Tag: Action Andretti

AEW Dynamite results 11/29/23: Moxley, Swerve grab 3 points, Devil makes a challenge

A TBS Championship match was also a highlight of AEW Dynamite from Minneapolis.

The Continental Classic remains front and center for AEW Dynamite tonight from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Three Gold League matches are on the card, including one that should be the featured bout between Jay White and Swerve Strickland. Both men won their tournament opener, so a victory tonight could go a long way toward earning one of the spots in the semifinals. Since they’re so evenly matched, a draw seems possible too, which could let some of the other participants back in it.

Speaking of those other men, they’ll be in action too. Jon Moxley will try to run his record to 2-0 against Jay Lethal, looking to rebound from an 0-1 start. The final round robin bout tonight features Mark Briscoe and Rush which should be a banger even though both lost their opening matches.

AEW often announces an intriguing match just hours before the show, and that was the case today as well, with Tony Khan casually tweeting that Julia Hart will defend her TBS Championship against Emi Sakura. It’s not going to completely shut down criticism of the women’s division getting short shrift on AEW shows, but it’s a start.

All this plus we get Bryan Danielson on commentary and we’ll hear from Christian Cage. Light the fuse!

AEW Dynamite results from Minneapolis:

Bryan Danielson is rocking the eye patch as he joins Excalibur and Taz at the announce table.

Jon Moxley def. Jay Lethal by submission in a Continental Classic Gold League match, is first to 6 points

This seems like much more of a must win for Lethal after he dropped his opener. The announcers discuss the tournament format and how a loss in your opener doesn’t mean doom, but having zero points after two matches is pretty bad news.

Danielson criticizes Lethal for strutting on the apron after hitting a suicide dive, and if you guessed Mox makes him pay for it, you guessed right. But Danielson is concerned about the way Moxley’s knees bent back on the landing.

Lethal works over Moxley’s left knee before dropping a top rope elbow. Mox kicks out at two only to get blasted into the barricade as commercials slide in.

The announcers admire Lethal’s transitions, though they wonder if his weak covers may cost him. Sure enough, Mox looks like he’s going to rally even though he’s still selling his knee damage, but Lethal snuffs it out with a Figure Four.

Jay is thinking Lethal Injection after that hold, but Moxley turtles up to avoid it and surprises his foe with a Paradigm Shift. A King Kong lariat and stuff piledriver lead to a two count, after which Moxley immediately wraps Lethal in a choke. Jay fights it briefly but has to tap.

Eddie Kingston is shown musing about his opening match loss, wondering if he came in too cocky by putting his titles on the line. He’s behind the 8-ball with Danielson up next but says he’s not going back to his old mentality and will be ready for Bryan.

Tony Schiavone reveals that AEW Revolution will take place Sunday, March 3 at the Greensboro Coliseum. Sting and Ric Flair talk about their history with that location, and the Nature Boy puts over Sting’s 45-minute match with him there that helped put him on the map.

Rush def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall, gets on the board in a the Continental Classic

Nothing subtle about this, as you’d expect. Briscoe gets the upper hand first by sending Rush to the floor and hitting a dropkick through the ropes, but he finds himself facing chops and being sent into the barricade multiple times.

Briscoe drops an elbow off the apron in response and has the fans fired up. Rush dumps him on his head with a release German suplex but takes a huge lariat seconds later.

During commercials, it appears Rush is having some leg issues, so he tries his best to ground Briscoe. They decide to stand and trade chops again until Briscoe can hit an exploder suplex; Rush answers with a belly-to-belly into the corner.

Briscoe charges out of the corner with a spear, good for a near fall. A neckbreaker gets another in quick succession.

Maybe the biggest move yet comes when Rush manages to throw Briscoe back first onto the floor from the apron. Briscoe beats the ref’s count but appears to be in trouble on the top turnbuckle … until he sends Rush to the mat for the Froggy Bow. Rush kicks out at two.

Another suplex into the corner and an elbow strike has Briscoe in the corner to take the Bull’s Horns, and Mark isn’t able to recover before the ref counts to three.

