Tag: Adam Cole

AEW Dynamite results 11/22/23: 3 men get 3 points in Continental Classic openers

Also on AEW Dynamite, MJF and Samoa Joe decided when their world title match will happen.

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The AEW Continental Classic gets underway tonight with three matches that should be the highlight of the Thanksgiving Eve episode of AEW Dynamite from Chicago.

While you can check out the full list of participants and how they’re split between two groups, the short version is that the six wrestlers in the Gold League all have their first round robin matches on Dynamite.

The matchups are:

Each match has a 20-minute time limit and will award three points for a win and one for a draw, with zero points for a loss. Everyone is banned from ringside, so ostensibly, that means no interference from LFI, BCC, BCG or whatever letters you use to describe Lethal’s group.

In other somewhat weird news, Christian Cage has promised to “rechristen” Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne, and what exactly that entails, we honestly do not know. We’ll also see a championship acceptance speech from “Timeless” Toni Storm after her title win at Full Gear, plus we’ll hear from AEW World Champion MJF. No word on whether the Devil may show up too.

That sounds like a full night of Dynamite to us. Let’s light the fuse on this one.

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

Swerve Strickland scores the first 3 points of the Continental Classic, pinning Jay Lethal

Despite his heel status, Swerve hears some chants as the bell rings. The announcers put over the idea that he’s somewhat the worse for wear after his Texas Death match at Full Gear, and yeah, he should be.

Lethal gets in enough offense to tease his strut and faux flip off the fans, but Swerve is able to respond with some offense that targets Lethal’s left knee. Lethal is smartly focusing on Strickland’s right arm and shoulder, which is taped up.

A nice German suplex by Swerve is answered by a shoulderbreaker, and both men are down for the broadcast to head to side-by-side ads. A superplex has Strickland looking good after the break, and his rolling flatliner flows right into a brainbuster for a near fall.

Lethal offers a strong response that ends with a long flying elbow off the top for a two count. A couple of counters leads to a stretch muffler by Swerve, who then gets rolled up for two and stuck in an STF. Lethal connects with a pump kick , but Strickland sees the Lethal Injection coming.

A dropkick, the House Call and the Swerve Stomp finish it off, giving Strickland the first three points of the tournament.

Orange Cassidy wants to make an announcement but is rudely interrupted by Wheeler Yuta, who also has some verbal venom for Hook and Katsuyori Shibata. And then Renee Paquette tells Orange that they’re out of time.

MJF and Samoa Joe set the date for their world title match

A banged up MJF, who is walking with a cane, and Adam Cole, still on crutches, make their way to the ring. MJF helpfully gets a chair so Cole can sit. That’s true friendship.

The AEW champ brags about beating Jay White on one leg but also says Switchblade is one of the best pro wrestlers in the world. After reminding us of his accomplishments, though, MJF says he’s the greatest AEW world champion of all time.

Still, none of that would be possible without his brochacho for life, and Cole does indeed want to do some story time. He’s excited to be back in Chicago and that he and MJF are still ROH tag team champ. Cole has some bad news, though: He has a long road back from his ankle injury, though he promises to do the work he needs to do to get back to his best.

In the meantime, Cole is concerned about MJF since everyone is gunning for him and the Devil and his goons are still out there. MJF tells Cole not to worry because he’ll hunt the Devil down … but the Devil appears quickly on the screen with an evil laugh.

Samoa Joe figures that’s the best time to join the duo in the ring, saying it’s time for celebration. He’s there to ensure Max honors the deal they made that would give Joe a world title shot, but MJF says no, except in much more crass language that gets beeped out.

Cole intervenes and says that while Joe is indeed a killer, skipping out on the title shot is something the old MJF would have done. “Max, be a man of your word,” he implores.

MJF takes an oblique shot at CM Punk before saying he’ll take on Joe right here in Chicago, but Joe says absolutely not. Joe wants the best, fully healed version of MJF, and he figures by Worlds End, he’ll be nice and chipper to defend the title.

That makes MJF almost incredulous since Worlds End is in his hometown, and he tells Joe it’s a deal. They shake hands, but after MJF tries to get in one last verbal jab, Joe calls Max “my property” and says he’ll be watching the champ’s back until Worlds End … when he’ll beat him for the title in front of everyone he loves.

Orange Cassidy and friends get a Very Nice, Very Evil boost

Orange Cassidy gets on the mic before the match can start and says he has a Thanksgiving surprise: Danhausen is back! The heels are unimpressed and try to get the jump on our heroes before the bell.

Hook takes a beating during commercials and is in desperate need of a tag. He manages a t-bone suplex on Angelo Parker and gets Cassidy into the fray. A big powerslam by Jake Hager stops Orange in his tracks but only for a second until he can hit Stundog Millionaire and tag in Katsuyori Shibata.

Shibata vs. everyone works out surprisingly well until it doesn’t. Just when it appears he’s in big trouble, Danhausen produces Hager’s beloved purple bucket hat and curses him to boot.

Hook and Shibata get submissions locked in at the same time, Cassidy Orange Punches Hager off the apron, and Parker, who is somehow legal through all this, taps out.

Cole tells Paquette he can’t wait to get back to doing what he does beat, but when Roderick Strong and The Kingdom arrive, Cole has little time for his nagging and tells Roddy in no uncertain terms that they aren’t best friends any more and he wants Strong to leave him the hell alone.

