FULL GEAR 2023 saw two new champions crowned with Julia Hart claiming the TBS Championship from Kris Statlander, albeit by pinning Skye Blue, and Toni Storm kicking off her third reign as AEW Women’s World Champion at Hikaru Shida’s expense, as well as MJF, against all odds, officially completing one full year as AEW World Champion! Now with WORLDS END just over a month away on Long Island, all eyes turn towards AEW’s Thanksgiving Eve tradition and our return to Chicago for DYNAMITE!
This year the focus falls on the kick-off of the Continental Classic, AEW’s first-ever Round Robin Tournament, with some seriously high stakes thanks to Eddie Kingston putting both the ROH World Championship and NJPW STRONG Openweight Title into the mix, and it all begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for international fans. Be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s assorted social media platforms, to get caught up on the action with highlights from FULL GEAR 2023, as well as recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this week’s CONTROL CENTER!
Earlier today, in the above embedded video, AEW/ROH President Tony Khan, along with Tony Schiavone and ROH World Champion/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, announced the field of 12 for the Continental Classic Tournament! There are two groups, Blue and Gold, with six competitors each, competing in a Round Robin Style Tournament that begins Wednesday night in Chicago, and will continue until the finals at WORLDS END on December 30th!
Already quite the intriguing situation with Bryan Danielson, Mark Briscoe, and Andrade El Idolo putting their names into the hat prior to the Selection Special, with a competitive fire burning strong in his heart, Eddie Kingston further amplified the prestige of the tournament by putting both the ROH World Champion and NJPW STRONG Championship at stake thus, along with the AEW Continental Championship, creating a new Triple Crown Championship awaiting the winner of this tournament.
Now as for the rules of this tournament, matches will be contested with a 20 minute time limit, there will be no seconds allowed at ringside, and outside interference will not be tolerated, which may throw a monkey wrench in how many of the competitors generally handle their business. In addition, the scoring system for the Continental Classic will be very straight forward and simple, with points being awarded as follows: 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. Here is how the two groups break down:
Blue Group
Andrade El Idolo
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson
Brody King
Claudio Castagnoli
Daniel Garcia
ROH World Champion/NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston
Gold Group
Jay Lethal
Jay White
Jon Moxley
Mark Briscoe
Rus
Swerve Strickland
The first matches of the tournament will go down at Wintrust Arena as part of AEW’s Thanksgiving Eve tradition, and continue Saturday night in Pittsburgh!
THE GOLD GROUP…
Swerve Strickland vs. Jay Lethal
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Continental Classic Tournament is going to be the opportunity to see several first-time matches, and three of them are going down this Wednesday night with the opening bouts of AEW’s first-ever Round -style Robin Tournament!
Coming off a brutal, bloody Texas Death Match victory over Hangman Page at FULL GEAR 2023, Swerve Strickland will be in action for his first bout of the Continental Classic this Wednesday night in Chicago. Though there is not way he’s feeling anywhere near 100%, Swerve will have to find a way to be at the top of his game because his opponent in this first night of action will be “The Franchise of ROH”, a former 2-Time ROH World Champion and the second-longest reigning ROH World TV Champion in history thanks to Samoa Joe’s recent run, Jay Lethal! Lethal is no doubt coming into this bout far healthier than Swerve, and that may make the crucial difference in this contest, but another game changer for both these individuals, given how each generally approaches their matches, is that ban on seconds and outside interference. How many times have fans seen Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, Satnam Singh, and Karen Jarrett play a deciding factor in Jay Lethal’s matches? On how many instances have The Gates of Agony, Brian Cage, or Prince Nana been involved in swaying Swerve Strickland’s matches? With this tournament, none of that will fly, leaving these two stellar athletes to rely solely on their skill inside the squared circle? Which of these men will notch their first points in the Continental Classic?
LFI’s Rush vs. BULLET CLUB GOLD’s Jay White
Just like Swerve, both “El Toro Blanco” Rush and “Switchblade” Jay White went through their own bit of hell at FULL GEAR 2023. In the case of Rush, it was the Four Team Ladder match for the AEW World Tag Titles and the punishment that sort of bout entails while for Jay White it was his bid for the AEW World Championship against MJF, although he and BC GOLD did their best to make sure it wasn’t MJF defending The Triple B.
While neither man was victorious in their efforts to become a champion in All Elite Wrestling, a new road to that goal begins this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE with the opening bouts in the Continental Classic. Another first-time bout, this head-to-head fight between the leaders of LFI and BC GOLD may be the show stealer given the skills of each involved, but as with the Lethal/Swerve bout, this is another contest between two men who often rely on their respective units to help determine the outcomes of a bout.
But unlike most outings with these two, there will be no Jose the Assistant, Preston Vance, or Dralistico at Rush’s side to interfere, nor a Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, or Colten Gunn in Jay White’s corner to stick their nose in the business at hand. This continental classic is about putting the focus on the wrestling, and the fight between the two individuals vying for points, not the assorted seconds, managers, and stablemates polluting the competition with shenanigans.
With those elements removed, this is a bout between two elite level competitors and it will be quite intriguing to see who nets the three points in their first Continental Classic clash!
The BCC’s Jon Moxley vs. Mark Briscoe
Now this is going to be a fight between two men who love to throwdown inside the squared circle, and unlike the other two first-time bouts, this first-timer does not involve a competitor reliant on interference, managers, or seconds. Both Jon Moxley and Mark Briscoe are men who want the victory on their own merit, they want the win on their own skills, and not because someone else lent a hand.
For Mark Briscoe, a 13-time ROH World Tag Team Champion with his late brother Jay, this tournament is an opportunity to not only firmly stake his status in the singles division but also to claim the first singles championship (or rather championships) of his entire career! He’s challenged for the ROH World Title and the ROH World Television Championship several times during his twenty-plus years in ROH, but never captured those, nor any other singles title, and if he comes out of this tournament on top, he could claim three in one shot! He just may have the most difficult first match of the tournament by fighting Jon Moxley!
A 3-Time AEW World Champion, a former International Champion, and former 2-Time IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion, just to name a few of his accolades, Moxley is certainly a favorite to win this tournament and add three more championship to his name with the Triple Crown of the ROH World, NJPW STRONG Openweight, and AEW Continental Championships. With three members in the field, The Blackpool Combat Club are absolutely odds-on favorites to bring a tournament victory to their camp, and Jon Moxley is the first of the three to shoot for the three points.
These are two of the most unpredictable men in all of professional wrestling, and it is going to be a wild night when the two of them meet inside the squared circle for the very first time!
TONI STORM’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH…
Last Saturday night at FULL GEAR 2023, fans witnessed as Toni Storm dethroned Hikaru Shida to reclaim the AEW Women’s World Championship for the third time. It was a fitting end to Storm’s Hollywood Homecoming, at least for her, and she did share some words with the AEW cameras following the bout:
Unfortunately, for those who had hoped she’d join the FULL GEAR Media Scrum following the conclusion of the pay-per-view, that would not be the case as Toni had other commitments to attend, but she very kindly gave Tony Khan a letter explaining her absence, one which RJ City was kind enough to provide for everyone to read:
Storm’s lack of appearing during the Media Scrum simply meant her adoring public just had to wait until this Wednesday night in Chicago, during AEW’s DYNAMITE Thanksgiving Eve tradition, to hear her Championship Acceptance Speech! Who will she thank? Who will she be wearing? Will the band have to play her off stage if she goes on too long? Tune into TBS this Wednesday night to hear what will surely be the most unforgettable acceptance speech in championship history from “Timeless” Toni Storm!
RECHRISTENING?
After falling to Darby Allin, Sting, and Adam Copeland at FULL GEAR 2023, TNT Champion Christian Cage has stated that this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, he is going to rechristen Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus.
So rechristen simply means “to rename” or “to change the name of”, which means Christian Cage has the intention of changing the names of his Patriarchy followers. What could he possibly hope to gain from this? And what names could he possibly choose for Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne?
On the heels of FULL GEAR 2023 AEW’s first-ever Round Robin Tournament, the Continental Classic, gets underway and will run from Wednesday night in Chicago through WORLDS END on December 30th. Tonight will see Mark Briscoe versus Jon Moxley, Swerve versus Lethal, and Rush/Switchblade kick off the tournament, with more to come this weekend in Pittsburgh, and it kicks off at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS! International fans can catch the action at AEWPlus.com, and everyone needs to visit the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s other social media platforms, to get caught up on the action with highlights from FULL GEAR 2023, as well as recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, and this week’s CONTROL CENTER!
AEW presented Full Gearlive from the KIA Forum in Los Angeles, CA!
It’s Saturday and you know what that means!
The Zero Hour portion of the show kicked off!
Your announce team for Zero Hour was Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Nigel McGuinness.
ROH World Championship Match!
Eddie Kingston (c.) vs. Jay Lethal (with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, & Satnam Singh)!
Stokely Hathaway joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Kingston clotheslined Lethal over the top rope, sending Lethal crashing onto the arena floor. Back in the ring they traded stiff chops. Lethal pulled Kingston out of the ring and sent the champ headfirst into the steel ring post. Lethal took Kingston down with a snap suplex. Lethal followed up with a beautiful overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Lethal executed the Lethal Combination. Kingston countered the Lethal Injection with a suplex.
Karen Jarrett distracted the ref while Lethal crawled towards Jeff Jarrett’s guitar. Ortiz appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the guitar and smashed it over Dutt’s head. Kingston countered the Lethal Injection again and then pinned Lethal after a spinning backfist!
Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli
vs.
House of Black’s Buddy Matthews!
Buddy Matthews went right after Claudio right out of the gate. Claudio blasted Buddy with a European Uppercut outside the ring. Buddy rocked Claudio with a rising knee and Claudio answered with a lariat. Buddy tried for a meteora, but Claudio caught him and countered with the Big Swing!
Buddy employed the hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Claudio deadlifted Buddy into a cutter. Claudio accelerated into an uppercut. Claudio planted Buddy with the Ricola Bomb and then placed Buddy in the sharpshooter, forcing Buddy to tap out!
ROH World Tag Team Championship Match!
MJF (c.) & Samoa Joe vs. The Gunns—Austin & Colten!
MJF stomped Colten in the corner. MJF hit the Gunns with a double clothesline. Samoa Joe tagged himself in. Samoa Joe wiped out the Gunns with a tope suicida. Joe connected with a senton on Colten. Joe jabbed away at Colten.
Colten swiped MJF with a clothesline as the ref was distracted. Austin Gunn grabbed a tag and kicked MJF in the back. The Gunns employed quick tags and worked over MJF with tandem offense.
Samoa Joe tagged in and cleaned house on the Gunns. Samoa Joe powerslammed Austin for a near fall. Samoa Joe was setting up Austin for a muscle buster, but MJF tagged in. MJF went for a muscle buster of his own on Austin but Colten dropkicked MJF. The champ fired back with a double DDT on the Gunns. MJF was looking for the kangaroo kick, but Samoa Joe tagged himself in. The Gunns escaped muscle busters from MJF and Samoa Joe. The Gunns nailed Samoa Joe with the 3:10 to Yuma. MJF broke up the pin attempt.
Adam Cole came out and walked down the ramp on crutches. As the Gunns were distracted, Samoa Joe finished off Colten with a submission. MJF and Adam Cole hugged outside the ring.
After the match Samoa Joe got in MJF’s face. Samoa Joe and MJF shook hands, with MJF being a man of his word. Samoa Joe is now in line for a shot at the World title, as he helped MJF defend the ROH Tag titles tonight. Samoa Joe left and then the Gunns blindsided MJF in front of Adam Cole. Colten held down MJF while Austin cracked MJF in the leg with a steel chair! Adam Cole was forced to watch helplessly on crutches. Ref Paul Turner called for Doc Sampson to check on MJF who was writhing in pain.
MJF was stretchered out of the ring by the AEW medical team. MJF was loaded into an ambulance, and he yelled at Adam Cole, “Promise me you won’t let them take my championship!”
“How can Adam Cole live up to that promise, a man with one leg,” wondered Nigel.
The main portion of Full Gear began.
Trios Match!
“Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland, Darby Allin & Sting (with “Nature Boy” Ric Flair)
vs.
TNT Champion Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, & Nick Wayne!
Nick Wayne cracked Darby Allin with a cheap shot. Darby grappled Nick Wayne to the mat. Darby followed up with two deep arm drags. Sting tagged in and threw Nick Wayne through the ropes and to the floor. Sting whipped Nick Wayne into the steel barricade.
Copeland tagged in and Christian Cage immediately tagged out to Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus charged at Cope with a clothesline. Cope escaped a chokeslam attempt. Darby tagged in but ate a right hand from Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus choke slammed Darby over the top rope and onto the ring apron.
Christian Cage stomped on Darby and then tagged out to Nick Wayne. Nick punted Darby in the shoulder. Luchasaurus entered the ring and slammed Darby, and then Nick Wayne followed up with a senton for a near fall. Darby nailed Nick with a Code Red from the top turnbuckle. Christian Cage crawled under the ring, popped up on the other side, pulled Copeland down and rammed him into the ring post! Christian taunted Darby, telling him to make the tag. Christian poured on the punishment.
Adam Copeland entered the match and unleashed hell on Luchasaurus. Copeland rocked Luchasaurus with an Impaler. Copeland threw Wayne over the top rope at Luchasaurus. Darby rocketed out of the ring with a tope at Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus!
Sting and Copeland hammered Luchasaurus. They hit Luchasaurus with a tandem Scorpion Death Drop. Luchasaurus battered Copeland with a lariat to the back of the neck. Christian Cage taunted Ric Flair and Flair chopped Christian. Christian connected with a low blow. Christian Cage tried to hit Copeland with the championship belt, but Copeland ducked, and Cage inadvertently hit Luchasaurus. Christian Cage abandoned his team. Sting splashed Luchasaurus and then Copeland hit the spear! Darby nailed Luchasaurus with the Coffin Drop and then Copeland pinned Luchasaurus!
Tony Schiavone was on the ramp with ref Bryce Remsburg and called out representatives of Bullet Club Gold—The Gunns. Instead “Switchblade” Jay White came out. “Tell them old man,” said Jay White.
Tony Schiavone: “I hate to say this, but unfortunately MJF is injured and will not be able to defend the title tonight. The match tonight between MJF and Jay White has been cancelled. And now by default, your new AEW World Champion is Jay White—”
Adam Cole’s music hit!
Adam Cole: “Jay, there is not a shot in hell you’re leaving the KIA Forum with Max’s championship. I made a promise to my friend, and I had a talk with Tony Khan and if MJF can’t defend his title tonight, I will do it for him, one leg or not. Tonight’s main event will be Jay White versus Adam Cole baybay!”
Jay White: “Let me refresh your damaged memory. I took you out once before. If you want to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, I’ll take you out once and for all!”
AEW International Championship Match!
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy (with HOOK)
vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley (with Wheeler Yuta)!
Taz joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Moxley sent Cassidy onto the announcers’ table. Mox hoisted up Cassidy and dropped him across the barricade. Moxley chopped at Orange and taunted him. Moxley drove Orange to the mat with a Bossman slam.
Orange rocked Mox with a diving DDT. Moxley was busted wide open. Orange flew out of the ring with an elbow suicida to Moxley. Orange hit Mox with another one! Orange cracked Mox with a third elbow suicida, right on the jaw!
Orange countered a Death Rider with a Stun Dog Millionaire! Mox grounded and pounded Orange Cassidy and then transitioned into a bulldog choke on Orange! Orange jumped on Mox’s back and applied the Red Rum! Moxley was able to get to the ropes, forcing the ref break. Moxley stunned Orange with a cutter and then a Gotch style piledriver for a two-count!
Orange dropkicked Moxley and Moxley collided headfirst into an exposed turnbuckle corner. Orange pulped Mox with three Orange Punches! And then a fourth! And then a fifth Orange Punch! And a sixth Orange Punch! Orange followed up with the Beach Break and pinned Jon Moxley!
It was announced that Tony Khan made the match official for tonight’s main event: “Switchblade” Jay White vs. Adam Cole for the AEW World Championship!
Additionally, Mark Briscoe was announced as the next participant in the Continental Classic, which begins this Wednesday on Dynamite!
AEW Women’s World Championship Match!
Hikaru Shida (c.) vs. “Timeless” Toni Storm (with Luther the Butler)!
Storm and Shida exchanged forearms. Shida stormed Toni with a running knee strike. Mariah May was watching on a monitor backstage. Shida chopped Storm in the chest. Toni backed Shida into the corner with rapid fire chops. Storm pounced on Shida with a running bulldog.
Luther handed Toni two shoes. The ref saw one of the shoes and pulled it away, but Storm had a second shoe hidden in her trunks. Storm cracked Shida in the head with the shoe while the ref had her back turned. Shida fired back with a Strong Zero. Shida hit the question mark kick and then a Falcon Arrow for a near fall on “Timeless” Toni Storm!
Storm avoided a meteora and Shida’s ankle buckled on the landing. Storm applied an ankle lock. Shida reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Storm pulled off one of Shida’s boots. Shida grabbed a kendo stick, but Luther tried to pull it away. Shida wrecked Luther with the kendo stick.
Storm walloped Shida with a German Suplex. Storm had a metal tray in her trunks. Storm bashed Shida with her hip attack and pinned Shida!
And new AEW Women’s World Champion… “Timeless” Toni Storm!
Mariah May walked out and handed Toni Storm a bouquet of flowers.
Renee Paquette was backstage with ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston!
Eddie Kingston said he had his eyes on the Continental Classic. He said he wanted to up the game a little bit. “I want to put the New Japan Strong Openweight Championship and the ROH World Championship on the line in each of my matches in the tournament. Let’s make this the biggest and best tournament in pro wrestling.”
AEW World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match!
Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks (c.)
vs.
FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood
vs.
LFI—Dralistico & Rush
vs.
Kings of the Black Throne—Brody King & Malakai Black!
Dax starched Malakai with a right hand. Malakai knocked a ladder into Dax’s mouth. Rush and Cash whacked one another with nasty shots, forearms and elbows. Cash threw his body through the ropes at Brody, Rush, and Big Bill! Dralistico jumped over the top with a tope con hiro and took out the pile!
Ricky Starks climbed to the top, but Malakai knocked him off his perch. Malakai moonsaulted out of the ring and onto the pile! Dax superplexed Starks out of the ring and onto the men outside!
“There are bodies everywhere on the outside. You knew it was going to be physical,” said Taz.
Big Bill and Brody King collided with one another in the center of the ring, exchanging wild, clubbing shots. Rush and Dax rammed them with ladders. Dax threw his ladder at Rush. Dralistico dropkicked Dax, who had his head in between rungs of the ladder. Dralistico staggered Cash with a corkscrew kick. Dralistico climbed the ladder, but Cash shoved the ladder down!
Cash powerslammed Rush, catching Rush midflight. Cash started climbing the ladder, but Malakai pulled Cash down. Black slingshotted a ladder into the face of Wheeler.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Cash Wheeler spiked Black with a piledriver on a ladder! Brody attempted a tope suicida, but Big Bill pulled up a ladder and Brody crashed into it. Starks speared Dralistico and then speared Rush. Starks drilled Dax with a swinging DDT. Starks sent Black overhead with a suplex into a ladder.
Brody King cannonballed Dax, who was against a ladder that was propped against the turnbuckles. Brody began to climb the ladder toward the titles, but Big Bill yanked the ladder out from beneath Brody. Dralistico lunged off the ropes with a lung blower to Big Bill. Rush rammed Big Bill with a ladder, sandwiching Big Bill in the corner. Rush rocked Big Bill with the Bull’s Horns, kicking a ladder into Bill’s face!
Starks and Rush climbed opposite sides of the ladder. Dax grabbed a taller ladder and began the climb towards the titles. Cash grabbed another ladder, but Brody backdropped him. Dralistico planted Brody with a poison rana. Brody decimated Dralistico with a Gonzo Bomb on a ladder that was propped up between the ring and the guardrail!
Cash Wheeler climbed to the top rope and splashed Brody on the ladder, sacrificing his own body. Dax climbed up a ladder toward the titles, but Ricky Starks met him up top. Black pulled Dax down and connected with the End. Starks grabbed the titles and the champions retained!
TBS Championship Match!
Kris Statlander (c.) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue!
As Skye Blue was making her entrance, she removed her baseball cap, stomped on it, and put a crown on.
Kris body slammed Julia and then body slammed Skye. Skye Blue rolled up Kris from behind for a near fall. Julia jumped on Statlander’s back, but Statlander shucked her off. Skye Blue clocked Kris with a knee strike. Statlander double suplexed Skye and Julia on the arena floor, reversing their attempt on Statlander.
Skye Blue offered her hand to Julia and Julia accepted it…and then began to bounce Skye Blue’s head off the mat repeatedly. Blue mounted Julia and began to pound her with shots. She followed up with the PK to Julia. Kris charged at Skye and Julia with knee strikes.
Skye nailed Kris with a neck breaker. Julia rallied back with an elbow to Skye Blue. Julia took Statlander off her feet with a lariat. Skye Blue rocked Hart with a thrust kick. Julia moonsaulted Skye Blue but Statlander pulled Julia off Blue to break up the pin attempt. Statlander powerslammed Julia on the arena floor. Skye Blue blasted Kris with a Code Blue for a near fall!
Julia applied the Heartless Lock to Skye Blue, but Kris grabbed Julia and sent her overhead with a German Suplex! Then Kris sent Skye flying high with a German Suplex. Kris crushed Skye with the Saturday Night Fever and went for the pin, but instead Julia knocked Kris away, covered Skye, and won the match!
And new TBS Champion…Julia Hart!
“Man, she stole that win and it was perfectly done,” said Taz.
Tony Schiavone was in the ring for the blockbuster contract signing!
“Ladies and gentlemen let’s bring in the newest member of All Elite Wrestling,” said Schiavone.
Will Ospreay walked down to the ring!
Will Ospreay signed the contract and made it official!
Ospreay: “It feels great! Listen up. I’m happy to be a part of the team, but I am not going to come in just yet. When I was 22 years old, I was part of New Japan Pro Wrestling. I’m 30 years old now, so I’m begging all of you, let me finish up, and then I’ll be on the road to Revolution. And then I’ll be all yours, but more importantly, I am All Elite, bruv! Mr. Tony Khan, do us a favor. Line up the best that you got, especially for Wembley Stadium, because I’m going to show ‘em all what elite really looks like, bruv!”
Texas Death Match!
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana)!
Page cleaned Swerve’s clock with a Buckshot Lariat right at the bell. Hangman taped Swerve’s wrists together. Hangman had a staple gun and began stapling Swerve’s body! Page plastered Swerve in the side of the head with a steel chair!
“Hangman Adam Page is completely unhinged,” said Excalibur.
Page grabbed a steel chair wrapped in barb wire. Page swung it at Swerve, but Swerve saved himself by kicking Page between the legs. Prince Nana had scissors and cut Swerve free of the tape.
Swerve pulled the staple gun and stapled Page right between the eyes. Swerve sent Hangman headfirst into the barbed wire wrapped steel chair.
“I feel like I’m back in Philly. This is wild!” said Taz.
Swerve pulled a cinder block out from beneath the ring. Hangman and Swerve brawled on the ring apron. Swerve spiked Hangman with a Death Valley Driver on the cinder block!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Swerve delivered a piledriver on top of the guardrail! Back in the ring, Page planted Swerve with a fallaway slam. Page sent Swerve flying with another fallaway slam. Page wrapped barbed wire around Swerve’s head. Page trapped Swerve’s arm against his body by wrapping the barbed wire around him. Page hit another fallaway slam. Page moonsaulted off the post and landed on Swerve with the barbed wire wrapped steel chair!
“This is hard to watch,” said Nigel.
Swerve intercepted the Buckshot Lariat attempt. Swerve booted the chair into Page’s head. Page reversed a tombstone and dropped Swerve onto the barbed wire wrapped steel chair with a tombstone piledriver of his own!
“This goes beyond pro wrestling. This is evolutionary,” said Nigel.
Swerve power bombed Page onto the barbed wire wrapped chair and followed up with the Swerve Stomp! Swerve grabbed a black bag from beneath the ring. Swerve spilled the bag onto Page’s back. It was full of broken glass. Swerve connected with a 450 splash onto Page, who had glass all over his bag. Swerve followed up with the JML Driver!
Swerve placed a board covered with barb wire and bridged it between two chairs in the ring. Page chomped down on Swerve’s forehead. Page planted Swerve with a fallaway slam off the top and followed up with a Dead Eye on the barbed wire!
