absolute” will have to put out of his mind for the time being as this Friday on RAMPAGE, they’ve got potential challengers gunning for them!
The Dark Order of Alex Reynolds and John Silver have been on a bit of a tag team roll lately; they’ve won six straight tag team bouts dating back to November 1st, are 3-0 in 2024, and that record has landed them the number two position in the Tag Team rankings released Wednesday night! In addition, it has earned Silver and Reynolds this Eliminator contest where they could potentially score a championship match with Big Bill and Ricky Starks! The Dark Order has strong momentum heading into this one, but so do the champions, the only difference is Alex and John have nothing else to focus on while Bill and Ricky have Sting and Darby looking over their shoulders and lingering on their brain!
Can that be the key to The Dark Order earning themselves their first AEW Tag Team Championship match in over two years?
ONE-ON-ONE…
Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata
It’s been over two years since these two women last met inside the squared circle, but this Friday night on RAMPAGE, Willow Nightingale and Queen Aminata will lock-up in the first AEW meeting! On September 11, 2021 it was Willow who walked out of the match with the victory, but with how both have grown as competitors in the time since, it’s going to be very intriguing to see how this one plays out. Queen Aminata, though failing to score any victories, has impressed fans and pundits alike with her fights against Thunder Rosa, Mariah May, Hikaru Shida, and Kris Statlander over recent weeks, proving herself to be on the cusp of breaking through to that next level. She hits hard, and she can take the return fire, and that alone will take her right to the brink, but to truly become next level, Aminata has to start picking up the wins.
Now with all the drama going on between Kris Statlander, Willow, and Stokely Hathaway (or should that be drama created by Stokely), this may be the most opportune time to score a marquee victory for Queen Aminata. If Willow is distracted by that business, especially with both Stat and Stoke coming ringside with her, then Aminata will certainly score her first major victory in All Elite Wrestling.
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
Several weeks ago, when DYNAMITE swung through North Charleston, SC, Private Party scored a huge tag team victory over Top Flight in the former’s first match since December 2, 2022. It was a tremendous fight, one that showcased the skills of both young teams, and Private Party looked exceptional despite Marq Quen’s long road to recovery stalling their tag team momentum. Unfortunately, after being unable to put down the Martin brothers for a three count, Marq resorted to a rope-assisted pinfall in order to get the victory, somewhat dampening the overall feel of the contest, and what should’ve been a comeback to celebrate.
That’s not wholely accurate, Private Party has certainly been celebrating the victory like it was perfectly legit, like Marq didn’t mean to hook the ropes for leverage, and he and Isiah are certainly walking around like they proved themselves the better team. Well this Friday night on RAMPAGE, Private Party will have a chance to show once and for all who is the best between these two young teams because Top Flight is getting their rematch! Not only that, but this time Action Andretti has promised to be at ringside to make sure there are no more shenanigans from Isiah or Marq that cost Top Flight the bout!
On Wednesday night we saw The Undisputed Kingdom’s Wardlow decimate Komander, the latest ally of AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy to be targeted by The UK, and as if that wasn’t enough, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett were primed to continue assaulting the man after the bout. Thankfully Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta, and Orange Cassidy were on-the-spot to prevent any further damage from being inflicted on Komander, but rather than fight with them, The Undisputed Kingdom elected to leave the ring.
OC knows that Roderick Strong is trying to drag their potential fight out to REVOLUTION 2024, likely to see “Freshly Squeezed” get worn out the way he was before Jon Moxley ended the last International Championship reign, but Cassidy has made it clear he’s got no intention of stopping his way of doing business. That being said, this Friday night on RAMPAGE, we will hear from Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent Beretta about this situation!
The UNO Lakefront Arena in The Big Easy is where the fights go down this Friday night on RAMPAGE, and it gets underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! We will hear from AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and The Best Friends, as well as witness four of CMLL’s best take on four of AEW’s best, Willow and Queen Aminata go head-to-head, and The Dark Order attempt to earn a shot at the AEW World Tag Titles in an Eliminator fight with the champs! To top it all off, two of AEW’s most impressive young teams will dance again when Top Flight goes a second round with Private Party!
Before the night gets underway, be sure to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, plus the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Jeff Hardy vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley!
CMLL’s Mistico, Hechicero, Mascara Dorada 2.0, and Volador Jr. were watching from ringside.
Moxley backed Hardy into the corner and pounded him with strikes. Hardy jumped off the apron and landed on Moxley. Hardy choked Moxley with Hardy’s towel. Excalibur notified us that the rules would be relaxed for this match.
Moxley drove Hardy down with a tope suicida! Moxley dumped Hardy onto the guardrail and then knocked Hardy down with a clothesline. Moxley stomped on Hardy’s hand. Moxley walloped Hardy in the chest with round kicks. Jeff Hardy back dropped Moxley.
Jon Moxley whipped Hardy hard into the turnbuckles. He followed up by catapulting Jeff’s throat into the bottom rope. Moxley hurled Hardy into the barricade right in front of the luchadores. Hardy reversed another throw, this time whipping Moxley into, and over, the barricade. The luchadores shoved Moxley, and Mox flipped them off.
Jeff Hardy threw a steel chair into Moxley’s face. Hardy jumped off the steel ring steps but Moxley anticipated it and slugged Hardy in the face. Moxley took Excalibur’s pen, put it threw Jeff’s earlobe, and then twisted it. Hardy had enough and hit Moxley with a dropkick.
Hardy connected with the Manhattan Drop. Moxley retaliated, spiking Hardy with a piledriver for a near fall. Hardy nailed Mox with a Twist of Fate on the apron. Hardy climbed to the top and flipped onto Moxley for a two-count. Hardy climbed up again, but Moxley met him up there, raking Hardy’s back. Moxley superplexed Hardy.
Hardy and Moxley traded strikes in the center of the ring. Moxley escaped a Twist of Fate and countered with a cutter. Hardy escaped the Paradigm Shift and countered with a Russian Leg Sweep. Hardy hit Mox with a stunner and then a Twist of Fate! Jeff climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Swanton, but Mox moved out of the way. Jeff crashed and burned. Moxley applied a choke hold and put Jeff Hardy to sleep! Mox won via ref stoppage!
Moxley offered his hand to Jeff Hardy, but Jeff Hardy flipped off Moxley.
“I did not expect that out of Jeff Hardy,” said Taz.
The CMLL wrestlers jumped the barricade and got into the ring! Moxley tried to fend them off, but the odds were too great. The BCC weren’t in the building tonight, so this was a 4-on-1 beatdown! The locker room cleared out, forcing the luchadores to exit the ring!
Dealer’s Choice Match!
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Toa Liona!
Page was swinging with big right hands. Toa cracked Page in the ribs with a knee strike. Hangman connected with a sliding lariat on Toa, right on target. Hangman jumped off the turnbuckles and delivered two lariats to Toa, but Toa shrugged them off. Toa flattened Hangman with a diving crossbody off the apron and onto the arena floor.
Toa pounced on Page with a running shoulder block. The force sent Page over the top rope and crashing onto the floor. Toa had Page in the Tree of Woe and then followed up with a diving headbutt, smashing him like he was a human missile. Hangman smashed Toa with a tope suicida.
Hangman hit a big cross body press on Toa for a near fall. Hangman tried for the Dead Eye, but Toa was too much weight, and he smothered Page. Toa rocked Page with a thrust kick in the jaw for a near fall. Hangman blocked the Raw Mana and then swung for the fences with a lariat. Page got Toa up and drilled him with the Dead Eye! Toa got right back up and clobbered Page with a headbutt! This time Toa hit the Raw Mana, but Page kicked out at the two-count!
Toa connected with a running senton on the apron. Toa went for a moonsault off the apron, but Page dodged it. Page climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit his own moonsault on Toa! Page attempted the Buckshot Lariat, Toa ducked it and hoisted Hangman for a Samoan Drop! Page held on, cradled Toa, and scored the pin!
“I was just informed by Tony Khan that after Dynamite tonight, the rankings will be revealed!” said Excalibur.
Toa charged at Hangman, but Hangman ducked, sending Toa spilling to the floor.
Footage was shown from earlier in the day of EVPs Nicholas and Matthew Jackson—The Young Bucks—arriving at the arena in their chauffeured limo!
A production assistant handed them the show format, accidentally calling them Nick and Matt. Nicholas scolded the PA, and told him to refer to them as Nicholas and Matthew. Nicholas also said the PA would be fined because of that slip up!
Up next: Wardlow (with the Undisputed Kingdom) vs. Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)!
Adam Cole joined commentary for this match.
Wardlow flung Komander to the mat as Komander tried for a collar and elbow tie up.
“That’s raw power,” said Adam Cole.
Komander fired back with a pair of dropkicks. Wardlow popped up Wardlow and power slammed him! Wardlow threw Komander across the ring, the force spinning Komander like a propeller.
Komander walked the ropes and dropkicked Wardlow, creating an opening for himself. Komander hit the Phoenix Splash for a near fall. Wardlow power bombed Komander and pinned him!
Roderick Strong: “Komander! You should have taken the deal that I offered you on Saturday. But now you’re going to pay the price!”
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends stormed down to the ring to even up the odds!
The fans chanted “Freshly Squeezed! Freshly Squeezed!”
Roderick Strong: “Shut up! Hey, thanks for coming out here. See ya later.”
Tony Schiavone had a sit down interview with Sting and Darby Allin, and AEW World Tag Team Champions “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Bill Big ahead of their title match next week on Dynamite!
Starks: “I just thought it’d be appropriate for both of you to talk to us since this is about respect now. I wanted to take this time out to personally tell you Sting, not to forget that this journey in AEW started with me, Sting.”
Sting: “What did I do? You didn’t tell me what I did?”
Starks: “Well, you had your first win here over me. And that does not sit right.”
Darby: “You want to talk about respect? That’s what this is about, right? You’re saying you respect the Icon?”
Starks: “Absolutely.”
Darby: “That’s a load of crap. This is a stepping stone for you Ricky. You don’t respect Sting. I don’t think you respect anyone. This man’s career is not a stepping stone!”
Starks: “You’re the one who had to attach yourself to someone like Sting! The point I am making is next week, two things are going to happen, and I want you to know. I am going to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships, me and Big Bill are going to be the AEW World Tag Team Champions. And secondly, I’m going to get my lick back on you. The chip on my shoulder? Guess what? It ends next week. I am going to make sure you don’t even make it to your retirement. Darby, you on the other hand, I have no respect for you. There is no space in my body for respect for you. Who are you?”
Big Bill: I’m hearing a lot of talking out of Sting and Darby. You two run your mouths. All you two have done is brag about how you’re going to go into Revolution without ever mentioning us. You have done what everyone else here has done, you’ve overlooked us. Next Wednesday you two represent everybody else here. And we’re going to take out all of our frustrations on you two.”
Sting: “Ricky I guess I’ll start out with you. You said I was the first one that got face to face with you. I kind of admired something about you in those days because you were the only one in those days who had balls to get in my face and talk some smack. And as far as respect goes, you have to earn that, Ricky. And you, Big Bill, I have faced many big men before in the ring. The only difference between you and them is they were killers. I’m not so sure about you yet.”
Darby: “Alright Ricky, I’m just going to end it here. Look, I respect you, I respect what you do in this ring, but every time you point the finger at somebody else, there’s only one person to blame, and that’s you.”
Starks threw his drink into Darby’s face!
Starks: “Hit me!”
Sting: “I’ve always hated talk. Darby will hit you…in Phoenix. Oh, and I will too.”
ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher (with Don Callis & Powerhouse Hobbs)
vs.
Chris Jericho!
Things broke down immediately with Jericho and Fletcher pummeling one another with stiff shots. Fletcher planted Jericho with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall! Jericho connected with a dropkick off the turnbuckles.
Jericho charged after Don Callis outside the ring. Fletcher caught up with Jericho and blindsided Jericho. Fletcher kicked Jericho in the spine. Fletcher climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Jericho met him up there! Jericho sent Fletcher down hard with a hurracanrana!
Hobbs distracted the ref while Don Callis swept out Jericho’s leg. Fletcher stomped on Jericho. Chris Jericho was sent flying with a half and half suplex from Fletcher. Kyle Fletcher blasted Jericho with a brain buster for a near fall!
Jericho dropped a double sledge from the top. Jericho drove Fletcher face first into the mat. Jericho was looking for a lionsault, but Hobbs cracked Jericho while the ref was distracted by Callis!
“They caught Jericho right in the middle of one of his favorite moves,” said Schiavone.
Jericho countered a piledriver, sweeping out Fletcher’s legs and putting on the Walls of Jericho! Fletcher lunged for the ropes, grabbed them, and forced the ref to break the hold. Fletcher stunned Jericho with a thrust kick.
Jericho smashed Fletcher with a Code Breaker out of nowhere! Jericho climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Fletcher blasted Jericho with a kick. Fletcher planted Jericho with a brain buster on the corner for a near fall.
Fletcher kicked Jericho in the back of the head and followed up with a thrust kick. Fletcher ducked the Judas Effect! Fletcher rocked Jericho with a rolling roundhouse kick! Fletcher rocketed outside the ring with a tope suicida, but Jericho countered with the Judas Effect! Powerhouse Hobbs charged at Jericho, but Jericho side stepped him, sending Hobbs into the steel ring steps!
Jericho rolled Fletcher back into the ring. Jericho climbed to the top turnbuckle and nearly decapitated Fletcher with a Judas Effect off the top! Jericho covered Fletcher and pinned him!
“Jericho earned that win,” said Schiavone.
“Boy, did he ever. But I want to point out that it took two Judas Effects to put down Kyle Fletcher,” added Excalibur.
After the match, “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita, the man that will face Jericho on next week’s Dynamite, walked onto the ramp and stared at Jericho!
Out next: Ring of Honor World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and The Gunns—Austin and Colten…along with AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass—The Bang Bang Scissor Gang!
Jay White: “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I love your guys’ thing. I’m a big fan of scissoring. But don’t forget we have our own thing, too. Guns up!”
Max Caster: “Yo! Yo! Yo! Listen! You’re looking at the six men who have dominated trios wrestling for years. But it’s not just the six of us. There is somebody missing. Bowens, get Cardblade!”
Colten said they fired Cardblade a long time ago. “Austin, get the Juiceboard!”
Austin: “If you’re not down with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang, then we’ve got…”
Daddy Ass grabbed the microphone from Austin’s hands.
Daddy Ass: “I am literally standing right here.”
Austin: “Dad, this is kinda my thing.”
Daddy Ass: “Well it was my thing first. Shall we some him how to do it? So, if you’re not down with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang, we got two words for ya! Guns up!”
Taya Valkyrie (with Johnny TV) vs. “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm was on commentary for this match. She was accompanied by Luther the Butler and Mariah May.