Christian Cage gives his henchmen new names but runs afoul of Adam Copeland again

Christian Cage is accompanied to the ring by Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus and tells Chicago to be quiet. He says a true champion is gracious in victory and humble in defeat, noting that things didn’t go his way at Full Gear … but he did not lose that match.

Wayne didn’t either. Luchasaurus lost that match. Harsh.

Cage says that’s unacceptable, and the only way to wash the stench of losing away is to recreate Wayne and Luchasaurus in his image. He tells the dinosaur man to take a knee, which he does reluctantly, and says he will be known from here on out as Killswitch.

Wayne takes a knee quickly, but Cage tells him to rise because he’s the golden boy, the one who reminds Christian of himself. His new name is “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne.

Wayne’s mom arrives in the ring, irritating Cage, who berates Mrs. Wayne for being a waitress and insults Nick’s late father. He tells Shayna to leave, but Killswitch comes to her defense. Christian yells at him to get back on his knees, then smacks him.

Finally, Cage threatens to expose Killswitch’s face, pushing him into Shayna and knocking her down. Nick goes under the ring to find a steel chair, the another.

He gives the chairs to Cage, who in turn hands one to Killswitch and orders him to give Shayna the Con-Chair-To. The dinosaur man struggles with the decision before Adam Copeland has enough, spearing Nick.

Killswitch saves Cage, so Copeland spears Nick instead and follows with an Impaler. Copeland sets Nick up for the Con-Chair-To and doesn’t hesitate to deliver it.

The ex-members of the JAS talk to Paquette, and they’re all out of sorts except for Anna Jay, who just seems to be upset with all of them. And Parker is distracted by his flirtations with Ruby Soho.

Jay White takes a shortcut to get 3 points against Rush in their Continental Classic opener

The referee reminds The Gunns they need to hit the bricks since no one is allowed at ringside for the Continental Classic matches. That might hurt since Rush controls the early action and takes it to Jay White in and out of the ring.

Rush gets out a long cable but is warned not to use it, so he returns to his heavy chops. White tries to give as good as he gets, but Rush is going to win this game, and he stomps White down in the corner as well. He kicks Switchblade in the face and does the Tranquilo pose.

An ad break finds White now in control afterward, but Rush rallies to look for his version of Three Amigos, ending with a brainbuster once White interrupts it. White is covered but manages to kick out at two.

White takes control again as the chop battle is resumed. Forearms are flying as well, so White thumbs his foe in the eye and answers Rush’s knee strike with a uranage for a close two count.

After a German suplex has Rush thinking thrust kick, White proves he has an answer in the form of a dragon screw. Rush responds with a belly-to-belly overhead throw into the turnbuckles. An elbow strike is on target too, but White sees the Bull’s Horns coming.

The referee nearly takes a bump, and when he covers up to protect himself, White lands a low blow. Rush is a sitting duck for a Blade Runner, and White has himself three points.

Paquette and RJ City are on the stage to present the AEW Women’s World Championship to “Timeless” Toni Storm in the manner of an awards show acceptance speech. Mariah May presents her with the title belt before Storm puts on glasses and takes her notes out.

She thanks “Anthony Khan and the wonderful people at Warner Discovery,” and works through it as they try to play her off. She also thanks the little Toni Storms, says they won’t take her spot and tells them to stay in school, maybe learn a trade.

Cue the standing ovation! But Storm hasn’t cleared out yet when Skye Blue pushes past her on her way to the ring for a match.

Skye Blue gets a big win as a battle for the heart of Ruby Soho rages on

Skye Blue might be competing in front of her home fans, but she’s the one taking the big bumps early. Ruby Soho takes one too as she’s kicked off the apron, and Anna Jay gets some help from Cool Hand Ang and Daddy Magic to take control on the outside.

A superplex/powerbomb combo is a fun way to return from commercials. Soho takes a ridiculous head kick on the outside as she’s caught between her teammate Saraya and Cool Hand Ang.

Back in the ring, Anna almost wins it before Soho breaks up her pin on Skye. More arguing breaks out between Sraya and Daddy Magic, as Soho is knocked off the apron into Ang’s hands.

Blue nails Anna with Skyefall, and with Soho caught in the drama on the outside, she can’t prevent the three count.

Wardlow takes a break from working out to tell Paquette he’ll get MJF on his own time, then headbutts AR Fox for daring to offer some advice.

Jon Moxley gets a hard fought Continental Classic victory over Mark Briscoe

This is the first ever singles match between Mark Briscoe and Jon Moxley, and we will go past the top of the hour to get it in, according to the broadcast. Both men come out swinging, with Briscoe taking control after a dropkick to knock Mox to the floor and a cannonball off the apron.

Briscoe thinks Froggy Bow but sees Moxley run away and open back up with strikes. A big boot takes Briscoe to the floor as we go picture-in-picture one last time for the night.

The announcers are surprised that it’s Briscoe bleeding first in this one, but it isn’t stopping him from mounting some impressive offense and countering a King Kong lariat for a two count. Briscoe is caught temporarily in a submission but makes it over for a rope break.

Up top they go, where Briscoe smashes a right hand and bites Moxley on the face. Mark also no sells a Paradigm Shift to land a dropkick, leaving both men on the mat.

