**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, MD!
Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Jim Ross were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifier Match!
ReDRagon’s Bobby Fish (with Kyle O’Reilly) vs. “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy (with Matt Hardy)!
The Undisputed Elite’s Adam Cole #BayBay joined the commentary team for this match.
“This is Jeff Hardy’s first singles match since he arrived in AEW,” said Excalibur.
Jeff Hardy taunted Bobby Fish after a shoulder tackle. Jeff applied a chin lock and then rammed his shoulder into Fish’s abdomen. Bobby fired back with body shots to Jeff.
“You gotta stay out of the corner with Bobby Fish. He’ll work you over,” said Tony Schiavone, as Bobby connected with a dragon screw to Jeff.
Bobby followed Jeff outside the ring and nailed Jeff with another dragon screw leg whip.
Darby Allin and Sting were watching from the rafters.
Bobby Fish blocked a jawbreaker from Jeff, but Jeff was persistent and connected with a second attempt of the jawbreaker. Bobby nailed Jeff with two roundhouse kicks to the temple of the forehead. Jeff came back with a back elbow and then a clothesline.
“You can’t count Jeff Hardy out,” said Jim Ross.
Jeff Hardy climbed to the top turnbuckle, looking for the Swanton bomb, but Bobby got up to his feet and kicked out Jeff’s legs. Fish climbed to the top and hit an avalanche falcon arrow for a near fall! Fish transitioned into a leg lock but Jeff Hardy got out of bounds by grabbing the rope, forcing the ref to break the hold.
Jeff Hardy flipped off the top turnbuckle and landed on the top of Fish’s head. Jeff climbed back up top and crashed down with the Swanton bomb on Bobby, scoring the pin!
Jeff Hardy becomes the sixth man to quality for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament!
After the match, The Young Bucks came to the ring. The Bucks had a stare down with the Hardys!
Trios Match!
A.F.O.’s The Butcher, The Blade, & Angelico vs. Blackpool Combat Club—“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, & ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta (with William Regal)!
William Regal joined the commentary team for this match.
Butcher ambushed Moxley as Moxley made his way to the ring. Blade blindsided Danielson while Angelico did the same to Wheeler Yuta!
Angelico tagged in and tied Danielson into knots, but Danielson escaped and began kicking Angelico right in the chest! Blade tagged in but ate a back body drop from Wheeler Yuta. Butcher made a blind tag and hit a low crossbody on Wheeler Yuta, followed up by a snap suplex!
Wheeler Yuta hit a German suplex on Butcher with pinpoint accuracy! Mox tagged in and he cleaned house on the Blade, knocking him out of the ring with a lariat! Moxley tossed the Blade all over the ringside area. Back in the ring, Moxley blasted Blade with a cutter! Angelico tagged in and connected with a roundhouse kick on Mox, but Mox wasted no time with a big-time lariat!
Danielson tagged in and used a dropkick and then began stomping on Angelico’s head. Danielson locked in the triangle sleeper and made Angelico tap!
“It’s beautiful brutality,” said William Regal.
“Is there any trio hotter than the Blackpool Combat Club?” wondered Excalibur.
Tony Schiavone was backstage with FTW Champ “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs.
AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express interrupted the interview. Jungle Boy said before Jurassic Express gave them a chance at the titles, Ricky Starks should defend his FTW Championship against him. Ricky Starks agreed and next week on DYNAMITE it’ll be Starks against Jungle Boy for the FTW Championship!
Tony Schiavone interviewed Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland next!
Swerve said Starks and Hobbs had unfinished business with them first!
“You will swerve in our glory,” said Keith Lee.
Wardlow vs. MJF’s Mystery Opponent…W. Morrissey!
Wardlow was brought to the ring in handcuffs, surrounded by AEW security personnel, under the terms of MJF’s contract.
MJF came out with Shawn Spears!
MJF: “Cut my music. Wardlow, I’m not staying out here because I can’t stand to look at these disgusting pigs for one more second, but you should be terrified of the man who is about to come through that curtain.”
MJF introduced W. Morrissey!
Morrissey and Wardlow locked up with a collar and elbow tie up. Wardlow slipped under and then muscled Morrissey into the corner. Morrissey retaliated with a big knee strike and then sledgehammer blows to Wardlow.
Morrissey splashed Wardlow in the corner but Wardlow followed Morrissey back! Morrissey connected with a big boot and then a clothesline to Wardlow, knocking Wardlow over the top rope and to the arena floor.