Page wrapped the barbed wire around Swerve’s head and face. Page blasted Swerve with a Buckshot barbed wire lariat! Prince Nana pulled Swerve out of the ring to break the ref’s count. Brian Cage ambushed Page from behind and power bombed him! Brian Cage pulled out a table and set it up on the arena floor. Page cracked Cage with a barbed wire wrapped rolling elbow. Adam Page almost broke Nana in half with a Dead Eye through the table! Swerve shattered the cinder block on Hangman Page!
Swerve wrapped a chain around Page’s throat, and then Swerve yanked on the chain after it was draped across ring post. Page couldn’t answer the ten count and Swerve was declared the winner!
“By the grace of God, this one is over,” said Nigel.
Tag Team Title Opportunity vs. Tag Team Break-up!
The Golden Jets—Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega
vs.
The Young Bucks—Matt & Nick Jackson!
Don Callis joined the commentary team for this match.
Chris Jericho and Matt Jackson chain wrestled. Jericho chopped at Matt and then Omega tagged himself in, allowing Matt some time to step away from Jericho and his swarm of chops. Matt mauled Omega with a flurry of shots to the back of the head. Omega answered with a hurracanrana. Omega launched himself with the Terminator Dive and landed on Matt Jackson!
Chris Jericho slid into Nick Jackson with a baseball dropkick. The Bucks went to work on Jericho’s arm, trying to take out the arm Jericho uses for the Judas Effect. Jericho dropkicked Nick Jackson from the middle rope and then tagged out to Omega.
Omega took Matt down with a snapdragon suplex. Omega wiped out both Bucks with his offense. Omega moonsaulted out of the ring and onto Matt Jackson. Omega followed up with a crossbody press to Nick, but Nick countered by rolling through for a near fall. Omega smashed Nick with a knee strike.
Jericho lionsaulted onto both Young Bucks! Jericho was looking for the Walls, but Matt Jackson kicked Jericho in the injured arm. Nick Jackson connected with a rolling roundhouse to Jericho. Matt was looking for a rana, but Jericho put the brakes on and sat down with the Walls of Jericho. Matt used the heel of his boot to kick Jericho in the arm and escape the hold.
Matt Jackson sent the Golden Jets flying with double Northern Lights Suplexes. Jericho lawn darted Matt Jackson’s face into the mat. Matt held Jericho while Nick connected with a senton. Nick Jackson kicked Jericho between the legs. The ref admonished Nick and while she had her back turned, Matt kicked Omega between the legs!
Nick Jackson rocked Jericho with the Judas Effect! The Bucks bashed Jericho with the BTE Trigger. Somehow Jericho kicked out of Matt’s pin attempt. Nick Jackson superkicked Jericho on the injured arm. Omega tagged in and stunned Nick with a V Trigger. Omega lifted off Nick for a One Winged Angel, but Nick reversed it with a rana. Matt planted Omega with a One Winged Angel and Nick covered Omega, but the Cleaner kicked out!
The fan chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Omega drilled Matt Jackson with a German Suplex. Nick Jackson starched Omega with a superkick. Jericho ate a superkick from Matt Jackson. Omega clocked Matt with a V Trigger and then finished him off with the One Winged Angel to score the pin!
“And now Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho can challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Titles anytime they choose,” said Excalibur.
Nick Jackson was furious at the loss and began tearing apart the announcers’ desk. Omega extended his hand to the Bucks, but the Bucks stormed off.
Main Event Time!
AEW World Championship Match!
Originally scheduled as: MJF (c.) vs. Bullet Club Gold’s “Switchblade” Jay White!
Adam Cole came to the ring on crutches.
Jay White was introduced and walked to the ring with the Gunns by his side.
Justin Roberts announced Adam Cole as representing MJF.
“This is going to be a massacre,” said Taz.
Before the bell rang, an ambulance driven by MJF pulled into the back of the arena. MJF hobbled to the ring!
MJF slapped Switchblade in the face, but Switchblade went right to work on MJF’s injured left leg. Jay White diverted the attention of the ref while the Gunns stomped on MJF outside the ring. The ref eventually saw the Gunns interfering and ejected them from ringside.
MJF turned the tables on Jay White and chomped down on White’s forehead. MJF fired up and hit the kangaroo kick on Switchblade. Jay White dropkicked MJF in the bad leg. Jay White spiked MJF with a DDT. Jay White planted MJF with a uranage for a near fall.
“I hate to say it, but I think the presence of Adam Cole at ringside is distracting MJF,” said Excalibur.
MJF gouged at Jay’s eyes and then DDT’ed him on the floor. MJF slammed Jay White onto the announcers’ desk. MJF dropped an elbow from the top turnbuckle right onto Jay White on the arena floor!
The fans chanted “He’s our scumbag! He’s our scumbag!”
Back in the ring, Jay White employed a dragon screw leg whip on MJF. Jay White tied up MJF in the Tree of Woe. Jay White climbed to the top, but MJF yanked White down to the mat. Jay White climbed back up and nailed MJF with an avalanche uranage for a two-count!
MJF countered the Blade Runner with a spinning elbow. Jay White answered with a release German Suplex. MJF spiked White with a tombstone piledriver. MJF jumped over the top rope and caught Jay White with a cutter, planting him on the arena floor!
“We are witnessing MJF take risks like he never has in his entire career,” said Excalibur.
Back in the ring Jay White went back to work on MJF’s injured leg. Jay White spat at Adam Cole and then applied the figure four to MJF. Adam Cole had a towel and was contemplating throwing it into the ring to end the match. MJF reversed the figure four. Jay White made a desperate dive and grabbed the bottom rope to force the break. Adam Cole had his ROH Tag Title and was thinking about using it against Jay White, but Jay White grabbed it away and smacked MJF in the head with it! Jay White covered MJF but MJF kicked out at two!
Jay White was yanking on MJF’s leg, but MJF shoved him away, with White colliding with the ref and knocking him down. Adam Cole slipped the Dynamite Diamond Ring into the ring, but before MJF could retrieve it, Jay White grabbed it. MJF hit White with a low blow before White could use the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF slipped the Dynamite Diamond Ring on his hand. The Gunns ran down and MJF clocked them! Jay White was looking for the Blade Runner, but MJF cracked Jay with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and pinned Switchblade!
And still AEW World Champion…MJF!
Missed what the entire wrestling world is buzzing about? Order the replay of the historic AEW Full Gear 2023! It’s available on all traditional cable and satellite providers in the United States and Canada, Bleacher Report, Fite International, PPV.COM, and more! See AEW Full Gear 2023 for yourself!
Catch the fallout from Full Gear on AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
All Elite Wrestling returns to pay-per-view this Saturday night, November 18th, for FULL GEAR 2023 live from the fabulous KIA Forum in Los Angeles, CA! AEW’s return to the West Coast has already been an exciting endeavor, and now it comes to a head with multiple championship bouts, epic grudge matches, strained friendships, and the top shelf professional wrestling the world has come to expect from the athletes of All Elite Wrestling! Click here for all the details on how the AEW faithful around the world can watch our November tradition, then sit back, strap in, and get ready for a rocket ship of a ride in Cali!
On November 1st, just four days after beating Kenny Omega on COLLISION, Maxwell Jacob Friedman became the longest reigning AEW World Champion in AEW’s history, surpassing the 346-day marker set by “The Cleaner” between WINTER IS COMING 2020 when he beat Jon Moxley and FULL GEAR 2021 when he lost to Hangman Page. One week later, on the November 8th DYNAMITE in Portland, MJF defeated Daniel Garcia in a World Championship defense, thereby tying the mark of 9 successful defenses set by Moxley during his reign from REVOLUTION 2020 where be bested Chris Jericho to the aforementioned WINTER IS COMING 2020 loss.
These are two huge milestones in the history of All Elite Wrestling, as well as in the professional career of Maxwell Jacob Friedman, not to neglect his fifth consecutive victory where the Dynamite Diamond Ring is concerned, but unfortunately MJF has had to celebrate both this championship milestones without his precious Triple B, the AEW World Championship title. For weeks now “Switchblade” Jay White has been parading around with the physical title belt and using his possession of it to proclaim himself the real AEW World Champion. While White is certainly championship material, his status as a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is testament to that, he is not the AEW World Champion regardless of his physically holding the title belt.
While he’s not champion, what “King Switch” has been is a thorn in MJF’s side that he’s been unable to remove, a foe Max has been unable to get a leg up on, and man surrounded by three other men willing to get their hands dirty in order to lend “Switchblade” an assist when it is need. Jay White is also one of just two people who’ve pinned MJF’s shoulders to the mat since he returned to the fold at ALL OUT 2022, the other being Dax Harwood the night Better Than You BayBay challenged FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. To say Jay White has the psychological edge heading into this fight would be an understatement, and though initially it seemed the Devil-masked individual, and their gang of black clad thugs, that have encircled this bout was MJF’s balance to everything White had done, it became clear after White’s victory over Mark Briscoe that they (a) The Devil was not MJF and (b) they were not on the side of the World Champion either. Even though their initial arrival on the scene was at the expense of Jay White, this time around they left The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass laying, even chucking Anthony Bowens through a window.
So after everything that has gone done between MJF, his allies, Jay White, and BULLET CLUB GOLD, the two men will finally go one-on-one for the AEW World Championship! It’s MJF’s chance to become the most successful champion in AEW history by breaking Mox’s record, it’s Jay White’s opportunity to ascend to the throne in All Elite Wrestling just as he did in New Japan, and it plays out this Saturday night live on pay-per-view from the legendary KIA Forum!
Though it’s been a little more than ten years since the very first time Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida stepped into the ring with one another, that fight from the REINA promotion is their lone fight away from All Elite Wrestling and a tag team one won by Storm and her partner.
It would be nine years before Storm and Shida saw each other inside the squared circle again, only now they were working as partners on DARK: ELEVATION #74, teaming with Willow Nightingale as their third to top Emi Sakura, Marina Shafir, and former AEW Women’s World Champion Nyla Rose. The two women would actually team up several more times in 2022, actually proving quite successful both as a team and a trio, but the AEW Women’s World Championship would enter the picture.
At ALL OUT 2022, with the title having been vacated as a result of Thunder Rosa’s injury, Toni Storm bested Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, Jamie Hayter, and Shida to win her first title, acquired by pinning Hayter, and since she was not the woman pinned, lining up Shida for a title fight of her own. That first singles bout between the women would go down on TITLE TUESDAY 2022, and end with Toni Storm still the reigning champion.
The two women would go their separate ways, reconnecting in May 2023, but unlike Shida who had stayed true to the side of angels, Toni Storm had aligned herself with Ruby Soho and Saraya to form The Outcasts. The alliance-turned-rivalry would blossom into a Women’s World Championship match at the 200th episode of DYNAMITE and that fight would end with “The Shining Samurai” becoming a 2-Time World Champion. Sadly it was a short-lived title reign as Saraya would bring it to an end just 25 days later at ALL IN: LONDON, though not by pinning Shida, but rather by putting down Toni Storm to claim the victory. That pinfall on Toni would prove a breaking point for Storm’s role in The Outcasts as she began to spiral out into the woman we see now, and the Women’s World Champion defeating Toni at GRAND SLAM 2023 completely broke the camel’s back.
The Women’s World Championship would end up back in Shida’s possession after TITLE TUESDAY 2023, making her the first 3-Time champ in the division, but as for Toni Storm, a week prior to Shida’s win at DYNAMITE: 2023 ANNIVERSARY, we all witnessed Toni spiral out on RJ City before making her “Timeless” declaration.
Now lost in this “Timeless” Hollywood starlet delusion, Toni has declared this year’s FULL GEAR event as her “Hollywood Homecoming” and “Quest for the Gold”, heaping a great deal of the blame for her woes on Shida’s lap despite it being The Outcasts, Toni’s former friends, who caused much of that misfortune. As for Shida, while Toni has been experiencing this break from reality, she has posted three successful title defenses against Ruby Soho, Willow Nightingale, and that unforgettable Fright Night Fight with Abadon on COLLISION. Meanwhile Storm has not been inside the ring since an October 7th victory over Kiera Hogan, which means she may be well-rested and healed up from any nagging issues, but heading into FULL GEAR 2023 is she ready for a fight, especially the type of fight Hikaru Shida will undoubtedly bring?
The defending Women’s World Champion does not want this third reign to end as abruptly as the second, and thus she will throw every bit of her arsenal at “Timeless” Toni Storm to insure this go-round isn’t a repeat of the second. While she may hold the spot as longest-reigning Women’s World Champion of all-time at 372 days, so too does Shida hold the position for shortest with that 25 days reign, and if Toni beats her on Saturday night, she’ll also have the second shortest time with the title as well. That’s not the history Shida intends to make…
After 326 days and 31 championship defenses, Orange Cassidy had the AEW International Championship ripped from his waist by former 3-Time AEW World Champion Jon Moxley at ALL OUT 2023. It was a violent bout, one in which Cassidy was brutalized like never before in his career, but it was a beating that earned him the respect of Mox, not an easy thing to acquire by any means.
Unfortunately for Moxley, his time as International Champion did not come close to touching the records set by Cassidy during his reign because on his fourth defense of the title, just 17 days in, Rey Fenix dropped Moxley hard, and wrested the championship from The BCC member’s grasp. It was a shock to be certain, a win many considered an upset despite Fenix’s championship pedigree, and one that actually put Mox on the injury list for several weeks as far as AEW was concerned, though that didn’t stop the man from fighting for OTT in England and Ireland, for NJPW in Osaka, and at NJPW STRONG’s event at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, the home of FINAL BATTLE 2023.
Meanwhile, during the month that Moxley was kept on the sidelines before his OTT trip, Orange Cassidy had the opportunity to challenge Fenix for the International Championship, a one-on-one rematch of their 11/2/22 Three Way title fight early in Orange’s reign, and just like that fight, it ended with “Freshly Squeezed” getting his hand raised in victory. So not only was OC the longest-reigning International Champion in that title’s short life, not only is he the most successful champion in all of AEW history with those 31 defenses, but now he is also the only 2-Time Champion in the history of the International Title.
Seeming somewhat lost after losing the title to Mox, Cassidy seems rejuvenated by his reclamation of the championship, as if it helped salve the lingering injuries he’d sustained over those 326 days, and reinvigorated him for this second run atop the division. He’s already bested John Silver and Mox’s BCC brother Claudio Castagnoli in championship defenses, but this Saturday night at The KIA Forum, he’s got to get back into the fight with the man who battered him not that long ago.
It’s obvious that Cassidy wants this fight, why else would he have shoulder-bumped Mox after the show of respect Moxley gave him after their fight, provoking the man, almost rubbing it into his face that OC had taken the belt back from the man who beat Moxley. The situation began to blow up this past Wednesday on DYNAMITE as The BCC of Moxley and Yuta met Cassidy and HOOK in a tag team battle, and not only did The BCC defeat championship pair when Yuta pinned HOOK, but Moxley ate a straight shot from an Orange Punch and did not even go down to a knee! It very clearly shook OC to see his primary weapon have no effect on the man he’s got to fight on Saturday night; will we see the same reaction if Cassidy scores with an Orange Punch in the championship match, or can it actually put the 3-Time AEW World Champion and former International Champion down?
Moxley says FULL GEAR 2023 will be a course correction, a moment where he shows the world that Cassidy is actually who Jon Moxley says he is, and he puts the 2-Time International Champion back in his place. Will this be the case when the final bell rings, or will Cassidy do what he has done repeatedly since coming to All Elite Wrestling and show Jon Moxley he is as real as The BCC?
Swerve Strickland came into this entire ordeal with former AEW World Champion Hangman Page with the intent of proving he was worthy of a top spot in the AEW pantheon. A former AEW World Tag Champion, just like Hangman, Swerve has relentlessly pursued that top tier status ever since violently parting ways with Keith Lee and nothing has deterred those aspirations, not even being locked in a coffin by Darby Allin and Sting.
So when Page and Swerve went into battle at WRESTLEDREAM, Strickland viewed it as his opportunity to snatch the spot while Hangman saw it as his moment to get back on track with his own career after spending a great deal of 2023 wrapped up in Elite business with Blackpool Combat Club and then, surprisingly, winning the ROH World Six-Man Titles from Swerve’s allies in The Mogul Embassy. But instead of Swerve proving his merits on his own, he resorted to an assist from Prince Nana and his crown to defeat Hangman, and shortly thereafter, when the opportunity arose to fight Bryan Danielson for a shot at TNT Championship, Swerve tried the same tactic. Thankfully Hangman was on the spot to stop that crime from being committed, but that only served to escalate the issues, and next thing Hangman knew, Swerve and Prince Nana were breaking into Page’s house.
That disturbing scenario is best left untouched, suffice to say that Swerve committed the heinous sin of dragging family into this issue that started as a professional jockeying for position, making it as personal as any issues experienced in All Elite Wrestling. We heard Hangman speak his mind about this, tearing Swerve down to the core with every bit of personal drama Strickland has experienced, and capping it all off by assaulting Nana since the two Texas Death combatants were forbidden from any physical content on DYNAMITE.
But that rule doesn’t extend beyond the borders of AEW…
At Pro Wrestling Revolver’s UNREAL event, as Swerve and Nana stood in the ring talking about the FULL GEAR 2023 fight, Hangman attacked out of nowhere, and promised that he would beat Swerve’s ass this Saturday night. Swerve chose to make this personal, messing with a man’s family, so much so that it led others like Penta El Zero Miedo to fight the him, but once Hangman chose to oblige Swerve and join him in the muck and mire, it was bound to get ugly. Fans have seen the former AEW World Champion in Texas Death before, he’s undefeated in that stipulation here in AEW, and that’s because he’s willing to get uglier and dirtier than anyone else when the fight comes.
Swerve led this into ugliness by his actions outside the ring, will he be able to get that ugly when the bell rings on Saturday night?
TRIOS MATCH…
Adam Copeland, Darby Allin, & Sting vs. TNT Champion Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, & Nick Wayne
It was a huge moment at WRESTLEDREAM when “The Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland arrived on the scene in All Elite Wrestling and stood side-by-side with Sting and Darby Allin in opposition to TNT Champion Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and sadly also Nick Wayne. In the weeks since then, we have heard Sting announce to the world that he would bring his legendary career to its end at REVOLUTION 2024, we heard Copeland repeatedly say he would not fight his best friend, we saw Ric Flair come into the equation to ride this home stretch out with “The Icon”, and we’ve watched Christian Cage continue to be a horrible human being.
But after hearing Cage after being attacked by Cage’s “sons”, after hearing Christian threaten to break his neck, Adam Copeland has agreed to ride into battle alongside Sting and Darby Allin this Saturday night at FULL GEAR 2023! We witnessed these three men get their first reps in as a trio against The Righteous and Lance Archer, and though they looked very solid in action, they are still new to the idea of working with one another. In truth, it’s not all that different from the situation with Christian’s Patriarchy, much like Darby and Sting, Christian and Luchasaurus have spent a great deal of time together and formed their own dynamic, and much like Adam Copeland, Nick Wayne is a new ingredient to that formula. Unlike the Darby/Sting/Copeland trio though, The Patriarchy all fall under the direction of Christian Cage, they do not think for themselves, they follow the direction of their erstwhile father figure, and only his direction.
Their opponents are individuals, allies, friends; it’s not a case of Darby falling into a subordinate role just because of Sting and Copeland’s seniority or being led by their direction. This will be a trio operating on the same page but making use of their varied levels of experience, pooling their assorted resources and knowledge, and applying each other’s best attributes to the fights. There is obviously a concern about the history between Christian Cage and Adam Copeland, how all that friendship, those roads traveled together, those championships held as a team, the time spent with each other’s families, how will all that play into this Trios fight at FULL GEAR 2023? All of it has to be nagging at the back of Copeland’s skull, but will it effect his ability to fight? We will all see this Saturday night…
TAG TEAM BATTLE…
The Golden Jets (Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
***TAG TEAM TITLE OPPORTUNITY VS. TAG TEAM BREAK-UP***
It was at WRESTLEDREAM that The Young Bucks earned a future shot at the AEW World Tag Team Titles at a moment of their choosing; they did so by defeating The Lucha Brothers, The Gunns, as well as the team of HOOK and Orange Cassidy. Since that PPV event, we’ve seen Nick Jackson lose to AEW International Champion Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks & Hangman Page lose the ROH World Six-Man Championship back to The Mogul Embassy after just one successful defense, and watched The Young Bucks completely lose their cool after that championship defeat.
Over the last few months we’ve also seen Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho form one of the most unlikely pairings in AEW’s history, brought together by their mutual issues with Don Callis and his Family, putting aside their own sordid history in order to fight against Callis’ relentless onslaught. Clearly this is not a situation that sits well with the brothers Jackson; call it jealousy over the relationship with Jericho or call it caution given that the history between Jericho and The Elite created Stadium Stampede, either way it is driving a rift between Omega and The Young Bucks.
Now we now from history that The Young Bucks do not deal well with their friends having other friends, we witnessed it many moons ago with Adam Cole and reDRagon, but when it’s a man such as Jericho with whom there was so much bad blood from the first year of AEW, it’s got to be infinitely worse. That is why this match is going down, after all when there’s an issue between professional wrestlers the best place to settle it is inside the squared circle, and why not amp up the stakes when both teams have something to lose?
And what are those stakes? If The Young Bucks win, then the existence of The Golden Jets comes to an end. There will be no more team of Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho, no more fighting the good fight together against a common foe, they will just be quits as soon as that bell rings. But if The Golden Jets win, then Matt and Nick will have to say goodbye to the World Tag Team Championship match they earned at WRESTLEDREAM! That opportunity will belong to The Golden Jets, no Young Bucks championship match on the horizon, just Jericho and Omega maintaining their dynamic to challenge whoever wins Saturday night’s Ladder Match. And what of the relationship between Omega and The Young Bucks? Well it has survived a great deal, and it has endured, but they haven’t been at this point before where so much hostility has put them at odds.
Previously that was Hangman with Omega trying to keep the peace as best he could for as long as he could; only now there is no cooler head trying to prevail, just four men looking to fight, and we shall see if the friendship between The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega can survive the ordeal.
TBS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Kris Statlander(c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue
Kris Statlander is a breakneck pace as the TBS Champion; in the span of 174 days, Stat has successfully defended the title on 16 occasions against fourteen different women. For perspective, by that point in her historic TBS Championship reign, the longest title reign in AEW history across all divisions, Jade Cargill had only defended the title eight times while Orange Cassidy, the most successful champion across all divisions in AEW, was also heading towards his 17th defense against Dralistico.
This Saturday at FULL GEAR 2023, Statlander heads into her 17th defense against two foes she’s already beaten in one-on-one contests, but who she now must contend with in a Three Way situation. To make matters more intriguing, there is an entire other dynamic between Julia Hart and Skye Blue that has little to do with Statlander. Ever since Hart misted Skye, the latter has taken a turn towards the dark, so much so that there was absolutely a concern she’d walk through the doors of The House of Black and be lost to her friends forever. Though Skye would repeatedly rebuke the handshake of help of the TBS Champion, when the moment came between choosing between Willow Nightingale and Julia Hart, Skye turned and sprayed her own blue mist into the face of The House of Black’s Hart.
So with each woman’s position set, the light of Statlander, the dark of Julia, and the chaotic middle of Blue, they will now collide on Saturday night with the TBS Championship on the line! This will mark the first defense for Stat that’s involved multiple challengers, will that be the ticket to ending this potentially historic reign? Or will the strife between Julia Hart and Skye Blue be the key to the champion retaining her championship?
AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER MATCH…
Big Bill & Ricky Starks(c) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. LFI (Dralistico & Rush) vs. The House of Black (Brody King & Malakai Black)
A Ladder Match, only one other time in the history of AEW have the World Tag Team Titles been at stake in a Ladder match, and that was the night The Young Bucks beat Jurassic Express to start their defenseless 28-day second reign, as well as the night Christian Cage first stabbed Jack Perry in the back.
But four teams fighting to climb the rungs to championship status? That is a whole new ballgame, and one likely to end up in plenty of pain, suffering, and punishment! Just yesterday the AEW faithful witnessed the chaos that erupted between these eight men, especially Dax and Rush as they battled to a No Contest, now put that into a situation with no rules, the freedom to use weapons, and with a title at stake. This will be an intensely physical situation, and even though Ricky Starks is the one who laid the stipulation on the table, not necessarily the best one for the champions to retain their titles. They may not have to worry about a pinfall or submission happening to someone else to lose their status, but Big Bill and Ricky Starks constantly have to be concerned about stopping someone else climbing the ladder. There are six bodies besides theirs all with the same goal, but only one has to ascend to the top of the ladder and pull down the belts.