RJ City gets an audience with “Timeless” Toni Storm, who scoffs at the idea that she’d be worried about her upcoming title defense.

MJF, Samoa Joe get a challenge from the Devil

Walking out with his cane again, MJF hypes up his Worlds End title defense against Samoa Joe. The champ doesn’t like Joe as a person but respects him as a person and for his belief in AEW.

MJF recalls seeing TNA on TV when he was younger, opening his eyes to a lot of new wrestlers, but especially Samoa Joe. He reminds everyone that Joe never got a world championship opportunity in WWE, but without a guy like Joe, there may not be an AEW. So he reluctantly says thank you, and the crowd joins in.

However … MJF says he’s not too shabby himself and has helped build AEW brick by brick since day one. Their match won’t be about Joe’s legacy, but Max’s, to see if he can outlast “the final boss” of this sport one last time.

MJF says he doesn’t care about his ailments or what else might happen, and that on Dec. 30, Joe will have to put him down to take his title.

The lights go out, then start strobing before the Devil’s henchmen appear in the ring. One has a baseball bat, but Joe is able to help fight them off before the whole feed goes black.

A printed message appears, word by word, challenging MJF and Joe to a tag team match against “the unknown.” An angry Max vows to unmask the Devil and accepts the match though Joe seems less than thrilled about it.

Wardlow squashes AR Fox by referee stoppage

Can Fox fare better than some of the lesser lights who Wardlow has run through over the past few weeks? He gets his licks in outside the ring before the match officially starts, but getting in more will be the issue.

Well, he does hit a 450 Splash, so that’s something. But his kicks to the head just sort of piss Wardlow off, and he effortlessly chokeslams Fox, delivers a lariat and starts with the powerbombs.

A Swanton Bomb leads to a third powerbomb, and referee Bryce Remsburg calls a stop to it.

Dante Martin is back, sealing a win for Top Flight and Action Andretti over The Hardys and Brother Zay

Not going to do play-by-play for this one, just going to enjoy Dante Martin back in action after his horrific injury (which AEW shows again for some reason).

Andretti gets some nice time to show his stuff against Matt Hardy before making a popular hot tag to Dante. It’s great to see him fly around the ring, looking like he’s fully healthy and confident.

Some cool spots on the outside take the Hardys out of the mix, and Dante is able to pin Zay after some triple team offense to get a nice comeback victory.

Top Flight and Andretti get a backstage visit from Penta El Zero Miedo, Komander and El Hijo del Vikingo, who look like they’re issuing a challenge for a trios match.

Julia Hart retains her TBS Championship, pinning Emi Sakura

Hart sneers at her more experienced challenger, definitely not intimidated in any way. Sakura doesn’t care, of course, hurling the champ into the steel steps and splashing her there.

Things get no better for the hometown champ during commercials, as Sakura holds Hart upside-down and shows her to all four sides of the arena before dropping her down for a backbreaker.

The House Rules stipulation that Sakura selected was no wins by submission, so Hart can’t use Hartless to finish the challenger. Sakura regains the upper hand as the crowd chants for Hart. She gets Hartless applied, and even though Sakura is tapping, the match continues, with Aubrey Edwards reminding Julia about the rules.

Hart launches into a moonsault (that Sakura has to roll back into a tad) and gets the pinfall to retain.

Mariah May thanks RJ City for connecting her with Storm before going to visit Tony Khan.

Adam Copeland gives Christian Cage a taste of his own medicine

Christian Cage has plenty of security with him as he takes the ring to a chorus of boos, and he may need them as he invites Adam Copeland to the ring. He seems a little flustered when Copeland doesn’t come out immediately.

The Rated R Superstar eventually obliges, sneering at Cage behind his wall of security. Christian asks the guards to step away and says they won’t make it to next week at Montreal … because “I’m sorry.” Wait, what?

Cage says he knows everyone thinks he’s only sorry because he’s on his own as a “bulls–t” chant starts up in the crowd. But he maintains he had a road trip of reflection and soul searching after seeing Copeland Conchairto his underlings, remembering the good times he and Adam had together.