Brsicoe’s Death Valley Driver has him thinking Froggy Bow, which finds the mark but isn’t enough to keep Moxley down for three. A King Kong Lariat answers a Jay Driller attempt, but Mox is incredulous when his opponent kicks out after a Death Rider.

Moxley tries for a bulldog choke but nearly gets rolled up for the pin. They battle to the middle of the ring again with strikes. Mox hits a stomp, then another Death Rider, and this time it’s too much even for Briscoe.

AEW Full Gear 2023 results: MJF guts it out against Jay White, retains world title

Despite a vicious attack earlier in the night, MJF prevailed over Jay White in the main event of AEW Full Gear 2023.

Incredibly, Adam Cole makes his way down to the ring on crutches and even sort of does his “boom” bit. Jay White mocks Cole while still clutching the AEW world title, dressed in the same gear he wore while defeating Cole (and two others) at the original Forbidden Door.

Referee Bryce Remsburg doesn’t look happy about these circumstances, and White keeps mocking his opponent as he hops on one leg across the ring. But just as the action looks like it will begin, an ambulance pulls up, and a limping MJF pulls up (apparently having stolen the ambulance). A group of security guards and officials try to stop him, but MJF makes his way to the ring.

A quick discussion between friends leads to MJF telling Cole he’s got this. But does he? MJF looks like he can barely put any weight on his injured left leg, and White happily takes advantage. Switchblade stomps away on him in the corner, following with chops and a slam for a near fall.

Cole looks understandably concerned as the fans try to rally their scumbag. The Gunns attack MJF while Remsburg is occupied with White, leading to another near fall. They do it again, but this time the champ at least attempts some resistance, and he’s able to kick out a second time.

The Gunns get a steel chair but are caught this time, and Remsburg gets a big pop when he ejects Austin and Colten. Cole sends them off with double birds.

White, however, takes the time to belittle both Cole and MJF. The champ verbally berates his challenger and gets in his first burst of offense. MJF tees off with right hands in the corner and bites his forehead to boot.

Even with an injured leg, MJF hits the Kangaroo Kick and kips up. He’s considering a dive but takes a low dropkick and a short-arm DDT for a two count. Agony is obvious on MJF’s face as he can’t even be whipped across the ring without collapsing in pain.

MJF pulls out a unique twist on a mule kick in the corner, buying himself a respite. He thinks Panama Sunrise but White evades it and hits a uranage for another two count.

The champ is sent hard to the floor as the announcers suggest White is in complete control. That changes quickly as MJF pulls off a DDT on the floor. MJF clears off the announce table, and it collapses as soon as he puts White on it. No matter, as MJF launches himself off the top rope anyway and just drops an elbow all the way to the floor.

Understandably, both men are down but the fans are clapping for their champ. Remsburg starts another count, but MJF is up and chucks White back in the ring. The fans reward MJF with a “he’s our scumbag” chant, but White hits a dragon screw and puts the champion in the Tree of Woe. Even from that position, MJF hurls White down only to get his leg taken out again.

An avalanche uranage can’t feel good for MJF, but he’s able to kick out at two yet again. Max is fired up and waves Switchblade in for more chops, and he’s able to escape a Blade Runner only to get hit with several more moves, ending with a deadlift release German suplex.

Both men try roll-ups, and even grabbing the ropes doesn’t work for MJF. He connects on a pildriver, though, with White taking a hard bump. MJF tries for the Heatseeker but gets shoved backward and ends up face down on the canvas.

MJF gathers himself and launches a running cutter over the top rope all the way to the floor. It takes a while, but Max is able to finally cover for two.

It’s hard for MJF to put weight on his knee again, so Cole goes back to work on his motivation. The ringside doctor comes to check on the champ but he won’t entertain any suggestions of quitting. A wrenching dragon screw may make him regret it, not to mention a second one.

White taunts Cole before locking in a Figure Four, which seems like it would have MJF in big trouble. Cole considers throwing in the towel even as MJF takes some chops too. Finally, MJF flips the hold over, and White now suffers as he takes a while to reach the rope and breaks the hold.

Cole has the title belt in hand, but it ends up with White, and Switchblade uses it … only to see MJF somehow kick out. Remsburg takes an accidental bump from White, and MJF smiles as Cole produces his Dynamite Diamond Ring. But White is up quickly and gets the ring.

As Switchblade moves in, MJF nails him with a low blow and reclaims the ring. The Gunns return but are quickly fought off, and MJF connects with the ring. He covers White and a recovered Remsburg makes the three count.

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AEW Full Gear 2023 results: MJF, Swerve, Julia Hart big winners in Inglewood

A dramatic journey to the main event and an incredible Texas Death match were highlights from Full Gear.

In pro wrestling, it’s common to talk about someone as champ and another wrestler chasing them. When the main event of AEW Full Gear 2023 hits the Kia Forum tonight, it will be a rare case of one man filling both roles.

MJF is in the midst of an impressive AEW World Championship reign, but he hasn’t actually had his beloved Triple B title belt for some time. That’s because Jay White took physical possession of the championship and simply refused to give it back — and not for MJF’s lack of trying.

One expects that he’ll have to relinquish it if MJF emerges victorious in Inglewood. And considering White is the biggest underdog on the card at places that traffic in betting lines and such, there’s not a whole lot of belief that he’ll get the job done.