All Elite Wrestling is back on pay-per-view this Saturday night with FULL GEAR 2023 coming to you live from the KIA Forum in Los Angeles! This PPV experience is loaded with multiple championship bouts, including a Four Way Ladder Match for the AEW World Tag Titles, as well as huge grudge matches, and all the elite class professional wrestling fans expect from an All Elite Wrestling pay-per-view! All the details on how to watch FULL GEAR 2023 can be found here, so if you can’t be there in-person, you have to join us through your preferred method for the greatest PPV experience professional wrestling has to offer! And don’t forget to join us for the FULL GEAR: ZERO HOURprior to the start of the PPV where the ROH World Title and the ROH World Tag Team Titles will be defended!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast live from the KIA Forum in Los Angeles, CA!
Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Friday night and you know what that means! Friday night’s alright for fighting!
To kick off the show Tony Schiavone was in the ring with TNT Champion Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne!
Christian Cage: “It’s lucky for you that tomorrow night at Full Gear, not only do you get to see Sting’s last match you Los Angeles, you’ll get to see Sting’s last match ever. I’m sick of people calling him an ‘icon.’ Tomorrow night Sting, it’s all gonna be over.
“And what’s interesting to me is what’s going to happen to Darby Allin when he loses that mentor of his. Hey Darby, if you ever find yourself in need of some fatherly guidance, you know who to turn to. And Ric Flair, I know you’ll be ringside tomorrow, but if you stick your nose in our business tomorrow, it’ll be your literal come to Jesus moment.
“Adam Copeland, if you haven’t already, after Full Gear tomorrow you’re going to regret signing that contract with AEW. You came here to try to steal my spotlight. Here’s the thing, Adam, I am not the same person I was back when. I am Christian Cage, the patriarch of AEW. While you were the golden boy, I was in the trenches, clawing and scratching for every inch. And Beth, keep the girls up late and keep them close to the TV, because Adam I’m going to guarantee you that I will break your neck.
“As the TNT Champion, the powers-that-be want me on the program every second I can. So, I’ll be in action tonight in the four-way. After the four-way tonight, I’m going to keep running things here in AEW. I don’t work within the system. I am the system.”
Lexy Nair was backstage with the AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and “Absolute” Ricky Starks!
Big Bill: “Ricky or myself do not have to be pinned or submitted tomorrow to lose the tag team titles. So, Ricky went and spoke with Tony Khan.”
Ricky Starks: “Tony is a fair man and he allowed me to pick a stipulation in our favor. I am selecting a ladder match. That’s right, a very short climb for Big Bill here. Tomorrow at Full Gear, when we walk out of L.A., we’re walking out as champions, we’re walking out in style, and most importantly, we’re walking out at the greatest tag team champions you’ve ever seen.”
“The Redeemer” Miro vs. Daniel Garcia!
Miro snatched Garcia and threw him overhead with a suplex. Miro stomped on Daniel Garcia in the corner. Miro followed up with another suplex. Miro smashed Garcia with a short arm lariat. He suplexed Garcia yet again!
Miro turned his back for a moment and Garcia charged at him. Garcia jabbed at Miro with right hands. Miro stopped a cross body and planted Garcia hard on the mat. Garcia backed up Miro with strikes after a chop block. Garcia dropkicked Miro. “The Redeemer” clobbered Garcia with a big boot to the face!
Garcia hit a belly to back suplex on Miro. Garcia was about to dance, but Matt Menard ran to the ring, jumped on the apron and told him not to dance. Miro charged at Garcia, but Garcia moved. Miro collided into Matt Menard. Garcia applied a cross face to Miro, but Miro escaped. Miro then muscled his way out of a sharpshooter. Miro locked on the Game Over submission hold and Garcia was out. The ref stopped the match and awarded the victor to Miro!
CJ Perry and Andrade El Idolo were backstage with Lexy Nair!
Andrade: “I’m so happy.”
CJ Perry: “Andrade is the best wrestler in my opinion. And that’s why I have entered him into the Continental Classic.”
Andrade: “You spoke with Tony?”
CJ Perry: “Yes, and if you win, you’re going to get an extra bonus.”
CJ whispered into Andrade’s ear. “Are you sure?” he asked. CJ nodded. Andrade said, “I trust you,” and they shook hands.
Kings of the Black Throne—Malakai Black & Brody King
vs.
The Boys—Brent & Brandon!
Malakai Black applied a wrist lock to Brent. Black blasted Brent with a spinning back elbow. Brody King tagged in, and Brent tagged out to his brother Brandon.
Brent grabbed Brody’s leg and Brandon charged at Brody. Brody backdropped Brandon out of the ring. The Kings finished off Brent with Dante’s Inferno and pinned him.
Trent Beretta vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. “The Machine” Brian Cage vs. Komander!
The winner receives a TNT Championship match tonight during Rampage.
Penta El Zero Miedo got in Brian Cage’s face, but “The Machine” knocked him right down. Komander and Penta nailed Cage with thrust kicks, knocking Cage out of the ring. Komander followed up with a tornillo. Trent hit Penta with a back elbow.
Trent and Penta traded chops in the middle of the ring. Trent cracked Penta with a knee strike and then sent him flying with a half and half suplex. Komander walked the top rope, but Cage shook the ropes and knocked Komander down. Cage suplexed Komander out of the ring and down onto Trent and Penta on the arena floor!
Brian Cage whipped Trent into the steel guardrail. Cage sent Penta in the guardrail. Cage planted Komander on the ring apron. Penta and Komander teamed up to hit Cage with an assisted cannonball. Trent nailed Komander with a high angle German suplex. Trent rocked Penta with German suplexes. Trent took down Cage with a poison rana, but Cage got up and clobbered Trent with a lariat.
Penta punted Cage in the head. Penta drilled Trent with a thrust kick. Penta walloped Cage with a sling blade. Penta got a near fall on Trent after hitting him with the Made in Japan! Penta jumped off Komander’s back and flew out of the ring with a tope con hiro on Cage. Trent crushed Komander with the Strong Zero and pinned him!
Lexy Nair was backstage with Don Callis and Powerhouse Hobbs!
Don Callis: “Paul Wight is out on the shelf. Done! Powerhouse Hobbs slammed a 450 pound giant, a living legend, through the windshield of a car, and broke him.”
Hobbs: “Anyone can get it! I took out a giant. A multiple time world champion. I’m big, I’m black, I’m jacked. Paul, I know you’re resting away. But stay away because anyone can get it.”
Wardlow vs. Evan Daniels!
Wardlow rushed his opponent and power bombed him! Wardlow followed up with a swanton off the top. Wardlow hit the powerbomb symphony. The ref stopped the match as Daniels was unable to continue.
“Wardlow has only one thing on his mind: MJF,” said Tony Schiavone.
FTR’s Dax Harwood (with Cash Wheeler)
vs.
LFI’s Rush (with Dralistico, Preston Vance, & Jose the Assistant)!
AEW World Tag Team Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks joined the broadcast booth for this match. His tag partner Big Bill stood behind him.
Rush rocked Dax with a shoulder tackle. Dax dodged Rush and nailed him with a flying forearm. They brawled outside the ring, with Rush running Dax into the steel guardrail. Back in the ring they traded chops to the chest.
“They’re just wearing the leather out of each other!” said Nigel.
Dax drilled Rush with two German Suplexes. Rush shoved Dax as Dax was on the top turnbuckle. Dax lost his balance. Rush superplexed Dax Harwood for a near fall.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Both men blasted the other with open palm strikes until they knocked one another down! Rush rocked Dax with a belly to back suplex for a two-count. Dax spiked Rush with a piledriver for a near fall!
Rush got out of the ring and shoved Ricky Starks! Rush was about to go for the Bull’s Horns, but Starks jumped into the ring and speared Rush! The match was declared a no-contest.
Cash Wheeler ran down to the ring and began to brawl with Big Bill. The Kings of the Black Throne came down the ramp. Brody King and Big Bill tried to pull a ladder out from beneath the ring, but Cash flew out onto them. Security ran down to break up the melee!
Lexy Nair was backstage with Action Andretti!
The Kingdom and Roderick Strong interrupted Andretti as he was trying to give a medical update on Darius Martin.
Mike Bennett: “He’s got a bruised ego and a weak neck.”
Roderick Strong: “Fellas, I found my next victim.”
Matt Taven: “Who is it?”
Roderick Strong: “Action!”
Blackpool Combat Club’s Wheeler Yuta vs. The House of Black’s Buddy Matthews!
Wheeler dropkicked Buddy and sent him out of the ring. Buddy hip tossed Yuta into the steel guardrail. Buddy blasted Wheeler with a pump kick to the face.
Both men fought on the ring apron. Buddy hurled Wheeler off the apron, sending Wheeler colliding with the announcers’ table. Back in the ring, Buddy unleashed an array of kicks. Yuta connected with a wild swing.
Wheeler tried for a German Suplex, but Buddy broke loose. Buddy walloped Wheeler with a back kick. Yuta grabbed a near fall after a German Suplex. Wheeler rocketed out of the ring with a tope suicida. Buddy picked up Yuta and dropped him across the turnbuckles. Wheeler jumped off with a double ax handle to the back of Buddy’s neck and back. Buddy connected with a running powerbomb and then curb stomped Yuta, grabbing the pin!
Buddy Matthews grabbed a steel chair after the match, hoping to continue the punishment. Claudio Castagnoli sprinted to the ring to protect Wheeler.
Claudio: “If you want the attention of the Blackpool Combat Club, you don’t have to cut some spooky promo. All you have to do is ask. You’ve been pissing me off for a few weeks now and honestly, I like to make my challenges here in the light. What do you say if it’s you and me right here tomorrow at Full Gear?”
Shida hit Ruby with a throwaway slam. Kris tagged in and swept out Ruby’s legs. Saraya grabbed a tag, but Kris shoulder tackled her for a two-count.
Julia Hart was watching Kris with a keen eye backstage on a monitor.
Statlander double suplexed Saraya and Soho. Shida tagged in and knocked down Saraya and Soho with a cross body from the top rope.
Skye Blue was watching backstage on a monitor.
Angelo Parker was sitting in the front row, cheering on Ruby Soho.
Kris connected with a spinning discus lariat on Soho. Kris followed up with a running knee to Ruby Soho. Statlander hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Ruby for a near fall. Saraya tagged in and she and Ruby tried a double suplex on Shida, but Shida blocked it. Saraya and Shida traded forearms.
Shida wiped out Saraya with a running knee strike. Shida jumped off the top rope, but Saraya countered with a thrust kick. Angelo Parker jumped over the barricade to check on Ruby Soho. Saraya didn’t like what she saw, as she was left alone to fend for herself. Kris Statlander speared Angelo Parker on the arena floor. Meanwhile, in the ring, Shida wiped out Saraya with the Katana and pinned her!
Earlier in the day, Tony Schiavone had a sitdown interview with AEW World & ROH Tag champ MJF!
MJF: “I made a promise and I intend to keep it. As much as I know Austin and Colten Gunn are ugly, they’re very talented. I’m going to do whatever it takes to win during Zero Hour. Because I told my best friend Adam Cole that these ROH Tag titles will be waiting here when he comes back from injury. And let’s be honest, I’m responsible for him being injured.
“When Jay White stole my belt, I realized Jay White is insecure. He stole that belt not to prove anything to the world, but he’s trying to prove something to himself. The championship doesn’t make the man. The man makes the championship. That’s why tomorrow you’re going to lose because nobody is on the level of the devil.
“When you ask me about the likelihood about beating the Gunns and Jay White all in one night, I’d say slim to none. But unfortunately for Jay White and all my detractors, I just so happen to like those odds.”
The Rampage portion of the evening kicked off!
“The Ocho” Chris Jericho joined the broadcast table for Rampage.
TNT Championship Match!
Christian Cage (c.) (with Luchasaurus & Nick Wayne)
vs.
Trent Beretta!
Trent flew over the top rope with a huge crossbody to Christian on the arena floor. Nick Wayne grabbed Trent from behind and Christian charged at Trent, nailing him with a cheap shot. Trent speared Christian through the ropes.
Trent went for a spinning DDT, but Christian dodged it. Trent blocked a DDT from Christian. Trent hit a hurracanrana on Christian for a near fall. Christian moved out of the way of Trent’s crossbody press. Trent countered a spear with a knee strike and then spiked Christian with a tornado DDT for a near fall.
“Trent has the momentum here. Christian is on the run,” said Jericho.
Trent clobbered Christian with the Strong Zero for a two-count! Luchasaurus distracted Trent. Christian Cage seized the moment and blindsided Trent. Christian Cage crushed Trent with the Kill Switch and pinned Trent!
After a commercial break, Chris Jericho had a message for the Young Bucks!
Jericho: “Matt and Nick seem to have an issue because I stole their buddy Kenny. I didn’t steal anyone. The Golden Jets are going to beat the Bucks tomorrow and become the number one contenders. See you tomorrow kids!”
“Timeless” Toni Storm (with Luther the Butler) vs. Emi Sakura!
Toni tried to hand Emi a script, but Emi ripped it up. Emi chopped at Toni Storm. Toni knocked Emi out of the ring with her hip attack. Toni stood up on the apron and Emi fired back with a cross body press.
Toni rocked Emi with a running bulldog. Toni was looking for a hip attack, but Emi countered with a Tiger Driver for a near fall. Emi followed up with a backbreaker across the knee for a two-count. Toni dodged a moonsault from Emi.
Toni rammed Emi with a hip attack. Toni planted Emi with a piledriver and pinned Emi!
“Tomorrow is Toni’s Hollywood homecoming as she faces AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida,” said Tony Schiavone.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh. Standing across them was ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston!
Jay Lethal: “I’ve asked for this time because I wanted to make things crystal clear for Eddie Kingston. You have one day left as the ROH World Champion because we have spoken to Stokely, and he has made it official. Tomorrow night at Zero Hour it’s going to be Eddie Kingston versus Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship. Ever since you lost in that Memphis Street Fight against Jeff Jarrett granting me a shot at your championship, you’ve done nothing but duck and hide from us the whole time.”
Eddie Kingston: “Look at me. You know me. Why are you speaking like them? You know what I can do. And I know what you can do, but not with them. You have become a coward just like them.”
Kingston turned around and Ortiz showed up and nodded at him.
Rampage Main Event Time!
Roderick Strong (with The Kingdom—Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)
vs.
Action Andretti!
Strong charged at Action as Action entered the ring. Action hit back with a dropkick to Roderick Strong. Action Andretti chopped Roderick in the chest. Roderick cracked Action with a backbreaker.
Action rocked Roderick with a spinning neck breaker. Action countered a sunset flip with a suplex. Action blasted Roddy with a back elbow. The Kingdom checked on Roddy outside the ring. Action wiped out the Kingdom with a running kick. Action hit a Spanish Fly on Strong.
The fans chanted “Neck Strong!”
Roddy got to his feet! Roddy finished off Action with the End of Heartache and pinned Action Andretti!
Renee Paquette had a sitdown interview with “Switchblade” Jay White!
Jay White: “Who is the devil? In my mind, all you have to focus on is that the AEW World Championship is with someone that lives up to the E in All Elite Wrestling. Remember MJF isn’t going to even make it to the main event with me because the Gunns will take care of him first during Zero Hour.
“MJF is trying to brainwash everyone and make them think MJF belongs in the same breath as J-A-Y. When things go my way, you’re going to get more of the Bang Bang Gang.”
MJF stormed onto the scene and attacked Jay White! “Switchblade” begged Max to stop. Juice Robinson blindsided MJF and then threw MJF into Jay White’s locker room! MJF smashed the TV monitor over Juice Robinson’s head!
MJF chased Jay White to the ring. MJF grounded and pounded Jay White! The Gunns sprinted to the ring to try to help Jay White, but MJF took them down too! MJF picked up his belt and kissed it! MJF was about to bash Jay White with the belt, but the Gunn Club hit MJF from behind! Bullet Club Gold triple teamed MJF and ripped the belt out of his hands! The Gunns held back MJF as Jay White was about to ram the belt into MJF’s head when Samoa Joe ran to the ring!
Bullet Club Gold retreated!
“It looks like MJF has found a tag team partner,” said Nigel.
“But has he?” wondered Tony Schiavone.
Samoa Joe stared at MJF and extended his hand. MJF accepted!
“Joe will team with MJF tomorrow!” said Tony Schiavone.
“The AEW World Champion has made a deal with the devil,” replied Nigel.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL!
This Saturday witness history live on pay-per-view and order AEW FULL GEAR 2023 from the KIA Forum in Los Angeles, CA!
Watch AEW Full Gear Zero Hour at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT on YouTube, hosted by Renee Paquette, RJ City, and Stokely Hathaway!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy & FTW Champion HOOK
vs.
Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta!
Cassidy and Hook ran into the crowd to get the jump on Mox and Yuta! The fight broke out onto the arena floor with all four men brawling! Moxley stomped on Orange. Yuta and Hook got in the ring and the match was officially underway!
Yuta body slammed Hook. The FTW Champ threw Yuta with the El Camino. Moxley tagged in and ate an elbow strike from Hook. Moxley held onto Hook and Yuta dropkicked Hook after a tag. Hook t-boned Moxley and tagged out to Orange Cassidy. Orange planted Mox with a diving DDT! Orange was holding his ribs.
Cassidy was looking for a DDT, but Mox held onto him, and Yuta rushed in with a lariat to Orange. The BCC were working beautifully as a team. Moxley taunted Orange with kicks and slaps. Orange fired back with a dropkick.
Hook tagged in, as did Yuta. They traded strikes in the center of the ring. Hook backed Yuta into the corner with a headbutt and followed up with a Northern Lights Suplex. Yuta tossed Hook with a German Suplex. Yuta followed up with a rolling elbow strike. Moxley ran in and nailed Hook with a blindside shot.
Hook leveled Yua with a lariat. Moxley ran in and stunned Hook with a cutter. Orange blasted Moxley with the Orange Punch and Moxley simply absorbed it, eating it for lunch. Hook tried to apply the Red Rum, but Yuta hit Hook from behind. Moxley impaled Hook with the Death Rider and Yuta pinned Hook with the seatbelt rollup!
“We just saw the FTW Champion get pinned by Wheeler Yuta!” said Excalibur.
“You ain’t pinning Hook and walking away. This is just getting started. I promise you,” added Taz.
Mox: “Orange Cassidy, you are nothing, you ain’t never been nothing, this weekend at Full Gear, I’m gonna grind you into dust and walk out International Champion and there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me!”
Ahead of their Texas Death Match this Saturday at FULL GEAR, Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page had a face-to-face with Tony Schiavone in the ring!
If the two men attack each other tonight, both will be banned for the rest of 2023.
Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana came to the ring first. “Hangman” Adam Page came out next, and he marched straight to the ring, his eyes locked with Swerve.
Hangman Page: “Why did Swerve go into my house? Because you are a coward. You are a fraud. You are a worthless waste of human life. You told me two months ago that you wanted to be World Champion, but I can look at you and you don’t have it in you. You can’t cut it. You are not the man that you think you are. Look at me! You’re the one who wanted to make this personal!
“You surround yourself with ‘yes men’. And if you weren’t so dumb, you’d realize Nana is just here to use you. Swerve, Prince Nana makes his living off of your back. Look at me! You are not a man at all. You are a child. I worked with kids for a long time, and I taught them a lot of lessons, and this Saturday I teach you the last lesson of your pathetic life. You should never have come into my house. We don’t need lawyers or cops because at Full Gear I am your judge, jury and executioner.
“And Swerve, one thing I forgot to mention. Tonight’s stipulation was that you and I couldn’t lay hands on one another. But Nana, they didn’t say anything about us!”
Hangman Page jumped on Prince Nana and grounded and pounded him! Security separated Page from Nana and Page nailed the security team, blasting one with the Buckshot Lariat!
Lexy Nair was backstage with Roderick Strong and the Kingdom!
Roddy said he knew who the devil was and needed to call his best friend, Adam Cole. They called Adam Cole over Skype. “It’s definitely Max!”
Adam Cole: “Max is not the devil! With all the accusations, maybe you’re the devil, Roddy.”
Adam Cole hung up.
“Why will he not listen to me?” asked Roderick Strong.
TBS Title Eliminator Match!
Red Velvet vs. Skye Blue
The winner moves on to the TBS Title Match at Full Gear on Saturday.
Red Velvet grabbed a wrist lock on Blue but Blue escaped and countered with a hammer lock. TBS Champion Kris Statlander was watching the match from backstage.
Red Velvet swept out Skye’s legs and hit her with a standing moonsault. Red Velvet boxed Blue in the corner. Skye Blue rocked Red Velvet with a DDT on the apron. Blue whipped Red Velvet into the steel guardrail.
Skye Blue cracked Red Velvet with a thrust kick. They exchanged rollups and then knocked each other down with simultaneous thrust kicks. Red Velvet nailed with double knees to the back. Skye Blue hit the Skye Fall on Red Velvet for a near fall! Red Velvet countered a rising knee from Skye Blue with a powerbomb for a two-count!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Skye Blue countered the Just Desserts with a thrust kick. Red Velvet returned first. Skye Blue intercepted a corkscrew and pinned Red Velvet after the Code Blue!
Julia Hart was seen watching from backstage.
“The Redeemer” Miro had words for CJ Perry!
“My eyes have been open for awhile now. Truth is, CJ doesn’t just bring out the worst in herself. She brings out the worst in me too. Let the Redeemer give you a piece of advice Daniel Garcia. I don’t pray to God anymore, but you should start. This is the word of the Redeemer!”
Mariah May was backstage with RJ City, waiting to meet Toni Storm!
Mariah knocked on the door and the butler let her in. Toni Storm was on a couch, resting. Toni Storm didn’t give much time for Mariah, and then told Luther to have him contact Tony Khan to book her a tune-up match for Friday.
Samoa Joe vs. Jon Cruz!
Samoa Joe jabbed at Cruz. Samoa Joe splashed him in the corner. Samoa Joe leveled Cruz with the lariat and then won via tap out!
Samoa Joe: “My name is Samoa Joe. And I come from Southern California. So MJF, since you’re in my hood, once again I extend my offer of friendship. And trust me, the time is limited Max, because you’re going to find out whether you have my friendship or not, because I am Samoa Joe and I am inevitable!”
The Young Bucks—Matt & Nick Jackson
vs.
Penta El Zero Miedo & Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)!
Komander and Nick Jackson traded a flurry of fiery offense. All four men entered the ring and the Bucks superkicked their opponents, while Penta and Komander had the same idea with thrust kicks. The Bucks shook the hands of their opponents and then superkicked them!
“The Bucks firing on all cylinders here tonight,” said Excalibur.
Komander connected with a crossbody on Matt Jackson. The Bucks were there waiting though and hit Komander with their tandem offense. Komander took down Nick Jackson with a step up hurracanrana. Komander did the tightrope walk into a hurracanrana on Nick, and then sent Nick flying onto Matt Jackson on the arena floor!
Penta flipped over the top rope and crashed onto Nick with a tope con hiro! Penta blasted the Bucks with thrust kicks. Komander nailed the Bucks with a double DDT off the shoulders of Penta. Penta rocked Matt with a Made in Japan for a near fall!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Matt Jackson tossed Komander and Penta with a double Northern Lights Suplex! The Bucks were looking for a Meltzer Driver, but Komander sent Matt crashing into Nick. Penta destroyed Nick with a Fear Factor on the apron! Komander surprised Matt with a hurracanrana for a near fall!
“That was super close!” said Taz.
“I’ve seen things here in this match that I’ve never seen before,” replied Tony Schiavone.
Matt Jackson and Penta El Zero Miedo traded shots in the center of the ring. Penta stunned Matt with a thrust kick, but then Matt fired off a superkick. Nick Jackson tagged in and scored with a superkick. Komander springboarded but Nick Jackson cracked him with a low blow and followed up with the Judas Effect! The Bucks bashed Komander with the BTE Trigger and scored the pin!
“I’ve seen the Bucks stretch the rules before but never blatantly kick a man between the legs when the ref’s back was turned,” said Tony Schiavone.
