The Boys | Season 4 Episode 8 Recap & Review by Big Gold Belt Media with @GothamGeekGirl @CamsCollection & @Jedimike7-Episode Synopsis:Episode 408 “Assassination Run”:A call to all patriots; the stolen election will not be allowed to…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/H4VxEaSPGQs?si=4HBgVb4xYMVNhPbx

This Saturday night All Elite Wrestling begins a tour of Canada with a visit to Ottawa, ON, Canada and the Canadian Tire Center for an all-new edition of COLLISION! It was already set to be an exciting night with the return of Kyle O’Reilly to in-ring competition for a fight with “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith, but then the heat got cranked way up with the announcement of Katsuyori Shibata’s return to action for a match with “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson! As if that wasn’t enough, an enraged Julia Hart opened up the House of Black’s doors with a TBS Open Challenge invitation, and The Infantry’s Trish Adora has stepped up in response, plus The House of Black’s Buddy Matthews & Brody King will meet The Infantry’s Carlie Bravo and Capt. Shawn Dean in the first World Tag Team Title Tournament Wild Card match!

The night begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, and fans around the world can get prepared by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to watch highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER! Then come join us next Wednesday in Toronto at the Coca-Cola Coliseum (https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-dynamite-rampage-toronto) for a loaded edition of DYNAMITE featuring Christian Cage defending his TNT Championship against Adam Copeland in an “I Quit” Match!!!

DREAMS CONTINUE TO COME TRUE…

“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3HEX6eZoTLM?si=jnfon28ZdsGmUk8y&start=90

In so many ways the last year in the career of “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson has felt like one dream after another coming to fruition, if not for Bryan than at least for the fans of his work inside the squared circle. They’ve got to witness Danielson fight Kazuchika Okada twice, Zack Sabre Jr. twice, Timothy Thatcher, Yuji Nagata, Jun Akiyama, and Hechicero, not to mention the countless top shelf fights he’s had against opponent like Eddie Kingston, Swerve, RUSH, Ricky Starks, and his own BCC mate Claudio Castagnoli. It’s been one of the wildest years in Danielson’s career, and that’s with having to take time off due to a broken arm and a fractured orbital bone, so imagine what else could have been had he not been required to let his body heal.

And yet it’s only March 16th, meaning there are plenty of days left on the calendar of what Danielson has referred to as his last full-time year of professional wrestling, and that there are plenty of dreams left to be fulfilled both for “The American Dragon” and his fans! We already know one of those will come true at DYNASTY on April 21st when he faces Will Ospreay for the first time, but another comes to pass this Saturday night on COLLISION when Bryan Danielson goes one-on-one for Katsuyori Shibata for their first encounter!

Just about a year ago, following his ROH Pure Championship victory over Wheeler Yuta at ROH SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2023, Shibata told the world that winning that championship meant he was one step closer to fighting Bryan Danielson, and though he may have taken some time to take those steps, including Shibata having to return to Japan following his loss to Yuta on 11/25/23, we are finally there! 

This is a dream that seemed impossible, especially given that at various points both athletes thought their respective in-ring careers would be over, but on COLLISION it becomes reality, and fans will be able to rejoice when two of the most dangerous strikers, and most dangerous grapplers, in the history of the game step inside the squared circle as opponents. After nearly four months out of action, Shibata is certainly going to be tested with this battle against Bryan, but so too will “The American Dragon” be pushed to his limits as he prepares for Will Ospreay in five weeks time. This is a fight both men want, both men need, and fight fans around the world have been praying they would get to experience before the sun set on either competitors career!

RETURN TO ACTION!

Kyle O’Reilly vs. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith

Imagine having your livelihood taken away in an instant, your dream smashed, and it all happening while you were unconscious. That is what happened to Kyle O’Reilly, that is what happened in 2022 when he went under the knife for one surgery only to wake up and discover complications from that left him with a wholely different problem to handle. Unable to use his arm for the most basic of day-to-day functions, Kyle never thought he’d be able to use that arm to hold his child again, much less get back into the ring for a fight, yet here we are, 647 days removed from Kyle’s last match against Jon Moxley, and his indomitable spirit has led Kyle back to the place he never thought he’d experience again: the inside of a wrestling ring!

There is so much emotion wrapped up in this return to action on Saturday night, so much trepidation about what might happen when he steps back between the ropes, and yet Kyle O’Reilly has chosen to do it with one of the hottest prospects in the game today in “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith. Keith may seem like an overnight sensation to some, a man who skyrocketed into the AEW spotlight because of his showing at ROH’s FINAL BATTLE 2023 event, but in reality he’s an overnight sensation ten years in the making. His Survival of the Fittest performance may have been the launching pad into AEW, the fight with Eddie Kingston may have been the icing on the cake that got him a contract, but it was fights against men like Timothy Thatcher, Masato Tanaka, Rocky Romero, as well as his performance in PWG’s 2023 BOLA that woke the world up to his abilities. 

