**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
We opened up with 6-man tag team action!
John Silver and Alex Reynolds of Dark Order and “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Matt Hardy and Private Party—Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy!
“Dark Order helped Page during the battle royal two weeks ago and convinced him to tag with them tonight,” said Excalibur.
Page and Quen started the match for their respective teams. Both men evaded attacks from one another, each one step quicker than the next. Hardy tagged in, pushing Page into his corner. Private Party and Hardy utilized quick tags to neutralize Page. Silver and Reynolds came in to even up the odds. Page had Silver on his back and dropped down with a senton onto Kassidy for a near fall!
Reynolds got a blind tag and he and Silver pancaked Kassidy. Page followed up with a standing shooting star press. Reynolds tagged in and blasted Kassidy with roundhouse kicks! Page smiled as he watched Silver pose and get the upper hand on Kassidy.
Hardy tagged in and helped set up a Quen moonsault off Kassidy’s back onto Silver! Hardy tagged back in and worked over Silver with a vice-like headlock. Silver fought back with elbows but Hardy knocked him down once again. Hardy jumped off the turnbuckles but John Silver countered with a big brain buster!
Page and Kassidy got the hot tags and Page met Kassidy with two consecutive lariats. He then used a fallaway slam and a mean clothesline on Kassidy for a two-count. Hardy came in and connected with a side effect on Page for a near fall! Page leveled Matt Hardy with a clothesline!
Reynolds tagged in and used a rolling back elbow on Quen! This was followed by a suplex on Quen for a two-count. Silver and Reynolds used combination offense on Quen with help from Page, but Hardy made the save. Hardy pulled out Silver with the Twist of Fate! Reynolds was isolated in the ring and Private Party used Gin & Juice on him! Hardy tagged himself him and grabbed the pin on Reynolds!
“A win is a win but Private Party are not pleased with how it all went down,” said Excalibur.
Alex Marvez interviewed Inner Circle backstage.
MJF had an award from The New York Times for “Best Performance” for the Dinner Debonaire. Jericho reminded MJF that he was also a part of that. MJF said, “Thanks, I couldn’t have done it without you,” and smirked.
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes (with Brandi Rhodes and Arn Anderson) vs. TH2’s Angelico (with Jack Evans)!
Cody Rhodes was introduced as a “future father” by Justin Roberts, as Brandi Rhodes and Arn Anderson walked to the ring with him.
“You gotta wonder. Cody just had a huge announcement. Is he thinking about the baby on the way, or avoiding a submission from Angelico?” asked Jim Ross.
Angelico stepped a wristlock from Cody and took Cody down with an arm drag. Angelico put a waist lock on Cody but there was a clean rope break. Angelico pie-faced Cody. After crisscrossing the ropes, Cody hit a pinpoint accurate dropkick on Angelico.
“This has been an evenly fought and unique matchup,” said Jim Ross.
Cody used brute force with two clotheslines and then a powerslam to Angelico. Cody removed his weight belt and tossed it out of the ring. Angelico blocked a punch from Cody and then wrapped him up in a submission. Cody inched over to the ropes and bit down on the ropes to force the ref to break the hold.
Cody rocked Angelico with a thrust kick and a punch, but Angelico countered with the deathroll, wrenching on Cody’s knee! Cody Rhodes forced the break again as his fingertips reached the bottom rope.
Cody hooked Angelico for CrossRhodes but Angelico blocked it. Cody connected with a big Cody cutter off the ropes and pinned Angelico!
Taz interrupted Cody’s music, along with Team Taz: “Cody Rhodes is gonna be a daddy. Oh it’s so nice,” said Taz, mockingly.
Taz pointed to Darby Allin, who was in the stands, and said that Brian Cage was going to whoop Allin soon. Taz said Team Taz would be coming to the ring to put Cody on paternity leave. Before Team Taz could get to the ring, the lights went out and Sting appeared!
“It’s Sting!” said Tony Schiavone.
Sting pointed the baseball bat at Team Taz and then backed off. Sting stood on the ramp and winked at Cody. Darby Allin watched from the rafters.
“It’s very interesting that every time we see Cody out here, we see Sting,” observed Tony Schiavone.
Alex Marvez was backstage with Miro and said Miro was fined $75,000 for attacking three people! Miro said it was Orange Cassidy’s fault!
