**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was held live from the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA!
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Backstage, Kenny Omega was with Adam Cole and The Young Bucks.
Omega: “I feel like there’s things I gotta fix, there’s things I gotta change. If you can hold down the fort while I’m gone—”
Adam Cole: “Cleaner, I got this…”
Kenny Omega: “I was talking about the Bucks.”
Matt Jackson: “Don’t worry, we’ve got this.”
The show kicked off with the “Hangman” Adam Page National Cowboy S#!T Day Celebration!
Dark Order were in the ring and hugged the new AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page.
The crowd chanted “You deserve it!”
‘Hangman’ Page: “I’m going to stop you right there. I didn’t deserve this…I f’n earned it. I know this championship carries a lot of weight and responsibility. After FULL GEAR I know my next responsibility is ‘The American Dragon’ Bryan Danielson.”
Bryan Danielson’s music hit and out walked “The American Dragon”!
Danielson: “I came out to essentially say one thing—congratulations ‘Hangman’ Adam Page. I’m not gonna lie. I’m super excited for this match for the AEW World Championship but to be fair I’m a little surprised and disappointed that it’s not Kenny Omega standing across the ring from me right now.”
Page: “You’re right because I beat Omega’s ass at FULL GEAR and if I’m not mistaken, I managed to do it in less than 30 minutes.”
Danielson: “I didn’t come out here to start any beef between us. Although to be fair, you’re out here flapping your gums with this cowboy s—t, when I’m wrestling every night.”
Page: “We can do it right here tonight in West Virginia.”
Danielson: “I’m here in my wrestling gear and you’re in your jeans and cowboy boots. I don’t want to beat you for your AEW World Championship and for you to have the excuse that you’re not ready.”
Page: “All right, we’ll have it your way. We won’t have the match tonight. But I’ll still fight.”
Danielson and Page had to be separated by the Dark Order as they came to blows!
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Dark Order’s Evil Uno!
Evil Uno knocked down Bryan with a shoulder tackle. He stomped on Bryan’s hands and cradled him for a near fall. Bryan stood back up and slapped Evil Uno in the face. Bryan chopped away and then suplexed Evil Uno. Danielson peppered Evil Uno with kicks to the kidneys.
Evil Uno quickly got violent with a combination of strikes in the corner. He took down Danielson with a step up hurracanrana. Evil Uno followed up with a neck breaker for a near fall on Danielson.
Danielson hit a rolling elbow strike and dropped Evil Uno and then followed up with multiple palm strikes! Danielson charged at Evil Uno but Uno countered with a high boot. Evil Uno tried for a senton atomico but Danielson raised his knees.
Danielson rocked Evil Uno with a running knee strike! Bryan held Evil Uno’s arms and then used the flat of his boot to pound the head of Evil Uno. Danielson applied the triangle sleeper and Evil Uno was out immediately!
Tony Schiavone entered the ring to interview Bryan Danielson.
Danielson: “I came out here to congratulate ‘Hangman’ Adam Page but because of his behavior, I ended up kicking Evil Uno’s head in. And until I face Adam Page, I’m going to take every member of Dark Order and I’m going to kick all their heads in. And next week we’re in Chicago, so next week, Colt Cabana, if you’ve got any nuts, I’m going to kick your head!”
Tony Schiavone was backstage to interview Eddie Kingston!
2point0 and Daniel Garcia interrupted Kingston!
Kingston: “Garcia, you let two grown men call you their son. I know you’re from Buffalo—”
Kingston didn’t back down from Garcia and they had a stare down until Kingston finally said he was going to catering.
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii (with Rocky Romero, and The Best Friends) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (and Matt Hardy and The Bunny)!
Ishii told The Blade to hit him and The Blade obliged. Ishii didn’t move and dropped The Blade with one shot! Orange tagged in and Orange splashed The Blade. The Blade pushed “Freshly Squeezed” into the corner. Orange rallied back with a dropkick!
The Butcher got the blind tag and charged at Orange. The Butcher and The Blade worked over Orange in their corner. Blade tossed Orange outside the ring where The Bunny and Matt Hardy hit Orange with cheap shots.
Ishii finally tagged in, absorbed a punch from The Blade, and then shoulder tackled him! Ishii covered The Blade after a back drop suplex for a near fall. The Butcher tagged in and charged at Ishii with a clothesline that buckled Ishii’s knees.