Since his arrival in AEW men like Malakai Black, Kingston, Orange Cassidy, and Claudio Castagnoli have experienced the hard-hitting fight Keith brings to the table, and clearly Kyle O’Reilly has watched this from a distance as well, with “Bounty Hunter” leaving enough of an impression that he’s who Kyle wants to test himself against after nearly two years away from the fight! As Kyle said, right into the fire, but it’s the only way O’Reilly is going to know what he still has inside, what he needs to find again, and what needs to change for the future to look as bright as did when he stepped into the ring on June 8, 2022.

However this fight goes, win or lose, it is a triumph for Kyle O’Reilly to know he worked his way back into fighting condition after staring the end of his career, and frankly his life as he knew it, right in the eyes. It’s not an easy thing to come back from the brink, he could’ve slipped away and quietly thrown in the towel on his wrestling career, but instead he chose to fight for everything he loves, for everything from the ability to hold his child to the ability to throw a punch, and that is why this Saturday night is a type of victory no matter the result of the match. To be able to claim a win on top of that victory though, now that would be even sweeter…

TBS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

The House of Black’s Julia Hart(c) vs. The Infantry’s Trish Adora

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tgaNUI5rGmM?si=9ZJ-nqmdRaFxt_ho&start=341

Making a decision while lost in the heat of anger is not always the best time for a potentially life-changing decision and yet here Julia Hart finds herself. Just days after being embarrassed by Mercedes Mone on DYNAMITE: BIG BUSINESS, the TBS Champion is throwing open the doors of The House once again for an Open Challenge, and this time the call is being answered by The Infantry’s Trish Adora! 

Coming off a tremendous battle with Mariah May last Saturday night, Adora is looking to bolster her reputation as one of the best women competing today, and between the Mariah fight, her battle with Riho on RAMPAGE prior to that, the ROH Women’s World TV Title Tournament contest with Mercedes Martinez, and her NJPW STRONG Women’s Title bout with Giulia back in January, it’s hard to argue against Trish’s abilities. She simply needs to put it all together and she will be one of the deadliest women competing in AEW, ROH, or frankly anywhere else in the world, and there’s no better moment to pull it all together than this Saturday night when she enters The House for a TBS Championship Match!

This is first-time bout, meaning a case of neither woman having first-hand experience with the other, only knowing what they’ve seen on tape, and trying to figure out how to turn that into a formula for victory. We know Julia is going to be fighting angry, looking to hurt any woman who would’ve answered this Open Challenge, but will that be her undoing? Will her own emotions towards Mone and Willow Nightingale blind her from focusing on Trish Adora This could be the prime night for Adora to rock the foundations of The House and claim the TBS Championship for The Infantry!

AEW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE TOURNAMENT WILD CARD MATCH…

***WINNER FACES FTR IN QUARTER-FINALS***

The brackets for the AEW World Tag Team Title Tournament have been set and we know the finals will take place at DYNASTY on April 21st in St. Louis, now it’s a matter of seeing which two teams survive the road to get there, with the Wild Card duos having the longest road to the top! The first of the two Wild Card match-ups takes place this Saturday night on COLLISION when The House of Black, honored by Brody King and Buddy Matthews, lock-up with The Infantry of Carlie Bravo and Capt. Shawn Dean, with the winners moving on the Quarter-Final round to face FTR!

On paper it’s reasonable to assume The House moves through The Infantry to renew their rivalry with Cash and Dax, but after the confrontation that took place between Captain, Carlie, Cash, and Dax last week, it’s a safe bet that The Infantry is coming to Canada ready to go to war! They are unquestionably the underdogs in this entire tournament, meaning they are going to bring the fight to The House that much harder, and the fact that the teams in the Wild Card bouts have to win four matches to earn the vacant championship is not fact lost on any of them either. It’s an uphill battle for The Infantry, but one that the two veterans are more than willing to undertake in order to prove themselves the equals of the other teams slotted into the field. This could be The Infantry’s night to break out in front of the eyes of the world, or it could be the night The House of Black uses Bravo and Dean as examples to all others standing in their path to tag team glory!

FIGHTING FOR FAMILY…

“Cool Hand” Angelo Parker vs. Zak Knight

It’s clear as crystal that Zak Knight, brother of Saraya, is unhinged, running around the backstage area assaulting random people at the behest of his sister, and doing her bidding when it comes to Angelo Parker. It’s also evident that Parker isn’t just going to sit back and wait for the next attack, he’s taking the fight right to its source, and after what happened on RAMPAGE last night, that means a one-on-one fight this Saturday in Ottawa! While this may be Zak’s first fight inside an AEW ring, he put up a trio of dominating wins on HONOR CLUB earlier this year, and he’s got a career dating back to when he was just ten years old! That’s twenty-two years of experience in his life, and it includes facing his own family members, Okada & Ishii, Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Steve Corino, Doug Williams, and plenty more top tier talent across the UK scene. 