After that, they went on to become the greatest tag team ever and world champions individually. Cage says they were brothers and his dad was essentially Copeland’s father, and still Adam’s biggest fan to this day.

“I love you man. We are family.”

Cage says they should have one last run together for Copeland’s late mom. But when Copeland’s back is turn, Cage tries to attack him from behind … but Adam is ready and kicks him in the crotch.

He tells Cage to get the belt shined up because it’s going home with him and says “go f–k yourself,” which the TBS censor misses wildly so is clearly audible.

Swerve Strickland joins Mox with 6 points after Continental Classic victory over Jay White

Danielson is back on commentary, watching White send Swerve halfway over the barricade and just kind of stick there. Switchblade mocks the “Who’s house?” catchphrase before continuing his assault in the ring.

Both men light each other up with chops but White is still in command when the final commercials slide in.

Back from break, the announcers say we’ll stay with this match even if it overruns the 10 p.m. ending time for Dynamite. It’s still White in command, with Taz saying he’s executed a great game plan.

Strickland finally manages to slam White shoulder first, setting off a series of counters that Swerve ends with a Flatliner rolled into a vertical suplex. Strickland covers but White kicks out at two.

Both men hit some moves that impress Danielson before they end up on the mat together. They rise forehead to forehead as the fans get the “this is awesome” chant going. Strickland gets the better of an exchange of forearm shots, but White hits him with a chop block to the left knee.

An uranage gets White a two count as Excalibur reminds us there are about nine minutes left in the 20-minute time limit. White wants an armbar, but Strickland rolls through and snaps White’s left arm with his boot in painful fashion.

The ref nearly takes a bump, but Strickland sees the low kick coming that White used last week and hits a backbreaker. The House Call is next, and the Swerve Stomp … but White kicks out before the three.

Switchblade hits a Blade Runner out of nowhere only to see Strickland roll to the floor. White has to force him back in the ring, where his schoolboy goes for naught and Swerve’s pinning attempt does too.

Five minutes are left now, but when White goes for a Blade Runner, Swerve counters with a rollup and gets the three count.

AEW Collision results 11/17/23: Final pieces fall in place for Full Gear

A special Friday episode of AEW Collision finalized some more stipulations and matches for Full Gear.

Saturday night may be alright for fighting, but when Full Gear takes up that night, AEW Collision has to try to prove that Friday is fine for fighting as well. It’s actually going to be a very full Friday, with Collision followed by Rampage and then an ROH taping.

But we care about Collision for now, where there will be several matches with potential Full Gear repercussions and another where someone will earn a TNT Championship shot … for later tonight on Rampage. We told you, there’s a lot of wrestling coming up.

With that in mind, let’s not waste any more time, we’re diving in.

AEW Collision results from Inglewood:

  • Tony Schiavone reluctantly holds the mic for Christian Cage, who claims Full Gear will be Sting’s last match ever and says he’s going to break Adam Copeland’s neck
  • Big Bill and Ricky Starks tell Lexy Nair that they’ve asked for and been granted the request to make the four-way tag team title match at Full Gear a Ladder match
  • Miro def. Daniel Garcia by submission, with Daddy Magic taking an accidental bump from Garcia after trying to stop Daniel from dancing during the match
  • Andrade El Idolo is happy to have CJ Perry as a manager, and they reveal that he’s entered into the Continental Classic
  • Kings of the Black Throne (Brody King and Malakai Black) def. The Boys by pinfall
  • A vignette promotes the three-way TBS Championship match at Full Gear
  • Trent Beretta def. Brian Cage. Komander and Penta El Zero Miedo to win a TNT Championship shot at Christian Cage later tonight on Rampage
  • Don Callis and Powerhouse Hobbs talk up what Hobbs did to Paul Wight and say that proves “anyone can get it”
  • Wardlow def. Evan Daniels by referee stoppage in a matter of about a minute
  • Dax Harwood vs. Rush ends in no contest as Starks and Big Bill attack both men during the match, eventually leading to all four teams from the Full Gear title match plus some others getting involved in a huge brawl that takes the efforts of many to break up
  • Nair talks to Action Andretti, who ends up the next “victim” for Roderick Strong
  • Buddy Matthews def. Wheeler Yuta by pinfall, but Claudio Castagnoli prevents Matthews from beating Yuta more after the bell and challenges Buddy to a match at Full Gear
  • Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy offer their final thoughts before they collide again on Saturday night
  • Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida def. Ruby Soho and Saraya by pinfall, thanks in part to Angelo Parker checking on Soho during the match and taking Saraya off her game
  • MJF sits down with Schiavone to discuss his two title matches at Full Gear, and he explains that he will retain the ROH Tag Team Championship because of the promise he made to Adam Cole while also promising to teach Jay White a lesson

