It's that time, time for another exciting week of AEW “Dynamite” coming at you on TNT at 8pm EST/7pm CST, and it is going to be one for the history books!
Why you ask?
Because this week marks the beginning of the tournament to crown the very first TNT Champion! Between AEW “Dark” and “Dynamite” last week the eight men competing in this tournament were announced, as were their quarter-final match-ups, and now it all kicks off this week before your very eyes with an “All Out” rematch. In addition to that, two of the top athletes in the women's division will collide with both looking to get a shot at the championship held by Nyla Rose and Kenny Omega will be in tag team action against The Best Friends with Michael Nakazawa as his partner!
***RANKINGS AS OF 4/1***
TNT CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL MATCH...
(#3) CODY VS. SHAWN SPEARS
It's a rivalry born many moons ago in a world far from that of AEW, one that exploded when Shawn blasted a chair across the skull of Cody, and one that was ultimately quelled when Cody defeated Spears at “All Out” last year.
Between the commentary Cody offered on “AEW Dark” during a Spears match, the announcement of this first round match-up, and the tag team match that took place last week on “Dynamite”, it's safe to state that eight months have done nothing to tame the animosity, especially from Spears towards Cody.
Now put the factor of the TNT Championship into the picture, and this rematch has a whole new meaning beyond just some sense of redemption for Shawn Spears. The loss to Cody was devastating to his AEW career, it can be argued it sent Spears into a downward spiral and that even the tutelage of the legendary Tully Blanchard has not been able to bring consistency to Shawn's career. But now he has the opportunity to be the first man to advance to the Semi-Finals, to be one step closer to being the first TNT Champion, those are things that may bring the fight in Spears to a whole new level.
And in the case of Cody, also add in the factor that he now finds himself in a position to actually claim a singles championship in AEW after boxing himself out of the World Title picture with that heart-breaking loss to Chris Jericho some 6 months ago at “Full Gear”. Cody can become a champion, a destiny may thought was set in stone from the dawn of AEW, but he has to put down the challenge of The Chairman one more time to get closer to that dream.
ONE-ON-ONE...
(#1) HIKARU SHIDA VS. (#4) DR. BRITT BAKER D.D.S
It was 5 months ago, Indianapolis, AEW “Dynamite” with Shida versus Baker on the card...and to the shock of many, it was Hikaru Shida who left with the win that night. And although she suffered a few defeats in the aftermath of that surprising win, Shida now sits at the top spot in the Women's Rankings and has won seven of her last eight matches, with the one blemish there coming in a tag team contest.
Baker, on the other side of the ring come Wednesday night, has been frustrated in her attempts to become the “Face of the Women's division” in fact, and not just in her own words. Britt challenged, unsuccessfully, for the championship on two occasions during the reign of Riho, and as of late, has seemed content in running her mouth. She's done it to Tony Schiavone, she's done it to Big Swole, and as seen in that video embedded above, she's done it to Hikaru Shida as well. Britt Baker has been disrespectful to her peers, because quite frankly she does not see any of them as her peers, even a chicken sandwich apparently ranked higher on her concerns than Shida last week.
Well this week Baker will have to focus her concerns on the #1 Ranked Woman in AEW, because Brit is set to go one-on-one with Hikaru Shida on Wednesday night! It's the good doctor's first singles match since February 26th, and it is one tremendous opportunity for Baker to knock Shida off the top of the mountain and to move up from her #4 spot. And for Shida, well it's a golden opportunity to knock some respect into Dr. Baker and continue to exert her dominance over the Women's division in preparation for a match with AEW Women's World Champion Nyla Rose.
TAG TEAM ACTION...
WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPION KENNY OMEGA & MICHAEL NAKAZAWA VS. (#5) THE BEST FRIENDS (TRENT & CHUCK TAYLOR) W/ ORANGE CASSIDY
It's starting to sound like a broken record these last several week's on “Dynamite”, but last week when Kenny Omega and Trent collided in a singles bout, it undoubtedly stole the show. It more than demonstrated that Omega is firing on all cylinders after that wrist injury, and certainly showed the world that Trent can hang with the cream of the crop in singles action, just as he does in tag team competition.
Now those two will meet once more, this time in tag team action, as The Best Friends of Trent and Chuck Taylor unite to take on Omega and his erstwhile tag team partner Michael Nakazawa! It has been nearly 6 years since the last time Kenny and Michael united as a tag team, and even longer since they were a duo competing together on the regular. But now, for this one night, they will reunite to take on Chuck and Trent!
Will Omega and Nakazawa rekindle their old successes this Wednesday night, or will the #5 ranked team in AEW add another win to their 2020 record and clear that .500 mark? Tune in to TNT to find out first-hand!
“THE EXALTED ONE” BRODIE LEE IN ACTION...
Be it in the ring, or sitting at a dinner table, the presence of “The Exalted One” Brodie Lee is an intimidating one to foes and followers alike. The method in which he rules over The Dark Order strikes fear into the hearts of his minions, and the decimating force he brings into the squared circle strikes fear into the hearts of Mr. Brodie's opponents.
Just ask QT Marshall what it's like to stand across the ring from The Exalted One, or ask #8 what it feels like to disappoint him...if that individual is still present in The Dark Order. So it is with great trepidation that we announce that this week Brodie Lee will be in action once again, and heaven help whomever is standing across the ring from The Exalted One.
It's AEW “Dynamite” coming to you at 8pm EST/7pm CST each and every week on TNT! Don't miss a moment as the Quarter-Finals of the TNT Championship begin, Shida and Baker bring the best in Women's wrestling, the finest tag team division in wrestling continues to shine, and plenty more coming your way this Wednesday night!!