**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was held live from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, FL!
It’s Saturday night and you know what that means!
Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Men’s World Title Eliminator Tournament First Round Match!
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes!
The competitors shook hands as a show of sportsmanship as the match began.
Danielson and Rhodes traded arm drags.
“Dustin’s taking his time. He’s not rushing into this,” said Excalibur.
“I don’t know that that’s a bad thing,” replied Jim Ross.
“It’s a thirty-minute time limit. Dustin has the time,” said Excalibur.
Danielson grapevined Dustin’s legs and then placed him in a bow and arrow stretch. Dustin connected with the ropes to force the ref break. Danielson connected with two European uppercuts and then a tope suicida to “The Natural”! Dustin Rhodes rallied back with a senton off the apron to Danielson on the arena floor!
Danielson dropkicked Dustin in the knees. “The American Dragon” fired away with stiff kicks to Dustin. Bryan went for a back suplex but Dustin countered with a German Suplex! Dustin chopped at Bryan’s chest but Bryan answered with chops and a headbutt. Danielson was looking for a submission with a cross arm breaker.
One of the hottest free agents in pro wrestling, Tony Neese, was watching from ringside.
Dustin Rhodes superplexed Danielson off the top for a near fall!
“Danielson’s left arm looks to be altered to some degree. This is evolving into a great pro wrestling match,” noted Jim Ross.
Dustin Rhodes powerslammed Danielson and then pancaked him for a two-count! Dustin Rhodes had Bryan Danielson in the corner and dropped ten punches onto Danielson’s cranium. Dustin was going to try for the running bulldog but Danielson had it scouted. Danielson dropkicked Dustin but Dustin came back with a flying clothesline. Danielson transitioned and applied the Le Bell Lock but Dustin touched the ropes again, forcing the ref break.
Danielson rocked Dustin Rhodes with a kick to the back of the head! Danielson trapped Dustin’s hands and he stomped on Dustin’s head! Danielson tried for the running knee but Dustin saw it coming and met Danielson with a lariat! Dustin hit a piledriver on Bryan for a near fall!
Bryan Danielson placed a guillotine on Dustin and Dustin fell to the mat. Danielson locked his legs around Dustin and the ref had no choice but to end the match. Bryan Danielson advances!
“The grip was locked in too tight and Bryan Danielson advances to the semifinal round,” said Excalibur.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega was backstage with The Young Bucks and Adam Cole.
“Hangman, every single week tagging with you felt like Halloween. Because you were always cosplaying as a cowboy, pretending to be something you were not. Hangman, if people only knew you the way that I knew you, they wouldn’t be chanting ‘cowboy shit’, they’d be chanting ‘coward shit’’, said Omega.
Tony Schiavone interviewed Sting in the ring for an update on Darby Allin!
It began to snow in Orlando as Sting walked to the ring!
Before Sting could give us an update on the condition of Darby Allin, he was interrupted by MJF!
MJF: “Cut my music! Sting—Darby’s little emo daddy. I’m not out here trying to start a fight. I’m here to have a gentlemen’s chat. I don’t think you want to answer Schiavone’s question because then you’d have to tell the truth. The truth is Darby Allin’s not coming back.
“You can distract them with face paint and snow, but you ain’t fooling MJF. You’re a bad person, Sting. When your friends need you most, where are you? It’s because of your negligence that Darby Allin has wound up in the same spot as your old friend Lex Luger—in a wheelchair!”
Sting heard enough and decked MJF! Wardlow and Shawn Spears jumped Sting from behind! Shawn Spears bludgeoned Sting with a steel chair!
MJF: “Darby, Darby, Darby. I know you’re in a whole lot of pain and I know you’re watching. Did I break you mentally, Darby? Look at Sting. Look at him! I want you to understand something. No matter how many times people chant your name, understand this, they can’t chant your name all they want, because if you come back, this is your future. You will always fall short. You will always be second best to me and me alone. Because I am the past, the present, and the future of professional wrestling.”
Sting got to his feet. MJF kissed the Dynamite diamond ring and nailed Sting right between the eyes with it!