He’s a violent man who enjoys the pain he inflicts on others, and with two vindictive people in Saraya and Harley Cameron at his side, this isn’t going to be a fight without its outside involvement. Hopefully Ruby Soho can provide some balance to that situation, otherwise Cool Hand Ang is going to be in for a rough night in Ottawa!

ALSO:

-We will hear from Adam Copeland ahead of his TNT Championship “I Quit” Match on Wednesday!

-“The Bastard” PAC vs. Komander!!

-And more!!!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/58i8K3JKvmM?si=nOnP6la4-Scb1kna

COLLISION kicks off at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TNT, live from the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa, ON, Canada and what a jam-packed night it will be! With Shibata versus Danielson, Hart versus Adora, O’Reilly versus Keith, and so much on tap, it’s going to be one memorable night, and you can get ready for it by visiting the official AEW YouTube channel, as well as AEW’s various social media platforms, to watch highlights from this week’s DYNAMITE and RAMPAGE, as well as the latest CONTROL CENTER! 

Then be sure to join us at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum next Wednesday night for a stacked edition of DYNAMITE showcasing Christian Cage defending his TNT Championship against Adam Copeland in an “I Quit” Match and Eddie Kingston putting the AEW Continental Championship at stake against Kazuchika Okada!!!

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

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

Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.

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

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

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

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

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

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

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

The fans chanted “Moxley! Moxley! Moxley!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJF walked out of his locker room.

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

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

Page walked off.

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

Page turned around and came back to MJF!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

Mark Briscoe vs. Mogul Embassy’s Swerve Strickland!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Nine points for Swerve Strickland,” said Excalibur.

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

Renee Paquette was backstage with Mariah May!

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

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

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

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

vs.

The Devil’s Masked Men!

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

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

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

After a commercial break, Jon Moxley was backstage!

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

Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana walked onto the scene.

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

Mox: “Good! Me too!”

Swerve: “See you in Texas.”

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

AEW Women’s World Championship Match!

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

Mariah May was watching from ringside.

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

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

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

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

Continental Classic Gold League Match!

“Switchblade” Jay White vs. Jay Lethal!

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

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

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

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

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

Main Event Time! TNT Championship Match!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The referee is still down,” added Taz.

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

“She’s torn,” said Excalibur.

Shanna Wayne smacked Copeland in the head with the belt!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.youtube.com/embed/K39Ydjjcr64?si=uoRCSUWCXF2TIRV_

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!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BGr0kaLSExY?si=18FCnOAuiy3tGw7H&start=415

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!

AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

MJF(c) vs. Kenny Omega

https://www.youtube.com/embed/wl2_9Gokt7M?si=7w1VQvwUdAEkbDY9

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!

AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

Hikaru Shida(c) vs. Abadon

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7E6suZ6N2_E?si=j4n8s9ttCB1_c3eX

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?

THE HOUSE OF BLACK IN ACTION!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/VFoeiLUKzFY?si=EHhYic6Y9DQO6_5i&start=415

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!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/5VenDXf6FLM?si=GQP5Ohl30M3mM1CP

This Sunday night, live on pay-per-view (https://www.allelitewrestling.com/watchwrestledream), All Elite Wrestling presents WRESTLEDREAM (https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-wrestledream) from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA! Headlined by the Danielson/ZSJ “Submissions in Seattle” dream match over a year in the waiting, this event is as loaded as it gets, and with AEW PPV’s that is saying quite a lot!

Six championships will be on the line, including a match with both the ROH World and NJPW STRONG Openweight at stake, plus we will see the next contender to the AEW World Tag Team Titles crowned in an all-star Four Way Tag! In addition, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi will be joined by the unlikeliest of allies in Chris Jericho to take on The Don Callis Family, Hangman Page faces Swerve Strickland, and more!

The action begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT, with the ZERO HOUR getting underway at 7pm ET/6pm CT on the official AEW YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@AEW/videos). Before the ZERO HOUR gets underway, be sure to check out the highlights from all the week’s action to get ready for the first-ever WRESTLEDREAM event!