“Will this be a taste of what the Golden Jets get on Saturday at Full Gear?” wondered Excalibur.
Lexy Nair was backstage with the Young Bucks after a commercial break.
Kenny Omega approached them and questioned why they cheated during their match tonight.
Nick Jackson: “Our heat is not with you. It’s with Jericho.”
Chris Jericho: “Don’t waste your time with these jackasses. We’ve got a match to win tonight.”
Matt Jackson shoved Chris Jericho and security had to separate them.
The Gunns—Austin and Colten Gunn (with Juice Robinson)
vs.
Peter Avalon and Jacoby Watts!
The Gunns made a statement win with the 3:10 to Yuma, quickly winning the match!
Colten: “Max, that match was two on two, so imagine at the pay-per-view when it’s two on one. Those titles are about to be gone!”
“Who will MJF find? Will he turn to Samoa Joe to tag with him this Saturday to defend the ROH World Tag Team Championship? Or will it go to Bullet Club Gold?” asked Excalibur.
A highlight package aired of Wardlow!
“Max, as God as my witness, I’m going to make the devil my b—ch!”
Like A Dragon Gaiden Street Fight!
Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, & Paul Wight
vs.
“The Machine” Brian Cage, & The Don Callis Family—Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, & Powerhouse Hobbs!
Don Callis joined the commentary team for this match.
The teams began to brawl on the ramp! Jericho hit Fletcher with his baseball bat. Hobbs went right after Paul Wight. Paul Wight choke slammed Fletcher off the stage and through a table!
Takeshita hit Ibushi with an elbow strike, but Ibushi absorbed it. Omega jumped in the ring and face planted Takeshita. Paul Wight smacked Hobbs into a car outside the arena. Jericho rattled Cage with a crate over the head!
Takeshita whipped Omega headfirst into a sign! Ibushi rode a bike down the ramp, but Cage struck him with a lariat! Hobbs body slammed Paul Wight onto the hood of a car! Takeshita swung the bike around the ring and hit Jericho, Omega, and Ibushi. Takeshita nailed Ibushi with a brain buster on the bike!
Omega pulled a table out from beneath the ring and set it up. Takeshita and Jericho brawled out to the VIP Club area of the arena. Cage and Fletcher isolated Omega in the ring. Cage and Fletcher suplexed Omega onto a pallet in the ring! Omega connected with a jumping knee strike and followed up with a snap dragon suplex on Cage. Omega had a bottle in his hand and smashed it on Fletcher’s head!
Takeshita jumped off a refrigerator, but Jericho sprayed a fire extinguisher at him and then nailed him with the Judas Effect. Hobbs charged in the ring and nailed Omega and Ibushi with double clotheslines. Hobbs drove Omega down with the World’s Most Dangerous Slam! Brian Cage superplexed Omega out of the ring and through the tables on the arena floor! Hobbs planted Ibushi with a spinebuster!
Hobbs splashed Jericho in the corner. Fletcher rocked Omega with a snap dragon suplex. Fletcher grabbed Ibushi and spiked him with a piledriver off the apron and through a sign that was propped up on steel chairs!
Omega connected with a rising knee strike to Hobbs and Jericho followed up with the Judas Effect! Jericho and Omega taped Hobbs to the ropes! Omega smacked Hobbs with a glass bottle! Cage drove Jericho down into the mat and then tried for a Drill Claw on Omega. Omega escaped and spiked Cage with a reverse hurracanrana! Omega fired off the V Trigger on Cage and then on Hobbs. Omega pinned Cage after spiking him with the One Winged Angel!
AEW World Champion & ROH World Tag Team Champion MJF had some strong words after last week’s brutal attack on the Acclaimed and Daddy Ass!
MJF: “It’s become very apparent to me that no matter how hard I try to outrun my past, it’s going to catch up with me. And every time I try to open myself up, those people get hurt. So, what I’d like to say to the Acclaimed is the same thing I said to Adam Cole—I’m sorry that you got hurt and I hope you feel better.
“Ever since I could remember all I wanted to be was a World Champion and I have spent every moment of my life trying to make that happen. I am proud to say that I have made it to that mountain top. The air up here is thin. And as I look down this mountain, I see men climbing with the only intention to shove me off the top.
“And I’m afraid I could lose everything I worked for in the blink of an eye. And I’m afraid I’m going to let you guys down. The old me in this situation would have tucked and ran. But I’m done letting the past dictate my future. Yeah, I’m afraid, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up my spot at the top of the mountain. You’d better send a whole damn army up that mountain to knock me down!
“Jay White, November 18th at Full Gear, you have a chance to take my spot. But I don’t think you can. I don’t think anyone can because my name is MJF, and I am better than you and you know it! And a message to the man who stole my devil mask who hired those goons. I am going to find out who you are and when I do there will be hell to pay!”
“Switchblade” Jay White walked onto the ramp!
Jay White: “Max, you’re going to make me sick so just stop. Drop the act because you are embarrassing yourself. You’re trying so hard to be the hero and that’s not who you are. You are the villain. Always have been, always will be. And you’re not fooling anyone. You’ve told us time and time again, you are the devil. You’re not the hero, Max. You’re not these peoples’ hero.
“Max you should know better. You should know how quickly they will drop you because you mean nothing. You haven’t changed. I know that you know that I am speaking truth right now. And I know that you know your days as the AEW World Champion are numbered. You know at Full Gear you will bleed with the Switchblade. And if you’re not down with that I have two words for you: get him.”
Bullet Club Gold jumped into the ring. Max was able to fend off the Gunns for a bit but then Juice Robinson blasted MJF with his infamous left hand punch. The Gunns spiked MJF with the 3:10 to Yuma. Switchblade rocked MJF with the Blade Runner and mockingly pinned him for the three count!
Samoa Joe was watching on a monitor backstage.
“That offer still stands, MJF. You might want to take Joe up on it,” said Taz.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL!
Special Programming note: this Friday tune in to AEW COLLISION at 8/7c and then RAMPAGE at 10/9c on TNT!
This Saturday witness history live on pay-per-view and order AEW FULL GEAR 2023 from the KIA Forum in Los Angeles, CA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast live from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA!
Yourbroadcast team was Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
AEW World Tag Team Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks (with Big Bill)
vs.
LFI’s Preston Vance (with Jose the Assistant)!
Big Bill joined the broadcast booth for this match.
Vance pushed Starks into the corner turnbuckles. Preston Vance stomped on Starks. Preston Vance followed up with a big pump kick to Ricky Starks. Preston whipped Starks into the steel guardrail. Starks reversed things, ramming Preston into the steel ring post!
Starks suplexed Preston onto the entrance ramp! Back in the ring, Vance regained momentum by planting Starks with a massive spinebuster! Starks fired back with discus lariat. Preston tried for this full nelson, but Ricky countered with a cradle for a near fall.
Big Bill jumped up onto the apron and distracted Preston Vance. Starks seized the opportunity to spear Preston Vance and pin him! The AEW World Tag Champs double teamed Preston until Rush and Dralistico ran to the ring to even up the odds for their LFI partner Preston Vance. Big Bill and Ricky Starks quicky retreated out of the ring!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Chris Jericho!
Jericho: “Takeshita has been on a roll lately. He’s one of the best pro wrestlers in the world today. But you’re facing one of the best pro wrestlers in the history of the business. Takeshita, this Sunday, in Tokyo, I am going to get my revenge on you. I’m going to teach you a lesson at DDT in Tokyo. You’re facing Chris Jericho. I’ve done it all. And Takeshita, as good as you are, I am better. And I’m going to show you what it’s like to be in the ring with an angry and pissed off Chris Jericho. This Sunday in Tokyo, Japan, Takeshita, I am going to get my revenge on you!”
Lexy Nair was backstage with Don Callis and Prince Nana!
Nana: “Lexi, I’m doing my due diligence. When you dig deep into your pockets, Don, what happens?”
Callis: “Sammy is on the shelf. Jericho is going to get taken care of by Takeshita. And I have made a deal with Prince Nana to rent the services of “the Machine” Brian Cage to team up with my family this Wednesday in the Man Who Erased His Name Street Fight!
Lexy Nair was backstage with Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt.
Jay Lethal: “I’m going to prove to the world that I outclass ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston in every way.”
Ortiz walked onto the scene!
Ortiz: “You had a lot to say about me last week. How about you say it to my face?”
Karen Jarrett: “If I were you, I’d watch what you say.”
Jay Lethal: “You might get jumped.”
Ortiz: “See, Jay, you need all these people to fight for you.”
Ortiz swung at Jay Lethal. Satnam Singh grabbed Ortiz and planted him hard on a cargo case!
Red Velvet vs. Ruby Soho (with Saraya)!
Tony Schiavone reminded us that Ruby said she wanted to do this alone, so Saraya went to the back.
Ruby got right in the face of Red Velvet. Ruby stomped on Red Velvet’s foot and then rammed her with a shoulder block. Red Velvet retaliated with a big leg lariat, staggering Ruby into the corner. Red Velvet worked over Ruby with body shots.
Red Velvet rammed Ruby with double knees and followed up with a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ruby hoisted Red Velvet on the top rope and then rocked her with a running kick. Ruby nailed Red Velvet with two consecutive back drop drivers!
“Ruby is relentless!” said Tony Schiavone.
An AEW production assistant delivered flowers to Ruby Soho during the middle of the match.
“Apparently she’s got a secret admirer,” said Tony Schiavone.
Red Velvet ducked punches from Ruby. Red Velvet cracked Ruby with a kick and pinned her!
“Clearly the distraction from the bouquet of flowers played into this match,” said Nigel.
“Wow! What a win for Red Velvet!” replied Tony Schiavone.
The Kingdom—Matt Taven & Mike Bennett (with Roderick Strong)
vs.
Two Local Wrestlers!
The Kingdom made short order of the competition, finishing them off with the Neck Check and grabbing a decisive victory. After the match, Roderick Strong ripped off his neck brace, jumped in the ring, hit a back breaker on one of the Kingdom’s downed opponents, and then ran back to his wheelchair!
Lexy Nair was backstage with Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker!
Garcia: “I am really sick of being sad. I went through the AEW roster page. I found Andrade El Idolo. This Saturday on Collision, let’s get it on!”
Ruby Soho and Saraya walked by. Saraya was clearly upset with the bouquet of flowers that Ruby was sent. Saraya looked at Matt Menard and said, “We’ve got big problems.” Menard agreed!
After a commercial break, Lexy Nair was backstage with The Kingdom and Roderick Strong!
Action Andretti and Darius Martin interrupted. Action said last time the four of them wrestled, he and Darius beat the Kingdom. Roderick Strong said he found his first victim. “Darius!” he shouted, and pointed at Darius Martin.
Main Event Time!
AAA Cruiserweight Champion Komander (with Alex Abrahantes)
& AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo
vs.
FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood!
Komander swiped at Dax’s thigh with a stiff kick. Dax fired back with a snap mare and a shoulder block. Komander dropkicked Dax Harwood. El Hijo del Vikingo and Cash Wheeler tagged in for their respective teams.
Vikingo, unabated, flipped off the top rope into a hurracanrana on Cash. Vikingo rocketed out of the ring with a tope suicida straight at Cash. Vikingo’s momentum sent him crashing headfirst into the commentary team’s table!
FTR used tandem offense in the ring to double team Vikingo. Komander and Vikingo utilized their own tandem offense with a fiery flurry. Vikingo dropkicked Dax from the top rope. Komander took down Dax with a hurracanrana for a near fall!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Dax Harwood superplexed Vikingo, but Vikingo countered midflight and landed on top of Dax. Vikingo and Komander hit stereo 630 splashes on FTR for a near fall! Dax countered a shooting star press from Vikingo with a piledriver for a near fall!
Dax used a slingshot powerbomb on Vikingo, but Komander was there to break up the pin attempt. Komander walked the ropes, but Dax dodged it and FTR smashed Komander with the Big Rig, scoring the pin on Komander!
All four competitors embraced after the match.
“Pro wrestling at its best,” said Nigel.
After the match, the House of Black were seen watching the match backstage.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA!
Don’t miss AEW Collision tomorrow on TNT at 8/7c from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Your Big Gold Belt Podcast is back & covering the week in pro wrestling including: -NXT moves to the CW: A look at WWE’s future TV deals as they come into focus -Highlights of WWE...
Tonight’s special episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Moda Center in Portland, OR!
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!
Tony Schiavone was backstage with AEW World Champion MJF to kick off the show!
MJF: “Congratulations Jay White, because you are not going to pin me again like you did last week!”
MJF’s phone began to vibrate, and it was Adam Cole calling.
MJF: “Adam, what’s going on?”
Adam Cole: “Hey man, I’m really worried about you man. It kills me that I can’t be there with you, but I have to tell you this as your best friend. Full Gear is coming up. This match against the Gunns and I know you really don’t want to hear this but if you want to win this match, I think you’ve gotta take Samoa Joe up on his offer.”
MJF: “Again with this? You’ve been telling me all week. It’s not happening, and I don’t need him. I can defend our titles and that’s a promise. I’m going to handle Bullet Club Gold after I handle Daniel Garcia.”
Daniel Garcia interrupted MJF by walking onto the set with Matt Menard and Angelo Parker!
Garcia: “You’re going to handle me, huh?”
MJF: “You want to have a chat? Why do you think I agreed to this World title shot tonight? Do you think it’s because of your perfect win-loss record? Nah, I don’t think so. It’s because I believe in you. It’s because I see a little bit of myself in you back when I would listen to quote-unquote veterans, trying to tell me how to run my business. I’ve proven it’s talent over tenure. So, tonight am I getting Danny Garcia the sports entertainer or am I getting the professional wrestler?”
Garcia: “Tonight, you get a professional wrestler.”
Roderick Strong and the Kingdom rolled onto the set.
Roderick Strong: “Yo, Max, I know you already know this, but I am a wrestling legend, and I could easily give you some tips, dude.”
MJF: “You know what’s funny? You were a wrestling legend. You have turned into a complete joke. Adam, I’ve gotta go wrestle. I love you.”
Roderick: “Adam, don’t you see that. That’s exactly what the devil would do, dude. He would walk away.”
Adam Cole hung up.
Roderick: “It’s time to remind everyone exactly who the hell I am!”
AEW World Championship Match!
MJF (c.) vs. Daniel Garcia (with Matt Menard & Angelo Parker)!
MJF locked up with Garcia and then taunted Garcia by doing Garcia’s dance. Garcia grappled MJF to the mat. MJF offered his hand to Garcia as a sign of sportsmanship. Garcia slapped it away and MJF thumbed Garcia in the eyes.
MJF began to work over Garcia’s arm, concentrating his offense there. Garcia fired back with a flurry of forearms and strikes. Garcia followed up with a high release German Suplex. Garcia nailed MJF with a brainbuster for a near fall.
MJF double stomped on Garcia’s elbow. MJF rocked Garcia with a shoulder breaker. MJF stunned Garcia with a DDT for a near fall.
“Garcia deserves a lot of credit kicking out of that hammer lock DDT because that was nasty,” said Taz.
Garcia dodged a Panama Sunrise from MJF and then chopped the champ down with kicks to the legs. Garcia spiked MJF with a piledriver for a near fall. Garcia locked in the Dragon Tamer! MJF countered and transitioned with the Salt of the Earth arm bar, forcing Garcia to tap out!
MJF offered his hand to Garcia as a sign of respect. Garcia reached for it, but Angelo Parker and Matt Menard pulled Garcia away.
Darby Allin & Sting vs. The Outrunners—Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum!
The Outrunners double teamed Darby in their corner of the ring. Sting tagged in and he and Darby chopped Turbo Floyd. Sting knocked Turbo over the top with a lariat. Truth pulled Darby out of the ring and whipped him into the barricade. Sting clubbed the Outrunners with lariats. Sting applied the Scorpion Death Lock and won via tap out!
Earlier in the day there was a sit-down interview between AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida & “Timeless” Toni Storm, conducted by Tony Schiavone!
Shida: “What happened to you Toni Storm? You want this title? I don’t think so. You want attention paid to your silly acting!”
Toni Storm: “You happened to me, darling. I was meant to walk into Wembley with that title, and then you happened. You don’t happen anymore. I happen. I couldn’t make history, so I became history. You may have that title, but you will never have the spotlight.”
Shida: “You know what? What will happen is what always happens. I will beat you at Full Gear.”
Toni: “Very well. There’s a saying in showbusiness. Chin up, t!ts out, and watch for the shoe!”
Shida knocked the shoe away and Shida and Toni glared at one another.
Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo (with Alex Abrahantes)!
“Hangman” Adam Page was banned from ringside for this match.
Swerve nailed Penta with a diving European uppercut. Swerve wrenched down on Penta’s fingers. Penta El Zero Miedo and Swerve traded chops. Swerve stomped on Penta’s fingers.
Penta planted Swerve with a backstabber. Swerve rolled out of the ring, Penta ran for the tope suicida, but Swerve countered with a European Uppercut. Swerve dropped Penta on the steel ring steps. Penta jumped over the top rope with a tope con hiro on Swerve!
Swerve blocked the Made in Japan. Swerve was looking for the JML Driver, but it was blocked. They knocked each other down with lariats, each man having the same idea! Penta hit two sling blades on Swerve. Penta hit a driver on Swerve for a two-count.
Penta El Zero Miedo blasted Swerve with a destroyer on the apron! Penta connected with diving foot stomps for a two-count on Swerve.
“What a match! Holy smokes,” said Tony Schiavone.
Swerve stomped Penta over the top rope, landing on Penta’s ribs! Swerve climbed to the top turnbuckle and attempted a 450 splash, but Penta dodged it. Penta snapped back on Swerve’s arm! Penta crushed Swerve with the Made in Japan but Swerve kicked out at two!
Penta punted Swerve on the arm. Penta tried for the Fear Factor, but Swerve escaped. Swerve drove Swerve down hard and then stomped on Penta’s arm. Swerve stomped, crashing down on Penta and pinning him for the victory.
After the match, Swerve began to pull at the mask of Penta El Zero Miedo, but “Hangman” Adam Page ran into the ring with a steel chair. Page chased Swerve out of the ring and waffled Swerve in the back with a steel chair!
“Hangman is like a man possessed! He’s crazy,” said Tony Schiavone.
Hangman jumped off the stage with Swerve, spiking him through a table with the Dead Eye!
Alex Marvez was backstage with Bullet Club Gold’s “Switchblade” Jay White, Juice Robinson, and the Gunns!
Jay White: “I am here with the Bang Bang Belt. We took a vacation, but I still turned in to Collision and what did I see? After I pinned MJF last week on Dynamite, he said, ‘Hey Jay, what don’t you go compare our names on some graph chart on the internet. Max, you want me to play along? I’ll indulge you. Maybe the graphs are like that because you spend all your time searching your name hoping one day, you’ll see those graphs in a way that will appease all those insecurities of yours.
“Jay White will always be better than you and everybody knows it. I am truly elite, and I will show that tonight against Mark Briscoe. MJF you just sit back, watch, and breathe.”
Renee Paquette interviewedthe Golden Jets—Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega, ahead of their Dynamite match against The Don Callis Family that’ll be taking place next Wednesday.
Jericho: “I think when Don proposed this match, he didn’t think that Kota Ibushi and Paul Wight would have our backs and be our partners. You see, we’ve got some good friends.”
The Young Bucks—Matt and Nick Jackson, walked onto the set and interrupted.
Matt Jackson: “You know, we actually set up camp with the extras in the broom closet. Because there’s no space in our locker room. Chris’ bag is so big. Hey, but I like what you’re doing here. This whole tag team thing? Sweet promo. I even heard you had a really cool, new name. The Golden Jets! I bet you came up with that, huh, Chris?
“You know another cool name? I remember one. The Elite. The guys who started this whole damn place. That’s a cool name too.”
Jericho: “That’s so funny, you didn’t have Kenny’s back when Will Hobbs was beating the hell out of him a few weeks ago with a steel chair. I remember essentially it was the four of us starting AEW, who helped get this company off the ground.”
Matt Jackson: “You would say that. You would put yourself up on the pedestal with us. Because the way I remember it, we created the revolution and you just waltzed in and cashed another big check, didn’t you Chris?”
Jericho: “I want you to remember who you’re talking to here. You’re talking to Kenny F’n Omega and Chris Jericho. We’re two of the greatest to ever do this in the history of pro wrestling. So even though you might be the greatest tag team in the world, I’ll give you all the credit for that. I still think that Jericho and Omega can beat you.”
Nick Jackson: “Can beat us? There’s a big show coming up.”
Matt Jackson: “The light bulb just went off. I don’t think you guys are booked either. It’s called Full Gear. How about Kenny Omega, our best friend, and Chris Jericho, against Nick and Matt Jackson, the Young Bucks, the best damn tag team of all time. You said it yourself.”
Chris Jericho: “Well, uh, I kinda like that idea. But let’s put a little more steam on it. How about when Jericho and Omega beat the Young Bucks at Full Gear, and we will beat you, that guaranteed title shot that you’re sitting on, goes to us.”
Matt Jackson: “I like the way you’re thinking here Chris. How about when we beat you, and we will, right in the middle, clean as a whistle, how about this whole Golden Jets thing is no more. And we can start doing the Elite again, how about that Kenny?”
Kenny Omega: “Look, if this is about who is the greatest tag team of all time, it’s you. I don’t want to wrestle you guys. But if you’re asking me, do I think I can beat you? We’ve been down that road. I’ve done it before. You want to talk about Ibushi? You want to talk about Hangman? Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho can rise to the challenge. We can do it. So, if you guys really want to face us, we’ll do it. And then maybe you’ll clean up your act and then maybe you’ll start acting like real adults instead of sissy, bitchy children. I think you had to hear it from someone like me. So, see you in L.A. at Full Gear.”
Jericho: “Bucks, I’ll be happy to take you to the woodshed and beat your little spoiled brat asses. And by the way, I have my own dressing room.”
ROH World TV Championship Match!
Samoa Joe (c.) vs. “Limitless” Keith Lee!
Samoa Joe and Keith Lee locked horns like two massive bulls. Samoa Joe took a side headlock on Keith Lee. Joe gouged Keith’s eyes and then dropped him with a running shoulder block.
Keith Lee fired back with a shoulder tackle of his own. Keith Lee pounded Joe in the corner with big hooks. Samoa Joe chopped at Lee and then began to work over Lee’s body with jabs, pounding him down in the corner.
Keith Lee came back with a cross body to Samoa Joe. The champ hoisted up Keith Lee and dropped Lee with a knee breaker. Samoa Joe began to stomp Keith Lee.
Keith Lee got back up to his feet, but Samoa Joe took him down with a dragon screw leg whip. Joe followed up with a Manhattan drop. Keith Lee countered the senton with a German Suplex to Samoa Joe!
Keith Lee blocked a lariat from Samoa Joe. Keith Lee smashed Samoa Joe with a pop up powerbomb for a near fall. Samoa Joe slipped behind Keith Lee, locked in the hooks for the rear naked choke, and the ref stopped the match. Samoa Joe was awarded the match as Keith Lee faded.
Samoa Joe: “What stands before you is the greatest Ring of Honor Television Champion of all time. But I did not come here to merely be your television champion. I said hunger is what defines the greats. Well consider me officially hungry.
“As of tonight, I vacate the ROH Television Championship. Because the next gold that is going to be on my shoulder will be the AEW World Championship whether you like it or not, Max!”
AEW International Champion “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy and FTW Champion HOOK were backstage!
Orange Cassidy: “Jon Moxley, you must have lost your mind, saying that I overlooked you, that I don’t respect you. You are the only person that I have been thinking about since you left me in a pool of my own blood in Chicago after taking my International Championship. And I’m sorry that when the opportunity knocked, I didn’t pick up the piece of Rey Fenix, I picked up the pieces of the International Championship that you dropped. And now holding it, it doesn’t feel the same. Because I need to beat you. I have to beat you in order to be the International Champion that I know I am. And at Full Gear, I will beat you.”
The Gunns—Austin & Colten (with Juice Robinson)
vs.
The Bollywood Boyz!
The Gunns quickly hit the 3:10 to Yuma and won the match, right out of the gates!
Colten: “Hey Max, you are a liar. You have been lying to these people for years. You are not a generational talent. You’ve been telling sob story after sob story. That’s not what a generational talent does. Me and Austin, we were made for TV. We’ve been doing this for three years. We are former AEW Tag champs. We are about to be ROH Tag Champs because we are generational talents.”
