This week, AEW DYNAMITE returns home to Wednesday nights on TNT! Coming at you LIVE at 8pm EST/7pm CST, once again the event is absolutely loaded with one main event match after another with The Inner Circle/Pinnacle war raging on, a World Tag Team Title Eliminator bout, a TNT Title match, and a Women's tag team battle with World Title implications for FYTER FEST 2021, NIGHT 2 (Buy Tickets) in Garland, TX! Chris Jericho will join in on the commentary for the night, plus if you are in attendance Wednesday night, the first 1,000 fans in the door will get an exclusive poster signed by either MJF or “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara to commemorate this loaded edition of DYNAMITE (Learn More)!
Last week's massive edition of DYNAMITE saw “All Ego” Ethan Page challenge Darby Allin to a Coffin Match (Watch Here) at Road Rager (Buy Tickets) in Miami on July 7th, Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero reveal “The Native Beast” will get her championship match with Dr. Britt Baker on July 21st, and Kenny Omega successfully retain his AEW World Title against Jungle Boy! Plus, FTR laid out Konnan (Watch Here), The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle came to blows once again, and Kris Statlander (Watch Here) continued her impressive roll in the Women's Division against The Bunny.
This week, the action comes back to Wednesday night with Sammy Guevara and MJF going head-to-head, The Young Bucks trying to prevent Eddie Kingston and Penta El Zero Miedo from earning a World Tag Title Match, Vickie Guerrero stepping into the ring alongside Nyla Rose to battle the AEW Women's World Champion and Rebel, and plenty more! It all kicks off at 8pm EST/7pm CST on TNT, or on AEWPlus.com for our International audiences.
Be sure to catch two jam-packed events only available on the official AEW YouTube channel (Watch Here) in AEW DARK: ELEVATION and AEW DARK! Featured bouts include Riho's return to action, Hikaru Shida back in the ring after losing her Women's World Title, Karl Anderson in singles competition with the debuting Wheeler Yuta, Powerhouse Hobbs battling Marko Stunt, Kingston and Penta preparing for their DYNAMITE bout, Nyla Rose squaring off with the debuting Holidead, and plenty more!
Plus catch up on OUTSIDE THE RING, WRESTLING WITH THE WEEK, and all the other great content available on the AEW YouTube channel!
INNER CIRCLE VS. PINNACLE...
MJF vs. “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara
It feels as if this meeting between Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Sammy Guevara is one fans have been waiting forever to take place. From the very moment MJF began his bid for Inner Circle membership in the latter months of 2020, including beating Chris Jericho at FULL GEAR 2020 to earn his spot in AEW's premier faction, the tensions between Sammy and MJF have been run high. Sammy was, at times, the lone voice in The Inner Circle pointing out the schemes and shady behavior of Friedman. He was the one man who did not, for a moment, believe that Max had pure motives when it came to The Inner Circle. Guevara's extremely vocal opposition to MJF's inclusion in The IC even got him excommunicated from the group, albeit for a very brief time frame.
It was ultimately Sammy who publicly exposed Max's attempted coup, although by that point the rest of The Inner Circle had too reached their limit with MJF's machinations. Little did Jericho, Santana, Ortiz, Hager, or Guevara realize how deep those schemes ran until the moment The Pinnacle formed on DYNAMITE at the expense of The Inner Circle. In the shadows, between the lines, Max had been rocking The Inner Circle's boat NOT to take it over, but rather to leave it weakened and hopefully easy pickings for he, Spears, Wardlow, Wheeler, and Harwood, with Tully Blanchard guiding the ship.
Blood & Guts, Stadium Stampede II; both of those spectacles pitted the groups against one another with each unit pulling a win for their team, with one commonality each night in Sammy Guevara's involvement. At DYNAMITE: BLOOD & GUTS it was Guevara who surrendered on The Inner Circle's behalf in order to save Chris Jericho from being thrown off the top of the cage by MJF. Obviously “The Spanish God” shouldn't have trusted MJF to adhere to the stipulations, the holder of the Dynamite Diamond Ring still sent Jericho crashing to the stage below with a fractured elbow as a souvenir of the moment.
At DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021, Sammy got to experience his own moment of redemption when he defeated Shawn Spears in Stadium Stampede II to secure the win for The Inner Circle. Guevara has possibly been the most pivotal player in this Pinnacle/Inner Circle war, and clearly based on the attack perpetrated by Spears seen above, The Pinnacle see the threat as well. With Guevara seemingly taken out by Spears, Santana and Ortiz beaten down, it felt like a safe time for Max to once again run his mouth but not all went as planned...
On Wednesday night, another chapter of The Pinnacle/Inner Circle war will unfold when Guevara and MJF meet in singles competition for the very first time. They fought as partners as far back as FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN 2019 (coincidentally with Shawn Spears as their third), they have fought each other in tag team bouts, in Battle Royals, and in the aforementioned spectacles between their respective factions. But this week on DYNAMITE, when we return to our regular day and time slot on TNT, Maxwell Jacob Friedman and “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara collide for the very first time!
This won't be the end of The Pinnacle and Inner Circle, that's a hate that may never die as long as any man involved is still breathing, but it is the fight Guevara has been wanting for the last eight months and one MJF has been inciting for equally as long. Which man will rise to the occasion this Wednesday on TNT?
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE ELIMINATOR MATCH...
World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
vs.
Eddie Kingston & Penta El Zero Miedo
***IF KINGSTON/PENTA WIN, THEY EARN A FUTURE TITLE MATCH***
The reigning World Tag Team Champions have, as of late, declared that their EVP titles have come to mean Extremely Violent People. As can be heard in that video embedded above, their list of competitors who have been taken out (SCU, Jon Moxley, Rey Fenix, PAC) are validation for the moniker, and they even, temporarily, added Eddie Kingston to that list when they wrapped a chair around his ankle and stomped it down.
But they did not cripple him, they did not end Eddie's career, and that may be the biggest mistake Matt and Nick Jackson have made since realigning themselves with Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers. The actions of The Elite have created a mass contingent of wrestlers who want a piece of each man in the group, and have even mended fences between former friends turned foes.
The history of Eddie Kingston, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Death Triangle is one loaded with betrayal, manipulation, and blood, yet the two individuals have found common ground in their mutual disdain for The Young Bucks. With Jon Moxley, Rey Fenix, and PAC all out of action for the time being because of the World Tag Team Champions, Kingston and Penta have reunited as the last men standing. Much to the surprise of many pundits, Eddie and Penta have gelled exceptionally well despite their rough past and head into this World Tag Title Eliminator bout with three straight tag team wins under their belt after a DARK: ELEVATION victory over TH2.
This Wednesday night meeting will mark the fourth World Tag Title Eliminator bout for The Young Bucks since they became champions, and thus far they are undefeated. The Hybrid2, the Sydal Brothers, and the PAC/Penta El Zero Miedo combination have all tried to best the champs in efforts to get a future title bout but all three teams have been turned away. Can Kingston and Penta succeed where PAC and Penta failed? Will Eddie show The Young Bucks that despite their bravado, they truly don't know what being an extremely violent person truly means?
We will find out Wednesday night on DYNAMITE if the tenuous relationship between Kingston and Penta El Zero Miedo is strong enough to knock down the most influential tag team in modern wrestling and set themselves up as the next challengers for the World Tag Team Titles!
TNT TITLE MATCH...
Miro (c) vs. Brian Pillman Jr. (w/ Griff Garrison & Julia Hart)
One thing that can never be taken away from Brian Pillman Jr. is that he is incredibly fearless. Just the sheer act of stepping to Miro like he did several weeks ago was an act of bravery that caused many fans to step up and take notice. The Varsity Blonds had more than demonstrated their evolution as a tag team, even unsuccessfully challenging for the World Tag Team Titles on May 19th, but this was a huge statement for Pillman as an individual. The current TNT Champion is arguably the scariest individual on the AEW roster, and yet the second-generation competitor flew into the fray without a second thought to stand up for his friends.