AEW Rampage results 11/17/23: MJF (finally) accepts Samoa Joe’s offer

While MJF was unsuccessful in reclaiming physical possession of his title, he at least found a partner for Full Gear.

What’s better than one wrestling show at the Kia Forum? How about several of them over a two-night span? Consider AEW Rampage the meat in your pro wrestling Forum sandwich.

Considering it’s the very last chance for any number of wrestlers to get in their last words or deeds ahead of Full Gear, there’s a better than average chance something will happen during this hour. Not to say that nothing usually happens during Rampage, but … you know what we mean.

Toni Storm taking on Emi Sakura as a “tune-up match” is something that should definitely overdeliver. Let’s see what this show holds for us.

AEW Rampage results from Inglewood:

  • Chris Jericho has joined the announcers to help call the action tonight
  • Christian Cage def. Trent Beretta by pinfall
  • A fired up Jericho has one last message for the Young Bucks, crediting them for being one of the best tag teams around but stating that they aren’t Kenny Omega and they damn sure aren’t Chris Jericho
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm def. Emi Sakura by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette is backstage with Jay Lethal (and company), who reveals to Eddie Kingston that they’ll be battling for Kingston’s ROH World Championship on Zero Hour; Eddie looks into Jay’s eyes and calls him a coward, leading to lots of yelling, then turns around and sees Ortiz standing there
  • Roderick Strong def. Action Andretti by pinfall, though a Spanish Fly spot during the match looked like both men were lucky to emerge uninjured
  • Switchblade Jay White says he knows MJF is the Devil as the masked man briefly appears on the monitor behind him and Paquette, but his boasting is interrupted by an enraged MJF, who is in turn attacked by Juice Robinson …
  • … but White opens a door to find that MJF has destroyed Juice and throws a large TV at Switchblade; they battle all the way to the ring, where MJF fights off The Gunns and gets his title belt back … but only for a second as the numbers game turns against him; though White still has the belt, Samoa Joe helps fight off Bullet Club Gold, and MJF accepts his handshake

[lawrence-related id=41042]

AEW Rampage results 11/10/23: Love in the air in Oakland?

OK it was a lot of fists and pinfalls as well, but also a romance subplot on this episode of AEW Rampage.

This is like Bizarro AEW this Friday night. Why? Because Rampage is live and Collision will be taped right after it. See? Bizarro!

But that also means the crowd at the Oakland Arena should be hit for this edition of Rampage, because they’re seeing it fresh instead of after two hours of Dynamite. That’s something and can only help what we’re about to watch.

Let’s see how this live hour plays out.