Austin: “Max, you’re an embarrassment as a champion. For the past three months, you’ve defended the ROH Tag titles one time! Now the only friends you have left are on the other side of this guardrail. And I pray to God you pick one of them as your partner for Full Gear so we can send them on a ride on the 3:10 to Yuma. Max, Full Gear, November 18th, the ROH Titles go back in the hands of a real tag team!”
AEW World Champion and ROH Tag Team Champion MJF was watching on a monitor backstage when Samoa Joe approached him. MJF walked away.
Jon Moxley was backstage with Wheeler Yuta!
Moxley: “We heard what Orange Cassidy had to say and I knew it! I’ve been getting calls all week to let Orange off the hook. I knew that Orange knew exactly what he was doing. It’s about the laws of nature. This business is a jungle. And the BCC are a dominant pack of predators. What kind of example would I be setting for young Wheeler if I didn’t beat the piss out of you, Orange? What kind of example would you be setting for Hook? Teaching him he can just do and say what he wants, and it’ll be fine? You don’t even deserve to get to Full Gear. So, the minute we land at LAX, it’s on. Gang warfare. You and whoever you want to bring.”
Wheeler: “Hook, you might think you’re some tough guy, but I guarantee you, you crossed the wrong crew. See you in Cali, pretty boy.”
The House of Black’s Julia Hart vs. Red Velvet!
Julia shoved Red Velvet into the turnbuckles. Red Velvet rolled up Julia Hart for a pin attempt. Red Velvet used an arm drag to take down Julia Hart.
Red Velvet hammered Julia in the corner with body strikes. Red Velvet splashed Julia Hart with double knees and then a standing moonsault press for a two-count. Red Velvet pulled Julia off the top turnbuckle with an iconoclasm.
Julia stomped on the ribs of Red Velvet. Julia smashed Red Velvet with a moonsault and pinned Red Velvet! Julia locked in Heartless after the bell.
Skye Blue came down to the ring and had a stare down with Julia Hart. TBS Champion Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale walked to the ring. Willow checked on Red Velvet. Julia glanced over at Kris Statlander and then left.
RJ City was backstage to introduce the newest AEW signing…Mariah May!
Mariah May: “I’m so excited to be in AEW. I’ve wrestled all over the world. I just came from Stardom in Japan and I’m so excited to be a part of the AEW Women’s division. And I’m a big fan of your work. Toni Storm is the reason I’m here. I went to Japan because Toni went to Japan. Toni’s in AEW so I’m in AEW.”
RJ: “Maybe next week I could introduce you.”
Mariah May: “You’re going to introduce me to Toni Storm?!”
Main Event Time!
“Switchblade” Jay White (with Bullet Club Gold) vs. Mark Briscoe!
The Full Gear 2023 title shot is on the line here.
Mark Briscoe spiked Jay White with a side suplex. He followed up with a vertical suplex for a two-count on Jay White. Mark knocked Jay White out of the ring with his redneck kung fu. Mark jumped off the apron with a running elbow to Jay White on the arena floor!
Juice Robinson diverted the attention of the ref while the Gunns grabbed Mark Briscoe’s boot. Jay White dodged Mark Briscoe and planted Mark with a DDT!
Jay White pretended his knee was injured. The ref turned to check on Jay White while Bullet Club Gold stomped on Mark Briscoe outside the ring.
Mark Briscoe tried to build some momentum with a dropkick off the top rope. Mark and Jay White traded shots in the center of the ring. Mark hammered away with chops and elbow strikes. Mark Briscoe nailed Jay White with a neck breaker for a near fall.
Mark Briscoe hit a fishermen’s buster on Jay White for a two-count, Jay White just barely escaping. Jay White gouged at Mark’s eyes. Jay White connected with a dragon screw on Mark’s leg. Mark fired back with a Death Valley Driver. Mark climbed to the top for the froggy bow, smashed Jay, and covered him for a near fall!
Jay White rocked Mark Briscoe with a uranage. Jay White planted Mark with the Kiwi Crusher for a two-count! Jay White chop blocked Mark Briscoe. Mark escaped the Blade Runner with an exploder suplex. Mark walloped Jay with a lariat. Mark called for the Jay Driller, but Jay White backdropped his way out of it. Jay White targeted the neck of Mark with a sleeper suplex. Jay spiked Mark with a brainbuster.
Mark countered the Blade Runner with redneck kung fu. Jay served up with sleeper suplex and then spiked Mark! Jay White finished off Mark with the Blade Runner and pinned Mark Briscoe!
After the match, MJF snuck into the ring and cleaned house on Bullet Club Gold with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Only Jay White was left in the ring with MJF! “Switchblade” Jay White retreated out of the ring!
MJF: “Look at me Jay White. I hope you’ve had fun playing dress up as top guy. Because pretty soon play time is almost over. Because you’ll have to get in the ring with the real World champion. With a generational talent. With MJF! When I won that title, I made a promise to myself that I was going to go down as the greatest AEW World Champion of all time or die trying. And that’s what you’ll be dealing with Jay.
“You’ll have to kill me to beat me. I’m not fighting just for me anymore. For the first time in my life, I’m fighting for everyone who has been on this journey with me since day one. I am fighting for Adam Cole. I am fighting for you watching at home. I am fighting for everyone in this arena! ‘Cause I’m not just a scumbag. I’m their scumbag! So, I got one question Jay. Full Gear, will the leader of the Bang Bang Gang, will you be able to be the first man to pull the trigger?!”
The arena lights went out! Footage played from backstage of masked men attacking the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn!
“It seems like whoever helps MJF is in harm’s way,” said Excalibur.
The footage scrambled and then a person wearing a devil mask appeared on the screen for a split second!
The lights turned back on in the arena and MJF was standing in the ring alone. MJF sprinted to the back to check on the Acclaimed!
Samoa Joe approached MJF backstage. “Looks like you’re running out of friends, champ,” said Samoa Joe, as he laughed and walked away.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA!
Special Programming note: This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE live at 10/9c on TNT!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Last week was another exciting one in the world of All Elite Wrestling, and it all began with AEW World Champion MJF teaming with AEW World Trios Champions Daddy Ass & The Acclaimed to take on BULLET CLUB GOLD in a wild eight-man tag! Unfortunately for the World Champ, the bout ended with Jay White pinning his shoulders to the mat, but at least it bonded the one Max with the other, and garnered the World Champ with some friends besides Adam Cole. Then on Saturday night at COLLISION, the World Trios Champs got to celebrate 69-Day in a fashion only they could, and capped off their 69th day as champions with a record-setting victory over Dalton Castle & The Boys!
We also saw FTR and LFI defeat the AEW World Tag Champions and The Gates of Agony in their own 8-Man Tag on COLLISION, watched Darby Allin and Lance Archer go to battle in a fight lost by Archer, but one in which he and Jake “The Snake” Roberts garnered new allies in The Righteous. Willow Nightingale defeated Emi Sakura, The Kingdom continued to deliver their #NeckStrong message with a “miracle” for Roderick Strong, and much more as AEW barrels towards the Fabulous Forum for FULL GEAR 2023!
AEW is returning to Portland, OR but this time it’s with DYNAMITE and marking our debut at the Moda Center, the home of the Portland Trailblazers! We’ve got MJF, with FULL GEAR 2023 getting closer, defending his AEW World Championship against Daniel Garcia as well as ROH World TV Champion Samoa Joe acecpting the challenge of “Limitless” Keith Lee! Plus Swerve versus Penta, Julia Hart versus Red Velvet, and Mark Briscoe battling Jay White; the action begins at at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, and at AEWPlus.com for international fans. Be sure to drop by the official AEW YouTube channel to watch highlights from last week’s DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER, plus so much more!
AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
MJF(c) vs. Daniel Garcia
Prior to last Friday night’s edition of RAMPAGE, Daniel Garcia had not competed in an AEW match that wasn’t a tag, trios, or multi-man since the Four Way International Championship match at FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023, with his last one-on-one encounter being in a top-shelf fight with Dax Harwood only seen by those in attendance for HOUSE RULES: TUPELO on June 2, and his last televised being a loss to Roderick Strong on the May 24th edition of DYNAMITE. As a man whose AEW resume includes victories over Brody King, Ricky Starks, and Bryan Danielson, it has clearly been frustrating for the former ROH Pure Champion, and the interpersonal issues he and his friends have been experiencing since walking away from The Jericho Appreciation Society have not helped matters.
Perhaps that is why Garcia, after his victory over Trent Beretta, chose to grab the microphone and shoot his shot by challenging Maxwell Jacob Friedman to put his AEW World Championship on the line. Clearly Garcia is tired of fighting with his friends, both inside and outside the ring, and tired of feeling overlooked despite being one of the best technical wrestlers in the game today. In Daniel’s eyes this is a fight that should’ve happened a long time ago, not MJF specifically but rather a World Championship opportunity, and he just had to take it upon himself to breath it into existence.
To MJF’s credit (it still somewhat bristles to write that), despite coming off that COLLISION clash with Kenny Omega and the 8-Man bout on DYNAMITE that saw him pinned by Jay White, he still plans to face Daniel Garcia this Wednesday night and to put the AEW World Championship on the line! That means, by the end of DYNAMITE, fans could see the entire face of the FULL GEAR 2023 championship match change! We could end up with Mark Briscoe taking on MJF, or Mark Briscoe versus Daniel Garcia, as well as the possibility of Jay White versus Daniel Garcia, in addition to the scheduled White/MJF bout. There could be a shake-up on the horizon for All Elite Wrestling, but should MJF survive the night with the championship still…well…not in his possession…but at least attached to his name, then he will tie the 9-defense record set by Jon Moxley during his first reign, making FULL GEAR 2023 the night Maxwell could add “most successful” to the “longest reigning” credit in his championship bio.
Can Garcia step up to that next level of competition and conquer AEW’s own devil? Or will Maxwell Jacob Friedman survive another day as champion and be able focus his sights on the KIA Forum, Jay White, and FULL GEAR 2023? The challengers are circling all-around…
ROH WORLD TV CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Samoa Joe(c) vs. Keith Lee
When the calendar turned from Wednesday November 1st to Saturday the 2nd, Samoa Joe officially became the longest-reigning World Television Champion in Ring of Honor history, surpassing Jay Lethal’s record that had stood since October 23, 2015, and with no seeming end in sight. When Samoa Joe walks into Portland on Wednesday night, he will stand with 575 days as champion to his resume, a number that actually puts the ROH Legend just 71 days away from breaking his own 645-day record as ROH World Champion, maintaining Joe’s status as the longest-reigning champion across all titles in ROH’s nearly 22-year history only now with the Television Championship rather than the World.
Though Samoa Joe felt he’d cleared out all challengers after putting down former TV Champion Rhett Titus on the October 28th COLLISION, and has thus devoted a good deal of his focus on MJF’s AEW World Championship, there was a man willing to step up to that challenge this past Saturday night, someone with a bit of ROH experience of their own, but who has never shared the ring with Samoa Joe: “Limitless” Keith Lee!
Though he’s only made one ROH appearance in the new era of honor, that being at FINAL BATTLE 2022, Keith Lee first competed in Ring of Honor, alongside Shane Taylor, on the May 29, 2015 event known as ROAD TO BEST IN THE WORLD 2015: NIGHT 1. Though never title holders, The Pretty Boy Killers (as Keith and Shane were known) did face top teams like The Briscoes, War Machine, and the All Night Express before Keith Lee left Shane Taylor in February 2017 following UNDISPUTED LEGACY. That’s a whole other issue, one Taylor and Lee still need to sort between each other, merely brought up to show that ROH is not unfamiliar territory to Keith Lee.
That bring multiple questions to bear regarding this fight set for Wednesday’s DYNAMITE: will we see Keith Lee return to Ring of Honor as a champion? Can Samoa Joe continue his run as the “King of Television” and press own towards breaking his own championship record come January 19, 2024? Though both men have issues beyond this title fight, Joe with MJF and Keith with Shane Taylor, they will no doubt be focused on the battle at hand, a battle pitting two of the biggest behemoths in All Elite Wrestling or Ring of Honor against one another!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Jay White vs. Mark Briscoe
***FULL GEAR 2023 TITLE SHOT ON THE LINE***
Once upon a time in 2016, a young lion named Jay White left the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo and traveled to the United States on excursion. This is a common happening among the young men coming out of the NJPW Dojo, though the destination is not always the same, and in the case of Jay White it was a year-long voyage to Ring of Honor. Yes he spent time in promotions like RevPro in the UK, fought in American indies like PWG, IWC, and House of Glory, but Ring of Honor was his home until October 28, 2017.
During that time, Jay White would find allies in a group known as Search and Destroy that consisted of White, The Motor City Machine Guns, Lio Rush, and Jonathan Gresham, and with that unit would end up in a several battles with two pillars of Ring of Honor: Jay and Mark Briscoe. One of White’s earliest matches in ROH was a 20-Minute draw with Jay Briscoe, and he would first collide with the brothers from Sandy Fork on the 9/3/16 edition of ROH WRESTLING with Lio Rush at his side. Though that S&D team was unsuccessful, Jay White would find success against The Briscoes at ALL-STAR EXTRAVGANZA VIII when he, ACH, and KUSHIDA defeated Jay, Mark, and Toru Yano in the inaugural World Six-Man Title Tournament and again when he, Lio, Sabin, and Shelley bested Jay, Mark, Silas Young, and Jay Lethal in an 8-Man tag.
As the young lion in those situations, Jay White took his beatings even in victory, and it all helped him prepare for the inevitable birth of “Switchblade” that came with his return to NJPW in November 2017. Jay and Mark would clash with White on one more occasion in May 2022, after “King Switch” had ascended to the head of BULLET CLUB and brought a young man named Chris Bey into the fold, but as it was in their only other straight-up tag match, The Briscoes claimed victory over Jay White and his partner.
All that being said, with that history lesson on the relationship between Mark Briscoe and Jay White, it’s a brand new day and both men are now members of the All Elite Wrestling family. Jay White and his BULLET CLUB GOLD brethren have absconded with MJF’s AEW World Championship title belt, leaving “Switchblade” to walk around AEW and claim himself the true champion. The old saying goes “possession is 9/10ths of the law”, but it’s tantamount to “finder’s keepers, losers weepers” here with Jay White, and Mark Briscoe has decided to put his foot down on the shenanigans he’s watched unfold over the last several weeks.
That is what has led the former 13-Time ROH World Tag Champion to challenge Jay White to this fight on DYNAMITE, a fight in which White’s FULL GEAR 2023 World Championship opportunity will also be on the line! Mark Briscoe’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain with this one, and in just his second match back from injury he could be the next challenger to either MJF or Daniel Garcia. Mark will likely have to contend with the full Bang Bang Gang contingent in Jay’s corner, but perhaps someone in the back with their own BC GOLD issues will be watching Briscoe’s back.
PARA LA FAMILIA…
Swerve Strickland vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
Alex Abrahantes could not have made it more clear; this fight is about something greater than just the match itself. Much like Mark Briscoe standing up for what he sees as wrong, this challenge made to Swerve Strickland on Penta El Zero Miedo’s behalf is also about what the latter sees being done wrong by the former.
After watching what Swerve did at “Hangman” Adam Page’s home, that complete violation beyond the pale of professional wrestling, Penta was disgusted and as a man who cherishes his family, decided to do something about it. So for the first time in AEW, and for the first time since December 2018, Swerve Strickland and Penta El Zero Miedo will go one-on-one on DYNAMITE! History tilts in the favor of Strickland, three previous meetings and all won by the boss of The Mogul Embassy, but this week Penta fights with his family in mind, with Hangman’s family in mind, and that’s the kind of motivation that will push a man to some dark deeds.
Then again, Swerve seems to thrive in those dark deeds as well based on his invasions of both Nick Wayne’s and Hangman Page’s private spaces, and clearly has no issues about crossing the lines decent human beings won’t, and certainly not in the name of a professional wrestling contest. Whose darkness is going to win out in this one-on-one clash?
SINGLES MATCH…
Julia Hart vs. Red Velvet
The last time Julia Hart was inside the squared circle was a month ago at WRESTLEDREAM 2023 after Kris Statlander bested her in their TBS Championship bout. Not only was that night a championship loss for The House of Black member, it was also the loss that snapped a 28-match win streak that Julia had built since May 2, 2022. The other night when The House of Black returned to the COLLISION stage in full force, so too did Julia Hart arrive, and with them the AEW landscape shuddered.
The last time Red Velvet appeared inside an AEW ring was on the February 1st edition of DYNAMITE when she fell to Jade Cargill in their TBS Championship bout, suffering an injury in the process that has kept her out of action for the last nine months.
That marks two things these women have in common, a TBS Championship loss in their last match, and some time off following that fight. Obviously for Velvet it was a far less of a choice to remain away from the ring, where as with Hart it was more of a regrouping alongside The House.
This Wednesday night the path of these two women will intertwine once more, the first time since their bout on the July 19, 2021 edition of DARK: ELEVATION, a match won by Red Velvet on her road to fighting Dr. Britt Baker for the AEW Women’s World Championship on the very first episode of RAMPAGE.
While Velvet has never contended with this dark, twisted version of Julia Hart, neither has Hart dealt with the Red Velvet of today who learned so much from her time as a Baddie, her challenges for the TBS and Women’s World Titles, and the motivation of long-term injury recovery. What will each bring to the table this Wednesday evening, and whose eyes will be watching it go down?
TAG TEAM TUSSLE..
Darby Allin & Sting vs. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum)
Ahead of their COLLISION trios bout where Adam Copeland will join Darby Allin and Sting to fight Lance Archer and The Righteous, Darby and “The Icon” will be in tag team action against a team who’s been very impressive in their AEW outings to date: The Outrunners!
The Outrunners, Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd, have been in the ring with The Acclaimed, Butcher & Blade, The Kings of The Black Throne, Aussie Open, and The Gunns, just to name a few of their AEW opponents, and they’ve managed to impress in their losses.
This Wednesday night they’ve got a huge opportunity when they square off with Darby Allin and Sting on the home stretch of The Icon’s career! This could be the biggest night in the lives of The Outrunners, can they take advantage of the situation, particularly all the damage done to Darby by Lance Archer?
Last week, following Hikaru Shida’s AEW Women’s World Championship defense against Willow Nightingale, Toni Storm made her way to the DYNAMITE stage and stole the spotlight from the champ for the third time. This time Shida had had enough, and as Storm rolled about on the stage, the 3-Time Champion came charging up the ramp, knocking down Luther, and delivering a solid knee strike to Toni’s face.
Storm went scurrying away with Shida in pursuit, but there will be no running this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE when both women, ahead of their FULL GEAR 2023 title fight, sit with Tony Schiavone for a chat! Will tempers flare up and turn this interview into a disaster not seen since THE ROOM?
AEW is back in Portland, OR this Wednesday night for DYNAMITE and our debut at the home of the Portland Trailblazers: the Moda Center! The AEW World Championship will be on the line, as well the ROH World Television Title, plus Swerve Strickland takes on Penta El Zero Miedo, Red Velvet is back in action for the first time in nine months to take on Julia Hart, Mark Briscoe and Jay White clash, and plenty more on top for AEW’s flagship! The night gets underway at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, and at AEWPlus.com for international fans so make a point to visit the official AEW YouTube channel to catch-up on highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast live from the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
AR Fox vs. Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana)!
Fox attacked Swerve as the show was coming onto the air. They brawled onto the ramp. AR Fox jumped off the stage and landed on Swerve with a crossbody press! They made it to the ring and Fox flipped over the top rope and landed on Swerve on the arena floor, Fox clearly taking the fight to Strickland!
Swerve hip tossed Fox onto the ring apron, with Fox’s legs taking the brunt of the impact. Swerve whipped Fox into the steel guardrail. Prince Nana called down the Gates of Agony to ringside.
Back in the ring, Swerve flung Fox onto the top turnbuckle. Swerve superplexed AR Fox, with Prince Nana yelling for Swerve to finish off Fox. AR Fox fired back with an offensive flurry, including a 450 splash off the top for a near fall on Swerve!
“Look at the rotation and the added impact of the 450,” said Nigel.
Swerve stunned Fox with a neck breaker and then a kick to the back of the head. Swerve squashed Fox with a double foot stomp and pinned Fox!
“That is a lethal move, guys,” said Tony Schiavone.
After the match AR Fox was surrounded by the Gates of Agony, Swerve, and Prince Nana! FTR sprinted to the ring and began to brawl with the Gates of Agony! Ricky Starks and Big Bill came down to the aid of the Mogul Embassy. LFI sprinted down and helped clear the ring of the AEW World Tag Champs and the Mogul Embassy! FTR offered to shake LFI’s hands, but LFI declined and left the ring.
The House of Black were watching from somewhere in the arena.
Lexy Nair was backstage with a very angry Kip Sabian!
Sabian said the Workhorsemen are underrated, and if Mark Briscoe can find two partners, Sabian and the Workhorsemen will wrestle them tonight!
The Kingdom came out, wheeling Roderick Strong onto the ramp!
Taven and Bennett charged into the ring against their opponents, James McGregor and Brixton Nash! Mike Bennett nailed McGregor with a Death Valley Driver. Taven jumped off the top rope and they hit a spiked piledriver, quickly pinning their opponent. Roderick Strong jumped into the ring and connected to one of the Kingdom’s opponents with a jumping knee strike, and then quickly rolled out of the ring and back into his wheelchair.
Lexy Nair was backstage interviewing Mark Briscoe when FTR walked onto the scene and greeted their friend Mark!
Cash offered to pull double duty and tag with Mark tonight. Mark said he appreciated that, but he already had partners lined up for his match tonight.
Darby Allin vs. “The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer (with Jake “The Snake” Roberts)!
Lance Archer hurled Darby to the mat. Darby fired back with a big right hand. Lance Archer pounced at Darby Allin, sending Darby crashing outside of the ring. Lance followed up with a knee breaker.
Lance tried to walk the top rope, but Darby knocked him off. Darby rocketed out of the ring and right at Archer with a tope suicida. Lance Archer rocked Darby with a release suplex! Lance cracked Darby with a knee strike in the ring. Darby escaped a Black Out attempt and cradled Archer for a near fall.
Archer blocked Darby’s modified Coffin Drop attempt. Archer drilled Darby with a choke slam! Archer picked up Darby again and choke slammed Darby over the top rope and onto the edge of the ring! Jake Roberts was about to hit Darby with Darby’s skateboard, but the ref saw it and then ejected Roberts from ringside.
Lance Archer clocked Darby with a stiff right hand! Darby scraped at Archer’s back and connected with a Destroyer off the top rope, scoring the pin on Archer!
Jake Roberts came back out and had words for Darby! “You think I came to a fight with only one piece of artillery? No, I’ve got a couple more guys you may have seen on the street!” said Jake Roberts.
The Righteous walked onto the ramp!
Vincent: “Revenge is forever. It’s showtime.”
Archer grabbed a distracted Darby Allin and planted him with the Black Out!
Lexy Nair was backstage with TBS Champion Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, and Skye Blue!
Statlander and Willow had requested the time to speak with Skye Blue.
Kris: “You had us going there for a second, but you showed up and picked the right side. I wanted to say thank you for making the right decision.”
Skye: “You don’t have to thank me because I didn’t do anything for you. I did it for Willow because I always have Willow’s back. And good luck out there tonight, Willow.”
Kris: “I have your back too.”
Lexy Nair interviewed Alex Abrahantes next!
Abrahantes said he and Penta El Zero Miedo showed last night that lucha is life.
Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana interrupted.
Alex said it was disgraceful what Swerve did, invading Hangman Page’s house. Alex said the only thing Penta puts ahead of lucha is his family, and he challenged Swerve to a match against Penta El Zero Miedo at Dynamite!
Up next:The AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed’s 69 Day Championship Celebration!
Daddy Ass: “It seems everyone here is ready to have a little fun. We have been Trios Champs for 69 days!”
The fans chanted “69! 69! 69!”
Bowens: “It is a very special day because it’s been 69 days of the Acclaimed and we are fired the hell up. So, I wanted to introduce a little surprise. And that surprise is for Max Caster. Because he had a pretty good week. So, Billy and I got you a special gift. Roll the clip please.”
AEW World Champion MJF appeared on the big screen with a message for Caster. MJF said Caster earned his respect. “You’re starting to grow on me, Caster. I’m kind of starting to like the Acclaimed.”