This Wednesday night, when DYNAMITE returns to its 8pm EST time slot on TNT, Brian will attempt to slay the beast that is the TNT Champion and claim the TNT Title as his own. Pillman Jr. knows this is an uphill battle, but as anyone who has followed his life story also knows, that is not unfamiliar territory for one-half of The Varsity Blonds. The life path that has led Brian to this fight has seen a fair share of trauma, and as a competitor so to has Pillman experienced it in the ring, but there are no wrestlers in the game today quite like Miro, especially the version of “The Best Man” that has been unleashed upon AEW in the aftermath of Arcade Anarchy. This is the man who assaulted his supposed best friend and smashed his arm in a door, necessitating Kip Sabian undergo surgery to repair the damage.
He violently wrenched the TNT Title from Darby Allin to end that historic championship run, unleashed a fury upon Lance Archer unlike any other competitor in The Murderhawk Monster's AEW tenure, and left the broken frames of Evil Uno and Dante Martin in his wake. Miro relishes the pain he inflicts upon his foes, and is currently operating on a level unlike any he ever has before. Considering those facts, it is reasonable to ask if it was very wise for Brian Pillman Jr. to engage with such a man, but as a result of his crazy-brave actions, Brian now finds himself challenging for the TNT Title this Wednesday night!
Win or lose, after stepping to Miro in defense of his friends, all of AEW now sees what kind of heart lies within Pillman. Will the world also see him as TNT Champion come Wednesday night? Or will Miro continue leaving bodies in his wake?
WOMEN'S TAG TEAM CONTEST...
AEW Women's World Champion Britt Baker & Rebel
vs.
“The Native Beast” Nyla Rose & Vickie Guerrero
When Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D captured the AEW Women's World Title from Hikaru Shida at DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2021, there was no doubt that the challengers would immediately be lining up for a shot at the self-proclaimed face of the Women's Division. Given that Shida had bested quite a few members of the division during her 372 days as champion, no doubt some viewed this as a fresh chance to step up as a challenger, and it was former champion Nyla Rose who put herself in the mix first.
It was during Baker's championship celebration on the post-DoN 2021 edition of DYNAMITE that Nyla made her intentions known, at the expense of Baker's Big Mac mockery, and there is no doubt Rose has a legitimate claim as the first challenger. Not only does she currently sit at the number one spot in the Women's Rankings, but the former champion is also the last woman to pin Britt in a singles match during the Women's World Title Eliminator Tournament prior to REVOLUTION 2021.
It was certainly an unexpected twist a couple weeks back when it was first announced that Vickie Guerrero, as a result of a favor owed by Tony Khan, would step into the ring as Rose's tag team partner for this bout. “The Cougar” is certainly not known as an in-ring competitor, serving primarily as a manager and guiding force to many competitors over the last 15 years, but she has stepped into the ring from time-to-time. This is the sort of scenario that just feels as if Guerrero may have something else up her sleeve in requesting this bout, or perhaps it is nothing more than an opportunity for Nyla to put a hurting on the World Champion prior to their collision at FYTER FEST 2021: NIGHT 2 in Garland, TX.
It is certainly an intriguing tag team bout with the champ and the top contender on opposite sides; who will gain the advantage in this rivalry as we tick down to their AEW Women's World Title clash in three weeks time?
WHO'S NEXT FOR OMEGA?
He may not be in the top five rankings at 4-1 as a singles competitor thus far in 2021, but clearly Frankie Kazarian, the self-styled “Elite Hunter”, has Kenny in his sights, in addition to anyone claiming allegiance to The Elite. The Good Brothers, Nakazawa, Cutler, The Young Bucks; they are all on Kaz's hit list, and with Omega as the number one man in pro wrestling, he is at the top.
