Day by day we are creeping closer to WORLDS END 2024 in Orlando on December 28th. We know that the 2024 Continental Classic will culminate that night in the Addition Financial Arena, that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will face three challengers to his crown simultaneously, that Mariah May will put her AEW Women's World Title on the line against Thunder Rosa in a Tijuana Street Fight, Konosuke Takeshita will face Powerhouse Hobbs with his International Championship at stake, and Adam Cole will attempt to rip the Dynamite Diamond Ring off MJF's finger.
Though the date draws nearer with every passing moment, there is still a lot to sort out as All Elite Wrestling makes its way towards Florida, and that continues tonight with our return to the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC! Fresh off defending her NJPW STRONG Women's Title against Hazuki at STRONG STYLE EVOLVED 2024 this past Sunday night, Mercedes Moné will defend her TBS Championship against Anna Jay tonight during DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024, but that's not all the action in store for the AEW faithful!
In one of the most highly-anticipated matches Continental Classic Gold League matches, “The Aerial Assassin” Will Ospreay will meet 2-Time TNT Champion Darby Allin for the very first time! Plus, in Blue League competition, Hurt Syndicate's Shelton Benjamin aims to run the table with his remaining 3 matches but he faces stiff competition in The Beast Mortos in his efforts to achieve that goal! We also expect to hear from MJF ahead of his WORLDS END 2024 fight with Adam Cole, and as a special treat for fans in attendance, during Friday's RAMPAGE taping they will witness Brody King take on Komander in C2 Gold League action! Plus we will hear from MJF and FTR, The Death Riders will be in Trios action against Jon Moxley's three WORLDS END 2024 challengers, and The Patriarchy will be in tag team action against HOOK and Katsuyori Shibata!
DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024 begins at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TBS, so make a point to to visit AEW's official YouTube channel to watch highlights from last week's editions of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, as well as so much more! Then join us in New York City for a huge weekend of action including ROH's FINAL BATTLE 2024, CHRISTMAS COLLISION, and DYNAMITE ON 34th STREET! It all leads to WORLDS END 2024 live on pay-per-view Saturday December 28th!
TBS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH...
Mercedes Moné(c) vs. Anna Jay
Say what you will about Mercedes Moné and her attitude, her belittling treatment of “The Brickhouse” Kamille that caused the woman to quit, and her general dismissiveness regarding the AEW women's roster, but it's impossible to argue her abilities from bell-to-bell. There's a reason she's undefeated in All Elite Wrestling at 11-0, and 13-0 since DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2024 when factoring in her NJPW bouts at CAPITAL COLLISION 2024 in August and STRONG STYLE EVOLVED 2024 this past Sunday. All 13 of those bouts have involved a title, starting with the TBS Title victory over Willow Nightingale at DON '24 and the 10 successful defenses that have come since then, then adding in the NJPW STRONG Women's Title at FORBIDDEN DOOR 2024 when the TBS Title was also at stake, and defending that on 3 occasions.
Not only has she “The CEO” become the second longest-reigning TBS Champion since the title's inception, she's done it with fights against top-tier competitors like Kris Statlander, Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, Emi Sakura, Hikaru Shida, Nyla Rose, and Skye Blue to name a few of her challengers. She may have leaned on Kamille to pull her out of the fire on a few instances, but Mercedes has also accomplished a great deal of these accolades on her own. All that being said, she still comes off like a completely intolerable human being to be around and could not be more different than the woman stepping up to challenge her tonight on DYNAMITE: Anna Jay!
Now Anna Jay isn't perfect, she let herself fall into the trap of the Jericho Appreciation Society, but there's a reason why she was one of the first to walk away from that situation, and why she's worked so hard to distance herself from the woman she became with that ilk. In the time since Anna has worked her way back to being the person she wanted to be five years ago when she started her wrestling journey, and a huge part of that quest took place this past August when Anna traveled to Japan for the first time to take part in Stardom's 5Star Grand Prix Tournament!
