CONTAINS SPOILERS
Fright Night: AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live on TBS from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH!
Excalibur, “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
We heard from “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy to kick off the show!
Orange Cassidy: “I don’t like this. This is not who I am. I don’t come out here and tell you I’m a leader for 10 minutes. I’m not leader. That’s not who I am. But after last week, after I slid into this ring and watched my best friend Chuck Taylor get his neck crushed by a steel chair, when I looked around, I was surrounded by the people I should have been.
“I admire their courage. They’re all talented but they’re all very young. I was surrounded by the future of AEW. And they have no idea of the danger that they are in. They have no idea how dangerous Jon Moxley is. So I knew right then and there what I need to do. If Jon Moxley has his way, there is no future for AEW, and the young talent have nowhere to go.
“Jon Moxley doesn’t need AEW, but I need AEW. I don’t exist without AEW. There is no us without AEW. I need to cut the head off the snake and make sure nobody else gets hurt. And I will do it by myself to protect everybody. Jon Moxley, I challenge you for the AEW World Championship and I take the symbol of this company and what it represents, and I take it out of your bag, and I put it in my backpack!
“So you know what, Jon, you let me know. I’m not hard to find. I’m where I am every single week, right here in this ring because I’m ‘Freshly Squeezed’ Orange Cassidy. And I’m the next AEW World Champion. And I still don’t need a catchphrase.”
Adam Cole vs. House of Black’s Buddy Matthews!
Buddy took Cole off his feet with a shoulder tackle. Cole jumped off the apron and appeared to tweak his surgically repaired ankle. Kyle O’Reilly was watching on a monitor backstage. Matthews didn’t give Cole any respite and punted Cole in the face!
Buddy superplexed Adam Cole but Cole retaliated with a neck breaker! Cole drilled Buddy with a DDT on the apron! Adam Cole spiked Matthews with a piledriver for a near fall!
Buddy countered the Panama Sunrise by working over Cole’s leg and ankle. Buddy stomped on Cole’s left ankle. Doc Sampson rushed over to check on Cole. The doctor helped Cole to his feet, and they began to walk to the back. Buddy taunted Cole and Cole shoved the doctor away. Cole limped back to the ring as Buddy awakened the killer instinct inside Cole.
Cole lured in Buddy and blasted Buddy with two consecutive thrust kicks. Cole’s leg gave out under the weight. Buddy curb stomped Cole but Cole kicked out at the two-count! Cole cracked Buddy with a running knee strike for a near fall!
Buddy blocked the Panama Sunrise with a knee strike and a power bomb into the turnbuckles. Buddy hit another curb stomp, but Cole had a surge of energy and kicked out at the one-count. MJF was shown watching the match on a monitor. Cole stuck Buddy with the Panama Sunrise but the momentum knocked Buddy out of the ring. Cole rocked Matthews with a Panama Sunrise on the arena floor. Cole lowered the boom with a knee strike and pinned Buddy!
Adam Cole: “Buddy, I know what you did, and I appreciate it. You just reminded me who the real Adam Cole is and for that Buddy, I thank you.”
Cole offered his hand to Buddy and they shook hands. The arena lights went dark. When the lights turn back on, Malakai Black was in the center of the ring, holding Cole’s hand, having swapped places with Buddy.
“Could this be the next test for Cole on the journey to MJF and Full Gear?” asked Excalibur.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Christopher Daniels and Private Party!
Daniels: “Guys, Frankie Kazarian and I risked everything when we were in your spot, and we were never the same again. I want you guys to think about what you’re risking tonight.”
Quen: “CD, we appreciate your words, but we’re good.”
Adam Cole was backstage with the Undisputed Kingdom!
Cole: “Malakai Black is on my radar. But let’s address the elephant in the room. I’m talking to you, Max. My ankle will never be the same, but I don’t blame you, Max. What I blame you for is pretending that me and you would ever work. Adam Cole and MJF were meant to be enemies.
“And look what he did to Wardlow, Sammy, and Danial Garcia. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for that to happen to me! I care about the locker room and the fans. Max, you have never been a part of that team, and you never will be. I swear to God I will get my hands on you at Full Gear and when I do, I’ll be happy to teach you another lesson. One down, two to go, Max.”
Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher walked onto the ramp!
Callis: “Ladies and gentlemen, Kyle Fletcher has something important to say!”
Fletcher: “I am a man of my word, and I am here to call out and stand face to face with Will Ospreay! I am just as disappointed as all of you fans. I was hoping Will would show up!”
Aussie Open’s music began to plan, and Mark Davis walked onto the ramp!