“The Stone Pitbull is starting to fade a little bit,” said Jim Ross.
“Or is he?” asked Excalibur.
Ishii backed Butcher across the ring without raising a hand. Ishii superplexed Butcher. Blade broke up Ishii’s pin fall attempt on The Butcher.
Orange Cassidy tagged in and he connected with the Stun Dog Millionaire on The Butcher. Orange tried for the Orange Punch but Butcher and The Blade countered with the “Drag The Lake”. Ishii ran in to break up the pin. Ishii tagged in and blasted The Butcher with combination shots.
The Bunny passed brass knux to The Blade but Orange Cassidy jumped off the top turnbuckle and took out the HFO before they could use the weapon! Ishii grabbed The Blade and spiked him with a delayed brainbuster for the pin!
“The Forbidden Door was kicked down once again here tonight on DYNAMITE,” said Excalibur.
Tony Schiavone was backstage with FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood), Tully Blanchard, Andrade El Idolo, and Jose the Assistant!
Andrade El Idolo: “Cody, PAC, I have proved that I am better wrestler than you. I beat you both clean. Now I will show you my bad side.”
Cash: “We were robbed by the Lucha Bros. Why don’t we add Malakai Black and make it four-on-four?”
Tully Blanchard: “And you know, Arn, I’m not Jose. I’ve got one more in me.”
TBS Women’s Title Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
Hikaru Shida vs. “The Native Beast” Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero)!
Nyla was looking to neutralize the knee strikes of Shida, but Shida jumped off the turnbuckles with a dropkick. Shida hit a heel kick to Nyla’s head. Nyla got out of the ring to collect her thoughts and get advice from Vickie Guerrero.
Nyla went after Shida’s knee. While Nyla distracted the referee, Vickie choked Shida with a kendo stick. Nyla slammed Shida’s knee into the turnbuckle. Outside the ring, Shida turned the tables and whipped Nyla into the steel barricade! Shida set up a chair on the arena floor but Nyla rocked Shida from behind. Nyla attempted a senton onto Shida on the chair, but Shida dodged it! Nyla crashed into the chair!
Vickie tried to whack Shida with the kendo stick but Shida blocked it and hit Vickie with it!
Serena Deeb, who was sitting ringside, clipped the knee of Shida while the referee wasn’t looking!
Nya tried for the Beast Bomb but Shida countered with a triangle arm bar submission! Nyla managed to pick up Shida and powerbomb her. Shida tried for the katana kick but Nyla blocked it and tapped out Shida with the standing stretch muffler!
Nyla Rose advances to the next round of the TBS Women’s Championship Tournament!
Malakai Black had a message for Cody Rhodes, PAC, and The Lucha Bros:
“In Chicago, I will make it so the air you breathe will turn toxic. Deep breaths, my friends, while oxygen is still on your side.”
MJF came to the ring with Shawn Spears and Wardlow!
Spears: “Maxwell here, who by the way, could beat any one of your heroes with a simple headlock takeover, would appreciate absolute silence at this time.”
MJF: “Let me explain something to you. You are looking at the guy who checks all the boxes inside this ring. On this microphone, I am easily the most complete wrestler on the planet. I am the man who will start a bidding war in the year 2024. I am the past, the present, and the future of professional wrestling. And moreover, I could take your hometown horse and send him straight to the glue factory.
“The rankings don’t tell you that story. They don’t tell you the truth. You all know that deep down I deserve to be the next AEW World Champion. Because nobody in that locker room is nearly as good as me. Nobody is on my level.”
CM Punk’s music hit! CM Punk walked down to the ring! He crossed his arms and stared at MJF while the crowd chanted “Holy S—t!”
MJF: “Hey, I’m Maxwell.”
Punk laughed, refused to shake MJF’s hand, and walked out of the ring.
“CM Punk knows how to push MJF’s buttons,” said Excalibur.
Tony Schiavone was backstage with Darby Allin!
Darby: “Max, at FULL GEAR, you did not break me mentally. I don’t know when and I don’t know where, but we will have a rematch. I’m not taking any time off. I want the biggest and the baddest—”
Billy and The Gunn Club walked by. Billy said, “I’m the biggest and the baddest, so tell me when and where.” Billy and The Gunn Club walked away.
