**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
What an explosive match to kick things off!
TNT Champion Darby Allin defending against “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela!
“This is Janela’s chance to become the face of the network, but not if Darby Allin has anything to say about it,” noted Excalibur.
They locked up, with Janela taking the fight directly to Darby Allin. Janela mocked being intimidated by Allin, but Allin transitioned into hammerlocks. Allin was displaying great technical wrestling until Janela hit Darby with a back elbow. Darby answered with a shotgun dropkick, knocking Janela into the middle rope. Janela planted Darby on the edge of the ring and followed up with an elbow suicida!
Janela maintained control with brutal uppercuts in the ring. Darby fought back with forearms, but Janela used his size advantage and whipped Darby sternum first into the turnbuckles. Janela applied body scissors on Darby and worked over Darby’s shoulder as well. Darby fired back with elbows to Joey’s ribs. Janela came off the top with a double sledge to Darby. He went back up, possibly for an elbow drop, but Darby pulled him down, yanking him by the arm. Janela sling-shotted Darby’s face and eyes into the ropes. Darby used another shotgun dropkick to stop Janela’s momentum. Darby built up a head of steam and jumped through the ropes, flying like a missile at Janela! Darby began working Janela’s arm, looking for the Fujiwara armbar. Janela finally grabbed the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold.
“Janela’s complexion is changing. Darby is turning up the heat,” said Jim Ross.
Janela surprised Darby with a thrust kick.
“I take back everything I just said,” added Jim Ross.
“He literally picked him off in midair from that coffin drop and then used the thrust kick,” replied Tony Schiavone.
“We were a heartbeat away from having an upset here,” said Excalibur.
Janela gazed at the belt on the outside for a moment and Darby took advantage of the moment, using rapid fire shots at Joey. Darby used a stunner but Joey kicked out. Janela rocked Darby with a piledriver, but Darby kicked out at the two-count! Darby used an avalanche code red on Janela, but Janela kicked out, surprising the announcers. Darby went back to the top and finished Janela with the coffin drop, scoring the pin!
“What a match! What a hard fought physical match up for the TNT Title,” said Jim Ross.
“Darby Allin retained the TNT Title but it was not easy in the least,” added Excalibur.
Highlights aired from the conclusion of last week’s main event: “Kenta has kicked open the Forbidden Door,” said Excalibur.
Outside the arena, Jon Moxley had words for Kenta:
“Kenta has been calling me out for months from across an ocean, walking around with a stupid little briefcase, talking trash, looking like a dork. So what happened last week was no surprise to me. Kenta realizes that time for cheap talk is over. If he wants my IWGP United States Championship belt, he’s going to have to get it done in the ring. February 26, me and Kenta are gonna stand eye to eye and it’s gonna be a war of attrition until one man can’t stand up anymore. On February 26 I’m gonna dump you on your head. But that’s a sanctioned match. But tonight—sanctioned? Not so much. Tonight…is just for fun.”
MJF was talking to the Inner Circle behind closed doors when Sammy pushed open the door. Sammy said he needed a minute with MJF alone. Sammy told MJF that he’s onto MJF’s plans, and he knows that MJF is trying to take over the Inner Circle. MJF countered and said he believed that Sammy is upset because Sammy secretly wants to be front and center and to take over the Inner Circle from Jericho.
“Are you recording me?” asked Sammy.
MJF was, in fact, recording the entire conversation on his smart phone and Sammy noticed it. Sammy hurled the phone at the wall and then knocked the wind out of MJF. Sammy then stormed out!
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes (with Arn Anderson) & Lee Johnson vs. “Pretty” Peter Avalon & Cezar Bononi was next!
Arn Anderson’s son was sitting ringside.
Cody stomped a mudhole, taking the boots to Peter early on. Lee tagged in but was decked from behind by Cezar after a blind tag. Peter tagged back in but Big Shotty Lee blasted Peter with a dropkick. Bononi tagged in but was served a jawbreaker from Lee. Cody tagged in and connected with a big clothesline to Bononi.
Cody took Bononi off his feet with a falling clothesline. Cezar answered with a pump handle suplex and then stomped Cody’s chest.
“Cody is in trouble,” said Jim Ross.