Caster: “Thank you so much! I love it, Billy! Thank you, Anthony! It means a lot and this holiday means a lot to us because it’s a culmination of all of our hard work at the top of the Trios division. And that hard work is symbolized by that trophy sitting on the announce desk right there. As much as that trophy belongs to us, we couldn’t have done it without the people And since we are the people’s choice and the people’s voice, this trophy goes out to all the fans.”
Dalton Castle and the Boys walked onto the ramp, crashing the party!
The Boys grabbed the trophy off the announcers’ table and handed it over to Dalton Castle. Castle threw the trophy to the floor, destroying it! The two teams began to brawl!
Tony Khan made the match official!
Daddy Ass flung Castle overhead. The Boys dropkicked Billy Gunn. Bowens blasted the Boys with a double clothesline.
Dalton Castle was taken down with a fameasser from Bowens. Daddy Ass tagged in, and body slammed a Boy. Bowens jumped from the top with a Scissor Me Timbers. Caster crashed down with the Mic Drop and the Acclaimed and Daddy Ass retained the titles!
“That’s nine title defenses, one more than the House of Black,” said Kevin Kelly.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Andrade El Idolo, asking if he put any more consideration into CJ’s offer.
Andrade: “Next week I will give my answer to CJ face to face.”
Trios Match!
Kip Sabian & The Workhorsemen—JD Drake and Anthony Henry
vs.
Mark Briscoe, “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes, and “Limitless” Keith Lee!
Kip cracked Briscoe with a cannonball in the corner. The Workhorsemen came in, but Mark stopped Henry and then threw JD Drake out of the ring. Sabian hit an Arabian moonsault onto Mark Briscoe.
Mark threw Henry down with an exploder suplex and tagged in Dustin Rhodes. “The Natural” powerslammed JD Drake. Keith Lee powerbombed Henry onto Sabian. Mark Briscoe dropped the Froggy Bow on Sabian and pinned him!
Lexy Nair interviewed Mark Briscoe after the match!
Mark Briscoe challenged “Switchblade” Jay White to a singles match on Wednesday at Dynamite!
Willow Nightingale vs. Emi Sakura!
They rammed each other with shoulder tackles. Willow got the upper hand, her power knocking Emi to the mat. Emi slapped Willow in the face. Emi connected with a cross body, knocking Willow off the apron. Emi splashed Willow, sandwiching her against the steel ring steps.
Outside the ring, Willow smashed Emi with a Death Valley Driver on the arena floor. Willow followed up with a shotgun dropkick for a near fall. Emi clobbered Willow with a swinging neck breaker.
Willow dropped Emi with a spinebuster. Willow finished off Emi with the Doctor Bomb, pinning Emi!
Lexy Nair was backstage with ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe!
Samoa Joe: “No, I haven’t heard back from MJF yet. You need me to make moves on your behalf and to watch your back properly. Until you realize that man is me, you will continue to endure that pain week after week.”
Keith Lee walked onto the set and said Samoa Joe hasn’t beaten him yet. Samoa Joe said they could remedy that situation this Wednesday!
Keith Lee: “Count me in.”
Main Event Time!
Eight-Man Tag Match!
FTR—Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood, and LFI—Preston Vance & Rush (with Jose the Assistant & Dralistico)
vs.
AEW World Tag Champions Big Bill & “Absolute” Ricky Starks,
and Gates of Agony—Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona!
Jim Ross joined the broadcast team to provide his main event analysis.
Big Bill and Preston Vance locked up. Preston battered Big Bill with forearms in the corner. Big Bill walloped Vance with a lariat. Bishop Kaun tagged in and suplexed Preston Vance.
Cash Wheeler tagged in and jabbed at Bishop Kaun. Dax grabbed a tag and FTR hit Kaun with a drop toehold elbow combo. Toa Liona rocked Dax with headbutts. Dax answered with chops to Toa’s chest. Toa nearly knocked Dax out of his boots with a lariat.
Rush tagged in and rammed Ricky into the guardrails! Rush kicked Ricky in the corner and then powerslammed him for a near fall.
Big Bill blocked a discus elbow from Preston with a chokeslam. FTR were looking for the Big Rig, but Big Bill ran over them with a double clothesline. Ricky Starks speared Rush out of nowhere!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Ricky starched Rush with a thrust kick. Rush fired back and then tagged to Dax. Rush and Dax smashed Kaun with the Big Rig! Rush charged at Kaun and nailed him with the Bull’s Horns, grabbing the pinfall victory on Bishop Kaun!
“A demonstrative victory for the leader of LFI,” said Nigel.
LFI walked away without shaking the hands of FTR.
“Rush is a difference maker,” said Jim Ross.
The House of Black appeared on the big screen, with words of warning for FTR!
It was a ruse, as the House of Black blindsided FTR from behind in the ring!
Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta ran to the ring to even up the odds for FTR! Claudio tried to put the Giant Swing on Malakai Black, but Brody pulled Black out of the ring! The BCC and FTR shook hands.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Moda Center in Portland, OR!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
This Saturday night in Wichita, KS All Elite Wrestling makes its debut at the Intrust Bank Arena with a stacked up edition of COLLISION! The AEW World Trios Champions Daddy Ass and The Acclaimed will celebrate their 69th Day as the reigning champions and plan to celebrate it in style! Plus, Darby Allin and Lance Archer will clash in their first-ever bout, Willow Nightingale and Emi Sakura lock up in a rematch of their NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship match, and AR Fox looks for vengeance when he faces Swerve Strickland. But that’s not all, in addition there is a huge eight-man tag on tap featuring the unique pairings of FTR and LFI against the AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks and their partners in The Gates of Agony.
COLLISION is coming to you this Saturday night on TNT, beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT, so before the night begins swing over to the official AEW YouTube channel for highlights from this week’s episodes of DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, the latest editions of CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
At ALL IN: LONDON, before the largest crowd in All Elite Wrestling history, The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass defeated The House of Black to become the 5th AEW World Trios Champions and begin this reign that is already bordering on historic. In just 69 days, this trio has matched the number of successful defenses that The House achieved in their 175 days atop the division, leaving Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed just one victory away from being the most successful championship trio to date. In fact, aside from Billy and his sons 24-1 record, they are the winningest active trio at 19-2; in other words they have a lot to celebrate, and this Saturday night on COLLISION the World Trios Champions are having their 69-Day Celebration!
Join them in-person in Wichita, or live on TBS, for what will certainly be a one-of-a-kind party that only Daddy Ass and The Acclaimed could deliver!
SINGLES MATCH…
Darby Allin vs. “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer
To date, the only interaction Darby Allin and Lance Archer have had inside the squared circle is their mutual participation in the ALL OUT 2020 Casino Battle Royale and the June 8, 2022 Casino Battle Royale on DYNAMITE. Besides that, they’ve never locked up in a tag, a trios, a singles, nothing, but that all changes this Saturday night on COLLISION!
For the first time, one of the most daredevil high-risk combatants in AEW’s history will clash with one of the most violent destructive forces AEW has ever tried to contain: Darby Allin versus Lance Archer. Archer’s last outings in AEW were when he challenged Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship at BATTLE OF THE BELTS VII and followed that up with the destruction of Barrett Brown on the October 18th edition of DYNAMITE.
Now fresh off challenging the Guerrillas of Destiny for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Titles at FIGHTING SPIRIT UNLEASHED 2023, Archer comes back to try and lay waste to Darby. Allin, coming into this fight, is possibly more banged up than he’s ever been, with a nagging shoulder injury that’s been affecting him since WRESTLEDREAM 2023 to the point that he hasn’t competed since that night in Seattle. Though he’s got a huge match on the horizon at FULL GEAR 2023, Darby is putting himself at risk to not even make it to the KIA Forum by taking this fight with “The Murderhawk Monster”. Win or lose, what condition will Darby Allin be in when he leaves Wichita and this fight with Archer?
Last week, after months away from the spotlight, the AEW faithful saw La Faccion Ingobernable return in full force on COLLISION to help FTR when Cash and Dax were faced with the combined might of Ricky Starks, Big Bill, and The House of Black. It was quite the surprising moment as one would anticipate LFI joining in on the gang assault of the former 2-Time AEW World Tag Champion, but instead Rush, Preston Vance, Dralistico, and Jose stood at their side to even out the numbers.
Well this Saturday night LFI will stand by the side of FTR once again as AEW World Tag Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks are joined by The Mogul Embassy’s Gates of Agony for a big eight-man tag team battle! This is going to be a wild one with eight men who just love to fight, and may even have some implications on the future of tag team division. A pinfall on Big Bill or Ricky Starks could be the ticket to a championship challenge, but a loss to them could knock one out of contention as well. Can any referee manage to contain the chaos that this fight will be, especially given what we’ve seen out of LFI in their recent videos?
GRUDGE MATCH…
AR Fox vs. Swerve Strickland
It wasn’t that long ago that AR Fox stood side-by-side with Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana to invade the home of Nick Wayne for the purpose of assaulting the young man to send Darby Allin a message. The reality of it was simply Swerve using AR Fox, preying on his anxieties and worries, to drive a wedge between he and Darby, and it worked, albeit temporarily, but once it was no longer convenient, Swerve dumped Fox cold prior to ALL IN: LONDON.
Seeing the error of his ways, Fox attempted to make amends with both Darby and Nick Wayne, though only the former was willing to accept the apology, and perhaps that willingness of Allin’s played a role in Nick’s decision to join up with Christian Cage. That’s neither here nor there for tonight though, tonight is all about AR Fox setting his sights on revenge against Swerve Strickland for what was done to him. Though it was Fox’s decision to sign up with The Mogul Embassy, it certainly wasn’t with the expectation of being stabbed in the back as soon as his usefulness to Swerve was done.
So this is a night of hopeful redemption for AR Fox, a chance to wash away his sins, and begin anew free of the stain of the Mogul Embassy! Can he do it, or will Swerve stomp Fox’s chest in as part of his message to Hangman Page ahead of FULL GEAR 2023?
On the June 2nd edition of RAMPAGE, in her first defense of the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship, Willow Nightingale bested Emi Sakura in a hard-hitting bout indicative of what the newborn championship means to those involved. That wasn’t their first encounter, they’ve been on opposing sides of several tags and trios over the last year, but it was their only singles match to date prior to this Saturday night!
So with that June loss in mind, Emi Sakura steps back into the ring with Willow to try and even the score, while Willow has this week’s happenings with Skye Blue and Julia Hart, as well as her loss to Hikaru Shida, floating around her mind. As AEW makes its debut in Wichita, will it be Emi’s night or Willow’s night?
After making his return to All Elite Wrestling in Philadelphia last week on RAMPAGE, Mark Briscoe will be in the house this Saturday night to make his COLLISION debut! It’s been some time since the 13-Time ROH World Tag Champion has been in action, an injury keeping him sidelined for the last several months, so what brings him to Wichita this weekend? Tune in to find out!
This Saturday night AEW makes its debut in Wichita at the Intrust Bank Arena with a stacked night of COLLISION! LFI and FTR take on Big Bill, Ricky Starks, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona while Mercedes Martinez and Willow Nightingale go head-to-head, Darby Allin and Lance Archer lock up, AR Fox and Swerve Strickland go one-on-one, and so much more!
Prior to the night getting started, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel for highlights from this week’s episodes of DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, the latest editions of CONTROL CENTER, and much, much more!
Tonight’s episode of AEW RAMPAGE was broadcast from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY!
Yourbroadcast team was Excalibur, Paul Wight, and Tony Schiavone!
It’s Friday night and you know what that means!
AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo
vs.
Penta El Zero Miedo
vs.
AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Komander!
Penta hit the Made in Japan on Vikingo, but Komander broke up the pin attempt. Vikingo flew out of the ring with a tope suicida crashing into Komander. Penta served up sling blades to Komander and El Hijo del Vikingo!
Vikingo connected with a phoenix splash onto Komander for a near fall. Penta ran in with a foot stomp to Vikingo. Penta El Zero Miedo flipped over the top rope and wiped out Vikingo and Komander. The QTV crew were watching the match on a monitor backstage.
Penta El Zero Miedo chopped Komander on the chest. Penta cracked Vikingo with a kick in the corner. Vikingo was looking for a dropkick off the ropes, but Komander countered with a powerbomb. Komander attempted a shooting star press, but Penta anticipated it and blocked it with a lung blower.
Vikingo smashed Penta with a poison rana on the ring apron! Penta rocked Komander with the Fear Factor on the edge of the ring. Penta planted Vikingo for a near fall. Vikingo fired back with a kick to Penta’s jaw. Vikingo stunned Penta with a 630 senton but Komander broke up Vikingo’s pin attempt.
Komander used an implosion phoenix splash on Vikingo. Penta grabbed Komander and nailed him with the Fear Factor on top of El Hijo del Vikingo. Penta covered Komander and grabbed the pinfall victory!
Alex Marvez was backstage with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh!
Sonjay: “Last week I saw that Ortiz was a man down on his luck, defeated by his former best friend. So, I extended an invitation to him to the hottest group in pro wrestling today. And can you believe he said no to me! And there’s no man that knows Eddie Kingston better than Ortiz. He could have ben a big help for us guys.”
Karen Jarrett: “We don’t need him! We never needed him!”
Jeff Jarrett: “Sonjay does everything he can for this group, but the fact of the matter is you’re looking at the greatest faction in all of AEW. And we don’t need any help. And Jay Lethal is the next ROH World Champion.”
Jay Lethal: “You’re damn straight. Ortiz isn’t even a factor. Because when I cash in my ROH champion shot, it’s a one on one, it’s me against Eddie. I will be the next Ring of Honor World Champion. You can bet on that!”
They walked away and then Ortiz walked onto the set!
Ortiz: “Damn, my ears are burning. Somebody was definitely talking about me. I’ll deal with them next week, though.”
The Gunns—Austin & Colten Gunn (with Bullet Club Gold)
vs.
“Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal!
Daniels and Sydal used tandem offense on Austin Gunn. Daniels chopped at Austin. Colten clocked Daniels with a sucker punch.
Colten tagged in and grounded and pounded Daniels. Colten dropkicked Daniels. CD German Suplexed the Gunns and tagged into Sydal. Matt Sydal smashed Austin with the meteora but Colten was there to break up the pin. The Gunns hit the 3:10 to Yuma on Sydal and Austin pinned him!
Austin: “MJF, Dynamite belongs to the Bang Bang Gang. Collision belongs to the Bang Bang Gang. And now Rampage belongs to the Bang Bang Gang. And at Full Gear, November 18th, we take the ROH Tag Team Championships!”
RJ City was backstage with Danhausen!
Danhausen: “No, no, no. I made a mistake. The return is actually next week. Sorry!”
RJ City: “Well, there you have it. Next week, the return of Danhausen.”
Danhausen: “Thank you!”
Alex Marvez was backstage with Ruby Soho and Saraya!
Ruby: “Yeah, I’d say I’ve been having a rough go at it in the ring as of late. I mean, ever since Toni Storm left the Outcasts, we’ve been in a downward spiral. Saraya lost the title. And I lost my opportunity at the title. I really wish you were there for that, Saraya, I’m not going to lie to you.”
Saraya: “Ruby, shut up. Be quiet. You keep talking about Toni like she’s a big star and without her we’d be nothing, when actually it’s the other way around. And without me, you wouldn’t be on TV. I’m sorry, I feel like I’m taking this whole thing out on you. And I just want the best for you. Stick with me and you are going to be a star, kid.”
Angelo Parker walked onto the set and offered to comb Ruby’s hair. “Don’t even think about it,” she said.
Matt Menard walked onto the scene and asked Parker what happened last Wednesday night. “All you had to do was take the bat and take two years of frustration out on Chris Jericho. Smash him in the face and win the match, but you couldn’t do it. You don’t have the dog in you, that’s why you couldn’t do it. I don’t think you have the dog in you. How about it?”
Parker: “Did you ever think that maybe not everyone is as frustrated as you are? I’m gonna go be a friend to Garcia. He’s got a big match tonight.”
Marina Shafir (with Nyla Rose) vs. Skye Blue!
Skye Blue stomped on Marina’s feet, but Marina didn’t even flinch. Marina kicked Skye away. Skye Blue spiked Shafir with a DDT on the apron! Skye Blue clubbed Marina with aggressive forearm shots on the floor.
Marina planted Skye with a Judo throw for a near fall. Skye Blue fired back with a dropkick. Blue blasted Marina with a boot. Marina applied a neck crank on Blue. Skye Blue bit Marina to escape. As Marina was telling the ref, Skye Blue rolled her up for a near fall.
Skye Blue crumbled Marina with a thrust kick and then pinned her after the Code Blue!
Main Event Time!
Daniel Garcia vs. Trent Beretta!
Garcia chopped Trent. Trent charged at Daniel Garcia. Trent hit Garcia with a moonsault off the middle turnbuckle. Trent spiked Garcia on the arena floor with a brainbuster!
Trent superplexed Garcia for a near fall. Trent knocked Garcia down with a short arm lariat. Garcia backdropped Trent. Garcia punched and stomped down Beretta. Garcia charged at Trent with a double knee strike in the corner. Garcia followed up with a brainbuster for a near fall.
Trent rocked Garcia with a half and half suplex and then the Death Valley Driver for a two-count. Garcia came back with German Suplexes of his own. Trent and Garcia battered one another with elbow strikes. Trent spiked Garcia with a piledriver for a two-count!
Garcia did his dance and the blasted Trent with a piledriver. Garcia applied the cross face and Trent tapped out!
Garcia: “Man, I don’t know about y’all, but Daniel Garcia has a very good track of time. And I’ve been keeping score, alright. So, because I’m so good at keeping time, it has been six months since Daniel Garcia has had a singles match at AEW. I feel like there’s one way to jump in the line at AEW. And that is winning a title.
“I have a fetish for greed. I have a fetish for gold. That’s why I’m calling out the biggest dog…MJF! I know you got a lot of targets on your back. But I promise you there’s not a person in the back that wants that belt more than I do. So, Max if you’re up for the test to step in the ring with one of the best professional wre—, sports entertainers in the world, you know where to find me!”
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Moda Center in Portland, OR!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS featuring:
-AEW World Trios Champs The Acclaimed’s 69 Day Championship Celebration!
-Swerve Strickland vs. AR Fox!
-Willow Nightingale vs. Emi Sakura!
-Darby Allin vs. The “MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer!
-8-Man Tag Match: FTR, Rush, & Preston Vance
vs. AEW World Tag Champs Ricky Starks & Big Bill, & ROH 6-Man Champs Gates of Agony!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Last Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, fans were witness to a must-see clash between Orange Cassidy and Claudio Castagnoli over the AEW International Championship, and in the aftermath, with OC still standing as champ, we all witnessed Jon Moxley’s response to the win. In addition, while AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida bested Willow Nightingale, AEW World Champion MJF and The Acclaimed fell to BULLET CLUB GOLD with Maxwell himself getting pinned by “Switchblade” Jay White. Plus, Adam Copeland agreed to side with Sting and Darby against TNT Champion Christian Cage and company, Julia Hart returned only to be surprised by Skye Blue, and The Elite lost their ROH World Six-Man Championship back to The Mogul Embassy!
AEW RAMPAGE get underway this Friday beginning at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for our international audiences, just be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel before the show begins to catch highlights from last Wednesday’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE and COLLISION, THE CONTROL CENTER, and a great deal more!
Lucha del Día de los Muertos…
AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo vs. AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Komander vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
What a match this will be when three of the world’s premier Luchadores collide in a Three Way bout this Friday night on RAMPAGE! All three of these individuals are quite familiar with one another, particularly Penta El Zero Miedo and El Hijo del Vikingo whose relationship dates back to 2019 bouts in AAA, and they even teamed up a pair of times on episodes of ROH ON HONOR CLUB (www.watchroh.com) during the summer, but this will be the first time they’ve competed against one another in this format! Penta and Vikingo clashed in singles competition for AAA in April 2020, Komander won the ROH World Title #1 Contender’s match on RAMPAGE a month ago that also featured Penta, while Vikingo holds seven singles victories over Komander as well as an additional six in multi-man matches that featured both men, including a AAA Mega Championship match on RAMPAGE back on June 2nd.
Suffice to say there is a great deal of history between Vikingo and Komander, and with both reigning as champions in AAA, there are a great many eyes on this contest, and given the skill sets of both men, it is quite the unpredictable bout! Now add in Penta El Zero Miedo, himself a former champion in AAA, and this is going to be one of the wildest fights could hope for! They can all fly, they can all hit, and Penta especially has a sadistic streak when it comes to inflicting pain; one can’t help but wonder, with two AAA champions involved, if this outcome could have an impact on those title pictures, but even if not, this match honoring Dia de los Muertos will be a showstealing affair!
Click here for detailed information on just what Dia de los Muertos means, and to read about its history.
As seen in the above embedded clip, this past Wednesday night fans finally got a clearer idea of where Skye Blue’s head has been since being misted by Julia Hart. Though we’ve all seen her adopt a darker look, bend the rules a bit, and repeatedly refuse the handshake/help of Kris Statlander, she hadn’t gone full-Julia in this descent from the bright, shiny disposition the AEW faithful had grown to know and love. There was certainly a fear that was Skye’s trajectory, but on Wednesday night, when she misted Julie with her own blue-tinted variation on the theme, it became clear that while Skye had been changed by her experience, she was not signing on with Julia and The House!
So with that in mind, this Friday night on RAMPAGE Skye will back in action against a familiar foe! Marina Shafir and Skye Blue have gone into battle eight previous times against one another since 2022, three of those in singles competition, with “The Problem” holding a 5-3 edge overall, and a 2-1 in their singles matches. Their most recent bout went down on September 13th in Cincinnati and was won by Skye, leaving Shafir hungry to get one back.
With the skies looking a little more clear, and fans seeing what Blue meant when she said she’d handle Julia, it will be interesting to see how she approaches this next fight with Marina Shafir! Though Skye Blue will likely never be the same woman she was when 2023 began, will she continue forward with a bent towards the shadows, or will the light of friends like Willow Nightingale shine through the darkness?
Tag Team Action…
The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
Coming off The Bang Bang Gang’s major victory on DYNAMITE, and with their ROH World Tag Team Championship opportunity pending during FULL GEAR 2023: ZERO HOUR, Austin and Colten Gunn will be in tag team action this Friday on RAMPAGE! Looking to build greater momentum before they get to L.A., the Gunns will take on two men who held the ROH World Tag Team Championship over 15 years ago, and who now want to add the phrase “2-Time” to their resume!
Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal reigned from November 25, 2006 until February 24, 2006, dethroning The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli & Chris Hero) before being bested by Jay & Mark Briscoe, and netted themselves three successful championship defenses during that time. Though the partnership was short-lived, the bond remained strong, and in the new era of honor Daniels and Sydal have reunited to once again pursue ROH championship success.
So to see The Gunns jump the line and basically corner MJF into a championship shot at FULL GEAR 2023: ZERO HOUR has not sat well with the two veterans of the squared circle, and this Friday on RAMPGE they mean to teach The Gunns about repercussions for their actions! Austin and Colten are riding high after Wednesday night’s victory, as are the rest of BC GOLD, so you know they won’t be traveling alone to this shindig. Can the former ROH Tag Champions contend with the BC GOLD numbers and put a damper on the Bang Bang Gang party?
Singles Match…
Daniel Garcia vs. Trent Beretta
It’s been awhile since the AEW fans have seen Daniel Garcia in a singles match on TV, since May 24th to be exact when Roderick Strong defeated him, with his last one overall taking place at FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 when he was part of the AEW International Championship Four Way with Shibata, Zack Sabre Jr., and defending champion Orange Cassidy. That’s quite a long time for the self-proclaimed “greatest technical sports entertainer in the world” to go competing in only tags, trios, and battle royals, but this Friday night Garcia is back at it!
His opponent for this return to singles action is none other than Trent Beretta who, while certainly versed in singles competition, has spent a great deal of his AEW career embroiled in tag team action with Chuck Taylor, or Trios situations with Orange Cassidy. With Chuck on the injury list and Cassidy engaged in his work as a 2-Time International Champion, Beretta is going it solo once again!
Both are hungry for competition, and to prove their skills once more, but who’s will to win will prove stronger this Friday night on RAMPAGE?
RAMPAGE begins at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for our international audiences, so be sure to drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel before to the show for highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, plus previous episodes of RAMPAGE and COLLISION, THE CONTROL CENTER, and much, much more! This Friday night, with the Lucha del Dia de Los Muertos Three Way, Skye versus Shafir, Garcia taking on Beretta, and The Gunns in tag team action, is going to be action-packed!