Other challengers seem to have better odds. The consensus seems to be that “Timeless” Toni Storm has a good shot at dethroning AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida, especially since Full Gear is being billed as Toni’s “Hollywood Homecoming.” Kris Statlander may be in a precarious situation as well, considering she’s going to be defending her TBS Championship against both Julia Hart and Skye Blue.

Amidst all of that, the most anticipated match of the night may be the Texas Death match between Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page, the latest showdown in a program that has become very personal.

We’re looking forward to the whole Full Gear card, so here we go.

AEW Full Gear 2023 results from Inglewood:

(click on any match or segment with a link for full details)

  • The broadcast begins with a replay of the end of Zero Hour, where MJF was taken away in an ambulance, making his status for the main event seem uncertain
  • Adam Copeland, Darby Allin and Sting def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne by pinfall in a match that involved Ric Flair taking a low blow and Cage accidentally hitting Luchasaurus with his tile belt and then running out on the match
  • Allin reminds the fans that this could be Sting’s last match ever in California and asks for more applause for the Icon, who returns to the ring to soak it all in
  • Tony Schiavone and Bryce Remsburg call out Jay White and Schiavone is about to say that White will get the world championship by default, but Adam Cole, on crutches, says he will defend it in MJF’s place
  • Orange Cassidy def. Jon Moxley by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida by pinfall to become the new AEW Women’s World Champion
  • Eddie Kingston tells Renee Paquette that he wants to up his game, putting both of his titles on the line in the Continental Classic, so the winner will grab both those belts plus the Classic trophy
  • Big Bill and Ricky Starks def. Kings of the Black Throne, FTR and La Facción Ingobernable (Rush and Dralístico) in a Ladder match to retain the AEW World Tag Team championship
  • Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue by pinning Blue to become the new AEW TBS Champion
  • The AEW blockbuster signing is revealed … and it’s Will Ospreay, who says he’s going to “finish up” with NJPW before joining on “the road to Revolution”
  • Swerve Strickland def. Hangman Adam Page by 10 count in a Texas Death match
  • Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega def. The Young Bucks by pinfall, earning an AEW World Tag Team Championship shot any time they choose
  • MJF def. Jay White by pinfall to retain the AEW World Championship

Who is in the Devil mask in AEW? Updated guesses after Dynamite

The person in the Devil mask has been spooking AEW. But just who is it under there? We make some updated guesses.

As AEW World Champion MJF is fond of saying, “nobody is on the level of the Devil.”

The idea of MJF as the Devil of the promotion began when he first started making his move toward becoming its top champ. He wore a stylized Devil mask to enter the Casino Ladder match at All Out 2022, winning a shot at the championship (with plenty of help) that he later made good on by defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear later that year.

Like many of the trappings of his heel persona, MJF has kept the Devil catchphrase even as he’s transitioned to becoming a full-on babyface. But things have been a bit more complicated since he started a program with Jay White, his opponent for this year’s edition of Full Gear.

On the Sept. 27 episode of Dynamite, White was attacked by a group of assailants dressed all in black, one of whom was wearing the Devil mask. He accused MJF, or perhaps best buddy Adam Cole, of launching the attack to derail his championship ambitions.

Since then, the Devil has appeared on screen several more times, but he (or she) hit MJF a little closer to home on the Nov. 8 episode of Dynamite, orchestrating a vicious backstage attack on The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass — some of the few people MJF can count as friends at the moment.

That latest attack ruled out some of the earlier candidates to be under the Devil mask. It can’t be MJF, since he was in the ring, nor can it be one of White’s own Bullet Club Gold running buddies. Samoa Joe is also out since he arrived just as MJF headed backstage to see if he could get some payback.

With that in mind, we’ve updated our guesses as to who will finally be revealed as the Devil in AEW. Let’s dive in.

The heartbreaking choice: It’s Adam Cole (bay bay)

It would definitely be a bummer for MJF if it turns out to be Cole’s (now much more bearded face) staring back at him once the Devil mask comes off. Their friendship has been key to MJF discovering his current babyface persona, which means it would hurt that much more if he discovers his “brochacho 4 life” has been plotting against him behind the scenes.

Cole has a long background as a ringleader in groups like Bullet Club and Undisputed Era, so it’s not a stretch to think he could gather the manpower to supply the other figures in black who have been carrying out the Devil’s attacks. But there’s one thing that makes it less likely to be Cole: He’s currently recovering from serious ankle surgery, so the time table for this angle to pay off in a match would be months out.

So let’s get a bonus guess in here. What if it’s Britt Baker? Cole’s IRL girlfriend hasn’t been seen on AEW programming in a bit, and could easily be messing with MJF on Adam’s behalf, whether he knows about it or not. Britt as the Devil would certainly make the already complicated MJF-Cole relationship even more complex (and fun, really).

The entertaining choice: It’s Roderick Strong

With his seemingly eternal neck injury and ongoing guilt trip from hell toward Cole, Roderick Strong is doing some of the finest character work of his career. He’s always been a plotter, but he’s taken things up a notch to become a master manipulator who isn’t at all above trading on past friendships to get exactly what he wants.

And what he wants right now is the full attention of Cole, essentially stealing him back from MJF. Strong even recently admitted that he might have to be nice to “that scumbag,” but what if he’s already been doing his version of that?

Roddy also said on the Nov. 8 Dynamite that he was going to remind everyone who he really was. Then he didn’t appear again for the rest of the episode … unless he did as the Devil and we didn’t even know it. Strong certainly has no love for White, and it suits his purposes just fine to have people like The Acclaimed out of the way so that MJF has no one to turn to but him and The Kingdom.