Darby smirked and said, “Let’s do it.”
The Young Bucks and Adam Cole were backstage!
“Matt and Nick are not cleared after FULL GEAR, but The Elite, more specifically, the SuperKliq will handle things. In two nights at RAMPAGE, it’ll be me and one of my closest friends, Bobby Fish, against Luchasarus and Jungle Boy!
The Acclaimed—Anthony Bowens & Max Caster vs. Dante Martin & Lio Rush!
Bowens and Caster had some choice words for Dante and Lio on the way to the ring. Dante and Lio heard enough and shot out of the ring with stereo tope suicidas onto The Acclaimed!
Bowens chopped at Dante’s chest! Dante was pulled out of the ring when Caster grabbed his ankle. The Acclaimed rocked Dante with a double suplex on the arena floor. The Acclaimed double-teamed Dante Martin in their corner of the ring.
Lio Rush got the tag and cleaned house on The Acclaimed. Rush took down Bowens with an ax kick!
“Great offensive flurry but just not enough,” said Jim Ross.
Lio Rush neutralized Caster while Dante Martin went soaring with a huge dropkick on Bowens!
Lio tried to tag Dante but Caster threw a big-time lariat at Rush! Caster hit the Mic Drop but Dante interrupted the pinning predicament! Dante took down Bowens with the nosedive! Lio Rush followed up with the frog splash for the pin on Anthony Bowens!
“There’s no telling how high Lio Rush can coach up Dante Martin,” said Jim Ross.
Team Taz came out! Taz congratulated Lio and Dante. Taz said it’s nothing personal, it’s all business. Ricky said they’re very patient.
Starks: “Here’s the deal, Dante. If you choose to go with Team Taz, it’ll be the start of a hall of fame career, or if you stay with Lio Rush, it’ll be a mediocre one. The choice is yours.”
TNT Title Match!
“Spanish God” Sammy Guevara (c.) vs. Jay Lethal (in his AEW debut)!
“The Premiere Athlete” Tony Nese was watching from ringside.
They locked up, with Sammy grabbing a waist lock. Jay went for the figure four but Sammy cradled him for a near fall.
“The is wrestling!” the fans chanted.
Lethal rocked Sammy with a backbreaker. Lethal went right after Sammy’s taped ribs. Sammy caught Jay with a risking knee strike! Sammy launched himself outside onto Jay with a corkscrew dive! Sammy attempted a shooting star press but Jay raised his knees and Sammy paid the price!
Sammy flipped off Jay and a hockey fight broke out! Lethal tossed Sammy sky high and pancaked Sammy. Lethal was looking for the Lethal Injection but Sammy countered with a Spanish Fly! Lethal went for a tope suicida but Sammy intercepted and nailed Jay with a brainbuster on the arena floor!
“Sammy’s got to weather this storm here in the deep water,” said Jim Ross.
Sammy clocked Jay with a knee strike! Jay fell back on the ringkeeper’s table. Sammy jumped off the top rope with a backflip senton but Lethal dodged it! Sammy crashed through the table!
Jay Lethal tried an elbow drop but Sammy countered with a roll up for a near fall. Sammy connected with a thrust kick but Lethal hooked Sammy’s leg and locked on the figure four!
“Lethal is showing us why he’s considered one of the best in the entire world of pro wrestling,” said Jim Ross.
Sammy grabbed the bottom rope, forcing the ref break.
The fans chanted “Fight forever!”
Lethal dragon suplexed Sammy but Sammy landed on his feet! Sammy caught Jay with two consecutive knee strikes! Sammy hoisted up Jay and finished him off with the GTS, earning a very hard-fought victory!
Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle came out to celebrate with Sammy in the ring. Sammy extended his hand to Jay and Jay accepted.
“Sportsmanship is not dead, ladies and gentlemen,” said Jim Ross.
Don’t miss AEW RAMPAGE this Friday on TNT!
Just announced for this Friday on RAMPAGE:
-Billy Gunn vs. Darby Allin!
-Jade Cargill (with “Smart” Mark Sterling) vs Red Velvet in the quarterfinals of the TBS Women’s Title Tournament!
-Adam Cole & Bobby Fish vs. The Jurassic Express!
Be sure to tune in Wednesday to AEW DYNAMITE live on TNT from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!