AEW Rampage results from Oakland:

  • Ricky Starks def. Preston Vance by pinfall with just a tiny bit of help from tag team partner Big Bill, who was on guest commentary; afterward, Rush and Dralistico hustle down to save their teammate
  • Chris Jericho calls out Konosuke Takeshita ahead of their match in DDT Pro this weekend in Japan, vowing to get his revenge
  • Don Callis and Prince Nana say they’ve made a deal to have Brian Cage fight alongside Callis’ Family (since Sammy Guevara still isn’t cleared) next week on Dynamite for the Street Fight
  • Jeff Jarrett takes exception to questions about when Jay Lethal will get his ROH World Championship shot, and Lethal brags about beating Eddie Kingston; Ortiz stops by and proves unafraid of the odds, smacking Lethal and getting saved from certain ruin by a gaggle of refs and officials
  • Red Velvet def. Ruby soho by pinfall after Ruby gets distracted by flowers being delivered to her during the match (no, really)
  • Roderick Strong comes out with The Kingdom, insulting Oakland and saying he wants to dedicate the upcoming match to his best friend, Adam Cole
  • The Kingdom def. Los Suavecitos by pinfall with their new finisher, The Neck Check, and Strong “miraculously” gets out of his wheelchair to hit a Backstabber afterward
  • Daniel Garcia says he’s sick of being sad, and to cheer himself up, he wanted to challenge someone he has respect for, and he’s decided on Andrade; Soho and Saraya stop by and get into it with Angelo Parker and Matt Menard, and while it seems like Ruby and Angelo are hitting it off, their partner seem to want to keep them apart
  • Action Andretti and Darius Martin confront The Kingdom, but Strong says Martin will be “his first victim”
  • FTR def. Komander and El Hijo del Vikingo by pinfall, and the two team show each other respect afterward … but then the lights go out and the House of Black gives them mock applause on the big screen

AEW Collision results 10/21/23: House of Black runs roughshod but faces rally to end the show

The AEW tag team champions were the unexpected beneficiary of the return of Malakai Black and company.

It’s not fun to think about, but since Bryan Danielson has said it himself, it’s time to face facts: We won’t have the pleasure of watching the American Dragon in the ring forever. That’s why it behooves AEW to get him in the ring with as many amazing opponents as possible while he’s still around, which is exactly what’s happening on tonight’s episode of AEW Collision in Memphis.

Tony Khan announced a few days ago that he had a dream match lined up for tonight, and while that inevitably led to fans’ imaginations running wild with potential opponents from just about everywhere, it turns out there was one within the company who has been appearing on Collision quite often. That’d be Andrade El Idolo, who has, pretty incredibly, never faced Bryan in a televised match of any kind.

(Seriously, we had our research intern look it up. Just kidding, we don’t have one of those.)

While that bout may just be for the pure in-ring excitement, the rest of Collision looks like it stems from things going on over AEW programming in recent weeks. Eddie Kingston will battle Jeff Jarrett in a Memphis Street Fight, attempting to keep Jay Lethal from earning a shot at his ROH World Championship.

New-ish AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks will try to remain in that position when they face Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta, while the previous titleholders, FTR, return to action for the first time since losing them. And Action Andretti will try to keep his head attached to his shoulders while staying out of any marital drama as he takes on Miro.

If that weren’t enough for you, be sure to stay tuned afterward as Battle of the Belts VIII presents three championship matches. We’ll get to that in due time, but for now, let’s see what Collision has in store.

AEW Collision results from Memphis:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Bryan Danielson def. Andrade El Idolo by pinfall, but Malakai Black appears after the bell and lays out Danielson with a spin kick
  • Skye Blue def. Hollyhood Haley by pinfall
  • The Gunns def. Outrunners by pinfall; after the match, the lights go out and the man in the devil mask appears on screen, but doesn’t go after Bullet Club Gold
  • While Orange Cassidy is being interviewed, Kris Statlander says she needs a pump before her match and squats the interviewer
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Eddie Kingston by pinfall in a Memphis Street Fight thanks to help from Jay Lethal, Karen Jarrett, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt (yes, all of them); Lethal will receive a ROH World Championship shot as a result
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass have to apologize for Max Caster’s behavior but are ready to take down Daniel Garcia, Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang on Battle of the Belts
  • Miro def. Action Andretti by submission in a match that was probably harder than Miro would have figured; C.J. Perry applauds from ringside and Miro decides against beating up Andretti after the bell in what passes as a show of respect from him
  • Anna Jay seems like she’s still trying to keep the peace between Daniel Garcia and Matt Menard; Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho have an amusing exchange about family problems before Soho says she deserves to be a champion and is willing to challenge any of them
  • Rush says he’s sick and tired of all the opportunities going to other wrestlers and mad about the company saying he’s too dangerous … to be continued …
  • Kingston is getting checked out by the trainer but still delivers an angry promo to Lethal, calling him “Jeff Jarrett’s little bitch” and promising to beat Lethal down in front of his mother
  • FTR vs. Bad Thad Brown and Darian Bengston is interrupted by an attack from the House of Black, who lays out FTR
  • Big Bill and Ricky Starks def. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta by pinfall to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship thanks to interference by the House of Black, but …
  • … when the House of Black tries to press its advantage after the match, the faces get reinforcements: from Bryan Danielson, FTR, and eventually, Jon Moxley, leaving the faces standing over a prone Starks to end the show