With three victories in her six matches, Anna made quite the impression on the Stardom competitors as well as their fans, and it gave her a new perspective on what she'd been doing with her career over the last several years. Upon her return to AEW, Anna Jay made it clear she was coming for championships and specifically the AEW Women's World Title held by Mariah May. Of course Mariah wasn't going to take the challenge seriously, but she didn't have much of a choice after BATTLE OF THE BELTS XII when Anna pinned Mariah in an Eliminator Match to earn a future championship bout. Prior to that, Mariah hadn't been beaten one-on-one since a June 5th bout with Saraya, a run that included winning the 2024 Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament, beating “Timeless” Toni Storm for the Women's World Title, and netting three successful title defenses, as well as turning away two other Eliminator challenges.
Unfortunately Anna Jay wasn't able to parlay that Eliminator victory into a championship one, but she was willing to risk it all in those endeavors, ultimately wagering her ability to ever challenge Mariah May for the title again during the November 16th COLLISION and falling short despite the No DQ stipulation. Undaunted, Anna Jay let it be known her intentions hadn't shifted from becoming a champion, only her sights had as the TBS Title became the new aspiration. That brings us to tonight's DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024 title fight where Anna Jay attempts to roll her two consecutive victories over Deonna Purrazzo and Penelope Ford into a TBS Title one over Mercedes Moné! It would unquestionably be the biggest accomplishment of Anna Jay's career to end The CEO's run as champion and claim the TBS Title in one fell swoop. It's been 11 months since Anna's last attempt to win this championship, will this be the night she finally makes it her own?
CONTINENTAL CLASSIC...
Gold LeagueDarby Allin (3) vs. Will Ospreay (6)
Unquestionably the most anticipated match-up in the Gold League, tonight during DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024 we will witness 2-Time International Champion Will Ospreay square off with 2-Time TNT Champion Darby Allin in a battle of two fan-favorite competitors! While where the fans loyalties lie during this one may be one of the more intriguing aspects of the contest, another is just what kind of effect the larger landscape of All Elite Wrestling will have on these competitors.
Take Will Ospreay first; while he enters into his third Gold League match with victories over Claudio Castagnoli and now-injured Juice Robinson, he began the Continental Classic having suffered a string of painful losses since ALL OUT 2024. He beat “The Bastard” PAC that night in Chicago, but his pairing with Kyle Fletcher did not result in World Tag Team Title success against The Young Bucks at DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2024. A week after that his highly anticipated singles clash with Ricochet over the AEW International Title ended with Konosuke Takeshita assaulting both men, and their subsequent Triple Threat match at WRESTLEDREAM 2024 resulted in “The Alpha” leaving Tacoma, WA with the International Title after Kyle Fletcher betrayed his supposed best friend, and tried to end his career with the Tiger Driver '91.
Ospreay's return to the ring a few weeks later as part of an 8-Man Tag against The Don Callis Family went no better as The DCF took home that victory, and at FULL GEAR 2024, “The Aerial Assassin” failed to find retribution in his singles match with “The Protostar”. Suffice to say, this Continental Classic is all Will Ospreay has to look forward to in his wrestling life at this moment and while he's off to a great start with two victories and six points, he's got a rough road ahead with Brody King and Ricochet in his future, and Darby Allin standing before him tonight in Washington D.C.
As for Darby, coincidentally one could also point to DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2024 as the beginning of a slump for that man. It was that night that he wagered his Royal Rampage-earned AEW World Championship match with Bryan Danielson in a war with Jon Moxley, and came up short, thereby opening the door for The Death Riders to take control of the title at WRESTLEDREAM 2024. Darby holds a lot of guilt for Moxley being the one walking around with the AEW World Title, he holds a lot of guilt for what The Death Riders did to Bryan in Tacoma that night, but unlike Ospreay, at least Darby had some positivity come out of WRESTLE DREAM as he finally pinned Brody King for the first time in their careers.
The joy of that was obviously short-lived as it took place before the World Championship match between Danielson and Moxley, but the pain AEW collectively felt for how we left Washington state is part of what's feeding Darby as he heads into Washington D.C. It fueled him into a fight with Claudio Castagnoli on the 11/20 DYNAMITE, just as it fueled him into driving a car right into a vehicle The Death Riders were about to use at FULL GEAR 2024. Unfortunately that decision at FULL GEAR '24 likely cost him his first Continental Classic match with Brody King as Darby, though medically cleared by AEW doctors to compete, was not coming into it as physically ready as he was at WRESTLEDREAM '24 due to that automobile accident. Thankfully for Darby, he bounced back with a victory over Komander twelve days ago on COLLISION and scored his first three points in the Gold League, but just like Ospreay he's got three matches left beginning with this bout tonight, and followed by a first-time meeting with Ricochet and a rematch with Claudio Castagnoli.