He’s even doing the “doth protest too much” thing by continually accusing MJF of being the Devil, even though it’s pretty clear by now he’s not. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see #NeckStrong evolve to an even higher level of villainy.

The internet-backed choice: It’s Jack Perry

The former Jungle Boy hasn’t been on AEW TV since the summer, when he was suspended for his role in the backstage incident at All In that ultimately cost CM Punk his job. AEW fans on social media have definitely zeroed in on the idea that being the Devil would be a surefire way for him to make an impact upon return, and there’s some definite merit to that idea.

For starters, Perry has motive. He’s had a shot at the AEW World Championship in the four-way “Pillars” match at Double or Nothing, but so far no chance to take on MJF one-on-one. Perry is also definitely a villain now, so taking another step toward the dark side would be logical.

On top of that, Perry’s weakness during his AEW career has been a perceived lack of charisma. Unmasking as the Devil could help a lot in that regard, giving crowds a chance to greet him with some instant heat. Not all internet theories are worth careful consideration, but this is one that certainly does.

The “surprise” choice: It’s Dolph Ziggler or someone else preparing to make their AEW debut

Because of the way Khan continues to bring in talent from elsewhere, the Devil mask mystery can’t be ruled out as a way to introduce someone else into the fold. A popular guess is that it’s Dolph Ziggler, who was released this year by WWE and might simply need some time before his non-compete runs out before turning up in AEW. The Devil mask subplot could buy him that time.

The first victim of the devil, White, also has his share of enemies in Bullet Club from his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, as he was essentially booted from the group on his way out the door. The current leader of the faction in NJPW, David Finlay, hasn’t seem too happy about White using the Bullet Club Gold name.

It wouldn’t be inconceivable to think that Finlay has sent someone to mess with White — and then MJF as well — especially with the close working relationship between AEW and NJPW. This would run the risk of not having a huge payoff for all but the most hardcore wrestling fans, but it also wouldn’t be the first time Khan did something like that.

The point of all this speculation is that except for Danhausen, who has already pleaded innocent, just about anyone could be under the Devil mask at this point. It feels like we might get a resolution to this particular plot thread by Full Gear, but if it runs all the way to World End toward the end of 2023, that will only make the mystery that much more engrossing.

AEW Dynamite results 11/8/23: MJF is running out of friends

The good news is MJF is still AEW World Champion. The bad news is the person in the Devil mask plagued him again.

It’s time to see what Daniel Garcia is all about on AEW Dynamite from Portland.

Garcia has had quite the journey during his time in AEW. Originally positioned as a no-nonsense technical wrestler, he did almost a complete 180 by joining the Jericho Appreciation Society. He’s now known even more for his hip-thrusting dance, though his in-ring skills certainly haven’t gone away.

He’s also competed against some of the best the company has to offer, including Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston and Orange Cassidy. Garcia is somehow still only 25 years old, so his best days may very well still be in front of him.

Perhaps this will be one of those days. Garcia has a shot at the AEW World Championship held by MJF, and while it would be shocking indeed for AEW to do a big title change on free TV just 10 days out from a pay-per-view — where it’s already advertised MJF vs. Jay White as a featured bout — stranger things have happened.

White has a hurdle of his own to clear tonight in Portland, where he’ll take on Mark Briscoe, who just recently returned from injury. White’s spot in the Full Gear match is on the line, but unlike MJF, the Switchblade has several buddies to watch his back and ensure he makes it out of Dynamite with that opportunity intact.

(And the title belt in his possession, since he’s been holding onto it even though it still belongs to MJF.)

Plus we’ll see Darby Allin and Sting in tag team action, Swerve Strickland vs. Penta, the in-ring return of Red Velvet, and a talking segment with the Golden Jets, Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho.

You ready? We’re ready to start recapping the action.

AEW Dynamite results from Portland:

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

  • MJF tells Tony Schiavone that he’s not losing tonight or to Jay White before he gets a video call from BFF Adam Cole, but MJF seems upset that Cole suggests again that he consider Samoa Joe’s offer to watch his back; Daniel Garcia seems offended that MJF says he’ll handle him and confirms that Max will get the professional wrestler tonight …
  • … but that’s not all because Roderick Strong stops by, and he vows to remind everybody “who the hell I am”
  • MJF def. Daniel Garcia by submission to retain the AEW World Championship
  • Mark Briscoe talks about how he and Jay White have locked up in tag team matches but never in a singles match and warns him about what’s coming later tonight
  • Darby Allin and Sting def. The Outrunners by submission
  • Schiavone interviews Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida in black and white, where Timeless Toni essentially blames Hikaru for what happened to her
  • Swerve Strickland def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall, but Hangman Adam Page gets the beginning of some payback afterward with a chair assault and a DeadEye through a table
  • Jay White gets in some barbs on MJF and tells him to sit back and watch what he does to Briscoe
  • Don Callis and Kenny Omega cut dueling promos on each other
  • Renee Paquette talks to Omega and Chris Jericho, who are interrupted by the bitter Young Bucks; one thing leads to another, and they agree on a tag team match at Full Gear with some stakes: If the Bucks lose, the tag team title shot goes to the Golden Jets, who will break up if they lose
  • Samoa Joe def. Keith Lee by submission to retain the ROH World Television Championship, then relinquishes his title to concentrate on the world title held by MJF
  • Orange Cassidy says Jon Moxley must be nuts thinking he overlooked Mox, and he says he needs to beat Jon to be the champ he knows he is
  • The Gunns def. Bollywood Boyz in less than a minute, then boast about their talent and mock MJF ahead of their ROH title match against him and a mystery partner at Full Gear; as MJF watches backstage, Joe approaches him and he decides to move on
  • Moxley gives his rebuttal to Orange Cassidy, suggesting he’s setting a poor example for Hook and that he doesn’t deserve to make it to Full Gear; Wheeler Yuta tells Hook he crossed the wrong crew too
  • Lest we forget that Wardlow is gunning for MJF too, a video package showing him working out reminds us that, yes, he is
  • Julia Hart def. Red Velvet by pinfall, but her post-match attack is interrupted by Skye Blue, and eventually, Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale
  • Mariah May is in AEW and seems really excited to meet Toni Storm
  • Jay White def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall
  • MJF’s music hits after White’s match, and he sneaks in the ring from the back and lays out White’s Bullet Club Gold teammates with the Dynamite Diamond Ring; White heads for the safety of the ramp while MJF tells him playtime is almost over and says Switchblade will have to kill him to beat him because he is fighting for everyone who’s been riding with him, but then …
  • … the lights go out and people in all black are shown assaulting The Acclaimed, throwing Anthony Bowens through a window; the main in the Devil mask appears briefly as MJF heads backstage, too late to do anything, and Joe laughs at how he’s “running out of friends”

AEW Dynamite results 11/1/23: TK disappoints, Full Gear bulks up, MJF relents

Lots more got settled for Full Gear on AEW Dynamite, which ended with scissoring.

“Another one.”

That’s one of DJ Khaled’s trademark catchphrases, but it could just as easily apply to Tony Khan and his love of “important” announcements. It’s happened frequently enough that he takes some ribbing for it among pro wrestling fans, even though his track record of delivering on them is actually pretty good.

The intrigue about tonight’s announcement, though, is that unlike some of them in the past, no one seems to know what this one is about. That alone should mean that it’s worth tuning in to AEW Dynamite from Louisville.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of in-ring action to look forward to as well. Hikaru Shida will defend her AEW World Championship against Willow Nightingale in what should be a spirited yet respectful encounter. Hangman Adam Page and the Young Bucks will put their Ring of Honor six-man titles (which we honestly forget sometimes that they have) up against Brian Cage and Gates of Agony too.

Oh, and Orange Cassidy will see if his second run as AEW International Champion will end much sooner than his first, as he defends against Claudio Castagnoli. And the odd couple pairing of Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega will team again to face Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang, who are potentially auditioning to be part of the Don Callis Family.

Topping it all off, we’ll hear from birthday boy Adam Copeland. But in the end, for some people it’s still going to come down to that announcement. Such is life.

But hey, we’re excited for every part of this episode of Dynamite, and we hope you are too. Let’s see what this night holds.

AEW Dynamite results from Louisville:

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

  • MJF doesn’t have an answer for Renee Paquette on who his three partners will be for tonight, but at least he gets advice from Adam Cole via video chat, and he thinks the champ should consider Samoa Joe’s offer; Roderick Strong and The Kingdom roll in when MJF leaves, accusing MJF of being The Devil, who then shows up on the screen
  • Orange Cassidy def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship, but …
  • … after the match, Jon Moxley makes his way through the crowd to the ring, and he greets a rushing Cassidy with a beatdown until Castagnoli finally tells his teammate it’s enough
  • MJF knocks on Kenny Omega’s dressing room door, but Chris Jericho just laughs when asked if Kenny is there; even worse, MJF runs into Wardlow, who shoves him against a wall and says he’ll take everything from Max when he least expects it, and in anger, the champ ignores another offer from The Acclaimed to team with him
  • An angry Moxley says he showed Cassidy respect when he didn’t have to, and though he says maybe it isn’t even about him, he plans on beating Orange within an inch of his life at Full Gear just because he can
  • Brian Cage and Gates of Agony def. Hangman Adam Page and Young Bucks by pinfall to become the new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions after Swerve Strickland taunts Page about invading his home, leading to a backstage brawl that leaves his teammates a man down
  • MJF passes up on Samoa Joe’s dressing room and writes “emo bitch” on Darby Allin’s sign before ignoring The Acclaimed once again
  • Adam Copeland is convinced to team with Sting and Darby Allin after an attack by Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
  • Tony Khan makes his “huge announcement”: You can sign up now to get a ticket pre-sale opportunity for All In London 2024; seriously, that was it
  • Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega def. Angelo Parker and Matt Menard by pinfall, then accept Don Callis’ challenge to a Street Fight in two weeks on Dynamite, where they will be joined by Kota Ibushi … and Paul Wight
  • Paquette catches up with Omega and Jericho, but the Young Bucks have an issue with The Ocho being there and warn Kenny that Chris will stab him in the back
  • Hikaru Shida def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship match, but …
  • … Shida has to take car of Toni Storm, and Nightingale turns to find Julia Hart stalking her; Skye Blue runs down and teases helping Hart, then turns and sprays Julia in the eyes with her own blue mist
  • The Acclaimed makes one last pitch to MJF, who says he has one more group on his list … but it’s Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh, ugh
  • Strong calls Cole on speakerphone, who finally tells him to shut the hell up
  • Bullet Club Gold def. MJF, The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass by pinfall, and Max Caster takes a belt shot intended for MJF …
  • … so MJF relents and scissors with his partners to end the show

AEW Dynamite results 10/18/23: Juice Robinson earns a shot at the ring, Sting sets farewell date

See how Juice Robinson used his ring to get a shot at a better one, and when Sting said he’ll call it a career.