AEW Collision results 09/09/23: Jade returns, Strong, Joe advance

This week’s AEW Collision also saw Ricky Starks escalate things even further with Bryan Danielson and the BCC thanks to some Big help.

If we had a dime for every time some wrestling show was called the start of a new era … well, we wouldn’t have all that much money, because dimes aren’t worth too much in 2023. But we would have a lot of dimes, which isn’t nothing. Yet that actually applies to AEW Collision this week in Cleveland.

An argument could be made that the new, post-CM Punk era of Collision actually started last week, since he was fired the day before. It’s just that Tony Khan was still in full explaining mode that night in Chicago, and though the Young Bucks appeared on that episode, it’s not likely that he had his full plans in place for a brand that was essentially built around Punk.

He’s really gone now, though, so Collision will look different going forward. For tonight, it means settling who’s moving on from the semifinals in the Grand Slam World Title Eliminator tournament. Plus Jon Moxley will defend his AEW International Championship against Action Andretti.

Let’s see how this particular show unfolds.

AEW Collision results from Cleveland:

  • Jon Moxley def. Action Andretti by submission to retain the AEW International Championship
  • A video package hypes up Roderick Strong by focusing on (once again) how Adam Cole has turned his back on him after years of friendship and support
  • Kris Statlander def. Robyn Renegade by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship, but that’s not nearly the most exciting thing about this segment because …
  • … Jade Cargill returns! Cargill saves Statlander from a post-match attack by Robyn and her sister Charlotte, but she’s definitely doing it because she wants her title back and not because she’s BFFs with Statlander
  • Renee Paquette talks with Saraya and Ruby Soho, who are both upset about whatever is going on with Toni Storm, while Saraya does the usual “I’m going to walk in and walk out with my championship” thing about her next title defense
  • Tony Schiavone tries and mostly fails to get to the bottom of the ongoing issues between Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli, but the upshot of it is that there will be a match between the two of them for Kingston’s NJPW Strong Openweight Championship at Grand Slam
  • Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson and The Gunns) def. Aerostar, Gravity and Inframundo by pinfall
  • CJ Perry explains why she’s back to be a manager, and seemingly determined to do so even if Miro continues to turn his back on her
  • The Acclaimed want to defend the Trios Championship all over the world, but especially in New York
  • Rey Fenix def. Angelico by pinfall
  • FTR tell Schiavone that they’ve beaten nearly everyone and need new challengers, and are willing to go the open challenge route to find some
  • Roderick Strong def. Darby Allin by pinfall in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament semifinal after attempts by AR Fox’s attempt to assist Nick Wayne in helping Allin goes awry
  • A Powerhouse Hobbs video has him talking about taking Miro to his limits (meat!) and that this chapter of the Book of Hobbs isn’t finished yet
  • Keith Lee advises people on Collision to run
  • Bryan Danielson comes to the ring to talk to Schiavone, suggesting that this will be the final year of his career but he wants to wrestle Zack Sabre Jr. at WrestleDream; Ricky Starks comes out with Big Bill and says he’s going to be the face of Collision, and just as it seems Danielson might offer Ricky a spot in the Blackpool Combat Club, Starks and Bill jump him, and not even the arrival of Moxley can turn the tide
  • Schiavone reveals that Big Bill will get a title shot against Mox next week on Dynamite … but Fenix shows up and says he’s next in line after that
  • Samoa Joe def. Penta El Zero Miedo by submission in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament semifinal

AEW Dynamite results 06/21/23: Leave the (Forbidden) Door open

Chicago hosts the final AEW Dynamite before Forbidden Door, and we’re tracking the action live.