W. Morrissey reversed Wardlow and whipped him into the steel ring post. He slammed Wardlow’s head onto the ring apron.
“Wow! Wardlow being manhandled like we’ve not yet seen,” said Jim Ross.
Wardlow got to his feet and struck Morrissey with a right hand. Morrissey dropped Wardlow with the Bossman slam!
“Wardlow again finding himself on the mat with Morrissey standing over him,” said Excalibur.
Wardlow moonsaulted off the top rope, knocking Morrissey down, and then landed on his own two feet! Wardlow powerbombed Morrissey and pinned him!
“He powerbombed the big seven-footer and that’s it!” said Jim Ross.
“It took one!” added Tony Schiavone.
Security tried to handcuff Wardlow after the match but Wardlow knocked them out of the ring. MJF and Shawn Spears ordered more security personnel into the ring but Wardlow chopped them down too!
Wardlow grabbed a microphone and demanded to be released from his contract.
MJF: “You want to be released? How would you feel if me and you had a little match? And if you win, I’ll let you out of your contract! Hey, Wardlow, you’re on but…but…but…I got a couple conditions buddy. I will give you those conditions in a contract signing that will happen in the most magical place in the world known as Long Island, New York!”
“That contract signing will be next week on DYNAMITE,” said Excalibur.
Tony Schiavone was in the ring to interview AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page!
“Hangman” Page: “It’d be real easy for me to come out here for me to say how much I love CM Punk and how much I respect him, and how much I look forward to shaking his hand in this ring and standing across from him at DOUBLE OR NOTHING. And it’d be real, real easy to tell him how much I’m looking forward to having an all-time classic for the AEW Championship. It’d be real easy but that’s not gonna happen.
“At DOUBLE OR NOTHING, there’ll be no handshake. I am going to destroy CM Punk. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but as champion it’s my responsibility to tell you that your beloved CM Punk is not here tonight. I’d say he’s off filming another TV show, isn’t that ironic?
“Punk wherever you are, I want you to listen. I’m going to embarrass you. You said you wanted a fight? It’s going to be the fight of your life!”
Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt were backstage. Lethal challenged Konosuke Takeshita to a match this Friday on RAMPAGE!
Grudge Match!
“The Wizard” Chris Jericho (with the Jericho Appreciation Society—Angelo Parker, Matt Menard, Jake Hager, and Daniel Garcia) vs. Santana (with Ortiz)!
Santana wasted no time and struck first as Jericho was making his entrance! Jericho pulled the steel ring steps but Jericho grabbed Santana and was about to hit him with the TV camera. Santana flipped off Jericho and then beat him down with a pump kick!
Matt grabbed Santana’s boot but Ortiz kept him at bay. Jericho dropkicked Santana, knocking him onto the steel ring steps.
Santana rallied back with the three amigos suplexes to Jericho. Santana was looking for a frog splash but Jericho met Santana up top. Santana headbutted Jericho, knocking him down, and then followed up with the frog splash for a near fall!
Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho but Santana made the crawl to the ropes. Santana cradled Jericho for a near fall. Santana and Jericho traded chops! Santana connected with a stunner on Jericho!
“Now you regroup and don’t overreact, Santana,” said Jim Ross.
Angelo tried to use the baseball bat but Ortiz grabbed it away from him. Santana connected with a discus lariat for a near fall! Santana blasted Jericho in the corner with a huge cannonball. As the ref was distracted by Matt on the apron, Jericho used a low blow and then the Judas Effect to pin Santana!
The Jericho Appreciation Society attacked Santana and Ortiz after the match like a pack of dogs. Kingston wasn’t here tonight because of the burns he suffered last week at the hands of “The Wizard” Chris Jericho!
The Gunn Club confronted The Acclaimed backstage. The Gunn Club presented the Acclaimed with gifts—scissors!
The Varsity Blonds—Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman, Jr. (with Julia Hart) called out The House Of Black—Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews, & Brody King!
Brian Pillman, Jr.: “I stand in front of you a humbled young man, not just because of my experience in AEW, but because of my encounter with The House of Black. Perhaps the most humbling experience of all was watching everything you’ve worked for torn apart, little by little.
“But I was taught to attack each day. But I lost sight of that. I got comfortable. I got complacent. We lost our enthusiasm. The House of Black drove us apart.
“Today is a new day and I’m feeling really enthusiastic. I’m enthusiastic about protecting the one thing that made us hole and the one thing keeping us together. Let’s fight!”