Mark Davis: “Listen, man, I wish I could look you in the eyes and say it was good to see you, but Will is at home because of what you did to him. He’s someone we would call brother. But I don’t know who I’m looking at when I look at you.”
Kyle: “Don Callis has opened my eyes to the truth. Will never cared about either of us. You can forget about Will because I’m sure he has forgotten about you, but I never did. I knew this day would come and I made sure when it did that you would always have a spot in the family.”
Mark: “Family? Mate, we had an empire, and you destroyed it.”
Kyle: “Davis, before you go, there is going to be a day very soon when you’re going to have to make a hard decision, and I have shown I have no problem cutting the past loose.”
Renee Paquette was backstage with “Hangman” Adam Page!
Page: “In July, Jay White entered the Owen Tournament with his eyes set on the men’s championship, but I knocked him out. I hurt him so bad that he spent three months at home. And when he came back, he came looking for me instead of the championship. A mistake!
“You want to offer me redemption? There is no such thing as redemption. Not for you, not for me. There is only the wins and losses and the consequences that will follow. At the end of Full Gear, when, not if, when I beat you, I will stand over you with my hand raised and I will leave you hurt with less than you had before. Jay White, I will leave you behind.”
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley came to the ring with Marina Shafir, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli, and PAC!
Moxley: “I don’t expect Orange Cassidy or anybody else to appreciate what we’re trying to do right now but one day you will understand. Orange came out here and he thinks he challenged me, Jon Moxley. No, I challenge you. I challenged you when I had your friend Chuck Taylor’s neck broken.
“I freed you from distraction so you could focus on some goals. You better be ready to die in this valley because I am willing to die in this ring. Orange Cassidy said nobody is going to get hurt. He’s a real cool customer. He thinks he’s pulling the strings. Let’s see about that right now.”
Marina and Pac held down Wheeler while Claudio wrapped a chair around Wheeler’s head. Orange sprinted to the ring and charged at Moxley. Claudio pulled Orange away while Moxley kicked Orange. Wheeler began to stomp on Orange. The Dark Order jumped into the ring, but Moxley and his squad were too much for them to handle!
Pac put Orange’s head inside the steel chair. Darby dropped down from the rafters and snuck up behind Claudio! Darby and Claudio crashed through the announce table as they brawled!
Top Flight and Lio Rush joined the fray, as did Private Party and Daniel Garcia! Cassidy landed the Orange Punch on Moxley! Moxley and his crew left the ringside area! After the ringside area was cleared up, the EVPs, who wanted no part of things, finally showed up.
“Are they going to take credit for running these guys off?” wondered Daddy Magic.
AEW World Tag Team Championship Match!
The Young Bucks—Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (c.)
vs.
Private Party—Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy!
If Private Party lose, they must split up.
Nicholas and Zay traded quick pinfall attempts. Matthew grabbed a blind tag. With an assist, Matthew dropkicked Zay. The Bucks isolated Zay in the Bucks’ corner.
Quen got a blind tag himself and he wiped out both Bucks with a double hurracanrana. Matthew grabbed a time keeper’s bell. Quen pulled it away and inadvertently clocked Zay in the head with it! Nicholas punted Quen in the head!
“Somebody has to check on Isiah here. He has not moved,” said Daddy Magic.
Matthew superplexed Quen into the ring for a near fall! Nicholas spiked Zay from the apron with a falcon arrow. Zay was fired up, though, and double dropkicked the Bucks. Zay grounded and pounded Matthew Jackson.
Private Party served up thrust kicks to the Bucks! Private Party landed stereo 450s for a near fall on the Bucks! Nicholas smashed Quen with a destroyer. The Bucks picked up the pace and Matthew and Nicholas used the foot stomp-pendulum combo for a near fall!
The fans chanted “Tag team wrestling! Tag team wrestling!”
The Bucks rocked Zay with Risky Business, but Quen jumped in to make the save. Quen moonsaulted to Matthew outside the ring and followed up with a tope suicida to Nicholas! The Bucks pulled Quen back to the entrance tunnel. Okada snuck out and stuck Quen with a tombstone piledriver on the floor! The Bucks had the ref distracted so the interference went undetected. The Bucks served up their version of the Gin & Juice but Zay kicked out!
The Bucks pumped their Reeboks and invited him to a superkick party! Zay wouldn’t stay down! Matthew and Nicholas were looking for the EVP Trigger, but they inadvertently hit each other after Kassidy ducked. The Bucks went for another EVP Trigger and hit it this time, but Kassidy kicked out of the pin attempt!