Tonight’s special episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY!
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!
Renee Paquette interviewed AEW World Champion MJF to kick off the show!
MJF: “I’ve got a list of everybody on the roster and hopefully there are three who aren’t complete A-holes. In the meantime, I’ve got my brochacho for life, Adam Cole, on the video chat for some advice.”
Adam Cole: “You know what makes me happy? The fact that you are officially the longest reigning AEW World Champion of all time. At this point you’re the greatest AEW World Champion of all time and that’s something to be really proud of. I wish I could be there right now because it feels like the entire world is gunning for you. I think you should at least consider Samoa Joe’s offer.”
MJF: “The last time I wrestled that guy he almost broke my neck. But listen I gotta go and find three partners for tonight. And just so you know, I promise you I’m going to successfully defend our ROH Tag Titles at the Full Gear pay-per-view. I’ll see you around.”
Roderick Strong rolled up in his wheelchair with the Kingdom!
Strong: “Can you believe Max leaving mid conversation? You know I’d never do that to you, right? But also, serious question, are we still pretending that he’s obviously not the devil? Like, because he seems like the devil to me.”
Adam Cole lost his connection.
Strong: “Adam! Adam!”
The transmission was interrupted by an image of someone wearing the devil mask!
Claudio Castagnoli hoisted up Orange and planted him. He followed up with a body slam to the champ, and then a double foot stomp. Claudio began to tenderize the body of Orange with multiple knee strikes and then an uppercut forearm.
Claudio countered a cross body press off the top rope with a back breaker on Orange, and then switched to a gut wrench rib breaker. Orange Cassidy rolled out of the ring, trying to play head games with Claudio, but Claudio ran around the ring and clubbed Orange with a forearm.
Orange shoved Claudio into the steel ring post and followed up with a tope suicida. Orange went for a second attempt, but Claudio caught Orange and dropped him across the top of the steel barricade.
FTW Champ HOOK walked to the ring, but the referee ejected both HOOK and Wheeler from ringside!
Claudio rocked Orange with a delayed vertical suplex back into the ring! Claudio charged at Orange, but Orange dodged him. Claudio collided into the steel ring post. Orange jumped out of the ring and caught Claudio with a DDT on the arena floor.
Orange cracked Claudio with the Stun Dog Millionaire. Orange went for a DDT, but Claudio countered with the Giant Swing! Claudio applied the Sharpshooter. Orange tried to escape but Claudio transitioned into a cross face! Claudio cracked Orange with a European Uppercut for a near fall.
Claudio put Orange in a sleeper hold. Orange began to fade. Orange escaped and clocked Claudio with the Orange Punch! Orange smashed Claudio with the Beach Break but Claudio rolled out of the ring, showing off his tremendous instincts and ring awareness.
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Orange began to stomp Claudio. Orange clobbered Claudio with a running PK. Orange pulped Claudio with a DDT for a two-count. Orange got a hurracanrana on Claudio, grabbed his legs, and pinned him!
After the match, Jon Moxley came down to the ring! Orange charged at Mox, but Mox slammed him right down and began to ground and pound him!
“Orange is getting battered alone!” said Excalibur.
“This is an assault were watching right now,” replied Tony Schiavone.
MJF was knocking on Kenny Omega’s door!
Chris Jericho answered the door.
MJF: “Is Kenny in there?”
Jericho smiled and then slammed the door in MJF’s face.
As MJF was walking away, Wardlow shoved MJF against the wall!
Wardlow: “You took everything away from me! Now I’m going to take everything from you when you least expect it.”
Wardlow let go of MJF and MJF huffed away. As MJF turned the corner, The Acclaimed were waiting for him.
Max Caster: “Why don’t you team with us?”
MJF walked away, clearly frustrated.
After a commercial break, Jon Moxley was backstage!
Moxley: “I showed you respect, Orange, when no one would. I let you walk out on your own power in Chicago. I did not have to do that. Did you just write me off like everybody else did? Right now, I’m not doing too good so maybe this isn’t about you.
“Maybe you’re just the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. It doesn’t matter either way, Full Gear, I’m going to beat you within an inch of your life with my bare hands. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. Just because I can.”
ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match!
“Hangman” Adam Page & The Young Bucks (c.)—Nick & Matt Jackson
vs.
The Gates of Agony—Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona, & “The Machine” Brian Cage!
Hangman was fighting this match with revenge on his mind. The Bucks dropkicked Cage and Liona. Hangman jumped off the turnbuckles with a lariat to Kaun. Matt Jackson splashed Kaun with a cannonball in the corner. Nick Jackson smashed Kaun with a senton!
Page hit Toa with a discus lariat. Hangman knocked Toa over the top rope with a lariat. He followed up with a pop-up powerbomb on Bishop Kaun. Page was about to go for the Buckshot Lariat when Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana walked onto the ramp!
Swerve: “Who’s house? As a matter of fact, last week I was at your house!”
Page got a look at Swerve and sprinted up the ramp toward him! Nana and Swerve retreated backstage as Hangman charged after them.
The Bucks were left alone with a three on two situation. Nick Jackson superkicked Bishop Kaun. Brian Cage ate a superkick from Nick Jackson. Cage battered Nick with a lariat and then a suplex from the apron and back into the ring!
Matt Jackson peppered the head of Bishop Kaun with right hands! The numbers were catching up with the Bucks. The Gates of Agony spiked Matt Jackson! Brian Cage shoulder blocked Nick Jackson.
“The odds are against the Bucks right now,” said Tony Schiavone.
“They’re doomed,” added Taz.
Cage powerbombed Nick Jackson and then cracked him with a knee strike. The Gates planted Nick and then Bishop Kaun pinned Nick Jackson.
And new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions…The Mogul Embassy!
Backstage, Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page had to be pried apart by AEW security!
After the match, Matt Jackson went berserk, hitting a steel chair against the ring post over and over!
“This is about coming after somebody’s family,” said Excalibur.
After a commercial break, MJF’s pursuit to find tag partners continued.
MJF was about to knock on Samoa Joe’s locker room door but thought twice about it. MJF walked down the hall instead. The Acclaimed were there waiting for him. Caster said, “Pick us!” MJF stormed off.
Up next: Tony Schiavone interviewed the “Rated R Superstar” Adam Copeland in the ring!
Adam Copeland: “Last week Sting got in my face. He also said we go a long way back. And we do. Because Sting and I have had a lot of the same injuries. So, we’ve been a sounding board for one another, and I respect the hell out of that man.
“I also respect Darby Allin because I think he is one of the lynch pins of this company and of this industry going forward. But Tony, I know you want answers. What am I going to do? Am I going to team with Sting and Darby Allin at Full Gear?”
TNT Champion Christian Cage came out onto the ramp with Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne!
Christian Cage: “Adam, before you give your answer, I just want to paint a little picture for you. I am going to retire Sting at Full Gear whether he likes it or not. And also, you haven’t seen Darby Allin around much lately, and if you have, you’ve noticed he has a gimp arm that’ll never be the same after I dumped him on the stairs at WrestleDream.
“Now I don’t think I need to remind you, Adam, or anybody else of your neck problems. And I’d hate for this fairy tale of yours to turn into a nightmare so I’m going to suggest you back down from me right now. If you know what’s good for you, Adam, you’ll back down from me or else I’m going to snap your neck and leave you in a wheelchair. You used to be somebody, but I can also see this isn’t sinking in. So, guys give him a little preview!”
Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne charged at Adam Copeland in the ring!
Copeland fought off Wayne and Luchasaurus. Christian Cage was in the ring alone with Adam Copeland. Luchasaurus ambushed Copeland as Copeland was staring down Cage. Nick Wayne connected with the Wayne’s World on Copeland!
Sting came to the ring! Sting cracked Nick Wayne with a shot to the face. Darby Allin ran down like a bat out of hell and drilled Christian Cage!
Christian Cage turned things around and began to stomp and kick Darby. Adam Copeland was primed and ready and speared Christian Cage!
Copeland: “You want to snap my neck?! I’m going to beat your ass! It is on! Sting, you were right. Sting and Darby, you want a partner at Full Gear? I’m your man!”
Up Next: An Important Announcement from AEW CEO, President & GM Tony Khan!
Tony Khan was standing next to Nigel McGuinness.
Nigel: “Tony, from what I understand you have a huge announcement for all our fans all over the world.”
Tony Khan: “It’s been a great year for AEW. And now, all over the world, Christmas trees are going up all over the world. It’s the start of the holiday season. I can’t think of a better gift to give to the wrestling fan, your family, your friends, your loved ones, than a ticket to next year’s AEW ALL IN coming August 25th, 2024. Tickets are on sale one month from now, December 1st. But you don’t have to wait until December 1st. You can sign up right now. Get the best tickets early.”
Nigel: “Tony here is my scoop. If you want access to the best tickets before the general public, you can sign up now at Ticketmaster.co.uk/aewwembley2024. Priority and early access presales begin November 27th, with details being emailed to everyone that has registered.”
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard & “Cool Hand Ang” Angelo Parker (with Jake Hager)
vs.
Golden Jets—Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega!
The Don Callis Family stood behind the broadcast booth as Don Callis sat in on commentary for this match.
Jericho chopped away at Menard and Parker. Omega tagged in. Omega and Jericho hit a tandem suplex on Menard. The Golden Jets followed up with a double shoulder block on Parker.
Jericho dropkicked Menard and then connected with the Code Breaker on Parker. Omega hit the terminator dive on Hager! Menard smacked Jericho in the face with a bat as the ref was distracted. Parker covered Jericho but Jericho kicked out. Parker swung at Jericho with the baseball bat. Jericho dodged it. Jericho decimated Parker with the Judas Effect and pinned him!
Don Callis: “I’ve got something to say! I’ve gotta give you credit, guys. Takeshita destroyed Kenny. Hobbs broke Jericho in two. And you guys are still back! You’re like cockroaches. You’re hard to get rid of. So maybe we have to take it up a notch.
“Maybe this doesn’t get finished in a wrestling match. Maybe this gets finished on the streets. So, if you’ve got the guts to face the greatest family in professional wrestling in a street fight in Ontario, California on Dynamite, then step up to the plate, you dummies!”
Jericho: “He just called us dummies, Kenny. What are we going to do?”
Omega: “You just said the magic word. You want a street fight. None of this was ever about playing by the rules. None of this was about winning matches. It was all about hurting me and hurting Chris. It was all for you. You want a street fight? Yeah, we accept it, but we’re not going to accept it alone. You want to bring your family along, well trust me, we’ve got an extra spot for Ibushi on our side.”
Callis: “You know I’m not a dummy, so I know by my math you’re still a man short.”
Omega: “I’m all out of ideas, Chris, can you help me?”
Jericho: “I look at Will Hobbs right here, the man that annihilated me a few weeks ago. And Hobbs is a big, big man, but I’ve got a friend who is even bigger.”
Callis: “No one is bigger than Will Hobbs!”
Jericho: “Maybe not a normal man, but as big as Will Hobbs is, he’s not a giant.”
Paul Wight walked onto the ramp! Paul Wight knocked out Kyle Fletcher with one punch!
Excalibur: “A match made! Dynamite in two weeks, the street fight in Ontario, California!”
After a commercial break, Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho!
Jericho: “In two weeks, the Don Callis Family has to face the Golden Jets, Kota Ibushi, and the biggest man in pro wrestling, Paul Wight!
The Young Bucks were in the locker room. Matt Jackson interrupted.
Matt Jackson: “Kenny, we’re friends, right? What was the whole point of the Elite getting back together if none of us have each other’s backs anymore. Who invited Jericho into our locker room?”
Jericho: “Don’t take it out on me because you lost your Trios titles. You weren’t good enough tonight. Watch your mouth when you talk to me.”
Omega: “Like Chris, hate Chris, he is aligned with us against the Don Callis Family.”
Matt Jackson: “Him and Don are cut from the same cloth. He’s going to screw you over just like Don did. Enjoy our locker room. Just clean up when you’re done!”
AEW Women’s World Championship Match!
Hikaru Shida (c.) vs. Willow Nightingale!
Willow rolled up Shida for a near fall. Willow followed up with a shoulder block and then a low cross body for a two-count. Shida charged at Willow and rattled Willow with a knee to the back of the head. Shida followed up with a diving cross body to the outside.
Shida suplexed Willow. Shida booted Willow in the face. Willow answered with a high boot of her own. Willow cracked Shida with a spinebuster for a two-count.
Shida dropkicked Willow off the turnbuckles. Shida hit an avalanche falcon arrow, but Willow kicked out immediately! Willow pounced the champion! Willow smashed Shida with the Death Valley Driver for a near fall! Shida cracked Willow with the knee strike. Shida unsheathed the shining katana and pinned Willow!
“Three defenses in seven days. That is an impressive streak for the AEW Women’s World Champion,” said Excalibur.
Willow and Shida hugged after the match, showing mutual respect for one another.
“Timeless” Toni Storm came out onto the ramp after the match! Shida sprinted up the ramp and blasted Toni with a knee strike! Shida chased Storm backstage!
The arena lights went dark! When the lights turned back on, Julia Hart was in the ring, standing behind Willow! Julia offered her hand to Willow. Skye Blue jumped into the ring and got in between Julia and Willow. Skye stared at Julia.
Julia nodded at Skye Blue. Skye turned around, looked at Willow, then turned back around and sprayed mist into Julia’s eyes!
“I think Skye Blue is going to pay for that,” said Taz.
Backstage, MJF was sitting on the floor when the Acclaimed approached him!
Daddy Ass: “Still no luck finding partners?”
Bowens: “Max, no one likes you except for Caster. I don’t know why you haven’t picked us in the first place because everyone loves the Acclaimed.”
Caster: “That’s right and if you team with us, you gotta scissor us and just wear what’s in this bag.”
MJF: “No, we will never tag! Do you understand me? And jokes on you, I’ve got one more group on my list.”
MJF turned around and he should be standing there? Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh, laughing!
Jeff Jarrett: “Max, we’re here to help.”
Renee Paquette was backstage when she was interrupted by Roderick Strong and the Kingdom!
They dialed Adam Cole on speakerphone. Roddy said Cole had to hear this.
Adam Cole: “Hello?”
Strong: “Adam! Hey, can you believe Max didn’t even attempt to ask us to be his tag team partners tonight? Especially after I’ve been so nice to him. What a jerk, huh?”
Cole: “Roddy, shut the hell up, man.”
Cole hung up.
Main Event Time!
8-Man Tag Match!
AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF & Three Mystery Partners
vs.
Bullet Club Gold’s Austin & Colten Gunn, “Switchblade” Jay White, & Juice Robinson!
The Acclaimed came out to team with MJF!
MJF made his entrance in Acclaimed-inspired gear!
MJF charged at Jay White but White ducked out of harm’s way and hid behind Bullet Club Gold. Bowens and Juice tagged in. Juice connected with a shoulder block. Bowens clubbed Juice with an elbow.
Daddy Ass and Austin Gunn faced off. Austin jabbed at his father. Daddy Ass fired back with a big right hand. Jay White tagged in and chopped Daddy Ass. But Daddy Ass dropped Jay White with a chop.
Bowens connected with Scissor Me Timbers on Colten Gunn. Colten stomped Caster in the corner. Switchblade cracked Caster with a knife edge chop. MJF tagged in and cleaned house on the Gunns and Juice Robinson! Bullet Club Gold got bounced all over the ring, but Jay White ran out of the ring!
MJF chased Jay White around the ring. Jay White jumped into the ring and MJF followed, but Austin chop blocked him. MJF countered the 3:10 to Yuma with a DDT to Colten! MJF connected with the kangaroo kick on Austin and Juice! Jay White snuck behind MJF and drilled the champ with the Blade Runner! Jay White pinned MJF!
“He just pinned the World Champion!” said Taz.
Jay White was going to hit MJF with the belt after the match but The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass jumped in to save him. They chased Bullet Club Gold out of the ring. MJF was prone and Jay White was still in the ring. Jay White wanted to waffle MJF with the title belt, but Max Caster came in and took the bullet for MJF!
“Max Caster pushed MJF out of the way to save him from that blindside shot from Switchblade Jay White,” said Excalibur.
After the match, MJF, the Acclaimed, and Daddy Ass had a four-way scissor party!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT featuring:
AAA Mega Champion El Hijo Del Vikingo
vs.
Penta El Zero Miedo
vs.
AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Komander!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Moda Center in Portland, OR!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday on TNT at 8/7c from the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
Saturday night’s edition of COLLISION brought the AEW faithful an epic World Championship match between Kenny Omega and Maxwell Jacob Friedman that saw the defending champion top his challenger to not only retain, but to also cement his status as the longest-reigning AEW World Champion of all time. As of Wednesday November 1st MJF has officially hit the 347-day mark of his reign atop the mountain, thus surpassing Kenny Omega’s record, and leaving him with one World Championship record left to break, that being Moxley’s nine successful defenses. A win over Jay White at FULL GEAR 2023 would tie that marker, but Max still has a ways to go before he gets to The KIA Forum, and part of that is his fight with The Bang Bang Gang on DYNAMITE!
Also last Saturday, Hikaru Shida continued her third reign as AEW Women’s World Champion by defeating Abadon in a Fright Night Fight, the aforementioned BULLET CLUB GOLD was successful in picking up two victories in their Saturday night fights, and Samoa Joe continued his march towards breaking Jay Lethal’s 567-day record reign as ROH World TV Champion with his victory over Rhett Titus!
DYNAMITE is stacked for AEW’s debut in Louisville, KY at the KFC YUM! Center with MJF possibly taking on the entirety of BULLET CLUB GOLD by himself, Hikaru Shida facing Willow Nightingale’s challenge, the AEW International Championship on the line, and more! The night begins at at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, as well as at AEWPlus.com for our international fans, so swing by the official AEW YouTube channel to watch highlights from last week’s DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, an unforgettable COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
EIGHT-MAN TAG MATCH…
AEW World & ROH World Tag Champion MJF, ???, ???, & ???
vs. BULLET CLUB GOLD (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, Jay White, & Juice Robinson)
As of Wednesday, after topping Kenny Omega in their epic COLLISION bout, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has officially become the longest-reigning AEW World Champion in history, surpassing Omega, with the only record associated with that championship left to break being the most championship defenses. That record is currently held by Jon Moxley during his first title reign, holding steady at nine, with MJF having the potential to tie it at FULL GEAR 2023 when he faces “Switchblade” Jay White in his next title defense. The fact that Jay has physical possession of the MJF’s prized Triple B is meaningless to the actual lineage, just merely a tool for “King Switch” to use to antagonize the actual champion as long as the belt sits in the BC GOLD camp.
Clearly the issue is getting to Max as he attempted, despite having that match with Omega on his plate later in the night, to reclaim the title belt following Jay White’s victory over AR Fox. Once again unsuccessful in his attempt, MJF now has to take on the whole of The Bang Bang Gang this Wednesday night on DYNAMITE if wants to get the Triple B back from Jay White. There’s only one problem, Max has essentially told everyone willing to help him out to kick rocks, not The Kingdom, not Roderick Strong, not The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, and as far as Samoa Joe’s offer, well Max didn’t scream Joe’s name for help, but he didn’t say no either.
So who will it be? Will it even be anyone? Is there anyone MJF will accept help from, or who will even be willing to stick their neck out for him? After all, despite his recent titling towards the side of the angels, this man is still The Devil who perpetrated a great deal of pain and suffering on many individuals throughout All Elite Wrestling, and why anyone would trust him is generally beyond logic. Yet here is Joe offering a hand, albeit with that championship caveat, and Max Caster searching for friendship based on their shared history at the Create A Pro Academy, while The Kingdom and Roderick Strong are doing it to stay in Adam Cole’s good graces.That’s a lot of firepower that could be on Max’s side, but he doesn’t want a part of any of it, even with the full power of BULLET CLUB GOLD standing in front of him. There’s brave, and then there is foolhardy, and it is very clear which of the two that the AEW World Champion is choosing…
AEW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…
Orange Cassidy(c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
On Wednesday night in Philadelphia, Claudio Castagnoli pinned AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy to win the bout for the Blackpool Combat Club. Unfortunately that victory came at a cost to “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson as Claudio detailed Saturday night on COLLISION. Whether it was The Rainmaker Clothesline or The Orange Punch, the end result was Danielson suffering a fracture to his orbital bone. So while Claudio had the thrill of pinning a champion, he also had the agony of knowing his BCC brother was down at the hands of their opponents.
For Claudio, there can at least be some solace knowing that he can get revenge for Danielson in short order because, as a result of pinning Cassidy on DYNAMITE, the former 2-Time ROH World Champion will challenge for the AEW International Championship! This marks the first time Castagnoli, a former 2-Time ROH World Champion, will challenge for a singles title in All Elite Wrestling, with that recent AEW World Tag Title loss to Big Bill & Ricky Starks being Claudio’s only other AEW title fight.
Orange has proven he won’t back down from any fight, he even had the gumption to shoulder into Jon Moxley unprovoked which nearly led into a brawl of its own at BATTLE OF THE BELTS VIII, and he has stated his intention to move forward in his second reign as International Champion just like he did with the first. That means defending at every opportunity against every opponent who wants an opportunity, despite the physical and mental toll it took on the man. It was obvious, and OC didn’t hide it, that losing the title shook him to the core and he lost some sense of identity without it around his waist. Reclaiming it, albeit from Rey Fenix rather than Mox, restored some of that identity, but it is not a reach to assume Cassidy wants another fight with Moxley; why else purposefully run into the man? But before that’s even a possibility, Cassidy has to survive the onslaught of The Swiss Superman in his next championship defense! Will the AEW International Championship return to The Blackpool Combat Club this Wednesday night in Louisville?
TAG TEAM CHALLENGE…
Daddy Magic & Cool Hand Ang vs. Golden Jets (Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega)
Much to the chagrin of Daniel Garcia, and the utter annoyance of Anna Jay, last Friday on RAMPAGE Daddy Magic, Cool Hand Ang, and maybe even Jake Hager, seemed buy into the garbage that Don Callis was selling to them. It certainly took some of the focus of Anna’s attempts to earn that COLLISION title match with Shida, in fact she was the one that Abadon defeated to take the title match, and perhaps knowing that some of her friends were focused on other business kept her from focusing 100% on her own.
Disappointingly, Menard and Parker have decided to take Don Callis up on his offer and this Wednesday night in Louisville, they will face Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho in tag team action! The Golden Jets, as Jericho dubbed them, are coming into this one with Omega fresh off a hard-fought AEW World Championship bout with MJF this past Saturday night and Chris Jericho hopefully recovered from the assault he suffered at the hands of Powerhouse Hobbs!
Will Callis’ newfound allies be successful against the two former AEW World Champions, or will the unlikely allies be victorious and frustrate Callis?
Coming off a COLLISION’s Fright Fight with Abadon, the AEW Women’s World Champion is right back in action defending her title against all-comers, and the next one to step up to the plate is fan favorite Willow Nightingale!
As of late Willow has invested her time in whatever is going on with Skye Blue since both were misted by Julia Hart’s “spooky dust” (as Willow dubbed it), and we’ve all seen it bring some changes to Skye while Nightingale has remained true to herself. TBS Champion Kris Statlander tried to bridge the gap on COLLISION to no avail, and now with this opportunity on her table, Willow Nightingale is really going to have to put Skye on the back burner and focus on the task at hand. This is just Willow’s second opportunity at the title, the first coming back at FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 against Toni Storm, and her second ever match with Hikaru Shida with the first actually taking place on the Jericho Cruise earlier this year.
Will Willow be frustrated by Shida in this championship bid, or can the first-ever NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion add an AEW title to her trophy case as well? Tune in Wednesday night to see how it all goes down!
DYNAMITE comes your way with AEW’s Louisville, KY debut hailing from the KFC YUM! Center. We will see AEW World Champion MJF, and perhaps some partners, taking on the whole of The Bang Bang Gang, Hikaru Shida defends her title against Willow Nightingale, AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy fights The BCC’s Claudio Castagnoli, and much more in store! The show kicks off at 8pm ET/7pm CT live on TBS, and at AEWPlus.com for our international fans, so drop in on the official AEW YouTube channel to catch highlights from last week’s DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, COLLISION, as well as this week’s CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
Tonight’s AEW COLLISION was broadcast live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT!
Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means! Saturday night’s alright for fighting!