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Twelve men enter, one man leave. Or something like that. It’s time for a Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale tonight on AEW Dynamite from Rosenberg, TX.

MJF has made the Dynamite Diamond Ring even more securely than Gollum did the One Ring, considering that no one to date has been able to win it from him. Will that change in 2023? First we need to figure out who will face him for it, which tonight’s battle royale will accomplish.

Which 12 men are competing? We don’t know that yet, but Juice Robinson and Dustin Rhodes are among them. Should be a fun time regardless of who else is in the mix.

Like big names in action? Tonight’s Dynamite has some of those too. Kenny Omega will take on Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher, while “Switchblade” Jay White battles Penta El Zero Miedo. Also it looks like Hikaru Shida vs. Emi Sakura has been added in a clash between student and teacher.

Plus there’s other potentially good stuff in the pipeline. Sting will address AEW fans, though we hope it’s not for the reason many are speculating. Adam Copeland will finally offer his rebuttal to possibly former friend Christian Cage. And Jim Ross will have a sitdown interview with Nick Wayne and his mom.

All the while, we’re grinding toward Full Gear. So we could see more developments on that front as well. Never hurts to have a few matches booked in advance, right?

We’re looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the peeps in the Houston area, provided they aren’t too concerned with what’s going on with their Astros. Let’s get into it.

AEW Dynamite results from Texas:

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

  • Jay White def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall after a timely cheap shot from Juice Robinson
  • After his win, White mocks MJF by suggesting he can’t find anyone to team with him against Bullet Club Gold; meanwhile, Robinson says he’s going to win the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale in the main event, win MJF’s ring and pawn it for another gold tooth
  • Meanwhile, MJF is backstage with Renee Paquette, explaining why he didn’t rush out there, and he once again turns down Max Caster and The Acclaimed’s offer to team with him — though Caster says he’d entering the Battle Royale so he can win that and defeat MJF to make him “put a ring on it”
  • Hikaru Shida def. Emi Sakura by pinfall
  • Adam Copeland sits down with Paquette to tell some stories about his past with Christian Cage and why things have gone off the rails between them; Copeland says he won’t fight Cage but will be the one to pick him up when Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne leave him high and dry
  • Wardlow def. Ryan Nemeth by referee stoppage, then makes it clear he’s got his sights set on MJF
  • Kenny Omega tells Paquette his record hasn’t been great lately, but he says he’s still the measuring stick in AEW, so he figures he can take out Kyle Fletcher, The Don Callis Family, and then maybe come after the AEW World Championship; MJF comes to shake his hand but also whispers “13 days, bitch” before walking away
  • Adam Cole is still being bossed around by Roderick Strong but agrees to make him and The Kingdom some PB&J sandwiches, which turns into a music video; when Cole finally gets fed up and leaves, Strong tells The Kingdom he may have to be nice to “that scumbag” in order to get his best friend back
  • Don Callis brags about his Family making history, then has an interesting discussion with Kyle Fletcher
  • Kenny Omega def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall
  • The latest Danhausen promo video suggests everyone will be cursed soon enough
  • Lance Archer def. Barrett Brown by pinfall
  • Prince Nana says Swerve Strickland should be excited about his music video, but Swerve says he’s not because he doesn’t have the TNT Championship thanks to Hangman Adam Page; Strickland delivers an ominous threat: “It’s not always you who pays for your actions.”
  • Sting addresses the rumors and says his retirement match will be next year at Revolution
  • RJ City is cut off by Toni Storm, who does her own introduction for her latest silent picture, “Gone With the Storm”
  • Jim Ross sits down with Nick Wayne and his mom, and while neither J.R. nor his mom understand what Nick has done, he says it’s because Christian Cage is a better father than his dad ever was, and he also tells his mom she’s dead to him; right outside, however, Darby Allin is waiting to attack Cage and Wayne …
  • … and they battle to the ring, where Wayne is bloodied while battling Allin and Sting despite the aid of Luchasaurus
  • Kris Statlander tells Paquette that she wants to give a TBS Championship shot to Willow Nightingale, and Orange Cassidy says he only learned how much he cared about his International Championship once he lost it
  • Juice Robinson wins the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale, last eliminating Max Caster

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday results 10/10/23: New champs, overlapping feuds on super-sized show

See who won titles on AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday, and if Adam Copeland won his AEW in-ring debut.

It’s not that often that Tuesday night is the night for a big pro wrestling showdown. Monday night, sure, as they were the stuff of legend once upon a time. More recently it was Wednesday nights where a young AEW Dynamite and WWE’s NXT were on against each other, but that ended when NXT departed for Tuesdays. Alas, Dynamite was bumped up to Tuesday this week by the MLB Playoffs, putting them in direct competition for again one week only.

Happily, both companies took this very calmly and are proceeding like it’s business as usual.

