***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
Tonight’s BASH AT THE BEACH Edition of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Watsco Center in Miami, FL.
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
The opening contest was “Hangman” Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. The Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent, accompanied by Orange Cassidy) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson).
The winning team will face SCU for the AEW Tag Team championship next week on DYNAMITE.
Trent and Nick Jackson began by trading shoulder tackles. Nick showed off his flexibility by ducking Trent’s knife-edge chops. Omega and Matt Jackson were tagged in for their respective teams, and as they locked up, Proud & Powerful entered illegally, assaulting Omega and Jackson. Nick got a blind tag off Omega, and the Bucks and Omega worked as one “Elite” unit against Santana. Page watched the Elite members from the ring apron.
After a double hip toss on Trent, Matt Jackson sent him into the corner the hard way and hit four suplexes. Matt was finally countered by Trent with a swinging DDT. Chuck Taylor tagged in, executing a standing Sliced Bread on Matt Jackson. Chuckie T. followed up with a sole food and half-and-half combo along with his partner Trent.
Santana and Ortiz began to divide and conquer all the teams, utilizing an impressive arsenal of offensive moves. The fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Santana went for the three amigos on Matt Jackson, but before completing the sequence, Ortiz tagged in and finished it off for his partner Santana with a stalling vertical suplex.
“Big game feel is what we’ve got here,” said Tony Schiavone.
Matt Jackson, in a state of self-preservation, tagged the nearest friend, opting for Kenny Omega (noticeably instead of Adam Page, who was also within arm’s reach). Omega came in with three snapdragon suplexes!
Santana used a senton to the outside and wiped out Page and Omega. Trent and Matt Jackson were on the top rope, and Trent superplexed Matt to the outside, crash landing onto the competitors.
A huge knee strike by Trent took Omega off his feet, but Kenny was able to fight him off. The Best Friends planted Omega with Strong Zero, but it still wasn’t enough to win!
The Young Bucks went for the Meltzer Driver but Hangman tagged himself in. This outraged Matt Jackson, as the Bucks had done the majority of the heavy lifting in the final minutes of the match. Before Matt could give it another thought, Page and Omega blasted the Buckshot-V-Trigger combo on Trent for the pin fall!
“The American Nightmare” Cody came out next to give his response to MJF’s match stipulations.
“Double A, Arn Anderson was right, when he said the audience wants this match,” Cody said. “MJF named his price for this match, and it’s rather expensive.”
Regarding the potential of a steel cage match against Wardlow, Cody said: “I think Max is afraid that the audience might come to the conclusion that perhaps Wardlow shouldn’t be carrying MJF’s bags but perhaps, MJF should be carrying Wardlow’s.”
Regarding the stipulation that he cannot touch Max until REVOLUTION, Cody said: “I don’t need to touch you, MJF. I live rent free inside that head. I think everybody knows what you are doing—you are stalling!”
“When it comes to your stipulation of the steel cage…I accept. When it comes to not touching you until REVOLUTION? I accept. And when it comes to ten lashes live on DYNAMITE? I accept. And I know what it means to have this match at REVOLUTION: it means that I have failed as a mentor, but perhaps I can teach you one final lesson. At REVOLUTION I am going to give you your own g—damn scar!”
The “Bad Boy” Joey Janela was seen on video and said, “Rey Fenix, next week on DYNAMITE, I’m going to show you why everyone says Joey Janela is a bad, bad boy.”
Next was “the Nightmare Collective,” Brandi Rhodes & Mel (accompanied by Luther) vs. Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida.
Luther was on the ramp positioned in between Shida and the ring, but Shida put her kendo stick to use on him. Shida then ran to the ring and Mel began “laying in the heavy leather,” according to Excalibur. Statlander used a moonsault to take out Mel. On the outside of the ring, Shida swiftly followed up with the running knee off a folding chair onto Mel.
Mel used her size advantage here, connecting with a pump kick and a big leg drop across Shida’s back. Brandi Rhodes was tagged in and stomped Shida repeatedly.
Statlander and Brandi faced off, but Statlander caught her with a high right roundhouse, a discus clothesline, and then a spinning slam for a near fall. Brandi connected with a spear for a two count of her own. It wasn’t enough, so a frustrated Brandi tagged in her partner Mel.
As Mel climbed to the top rope, Shida met her up there for a big avalanche suplex!
Statlander connected with a standing moonsault press, but Brandi broke it up. Statlander dropped Mel directly on the crown of her head for the victory!
A video package for the Dark Order aired. It was revealed that they have been scouting Michael Nakazawa, Kenny Omega, Brandon Cutler, and “Hangman” Adam Page as potential new recruits.
“Spanish God” Sammy Guevara vs. Jon Moxley was next, with the winner earning a shot to be the #1 contender (to be determined next week on DYNAMITE).
Moxley pulled up in the new sports car that he “claimed” from the Inner Circle last week. Sammy wasted no time with a dropkick on Moxley at the sound of the bell.
Mox fought back with a lariat to Sammy G, but Sammy turned things around on a moment’s notice using a cutter, then a running dive. Sammy started to strut, basking in his own glory. It was a short-lived moment as Mox slapped the taste out of Sammy’s mouth. Moxley attempted the Paradigm Shift on the apron of the ring, but Sammy squeezed out of it. Sammy was able to land a double foot stomp onto Moxley!