AR Fox vs. “Switchblade” Jay White (with Bullet Club Gold)!
Jay White grappled Fox to the mat with a side headlock takedown. Fox came back with a cutter. Fox followed up with a swift kick to Jay White, knocking White out of the ring. Fox nailed Jay White with a shooting star press, posting off the turnbuckles and landing on White on the arena floor.
Back in the ring, Jay White threw Fox into the turnbuckles with a half and half suplex. Jay White spiked AR Fox with a DDT. AR Fox regained momentum, hitting Bullet Club Gold with a tope con hiro, and then he hit one on Jay White! AR Fox smashed Jay White with a twisting vertical suplex and then a 450 splash off the top for a near fall on “Switchblade”!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome!”
Jay White rocked Fox with a half and half suplex and then finished him off with the Blade Runner, scoring the pin.
“You make one mistake against Jay White, and he will make you pay every single time,” said Kevin Kelly.
After the match, MJF snuck to the ring in a hoody and tried to steal his world title back from Jay White. He was outnumbered by Bullet Club Gold and had to leg go of the title, discretion being the better part of valor.
AEW Trios Champions The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass said next week on Collision they’re going to celebrate 69 days as champs!
The Boys—Brandon & Brent (with Dalton Castle)
vs.
The Gunns—Austin & Colten (with Bullet Club Gold)!
The Boys showed off their quickness, getting in some great tandem offense on Austin. The Gunns fired back with the 3:10 to Yuma and won in decisive fashion.
The Gunns will be facing MJF and a yet-to-be-named partner at AEW Full Gear: Zero Hour, on Saturday, November 18th for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
Lexy Nair was backstage with “Hollywood Hunk” Ryan Nemeth!
Ryan: “I have a huge surprise. Big movie coming out next month. National comedy tour. But I want the success I’m having in Hollywood translate to success in AEW, which is why I brought you here.”
Nemeth turned and pointed to the dressing room door of “Hot And Flexible” CJ Perry.
Nemeth knocked on the door and “The Redeemer” Miro answered! Miro invited him in, the door closed, and Miro mauled Nemeth!
Fright Night Fight!
AEW Women’s World Championship Match!
Hikaru Shida (c.) vs. Abadon!
Shida and Abadon locked up. Abadon was looking to bite Shida, but Shida kicked her away. Abadon grabbed a skeleton bone and swung it at Shida, but Shida countered with a dropkick.
Abadon hid under the ring and tried to pull Shida under the ring. Abadon snuck up from the other side and ambushed Shida. Abadon cracked Shida across the back with a trash can lid.
Abadon and Shida collided against each other with double clotheslines, both having the same idea. Abadon found a baseball bat, but Shida got behind Abadon and choked her with it. Abadon cracked Shida with a kick in the face. Abadon poured out a bucket of candy and smashed Shida with a blockbuster on the candy!
Shida rocked Abadon with a shot from the kendo stick. Shida placed a pumpkin on top of Abadon’s head and smashed her with the katana kick, scoring the pinfall victory!
“What a win for Shida,” said Tony Schiavone.
“Timeless” Toni Storm came out and pranced around the ring.
ROH World Television Championship Match!
Samoa Joe (c.) vs. Rhett Titus!
Rhett wrenched on Samoa Joe’s wrist. Samoa Joe bulldozed his way right through Titus. Samoa Joe drove Titus down with jabs in the corner. Samoa Joe chopped at Titus. Rhett Titus jumped off the top turnbuckle, but Samoa Joe simply walked out of the way.
Rhett Titus ran into Samoa Joe with two big boots. He went for a third time, but Samoa Joe planted Titus and then forced Titus to tap out!
“Domination made flesh!” said Kevin Kelly.
Footage aired from last night’s Rampage of Renee Paquette interviewing the QTV crew!
QT Marshall said that when he won the AAA Latin American Title, he told the world he was going to defend it with honor and prestige across the world. “I’m back in AEW and I plan on defending it against some of the luchadores because I’m told AEW has the best luchadores in the world.”
Up Next: An Injury update on the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson!
Claudio Castagnoli said Danielson had a broken orbital bone and it was either from the Orange Punch or the Rainmaker. “I don’t know, and I don’t care because I’m going to make both of you pay for what you’ve done for my friend. Okada, be it in the Unites States or Japan, I am coming for you. I will find you and I will make you pay.
“Orange, you and me on Wednesday on Dynamite for your International Championship. I know what I’m going to do and what I’m capable of and it frightens me. You hurt one of the Blackpool Combat Club and now I’m going to hurt you. See you on Wednesday. Good luck.”
FTR’s Dax Harwood (with Cash Wheeler)
vs.
AEW World Tag Team Champion “Absolute” Ricky Starks (with Big Bill)!
Before the match began the lights in the arena went dark.
The lights came back on, and The House of Black were seen scouting the match.
Dax and Starks chain wrestled. They traded arm drags. Dax grabbed a side headlock takeover.
“What is the House of Black’s motivation for being here?” wondered Tony Schiavone.
Dax tried for a diving headbutt, but Ricky moved out of the way. Starks nailed Dax with a leg drop across the throat while Dax was on the edge of the ring. Dax went for a baseball slide, but Starks trapped him in the ring skirt. Starks started to pummel him with shots and then nailed him with a suplex on the ramp.
Dax rallied back and superplexed Ricky Starks. Both men hit the mat hard! Ricky rammed Harwood with a lariat. Dax clobbered Ricky with strikes. Dax grabbed an inside cradle for a near fall.
Dax blocked a tornado DDT and countered with a brainbuster for a near fall on Starks. Starks went for the spear, but Dax cracked him with a rising knee. Dax spiked Ricky with a piledriver. Dax went for the cover, but Big Bill pulled Dax out of the ring by the boot. Back in the ring, Ricky crushed Dax with a piledriver and pinned him!
“That’s the door closing on FTR, at least for the time being,” said Kevin Kelly.
“I’m not so sure about that,” replied Tony Schiavone.
The arena went dark again. This time when the lights returned on, Julia Hart was standing on the ramp surrounded by a shroud of fog. The lights went back out and this time when the came back on, the House of Black were in the ring, circling Ricky Starks and Big Bill!
“They’ve surrounded the champions,” said Kevin Kelly.
The House of Black then turned their attention to FTR!
La Faccion Ingobernable stormed down to the ring!
“It’s LFI!” said Tony Schiavone.
“Who are they looking at?” asked Kevin Kelly.
LFI helped FTR and began to slug it out with the House of Black! Big Bill and Ricky Starks retreated!
“LFI and FTR together in the ring! Incredible! Who would have thought this?” said Schiavone.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Andrade El Idolo!
Lexy asked about Andrade’s dealings with CJ Perry, as well as the return of LFI.
Andrade El Idolo: “I am a businessman. This is my business. Nobody else.”
TBS Champion Kris Statlander was backstage with Lexy Nair.
Statlander asked for some time to speak with Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue. Statlander said whatever was going on between Willow and Skye needed to be settled now.
Willow: “Skye, I felt this tension between us, and it’s growing stronger. And ever since we both got misted from Julia, something is getting worse with you.”
Skye: “Anything that I have to say with Julia is between her and I.”
Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli
vs.
“Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams!
Claudio Castagnoli clobbered Tracy Williams with repeated European Uppercuts! Claudio clubbed Tracy with lariats. Claudio finished off “Hot Sauce” with a European Uppercut and then pinned him.
MJF was seen getting warmed up backstage.
MJF was approached by Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe: “I could be your friend, Max. You just need to give me a rematch at your championship. If you find yourself in a bad way tonight, you just gotta scream my name and I’ll be your friend. Good luck. Dangerous opponent. I’ll keep my ears pricked up.”
Main Event Time!
AEW World Championship Match!
MJF (c.) vs. Kenny Omega!
Jim Ross joined the broadcast booth to provide his main event analysis.
Both men had each other scouted out early in the match, going hold for hold with one another. MJF offered his hand to Omega as a sign of good sportsmanship. Omega accepted and then MJF poked Omega in the eyes.
Omega backdropped MJF out of the ring. Omega hit the Terminator Dive on MJF! The champ fired back, jumping over the top rope and flipping onto Omega!
Omega jumped off the top rope with a cross body press to MJF. Omega tried for a hurracanrana, but MJF countered with a powerbomb back breaker combo. MJF planted Kenny with a stuffed DDT, good for a near fall.
Omega nailed MJF with a snapdragon suplex. Omega dropkicked MJF’s kneecap. Omega wiped out MJF with a lariat, sending MJF to the arena floor. Omega followed up with a moonsault to MJF. Omega rocked MJF with a missile dropkick from the top rope to the back of the head. Omega went for a moonsault, but MJF countered by raising his knees!
MJF chomped down on Omega’s forehead. MJF arm whipped Omega into the turnbuckles. MJF cracked Kenny with the kangaroo kick.
Omega connected with a sliding baseball kick, sending MJF into the broadcast booth. Kenny pulled a table out from beneath the ring. Back in the ring, they exchanged cradles. Kenny buckle bombed MJF, but the champ came out of the corner with a massive lariat to the Cleaner!
They battled on the ring apron. Kenny drilled MJF with a snapdragon suplex on the edge of the ring! Omega powerbombed MJF off the apron and through the table on the floor!
“My God what a main event here on Collision!” said Jim Ross.
Back in the ring, Kenny connected with a knee strike. MJF countered the One Winged Angel with a Poison Rana! Omega fired back with a Poison Rana of his own!
“Back and forth, back and forth!” said Jim Ross.
The fans chanted “Fight forever! Fight forever!”
MJF hit a double stomp on Omega’s arm. Omega rallied back with a jumping knee strike. MJF planted Omega with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall.
“State of the art pro wrestling,” said Nigel.
MJF stunned Omega with a thrust kick. Omega came back with a piledriver, but MJF got his boot on the rope to stop the ref’s count. Omega powerbombed MJF on the guardrail. Omega removed the protective guard from the rail. He threw MJF back into the ring, so they didn’t get counted out.
Kenny was on the top turnbuckle, but MJF charged into the ropes, knocking Omega down. MJF climbed to the top, but Omega countered with a snake eyes from the top. Omega drove his knee into the back of MJF’s head. Omega blasted MJF with a snap dragon suplex and a running knee strike for a near fall! Kenny smashed MJF with the V Trigger. He followed up with another V Trigger. Omega hoisted up MJF for the One Winged Angel, but Don Callis ran to the ring. Omega put MJF down when he saw Callis.
As Omega was distracted by a screwdriver wielding Callis, MJF rolled up Omega from behind. Omega countered by reversing the rollup. MJF kicked out but Omega came back with a running knee strike! MJF kicked out of the pin attempt!
Don Callis climbed the ring steps. Ref Paul Turner ejected Don Callis. Omega hoisted up MJF for the One Winged Angel again, but MJF rolled forward for a pin. Omega rolled back to counter. It was another stale mate.
MJF caught Kenny in the Heat Seeker, but Kenny kicked out at the two-count! MJF went for the Panama Sunrise on Kenny and Kenny ended up countering with a pin attempt, but MJF kicked out! MJF kicked Kenny in the face and drilled Kenny with the Panama Sunrise. MJF finally finished off Omega with another Heat Seeker, pinning the Cleaner!
Samoa Joe was shown watching the match from backstage. Wardlow was also seen scouting the match from backstage. Powerhouse Hobbs was watching the match too. Jay White and Bullet Club Gold were taking mental notes as well.
“Everybody gunning for MJF,” said Tony Schiavone.
Kenny Omega and MJF hugged after the match.
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!
This Saturday night, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, All Elite Wrestling presents the biggest edition of COLLISION thus far as AEW World Champion MJF puts his title on the line against former champion Kenny Omega in their very first meeting inside the squared circle! But it’s more than just the championship at stake, with 343 days as champion to his reign, MJF is just four days away from breaking Omega’s 346 day record as longest reigning champion of all-time. This is history in the making, but it’s not all that’s going down on Saturday night! Abadon will challenge Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship, Jay White will take on AR Fox, and The House of Black are back in action after all the damage they caused a week ago!
COLLISION is coming to you this Saturday night on TNT, beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT, so before the night begins swing over to the official AEW YouTube channel for highlights from this week’s episodes of DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, the latest editions of CONTROL CENTER, and so much more!
343 days; for 343 days Maxwell Jacob Friedman has reigned over All Elite Wrestling as the World Champion, just three weeks shy of completing a full year as the top guy in the company, and three days away from breaking the current record of 346 days held by Kenny Omega. That record, and MJF’s egotistical need to be viewed as the greatest champion of all-time, is why these men are heading for a collision on COLLISION this Saturday night!
It wasn’t Kenny Omega who came seeking Maxwell Jacob Friedman, it wasn’t Kenny who first broached the subject when they two men hadn’t so much as shared the same room over the past four years much less the same ring, it was MJF who sought out Kenny. It was MJF who whispered “13 days” into Kenny’s ear, as if to rub it in Omega’s face that he was going to break the record, and perhaps even thinking Kenny would do nothing about it.
If that was MJF’s thought, well he was dead wrong, because Omega stepped onto the stage following MJF’s fight with Juice Robinson this past Wednesday, and laid the challenge on the table. Would MJF be the kind of champion who would risk it all, knowing he’s got a title fight with Jay White already lined up at FULL GEAR 2023, and give Omega an opportunity to defend his streak? MJF may be a scumbag, but he’s also got an ego that would not allow the moment to pass him by, that wouldn’t let the opportunity to cement himself as the greatest AEW World Champion just slip away. If Max hadn’t accepted the challenge, when Wednesday morning came and he woke up as the longest reigning AEW World Champion in history, he would know there’s an asterisk because he didn’t fight Kenny Omega.
Once MJF made the choice to whisper into Kenny Omega’s ear, he made the choice to take on a fight with Kenny Omega, and risk seeing his title reign end before the 346-day streak was broken. In confronting Kenny, MJF added yet another target on his back, joining those already placed there by Jay White, The Gunns, Juice Robinson, Samoa Joe, and Wardlow. The World Champion is always the most wanted man in any sport, but MJF may have more on this plate than he can possibly eat, and that was before “The Cleaner” was heaped on there as well.
This is the biggest match in COLLISION’s short history, one of the biggest in All Elite Wrestling history, and it is happening on TNT this Saturday night! For the very first time, Kenny Omega and MJF, the AEW World Championship on the line, Omega’s 346-day record at stake, and it’s going down at the Mohegan Sun! History will be made if MJF survives this title fight, with but one World Championship record let to chase, that being the nine successful title defenses Jon Moxley accomplished during his first reign. An Omega victory would make eight for MJF, but regardless of who walks out of Connecticut as AEW World Champion, “Switchblade” Jay White will be waiting at the KIA Forum come FULL GEAR 2023!
This past Friday night on RAMPAGE Abadon made her return to AEW competition for the first time since June 14th, and did so against some pretty stiff competition with seriously high stakes. Abadon, Willow Nightingale, Skye Blue, and Anna Jay went to battle with a shot at Hikaru Shida on the line, and when the final bell rang, it was Abadon who scored the victory! Luckily for both women, they don’t have to wait long for the championship fight because it is going down this Saturday night live on COLLISION!
This won’t be the first dance for Abadon and Shida, as a matter of fact their very first battle on the March 10, 2020 edition of AEW DARK was also Abadon’s first match in All Elite Wrestling. Unfortunately for her, Abadon’s first match also took place just days before the world shut down, and it would be several months before “The Living Dead Girl” returned to the AEW stage. When she did, Abadon would win six straight matches, positioning herself for a championship opportunity, and thus a rematch with Hikaru Shida with much greater stakes than their first encounter.
Abadon was unsuccessful in this second attempt at conquering Shida, and at claiming her first AEW championship, but it clearly served as a motivational tool because the woman would rack up 18 consecutive victories en route to facing Dr. Britt Baker in a bloody Trick or Treat match. Though Baker was the champion at the time, the title was not on the line, but given how hard the two women fought, one would never have known.
That fight with Baker was the last time Abadon competed on AEW TV before this past Friday, her fights largely taking place on DARK or DARK: ELEVATION, but now she is back in the mix, healed up and hungry, with the opportunity to be champion once more at her feet. It just feels appropriate that it is once again Hikaru Shida who will stand across the ring from Abadon this Saturday given their connection, and the fact that she is the only woman in AEW to hold two victories over Abadon.
Will this night be different than their previous encounters? Can Abadon take everything she’s learned since their last encounter in January of 2021 and put it together to end the 3rd championship reign of Hikaru Shida The pressure is on Abadon in this Fright Night Fight, will she unleash the monster on Shida
ONE-ON-ONE…
AR Fox vs. “Switchblade” Jay White
After the night the Bang Bang Gang had on Wednesday, with Juice being beaten but The Gunns getting their ROH World Tag Team Championship match at FULL GEAR 2023, it’s time for Jay White to step into the ring and fight on Saturday night! His opponent on this explosive edition of COLLISION will be a man in need of finding himself once again, someone who has been out of action since early September, the high-flying AR Fox!
Fox was last seen on the receiving end of a Jon Moxley beating on the September 6th edition of DYNAMITE, his first match after being excommunicated from The Mogul Embassy, and an opportunity to right his ship by winning the International Championship. Unfortunately Fox did not claim the title, leaving him without a championship, and with a great deal of doubt hanging over his head. Darby Allin seemed willing to forgive Fox’s transgressions, Nick Wayne less so, and perhaps that feeds into why Nick chose TNT Champion Christian Cage over his relationship with Darby.
Now that he’s back in action, it’s time for AR Fox to prove he deserves that forgiveness from Darby, and that he’s willing to do the work rather than take another Mogul Embassy type shortcut. Taking on the next challenger to the AEW World Champion is a tremendous way to begin that quest, and a victory over “King Switch” would be a huge boon to Fox’s career moving forward.
Jay White will obviously have one eye on the Omega/MJF match as it shapes White’s FULL GEAR 2023 future; will that distraction give Fox the opening he needs to score the upset victory?
A week ago The House of Black returned to AEW in full force, laying waste to Bryan Danielson after his fight with Andrade El Idolo, taking out FTR before they could even finish their tag team fight, and coming after the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club following their championship loss to Big Bill and Ricky Starks. The chaos that resulted brought Jon Moxley back to the fight for the first time since his AEW International Championship loss to Rey Fenix, and left Ricky Starks laid out by the combined efforts of FTR and BCC.
This Saturday on COLLISION, The House of Black will be back in trios action, but no doubt the men they assaulted a week ago will have a close eye on the situation, and have to have some form of retribution in mind!
This Saturday night AEW returns to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT for the biggest episode of COLLISION to date with Kenny Omega challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship, Shida defending her AEW Women’s World Championship against Abadon, Jay White in action against AR Fox, The House of Black, and more! Prior to the night getting started, be sure to visit the official AEW YouTube channel for highlights from this week’s episodes of DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, the latest editions of CONTROL CENTER, and much, much more!
DYNAMITE in Philadelphia was a wild ride this past Wednesday; not only did “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair arrive on the scene to stand at Sting’s side, but “The Icon” was also challenged to a fight by TNT Champion Christian Cage for FULL GEAR 2023! Plus, we witnessed Kazuchika Okada make his DYNAMITE debut alongside Orange Cassidy to fight The BCC, but unfortunately for the AEW International Champion, it ended with Claudio pinning OC and earning himself a championship fight next week. Hikaru Shida retained her AEW Women’s World Championship over Ruby Soho, The Elite retained their ROH World Six-Man Titles, and not only did MJF keep possession of the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but he also found himself with an unexpected challenger:
That’s right, on COLLISION, MJF will defend his AEW World Championship against former champion Kenny Omega, and should Maxwell retain, he will be on track to break Omega’s 346-day record as the longest reigning champion in AEW history! But that’s on Saturday at the Mohegan Sun, and before we get there, there’s RAMPAGE, and that has three big fights on tap! Ortiz and Mike Santana, the former Proud ‘n’ Powerful, will kick things off with a No DQ, No Countout fight that no one ever thought they would see! Plus, we will find out the next challenger to Shida’s Women’s World Title when four of ROH’s best compete for a title match also set for this Saturday night, and after his falling out with Don Callis’ Family, Kyle Fletcher will clash with Takeshita!
AEW’s Friday night fights get underway at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for our international audiences, so check out the official AEW YouTube channel prior to RAMPAGE begins to see highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE and COLLISION, plus THE CONTROL CENTER, and a great deal more!
NO COUNT OUT, NO DISQUALIFICATION…
Mike Santana vs. Ortiz
This has been a long time coming; Mike Santana and Ortiz have been part of each other’s lives for over a decade, they are Tag Team Champions 15-times over across multiple wrestling promotions throughout their careers, and were bonded as Proud & Powerful from the inception of All Elite Wrestling until the injury suffered by Santana at Blood & Guts 2022. At least that was the perception most had following their return to the AEW landscape to compete at ALL IN: LONDON’s Stadium Stampede. Based on the words shared by Ortiz in the video above, it seems the issues between these two men predate that 2022 injury, it’s just that it all finally fell apart in the aftermath.
Since London these two men, once among the upper echelon of tag team wrestling, have engaged in something tantamount to a cold war; a great deal of words exchanged, their feelings and emotions laid bare for the AEW faithful to see, and each looking to the other as the party responsible for how this all started.
For this team who first made their impact on AEW during ALL OUT 2019 at the expense of The Young Bucks, it looks like this Friday night in Philadelphia will be the end of their road traveled together. With no disqualifications and no count outs, Mike Santana and Ortiz will fight each other one-on-one for the first time since 2016, and possibly for the last time ever. Both men want to be done with one another, to put each other in the rear view, and move on with their careers on their own, but before either can, they must put an end to each other.
No one knows Ortiz like Santana, nor does anyone know Santana like Ortiz, and each will bring all that knowledge, all that venom, all those feelings and emotions to this fight, with the hope of being the one still standing at the end of the fight…
COLLISION TITLE MATCH AT STAKE…
Abadon vs. Skye Blue vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Anna Jay
Out of action since June, this Friday night Abadon returns to AEW competition and jumps right into the fire! With a shot at Hikaru Shida’s AEW Women’s World Championship on the line this Saturday night, Abadon will compete against Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale, and Anna Jay in a Four Way bout!
Of these four women, only Skye Blue has never locked horns with Shida, only stood by her side as an ally, and of the three who have been in the ring with the 3-Time Women’s World Champ, not one of them has scored a victory over her. Of the three loses on Abadon’s record, two of them have been to Shida and one in a championship bout while Anna Jay has fallen three times to Shida, twice in title fights, and Willow has just one loss to Shida with no championship involved. Skye Blue is the only one with a clean slate opposite Shida, and that may play in her favor should she make it through this fray on Friday, but she’s got to get to COLLISION first!
Hikaru Shida will be ready for the fight no matter which woman comes out of this contender’s bout on top, but considering she just went through one championship fight already this week, one has to ask how her body’s feeling following a fight with Ruby Soho? At least Shida will have a few days to recover while the winner of this has less than twenty-four hours to prepare for their championship opportunity!
ONE-ON-ONE…
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kyle Fletcher
When Sammy Guevara went down with injury, Don Callis pulled Kyle Fletcher into his world of drama to be Konosuke Takeshita’s partner against Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho. Though Callis’ duo lost, Fletcher was every bit the impressive athlete in this match that he’d shown to be as a team with Mark Davis. Still, the fact they lost didn’t stop Callis from putting all the blame on Kyle’s shoulders, and thus when Fletcher went head-to-head with Kenny Omega and lost, with Callis sitting there on commentary, it only gave Don more fuel with which to denigrate one-half of Aussie Open.
Well this Friday night on RAMPAGE, Kyle Fletcher will have his opportunity to shove it all right back in Don Callis’ smug face when he takes on “The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita in singles competition! It’s the second time in their careers these two men have faced off, the first taking place in England back in January 2020 and won by Takeshita. Will the results be the same nearly four years later, or will Kyle Fletcher be able to reckon with the numbers of the Don Callis Family and take home the victory?
RAMPAGE begins at 10pm ET/9pm CT on TNT, as well as at AEWPlus.com for our international audiences, so swing by the official AEW YouTube channel before to the show for highlights from Wednesday’s DYNAMITE, as well as previous episodes of RAMPAGE and COLLISION, plus THE CONTROL CENTER, and much, much more! And do not miss the biggest night in COLLISION history this Saturday when MJF and Kenny Omega meet for the very first time and with the AEW World Championship at stake no less!