TNT CHAMPIONSHIP/2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH: Christian Cage(c) vs. Darby Allin

https://www.youtube.com/embed/mLn5lhSr5qk?si=NlPfWEfexYq2wKYm&start=124

This is as personal as a rivalry in the AEW career of Darby Allin has gotten, and it should come as little surprise that it’s due to Christian Cage picking, poking, and prodding at any vulnerability he sees. He’s not the first man to pick at the scab of Darby’s late-uncle, but he might be the one whose gotten the most reaction from Darby out of it. He’s likely not the first man in the life of Nick Wayne to prod at the memory of his late father Buddy Wayne, but Cage has managed dig in deeper than anyone else. And he’s certainly not the first individual to manipulate others to find a way to his goals, but Christian Cage has done it so masterfully with Luchasaurus that the former TNT Champion is still standing at the side of the man who took the title from him.

It’s clear that Christian Cage is a horrible human, at his core possibly the worst man to ever set foot in an AEW ring, and that’s saying something when Don Callis is also part of the scene. This is a man who has used the deaths of loved ones as a tool against his foes, who has dismissively addressed his own children on live television, and treated everyone around him like pawns on that proverbial chessboard. He’s scum, and this Sunday night in Seattle, in front of the people who have witnessed Darby’s rise to the top from the very beginning of his career, in front of those who watched his TNT Championship triumph over Samoa Joe back in January, Christian Cage is going to get his comeuppance two times over.

In a two out of three falls match, Christian Cage will defend the TNT Championship against Darby Allin and he may well have to do so all by himself depending the outcome of the Luchasaurus/Nick Wayne match during ZERO HOUR. His Right Hand of Destruction may not be available for the assist if Nick Wayne gets his way during their fight, because even though Darby challenged Cage to leave Luchasaurus behind, it’s highly unlikely Christian will stick to his word that he doesn’t need Luchasaurus to beat Darby. Also it won’t be enough for Cage to beat Darby once, if he beats him at all, he’s got to do it twice in a single match, and given Allin’s ability to take the pain and use it as fuel, that may be an impossible task for even the lowliest of men.

Will this be the night that Christian Cage finally beats Darby Allin after losing to him twice in recent months, or will it be a triumphant night for the 2-Time TNT Champion, one where he hoists the title up for the third time, and shuts up Christian Cage for the moment?

SUBMISSIONS IN SEATTLE…

“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr.

Over a year ago at the inaugural FORBIDDEN DOOR pay-per-view, this fight was on the table, but an injury Bryan Danielson sustained during Anarchy in the Arena at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2022 forced a change to the line-up, and introduced Claudio Castagnoli into the AEW landscape.

Fast forward to September 9th’s episode of COLLISION, just a few days removed from defeating Ricky Starks in a No DQ Strap match at ALL OUT 2023, and Bryan Danielson issued the challenge to Zack Sabre Jr. to finally make their dream match a reality. It is not their first meeting, that took place in March 2008 in the United Kingdom where Bryan beat ZSJ in a 2 Out of 3 Falls match, nor is it their second as that took place in March 2009 in Germany and was won by Zack Sabre Jr., but both of those matches too place in the early years of the NJPW TV Champion’s career, before he evolved into the fight he is today.

As talented a wrestler as ZSJ was at that point, just 4 and 5 years into his career, the reality of being a wrestler is that he was still just only beginning to understand the intricacies of the game. Even Bryan’s experience, nearly double that of Zack when they first faced, was still just only beginning to elevate and even in 2009 many considered “The American Dragon” the best wrestler in the world. In the fourteen years since their clash each has grown exponentially as a competitor and as a man, and though Danielson has dealt with injuries that many considered the death knell of his in-ring career, he has rebounded back better than he ever was before, and considering the G.O.A.T moniker that was already being applied in 2015, that’s speaks volumes to just how vast a pro wrestler’s knowledge can get.

Much like Bryan, Zack Sabre Jr. has only gotten better with age, his already superb submission skills honed to a lethal edge, and with that so too has his ego grown. There is little doubt foisted about any who claim ZSJ to be the greatest technical wrestler alive, he’s shown the skills it time and again all around the world, be it as part of SUZUKI-GUN, or since he become the first, and thus far only, NJPW World TV Champion earlier this year at WRESTLE KINGDOM 17.

But there are those who also put that crown on Bryan Danielson’s head, and with “The American Dragon” telling the world that he’s in his last full-time year of competition, every wrestler worth their salt is going to want to test the man on his way out, and try to snatch the crown. What’s interesting here is that this is not a case of Zack wanting Bryan as that time draws near, but rather Bryan wanting the fight after being unable to bring the rubber match to fruition last year.

And that brings us to this “Submissions in Seattle” fight between two of best grapplers in the history of professional wrestling, not just best of today, but best of all-time, and that is an undisputed fact. After confronting each other in the aftermath of COLLISION’s All-Star 8-Man tag, what is this fight going to look like? Will ZSJ live up to his promise to end Bryan’s career in 2023? It may be a homecoming for Bryan, but is he coming home just to say goodbye?

AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)(c) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)

One year ago, New Japan’s ROYAL QUEST II event at the Crystal Palace in London, FTR and Aussie Open went to battle with the IWGP Tag Titles hanging in the balance. For thirty-two minutes Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, Kyle Fletcher, and Mark Davis battled their hearts out, leaving every bit of themselves in that ring, but when the final bell rang it was FTR, the defending champions, who walked away with the titles still in their possession. Three months later at WRESTLE KINGDOM 17 Kyle and Mark would have to watch Bishamon, the team that beat them in the 2022 World Tag League Finals, dethrone FTR, and though Aussie Open would in turn take the IWGP Tag Titles from Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI in April, as well as win the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Titles, they would end up having to vacate bout due to Mark Davis’ injury.

Still, while Mark healed and Kyle flew solo for a bit, that loss to FTR clearly ate them up, and hearing Dax and Cash continue to proclaim themselves the greatest tag team in professional wrestling, even after losing all three of their titles between December 2022 and January 2023, didn’t help matters. The fact that FTR claimed the AEW World Tag Titles for a second time only exacerbated those feelings, and winning the ROH World Tag Titles at DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2023 upon Mark’s return to action didn’t prove a salve for Aussie Open either. Listening to FTR, watching them with the AEW World Tag Titles, and losing the ROH World Tag Titles to Adam Cole and MJF, well it all just threw gasoline on the fire. The match that finally blew it all up for Kyle and Mark was watching FTR engage in Open Challenges and facing teams that Aussie Open didn’t deem worthy of the opportunity they felt they’d earned many times over.

So it was set, just prior to The Workhorsemen of JD Drake and Anthony Henry getting their shot, that Aussie Open would face FTR at WRESTLEDREAM, and should Dax and Cash retain the titles in their fight with The Workhorsemen, they would be on the line in Seattle! Well here we are, the bell set to ring in just a short time, and after Saturday night’s clash on COLLISION, all four men are anxious to throw down without anyone else involved. No Blackpool Combat Club, no Starks and Big Bill, just two teams that each believe they are the greatest competing in professional wrestling today, and possibly even of all-time.

FTR wants a fight with the toughest version of Aussie Open, not the ones who may have taken an MJF and Adam Cole team lightly, but the ones who carried two sets of tag belts simultaneously last year, the ones who gave FTR the fight of their lives at ROYAL QUEST II. Conversely, Aussie Open want the belts and they want to desecrate the legacy of Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood. Kyle and Mark want to desecrate the work that earned FTR those seven stars, and expose them as subpar to Aussie Open. With The Young Bucks, with The Briscoes, as heated as the fights got, for FTR there was at least some level of respect shared between the four men, but here with Aussie Open, there is no respect for the champions, only disdain.

Can Aussie Open tarnish the names of FTR and take the AEW World Tag Team Championship from their hands, or will it be Dax and Cash who continue to show why they are the best tag team in wrestling today while simultaneously building their legacy towards being known as the best team to ever do it?

ROH WORLD/NJPW STRONG OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

Eddie Kingston(c) vs. ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata

Twice now Eddie Kingston and Katsuyori Shibata have shared the ring as partners, one victory and one defeat, but that defeat at ALL OUT 2023, where Eddie took his eye off the prize for a moment and fell victim to Claudio Castagnoli proved to be the final thing Kingston needed to have happen to push him over the hump. Seventeen days later, in front of his hometown fans and his family at DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2023, Eddie did the one thing that has evaded him since September 2009, he beat Claudio Castagnoli, and not only did he beat the man, Eddie dethroned him as ROH World Champion.

Shockingly Claudio also shook Kingston’s hand after the match, a sign of respect for the fight they had, and hearkening back to a Respect Match they had in November of 2009, but little more than that. These are not to men who will ever be friends again, but at least they can respect the fight and acknowledge one another for their skills.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Z_FPQEghtA?si=XIJNb2GRf_aMBG81&start=124

That acknowledgment of skill, the recognition of a fighter, that is the reason why Eddie Kingston made the challenge to Katsuyori Shibata, the Ring of Honor Pure Champion, to meet him at WRESTLEDREAM for a championship bout. While the Pure Title will not be at stake, after Eddie retained the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship on RAMPAGE, both that and the ROH World Championship will be on the line in Seattle! This will mark the first time Shibata has challenged for either of Kingston’s championships, as well as their first-ever meeting as foes, and Kingston could would’ve been hard-pressed to find a tougher first challenger to his ROH reign than “The Wrestler”.

A lethal striker, a submission specialist, and man who loves to dish out pain, Shibata is the kind of man to absorb every one of Kingston’s blows and channel them into himself like some kind of fuel. He will not go down easily, this is a man who survived near-death and fought to return to professional wrestling after all, and Eddie will have to throw every bomb he has at the man to put him down. Should Eddie Kingston emerge from this fight with his belts intact, he will have earned it the hard way, just as he has done throughout his entire life, and the same will be said for Shibata as Kingston will rain punishment down upon him as well.