Tony Schiavone interviewed AEW Women’s Champion Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. backstage.
“Tay Conti, I’m showing everyone why I’m the most talked about name in All Elite Wrestling. But at FULL GEAR I’m going to beat that ass that you love showing off all the time.”
Round 1 of the TBS Women’s Championship Tournament!
“The SuperBad Girl” Penelope Ford vs. “The Runaway” Ruby Soho!
Penelope threw her leather jacket at Ruby to distract her and sneak in some strikes. Ford grabbed Ruby’s hair and rammed her into the turnbuckles. She stomped a mudhole into Ruby Soho. Penelope used a front handspring into a spear on Ruby!
Ruby kicked Penelope in the midsection and followed up with a thrust kick for a near fall.
The Bunny skipped her way to the ring! The Bunny distracted Ruby while Ford smacked Ruby Soho in the face! Ruby rallied back with a back suplex on Ford! Ruby chopped at Ford! Ruby caught Ford underneath the jaw with a knee strike!
Penelope surprised Ruby with a cutter for a near fall! Ruby used a back heel trip on Ford, but Penelope came back with a back kick! Penelope Ford was about to use brass knux but ref Rick Knox saw them and kicked them out of the ring! Ruby Soho rolled up Penelope for the win!
After the botched hand-off of the brass knuckles, The Bunny and Penelope Ford had Ruby cornered. Red Velvet ran out to the ring and The Bunny and Penelope Ford retreated!
Backstage, Wardlow questioned MJF about why MJF shoved him into Sting last week.
“You’re doing a great job but I realize you’re under a lot of pressure. So I’ve assigned you an accountabil-a-buddy…Shawn Spears!” said MJF.
Up next: “The Infamous” Bobby Fish vs. Anthony Greene!
Bobby Fish hit a rough elbow strike and then a body shot on Greene. Bobby Fish fired back with a kick and a senton for a near fall.
“Bobby Fish is an assassin. His kicks are toxic,” said Jim Ross.
Bobby Fish connected with a sliding lariat on Greene. He suplexed Greene into the ropes and administered the Last Rites knock out kick, and Fish pinned Greene!
After the match, Bobby Fish continued to attack a defenseless Anthony Greene.
“He’s trying to hurt and humiliate Anthony Greene after the match,” said Excalibur.
Bobby Fish was grounding and pounding Anthony Greene until CM Punk ran to the ring to even up the odds!
Punk invited Bobby Fish into the ring but Fish wanted no part of it.
Tony Schiavone was backstage with Dante Martin and Lio Rush!
Lio Rush: “Anything I do, I do big. I’m just trying to take Dante on the highest flight possible. I’m trying to show him the way and mentor him, all things Matt Sydal didn’t do. I’ll put money on the fact that you can beat Sydal. And I know I can beat Sydal. So I went to TK and next week we have a match against the Sydal brothers.”
Men’s World Title Eliminator Tournament First Round Match!
“The MurderHawk Monster” Lance Archer vs. “Mad King” Eddie Kingston!
Kingston attacked Archer as Archer was making his entrance! Archer grabbed a fan from ringside and choke slammed the fan off the ring apron onto Kingston!
“Lance Archer has no regard for human life,” said Excalibur.
“Kingston has a fighting spirit that is rarely seen anywhere,” added Schiavone.
Lance Archer was going for Black Out but Kingston applied a cross face and brought Archer down! Archer smashed Kingston with a lariat from behind and followed up with a baseball slide to Kingston’s back!
Archer stomped Kingston down to the mat when Kingston tried charging in. Archer attempted a moonsault but Kingston rolled out of the way. Archer underrotated and landed on his head! The medical staff checked on Archer but Archer refused and got back in the ring. Kingston wasted no time and rolled up Archer to advance to the semifinals!
Dan Lambert and The Men Of The Year—“All Ego” Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky were in the ring to give stipulations for American Top Team vs. Inner Circle!
Page said they walk down the streets like they’re walking down a runway. TNT Champion Sammy Guevara cut off Ethan Page and asked him to shut up.