Taya grabbed a handful of Deonna hair and pushed her back into the turnbuckles. Deonna pulled Taya to the mat with a wristlock. Johnny TV distracted Deonna while Taya speared Deonna on the ramp!
Back in the ring, Deonna connected with two lariats and a knee lift. Deonna blasted Taya with a pump kick. Taya fired back with a sliding lariat. Deonna smashed Taya with a sliding dropkick. Deonna grabbed Taya and whipped her into Toni!
Deonna smacked Taya with a pump kick. Deonna put Taya into a submission while staring at Toni Storm and forced Taya to tap out!”
“For the first time all night, Toni Storm with nothing to say, but perhaps a statement victory by Deonna Purrazzo,” said Excalibur.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Darby Allin!
Renee: “I would love to talk to you about your admiration for the Young Bucks.”
Darby: “Excuse me?”
Matthew and Nicholas Jackson showed up wearing headsets. They said it was a great question and Darby should answer it. They told Renee she deserved a raise, clearly having put her up to it.
Darby: “Did you tell her to say that?”
Matthew: “We love you Darb. You’re an AEW Original. ‘Change the world.’ You fit that quote. Young. Hot. Star. Just like us. I just have one thing I’m a little perturbed about. Why are you letting a 65-year old blood sucking leech take more money from you, out of your pocket. I mean, save some for the rest of us, am I right, Darb? Once Sting is gone, I have a really good idea for a new gimmick. Why don’t the three of us get together and become a new, hot trio?”
Nicholas: “All jokes aside, Darby, we’ve been back for a month now and you’re ducking, you’re dodging us, you’re being unprofessional. You got a problem with us or what?”
Darby: “No offense but there’s only one thing on my mind and that’s the AEW World Tag Team Championships.”
Matthew: “Is that right? I guess we’re going to have to get his attention a different way.”
Main Event Time! Dealer’s Choice Match!
Swerve Strickland vs. Rob Van Dam!
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joined the broadcast booth for this match.
The fans chanted “RVD! RVD! RVD!”
Page appeared on the screen before the match and told Swerve that not only did Page get to pick the opponent, but he also got to pick the match. “So tonight, Swerve, you’re wrestling RVD not in a normal match but in a hardcore match. Goodluck.”
RVD hurled a steel chair at Swerve! RVD whipped Swerve into the guardrail. RVD followed up with a leg lariat! And then RVD blasted Swerve with a round kick. RVD smashed Swerve with a leg drop on the apron!
The fans chanted “You still got it! You still got it!”
RVD hoisted Swerve onto the barricade and then rocked him with a leg drop off the apron! Back in the ring, Swerve rammed RVD into a steel chair that was propped between the turnbuckles. Rob used a reversal and sent Swerve into the chair. RVD followed up with Rolling Thunder.
RVD dropkicked a chair into Swerve’s face, crushing Swerve in the corner. Swerve countered a monkey flip and power bombed RVD onto a steel chair for a near fall. RVD deposited Swerve on the top rope. RVD climbed to the top turnbuckle. Out of nowhere, Brian Cage jumped up onto the apron and shoved RVD to the mat!
FTW Champion HOOK sprinted to the ring with a steel chair in hand!
HOOK waffled Cage in the back with a steel chair! HOOK and Cage brawled ringside as RVD watched on. Swerve snuck up behind RVD, but RVD reversed Swerve’s grasp and nailed him with a kick. Swerve dodged the Rolling Thunder and planted RVD for a near fall.
Swerve set up a steel chair outside the ring. Swerve backed Van Dam into the chair with a kick. Swerve wrecked RVD with a stomp from the apron onto the steel chair! The back of RVD’s head hit the ring steps. Swerve climbed to the top rope, but RVD threw a chair at Swerve, sending Swerve crashing off the top rope and down through a table on the arena floor!
RVD sandwiched Swerve between two steel chairs. RVD attempted the five-star frog splash, but Swerve dodged it! Swerve smacked RVD with the House Call Kick, while RVD was holding a steel chair! The chair went right on target against RVD’s head! Swerve covered RVD but RVD kicked out at two! Swerve went to the top rope, but RVD met Swerve up there. Swerve shoved RVD’s face into the turnbuckle, knocking RVD to the mat! RVD flipped off Swerve, but nonetheless, Swerve crushed RVD with the Swerve Stomp and pinned Van Dam!
Hangman Page marched down to the ring with a microphone!
Adam Page: “Congratulations you evil bastard! Swerve later tonight the rankings for the AEW World Championship come out and despite my best efforts, we are both undefeated. So, I can only assume that we are both at the top of that list. And you said that you wanted Samoa Joe. You said you wanted the AEW World Championship. I need you to look in my eyes. I will never let that happen! Swerve I am the next World champion. Not you!”
Swerve: “You still just don’t get it. I’ve beaten you twice now! I got nothing to prove! Not to you, not to anyone else. You just can’t beat me!”
Adam Page: “You keep saying that because I think you believe if you say it enough it’ll be true. The two times we fought, you didn’t beat me. It took all of the Mogul Embassy. Swerve, I know that man to man, when it counts, you can’t lace my boots.”
Swerve: “You know what? You must want suffering or something. But I’ll give you what you want. Me and you! One more time! This is the third time and after that we are done! After I move past you, all I care about is that AEW World Championship!”
Excalibur announced that Tony Khan just made it official! Next week on Dynamite! Swerve Strickland vs. “Hangman” Adam Page. The winner gets a shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT featuring:
-Top Flight vs. Private Party!
-AEW World Tag Champs “Absolute” Ricky Starks & Big Bill vs. Dark Order!
-Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata!
-We’ll hear from AEW International Champ Orange Cassidy & Best Friends!
– CMLL’s Mistico, Hechicero, Mascara Dorada 2.0, & Volador Jr
vs. Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Angelo Parker, & Matt Menard!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX featuring:
-Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Hechicero!
-And so much more!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ featuring:
-Trios Match: The Stars of CMLL vs. Blackpool Combat Club!
-Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
-AEW World Tag Championship Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c.) vs. Sting & Darby Allin!
-Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page: Winner Gets a Shot at the AEW World Championship at Revolution!
This Saturday night All Elite Wrestling makes our debut in Bossier City, LA at the Brookshire Grocery Arena with what will surely be an unforgettable edition of COLLISION based on the Cage Match alone. That’s right, six of the best in the world, locked inside a Steel Cage together, The House of Black battling FTR and Daniel Garcia, and fighting it out under Elimination rules! Plus, “Blue Thunder” Yuji Nagata returns to AEW to take on “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson in their first-ever singles match; they’ve got some New Japan history from two decades back, but never went one-on-one until now! In addition to those two huge bouts, Mariah May will be in action against Lady Frost, Serena Deeb makes her return to in-ring competition, and Orange Cassidy defends his AEW International Championship against Komander!
The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
SIX-MAN ELIMINATION STEEL CAGE MATCH…
Daniel Garcia & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs.
The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black)
Since October, there has been a war going on between FTR and The House of Black, the details of which can be viewed in great detail on this Timeline presentation, and that war has also pulled in Daniel Garcia as an ally on the side of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. See in their final match of the Continental Classic, Daniel Garcia defeat The House’s Brody King, his second singles victory over Brody in 2023 actually, and Daniel has suffered for that sin against The House repeatedly.
But that hasn’t stopped Garcia from stepping up against The House of Black, from aligning himself with FTR, and fighting them with every ounce of his being. He did it two weeks ago on COLLISION when he and FTR lost in a standard Trios bout to The House of Black, and again last week when he bested Buddy Matthews in their singles bout. FTR has done their part as well, tussling with House of Black as two of the teams in FULL GEAR 2023’s Championship Ladder Match, and beating the Buddy/Malakai combination three weeks ago, but every contest involving these six individuals seems to end up in a fight after the bell.
That’s why this Saturday night on COLLISION, with AEW’s debut in Bossier City, all six of these competitors will be locked inside a Steel Cage! This will be the first time in AEW’s history a Trios battle will be contested under this circumstances, as well as the first Elimination Rules Cage match, and that could lead to very painful outcome for any one of these six men. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to find one man alone against all three House of Black members, or FTR going 2-on-1 with a House member; the Elimination factor makes this even more an unpredictable battle that it would be as a standard Cage Match.
This will be a violent affair, of that there is no doubt, but will even this be enough to end the hostilities perpetually erupting between these six combatants? Or will the outcome just be adding more fuel to the burgeoning inferno?
DREAM (MATCHES) DO COME TRUE…
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata
The very first time Bryan Danielson stepped into the ring with Yuji Nagata was November 2, 2002 at the tail end of American Dragon’s very first tour with New Japan Professional Wrestling. That night, with Scott Norton and a man named Jack The Bull at his side, Danielson’s team bested Nagata, Masahiro Chono, and Heat (aka Minoru Tanaka). Over the course of the next two years, Bryan and “Blue Justice” would be on opposite sides of the ring a total of nine times, all in tags or trios, with Danielson’s side of the coin winning just twice, that aforementioned first match and their last on July 16, 2004, making Bryan 1-2 in tags and 1-5 in trios all-time against Yuji Nagata.
What that means in the grand scheme of things is that this Saturday night on COLLISION, when Yuji Nagata returns to All Elite Wrestling nearly three years since he fought Jon Moxley over the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship! In the years since, Nagata reigned as All Japan’s Triple Crown Champion for 133 days during the course of 2023, competed in the NJPW’s 2023 World Tag League as Minoru Suzuki’s partner, fought in AJPW’s Real World Tag League and Royal Road Tournament’s in 2022, competed for DDT Pro Wrestling, GLEAT, ZERO1’s Shinjiro Otani Benefit Show, and even for West Coast Pro here in the United States; Nagata generally made his way across the wrestling landscape, and now the oldest 55 year old returns to AEW for this dream battle with Bryan Danielson!
We know Bryan has his eyes set on ripping that Continental Crown away from Eddie Kingston, a man he clearly does not respect in any fashion, but before that can become reality, “The American Dragon” has to contend with Nagata this Saturday night!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Mariah May vs. Lady Frost
Several weeks ago, Mariah May made her much anticipated in-ring debut by scoring a victory over Queen Aminata. It wasn’t the easiest of wins, Amanita gave Mariah May a tremendous fight in the process, but it was a win nonetheless. Unfortunately for the former Stardom champion, not only did her idol Toni Storm neglect to watch the match, but Mariah’s moment was crashed by a Deonna Purrazzo more interested in challenging the AEW Women’s World Champion than in Mariah May.
This Saturday night, Mariah will have a second chance to make the night all about her as she gets back into the ring for the first time since January 3rd, and her opponent will be one of the more impressive competitors gunning for a spot at the top of the locker room: Lady Frost! While Mariah may be new to All Elite Wrestling, these two women that are no stranger to one another, each having been a part of a pivotal moment in the other’s career.
For Lady Frost, when she made her first excursion to the United Kingdom in November of 2019, the very first match she competed in was spent working as Mariah May’s partner, and the two were actually victorious in that bout.
For Mariah May, when she traveled to the United States for the very first time in March of 2022, the opponent standing across the ring from her that night in the South Philly’s legendary Arena was in fact Lady Frost! In that singles outing, it was May who came out with the victory, and Frost has been itching for another go for nearly two years.
Well she will have her opportunity this Saturday night on COLLISION when she and Mariah May lock horns under the AEW banner! May is still desperate for the approval and acknowledgment of the AEW Women’s World Champion, so she will be fighting as much for that as for herself, while Frost is fighting for to establish her position within the grand scheme of the Women’s Division. Will this rematch go the same way as the first, or can Lady Frost dim May’s spotlight?
Last night on RAMPAGE, Komander scored the victory on Kip Sabian in the “Freshly Squeezed Four Way” that also included The Butcher and AAA Mega Champion El Hijo Del Vikingo. With that pinfall victory, the AAA World Cruiserweight Champion earned himself a shot at Orange Cassidy’s AEW International Championship this Saturday on COLLISION! This will mark Komander’s first singles opportunity at that title, though he did participate in the 21 Man Blackjack Battle Royale at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2023, as well as the first one-on-one encounter between he and “Freshly Squeezed”. OC does hold a tag team victory over Komander from the January 17th edition of DYNAMITE, and between a desire to even that score, as well as to earn his first AEW championship, Komander will no doubt go all out on Saturday night!
Something else that no doubt will happen on Saturday night is this bout having the eyes of Roderick Strong all over it. Roddy may have the patience to wait until REVOLUTION 2024 to fight Orange Cassidy, but with that willingness to wait comes the possibility it won’t be OC holding the International Title. That means the former ROH World Champion will also have to keep his eyes on anyone Cassidy faces between now and March 3rd, just to stay prepared for whoever may be standing across the ring from him in Greensboro, NC! For Roderick, that fight does not seem to be about the person, but rather about the prize, and it doesn’t appear to matter who he fights as long as they have what he wants!
ELIMINATOR MATCH…
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston vs. Willie Mack
If wrestling is a matter of respect earned, then there are few men who’ve fought harder to earn it than Eddie Kingston, and not because he was seeking it out like some individuals may be compelled to do. Instead, that respect came from those who watched Kingston grind it out across the independent landscape for the last two decades before he earned his way into All Elite Wrestling. That respect grew in those who watched Eddie struggle publicly with his demons and his mental health, never denying he had issues to work through, and willing to fail in the process of learning. Eddie is respected by fans and most of his peers because he’s willing to be an open, honest man about himself, as well as those around him, but that kind of honesty can cut when it’s pushed towards someone who refuses to hear it.
That someone is Bryan Danielson, that someone is Claudio Castagnoli, and there is nothing that Eddie Kingston can ever do that will make those two men see him as any other than the street kid they first met twenty years ago. Even though they share the Blackpool banner with Jon Moxley, they will never see Kingston the same way Mox does, but after all these years of being ridiculed and derided by men like Bryan and Claudio, it doesn’t matter to Eddie. His love and respect, his time and energy, it will be reserved for those who have earned it, and that is where Willie Mack comes into the picture.
Just like Eddie, and many of their AEW compatriots, Willie Mack has been through the independent grind of little-to-no pay, long drives, small crowds, and yet he still stands, and yet he too has worked his way into fighting on the AEW stage. That is why Eddie Kingston is giving Willie this Eliminator opportunity on COLLISION; all he’s got to do is beat Eddie and a shot at the Continental Crown will be his! History isn’t on the side of Mack, the only Eliminator match in AEW history that’s gone the way of the potential challengers was actually the night Kingston and Jon Moxley beat then AEW World Tag Champions The Young Bucks, but if there’s anyone who can pull it off, it may just be Willie Mack!
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH…
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) vs.
Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor)
Short and sweet, after Jon Moxley defeated a very game Lee Moriarty last night on RAMPAGE, the two members of Shane Taylor Promotions did something very few men in All Elite Wrestling had done: left Jon Moxley laying in the middle in the ring. Perhaps it was frustration over both Shane Taylor and Lee taking an “L” from Moxley in the last week, perhaps it’s a bigger picture than just those two matches, either way it marked a new level for Shane Taylor Promotions, and with that leveling up (or down depending on your perspective) comes a whole new level of competition.
That is why this Saturday night on COLLISION, STP will have to answer for this assault and those consequences come in the form of a tag team fight against Blackpool Combat Club! Of the few men Jon Moxley has deemed worthy of partnership in his AEW career, Claudio Castagnoli has been one of his strongest alliances, the two marking an 8-1 record as a team (ironically the same record he holds with Eddie Kingston), whereas Lee and Shane T’s experience working as a team has all been under the ROH banner, but at least they are 4-0 in traditional tag team competition, including a 2/3 Falls victory over The Infantry.
So will this be Shane Taylor Promotions elevating their game to overcome BCC or will it be, as Robert Southey wrote over 200 years ago, “Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost”?
SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION…
459 days; that is how long it has been since Serena Deeb stepped out onto the AEW stage and into an AEW ring to compete in front of the AEW faithful. For 459 days she fought with her mind, body, and soul to get back to a place where she was ready to step back between the ropes and do what she does best: wrestle.
As a former Women’s Champion, many times over, Deeb has made a career out of being spoken of as one of the best technical wrestlers in the game, a woman capable of breaking an opponent’s body down, treating a match like a complete dissection, and making sure her opponent left the match realizing they had a lot left to learn. Serena Deeb is “The Professor of Professional Wrestling”, a woman who teaches lessons in pain and suffering to those hapless enough to be across the ring from her, but one lesson she still has to learn herself is that of an AEW champion.
Despite the accolades she has earned across her career, Serena Deeb has yet to wear a championship around her waist bearing the letters AEW, but with this return to form “The Professor” aims to fix that blemish on her record, to make up for failures against Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa, and show that she herself learned the lessons taught from those championship losses. For all those women in the AEW locker room, and for whoever stands across the ring from Serena Deeb on Saturday night, this fight on COLLISION will be a warning that “The Professor” is back, and she has plenty of lessons to teach the division!
Bossier City, LA and the Brookshire Grocery Arena play host to COLLISION this Saturday night! The House of Black will be locked inside a Steel Cage with FTR and Daniel Garcia, battling one another under Elimination rules, in hopes that this violent affair will bring an end to their rivalry! Danielson versus Nagata, Serena Deeb returns, Mariah May takes on Lady Frost, and so much more in store for your Saturday night fights! The action gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and the AEW faithful can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Jon Moxley vs. Shane Taylor Promotions’ Lee Moriarty (with Shane Taylor)!
Moriarty took Mox down with a snap mare. Lee flexed and posed and let Mox get to his feet. Lee showed off his technical prowess, taking Mox down again with a side headlock. Moxley escaped and trucked Lee with a running back elbow. Moxley had a face off with Shane Taylor on the floor.
Moxley chopped Moriarty. Lee ducked a lariat attempt and rolled up Mox in a Border City Stretch. Moxley lunged toward the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty and Moxley traded stiff forearms in the center of the ring. Moxley knocked Moriarty’s block off. Moxley charged at Lee in the corner with a lariat and then pummeled him with shots.
Moriarty blasted Mox with a shotgun dropkick off the second turnbuckle. Moxley was looking for a piledriver on the apron, but Lee countered with a hammerlock, using Mox’s own body weight against him, planting Mox hard on the apron. Moriarty connected with a belly-to-belly suplex and then applied a cross arm breaker. Moriarty rocked Mox with a high stack German Suplex for a near fall.
Lee charged at Mox, but Mox wiped him out with a King Kong lariat! Moxley was looking for the bulldog choke, but Moriarty escaped and transitioned into the border city stretch. Moxley reversed and crashed down with hammer and anvil elbow strikes.
Moriarty fired back with a flurry of offense. Moriarty kicked at Mox’s arm. Lee went for a springboard forearm, but Mox countered with a big right elbow. Mox stomped Moriarty and then spiked him with a piledriver. Moxley locked in a choke and Moxley won via ref stoppage!
“A victory for Jon Moxley but a hell of a match for Lee Moriarty,” said Excalibur.
“No question. I don’t think Moxley expected to go this long with Lee. I’m impressed,” replied Matt Menard.
After the match, Shane Taylor mauled Mox with a cheap shot!
“What a sucker punch that was!” said Tony Schiavone.
Moriarty took advantage of Shane Taylor’s heavy right hand and stomped on Moxley’s injured arm.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Anna Jay and Angelo Parker!
Parker wanted to know if Anna had anything to do with Harley Cameron kissing him two weeks ago. Anna Jay slapped Cool Hand Ang!
Anna Jay: “I cannot believe you just asked me that! After everything we’ve been through. I am so sick of this. Tonight, I was defending you against your girlfriends. But tonight, I am doing this for me. I am tired of having everyone’s back, and no one having mine. Tonight, I am done!”
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs. “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita (with The Don Callis Family)!
Daniels got the jump on Takeshita at the bell. Takeshita walloped Daniels with a massive shot. Takeshita landed the Takeshita Line on CD. Takeshita followed up with a dive on Daniels. Takeshita attempted a superplex but CD headbutted Takeshita, knocking him to the mat. Daniels swung down, driving Takeshita face first into the mat.
Daniels hurled Takeshita with a German Suplex. Takeshita countered the Angels Wings and drove Daniels down on the back of the head. Takeshita finished off Daniels with a running knee strike and pinned Daniels!
“A statement made by Takeshita with that victory,” said Excalibur.
Don Callis: “I have something important to say. The Don Callis Family takes everything. Jericho you took 33 years from me. I can’t get those years back. We took your tag team partner from the Golden Jets. Then we took Sammy. But you keep coming back. Now it’s time to end this. So, Jericho, in two weeks on Dynamite, we challenge you to face the real Alpha of professional wrestling, Takeshita, and this time, there’s going to be nothing left!”
Kyle Fletcher: “Pardon the interruption, Don. Hasn’t Takeshita already had his shot at Chris Jericho? Hasn’t Will Hobbs already had his shot at Chris Jericho? If anybody deserves the next shot at Chris Jericho it’s me!”
Callis: “You’re right. Jericho, you’ve got Takeshita in two weeks. How about next week in New Orleans, you got Kyle Fletcher if you’ve got the guts. And whatever is left at the end of the next two weeks is going to be mine and Jericho, there’ll be nothing left but the tears!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Top Flight and Action Andretti, and Private Party!
Private Party said they won last time. Action Andretti said next time he’d be in Top Flight’s corner, watching their back!
Anna Jay vs. Ruby Soho (with Saraya and Harley Cameron)!
Ruby ambushed Anna Jay, trying to ruin her homecoming. Ruby whipped Anna into the barricade outside the ring. Anna connected with a high boot to Ruby’s face. Anna followed up with the pendulum kick.
Saraya swept out Anna Jay’s leg on the apron. Anna got to her feet and planted Ruby with a DDT for a near fall. Anna was looking for the Queen Slayer, but Harley grabbed Anna Jay’s boot. Saraya held back Anna Jay, but the referee saw it and ejected Saraya and Harley from ringside.
Anna attempted a backslide, but Ruby escaped and rocked Anna with Destination Unknown. Anna stunned Ruby with a blockbuster and then forced Ruby to tap out with the Queen Slayer!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Continental Champion Eddie Kingston!
Kingston: “Bryan Danielson, you don’t respect me? That’s fine. I don’t respect you at all. I want to be on Collision. I’m going to go against somebody I respect. And if he beats me, he gets a title shot. And said person is Willie Mack. Me and you Willie, we paid our dues, so I want to give you an opportunity. Bryan, good luck with Nagata tomorrow.”
Main Event Time! Freshly Squeezed Four Way Match!
Kip Sabian vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander vs. The Butcher!
The winner earns an International Championship Match on tomorrow’s Collision.
Butcher turned his back and Sabian rolled him up for a near fall. Vikingo swept out Sabian’s legs, and Komander hit a tope on Kip while Vikingo smashed Butcher with a tope!
Butcher blocked a springboard dropkick from Komander and applied a Texas Cloverleaf. Vikingo rocked Butcher with a thrust kick. Kip dropkicked Vikingo. Kip cannonballed Komander in the corner. Butcher went over the top with a splash on Komander.
Butcher tossed Komander at Kip and Kip nailed Komander with a lung blower. Kip booted Butcher in the midsection. Butcher stunned Sabian with a back breaker. Vikingo staggered Butcher with a corkscrew kick!
Sabian swept out Vikingo’s legs. Komander walloped Sabian with a Spanish Fly for a two-count. Komander climbed to the top rope, but Vikingo tripped him up. Vikingo climbed to the top, but Butcher put Vikingo on his shoulders, while Vikingo had Komander locked in a superplex position. Kip got on his hands and knees behind Butcher, tripped him up, and knocked all three men to the mat!
Komander jumped off Alex Abrahantes’ back like a launching pad and crushed Kip with a Canadian Destroyer on the arena floor! Vikingo took out both men on the floor with a moonsault. Vikingo tried for a moonsault, but Komander booted him. Butcher power bombed Komander and covered him, but Vikingo broke up the pin attempt.
Kip snuck in and drilled Komander with a German Suplex. Komander reversed a vertical suplex attempt, grabbed Kip’s legs and pinned him!
“Now we know it’ll be Orange Cassidy defending the International Championship tomorrow against Komander on Collision,” said Excalibur.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, LA:
-AEW International Championship Match! Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. Komander!
-Serena Deeb’s First Match Since 2022!
-Mariah May vs. Lady Frost!
-Continental Champion Eddie Kingston vs. Willie Mack!
– “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Yuji Nagata!
-Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty!
-The Escape The Cage Elimination Match! FTR & Daniel Garcia vs. House of Black!
Last week as jam-packed with action as new ROH World Six-Man Champions were crowned in BULLET CLUB GOLD, Jon Moxley returned to AEW action, plus Adam Copeland was tested by Dante Martin only to find out he’s got Minoru Suzuki next on his dance card! Did The Bang Bang Scissor Gang became a real thing? How did Thunder Rosa’s return to singles competition go? How did Jeff Hardy respond to losing to Darby Allin? All of that, and more, went down last week, but now our eyes turn to the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA for an all-new DYNAMITE! Copeland versus Suzuki, Jeff Hardy battling Swerve, a battle for the AEW World Trios Championship, “Timeless” Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo face-to-face, Hangman and Penta, and so much more on tap for the AEW faithful in attendance, and those watching around the world!
The road to REVOLUTION 2024 continues this Wednesday on DYNAMITE beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans! Before showtime, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as the newest CONTROL CENTER, and more! Then it’s time for the Elimination Trios Cage Match on Saturday night in Bossier City, Louisiana pitting The House of Black against FTR and Daniel Garcia!
Yes, this is really happening; possibly the most unexpected of all matches thus far in 2024, possibly the most unexpected of either man’s career, Adam Copeland and Minoru Suzuki will do battle on DYNAMITE in the latest of the Cope Open Challenges! This contest will mark the fourth such challenge, but the first one where Adam knows in advance who he’s stepping into the ring to fight.
Griff Garrison, Lee Moriarty, and Dante Martin were all surprise opponents for “The Rated R Superstar”, men who stepped up on the night of the event, giving Copeland no time to prepare for individuals he’d never fought before while they had all spent their lives watching the Hall of Famer compete inside the squared circle.
That’s not say Copeland didn’t have some awareness of each young man’s abilities, he is someone who watches everything and everyone as much as possible, but a couple years of tape on someone versus a couple decades is a huge difference. That being said, there’s no experience like actually sharing the ring with an opponent, it’s something no amount of tape study can prepare you for, and Dante, Griff, and Lee all learned that first hand.
But this Wednesday night will be a different experience because, as in response to Adam’s comment that none of the more seasoned fighters have stepped up to the plate, he will get one of the most experienced fighters in the whole of the professional wrestling landscape!
The legendary Minoru Suzuki is coming back to All Elite Wrestling for a fight with Adam Copeland, and is that a sentence anyone thought would ever be written, much less a match that would actually happen?!? In many ways, this is one of the most important fights of Copeland’s historic career, an opportunity to step way outside the wheel house, and take on a man as versed in submissions as he is striking, as willing to choke you unconscious as to knock you out, a champion everyone he’s gone, “The King of Pancrase”, Minoru Suzuki. MiSu has proven himself quite the sadistic, relishing in the pain of his opponents, but fans have absolutely witnessed that in Copeland over the course of his career. Will this one come down to a question of which man can be more wicked than the other? This is not to be missed!
WHO WILL BE NEXT?
Last week, in a hard-won fight against FTW Champion HOOK, Samoa Joe successfully retained the AEW World Championship. There were many moments where it seemed “The Cold-Hearted, Handsome Devil” just could not be put down, but ultimately he had no choice but to succumb to the overwhelming force that is Samoa Joe.
That defeat didn’t stop HOOK from exchanging words with Joe as he recovered from the beating, leading to the FTW Champ getting dropped with a low blow and another Muscle Buster, and even then, with the support of the ropes, HOOK pulled himself to his feet and kept talking at the champ. Luckily for HOOK, before Samoa Joe could inflict even more damage, Adam Page arrived to the ring to ward off the AEW World Champion. So with Swerve Strickland watching on from ringside, Hangman in the ring, and HOOK still conscious despite the beating, Samoa Joe walked away from the ring knowing who had him in their crosshairs.
This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, we will hear from the AEW World Champion about what is next on his agenda, or perhaps that should be who is next!
ONE-ON-ONE…
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
Given that these two competitors have each been part of All Elite Wrestling since the very beginning, it is astounding that they’ve never once faced off in singles competition. They’ve danced in tag team affairs, a realm where their record is 1-1, and a multi-man affair from February 5, 2020, but no contact save several Battle Royals since their February 19, 2020 AEW World Tag Team Championship bout. Well that all changes this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE when, for the very first time, these two AEW stalwarts will go one-on-one!
With Rey Fenix on the injured list, Penta has seen a bit more singles competition than usual, but that doesn’t make him a stranger this realm of competition; after all, he’s been a solo champion many times over throughout his career, just never in All Elite Wrestling. As for Hangman, his credential as former AEW World Champion speaks for itself, and he’s rolling into this having won his last three consecutive singles bouts with one goal on his mind: get the championship back around his waist. Clearly there’s a Swerve Strickland issue lingering in Page’s mind, but the end game is becoming 2-Time World Champion, and that means facing everyone he has to in order to get there. If the title is still around Joe’s waist when that time comes, all the better for Hangman, but no matter who is is, Page has a Buckshot Lariat with their name on it…provided he can show no fear and get past Penta El Zero Miedo!