“Mad King” Eddie Kingston was out next with a live microphone.
“Boo, cheer my name, because at the end of the day I don’t care about any of you people. I’m here because I’m gonna address my enemies. I have a lot of enemies. Where is “The Bastard” PAC? He went home. He’s nursing his neck! Trust me, his career is done. Here’s the other one—that big, goofy bastard Lance Archard!”
Archer sprinted to the ring and began kicking a mudhole into Kingston. The Butcher and Blade ran to the ring to help Kingston. Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo joined the melee to help Kingston. And then “The Bastard” PAC jumped into the ring—the Death Triangle were back! Rey Fenix took out the Butcher and the Blade with a tornillo. PAC and Archer debated one another over who got the last piece of Kingston.
Kingston, Butcher, Blade, and Bunny retreated. Archer and the Death Triangle stood triumphant in the ring.
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes was interviewed by Dasha Gonzalez!
Dasha asked Dustin if he thought anymore about Dark Order’s offer from last week. Dustin said the invitation from the Dark Order was a bad idea and next week, he was fixin’ to kick Evil Uno’s ass!
Up next: 12-Man Tag Team Action!
Inner Circle—“Demo God” Chris Jericho, MJF, Sammy Guevara, Ortiz, & Santana, Jake Hager vs. Best Friends—Chuck Taylor & Trent, Top Flight—Darius & Dante Martin, Varsity Blondes—Brian Pillman, Jr. & Griff Garrison!
Orange Cassidy joined the commentary team for this match…but his headset wasn’t plugged in and he didn’t seem to notice.
Jericho and Trent began, but Pillman insisted on being tagged in. Pillman and Jericho locked up and Pillman took Jericho down with a quick arm drag. Jericho retaliated with chops on Pillman. Jericho was taken off his feet by a crossbody block and then a dropkick from Pillman! Jericho kicked Pillman in the abdomen, slammed the “Demo God,” and then tagged in Griff Garrison.
Jericho chopped at Griff and worked him into the corner of the Inner Circle. Sammy Guevara tagged in and continued to light up Griff’s chest with chops. Griff hip tossed Sammy and tagged Dante Martin of Top Flight. Sammy dropkicked Dante. Sammy had wrist control on Dante and stomped him. Dante reversed the momentum and charged Sammy in the corner, and Darius caught a blind tag. Darius kicked Sammy but Ortiz ran in to save the pin attempt on Sammy.
Sammy blasted Dante with a big right hand! Trent tagged in, as did Santana. Best Friends and Santana and Ortiz began pushing one another and then all hell broke loose with everyone running in to brawl with the other side. Inner Circle retreated to the outside.
Santana hit two suplexes on Trent and then tagged in Ortiz and they hit a third suplex. Ortiz tagged in MJF. Trent tried to put some distance between him and MJF and rolled to the outside of the ring. The Inner Circle started putting the boots to Trent on the arena floor as the ref was distracted.
Guevara headed up top, tried for a shooting star press, but Trent moved out of the way. Sammy rolled but Trent followed through with a bicycle kick! Darius tagged in and connected with a Spanish Fly on Ortiz! Dante Martin jumped over the ropes and took out Santana and Ortiz! Best Friends hit the half and half sole food combination on Ortiz. Garrison tagged in and splashed Ortiz and then hit him with a forearm. Griff ran into the ropes but Jericho nailed him with the baseball bat from outside the ring. Jake Hager got in and used the F10 on Griff as a shout out to Wardlow. Hager tagged MJF in and MJF pinned Griff Garrison!
Darius and Dante Martin connected with stereo dropkicks on MJF and Jericho! The “Demo God” was infuriated and pointed his bat at Darius and Dante as the Inner Circle walked away.
Alex Marvez interviewed Thunder Rosa.
Thunder Rosa told Britt Baker that Rosa belonged here in AEW. Reba interrupted the interview and then Britt Baker attacked Thunder Rosa from behind! They spilled a bottle of water on Thunder Rosa’s face paint!
SCU—Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. The Acclaimed—Anthony Bowens & Max Caster!
The Young Bucks were watching from the front row.
SCU and The Acclaimed exchanged bars in a battle rap!