We’re just four days away from Forbidden Door 2023, where the worlds of AEW and NJPW will once again collide, this time in Toronto. But unlike last year, tonight’s final AEW Dynamite before the supershow isn’t even the go home show.

The arrival of Collision has seen to that, giving Tony Khan and the brain trust behind the collaboration time to add matches almost literally right up to the last minute. That said, there should definitely be more pieces of the Forbidden Door puzzle that fall into place tonight in Chicago, and there will definitely be New Japan talent in the house.

Two of the promoted matches for tonight are proof of that. One will see Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata team up to tangle with Zack Sabre Jr. and Daniel Garcia. There’s a pretty decent chance this tag team bout is going to set up Cassidy vs. ZSJ in Toronto, a matchup yours truly would love to see.

In trios action, Minoru Suzuki will once again align himself with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. But things have changed since last year, as Suzuki no longer has his army behind him, and Jericho and Guevara aren’t exactly best buds these days either.

We will, of course, hear from a number of people, including Bryan Danielson, who has a high profile Forbidden Door match already lined up against Kazuchika Okada, and Adam Cole, who does not. There have also been reports that a certain favorite son of Chicago is in the building and may appear, and if you need me to tell you who that is, congrats on taking your first dive into pro wrestling. Hope you enjoy it enough to stick around.

Let’s dive into it, shall we Chicago?

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

  • The Gunns def. The Hardys by pinfall after a distraction from Bullet Club Gold, who proceed to help beat down Jeff and Matt after the bell; Ricky Starks and FTR join the fray on the side of the fan favorites, as does … CM Punk, who helps clear the ring and says the two groups can settle things in the ring on Collision

  • A video package promotes the Concession Stand Brawl between Jeff Jarrett and Mark Briscoe, which is well timed because it leads right into …
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall in a Concession Stand Brawl that sees Sonjay Dutt, Karen Jarrett, Papa Briscoe, Christopher Daniels, Best Friends and Lucha Bros. all get involved

  • Blackpool Combat Club and Konosuke Takeshita challenge The Elite to a 10-man tag (they’ll also have Shota Umino on their team) at Forbidden Door, while Bryan Danielson says he’s going to the ring to call out Kazuchika Okada and that the Rainmaker is a coward if he doesn’t show up

  • Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki def. Action Andretti, AR Fox and Darius Martin by submission when Jericho gets Martin to tap out to the Lion Tamer
  • Renee Paquette talks to the winners after the bell, giving Jericho a chance to call out Sting and challenge him, Darby Allin and a partner of their choice to a match at Forbidden Door; Sting and Allin come to the ring to accept and say they’ll reveal their partner at Collision

  • Tony Schiavone and RJ City kick off the draw for the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament, the brackets for which will be unveiled next week on Dynamite
  • The Elite (in a pre-taped bit, we assume) acknowledge the challenge from the BCC, but they say they have friends all over and a lot of people hate the BCC too … like Eddie Kingston, who also says he’ll pick the fifth member of their team and make the announcement

  • Adam Cole hits the ring to give the Devil his due, admitting that MJF gave him one of the toughest matches of his career last week and calling out the champ to talk rematch; but not only does MJF refuse, Tony Schiavone informs them they’re a tag team for the tournament, but that’s not all …
  • … because Hiroshi Tanahashi appears on the big screen to remind MJF of the challenge the Ace made for Forbidden Door, and Cole manages to goad the AEW World Champion into accepting