With the Gold League currently in a three-way tie at six points, it's bit more of an open game for everyone save Komander, but the fact it's so close makes every single victory count. If Ospreay wins tonight, he moves up to nine points and takes the Gold League lead for the moment but if Darby wins, then we've got ourselves a four-way tie for the top spot as Claudio, Ospreay, Darby, and Ricochet would all be sitting at six points for the moment. Of course that could become a five-way tie at the top depending on Brody King, but more on that shortly; let's just say there is a lot riding on this match for both Darby and Will, but also for the whole of the Gold League as we are just ten days out from WORLDS END 2024 and the end of the Continental Classic!
Blue League
Shelton Benjamin(3) vs. The Beast Mortos (0)
Over in the Blue League, The Hurt Syndicate's Shelton Benjamin finds himself in a similar position as Darby Allin. He walks into Washington D.C with three points to his name after defeating Mark Briscoe in their opening match of the C2, but then falling to Kyle Fletcher when “The Protostar” applied some rope-assisted leverage to garner a pinfall victory. That means Shelton has three matches left in the Blue League, thus the potential to add nine points to his total, but the difference is that Darby is only three points behind his league leader while Shelton is six behind Kyle Fletcher, making it just a bit more difficult for Benjamin to catch-up to Kyle than it is for Darby to pull up to Claudio Castagnoli. It just makes every match a must-win scenario for Shelton, and perhaps that little pep talk MVP gave him after the loss to Fletcher was the necessary motivation.
As for The Beast Mortos, with three matches already under his belt in the Blue League and zero points to show for them, he is mathematically eliminated from competition. Even if he were to win out in his match with Shelton and in his final against Mark Briscoe, he's still only have six points while Fletcher currently has nine with one match left against Daniel Garica and Kazuchika Okada has 7 points with one remaining against Shelton Benjamin. That being said, The Beast Mortos now slides into the role of spoiler as handing a loss to either Shelton or Mark would prove detrimental to either man's ambitions of a spot at WORLDS END 2024 on December 28th.
Can The Beast Mortos dash Shelton's hopes of bringing a Continental Classic victory back to The Hurt Syndicate's locker room, or is tonight the beginning of Shelton Benjamin running the table en route to a trip to Orlando in ten days time?
TRIOS MATCH...
The Death Riders (AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, “The Bastard” PAC, & Wheeler Yuta vs.
Orange Cassidy, “Switchblade” Jay White, & “Hangman” Adam Page
Speaking of December 28th in Orlando, we know that AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will face Orange Cassidy, Jay White, and Adam Page at WORLDS END 2024 in a Fatal Four Way with his title on the line. It will be the first time since DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2023 that the World Title has been defended in such a fashion, and on that potential road to Damascus, it looks like everyone involved is going to be tested.
As seen in the above video, the three challengers for the title were put to the test in the midst of The Death Riders fighting Orange Cassidy and Jay White in tag team action. Hangman Page couldn't resist the opportunity to take a shot at Jon Moxley and actively handed OC and “Switchblade” a DQ loss when he assaulted the World Champion. That led to both Hangman and Jay White eating an Orange Punch, OC tasting a Blade Runner, and all three of them being attacked by The Death Riders after they'd laid each other out.
Perhaps this clear inability for the men of the AEW locker room to find common ground against The Death Riders is what emboldened Jon Moxley to offer a title opportunity to three men simultaneously, and perhaps that's why The Death Riders are putting them to the test once again tonight during DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024. Can Orange Cassidy, Jay White, and Hangman Page possibly coexist long enough to hand the trio of Wheeler Yuta, “The Bastard” PAC, and the AEW World Champion a loss? Or will this attempt at unity blow up in their faces like it did last week and just further validate everything AEW's self-professed King has said about the egos of the individuals who comprise All Elite Wrestling?
TAG TEAM GRUDGE MATCH...