Sammy used a shooting star press onto Mox, and despite dishing all this out, Mox planted the Spanish God on his head. Moxley climbed to the top rope, but in the blink of an eye, Sammy jumped up there and tossed Moxley down to the mat. Sammy tried for the moonsault press but Moxley caught him in a submission for the victory!
Le Champion Chris Jericho’s music hit!
The arena went pitch black. When the lights turned back on, Moxley was trapped in the center of the ring by Jake Hager, Chris Jericho, and Santana and Ortiz of the Inner Circle. They began to pummel Moxley. Chris Jericho took his world title and began whipping Moxley with it. Santana and Ortiz held up Moxley and the “Big Hurt” Jake Hager gave the defenseless Moxley a running kick to the groin.
Jericho unscrewed a spike from his leather jacket and popped Moxley directly in the eye with it! AEW officials and medical staff came down to the ring to assess Jon Moxley. Chris Jericho raised his AEW World championship overhead triumphantly. Moxley had to be helped out of the ring.
Backstage, Jen Decker interviewed Chris Jericho. “This was solely on the head of Jon Moxley. We offered him the keys to the kingdom and instead he smashed me in the head with a champagne bottle last week. So it’s an eye for and eye. Next week on the Jericho Cruise, we’re going to do the same to the Jurassic Express! We’ll see you around Moxley, even though you can’t really see us.”
The Butcher & the Blade (with the Bunny) & MJF (accompanied by Wardlow) vs. QT Marshall & “the Natural” Dustin Rhodes & Diamond Dallas Page followed.
MJF was wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “I Banged Dallas’ Daughter” in large lettering. When DDP tried to start the match, MJF tagged out to the Butcher. It was only when QT was tagged in by DDP that MJF was “courageous” enough to tag himself back in. MJF gave QT an eye poke and tagged in the Blade, who chopped away at QT.
Dustin Rhodes was in next and hit an inverted atomic drop on the Blade, following up with deep uppercuts. MJF cold-cocked Dustin Rhodes while wearing his diamond ring, unbeknownst to ref Aubrey Edwards.
The Bunny and Wardlow delivered cheap shots to Rhodes on the outside of the ring. Then the Butcher and the Blade and MJF all took turns working over Rhodes in the ring. “We’ve seen some arrogant athletes over the years, J.R., but this one may top them all,” said Tony Schiavone of MJF.
Dustin Rhodes bought some time with a powerslam onto the Blade, then tagged in DDP. Page was positively on fire, cleaning house, and then hit the diamond cutter on the Butcher! After a Canadian Destroyer from Dustin onto MJF, DDP connected with the cutter onto MJF!
Marshall ran with the explosive QT Special onto the opposing team, and then DDP jumped off the top rope onto all of them on the outside. Out of nowhere, MJF rolled up QT Marshall, holding the trunks, for the three count. “What an opportunist!” said Jim Ross.
Jen Decker was backstage interviewing SCU about their match next week. “Hangman” Page, who evidently had been celebrating early with a few cocktails, interrupted the interview. Kenny Omega apologized on behalf of his friend “Hangman” Page. Omega said he and Page looked forward to their match against SCU next week.
It was time for the main event of the night, with “The Bastard” PAC against Darby Allin. The winner moves on next week against Jon Moxley to determine the #1 contender.
They locked up in the center of the ring, with PAC taking down Darby with a shoulder tackle. Darby came back with a thunderous shotgun drop kick! PAC one-upped Darby with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
Darby took the offense to PAC like a missile with a suicida between the second and third rope. Darby went for the hurracarana but PAC caught him and swung him into the metal ring steps! PAC moved the steps over and power bombed Darby right onto them, showing no mercy. Darby managed to climb into the ring, but PAC was waiting for him with vicious stomps.
PAC launched himself off the top rope and connected with a missile dropkick onto Darby for a near fall. Darby had welts on his back and arms from the power bomb onto the steel steps from earlier in the match. Somehow Darby found the energy to fight back and blasted PAC with a crucifix bomb then the coffin drop! Darby hit an over the top stunner and then a Code Red onto PAC for a very close near fall!
Darby tried a baseball slide but PAC used the skirt of the ring apron to trap him, then caught him with a high kick. PAC gave a wicked lariat to Darby, who kicked out at two!
“Darby is not out of this fight yet!” said Excalibur.
Darby and PAC traded pinning combinations. Darby went for the coffin drop again but PAC caught him with a German suplex then a high-stacked power bomb. PAC only got the two count! Darby continued to fight back. PAC went to the top rope for the Black Arrow and finished off Darby for the victory! What a main event!
Tony Schiavone was down in the ring to get a word with PAC.
“What you need to do is congratulate the new #1 contender for the AEW World Championship,” shouted PAC. Tony Schiavone reminded PAC that he still had to beat Jon Moxley next week to make that claim. PAC replied, “He’ll have to forfeit!”
Outside the arena, Jon Moxley was being loaded into an ambulance. Moxley, his eye bandaged, forced his way out of the vehicle. Mox stormed down to the ramp and said, “It ain’t going down like that, brother. I don’t care if I’m blind. I will be there next week. I will kick your ___, because that title shot belongs to me!”
Tune in next week on January 22nd, as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT from The Ship of Jericho, during Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea: Part Deux!