FACE-TO-FACE…
Clearly AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm hasn’t completely parted ways with reality; as evidenced by the video embedded above, Storm actually does recall her history with Deonna Purrazzo, a relationship that dates back to their shared time in Japan’s Stardom promotion. That time together included bouts as both ally and foe, and even featured a championship fight over their SWA Undisputed Women’s World Title, but that wasn’t the end of their interactions.
They’d meet again in their life pre-AEW, but that didn’t stop Toni Storm from pretending like she had no idea who Deonna was when they finally shared space in All Elite Wrestling. So is this all a mind game from The Timeless One? Where does “Timeless” begin? Or should the question be, where does the Toni Storm we all knew for the first period of her AEW tenure end and this “Timeless” persona come into being? It’s certainly not the person that Deonna Purrazzo knew in Japan, or in the United Kingdom, and hopefully she realizes that as this situation continues to escalate towards the inevitable World Championship clash these women are destined for!
This Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, we will all see how it unfolds when these two women are face-to-face on TBS! Will shoes be thrown? Will Mariah May and/or Luther be on-hand, and if so what will their presence mean to these proceedings? Tune in Wednesday night to see what else could possibly come out of Toni Storm’s mouth!
As Swerve Strickland and Jeff Hardy prepare to fight for the very first time, take a look at where these two men currently stand in their All Elite Wrestling careers. Swerve is red-hot at the moment, on a mission to become AEW World Champion, and has declared his intentions, not just to the world, but specifically straight to Samoa Joe’s face. He has no fear about standing toe-to-toe with the AEW World Champion, no interest in anything that “Hangman” Adam Page has to say about their issues, but much like the former AEW World Champ, will do anything he needs to do, fight anyone he needs to fight, in order to make his championship aspirations a reality.
Conversely, Jeff Hardy has experienced a great deal of loss over his last year with All Elite Wrestling. With a record of 8-12 across 2023, seven of those losses came over Jeff’s last ten matches, with two singles losses to his 2023 record as well. While Jeff has not competed in a slew of singles matches, he has not won any since that victory over Darby Allin in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament creeping on two years ago. To add to that, though The Hardys long ago earned consideration as a premiere tag team, they lost six consecutive tag bouts in 2023 before scoring their lone victory in a non-televised match fighting the teams of The Butcher & Blade and Daniel Garcia/Matt Menard. Suffice to say, it’s not been a the best year for the multi-time World Champions, but they’ve declared that changed is afoot, and that was on full display when Jeff Hardy, after losing to Darby Allin on RAMPAGE, bailed out on Darby’s show of respect.
That brings these two competitors to this Wednesday night in Savannah where they will go one-on-one for the very first time! Both men have a goal for their careers, goals certainly at odds with each other, so who will prevail when they lock up on DYNAMITE?
TIME TO FIGHT…
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Wardlow vs. Best Friend’s Trent Beretta
Since unveiling himself as the man behind the devil mask, Adam Cole has repeatedly told the world that Roderick Strong was in pursuit of the AEW International Championship, that ROH World Tag Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett were coming for all the tag teams, and that Wardlow would be AEW World Champion. Of course there’s the comments Cole has made about “The War Dog” handing over the title when the time is rest, though that could also be tongue-in-cheek mocking how MJF used to talk to Wardlow when he was under Max’s thumb, but that’s a situation to be unpacked somewhere down the line.
For now, look at everything Wardlow does as in service of his championship aspirations, and should it be Samoa Joe holding the gold if and when that times comes, all the better given their history with the TNT Championship. The path to title contention has to begin somewhere, with someone, and for Wardlow that person is Trent Beretta, and that somewhere is this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE! This marks Wardlow’s first match under the Undisputed Kingdom banner, and in part it could also be looked at as part of Roderick Strong’s push towards challenging Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship match. After all, this is one of OC’s best friends taking on one of Roddy’s undisputed allies, so there’s more than one layer to this first-ever meeting between Trent Beretta and Wardlow!
AEW WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)(c) vs.
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage, & Toa Liona)
Last week was quite a big one for both of the trios engaged in this championship fight on Wednesday night, and their moments are rather tied together as both involve BULLET CLUB GOLD. For The Mogul Embassy, it was watching the ROH World Six-Man Championship titles slip from their grasp on DYNAMITE as BC GOLD emerged from their clash as the new champions. The end came when Jay White caught Bishop Kaun with his Bladerunner to score the three count, but that triumphant moment wasn’t the last of the week for The Bang Bang Gang!
Come COLLISION, White and The Gunns had a face-to-face with the AEW World Trios Champions, the latter looking for a response to their proposition to unify forces in opposition to The Undisputed Kingdom. It came as a bit of a shock that the six men actually drew together, but under the circumstances it was likely the best decision for all involved, and certainly puts all three Gunns, Jay White, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens at an advantage opposite anyone who tries them. It will be interesting to see where Juice Robinson stands on this decision, but at least Rock Card Juice Board is on the same page with everything.
So now all the events of last week come together on DYNAMITE when the recently-dethroned Mogul Embassy come calling on The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass with Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona aiming to fill the void left behind by the loss of their ROH World Six-Man Championship with the AEW World Trios Championship! This is the first time Prince Nana’s monsters have challenged for these belts and clearly, as 2-Time ROH Six-Man Champions, they have what it takes to dethrone the current champions, and disrupt this newly formed Bang Bang Scissor Gang alliance! It would be wonderful revenge for The Mogul Embassy to take these titles from BC GOLD’s new allies, can they pull it off this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE? Or will the BBSG kick off their new alliance with victory?
The world heard what The Young Bucks had to say last week on DYNAMITE, their words about why they chose to step onto the stage in Jacksonville when Sting was asked who he’d be facing for his final match at REVOLUTION 2024(https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-revolution-2024), but how much stock one puts into what Matthew and Nicholas had to say likely varies from person-to-person. Cataloging all their issues with All Elite Wrestling, and people who’ve come through the locker room, but then saying they don’t see Sting as one of those individuals just reeks of seeking justification for their actions.
Well this week we anticipate hearing from Darby Allin and Sting, and getting their response to what The Young Bucks had to say! Will this be the night that a match is officially made for AEW’s March 3rd pay-per-view event? Do not miss out on what “The Icon” and Darby have to share with the AEW faithful!
After sixteen months away, time spent recovering from injury, joining the Spanish announce team for COLLISION, and generally being unsure if a return to in-ring competition would be the payoff for all the pain, sacrifice, and rehabilitation, Thunder Rosa stepped back between the ropes on the final COLLISION of 2023. That night, on her home field of San Antonio, and with Abadon as her partner, Rosa was victorious in tag team action! It was a sign to the rest of the Women’s Division that “La Mera Mera” was back to claim her place atop the division, but she hadn’t been tested in singles competition since BATTLE OF THE BELTS III on August 6, 2022.
Her second match back at DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024 didn’t put that muscle to the test either, though that eight-woman tag also ended in victory for Rosa’s team, but four days ago there was no more postponing the inevitable. On last Saturday’s COLLISION, the former AEW Women’s World Champion stepped into the ring with rising star Queen Aminata, a woman who’d impressed in her AEW bouts with Kris Statlander, Mariah May, Hikaru Shida, as well as in ROH competition. Aminata, even in her losses, had proven herself to be a hard-hitting competitor, one not afraid to throw hands with her opponents, and proven herself capable taking former World Champions into rough waters. This was going to be a tough fight for Rosa’s return to singles competition, but in victory the former World Champion felt empowered:
Thunder’s road back to the top continues this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE when, for the first time, she locks up with Red Velvet in singles competition! Red returned to AEW action last November after her own nine month layoff thanks to injury, coming back with aspirations of ascending to the top of the division, but was frustrated out of the gate by Julia Hart just prior to The House of Black member winning the TBS Championship. She topped Ruby Soho, but fell to Skye Blue in a TBS Title Eliminator match, and was beaten by Deonna Purrazzo two weeks ago on COLLISION. Suffice to say Red needs this victory as much as Thunder Rosa if she wants to get into contention for either of the division’s championships, and she’ aims to give “La Mera Mera” the toughest fight of her comeback thus far!
This Wednesday, AEW returns to the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA for a stacked DYNAMITE, getting underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com (https://www.fite.tv/join/aew-plus/) for international fans, and featuring one huge bout after another! Adam Copeland meets Minoru Suzuki in a match no one could’ve imagined ever happening, the AEW World Trios Title will be at stake, Jeff Hardy locks-up with Swerve Strickland, as well as “Timeless” Toni Storm going face-to-face with Deonna Purrazzo! All that and more is coming to the AEW faithful this week, so before the show gets underway, make a point to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorte social media platforms, for highlights from last week’s episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as the newest edition of the CONTROL CENTER! Then join us on Saturday in Bossier City, Louisiana for a COLLISION featuring a Trios Elimination Cage Match between The House of Black and FTR/Daniel Garcia!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley
vs.
Shane Taylor Promotions’ Shane Taylor (with Lee Moriarty)!
Taylor jabbed at Moxley, taking the fight right to Mox. Jon Moxley fired back with kicks and chops. Taylor stunned Moxley with a stiff shot to the jaw. Moxley popped back up and both men traded forearms. Taylor whipped Moxley into the corner and then connected with a running lariat, leaving Mox gasping for air.
Moxley was looking for a piledriver, but Taylor countered with a backdrop. They began to brawl outside the ring. Moxley hurled Taylor into the steel ring steps. Taylor got back into the ring, but Lee Moriarty cracked Moxley with a pump kick. Taylor dropped Moxley with a side slam for a near fall. Taylor tried for a splash off the second turnbuckle, but Moxley rolled out of the way.
Moxley rocked Taylor with a cutter out of nowhere. Moxley battered Shane Taylor in the corner. Taylor retaliated with a side suplex, but Moxley came back with a suplex of his own. Moxley nailed Taylor with the King Kong Lariat. Taylor nearly decapitated Moxley with a Western Lariat.
Moxley and Taylor traded headbutts! Taylor planted Moxley but Moxley trapped Taylor in a triangle choke. Taylor deadlifted Moxley and slammed him back down, escaping the choke. It backfired and Moxley started pounding Taylor with the hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Moxley clocked Taylor with a flying knee strike.
Moxley applied a rear naked choke. Moxley bridged backwards and Taylor was out cold. Moxley won via ref stoppage!
Moxley: “Everybody watching hear this. Right now, I am pissed off. I am pissed off beyond belief. I am hungry beyond belief. From this moment on I am not taking any crap from anyone or anything. In the year of 2024 anyone who wants to step in the ring with me, anyone who calls themselves a colleague or teammate, you only have to do one thing: keep the hell up!”
The “Cope Open” Challenge Match!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Top Flight’s Dante Martin!
They shook hands before the match, showing mutual respect.
Dante took down Copeland with two big arm drags. Copeland tried for a cross body press off the second turnbuckle, but Dante dodged it. Copeland blocked a kick and then rammed Dante’s head into the turnbuckle. Copeland was trying to take away the equilibrium of Dante, going after Dante’s ear.
Dante clocked Copeland with a reverse question mark kick. Dante was looking for a springboard, but Adam knocked Dante off the top rope. Dante wiped out Copeland with a hurracanrana from the apron. Dante Martin followed up with a tope! Dante followed up with a crossbody press for a near fall on Copeland.
“Dante Martin is pulling out all the stops,” said Kevin Kelly.
Copeland stopped Dante in his tracks with a DDT. Copeland went for the spear, but Dante moved out of the way! Dante retaliated with a moonsault and covered Copeland, but Copeland’s boot touched the ropes, breaking the referee’s count. The crowd was stunned. Dante stunned Copeland with a sunset powerbomb off the top rope, but Copeland managed to kick out at two!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Dante springboarded off the top, but Copeland speared Dante midair! Copeland cranked on the Grindhouse and Dante Martin submitted!
“A standing ovation for Dante Martin!” said Nigel.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Adam Copeland in the ring after the match.
Copeland: “Tony, it gets harder and harder every week. What was I thinking with this Cope Open? I have to give all the credit to Dante Martin. I see all these young guys stepping up to take a bite out of me. I am going to keep coming out here, and working hard, and working hard, and working hard, just like Christian Cage said he was going to when he first came to AEW.
“And Tony, God bless you, I’m going to keep working until I get the TNT Championship and bring it back to TNT. And get in here every Saturday so these people can see their championship, our championship, defended. The next time I set foot in this ring in this great city, I’m going to be your TNT champ.”
Lexy Nair was backstage interviewing Top Flight and Action Andretti when Private Party interrupted!
Private Party started taunting Top Flight because Dante and Darius lost to them when Private Party returned.
Action Andretti: “Sure, you guys got the W, but as far as we saw, Marq Quen grabbed the ropes to get that pinfall!”
Marq Quen: “Nah, I lost my balance. It happens.”
Isiah Kassidy: “Imagine what would happen if we partied with Adam Copeland? We both beat Dante and we’re both Rated R!”
Darius: “If you’re so confident, how about we run it back? I mean, unless you guys are afraid.”
Isiah: “We will, anytime.”
Thunder Rosa vs. Queen Aminata!
“It looks like Top Flight wants another match with Private Party, and I think they deserve it,” said Tony Schiavone.
Thunder Rosa cracked Queen Aminata with a stiff chop. Thunder Rosa grabbed a side headlock. Thunder Rosa knocked Aminata down with a shoulder tackle. Queen Aminata nailed Thunder Rosa with a back breaker.
Thunder Rosa rocked Aminata with a running dropkick. Aminata rallied back with a snap mare and then kicked Thunder Rosa in the back. Aminata walloped Rosa with a hip attack. Thunder Rosa dodged a second hip attack and then took the wind out of Aminata with a double knee strike. Thunder Rosa followed up with a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall.
Queen Aminata headbutted Thunder Rosa and then blasted her with an air raid crash for a two-count! Queen Aminata climbed up, looking for the double stomp, but Thunder Rosa pulled her down. Thunder Rosa took Queen Aminata off her feet with a shotgun dropkick. Thunder Rosa planted Aminata with the Tijuana Bomb and then scored the pin!
Ring of Honor World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and the Gunns—Austin and Colten Gunn, came out to the ring!
Jay White: “We feel it, the people feel it, it’s a different vibe, with the Collision Cowboys back on Saturday night. But something is missing still.”
Austin pulled a cardboard cut out of Juice Robinson from beneath the ring and stood it next to them.
AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass stormed onto the stage!
Daddy Ass: “We’re just out here to congratulate you guys over your recent title win. And we are the AEW Trios Champions. But we can do so much more!”
Max Caster: “That’s right, Bang Bang Gang. It’s one thing to get to the top of AEW, but it’s another thing to stay there. Just think if we were a supergroup. Together we’d be unstoppable in the ring, unstoppable in the back, unstoppable where it counts—with all the people. And I know the people want to see Billy Gunn with some singles gold.”