The Patriarchy (Christian Cage & Nick Wayne) vs. HOOK & Katsuyori Shibata
HOOK is dead set on fighting “The Patriarch” Christian Cage while AEW resides at the Hammerstein Ballroom for CHRISTMAS COLLISON, DYNAMITE ON 34TH STREET, and COLLISON: NEW YEAR'S SMASH this weekend (www.aewtix.com), so much so that he assaulted Cage while he watched the show last week from the safety of a suite and pontificated on the ramifications of the current World Title picture. While we have not gotten a definitive statement from the #1 Contender to the World Title regarding HOOK's NYC challenge, we do not that tonight on DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024 he and “The Wrestler” Katsuyori Shibata will get a shot at The Patriarchy in tag team competition!
HOOK may be fighting with a busted arm, but he proved in that above embedded video that he can still sink Redrum in on Cage, and perhaps the addition of that cast makes the hold even more dangerous to the well-being of HOOK's victim. Will The Patriarchy survive HOOK's path of rage, especially when he's got an lethal force like Shibata fighting at his side?
MAXWELL JACOB FRIEDMAN...
Last week, as Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly battled to see who would face MJF at WORLDS END 2024 for the Dynamite Diamond Ring, the 5-Time holder holder of said ring attempted to interfere to cost Cole the bout. Instead Max got superkicked in the face by Cole, and ran off to lick his wounds after Adam rolled up Kyle to get the pinfall victory and earn the pay-per-view fight with MJF. Tonight on DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024 we expect to hear from the former World Champion ahead of his bout with Cole in 10 days. No doubt it will be as insufferable as always...
FTR HAS SOMETHING TO SAY...
When last we saw Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood they were being assaulted by The Death Riders at the conclusion of last week's COLLISION. Tonight during DYNAMITE, we anticipate hearing from the multi-time World Tag Champions from their home in Asheville, the January 1st host for DYNAMITE: FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN 2025. We know Dax and Cash want a fight to kick off the new year, and it certainly seems The Death Riders are in their crosshairs!
RAMPAGE
Continental Classic...
Gold League
Brody King(3) vs. Komander (0)
Brody King is not a happy man after dropping two straight matches in the Continental Classic to Claudio Castagnoli and Ricochet. Out of fairness to the House of Black member, it should be noted that neither of those loses came about in the cleanest fashion. Castagnoli resorted to a low blow to best King while Ricochet took advantage of a turnbuckle Brody himself unintentionally exposed, though it still took two Spirit Guns to fell the House's behemoth.
Suffice to say that tonight in Washington DC when Brody King is unleashed in his fourth C2 battle, he's going to be out for blood in a hunt for another win at Komander's expense. The top of the Gold League is in a three-way tie between Claudio, Ricochet, and Will Ospreay, but depending on the outcome of DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024, Ospreay will either be on top of the heap with nine points, or Brody King will be in prime position to make it a four-way lock at six points. Given that his final match is against Ospreay, a victory here and an Ospreay loss would go a long way towards helping Brody King contend for a top spot, though he would still be hard-pressed to take the point total.
As for Komander, after this his last remaining fight will be with Claudio Castagnoli, and quite frankly with zero points to his name (one being a loss he inherited from Juice Robinson), he's essentially on the outs in terms of winning the Gold League. There's an outside chance he could score six points and find himself in the running if all the chips fall in the right spot, but much like The Beast Mortos in the Blue League, victories against Claudio or Brody King tonight are more spoiler to his opponent than boon to his chances.
How will the Gold League look after tonight's DYNAMITE live event and RAMPAGE taping? The only way to get the full picture is to be there live in Washington DC at the Entertainment & Sports Arena to see how RAMPAGE unfolds!
DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH 2024 comes to you starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TBS, and features 2024 Continental Classic action with Darby Allin and Will Ospreay facing off in the Gold League while Shelton Benjamin and The Beast Mortos meet in the Blue League! Plus, TBS Champion Mercedes Moné defends her championship against a championship hungry Anna Jay, and so much more as we head towards WORLDS END 2024 live on pay-per-view Saturday December 28th! Before the action begins, visit the official AEW YouTube channel to catch highlights from last week's editions of DYNAMITE, RAMPAGE, and COLLISION, breakdowns of the Continental Classic, and so much more!
Then follow AEW to the Big Apple as New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom hosts three huge events: ROH's FINAL BATTLE 2024 on Friday night, CHRISTMAS COLLISION on Saturday, and DYNAMITE ON 34th STREET Sunday afternoon; 2025 is coming on fast and AEW aims to end 2024 with a big bang!