  • Daniel Garcia and Zack Sabre Jr. def. Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall as Garcia pins Shibata following a miscommunication by Cassidy and Shibata
  • Alex Marvez catches up with Will Ospreay, who doubles down on his criticism of Canada, to which Don Callis blames Kenny Omega for Will’s troubles and pledges his private security to aid Ospreay
  • Toni Storm disses the people that like Willow Nightingale, who takes the high road and says she respects the champ’s fight; the two women will meet for Storm’s title at Forbidden Door
  • Kris Statlander def. Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship
  • Eddie Kingston says he thinks there’s one member of BCC who might have a problem with him teaming with The Elite, and sure enough, Jon Moxley comes out to confront his old friend before Kingston confirms the fifth member of their team is Tomohiro Ishii; the Stone Pitbull comes to the ring but is waylaid by the BCC, and Danielson’s threats bring Kazuchika Okada to the ring as well, and he gives the Rainmaker to Wheeler Yuta

AEW Dynamite preview 06/21/23: ZSJ, Suzuki up Forbidden Door factor in Chicago

Along with some NJPW talent, tonight’s AEW Dynamite in Chicago features a title match and a Concession Stand Brawl.

Sorry, Chicago, but you don’t get to host Forbidden Door 2023. That honor goes to Toronto this year.

Still, with the AEW/NJPW collaboration coming up fast this Sunday, the Windy City might get the next best thing tonight at the Wintrust Arena. There will certainly be a heavy New Japan flavor to the matches on the AEW Dynamite card, and there could be a few surprises to boot.

Orange Cassidy will team with Katsuyori Shibata to take on Daniel Garcia and Zack Sabre Jr. in what’s essentially a combination of two separate feuds. It might lead to a match between Cassidy and ZSJ at Forbidden Door as well, or at least that’s the hope.

Minoru Suzuki is back on Dynamite too, teaming with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara to face a team of Action Andretti, AR Fox and Darius Martin. This may or may not set up something for Sunday — Jericho is one AEW star who notably isn’t on the card yet — but regardless, you don’t need to give us a reason to be excited for a Suzuki appearance.

Bryan Danielson will call out Kazuchika Okada ahead of their highly anticipated Forbidden Door meeting as well. Neither man needs to say all that much to get fans more hyped for their upcoming collision, but the Rainmaker has shown up on Dynamite before, and it would be cool if he answers the American Dragon in person.

The AEW-only segments promise to be compelling in their own right. Kris Statlander will defend her TBS Championship against Taya Valkyrie, The Hardys will clash with The Gunns to see who the best brothers tag team is, and Mark Briscoe will fight Jeff Jarrett in a Concession Stand Brawl.

So, yes, look forward to Sunday, but don’t sleep on this Dynamite card tonight either. Check out the action beginning at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, or visit us at that time for the latest live updates and results.

AEW Rampage Championship Friday results 06/02/23: Title matches aplenty

See if any of the four titles on the line on AEW Rampage Championship Friday changed hands.

How’s this for a high concept hour of televised wrestling: four championship matches from three different promotions. Oh, and none of them are AEW titles up for grabs. That’s what AEW Rampage is offering this week.

Not what you see every week on this show, which is why it’s being billed as “Championship Friday.” And with talent from NJPW and AAA along for the ride as well, it’s going to be a very interesting and entertaining slate.

So let’s not waste any time and get right into the good stuff.

AEW Rampage Championship Friday results:

  • El Hijo del Vikingo def. Dralistico and Komander by pinning Dralistico to retain the AAA Mega Championship
  • Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and company can’t believe they might be facing suspensions, but Mark Briscoe says Tony Khan promised there would be no suspensions because then they wouldn’t get the butt kickings they deserve … from Briscoe and Aubrey Edwards
  • Zack Sabre Jr. def. Action Andretti by submission to retain the NJPW World Television Championship
  • Willow Nightingale def. Emi Sakura by pinfall to retain the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship
  • Katsuyori Shibata def. Lee Moriarty by submission to retain the ROH Pure Championship …
  • … but after the match, Daniel Garcia came to the ring to confront Shibata, who simply stared him down and held the title over his head