Matthew planted Zay with a One-Winged Angel, but Quen jumped in to break up the pin attempt. Kassidy crushed Nicholas with a poison rana. Private Party nailed Matthew with Gin & Juice and pinned Nicholas!
New AEW World Tag Team Champions…Private Party!
“Private Party taking their destiny into their own hands!” said Excalibur.
The fans chanted “They deserve it!” while the Bucks handed over the belts to Private Party!
It was made official: Jon Moxley will be defending his AEW World Championship against “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy at Full Gear!
Renee Paquette was backstage with Jamie Hayter and Penelope Ford ahead of their match next week!
Ford: “After two years I’m going to take back what was taken from me!”
Hayter: “Next week, I’m going to mop the floor with you girl.”
Up next: ROH World Champion “The Learning Tree” Chris Jericho with “The Red Wood” Big Bill and “Bad Apple” Bryan Keith!
Jericho: “Hi, guys! Last week in the ladder match, I became the ROH World Champion for the second time, just like Jay Briscoe. And that also makes me a nine time World champion. I couldn’t have done this without the Bad Apple and the Red Wood.
“I think big picture. I’m going to take ROH to the biggest stage and the biggest success it’s ever seen. How? Because I’m Chris Jericho and I can. So what I’m going to do is let everybody reach down between their legs, ease the seat back, and enjoy the ride, because I’m going to take Ring of Honor to places you’ve never been before. Thanks guys!”
Alex Marvez was trying to get a word with the Young Bucks when “The Scapegoat” Jack Perry stopped him and said now was not a good time.
Daniel Garcia questioned where Jack Perry had been when the locker room emptied to take on Moxley and his crew. Perry opened the Bucks’ locker room door, and they were seen frantically shredding documents.
“The Brickhouse” Kamille (with TBS Champion & NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion “The CEO” Mercedes Moné)
vs.
Kris Statlander!
Kamille nailed Kris with a shoulder tackle. Statlander fired back with a dropkick. Kamille clobbered Kris with a lariat.
“Kamille pulling out the heavy artillery,” said Excalibur.
Statlander planted Kamille face first. Kris climbed to the top and went for a 450 but she crashed and burned as Kamille dodged it. Kamille followed up with a guillotine leg drop but Kris kicked out. Kamille landed a torture rack power bomb, but Statlander kicked out in the nick of time.
Statlander reversed a tombstone piledriver and countered with Wednesday Night Fever, picking up the pin!
After the match, Mercedes blindsided Kris with a cheap shot!
Mercedes: “Kamille, get to the back! Now! When you want something done right, you do it yourself.”
Mark Briscoe was backstage with the Conglomeration—Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii!
Briscoe challenged Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith to a Fight Without Honor next week!
The Bucks left the arena, stating it was too chaotic and they’d be working from home!
The Bucks rushed off without Brandon Cutler. Moxley and his crew stalked up the hallway. Claudio smashed Brandon Cutler’s hand with a hammer while Moxley held Christopher Daniels back!
Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana)
vs.
Shelton Benjamin (with MVP)!
Shelton threw Swerve over the top rope with a belly to belly suplex. Shelton swept out Swerve’s legs and bounced him off the barricade. Shelton tossed Swerve with a high crotch suplex!
“Shelton Benjamin made that look effortless,” said Excalibur.
Shelton scored with a massive knee strike! Shelton hurled Swerve with another suplex. Swerve got to his feet and connected with a spinning kick to Shelton!
Swerve stunned Shelton with a missile dropkick. Swerve rocked Shelton with the House Call kick. Swerve followed up with a 450 splash for a near fall! Swerve planted Shelton with a flatliner. Swerve power bombed Shelton out of the corner. Swerve finished off Shelton with the Swerve foot stomp and scored the pinfall victory!
After the match, MVP called someone on his phone.
“Who could he be calling?” asked Excalibur.
The lights went out for a second and Swerve’s music was cut off. When the lights returned, Bobby Lashley walked down the aisle!
“I cannot believe my eyes!” said Excalibur.
MVP and Bobby hugged one another and smiled.
Bobby Lashley stepped into the ring and had a stare down with Swerve! Shelton distracted Swerve for a split second, long enough for Bobby to deck Swerve! Bobby choke slammed Swerve while MVP held back Prince Nana! Shelton kicked Nana in the head! Bobby Lashley locked Swerve in a full nelson. Security ran down to try to break things up, but MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin were too much for them to handle!
MVP: “Guess who’s back in business!”
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10/9c on TNT!
Don’t miss AEW COLLISION live on Saturday on TNT starting at 8/7c from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH!
Tickets On Sale Now! – www.AEWTix.com