CONTAINS SPOILERS
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL!
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!
The show opened with footage from early in the day of The Elite—AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks—Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, and AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, pulling up to the arena in a chauffeured SUV.
Another chauffeured SUV pulled up and out walked Jack Perry!
AEW Security tried to prevent Jack Perry from entering Daily’s Place. Matthew told them to back off, because “he’s with us.”
Back in the arena, “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy’s music hit. As Orange was about to make his entrance, he came tumbling onto the stage thanks to Trent Beretta, the man who betrayed him after their loss in the tag tournament. Trent had attacked Orange backstage and continued to pummel him all the way to the ring.
Trent: “Chuck, it’s time. Please come out here.”
Chuck Taylor walked to the ring.
Trent: “I’m sorry, Chuck. I’m sorry I didn’t do this a long time ago. I’m sorry we spent five years hugging this narcissistic prick! He was supposed to be our mascot and instead we became his lackey. We did everything for him, and he gave us nothing. He doesn’t care about you, Chuck. He is not your friend. Chuck, I care about you. I’m your friend. I love you. So please, do the right thing and give the people what they want.”
Chuck Taylor: “You know, Trent, I’ve always thought you were a piece of crap!”
Chuck decked Trent!
“Chuck Taylor has made it pretty clear that he is siding with Orange Cassidy,” said Excalibur.
Chuck: “Trent, I don’t want to fight you in the ring. I want to fight you in the damn parking lot!”
World Championship Eliminator Match!
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland (c.) (with Prince Nana)
vs.
ROH World TV Champion Kyle Fletcher (with Don Callis)!
Don Callis joined the commentary team for this match.
Both men chain wrestled to start the match, countering one another’s holds for an early stalemate. Swerve landed a kick right to Fletcher’s throat. Swerve followed up with a diving European uppercut to Fletcher’s back.
Swerve back dropped Fletcher on the floor. Swerve followed up with a boot from the apron to Fletcher’s face. Back in the ring, Swerve nailed Kyle with a back breaker. Fletcher fired back with a thrust kick and a Michinoku Driver!
The Elite were shown walking to Tony Khan’s office backstage. They entered Tony Khan’s office with Jack Perry.
Swerve countered a half and half on the apron with a neck breaker to Fletcher. Swerve squashed Fletcher with a double foot stomp on the apron. Fletcher avoided the House Call and countered with an ankle lock! Swerve crawled and reached the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold.
Fletcher blasted Swerve with round kicks to the sternum. Swerve blocked a kick and hip tossed Fletcher. Swerve smashed Fletcher with a flatliner and then a brain buster for a near fall! Fletcher rallied back with a tombstone piledriver on Swerve, but Swerve kicked out at the two-count!
Fletcher was about to get a table from beneath the ring, per Callis’ play call, but Fletcher changed his mind. Swerve wasted no time and Swerve Stomped Fletcher for a near fall. Swerve drilled Fletcher with the House Call and pinned Fletcher!
“The Swerve Strickland era of All Elite Wrestling begins with a bang on Dynamite here tonight,” said Excalibur.
Renee Paquette was backstage to interview Thunder Rosa!
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo interrupted Thunder Rosa.
Purrazzo: “It seems like when I’m not in the room, all you do is say my name. You don’t have the balls to say it to my face? You lost at Dynasty, so what are you going to do about it?”
Deonna shoved Thunder Rosa, and Thunder Rosa shoved back, until AEW Security separated them.
Anna Jay vs. Mina Shirakawa (with Mariah May)!
Mina dropkicked Anna Jay in the back. Mina started to work over Anna’s knee. Mina picked up Anna and threw Anna to the mat right on Anna’s knees. Mina followed up with a Russian leg sweep. Mina continued to punish Anna’s legs.
Anna raked Mina’s eyes and followed up with a neck breaker. They traded forearms, battling back and forth. Mina connected with a spinning backfist. Anna walloped Mina with the Dangerous Jay kick. Mina dropped Anna with a dragon screw leg whip.
Mina climbed to the top turnbuckle and wiped out Anna with a missile dropkick. Anna countered the Glamourous Driver with the Queen Slayer. Mina escaped and rolled up Anna with the Dangerous Collection to score the pin!
Mariah May brought champagne into the ring and was about to celebrate with Mina until Anna Jay ambushed them with a cheap shots from behind! Anna Jay applied the Queen Slayer to Mariah until AEW Women’s World Champion “Timeless” Toni Storm sprinted to the ring! Anna Jay retreated from the ring!
“The Professor” Serena Deeb’s music hit! Serena, undefeated this year, walked onto the ramp! Serena picked up the AEW Women’s World Championship. “Next time I touch this belt I will become AEW Women’s World Champion,” promised Deeb.
Time for new TBS Champion Willow Nightingale’s TBS Championship Celebration—with the NEW Face of TBS, Willow Nightingale, along with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway!
Caprice Coleman was on commentary for this.
Stokely said when this whole thing started, he didn’t like Willow. Willow said she didn’t like him either. But he’s proud of her.