Avalon and Bononi took turns working over Cody, with Bononi using a reverse body slam on “The American Nightmare.” Cody landed awkwardly on his shoulder. Avalon tagged in and jumped off the top rope but Cody caught him! Cody had him in a fireman’s carry and then dropped down hard, the impact hitting its target. In the process, it was evident that Cody’s shoulder was noticeably bothering him. Cody tagged out to Lee Johnson, and Big Shotty was a fresh man, knocking Peter right off his feet with an explosive offense sequence that ended in a neck breaker on Avalon. For good measure, Lee Johnson nailed Bononi with a spectacular corkscrew over the top rope! Johnson used a fisherman’s neck breaker on Peter but Bononi ran in to break up the pin. Cody came in and paired up with Bononi, but the big man chucked Cody out of the ring. Bononi lifted up Lee and pancaked him. Bononi was pulled out of the ring and he and Cody began slugging away while Peter attempted the martinis—the double knees to the back of the head. Johnson moved out of the way and rolled up “Pretty” Peter for the three-count!
“Big Shotty Johnson has just picked up the first victory of his AEW career,” noted Excalibur.
“Tonight Shotty Lee truly maximized his minutes,” added Jim Ross.
The Nightmare Family joined Lee Johnson on the ramp to congratulate him. Tony Schiavone was there with a microphone.
“This is quite a moment for you and they’re chanting your name, Lee. I know this is a very emotional time for you. First win in and it comes here on DYNAMITE on TNT. It’s gotta be feeling big for you right now,” said Schiavone.
Johnson: “My trainers showed me that if you do the work that it always pays off. The Rhodes family is my family. And they, and they alone, did this for me.”
An interview from earlier in the day with The Young Bucks aired, where they were asked about being eliminated from the Battle Royale last week:
“Well let’s just ask these guys,” replied Matt Jackson.
The Good Brothers walked on. Karl Anderson bragged about last week’s ratings. “The Good Brothers did that,” he said.
“Let’s address the problem. You guys distracted me and boom, outside,” said Nick Jackson, referring to his elimination.
Matt said if they won the battle royale they were going to pick The Good Brothers to face. Karl Anderson said their heat is with Private Party and they were out there to distract them. Anderson went on to say that The Bucks real heat is with the Inner Circle because they technically were the ones who eliminated The Bucks. Matt Jackson said he didn’t want to wait until REVOLUTION to defend the tag titles.
“How about next week, we defend these titles? Young Bucks versus Santana and Ortiz for these titles,” said Matt Jackson.
“Ratings monster,” replied Gallows.
Dasha interviewed “Hangman” Adam Page next.
Page said he and Matt Hardy were not a tag team in the making, despite their victory last week. Hardy interrupted and said, “I get it. You don’t want to be in a tag team but it’s undeniable—the two of us together—we’re special. At least let me take you out and we can celebrate our majestic victory. I rented an entire bar. You can drink all night. The tabs on me. It’s a ‘big money night.’”
Page agreed to meet Hardy out, but first he had to get his phone. Page walked away and when he turned the corner, The Dark Order were there. It was an awkward situation and John Silver said, “Uh, maybe we’ll catch you on the flip.”
“It seems like it’s not all over between Dark Order and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page,” observed Excalibur.
This was followed by “The Bastard” PAC (accompanied by Rey Fenix) vs. “The Hollywood Hunk” Ryan Nemeth!
Nemeth beat Marko Stunt on this week’s AEW DARK.
“Pound for pound, there’s nobody better than PAC in AEW,” said Tony Schiavone.
They locked up and PAC kicked Ryan to the mat. He suplexed Ryan down quickly and followed up with a running uppercut!
“Ryan Nemeth in a bad way right here,” said Excalibur.
PAC took flight off the top rope with a massive dropkick!
“Damn near halfway across the ring to execute that dropkick,” said Jim Ross.
Ryan tried to fight back but PAC countered with vicious kicks! Ryan Nemeth surprised PAC with a dropkick and then a powerful DDT!
“That move was hard and harsh,” noted J.R.
On the outside of the ring, PAC rammed Nemeth into the steel guardrail. He rolled Nemeth back into the ring and dished out more kicks.