Kaz caught Bowens with two deep arm drags! He suplexed Bowens for a near fall. Daniels was tagged in and they used tandem offense on Bowens. Daniels got a near fall but Bowens was able to escape and tag Caster. Daniels and Caster traded shots with one another and then Daniels dropkicked Caster off his feet! SCU employed more of the world-renowned tandem techniques on Bowen. Kaz was hit by Bowen and The Acclaimed began kicking Frankie Kazarian on the arena floor.
“The Acclaimed have seven wins in a row on AEW Dark,” noted Jim Ross.
Daniels tagged in hit the blue thunder bomb on Bowens for a two-count! He tried to set up for Angel’s Wings but Bowens avoided it. Bowens propped Daniels up on the top rope. Daniels pushed Bowens back to the mat. He connected with a diving cross body block for a near fall! Bowens was rolled up by Daniels but Bowens pushed out of it. Daniels was sent into the ropes and Caster blasted Daniels with the boom box, which the ref did not see. Bowens finished off Daniels and scored the pin in their DYNAMITE debut!
The Acclaimed said they have arrived and they challenged The Young Bucks to a tag title match for next week’s DYNAMITE!
Dasha interviewed Top Flight backstage. Top Flight challenged MJF and Chris Jericho to a match next week!
This was followed by NWA World Women’s Champion Serena Deeb & Big Swole vs. Diamante & Ivelisse!
Ivelisse grappled Deeb to the mat and then rocked her with a back elbow. Deeb rallied back with a running body block. Swole and Diamante tagged in for their respective teams. Swole used an explosive backbreaker on Diamante. Ivelisse used a guillotine neck drop on Big Swole and then Diamante followed up with a German suplex!
Excalibur mentioned that Big Swole had been training with Dean Malenko on a “Clearwater Cloverleaf” submission.
Deeb used resilient offense on Diamante and Ivelisse. She hit a neck breaker over the rope on Ivelisse and then a gut buster! She applied a figure four leglock but Ivelisse rolled toward Diamante and tagged her. The hit stereo knees on Deeb and then Diamante covered Deeb for a near fall!
Big Swole tagged in and tried for Dirty Dancing but Diamante avoided it. Swole headbutted Diamante and followed up with a Tiger Driver. Big Swole made Diamante tap by using the Clearwater Cloverleaf!
Vickie Guerrero and Nyla Rose assaulted Deeb and Big Swole from behind! Red Velvet ran to the ring with a steel chair and chased out Vickie, Nyla, Diamante and Ivelisse.
FTR and Tully Blanchard came out to the broadcast table. FTR said Jurassic Express were in their crosshairs. “Fear the revelation!” said Tully Blanchard.
Main Event Time! AEW World Title Eliminator Match!
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (with Impact’s Don Callis) vs. Joey Janela (with Sonny Kiss)!
Janela came to the ring with a metal garbage can. Janela brained Omega with the garbage can as Omega made his entrance! Omega connected with the Kotaro crusher on Janela on a chair on the outside! Omega followed up with the terminator dive tope con hiro.
Don Callis did running play-by-play on a mic from ringside.
Omega whacked Janela with a cookie sheet. Callis handed Omega a microphone and Omega started doing his own commentary.
“This feels great!” said Omega.
Omega did a moonsault press holding the garbage can onto Janela! He smacked him again with a baking sheet! Omega landed with a double foot stomp onto the garbage can onto Janela. Omega tried for a one-winged angel but Janela countered with a reverse hurracanrana!
Sonny Kiss pulled a table out from under the ring and set it up on the arena floor. Janela hit Omega with a right hand between the eyes and put Omega on the table. Janela jumped from the top turnbuckle to the outside with a leg drop onto Omega, smashing him through the table! Janela tried for a moonsault press but Omega moved. Omega connected with two V-triggers! Omega brought Janela up with the one-winged angel and then dropped him, scoring the three-count victory!
“No more unanswered questions for the world champion,” said Don Callis.
PAC came out with Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo and said, “Kenny, we have some unfinished business. Rey Fenix competed in the tournament and never lost.”
“Wrestlers don’t tell the world champion what to do,” said Don Callis.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I just spoke with Tony Khan. December 30th, on DYNAMITE, Kenny Omega, whether you like it or not, you will defend that championship against Rey Fenix!” replied PAC.
Be sure to join us next week for all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT after the NBA!