Willow said that tonight she stands here as the face of TBS!
“The CEO” Mercedes Moné interrupted Willow’s championship celebration!
“Mercedes stole Willow’s moment at Dynasty, and now she appears to be doing it again tonight,” said Excalibur.
Mercedes: “Jacksonville…say hello to your CEO!”
Willow: “Mercedes, this has to be like the fourth time you’ve interrupted me. And if feels like if you have something to say, now is the time to say it.”
Mercedes: “Willow, I just came out here to congratulate you and I want you to enjoy your celebration because in 32 days at Double or Nothing, you’re looking at the new face and the new TBS Champion. But I really came out here to ask you if you were that bitch that attacked me two weeks ago in the dark.”
Kris Statlander: “Hold on, Willow just got attacked last week. So how do we know it’s not you that did it.”
Mercedes: “How do I know it wasn’t you, Kris?”
Stokely: “We all know it was Julia Hart, all right?”
Willow: “Even before all of this who attacked who nonsense, I felt like you had a personal vendetta against me. So, I have to ask you Mercedes, do you think I intentionally injured you that night when we wrestled at New Japan?”
Mercedes: “Are you asking me if I blame you for almost ending my career? Are you asking me if I blame you for all the suffering and pain that I went through and for taking away the one thing I love the most, wrestling, for a whole year? You don’t want the truth, Willow, you just want to feel better about what you did to me.”
Willow: “Mercedes I genuinely feel so awful that that happened to you. But there were a lot of questions and doubts for me after that match. I looked at that championship after that match and I asked myself, Could I have beaten Mercedes at 100%? That championship win has quite the asterisk next to it, but this championship, there is no asterisk next to it! So, at Double or Nothing, Mercedes, I want you 100%, because I want to show you, I can beat you and why I am the TBS Champion!”
Mercedes: “Why enjoy this while you can. Because at Double or Nothing, you know in your heart that you can’t beat me!”
As Mercedes turned her back to walk away, Kris grabbed Mercedes’ arm. Mercedes turned around and slapped Willow in the face!
“Statlander grabbed her, and Mercedes thought it was Willow,” said Taz.
Willow and Mercedes had to be separated!
Alex Marvez was standing backstage, outside Tony Khan’s office, as Jack Perry exited.
Marvez: “Are you reinstated in AEW?”
Jack Perry walked away without answering. Matthew Jackson walked out and told Marvez that Tony Khan agreed to meet with Jack Perry tonight live in the ring.
Casino Gauntlet Match!
The winner becomes the number one contender for Roderick Strong’s International title at Double or Nothing.
The first participant was “Switchblade” Jay White, one-third of the Unified AEW World Trios Champions.
Top Flight’s Dante Martin was the second participant.
“This match is sudden death. The first pinfall or submission earns that man a shot at the AEW International Championship against Roderick Strong at Double or Nothing,” said Excalibur.
Jay White chopped Dante in the chest. Dante dropkicked Jay White. Dante vaulted over the top rope to the floor, but Jay White was waiting for him. Jay White chopped Dante again, but Dante answered with a rising knee strike. Back in the ring, Jay White back dropped Dante over the top rope.
Penta El Zero Miedo was the next entrant! Penta landed a cross body press on Jay White. Kyle O’Reilly was the fourth entrant. Kyle cleaned house with a series of kicks! Will Ospreay was the next wrestler to enter the match!
Kyle and Will squared off and traded forearms in the center of the ring. Ospreay connected with a flying forearm off the ropes. Jay White gouged Will in the eyes. Will rallied back with a standing Spanish fly to Dante!
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer was out next! Archer drilled Will with a vicious shot! Archer choke slammed Dante onto Jay White! Archer hurled Ospreay onto a pile of the other wrestlers on the arena floor!
Komander entered the match next. Komander sent Archer crashing through two tables outside the ring with a hurracanrana! Komander spiked Ospreay with a DDT! Jay White planted Komander with a uranage!
Jay Lethal entered the fray. Lethal nailed Dante Martin with the Lethal Combination. Jay White smashed Lethal with a sleeper suplex. Ospreay was looking for the Tiger Driver 91 on Kyle but hesitated. Kyle countered with an arm bar, but Komander splashed Kyle from the top rope. Ospreay knocked Komander off Kyle with a Hidden Blade and scored the pin!
AEW International Champion Roderick Strong and the Undisputed Kingdom walked onto the ramp after the match! Roderick Strong got into Will’s face and held the championship belt in front of Ospreay’s face. Ospreay didn’t back down!
We heard from the new FTW Champion “The Learning Tree” Chris Jericho!
Jericho: “It’s true, I’m the new FTW Champion! It’s great, right! From now on FTW means For the World Championship because this is all for you. We won this together. Thank you! I’m only doing God’s work, and by that, I mean the god of professional wrestling, Terry Funk. He told me years ago, ‘Chris, it’s your responsibility to teach the younger generation and take them to the next level and that’s what I’m doing.