“Ryan Nemeth can’t even get out of the gates here,” said Excalibur.
PAC climbed to the top and decimated Nemeth with the black arrow and then transitioned into the brutalizer submission hold, forcing Nemeth to immediately tap out!
A recap of last week’s wedding between Penelope Ford and Kip Sabian aired.
Miro was outraged at what Charles the Butler did, but more so, he was enraged by the actions of Orange Cassidy. “I’m gonna come for you and you can all celebrate with your buddy Trent in the hospital. Because nobody messes with Kip, Penelope, and especially ‘The Best Man’ Miro!”
Dasha was backstage to interview Chris Jericho.
MJF, with tape on his ribs, walked over with Santana and Ortiz: “Chris, did you not see what happened, man? Sammy sucker punched me in the ribs for no reason. He’s an animal. Look what he did to me,” said MJF.
“Where is Sammy now? You know what? We’ve got a match to worry about. We’ll deal with this later,” replied Jericho.
“Demo God” Chris Jericho & MJF vs. The Acclaimed—Max Caster & Anthony Bowens!
Max Caster attempted to lock up with MJF, but MJF rolled to the outside, complaining about his rib injury. Jericho tagged in but Caster knocked Jericho to his feet with a shoulder tackle. Bowens tagged in and met Jericho with a high rise kick! Bowens ran into Jericho’s boot and Jericho tagged out to MJF. Bowens planted MJF face first on the canvas for a near fall. The Acclaimed continued to work over MJF’s ribs. MJF finally pushed Caster into the Inner Circle’s corner and they isolated him with double team maneuvers.
“This is great teamwork,” said Tony Schiavone.
Bowens tagged in and trucked Jericho with a shoulder tackle, and then dropped MJF with right hands!
“This kid is a great striker, I can tell you that. He’s got natural punching power,” said Jim Ross.
Bowens grabbed MJF in a torture rack and then drove his midsection into the canvass. Jericho was going for the lionsault when Max Caster blasted Jericho in the head with the boom box! Bowens covered Chris Jericho but the “Demo God” kicked out in the nick of time!
“It would have been an upset of epic proportions, if they were able to pin Jericho,” noted Schiavone.
The Acclaimed were going to attempt their finisher—the Claim to Fame, when Hager knocked Caster off the top rope before Caster could connect with Jericho. And when Caster got his legs under him, Jericho walloped him with the Judas Effect back elbow! It was more than enough for Jericho to pin Caster!
“Somehow Chris Jericho and MJF were able to weather the storm of The Acclaimed,” said Excalibur.
After the match, Sammy Guevara’s music hit, and he walked to the ring with a microphone, ready to drop a bombshell.
“What’s the problem here, man? You come out five minutes late. Then I hear you punched Max in the stomach. You smash in his phone. What’s wrong with you?” asked Jericho.
“Chris, I told you. I told you December 9th, 2020, right here on DYNAMITE. If one more thing happened with MJF, that I was done. And so I’m out here to tell you, I’m done,” said Sammy.
“What do you mean that you’re done?” asked Jericho, while MJF smirked in the background.
“I mean I’m done. I quit the Inner Circle,” replied Sammy.
Alex Marvez caught up with Sammy Guevara outside the arena as Sammy was leaving with his bags.
“Why did you leave the Inner Circle?” asked Marvez.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m over this. I need time to refocus. I just need time away from this place,” said Sammy.
At the bar, Hardy and Hangman were celebrating their win from last week.
Hardy said he wanted to do a shot with Page and said as a combo, they are magic. Hardy emptied the booze from his glass on the floor before Page saw anything. “Cheers!” said Hardy.
“I know you don’t want to be a tag team guy but I think I could make you the number one wrestler in the entire pro wrestling industry. I think you could dominate AEW and you could become richer than your wildest dreams,” said Hardy.
Matt Hardy pulled a contract out of an envelope and placed it in front of Page.
“If you would just look at my deal, I could make you millions upon millions for just a small percentage—only 30% of your earnings, but when you make that much money, what’s the difference,” continued Hardy.
“I think you’re right, Matt,” said Page.
Hardy turned his back for a moment, and when he did so, Page discarded the papers and replaced them with his own that he pulled out of his jacket. Page signed it and when Hardy turned back around, Page told Hardy he had to sign it too.