This is going to be a hard-hitting war, of that there is no doubt, and when it ends, no matter who comes out on top, there will be a show of respect and sportsmanship because that is what Ring of Honor is about at its core, and that is what both Shibata and Kingston want from pro wrestling at theirs.

AEW WORLD TAG TITLE #1 CONTENDER MATCH…

The Gunns (Austin & Colten) vs. ROH World Six-Man Champions The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) vs. FTW Champion HOOK & Orange Cassidy

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WlPnITnegr4?si=v8bK0JmYz7C5W4uX&start=124

Between the FTR/Aussie Open clash, and this Four Way fray right here, the immediate future of the AEW’s tag team division will be shaped. The former will determine which duo moves forward as champion while this bout will set another pair up as future challengers to the throne at any time of their choosing. Three of the teams, The Young Bucks, Lucha Brothers, and Gunns, are former champions, two times over in the case of the brothers Jackson, while the fourth team in this bout will mark this fight as their first outing together. HOOK and Orange Cassidy did the Mixed Trios thing at RAMPAGE: GRAND SLAM 2023, but this high stakes situation is their first actual tag team bout, putting the FTW Champion and the former International Champion in a serious underdog situation.

One thing working in their favor though is that just this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, Orange Cassidy knocked Matt Jackson out with the Orange Punch and secured the victory in a Four Way singles match that also included Penta El Zero Miedo and Austin Gunn. That victory may be a sign of things to come, or it could simply the most experienced singles competitors of that quartet getting one over the man with the least. Either way, the world will soon found out just who the next contenders for either Aussie Open or FTR will be!

SINGLES MATCH…

ROH World Six-Man Champion “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6cOQ4haG0Rs?si=K7kpkp7I57LdXoxg&start=124

“What’s a buckshot to a killshot?”

That was the question posited by Swerve Strickland when he and Hangman Page sat down to sign the contract for their fight this Sunday night, and by the end of their face-to-face Swerve had a piece of the answer in the form Hangman manically stabbing a pencil into his hand.

After an exchange of harsh words, after Swerve questioning Hangman in the weeks before the signing, after having the audacity to laugh in the face of the former AEW World Champion, Strickland awoke the ugliness inside Page. That ugliness in Hangman is what helped pushed him into the position he is in now, the position that Swerve Strickland covets, but before he woke up that ugliness perhaps Strickland should’ve looked at what else it did for Hangman. That ugliness pushed him to victory in Texas Death Matches with Adam Cole, Lance Archer, and Jon Moxley, the latter of which he actually made quit, something no man in All Elite Wrestling can say. It helped him survive in Blood & Guts, Anarchy in the Arena, and Stadium Stampede, and it helped him survive through some of the toughest times when Hangman Page was riding alone through the wilds of AEW.

Swerve, for as talented a performer as he is, has not ridden alone in All Elite Wrestling, not when he has had his greatest successes. His reign as champion came in the form of tag team gold, and with that came a partner in Keith Lee, a tremendous partner who helped Swerve reach new heights in AEW, but a partner that Swerve casually discarded when he found others with which surround himself. First born as The Mogul Affiliates, a merger with Prince Nana’s Embassy gave birth to The Mogul Embassy, and with that Swerve Strickland surrounded himself with, to be frank, a trio of killers in Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona.

They have insulted Swerve in many ways, a great example of that being how in their absence at Wembley it was Strickland shoved into that casket by Darby and Sting rather than Christian Cage, and done his dirty work too many times to count. Just look at the moment Swerve elected to engage in this fight with Hangman Page, it was Brian Cage who committed the physicality rather than Swerve, just as it was Cage who had to step into the ring with Hangman first. That gave “The Machine” his second loss to Hangman, and then it was Cage and The Gates of Agony who had to step up to The Elite with their ROH World Six-Man Championship on the line, and they who paid the price for this fight Swerve started when the lost said titles to The Young Bucks and Hangman.

But now Swerve has to fight for himself, and though it may be in his hometown thus creating a situation likely to make him the crowd’s chosen one that night, the crowd isn’t inside the ring throwing down with a former AEW World Tag Champion, a former AEW World Champion, and current ROH World Six-Man Champion. It is Swerve, ideally Swerve alone, who has to fight this fight, a fight he picked mind you, and who now has to elevate his game against one of the elite competitors in professional wrestling.

The world knows Swerve Strickland has the talent in the ring, and the world knows he can talk the game, but now he has to prove that the spot Hangman has earned through blood, sweat, tears, and beers, that spot is now Swerve’s House.