As the top ranked wrestler in the Men's Rankings, Hangman Adam Page has to be looked at as the likely next contender for the World Title held by his former World Tag Team championship partner. Until a few days ago, when The Young Bucks surpassed the reign, Page and Omega were the longest reigning tag champions in AEW's existence, yet the end of their title run also culminated in the death of any relationship between the two competitors. When it all came crashing down in the last couple months of 2020, Page had long since abandoned membership in The Elite, while there was a growing rift between The Young Bucks and Omega, but the World Title Eliminator tournament that concluded at FULL GEAR 2020 put the final nail in the Omega/Page coffin. Since then, Adam Page has avoided any conversation or questions about Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, or anything Elite related, but after the victory over Powerhouse Hobbs on Saturday, Adam may have earned his way into a position where the subject can no longer be avoided.
Clearly there is unfinished business between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega, Eddie Kingston and Kenny Omega, Orange Cassidy and Kenny Omega, as well as PAC and Kenny Omega. Plus, both Christian Cage and AEW's newest acquisition, Andrade El Idolo, have made their interest in the AEW World Championship quite clear. Now not all of those individuals are in the rankings at the moment, but that doesn't change the fact each wants Omega inside the squared circle for reasons professional, personal, or both.
In the aftermath of The Cleaner's victory over Jungle Boy last Saturday night, just who will be the next challenger for the most coveted World Championship in professional wrestling today?
RACE FOR FIFTY...
Jungle Boy vs. Jack Evans
Speaking of individuals who want to be that challenger; Jungle Boy had his opportunity on SATURDAY NIGHT DYNAMITE but, despite his very game efforts, came up short against Kenny Omega. It was the sort of performance that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jungle Boy is one of the premier athletes in professional wrestling, and that he is as deserving a challenger as any other man on the AEW roster.
But now that he has had his title opportunity earned via the 2021 Casino Battle Royal, Jungle Boy has to make his way back into contention for the AEW World Championship, and with that also comes his pursuit of a record-setting 50th victory! No competitor in All Elite Wrestling has as many victories, nor has anyone fought in as many matches as this Jurassic Express member, but in order to hit that half-century mark, Jungle Boy has to deal with Hardy Family Office associate Jack Evans.
Matt Hardy has demonstrated time and again that he has no problem throwing money around when it suits his needs, and in this moment it is his interest that Jungle Boy suffer for the sin of assisting Christian Cage. Good thing there are men like Angelico and Jack Evans who will gladly take the money to do any job, even if they are likely settling for below market rate given Hardy's rather...miserly...nature.
Can Jungle Boy keep himself in the title picture and score his historic 50th victory on Wednesday night? Or will “Big Money” Matt and his henchmen play spoiler to Jungle Boy's landmark moment? Tune into TNT at 8pm EST to find out!
DYNAMITE finally returns to Wednesday nights with the showing back in its 8pm EST/7pm CST home on TNT, or on AEWPlus.com for our International audiences. With the TNT Title Match, the World Tag Team Title Eliminator contest, the MJF/Guevara grudge match, and the Women's tag team bout on tap, this is set to be another explosive edition of the greatest wrestling in the world today!
You can prepare for all the action on the official AEW YouTube channel (Watch Here) with AEW DARK: ELEVATION and AEW DARK! With action featuring Lee Johnson, Frankie Kazarian, Tay Conti, The Dark Order, Gunn Club, Penelope Ford, Thunder Rosa, The Nightmare Family, The Factory, and plenty more, these YouTube exclusives are can't miss wrestling viewing!
And if you're one of our amazing fans in attendance of Wednesday night, don't forget that the first 1,000 people in the door will get an exclusive poster signed by either MJF or “The Spanish God” Sammy Guevara to commemorate this loaded edition of DYNAMITE (Learn More)!