“You are going to be a billionaire. Enjoy the night, I gotta go,” said Hardy.
“I think I will,” replied Page, and then he ordered another drink.
Tony Schiavone was in the ring to interview Sting!
It began to snow in Jacksonville!
“The street fight has been signed, what is on your mind going up against Team Taz?” asked Schiavone.
Taz, outside the venue, interrupted the interview. Taz was outside with Powerhouse Hobbs:
“Team Taz, guess what, we are going on a little road trip and we have a special passenger that you know, and we’re gonna take him to FTW World,” said Taz.
“Absolute” Ricky Starks and “The Machine” Brian Cage were standing outside the vehicle and they were showing off and unconscious Darby Allin, who they had placed in a body bag! The body bag was hooked up to the SUV and they dragged him across the parking lot! Sting exited the ring in hot pursuit!
The AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament kicked off tonight with “Legit” Leyla Hirsch vs. Thunder Rosa!
Leyla grappled Thunder Rosa to the mat, her amateur wrestling background front and center. Thunder Rosa showed off some of her own grappling prowess and then both got to their feet. Thunder Rosa employed an offensive onslaught on Leyla and then hit a senton for a near fall.
After a frankensteiner from Leyla, Thunder Rosa rolled to the outside to collect her thoughts. Leyla met her out there with a tope suicida! Back in the ring, Leyla Hirsch transitioned into a cross arm breaker. Thunder Rosa fought out of it and caught Leyla with a neck breaker over the ropes. Thunder Rosa rocked Leyla with a shotgun dropkick in the turnbuckles.
Leyla dumped Thunder Rosa on the back of her head with two German suplexes. She climbed to the top and tried for a moonsault but Thunder Rosa got her knees up just in time! Leyla wasted no time and hit two bicycle knee strikes to the head of Thunder Rosa. She tried for the moonsault again and again it backfired on her as Thunder Rosa dodged it!
Leyla grabbed an arm bar from the ground on Thunder Rosa, but Thunder Rosa picked her up off the canvas and slammed her hard to the mat!
“That was a great counter to the cross arm breaker,” noted Schiavone.
Thunder Rosa spiked Leyla with a driver and scored the pin.
“That was a real battle right there,” said Jim Ross.
“Thunder Rosa has punched her ticket to the second round,” added Excalibur.
Earlier in the day, Tony Schiavone interviewed Jungle Boy.
Tony said that Marko Stunt was ok despite being kidnapped by FTR last week.
Jungle Boy: “I want to talk directly to FTR. Dax, two weeks ago we had a match that everybody’s been talking about. And I’ve had a lot of matches, but I’ve never been in a fight like that. But the important part of that was I came out on top. Not only did I come out on top, I came out a different man. And I beat you. I tapped you out in front of the world. So we didn’t tell on you. We didn’t want you suspended. We wanted you right here, to look you in the eyes. And when we get that opportunity, Dax, I’m gonna make you my b-tch.”
Our Main Event—Fall Count Anywhere—No DQ—AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (with Don Callis) & KENTA vs. IWGP US Champion Jon Moxley & “The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer (with Jake “The Snake” Roberts)!
Impact Wrestling Executive Vice President—“The Invisible Hand”—Don Callis joined the commentary team for this match.
The bell rang and KENTA ambushed Moxley with a briefcase shot to the back of the head! Archer chucked Omega into the corner and started peppering him with hard strikes! KENTA smashed the briefcase into the spine of Lance Archer! “The MurderHawk Monster” turned around, unfazed, while KENTA begged him off. It was all a distraction for Omega to chop block Archer from behind. Kenny followed up with a kotaro crusher! Moxley turned things around on KENTA with offense of his own until Omega sucker punched Moxley. KENTA walked over and pushed Omega out of the way as he wanted to get his hands on Moxley. Then Omega pushed KENTA away, as he wanted Mox for himself! KENTA and Omega began arguing with one another until Moxley settled the argument with his fists!
“They don’t seem to be on the same page with each other but maybe they’ve patched up their differences just now,” said Schiavone of KENTA and Omega.