Sammy said Page should stop complaining that life isn’t fair. “You know why you’re not further in this company? It’s the same reason you call yourself ‘All Ego’—because the only person who gives a crap about you is you!” said Sammy.
Lambert said Sammy has to put his TNT Championship on the line against Ethan Page next week on DYNAMITE in Boston. Lambert said if Sammy loses against Page, he’ll lose the championship and he’ll have to leave the Inner Circle forever.
“You got yourself a deal. Under one condition: When I beat Ethan Page, I get to decide the three members of American Top Team that Inner Circle gets to put a beating on,” said Sammy.
The Men Of The Year tried to double team Sammy until Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz ran out to chase off Page and Sky!
Jungle Boy vs. Brandon Cutler!
Jungle Boy speared Brandon Cutler with a tope suicida at the start of the match! Cutler came back, looking for Panama Sunrise, but Jungle Boy countered with a backdrop!
Jungle Boy powerbombed Cutler in the center of the ring. Jungle Boy locked on the Snare Trap and Cutler tapped out!
“A statement victory from Jungle Boy,” said Excalibur.
Jungle Boy grabbed a microphone after the match: “That was a nice little warmup. To be honest, I’m feeling pretty good still. And I’m ready to go again. So…why don’t one of you Elite pieces of s—t come out right now! Any one of you. C’mon! No?”
Jungle Boy locked Cutler in the Snare Trap again! Cutler begged for mercy! Adam Cole came out on the ramp with a microphone. “If you want to fight the Elite so badly, I’m right here. So why don’t you and I fight right here, right now?”
Cole walked down to the ring but it was a trap! The Young Bucks blasted Jungle Boy with superkicks! The SuperKliq pulled Jungle Boy to the top of the stage. The Bucks hit the BTE Trigger on Jungle Boy. The Bucks held up Jungle Boy and allowed Cole to smash him with a running knee! The Bucks grabbed Jungle Boy and hurled him off the stage! Jungle Boy was sent crashing through a table below!
“This is our world, Jungle Boy,” said Adam Cole.
Cody vs. Malakai III!
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes (with Arn Anderson) vs. Malakai Black!
They locked up with a collar and elbow tie-up. Cody immediately tried for the figure four but Black pushed out of it. Black used a side headlock takeover. Cody walked into an elbow strike from Black but returned with one of his own! Black blasted Cody with a kick and then put a knee bar on Cody! Cody turned into it and then stomped on Black’s face!
Malakai Black dropped Cody with a back elbow! Cody caught Malakai with a powerslam! Cody threw his weight belt into the crowd!
Black went to the arena floor and pulled a steel chair out from under the ring. Brock Anderson and Lee Johnson of The Nightmare Family walked out and surrounded the ring! Brock snatched away the chair and tossed it back under the ring.
Cody Rhodes hit Black with the Cross Rhodes off the apron and down through a table at ringside! Malakai Black shoved Cody into the steel ring post! Both men were busted wide open!
“Both men bleeding. A very physical contest,” said Jim Ross.
Arn Anderson got into the ring. Andrade El Idolo walked onto the ramp. Andrade’s assistant Jose jumped into the ring from behind but Arn planted Jose with a spinebuster! Black sprayed mist into Arn’s eyes! “The Bastard” PAC came to the aid of Cody and brawled with Andrade! Cody connected with the Cross Rhodes for a near fall on Malakai Black!
Malakai Black jumped off the top rope with a diving foot stomp on Cody! Black suplexed Cody for a near fall on Cody!
“Cody Rhodes will not be denied,” said Excalibur.
Black nearly decapitated Cody with a back heel kick! Cody rallied back with a tope suicida! Cody followed up with the Cody Cutter, and then the Cross Rhodes! Cody spiked Black with the Tiger Driver ’98 and pinned Malakai Black!
“Redemption for Cody!” said Tony Schiavone.
“Both men extremely tough but Cody gets that win back,” said Jim Ross.
Be sure to tune in Wednesday to AEW DYNAMITE live on TNT from the Agganis Arena in Boston, MA!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!