TRIOS GRUDGE MATCH…

Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, & Kota Ibushi vs. The Don Callis Family (“The Alpha” Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara, & IWGP UK Champion Will Ospreay

https://www.youtube.com/embed/qdzMHOM-4p0?si=yjuSpmRKPfE5G_t4&start=124

Don Callis has done his best to decimate the lives of men he once considered family, all in the name of some imagined sleight created in his own mind, one in which Kenny Omega was an ungrateful wretch rather than an unbelievably loyal nephew and in which Don falsely believed Chris Jericho would refuse his help, thus painting that portrait that triggered their splintering, creating his own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Callis sees both men’s successes, and by proxy the success of AEW, as belonging to him rather than those two men or all the forces that have helped create All Elite Wrestling over the last four years. Don believes that without him Jericho never goes to New Japan, Kenny never goes to Japan, their WRESTLE KINGDOM 12 match in 2018 never happens, and thus AEW is never born. With all his heart and soul, Callis believes those to be facts, and on an even grander scale, he essentially wants credit for everything Kenny Omega has accomplished in his storied career.

So he has stabbed Omega in the head with a screwdriver, turned Takeshita to his side opposite The Elite, aligned himself with The BCC heading into Blood & Guts (bailing when it was no longer convenient of course), aligned with BULLET CLUB GOLD when it was beneficial, facilitated Will Ospreay coming to AEW for fights with Jericho and Omega, poisoned the well of the Jericho Appreciation Society which led to their fracturing, and finally turned Sammy Guevara against his best friend and mentor, though given their tense history it may not have taken much persuasion to pull Guevara away.

But for all his manipulation and plotting and scheming, it is highly unlikely that Don Callis ever saw Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega coming together over their mutual disdain for Don and all he’s done to their lives over the last several months. For years now Jericho and Omega have stayed as far away from each other as possible, and yet it was the only Triple Crown champion in AEW history who rushed to Jericho’s aid when “The Ocho” was at his lowest, totally alone.

To say it was shocking to both Callis and the AEW faithful would be a massive understatement, but it was likely just as shocking to Jericho to see the form his salvation took, and likely shocking to Kenny as well that he would even take up arms alongside Jericho. Only Don Callis could bring together two men with such a heated history and make them allies, but perhaps it was only Don Callis who could whisper the right words in the ears of Takeshita, Guevara, and Ospreay to get them on his side of this fight. It’s clear Don will stoop to any low in his mission to destroy Jericho and Omega, in a situation eerily similar to how he got BC GOLD to attack Kenny Omega in Jacksonville, Callis and Takeshita traveled to Tokyo in order to get at Ibushi while he was without any support.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/k5gO4Qt1BwE?si=DCgjpjTvJyQyZAqp

After Saturday night’s tag team bout it is clear that they can figure out a way to work together, as long as Nana isn’t around to distract, so this Sunday night the unlikely trio of Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Chris Jericho will have to do the same to try and end Don Callis’ family. Callis has done nothing but wreak havoc on the lives of Jericho, Omega, and now Ibushi, and used men like Takeshita, Guevara, and Ospreay as his chess pieces to do so. Whether or not this can ever end while Callis occupies the same space as those he once called family is a reasonable question, one that may be answered comes Sunday in Seattle live on pay-per-view.

TBS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH…

Kris Statlander(c) vs. The House of Black’s Julia Hart

https://www.youtube.com/embed/vNpp3SBiePs?si=brABVlg6KGqiyqox

28)Vertvixen

27)Willow Nightingale

26)Kiera Hogan

25)Skye Blue

24)Bambi Hall

23)No Holds Barred: Anna Jay AS

22)Kiera Hogan

21)Anna Jay AS

20)Kelsey Heather

19)Zoey Lynn

18)Devlyn Macabre

17)Leva Bates

16)Promise Braxton

15)Sahara Seven

14)Tiara James

13)Missa Kate

12)Alice Crowley

11)Arie Alexander

10)Vickie Dreamboat

9)Hayley Shadows

8)Free-Range Kara

7)LMK

6)Renee Michelle

5)Amber Nova

4)JC

3)Valentina Rossi

2)Jacey Love

1)Abby Jane

Starting with last night’s COLLISION and working backwards to DARK: ELEVATION #61 on 5/2/22, those are the women that have fallen before Julia Hart on this road to WRESTLEDREAM on Sunday night, but to truly see where this all began, one need only look a week prior to that first win, April 25th’s edition of ELEVATION, the night that Julia Hart lost to Kris Statlander in just over six minutes. A month after that loss to Statlander, Hart would align herself with The House of Black, and ever since then fans have witnessed a slow, systematic descent by Julia into a sadistic bent for punishment. Hart has come to relish the pain she inflicts on individuals, both the women in her division and the men with whom her House compatriots fight, and it has been particularly noticeable in the last several weeks as Hart’s desire to avenge her last loss became apparent.