The fans started chanting “Daddy Ass! Daddy Ass! Daddy Ass!”
Max Caster: “I know the people want to see the Gunns with tag team titles, and Jay, I know the people want to see you as the World Heavyweight Champion. Listen! This is not our ceiling.”
The fans now chanted “Bang Bang Scissor Gang! Bang Bang Scissor Gang!”
Anthony Bowens: “The Acclaimed—we’ve been given the runaround before and we’re not going to take it anymore. We want an answer now. You don’t just have to answer to us. You have to answer to St. Louis. Do you want to see the Acclaimed and Bullet Club Gold unite?”
The fans chanted “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Bowens: “Of course you do! Everyone loves the Acclaimed! Scissors up! Guns up! Guys, this could be us every single week! The Bang Bang Scissor Gang!”
The Bang Bang Gang and the Acclaimed scissored with their hands and the crowd erupted!
“The formation of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang!” said Kevin Kelly.
“What a moment and you saw it live on Collision on TNT,” added Tony Schiavone.
Backstage footage aired from this past week’s Dynamite, with AEW Women’s Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm, Mariah May, and Luther the Butler addressing “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo!
Toni Storm: “Fine, I know who you are, Ms. Purrazzo. Yes, I remember our time very well, I remember our dojo days in the land of the rising sun. And as for me, I am cursed with this rampant sexuality. I will meet you, I will complete you, and then I will beat you!”
The House of Black’s Buddy Matthews (with Malakai Black & Brody King)
vs.
Daniel Garcia!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Before the match began, FTR—Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, walked down to the ring to corner Daniel Garcia.
Buddy Matthews shoved Garcia to the mat. Buddy followed up with a big shoulder tackle. FTR shouted words of encouragement to Garcia, telling Garcia to outwrestle Matthews. Buddy spiked Garcia with a DDT. Buddy walloped Garcia with a knee strike on the apron. Garcia rallied back with a piledriver on the apron!
“Guys, we may be getting a double count out here,” said Tony Schiavone.
Both men made it back into the ring just in the nick of time before the 10-count. Garcia stormed Buddy with fists of fire and then stepped on Buddy’s head. Garcia applied a figure four around the ring post, shades of the great Bret “the Hitman” Hart! Back in the ring, Garcia applied the sharpshooter! Buddy grabbed Garcia’s head and began bashing it against the mat, escaping the sharpshooter.
Buddy blasted Garcia with knee strikes! Buddy nailed Garcia with a deadlift jackhammer for a near fall! Buddy was looking for a powerbomb, but Garcia slipped out, and scored the surprise jackknife pin!
The House of Black and FTR and Garcia began to brawl! Referees and security tried to separate the two teams. The locker room emptied and rushed to the ring, trying to tear the teams apart!
“I’m not so sure anyone can stop this! My God what are we watching!” yelled Schiavone.
“Only these six men can settle this!” added Kevin Kelly.
After a commercial break, Lexy Nair caught up with FTR and Daniel Garcia backstage for their comments!
Dax Harwood: “This has been going on for too long! I think we need to end it! Next week, six man tag, elimination style, inside a cage! Top guys out!”
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Roderick Strong (with ROH World Tag Team Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett)
vs.
Matt Sydal!
Strong and Sydal chain wrestled, going hold for hold. Sydal connected with a spinning kick and then a plancha. Roddy caught Matt Sydal and drilled him with a perfect back breaker. Sydal took Roddy down with a hurracanrana. Sydal staggered Strong with a spinning heel kick. Sydal rocked Roderick with a meteora.
“Fans we have breaking news from Tony Khan! Next week Elimination Trios Steel Cage Match live on Collision! FTR and Daniel Garcia against the House of Black!” announced Tony Schiavone.
Sydal covered Roddy after an air raid crash, but Roddy escaped before the three-count. Roderick retaliated with a big knee lift. Roddy finished off Sydal with the End of Heartache and then pinned Sydal!
“Perfect strategy from Roderick Strong,” said Nigel.
Roddy looked into the camera and said, “Orange Cassidy, you see that?”
Danielson took down Kingston and blasted Kingston in the spine with a kick. Kingston used a snap mare takeover and kicked Danielson in the back! Ortiz tagged in and he and Kingston double suplexed Danielson.
Claudio grabbed a tag and tore off Ortiz’s shirt. Claudio clubbed Ortiz with European Uppercuts. Ortiz fought off Danielson and Claudio until the numbers became too much for him. Claudio drove Ortiz back into the BCC’s corner with his power. Claudio hurled Ortiz around the ring with the Giant Swing!
Danielson tagged in and walloped Ortiz with kicks. Ortiz got to his feet and nailed Bryan with a clothesline.
Tony Schiavone announced he had breaking news from Tony Khan; the ranking system is returning to AEW, so every win is crucial!
Ortiz tagged out to Kingston, and Claudio tagged in. Claudio and Ortiz exchanged chops and forearms in the center of the ring, going back and forth. Claudio slapped Eddie in the face! Eddie answered with machine gun chops to Claudio’s chest! Kingston sent Claudio crashing and burning with an exploder suplex!
Claudio connected with a short arm clothesline for a two-count. Danielson tagged in and cracked Kingston with a flying headbutt, a move made famous by Kansas City’s own Harley Race. Kingston stunned Danielson with a DDT out of nowhere! Ortiz tagged in and he and Kingston dropped Danielson with tandem offense. Ortiz hit a tope on Danielson, and Kingston hit one on Claudio on the other side of the ring!
“Nobody has had the back of Kingston quite like Ortiz,” said Kevin Kelly.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Danielson put Ortiz in the LeBell Lock. Ortiz reached the ropes. Danielson captured the wrists of Ortiz and began to stomp on his head. Claudio forced Kingston to watch the assault on Ortiz. Danielson nailed Ortiz with a running knee strike and pinned Ortiz!
After the match, Danielson told Kingston he would not hold his titles long and then spat at him! Danielson left the ring, smirking, while Kingston checked on Ortiz.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Your broadcast team was Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and Don Callis!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
This…is…Rampage!
Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal!
They started with a collar and elbow tie up. The fans chanted “Jericho! Jericho! Jericho!” Jericho ran the ropes and sent Sydal crashing with a shoulder tackle. Sydal sent Jericho over the top rope with a clothesline. Sydal connected with a meteora knee strike off the apron! Sydal drove Jericho down in the ring with another meteora for a near fall.
“The only thing that would make me happier is if it was one of my guys in the Don Callis Family with their hands around Jericho’s throat,” said Callis.
Jericho regained momentum with knife edge chops. Sydal chopped away at the legs and chest of Jericho with kicks. Jericho countered Sydal and locked in the Walls of Jericho! Sydal used his flexibility and finally reached the bottom rope, forcing the rope break. Jericho dropkicked Sydal from the turnbuckles, and Sydal crashed to the arena floor.
Back in the ring, Jericho jumped off the top rope, but Sydal countered with a kick and then a standing moonsault for a near fall! Jericho fired his shoulder up at the last possible moment. Sydal power bombed Jericho for another near fall.
“What a back and forth matchup this has been,” said Ian.
Sydal jumped off the ropes and Jericho cracked him with the Code Breaker! Jericho played possum and then went for a lionsault, but Sydal got his knees up. Sydal rocked Jericho with an Air Raid Crash for a two-count!
Jericho sent Sydal flying with a hurracanrana from the top rope. Jericho followed up with the Judas Effect and pinned Sydal!
Jericho barely took a step through the ropes and Don Callis ran for the hills!
As Jericho was returning to the back, “The Alpha” Takeshita blindsided Jericho! Security came out along with Christopher Daniels and Takeshita wiped out Daniels before leaving!
Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes) vs. The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry!
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for the rest of the evening.
Penta El Zero Miedo walloped Henry with a stiff kick to Henry’s midsection. Anthony Henry managed to string together a flurry of offense on Penta. Henry charged at Penta, but Penta caught him with a thrust kick. Penta dropped Henry with a spinning Spiccoli Driver for a near fall!
Penta El Zero Miedo was looking for the Made in Japan, but Henry blocked it and hit a double stomp on Penta! Henry tried for a double stomp, but Penta dodged it and fired back with a suplex into the turnbuckles. Penta spiked Anthony Henry with the Fear Factor and pinned Henry!
Renee Paquette was backstage when Ruby Soho and Saraya walked up, arguing with one another!
Renee asked what was going on with them.
Saraya: “I don’t know! She’s paranoid!”
Ruby came back around the corner and this time she was holding Harley Cameron by the throat.
Ruby: “Why him?! Tell me!”
Harley: “To help you!”
Ruby: “To help me!? Are you kidding me?!”
Saraya was motioning to Harley from behind Ruby’s back.
Harley: “It was Anna Jay. She told me to do it.”
Saraya: “Yeah, that makes perfect sense Ruby. Let her go.”
Kris Statlander (with Stokely Hathaway) vs. Queen Aminata!
Excalibur noticed Willow Nightingale’s absence from Kris’ side.
Queen Aminata took Kris down with an arm drag. They both went for a pump kick and they both blocked each other. Statlander charged at Aminata with a shoulder tackle. Statlander swept out Aminata’s legs and then splashed her with a senton.
Statlander charged at Aminata, but the Queen ducked it. Queen Aminata took the advantage with a diving crossbody through the ropes. Back in the ring, Statlander trucked Aminata with a discus lariat for a near fall!
Queen Aminata rocked Statlander with a running knee. Statlander slipped behind and power slammed Aminata. Statlander planted Aminata, hooked the leg and pinned her!
“Stokely Hathaway seems to think he played a major role in Statlander’s victory,” said Excalibur.
Sonjay Dutt once again commissioned a camera crew to document his attempts to get his gang back on track!
Sonjay was backstage with Satnam Singh and Jay Lethal.
Lethal: “Where the heck is Jeff? I’m glad he’s not here. That way I can talk openly without him interrupting. I want to get back to what this company was built on and that’s great in ring action. I can’t do this in this group.”
Sonjay: “I got it. It’s time to kick Karen Jarrett out of the group.”
Satnam: “Whoa, whoa, we need to keep the best leader of this team. We need to keep Karen and kick out Jeff!”
Jay Lethal: “Guys stop! This is what I’m talking about. We’re arguing after stupid things. I don’t know how much more of this I can take! Maybe it’s singles gold I’m after!”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Kris Statlander after her huge victory!
Stokely Hathaway was standing beside Statlander.
Willow Nightingale rushed to see Kris. Willow was still in her street clothes.
Willow: “I missed it! I’m so sorry.”
Kris: “Are you ok?”
Willow: “I’m fine but my flight was cancelled.”
Stokely: “Cancelled?”
Willow: “No, the flight happened. I just couldn’t get on it. Somebody cancelled my trip.”
Stokely: “Oh my, damn. But you know what? If you’re supposed to be her best friend and you love this business so much, you wouldn’t have been hopping on Soul Plane. Maybe if you would have picked a dedicated airline like United or Delta!”
Willow: “I wanted to be in your corner!”
Kris: “We’re going to figure this out.”
Stokely: “You mean we? Oh, so we’re a thing?”
Willow: “You’re giving him a chance?”
Main Event Time!
Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy!
Jeff slapped Darby in the face. Darby fired back with a shotgun dropkick. Darby jumped from the top turnbuckle and crashed onto Jeff on the outside! Jeff Hardy whipped Darby into the announcers’ desk!
“Jeff Hardy showing a real mean streak here,” said Matt Menard.
Jeff hurled Darby into the barricade. Jeff jumped off the ring apron and connected with a big clothesline. Jeff ran and jumped off the steel ring steps, but Darby moved, sending Jeff crashing into the barricade.
Darby clubbed Jeff with right hands across the jaw. Darby sat Jeff on a metal chair and then charged at him with a tope suicida, but Jeff dodged it! Darby was writhing in pain. Back in the ring Jeff hit a neck breaker. Jeff followed up with two more neck breakers. Jeff face planted Darby and covered him, but Darby kicked out at the two-count.
Both men jockeyed for position on the top turnbuckle. Darby raked Jeff’s back. Darby rocked Jeff with an avalanche Code Red for a near fall!
“How did Jeff Hardy kick out of that one?” wondered Excalibur.
Jeff stopped Darby from doing a Coffin Drop. Jeff countered with a neck breaker on the ring apron, with Darby’s feet elevated on the top turnbuckle! Jeff pulled a table from beneath the ring. Jeff rammed Darby’s head into the steel ring post and then placed Darby on the table. Jeff attempted a Swanton, but Darby dodged it and sent Jeff crashing through the table!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Darby rolled Jeff back into the ring. Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Jeff raised his knees right into Darby’s back! Darby escaped a Twist of Fate, jackknifed Jeff and scored the pin!
“He’ll take those risks, but Darby is such a highly technical wrestler as well,” said Excalibur.
Darby tried to fist bump Jeff after the match to show respect, but Jeff wouldn’t reciprocate, simply choosing to leave the ring instead.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO featuring:
-House of Black’s Buddy Matthews vs. Daniel Garcia!
-Thunder Rosa returns to singles action!
-The “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland’s “Cope Open”!
-The Return of Jon Moxley as he goes one on one with Shane Taylor!
-Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Continental Crown Champ Eddie Kingston & Ortiz!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Wednesday night’s edition of DYNAMITE was loaded up with one championship fight after another, capped off with FTW Champion HOOK giving AEW World Champion Samoa Joe everything he had in an attempt to snatch the crown from Joe’s head. HOOK survived more than anyone, even Joe, thought was possible, but ultimately he succumbed to the onslaught of the World Champion. One team that managed to add a championship to their ranks was BULLET CLUB GOLD when they dethroned The Mogul Embassy as ROH World Six-Man Champions, but Dustin Rhodes was not so successful in his bid to take the TNT Championship from Christian Cage. We heard from The Young Bucks, from Swerve and Hangman Page, and watched Roderick Strong challenge Orange Cassidy for REVOLUTION 2024! Now the eyes of the AEW faithful turn to Friday night…
This Friday RAMPAGE airs from North Charleston, SC and the North Charleston Coliseum, getting underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and featuring four tremendous contests! As seen on DYNAMITE, Matt Sydal has challenged Chris Jericho to meet him in singles competition, The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry will take on The Lucha Brothers Penta El Zero Miedo, Kris Statlander takes on a fight with Queen Aminata, and your the main event, in a rematch of the 2022 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Darby Allin will take on Jeff Hardy! Before the show begins, drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal
On Wednesday night we heard Chris Jericho speak on the events of BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and it certainly seemed like the original AEW World Champion was growing increasingly unhinged as he recounted the actions of The Don Callis Family. It was certainly unexpected to find Matt Sydal attempting to be the voice of reason, to talk Jericho down from escalating himself into a frenzy, but it was not a surprise that the end result of their conversation was a fight for this Friday night on RAMPAGE.