KENTA and Omega took turns charging into Mox in the corner, until Archer pounced Omega! It bought Mox enough time for him to counter KENTA’s charge with a lariat! Archer attempted to powerbomb Omega but Omega popped the hips and escaped with a hurracanrana, sending Archer to the outside. Omega rammed his knee into Omega’s spine!
Alone in the ring, KENTA and Mox exchanged forearms with one another! KENTA tried for the GTS but Mox escaped and went for the Paradigm Shift. Before Mox could hit it, Omega cracked Mox with a garbage can! Omega connected with a moonsault while holding the trash can onto Mox’s midsection! Omega held the trash can in front of Mox’s face, teeing up KENTA, who ran in with a flying dropkick!
“This game plan is being executed so far to perfection,” said Don Callis.
Archer ran over Omega and KENTA with a ladder. Moxley knocked Kenta to the floor with an elbow suicida! Then Archer belly-to-belly suplexed Omega into the ladder, which had been propped up in the corner!
“Good God! Omega’s body bounced off that ladder like a rubber ball,” said Jim Ross.
KENTA wiped out Mox with a running knee strike! On the outside, Omega strangled Archer with a transmission cable!
“In this match it is all legal. Whatever it takes,” noted Tony Schiavone.
On the outside of the ring, Peter Avalon got in the way so KENTA knocked him out with the GTS! Archer caught Kenny Omega and choke slammed him outside on the floor! KENTA made the save for Omega before ref Paul Turner counted to three. Moxley kicked KENTA right in the jawline.
“It’s the wild west here, I can tell you that,” said Jim Ross.
Mox and KENTA fought in the kitchen. Mox set KENTA up on a stainless steel table, but KENTA reversed it and bounced Mox’s head off it with a DDT! Archer came to the rescue with a sack of potatoes! Mox grabbed a potato and…potatoed Kenny Omega!
They made their way back to the ring and Moxley pulled out a kendo stick from beneath the ring. He whacked Omega in the midsection with it. Mox jumped from the turnbuckles with the kendo stick but Omega countered with a V-trigger!
“Moxley is in big, big trouble,” said J.R.
Omega hit a second V-trigger on Mox!
“Moxley is out on his feet,” said Callis.
Archer and KENTA brawled on the ramp, getting closer and closer to the broadcast booth. KENTA fought out of a powerbomb and then sprinted off the stage and landed with a double foot stomp onto Moxley, who was on a table below!
“KENTA like a bolt of lightning out of the sky crashing down,” said Excalibur.
Archer met Omega in the ring and Archer dared Kenny to use the kendo stick on him. Omega swung it and Archer caught it! Archer grabbed it away from Kenny and broke it across his knee! Archer choke slammed Omega in the center of the ring! Archer grabbed Omega’s arm, walked the top rope, and then used a moonsault press for a near fall on Omega! Archer lifted Kenny Omega up for Black Out but The Good Brothers ran out, causing Archer to drop Omega.
Archer knocked down The Good Brothers, but KENTA ran in the ring and served up spinning backfists to Archer! KENTA was knocked silly with a big boot by Archer. Karl Anderson ran into the ring and Archer tried to chokeslam him but Karl countered with the Gun Stun! Jake Roberts entered the ring and dropped Anderson with his legendary short arm clothesline! Gallows came in and hit Jake with a thrust chop to the throat!
“It’s pandemonium here. Human demolition,” said Jim Ross.
Omega was setting up for a V-trigger on Jake Roberts but Mox ran in with the barbed wire baseball bat, swinging it at Omega, Gallows, and Anderson! KENTA jumped in and drilled Mox with the GTS! Archer got to his feet, charging KENTA and wiping him out! Archer attempted a double chokeslam on Omega and KENTA but they hit him with stereo low blows! The Good Brothers silenced Archer with the Magic Killer! Omega followed up by cracking Archer with a V-trigger!
“Lance Archer is out on his feet,” said Excalibur.
With the assistance of The Good Brothers, Omega lifted Archer up and planted him with the one-winged angel! Omega pinned Archer for the victory!
“The forbidden door has been kicked open and Kenny Omega and KENTA are victorious here tonight on this historic DYNAMITE!” said Excalibur.
Be sure to join us next week as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast live on TNT!