The lights in the arena turned off!
The House of Black appeared in the ring!
“These are some very dangerous human beings,” said Jim Ross.
The House of Black surrounded Brian and Griff. The Varsity Blonds were trying to protect Julia Hart. The House of Black outnumbered the Varsity Blonds! Buddy launched Pillman into Garrison. Brody King followed up with a cannonball!
Malakai Black approached Julia Hart! Julia accepted a steel chair from Brody King. Buddy encouraged her to swing the chair at Garrison. She struggled and stopped. Malakai Black grabbed the steel chair and ripped off her eye patch!
PAC, Rey Fenix, and Penta Oscura ran out and House of Black retreated…for now.
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifier Match!
Dante Martin vs. Rey Fenix (with Alex Abrahantes, Penta Oscura, and PAC)!
Rey Fenix and Dante Martin locked up with a collar and elbow tie-up. Rey Fenix nearly decapitated Dante with a dropkick! Rey Fenix walked the top rope and then jumped onto Dante down below!
Rey Fenix used a backflipping Russian leg sweep on Dante Martin!
“I have never seen anything like it!” said Excalibur.
Dante and Fenix battled on the turnbuckles again, and Dante sent Fenix back down with a kick. Dante hit a crossbody press for a near fall on Rey Fenix.
Rey Fenix popped up Dante Martin into a cutter and then got a near fall.
The fans chanted “Fight forever! Fight forever! Fight forever!”
Rey Fenix attempted a black fire driver but Dante countered and made solid contact with a stiff kick! Dante climbed back up the turnbuckles and Rey Fenix met him up there! Rey Fenix attempted a Spanish fly but they both landed on their feet! Dante used a poison rana on Rey Fenix!
Dante Martin attempted the nose dive but Rey Fenix moved. Dante caught Fenix off the ropes but Fenix came back with a driver on Dante Martin to score the pin!
Rey Fenix advances!
“Just a sensational battle back and forth. Everything we thought it would be,” said Tony Schiavone.
AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa called out the #1 contender Serena Deeb!
Deeb: “It’s been a long time, champ. I watched you scratch and claw your way to the top. You earned your way to the top and I respect you and I truly believe we can make this the best women’s division in the entire world. But in order for that to happen the best women’s wrestler in the entire world needs to be champion.”
Thunder Rosa: “What are you telling me? Doesn’t this belt indicate that I’m the best women’s wrestler in the world today?”
Deeb: “Sure, you’re the champion, but it’s what everyone is thinking but no one wants to say—I’m on another level. I am in a class all my own. And it’s about time that I have the championship to show that”
Thunder Rosa: “Do you want to place a bet on this?”
Deeb: “A bet, sure, I’ll place a bet that you’re about to have the shortest AEW Women’s reign in history because at DOUBLE OR NOTHING, I’m taking your championship. I’ll see you in Vegas.”
ROH Women’s Championship Unification Match!
ROH Women’s Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. ROH Women’s Interim Champion Mercedes Martinez!
Deonna kicked away Mercedes’ hand, not observing the Code of Honor.
Mercedes wrestled away wrist control from Deonna. They locked up and Mercedes pushed Deonna into the corner. They had a stare down but Deonna shoved Mercedes away.
Deonna targeted Mercedes’ arm with a kick. They began to slug it out! Mercedes took down Deonna with clothesline and then a backdrop! Mercedes connected with a high running boot to Deonna in the corner for a near fall.
“Textbook cover there by Mercedes,” said Excalibur.
“That right arm of Mercedes is having some issues,” noticed Jim Ross.
Deonna used a moonsault press for a near fall on Mercedes. Mercedes came back with a fisherman’s buster. Deonna turned Mercedes inside out for a near fall! Deonna was looking for the arm bar but Mercedes cradled her for a near fall.
Deonna climbed to the top but Mercedes planted her with a curb stomp! Mercedes was reaching back and locked in the dragon sleeper and Deonna tapped out!
The Undisputed Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion is Mercedes Martinez!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Long Island, NY!
This Friday tune in to RAMPAGE on TNT at a special start time: 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT/3:30pm MT/2:30pm PT featuring:
-The Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Qualifier Match—Yuka Sakazaki vs. RIHO!
-HOOK vs. JD Drake!
-Jamie Hayter and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs. Ruby Soho and Toni Storm!
-Jay Lethal vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!