Now these two men are no strangers to one another; as a matter of fact, in another life Sydal scored six consecutive singles victories over Jericho, and actually holds an 8-2 record over Chris in their one-on-one encounters! While it has been over thirteen years since their last encounter, the memory remains, and perhaps that’s why Sydal was willing to challenge Jericho to this bout in North Charleston, SC.
Will this help Jericho refocus, to channel his rage into something positive rather than self-destructive, or will it be Sydal finding a way to recapture the magic he had in 2010 to score a seventh straight win over “Le Champion”?
REMATCH!
Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy
On May 11, 2022, as part of the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, something of a generational dream match went down, the kind of match no one ever thought they would get to see, but discussed how it would play out if it was ever possible. That bout was Darby Allin versus Jeff Hardy, and it became a reality at UBS Arena in the First Round of the 2022 Owen, one contested under No Disqualification Rules, and ultimately won by Jeff Hardy.
Fast forward twenty months to January 19, 2024 and this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE; for the second time in their careers, Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy will go one-on-one in the main event of the night! Now the entire wrestling world knows Sting’s end is approaching, but on Wednesday night he and Darby made it clear they have a desire to end that run as AEW World Tag Team Champions, a goal that The Hardys share as they aim to rebound from a rather downward spiral in their tag team career last year.
Will Darby march towards REVOLUTION 2024 with a victory over Jeff Hardy to his resume, evening the score for 2022, or will Jeff make it a second win over the former 2-Time TNT Champion as he and his brother look to make 2024 their year?
SINGLES MATCH…
Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata
Though these two have met in the past, with Kris Statlander holding a June 7, 2021 victory over Queen Aminata, it is abundantly clear that neither woman is the same competitor she was at that point in their careers. Statlander stands before the AEW faithful a more confident competitor than she ever was in the past, a former TBS Champion, the woman responsible for ending the longest title reign in all of AEW history. Aminata, to her credit, has become a more seasoned competitor since that 2021 bout, one of her earliest in All Elite Wrestling. That experience has shown over the last several weeks in the Queen’s fights with Hikaru Shida, Mariah May, and Skye Blue, revealing her to be a particularly hard-hitting wrestler who enjoys going strike-for-strike with her opponents.
That’s the kind of fight Statlander needs, especially as she’s potentially distracted by all this nonsense with Stokely Hathaway and his desire to drive a wedge between Stat and Willow Nightingale. Though all that means this fight may be the perfect moment for Queen Aminata to score her first singles victory in AEW, and over a former champion no less!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Penta El Zero Miedo vs. The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry
Though Wednesday night’s tag team battle against AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta did not go as hoped for Penta El Zero Miedo and Komander, the former AEW & ROH World Tag Team Champion has a second chance to make his week a positive one! This Friday night on RAMPAGE, Penta will go into singles competition against another man more conditioned to tag team competition in AEW, The Workhorsemen’s Anthony Henry!
Henry, though generally a tag team competitor alongside JD Drake, has had his share of singles matches under the AEW banner, and though none of them have ended in victory, the experience he’s garnered has been invaluable. Fights with Darby Allin, Trent Beretta, Orange Cassidy, and Miro, just to name a few, have toughened Henry up, and his desire to fight has never waned as a result.
That’s why this Friday night Anthony Henry will wade into battle against this multi-time Tag Team Champion and give Penta El Zero Miedo every ounce of fight in his body. After all, that’s what it means to be a Workhorsemen…
Coming your way from North Charleston, SC, this Friday’s edition of RAMPAGE begins at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans, and features Darby Allin colliding with Jeff Hardy, former TBS Champion Kris Statlander taking on the impressive Queen Aminata, Anthony Henry stepping up to a singles match with Penta El Zero Miedo, and Chris Jericho answering Matt Sydal’s call for a fight! Before the show begins, visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to catch up on highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE, COLLISION, BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and the latest CONTROL CENTER!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
TNT Championship Match!
“The Patriarch” Christian Cage (c.) (with Nick Wayne & Killswitch)
vs.
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
The fans chanted “Let’s go Dustin! Let’s go Dustin! Let’s go Dustin!”
Christian Cage hit Dustin with a cheap shot, kicking him in the abdomen. Rhodes fired back with a scoop slam. Christian rolled out of the ring, swept out Dustin’s legs, and was about to pull Dustin by the legs into the ring post. Instead, Dustin pulled back, sending Christian headfirst into the steel ring post. Dustin flew off the ring steps with a clothesline, taking the fight to the champion outside the ring.
Rhodes hit Christian Cage with a haymaker. Christian Cage took a huge risk and jumped off the turnbuckles and landed on Dustin Rhodes outside the ring. Back in the ring, Dustin strung together a flurry of offense and punctuated it with a bulldog for a near fall!
Dustin rocked Christian with a Code Red for a two-count! Christian played possum, begging off Dustin but then pulling him down onto the ropes. Dustin went for a tope, but Christian countered with a stiff strike. Christian connected with a frog splash for a two-count on Rhodes.
Christian grabbed his title from the timekeeper’s table. Christian was about to smash the title against Dustin’s head, but ref Aubrey Edwards grabbed it away. As the ref was distracted, Dustin rolled up Christian in a small package. Nick Wayne jumped in the ring and reversed the cradle attempt, rolling Christian on top of Dustin. “The Natural” managed to kick out!
“That was quick thinking by Nick Wayne. It didn’t work but it was smart,” said Taz.
Dustin slugged Christian. Dustin superplexed Christian Cage as more interference from Nick Wayne backfired. Dustin Rhodes rocked Christian with the Cross Rhodes for a near fall! Nick Wayne grabbed at Dustin’s ankle. Dustin met Wayne outside the ring while Christian distracted the ref. Killswitch diverted Dustin’s attention this time, and Nick Wayne climbed to the top turnbuckle. Nick went for Wayne’s World, but Dustin countered with a Canadian Destroyer on the arena floor!
Dustin got back into the ring and Christian speared him! Christian smashed Dustin with the Killswitch but Dustin kicked out at the two-count! Dustin got back up, but Christian connected with a second Killswitch and pinned Dustin!
“That spear was a direct message to Adam Copeland,” said Taz.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Swerve Strickland!
Swerve said not only did he have his eyes on the main event, but he also has his eyes everywhere. He said it didn’t matter if it was Samoa Joe or Hook who came out as champion. Swerve said he’s the most dangerous man going after the most coveted prize in the industry. Renee mentioned “Hangman” Adam Page, another man going after that prize. Swerve said, “Like I said, I’ve got eyes everywhere.” Swerve said he’s beaten Hangman twice now and he’s got no reason to prove it again.
Renee Paquette interviewed “The Ocho” Chris Jericho backstage!
Jericho said the Don Callis Family ripped those AEW World Tag Team championship belts out of his and Sammy Guevara’s hands at Battle of the Belts last Saturday. “Takeshita, Hobbs, you caused us to lose, and you injured Sammy. Now, even though I just beat you in Tokyo, Takeshita, suddenly that match doesn’t mean as much anymore. I’m going to seek and destroy your ass!”
Matt Sydal interrupted and questioned why Jericho was losing it over this defeat. “To get over this loss, you have to get back in that ring and you have to fight somebody who’s beaten you before, like me.”
Jericho: “You’re asking for a match? I respect you as a wrestler. Some would even say you’re born to do this. Maybe we need to do this match on Rampage, but I’ve got to warn you, I’ve got a lot of pent up aggression. So be careful what you wish for. I’ll see you on Friday.”
Komander & Penta El Zero Miedo (with Rey Fenix and Alex Abrahantes)!
Orange and Penta El Zero Miedo had a stare down in the center of the ring. Penta blasted Orange with round kicks. Orange attempted a DDT, but Penta countered with a massive thrust kick. Penta was about to fly out of the ring, but Trent cut him off. Komander tagged in and hit a missile dropkick on Trent.
Trent suplexed Komander with a half-and-half and then returned Orange back to the ring. Orange covered Komander for a near fall. Komander took Trent over the top rope with his legs. Komander up kicked at Cassidy. Penta tagged in and stunned Orange with a sling blade, and then a second sling blade! Penta pulped Orange with the Made in Japan, good for a two-count!
Orange spiked Penta with a DDT. Trent tagged in and pie faced Komander. Trent hammered Komander against the ropes. Komander cradled Trent for a near fall. Trent chopped Komander, backing him up to his corner. Penta tagged in, jumped off Komander’s back, and walloped Trent with an assisted Canadian Destroyer! Komander walked the ropes and splashed Trent. Komander covered Trent for the pin, but Orange jumped in to break it up.
Komander climbed to the top turnbuckle and tried for the Phoenix Splash. Trent dodged it and returned fire with a knee strike! Penta popped up out of nowhere and nailed Trent with a thunderous thrust kick. Penta springboarded off the ropes but Orange jumped in, shoved Trent out of the way, and rocked Penta with the Beach Break! Cassidy cracked Komander with the Orange Punch! Trent hoisted up Komander, hit the Crunchy, and pinned Komander!
After the match, the Undisputed Kingdom walked onto the ramp and down to the ring!
Roderick Strong: “I know you’ve heard me say it to the fans and other people, but I came out here to say it to your face, Orange. So, take off your glasses and look me in the eyes! Orange, take your glasses off now! We can end you right now if we wanted to.
“Listen, you have been a fighting champion, willing to take on anyone at any time, but tonight you decided to wrestle in a tag match and not defend the AEW International Championship. But why? Is it all becoming too much? Are you afraid you don’t have enough in the tank to keep it? Or are you afraid of me coming for it, and you can’t face it? It belongs to me and I’m coming for it. I’m here to make you face it!”
Orange Cassidy: “Alright, you know what. You got it. Let’s do it, right here, right now.”
Roderick Strong: “No, no, not right now. You, you’re going to have to wait until March 3rd, live on pay-per-view on Revolution. Because I want you for the next six weeks to live with that, to accept that, to wake up every day knowing that you’re just keeping my title warm for me.”
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview “Hangman” Adam Page!
Page: “If you think back on the past five years, you will not find another soul on the planet who cared more about the AEW World Championship than I have. Who treated it with reverence. Who needed it. But in 2024, not only will I win it, but I will also put my name on it and keep it there for as long as I can.
“Swerve seems to think about me a lot. I don’t think about him at all. If he says he can beat me, I would say it doesn’t matter. Because he’s not the World Champion. Samoa Joe is. I’ll be watching tonight. And if Hook wins, God be with you.”
Mark Briscoe walked onto the ramp to honor his brother, Jay!
The Briscoe family was in the front row.
Mark Briscoe: “I come to you tonight representing the baddest tag team in the history of this planet, the Briscoe Brothers. Tragically, one year ago tonight, my brother passed on in a car accident. He moved onto the next level of existence. My nieces were in the truck with him, and tragically they told my oldest niece she’ll never walk again. However, damn it, God is on the throne! We won’t stop because we can’t stop!”
Mark’s niece walked onto the stage!
Mark Briscoe: “We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!”
A tribute package aired honoring Jay Briscoe.
#Demboys
Renee Paquette had a sit down interview with the Young Bucks—Nick and Matt Jackson!
Nick: “I’m sorry to cut you off, but can you show us some respect and call us by our God-given names, Nicholas and Matthew? We’re executive vice presidents around here, and it’s time to take this job a little more seriously.”
Matt: “Good point.”
Renee: “We’ve heard about the public tantrums, the rumors…”
Matt: “Rumors, you want to go there? I think I know which rumor you’re talking about. You don’t believe the things they say or write about us, do you? None of those are true. Let’s say hypothetically some of those things were true. What would you do to preserve and protect your life’s work? What would you do to protect your baby? I know what I would do. So just think of that the next time you come at us with rumors again. And again, this is all hypothetical, but what would you be willing to lose?
“Also, would you be willing to lose your relationship with coworkers and your friends? How about your legacy and reputation, out the window. If you knew all that in hindsight, would you do all that if it meant there’d be a healthy, sustainable company called AEW? I’ll answer that. Hell yeah. And speaking of there being a company around, you got your paycheck this week, right? You’re welcome.”
Renee: “Switching gears, let’s talk Sting.”
Matt: “When we started AEW there in the beginning, you weren’t there, so you wouldn’t know. But we used to say, ‘Change the world.’ We were disrupters. We were changing the world and somewhere along the way, we lost our way. It’s like the culture shifted and toxicity crept into the locker room. It was just different. I think I know why. I think it’s because we started to lean on yesterday’s self-serving, cancerous superstars.
“And you mentioned Sting. This isn’t about Sting. Sting is none of those things. Sting is great. Sting is a role model employee. I’m envious of the way they talk about Sting. Maybe they’ll talk about us like that one day. However, it’s what Sting represents. Sting is the last of that dying breed. And the image of Sting isn’t in line with what we wanted to do with AEW. We wanted to change the world. Unfortunately for Sting, we’re going to have to say goodbye to Sting and everybody like Sting. And we would never ask anybody to do anything that we weren’t willing to do ourselves.”
Nick: “Good point.”
Renee: “Is that an official call out to Sting at Revolution for his final match?”
Nick: “As EVPs, we’ll pull some strings.”
ROH World Six-Man Championship Match!
The Mogul Embassy (c.)—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage
vs.
Bullet Club Gold— “Switchblade” Jay White, and The Gunns—Austin & Colten!
Toa backed up Jay White. Toa tried for a chop, but Jay ducked it. Jay blistered up Toa’s chest with chops of his own. Toa retaliated with a heavy chop and then multiple knee strikes to Jay’s lower back.
Bishop Kaun tagged in and continued the assault on White. Jay White landed a dragon screw leg whip and tagged out to Colten. Colten stomped on Kaun and then Austin tagged in. Cage grabbed a tag but ate some right hands from Austin. Brian Cage retaliated with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony double teamed Austin, double teaming him.
Colten tagged in and cleaned house on the Mogul Embassy! Colten nailed Cage with a neck breaker. Toa ran in and sent Colten for a ride with a wicked pounce! The Gates of Agony hurled Colten into Cage and Cage power bombed Colten! Kaun connected with an Air Raid Crash, but Austin and Jay ran in to make the save and break up the pin.
Jay White shoved Cage into the steel ring post! Jay White lit up Bishop with heavy chops, sending thunderous echoes throughout the arena. The Gunns blasted Cage with the 3:10 to Yuma! Bishop Kaun split leg dropkicked the Gunns. Kaun distracted the ref while Prince Nana tripped up Jay White. Kaun hit a lung blower on Jay White for a near fall. Prince Nana jumped in the ring with the belt, ready to hit White while Kaun distracted the ref. Anthony Bowens sprinted to the ring and pulled the belt away from Prince Nana! Jay White rocked Kaun with the Blade Runner and pinned him!