“Hook, I told you to stay down after two Judas Effects. You forced me to hit you with a baseball bat at Dynasty. But I know you’re at home thinking about the lessons I taught you.”
Big Bill walked to the ring!
Big Bill: “Chris, I have been in the back listening to you, and I only have one thing to say. I need the guidance of the Learning Tree. Now Chris, everybody knows you are the Socrates of professional wrestling. Always willing to give advice. Always willing to lend a hand and always willing to take a less established guy and take him right up to the top with him. And that’s you, Chris.
“Now I know there is a long line of guys in the back waiting to be a part of the Learning Tree. But take this into consideration. There is nobody bigger than me and better fit than me for the Learning Tree. And Chris, you know it deep down in your heart. I am the very best fit for the Learning Tree!”
Jericho: “I’ve been watching you for a very long time. So, I’m going to think about what you said, I’m going to be watching to see if what you say is true.”
Big Bill: “You do that. Watch me!”
Jericho: “I’ll be watching Big Bill and I’ll be watching all of you guys as we celebrate together!”
Renee Paquette was backstage with Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, and Don Callis!
Callis: “I’m so happy for you, Will. I call you the Golden Goose. The only note I have for you is, we talked about that Tiger Driver 91, and you had Kyle O’Reilly, and why didn’t you do it?”
Will: “I’m not going to do it after what happened to Bryan Danielson at Dynasty. That move has to go.”
Kyle: “Don, he won the match. He’s going to win the match at Double or Nothing against Roderick Strong.”
Callis: “Will, you’re going to be the International Champion, you’re going to give him a broken neck for all I care, and now I have to go manage Hobbs because we have to win a title tonight, and you’re going to win one at the pay-per-view.”
Main Event Time!
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match!
Jon Moxley (c.) vs. The Don Callis Family’s Powerhouse Hobbs (with Don Callis)!
Don Callis joined commentary for this match.
Hobbs stomped Moxley in the corner. Mox chopped back at Powerhouse Hobbs. Mox nailed Hobbs with a German suplex, but Hobbs got right to his feet and shrugged it off. Hobbs smashed Moxley headfirst into the barricade. Mox booted Hobbs into the face, sending Hobbs over the barricade.
Moxley and Hobbs brawled throughout the fans. Hobbs brought the champ back to the ring and tried to wear down Mox with a bear hug. Moxley escaped and tried for a cutter, but Hobbs shoved Mox away. Hobbs charged at Moxley, but Moxley moved out of the way, sending Hobbs crashing into the turnbuckles.
Moxley connected with a tope suicida! Hobbs was clutching his knee and the ref checked on him. Moxley backed Hobbs into the corner and pounded Hobbs with strikes. Moxley was swarming Hobbs with strikes. Moxley drilled Hobbs with the Paradigm Shift for a near fall. Moxley transitioned to a bulldog choke on Hobbs and Hobbs was put to sleep, the ref stopping the match and awarding the victory to Moxley!
After the match, “The Alpha” Takeshita stood on the ramp and called out Jon Moxley!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Shibata!
Via his phone app, Shibata said: “Jericho called me deadweight and collateral damage. Next week I’m going to damage him in his hometown of Winnipeg and become FTW Champion. I’m going to chop down the Learning Tree.”
Tony Schiavone was in the ring to introduce Jack Perry!
Jack Perry: “First things first. I want to say I’ve had some of the best nights of my life right here in Jacksonville. But tonight, we have business to handle. And I want to handle it right here, right now, face to face, with Tony Khan.”
Founder and President of All Elite Wrestling Tony Khan came down to the ring.
Jack Perry: “Man, it’s been a long road. Almost five years ago was the very first Double or Nothing, and since then AEW has gone on to change the world. Now Tony, it’s no secret we’ve had our ups and downs, we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I want to tell you this right now. From the bottom of my heart, I swear to God, the only thing that I have ever wanted is what’s best for AEW.
“So, I want to ask you, to please shake my hand, reinstate me, and let’s go on and continue to change the world together.”
Tony Khan shook Perry’s hand, and they hugged one another. Jack Perry punched Tony Khan in the abdomen! The Elite ran down to the ring!
“I can’t believe Jack just did that,” said Taz.
The Bucks helped Tony Khan to his feet. Matthew Jackson grabbed Tony Khan and hoisted him upside down in a piledriver position. Nicholas Jackson jumped off the top rope and the Bucks spiked Tony Khan with the TK Driver! The referees sprinted to the ring to separate the Bucks, Okada, and Perry from Tony Khan. AEW Medical Staff checked on Tony Khan.
All four men held their arms up on the ramp and Matthew said, “It’s time to change the world, baby!”
Once the Elite left, wrestlers, staff, and Tony Khan’s father ran to the ring to check on Tony Khan’s condition.
***Special Programming Note: Live coast to coast! Three straight hours of action at a special start time! Don’t miss AEW Collision & Rampage live on Saturday on TNT immediately following the NBA Playoffs, from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, MB!
Tickets On Sale Now! – www.AEWTix.com
And remember… We are AEW—Where The Best Wrestle!