Meanwhile, just a few months after that victory over Julia, Kris Statlander would find herself on the outside looking in, recovering from a devastating knee injury that kept her out of action for nearly a year from August 9, 2022 until her shocking reemergence at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2023 on May 28th of this year. That night in Vegas, not only did Stat return to AEW, but she returned to in-ring competition to dethrone Jade Cargill as TBS Champion, thereby bringing an end to Cargill’s dominating run as champion, and her record-setting unbeaten streak.

Since then Kris Statlander has been a true fighting champion, turning away 13 challenges to her reign, including a rematch with Jade and a bout with Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, and has done nothing but prove herself as worthy of the crown. No challengers would ever be turned away by Statlander, and certainly not one being made by a woman with an undefeated streak as lengthy as that of Julia Hart’s. Julie has earned this opportunity, of that there is no doubt, but she elevated the stakes over the last several weeks with her attacks on the women Statlander calls friends, namely Willow, Skye, and Kiera.

The defending champion knows she’s not dealing with the same animal she did last time around, that The House of Black has turned Julie Hart into something, someone, far darker than ever before, and unleashed a ferocity in the woman that seems barely contained. Going into this fight Statlander has to remember to meet the woman Julia Hart is now, not the girl she was in 2022, but be aware that where Julia walks she never walks alone. Does The House always wins? Not if Kris Statlander can help it…

ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP HANDICAP MATCH…

AEW World Champion MJF(c) vs. The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)

After winning their #1 Contender’s Match at RAMPAGE: GRAND SLAM 2023, The Righteous of Vincent and Dutch were all set to challenge MJF and Adam Cole for the ROH World Tag Team Championship titles, but fate had other plans in store. As we all found out this past Wednesday night on DYNAMITE, Adam Cole is injured and won’t be cleared to compete for some time, a situation that would generally dictate the champions vacate their titles, leaving the ROH Board of Directors to decide their future. AEW World Champion MJF had other ideas though and made a promise to Adam Cole that Max would make sure the belts were waiting for him when Adam returned to action, and that he would take on The Righteous in a Handicap Match this Sunday at WRESTLEDREAM! Call it crazy brave or just down right stupid, it goes to show just how much this partnership with Cole means to MJF, and just how much these titles may actually mean to Maxwell as well. He’s not just holding them for Adam Cole’s sake, perhaps he’s taking some pride in being a tag team champion and proving he can work with someone else to great success. Unfortunately he’s now headed down a path where he’s fighting alone, but fighting for two, and doing that against Vincent and Dutch may not be the smartest idea.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/FxYW0EOkSFs?si=X8cRymYiUJXmEi43

It’s clear that The Righteous are ready for this fight, ready to dig into the mess that is the situation between MJF, Cole, Roderick, and The Kingdom, and ready to use that situation to engage in psychological warfare against the champion. In addition to their man advantage, that mental game just may be what The Righteous need to leave Seattle as the new ROH World Tag Team Champions, but should MJF find a way to escape this situation with titles in tow, is this his plan from now until the day Adam Cole is cleared? Taking on that role, along with his duties as AEW World Championship, that is a sure way to find himself with no titles to his name…

SINGLES MATCH…

Wheeler Yuta vs. “Absolute” Ricky Starks

Wheeler Yuta still has a problem with “Absolute” Ricky Starks, and this Sunday night at WRESTLEDREAM he aims to pick up right where “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson left off and kick Starks’s head right in. Whether or not picking a fight with Ricky after the hell he went through with Bryan is the smartest idea, well that remains to be seen after the final bell rings and we see whose hand is raised. Starks is not about to let this affront from Yuta go unpunished, and Yuta isn’t about to let Ricky skate with what he thought was disrespect to Bryan after their Texas Death Match. This fight between two young and hungry dogs is going to be something to see, and it will be interesting to see if that violence Bryan showed Starks in their two encounters brought that side of Ricky closer to the surface.

ZERO HOUR

-AEW World Trios Championship Match: The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass(c) vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, Mikey Nichols, & Shane Haste)

-Luchasaurus vs. Nick Wayne

-Claudio Castagnoli vs. Josh Barnett

-Diamante, Lee Moriarty, Mercedes Martinez, & Shane Taylor vs. ROH Women’s World Champion Athena, Billie Starkz, Keith Lee, & Satoshi Kojima

With the ZERO HOUR getting underway at 7pm ET/6pm CT, and WRESTLEDREAM proper going live at 8pm ET/7pm CT, Sunday night is loaded with the greatest professional wrestling available anywhere on the planet! Do not miss out as All Elite Wrestling returns to pay-per-view, something no one does as consistently amazing as AEW, and especially this time around when it has been called the end of one era and the beginning of another!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/h1GEcDiWEB0?si=SLrcL2jiLwgOnT0g

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