And new ROH World Six-Man Champions…Bullet Club Gold!
AEW Trios Champs The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass came out onto the ramp and saluted Bullet Club Gold with the scissor hand gesture.
“Could we be seeing the genesis of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang?” wondered Excalibur.
The Undisputed Kingdom’s Adam Cole and Wardlow were backstage!
Cole: “Wardlow hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he’s capable of, but now with the Undisputed Kingdom, this man will be unbeatable. This man will go down as the most dominant AEW professional wrestler of all time, I promise you that. And just wait and see until Wardlow continues to run over opponent after opponent after opponent until there is nothing left but the AEW World Championship, which will then be the property of the Undisputed Kingdom. Ain’t that right, big man?”
Wardlow: “Boom!”
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay!
AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm joined the commentary team for this match. She was flanked by Mariah May and Luther the Butler.
Deonna hit an uppercut to Anna’s arm. Anna fired back with a neck breaker over the ropes on Deonna. Deonna rocked Anna with clotheslines. Deonna pump kicked Anna for a near fall. Anna cracked Deonna with a backstabber for a two-count.
Anna tried to lock in the Queen Slayer, but Deonna rolled through. They traded forearms. Deonna flattened out Anna, locked on the Venus de Milo, and Anna was forced to submit!
Renee Paquette interviewed Deonna Purrazzo in the ring!
Renee: “Toni Storm said she’d like to meet with you, but the champ is right there. Is there anything you’d like to say to her?”
Deonna: “Absolutely. Toni, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. We’ve known each other for a long time. We used to be like sisters. And it’s clear since I arrived at AEW that you’ve changed. But you know what? So, have I. You might have been friends with Deonna Purrazzo, but you have never met the greatest technical wrestler in the world, ‘the Virtuosa.’”
Toni: “Technical? You’re technical? Well technically speaking, you’re an artificially tanned hack. My past is none of your concern. I aught to march right in that ring and sock you right in that box! But we must go to commercial. So, chin up, t-ts out, and watch for the shoe!”
Mariah May threw a shoe at Deonna! Deonna threw it back!
Toni: “You’re toast! You’re going down!”
Luther carried Toni away on his shoulders.
Top Flight—Dante & Darius Martin vs. Private Party—Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy!
Kassidy and Darius exchanged a flurry of offense, each countering the other, going hold for hold! Dante and Marq grabbed tags. Marq Quen went after Dante’s ankle. Kassidy hit a big springboard crossbody on Dante.
Marq Quen hit two planchas on both members of Top Flight! Quen went to the top turnbuckle and connected with a 450 splash, but Dante managed to kick out! Top Flight rocked Marq Quen with a quick combination. Dante cracked Quen in the nose with a knee strike. Isiah stunned Dante with a step over kick.
Private Party served up Gin & Juice on Dante! Darius ran in to make the save but Marq Quen rolled him up, and with the help of the ropes, scored the pin!
“Whoa a little highway robbery there,” said Taz.
Excalibur wondered if it was intentional or if it was just instinct.
“Either way, Top Flight feeling like they were wronged here tonight,” said Excalibur.
A Sting and Darby Allin video package aired!
“This story is going to end with me and Sting as AEW World champions,” said Darby.
Sting: “It’s showtime.”
Main Event Time! AEW World Championship Match!
Samoa Joe (c.) vs. FTW Champion HOOK!
Hook charged into battle, peppering the champ with shots. Samoa Joe immediately sent Hook to the outside. Samoa Joe whipped Hook at the barricade, but Hook jumped onto the barricade and then jumped back at Joe with a shot!
Back in the ring, Samoa Joe sent Hook into the ropes and then drove him hard to the mat with a running back elbow. Samoa Joe jabbed at Hook with right hands! Samoa Joe pummeled Hook in the corner with more strikes.
Samoa Joe walloped Hook with a kick and then an elbow drop for a two-count. Hook was looking for a T-bone suplex, but Samoa Joe stopped him with an elbow strike. Hook tripped Samoa Joe and then clobbered him with a wild ride hand from off the apron! Samoa Joe spiked Hook onto the announcer’s desk, and it collapsed under Hook!
Hook flipped off Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe power bombed Hook onto the ring apron! The ref had Doc Sampson examine Hook at ringside. Hook wouldn’t stay down; he shoved the doctor away and got back into the ring. Samoa Joe powerslammed Hook for a near fall!
“What is this man made of?” wondered Excalibur.
Samoa Joe nailed Hook with a Death Valley Driver for a two-count! Hook was still alive, despite being put through hell! Samoa Joe planted Hook with a muscle buster and Hook kicked out at the one-count!
Hook blasted Samoa Joe with three consecutive lariats. Hook sent Samoa Joe for a ride with a T-bone suplex! Hook tried to lock in the Red Rum, but Samoa Joe blocked it! Samoa Joe countered with his own submission. The ref raised Hook’s arm three times, but Hook didn’t respond. The ref ended the match, declaring Samoa Joe the winner.
“Hook wrestled the match of a lifetime. The good news for Hook is this is only the beginning. Hook has quite a career ahead of him,” said Ian.
As Samoa Joe was leaving with his title, Hook yelled, “Is that all you got?”
Samoa Joe jumped back into the ring and kicked Hook between the legs! Samoa Joe planted Hook with another muscle buster!
“Not after this match! Joe didn’t need to do this,” said Excalibur.
Hook was undaunted and got back to his feet, pointing at Samoa Joe who was outside the ring! Samoa Joe got back into the ring. “Hangman” Adam Page sprinted to the ring, having seen enough out of Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe finally left the ring, glaring at Hangman Page. Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana appeared in the front row! Swerve was smirking at Page and Samoa Joe. Hangman helped Hook to his feet.
“Hook put up a hell of a fight, but he came up short. That’s all right. He will be a world champion. That will happen,” said Taz.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX was broadcast live from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Open Challenge Match!
“The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland vs. Shane Taylor Promotion’s Lee Moriarty!
Collision kicked off with the “Cope Open”!
Copeland whipped Moriarty into the turnbuckles. Copeland clubbed Lee with forearms. Copeland swept out Lee’s legs. Moriarty wrenched Copeland’s arm over the top rope and followed up with a dropkick.
Moriarty went for the Border City Stretch. Copeland powered himself to the ropes, reaching out and grabbing the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Copeland knocked Moriarty off balance. Copeland tossed Lee with an avalanche fallaway slam. Copeland was contemplating a spear, but Shane Taylor distracted him from the arena floor. Moriarty capitalized and booted Copeland. Copeland went outside and speared Taylor and, in the process, Moriarty torpedoed Copeland with a tope!
Back in the ring, Copeland pummeled Lee with stiff shots. Copeland cracked Lee with a backbreaker. Copeland applied the Grindhouse and made Moriarty tap out!
Copeland: “Just in case he forgot, Christian Cage I’m still coming for your scrawny ass!”
ROH World Six-Man Championship Match!
The Mogul Embassy—Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage (c.)
vs.
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer, & The Righteous—Dutch & Vincent!
Archer and Cage shoved one another. Cage took down Archer with a vertical suplex. Archer wiped out Cage with a lariat. Cage came back with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony used tandem offense on Vincent. Toa splashed Vincent after a drop toe hold.
Bishop Kaun and Vincent slugged it out in the center of the ring. Things broke down quickly with both teams brawling around ringside! Archer choke slammed Kaun. Cage entered the ring and drilled Archer with a Death Valley Driver. Vincent jumped in but Toa hit a Samoan Drop. Vincent grabbed Toa and nailed him with the Bossman Slam and then flipped over the top rope, wiping out the champs!
Archer was looking for the Black Out on Kaun, but Prince Nana grabbed Archer’s boot. Jake “The Snake” Roberts knocked out Nana with one punch! The fans chanted “You still got it!” Archer was mad at Roberts for getting involved.
Toa pounced Vincent in the ring! The Gates of Agony double teamed Vincent but Archer ran in to make the save. Cage nailed Archer with a twisting neck breaker. Bishop Kaun used his finisher and flattened Vincent for the pinfall victory!
Prince Nana: “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re looking at the greatest ROH Six-Man Champions of all time! And you know what? The boss, Swerve and I, we were watching those guys from the Bang Bang Gang complain about how they need more titles in their collection. More specifically, the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. But you have a boss who couldn’t beat Swerve in the Continental Classic! But since we’re such great guys, this Wednesday, live on Wednesday, it’s Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony challenging you guys in the Bang Bang Gang!”
Lexy Nair was interviewing Preston Vance backstage when…
Roderick Strong and the Kingdom interrupted Preston. Preston Vance said this was his time, but after he was done with his match tonight, he’d beat Roddy next week!
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes vs. Willie Mack!
Dustin arm dragged Mack to the mat. Dustin staggered Willie with a strike to the face. Willie Mack cracked Dustin in the head with a kick. Willie splashed Dustin with a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Willie Mack climbed to the top and went for the six-star frog splash, but Dustin dodged it. Dustin followed up with a Canadian Destroyer and then a power slam! Dustin planted Mack with the Cross Rhodes and pinned him!
“I think he’s catching lightning in a bottle. Message sent!” said Kevin Kelly.
Bullet Club Gold were backstage with an answer for Prince Nana and the Mogul Embassy!
“Switchblade” Jay White said the ROH Six-Man Titles would be going home with him and the Gunns after their match on Dynamite this Wednesday!
FTW World Champion Hook was shown arriving at the arena!
Renee Paquette tried to interview Dustin Rhodes backstage!
TNT Champion Christian Cage interrupted Rhodes and said he didn’t like the company that Rhodes kept. Dustin challenged Christian Cage to put his title on the line this Wednesday on Dynamite!
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. The Workhorsemen’s JD Drake (with Anthony Henry)!
Tony Schiavone mentioned how Page made a challenge to AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, but Hook has the first shot this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Hangman used a side headlock takeover on Drake. Hangman chopped Drake in the corner. Hangman connected with a running moonsault. Page dropkicked Drake into Anthony Henry. JD Drake blasted Page with a big blow!
Hangman landed a top rope plancha on Drake. Page followed up with a crossbody press from the top rope for a near fall. Hangman hoisted up Drake and drilled him with a Death Valley Driver! JD Drake fired back with a belly-to-belly suplex and then a cannonball splash! JD Drake went for a moonsault, but Hangman got out of the way. Hangman blasted Drake with the Buckshot Lariat and pinned JD Drake!
“His first Collision match is a victory, and he earned it, too!” said Tony Schiavone.
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet!
Red Velvet was looking for a thrust kick, but Deonna put the brakes on. Red Velvet snuck in a dropkick though. Deonna grabbed Red Velvet in a Fujiwara armbar, but Velvet grabbed the ropes. Deonna cracked Red Velvet with a baseball dropkick.
Red Velvet shocked Deonna with a Japanese style arm drag. Red Velvet continued to work over Purrazzo’s arm. Deonna rocked Red Velvet with a big pump kick! Deonna grabbed Red Velvet’s arms and pulled back, forcing Red Velvet to tap out to the Venus de Milo!
FTW Champion HOOK vs. Kevin Matthews!
Matthews charged at Hook, trying to blindside him. Hook saw him coming and suplexed Matthews all over the ring. Hook hurled KM on the ramp with another suplex! Hook locked on the Red Rum and Kevin Matthews tapped out!
“Hook has momentum going into Wednesday!” said Tony Schiavone.
Hook looked into the camera and said, “Samoa Joe, I’ll see you Wednesday!”
Collision Main Event! Trios Match!
Daniel Garcia & FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood
vs.
The House of Black—Brody King, Buddy Matthews, & Malakai Black!
Matt Menard joined the commentary team for this match.
Dax smashed Buddy with a guillotine leg drop. FTR hit a double catapult on Buddy. Cash followed up with a brain buster. Garcia tagged in but ate a boot from Buddy.
Malakai Black tagged in and took down Garcia with a big arm drag. Garcia ducked a roundhouse kick from Black. Black and Garcia taunted one another. Brody King entered the fray and FTR knocked him over the top rope with a lariat. The House of Black gathered outside the ring to rethink their strategy.
Back in the ring, big bad Brody and Dax the ax battled it out! Brody power bombed Dax. Malakai tagged in and Malakai and Buddy Matthews double teamed Dax, cutting the ring in half, preventing him from making the tag. The House of Black were relentless in their assault on Dax Harwood.
Harwood finally managed to make the tag to Garcia. Daniel Garcia had fists of fire, taking the fight right to Buddy and Malakai! Garcia held the ropes open and Cash flew out with a tope suicida onto the entire House of Black! Garcia spiked Black with a brain buster for a near fall!
FTR picked up Brody and Garcia jumped off the top rope and they spiked Brody with a triple team piledriver! Black rocked Garcia with a roundhouse kick!
The fans chanted “A-E-W! A-E-W! A-E-W!”
Garcia put Black on his shoulders and Dax jumped off the top with a big bulldog for a two-count! Dax superplexed Black and Garcia jumped for the splash, but Black raised his knees in defense. Matthews tagged himself in. Matthews power bombed Dax twice for a near fall. Dax crunched Buddy with a piledriver for a two-count!
“This is incredible!” said Matt Menard.
Brody distracted the ref from the apron and Black nailed Dax with a round kick. Buddy curb stomped Dax and scored the victory.
“What we have seen tonight has been incredible and the House of Black rises to the top,” said Tony Schiavone.
“You know what they say. The House always wins,” replied Nigel.
Brody blindsided Matt Menard after the match! The House of Black had Daddy Magic surrounded. Black mauled Menard with a roundhouse kick. Garcia and Cash jumped into the ring with steel chairs. The House of Black were forced to retreat, despite winning. FTR and Garcia made a final statement by taking out Brody with the Shatter Machine!
The Battle Of The Belts IX portion of the night began!
AEW World Tag Team Championship Street Fight!
Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks (c.)
vs.
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara!
Both teams were brawling outside the arena! Jericho cracked Starks in the head with a garbage can. Big Bill choke slammed Jericho onto the dirt. Sammy rammed into the champs with a golf cart!
Big Bill had a backpack with bricks inside. Big Bill threw a brick at Sammy, but Sammy moved. The brick broke a car windshield. Jericho and Sammy suplexed Big Bill onto the hood of the car. Rhett Titus was outside with a crowd watching the fight. Titus yelled at Jericho, “That’s my car!” Jericho answered with a Judas Effect to Titus!
Starks and Jericho fought backstage. Starks put a plunger on Jericho’s face! Jericho retaliated with a traffic cone! Sammy and Big Bill traded strikes. Sammy sprayed Big Bill in the face with a fire extinguisher. He sprayed Ricky next!
Starks cracked Jericho in the back with a kendo stick. Jericho had a kendo stick of his own and began to whack Big Bill with it. Jericho picked up a table from ringside. He put two tables side by side. Jericho and Big Bill brawled on top of a crew case. Takeshita smashed Jericho with a kendo stick from out of nowhere. Big Bill power bombed Jericho off the crew case and down through the tables below!
Sammy climbed a lighting truss. Sammy was thirty feet in the air and went for a senton. Powerhouse Hobbs pulled Starks out of the way, and Sammy crashed and burned on the senton! Starks put his arm over Sammy and pinned him!
TBS Championship Match!
Julia Hart (c.) vs. Anna Jay!
Anna Jay stunned Julia with a running snap mare. Julia ducked a round kick. Julia yanked on Anna’s arm, and Anna’s shoulder collided with the turnbuckle. Anna was doing her best to fight with one injured arm. Anna connected with a backstabber for a near fall.
Anna applied the Queen Slayer, but Julia rolled out and put a choke of her own on Anna. Anna escaped and wiped out Julia with a flatliner. Julia locked on Heartless out of nowhere and made Anna Jay tap out!
Footage was shown from earlier in the day of Sonjay Dutt in a locker room with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, and Jay Lethal!
Sonjay told them they needed to get on the same page. Jeff told Jay he had to leave the team. Satnam Singh entered the room and offered food to Jay Lethal, but Lethal shoved it away.
Main Event Time! AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (c.) vs. LFI’s Preston Vance (with Jose the Assistant)!
The Undisputed Kingdom walked down the ramp and sat on chairs watching from ringside.
Preston walloped Orange with a discus lariat. Orange fired back with an Orange Punch! Preston blocked the Beach Break. Preston shoulder tackled Cassidy from off the ropes. Preston connected with a pump kick, sending Orange spilling outside the ring, right in front of the Undisputed Kingdom.
Orange got his hands in his pockets and dropkicked Preston. Orange followed up with a tope suicida. Preston planted Vance with a spinebuster. Preston stomped on Orange in the corner. Orange rallied back with a thrust kick and stomps of his own, pummeling Preston to the mat. Cassidy drilled Preston with the Stun Dog Millionaire and then a spinning DDT for a two-count!
Orange jumped from the top turnbuckle, out of the ring, but Preston caught him! Preston used Orange as a weapon, throwing him overhead with a fallaway slam, taking out the members of the Undisputed Kingdom! Preston flipped off Roderick.
Back in the ring, Preston locked on the full nelson. Cassidy stomped on Preston’s foot and broke free. Orange cracked Preston in the face with the Orange Punch! Orange pulped Preston with the Beach Break and pinned him, retaining the championship!
The Undisputed Kingdom got into the ring after the match. They stared at Cassidy. Jose the Assistant grabbed Roderick, but Roderick retaliated with a jumping knee strike. The Undisputed Kingdom threw Preston and Jose out of the ring. They turned their attention back to Orange Cassidy. Roderick pointed at Orange and said the clock was ticking for him.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Saturday night is loaded up with All Elite Wrestling action as we present three loaded hours of the best professional wrestling action on the planet between two back-to-back programs! For the first time since October 26, 2022, AEW returns to Norfolk’s Chartway Arena and with it comes both COLLISION and BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX! The former will feature “Hangman” Adam Page coming back to Norfolk for the first time since November 2021 where he arrived the new AEW World Champion, Adam Copeland laying out another Open Challenge as he fights towards another TNT Championship opportunity, The Mogul Embassy defending the ROH World Six-Man Championship against Lance Archer and The Righteous, and Deonna Purrazzo making her COLLISION debut against Red Velvet!
For the ninth edition of BATTLE OF THE BELTS, Chris Jericho will use the title opportunity he earned at FULL GEAR 2023 when he teams with Sammy Guevara to challenge Big Bill and Ricky Starks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship titles! Plus, after Anna Jay’s team defeat Julia Hart’s on DYNAMITE this past Wednesday night, “The Queen Slayer” will face “The Princess of the Black Throne” for her TBS Championship title, and Orange Cassidy will put his AEW International Championship on the line against LFI’s Preston Vance!
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, followed immediately by BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
After being robbed of his TNT Championship triumph by Killswitch at WORLDS END, and then having to watch that monster turn his moment over to Christian Cage rather than capitalize on it himself, Adam Copeland is a very angry man. But as someone who understands taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, Copeland can’t fault the former Luchasaurus from trying to seize his moment, but he can look towards Christian Cage as the target of his rage. Copeland may be able to claim a rematch as the former champion, but he’s chosen to play the game “The Patriarch” has laid out, start from scratch, and work his way back towards another shot at Christian and the TNT Championship.
It began last week when a brave Griff Garrison slapped Copeland across the face in response to Adam’s first Open Challenge, and although it ended with Griff tapping out, it showed a more aggressive side to the young man than we’ve seen in the past. This week on COLLISION, Copeland will lay out another Open Challenge and wait to see just who answers the call for a fight! There are plenty of men in the AEW locker room who dream of using the Hall of Famer as their own personal stepping stone, but all they have to do is ask Griff Garrison just how different that dream can be from the reality!
ROH WORLD SIX-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage & Toa Liona)(c) vs. Lance Archer & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)
What an unexpected treat this fight is going to be! Six of the roughest, toughest competitors in professional wrestling locking horns with the ROH World Six-Man Championship titles at stake this Saturday night on COLLISION! The Mogul Embassy are in the midst of their second reign with the titles, having defeated The Elite back on the November 1st edition of DYNAMITE, and sending The Gates of Agony off to New Japan’s World Tag League Tournament on a high note.
Upon their return, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona reunited with Brian Cage at ROH’s FINAL BATTLE 2023 event to make their first successful defense of this second reign over TMDK representatives Bad Dude Tito, Kosei Fujita, and Shane Haste. The trio were back in action together this past Wednesday night during DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, only this time joined by a fourth man in Lance Archer, as they faced Preston Vance, Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, and AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy. Communication broke down, Archer accidentally hit Toa Liona, which in turn led to Brian Cage and Lance Archer coming to blows, and the whole thing falling apart until Bishop Kaun got pinned by Vance.
So this Saturday night on COLLISION, the ROH World Six-Man Champions look to even the score with Lance Archer, but in order to do so they’ll have to put those titles on the line against the nascent team of The Righteous and “The Murderhawk Monster”! Under the guidance of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, they are a dangerous trio who could easily bring an end to The Mogul Embassy’s grip on this Six-Man Championship titles! Vincent and Dutch are familiar with them, having held the belts with Bateman for 224 days from FINAL BATTLE 2021: END OF AN ERA to DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2022, and would love to have them in their possession once again, especially with a behemoth like Lance Archer at their side!
THE VIRTUOSA COMES TO COLLISION…
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo vs. Red Velvet
It was just over a week ago that “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo crashed the in-ring debut of Mariah May, declared herself to be All Elite, and made it clear her sights were set on “Timeless” Toni Storm’s AEW Women’s World Championship! It was the first time Purrazzo had been in an AEW ring since her ROH Women’s World Title fight with Mercedes Martinez on May 4, 2022, but back then she was not a part of the AEW roster. This Saturday night on COLLISION, when she steps into the ring against Red Velvet, Purrazzo will be an official member of All Elite Wrestling, and thus beginning her own march towards the title coveted by all the women under the AEW banner.
Eleven times in her career Deonna has worn a championship around her waist, including that ROH Women’s World Title and the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship, but her aim to make the AEW crown her twelfth could very well be stifled by Red Velvet with their mutual COLLISION debut! In November, Red returned from a nine month injury layoff hungry to get back into a title picture, but she has instead been frustrated by the competitors she has faced. This moment that Deonna Purrazzo aims to make her own could be the one Red Velvet steals to put the spotlight back on her own quest to become the top women in AEW.
It’s a tremendous opportunity for Red Velvet, but the pressure is certainly on Deonna Purrazzo to deliver in her debut as an official member of the All Elite Wrestling roster! Purrazzo has the experience advantage, ten years already under her belt at just 29 years of age, but AEW has been Red Velvet’s home for nearly four years, and she intends to remind everyone just who stirs it up around here!
TRIOS GRUDGE MATCH…
Daniel Garcia and FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews
Last week FTR defeated The House of Black, as honored by Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black, in their very first tag team contest, but the meatier story was all that surrounded Dax’s pinfall on Buddy. Prior to the end, Brody King made his way to ringside to help his brothers, but was instead cutoff by a chair-wielding Daniel Garcia, the young man serving as equalizer for The House’s attempt to tip the scales in their favor.
What followed was an all-out assault by The House perpetrated on Dax, Cash, and Garcia, while TBS Champion Julia Hart rang the bell in what can only be likened to a ten bell salute. The message was clear, as was The House’s intent to bury these three individuals, and it looks like the former AEW World Trios Champions will have their opportunity this Saturday night on COLLISION! Aside from a common foe, the only crossing of paths between Daniel Garcia and FTR was a superb HOUSE RULES: TUPELO fight between Garcia and Dax Harwood back in June. They are an inexperienced trio fighting former Trios Champions who hold the record for longest reign in the history of the titles; there’s no doubt FTR and Daniel Garcia are at a disadvantage from the standpoint of working together, but their hunger for a fight, and for revenge after last week, may just be the x-factor that carries them to victory in Saturday night’s fight!
BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP STREET FIGHT…
Big Bill & Ricky Starks(c) vs. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara
Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara are no strangers to tag team competition, they netted their very first tag team victory on the second episode of DYNAMITE way back on 10/9/19, and unsuccessfully challenged for the AEW World Tag Titles a month later against Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian. All told, the pair are 7-5 as team since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, but this championship bout on Saturday night comes after a strained relationship turned to betrayal which in turn led to a reunion only a few weeks ago. Jericho and Sammy lived through The Inner Circle together, through the Jericho Appreciation Society together, and even after The J.A.S. fell apart, it seemed Guevara would at least be the one who remained a Jericho-supporter. Yet shockingly, “The Spanish God” did betray Jericho to ally himself with Don Callis and even fought Jericho at WRESTLEDREAM 2023 with Takeshita and Will Ospreay as his partners.
But that match would ultimately tell Guevara everything he needed to know about the poor choice he had made in picking Don Callis, not to say that Jericho himself was a saint over the course of AEW, but neither was Guevara. See “The Spanish God” suffered a serious concussion over the course of that Trios fight in Seattle, and while he was absent from AEW competition, so too was he absent from the mind of Don Callis. No contact, no care, Callis showed not the least bit of concern for Guevara’s health, and that became abundantly clear when Guevara did finally return to AEW during Callis’ self-congratulatory Boxing Day Celebration.
Guevara ended up on the wrong end of an assault from The Don Callis Family, not that it was a surprise Callis sicced his dogs on “The Spanish God”, but what was a shock was Chris Jericho rushing to the aid of his former friend. An even bigger shock was the two men hugging after the fact, Sting and Darby Allin helping them out when an Ricky Starks and Big Bill launched an attack of their own, and the foursome actually beating Starks, Bill, Takeshita, and Powerhouse Hobbs at WORLDS END.
With that victory it was clear that Guevara and Jericho were back on the same page, and that in turn led Chris Jericho to choose Sammy as his partner for this AEW World Tag Team Championship bout! The title shot came about from Jericho and Kenny Omega defeating The Young Bucks at FULL GEAR 2023, but when Omega was forced to step away from AEW to handle his diverticulitis, that left Jericho without a partner to take advantage of the championship opportunity. After all, given everything he’d done to the men in AEW, who would possibly want to team up with “Le Champion” even with a guaranteed title match as part of the deal?
To look towards the future, Jericho certainly had to repair the past, and apparently make amends for what he’d done to Sammy Guevara, and presumably “The Spanish God” also making his apologies for those actions taken several months ago. So now that they’re back on the same page, now that the bond of friendship has been reignited, can they topple Big Bill and Ricky Starks? Unlike Jericho and Guevara, the defending champions are not friends, their relationship is not contingent on being best friends, in fact sometimes it seems like they barely know one another outside of the time they spend fighting side-by-side. The important part to Big Bill and Ricky Starks isn’t a personal relationship, but rather a professional one that keeps the AEW World Tag Team Championship in their possession as long as humanly possible, and if the day comes that it ends, the two men will bid each other farewell and head back onto their own paths.
So in some ways, this fight is a question of which method of conducting your business proves better? Is it the bonds of friendship that make for stronger tag team success, or the bond of business? Will the history of Sammy and Chris be their key to ending the reign of Big Bill and Ricky Starks, or will all their drama over the last five year be their undoing? We will see this Saturday night during BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX!
This past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, TBS Champion Julia Hart and Anna Jay were on opposite sides of an Eight-Woman Tag, with the latter competing in memory of her late-mentor Mr. Brodie Lee. Perhaps it was Lee’s memory, perhaps it was being back in Jacksonville at Daily’s Place, whatever the case may be, it motivated Anna Jay’s team towards victory, with “The Queen Slayer” herself scoring the deciding pinfall over Julia Hart!
Clearly it was a very emotional situation for Anna Jay, but that victory has catapulted her into this championship situation on Saturday night during BOTB IX! Riding on the motivation of that Wednesday night victory, Anna Jay has to remember that Julia Hart holds two decisive victories over her, one in a wild No Holds Barred Match back on May 10th of 2023. Conversely, Anna Jay has no wins over Julia, not directly at least, just this multi-man pinfall over a member of Hart’s team on Wednesday night. In addition, this match marks Anna Jay’s fifth TBS Championship bid since the title’s inception at the beginning of 2022, will it be the night she finally claims it as her own?
On Wednesday night, as part of DYNAMITE: HOMECOMING 2024, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Preston Vance were on the same side of an eight-man tag bout, a match won by Vance when he pinned Bishop Kaun. As a reward for that victory, Orange Cassidy has offered Preston Vance an opportunity to vie for the International Championship this Saturday night during BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, coincidentally also the last championship Vance challenged for back in October 2022. That night it was as part of a Three Way bout with RUSH and then All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy, with Cassidy in the earliest days of his historic championship reign, making his first defense after defeating PAC a week prior.
Fast forward some 15 months and these two competitors will meet again, only now in a singles bout, their first since September 30, 2020, and with the International Championship at stake! Can Vance take that next step in his career and rise to championship status? Or will Cassidy continue on in his goal to surpass the records he set with his previous title run?
The night begins with COLLISION at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, followed immediately by BATTLE OF THE BELTS IX, and fans can get prepared for the action-packed evening by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER, and so much more! Between the two events, we’ve got an AEW World Tag Team Championship match, a ROH World Six-Man Championship Match, a TBS Championship fight, Adam Copeland in action, Hangman Page returning to Virginia, and so much more! Do not miss out on this loaded night featuring the premiere professional wrestlers of All Elite Wrestling!