Wait, what’s that? You say this is pro wrestling so they actually did the exact opposite of that?

That tracks. We’re here to talk about the AEW Dynamite part of this equation, which Tony Khan and company have dubbed Title Tuesday or Title Fight Tuesday depending on which X post we’re talking about. There are championship matches, sure. Saraya vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship for one. Rey Fenix vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW International Championship for another.

But there’s more, including the AEW in-ring debut of Adam Copeland, the artist formerly known as Edge. Plus the first 30 minutes will be sans commercials, and Khan says he’s secured an overrun as well.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s even a Buy-In pre-show like this was a pay-per-view, and no big deal, it just has Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki. Damn.

With that in mind, let’s get into some live updates, shall we?

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday Buy-In results:

  • Renee Paquette and RJ City run down the full Title Tuesday card
  • Eddie Kingston def. Minoru Suzuki by pinfall to retain the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship and ROH World Championship Championship; after the bell, they exchange a few extra chops as a show of respect
  • Tony Khan provides an update: Jon Moxley is not cleared by AEW doctors, but Rey Fenix will still defend his International Championship tonight; Hook stops by and says it has to be Orange Cassidy since he never got a rematch, and he accepts in typically unenthusiastic fashion

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday results from Independence:

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

  • Christian Cage has a message for Bryan Danielson and Swerve Strickland, and also says Luchasaurus will end things for Adam Copeland; he also says he got the first 20 minutes commercial-free, heh
  • Bryan Danielson def. Swerve Strickland by pinfall to earn a TNT Championship shot at Collision after Hangman Adam Page prevents the use of Prince Nana’s crown as a weapon
  • Samoa Joe says he is about to show why he’s on the way to becoming AEW World Champion as well, starting this Saturday on Collision
  • Powerhouse Hobbs def. Chris Jericho by pinfall
  • Roderick Strong still has Adam Cole around, delaying his surgery and such
  • Orange Cassidy def. Rey Fenix by pinfall to become the new AEW International Champion, his second reign with the title
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm tells RJ City she has a new film called “Lover’s Lament,” which is a silent picture that plays during a side-by-side commercial break
  • Wardlow def. Matt Sydal by pinfall
  • Paquette tries to get a medical update on Jericho, and Matt Menard gets upset at Daniel Garcia for trying to check on The Ocho too
  • Jay White def. Hangman Adam Page by pinfall, thanks in part to Prince Nana’s attempted interference
  • MJF comes out to the stage to demand his world title belt back, and the crowd chants something obscene at White; MJF says he’s trying to be a better man even though it’s hard and explains why the title means so much to him, challenging White to do the right thing too — which doesn’t go well, with White saying they can do an eight-man tag team match and Juice Robinson saying he’s about to win the Dynamite Diamond Ring next week
  • Hikaru Shida def. Saraya by pinfall to become the new AEW Women’s World Champion, beginning her third title reign
  • Paquette catches up with MJF, who says politely that he isn’t in the mood to be interviewed and just wants to call Adam Cole for advice; he actually gets through to Cole, but the connection sucks and the call is cut off, but at least The Acclaimed offers to be his tag team partners …
  • … also, Daddy Ass and Anthony Bowens want to know why Max Caster is so infatuated with MJF, and Max says they’re friends — and that he likes when Max plays hard to get
  • Cage comes to the ring with Luchasaurus and mocks Adam Copeland, specifically his time with The Judgment Day and their time together in the past, saying Copeland needs him but he doesn’t need Adam; he also tells Copeland’s daughters their new father is coming home, and when Copeland sprints to the ring, Nick Wayne follows him and lays him out from behind; the ref checks on Adam but a match is underway
  • Adam Copeland def. Luchasaurus by pinfall …
  • … and gets attacked after the bell, setting off a wild brawl that involves Cage and his henchmen, Swerve Strickland and the Mogul Embassy, the Blackpool Combat Club and Hangman; the final shot sees Cage tapping out symbolically to Danielson’s LeBell Lock

Adam Cole injury update: Needs 2 surgeries, 8 screws, metal plate for ankle

One of AEW’s top stars called his ankle injury “the most painful” of his career but has vowed to return.

It’s somewhat cliché for wrestlers to talk about how much they love the business, but Adam Cole must really, really love it.

Earlier this year, Cole returned to AEW after nine months away due to severe concussion symptoms. His journey back was one of the main subplots on “AEW: All Access” as it became obvious his return was not guaranteed.

That hard work paid off as Cole became part of one of the hottest angles in pro wrestling, forming an unlikely friendship and tag team with AEW World Champion MJF — and helping Max discover some of his better angels in the process.

Unfortunately, misfortune struck Cole again on the Sept. 27 episode of Dynamite, when he hurt his ankle jumping off the ramp on the way to help MJF. On a recent Twitch stream, he explained to viewers the extent of his ankle injury and what it will take to come back from it (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

My ankle is broken. When it’s all said and done, When I’m eventually able to get everything all fixed, I’m going to need to get two surgeries, and it will be a total of eight screws and a plate in my ankle. So, not ideal.

Cole also said his doctors described the injury as a “freak type of thing,” which it absolutely appeared to be while watching it live. He added that it was “the most painful injury I’ve ever had” and called it “soul-crushing.”

At age 34, Cole could certainly call it a career and be very pleased with what he’s accomplished across a number of wrestling companies. Still, with the feeling that he still has new heights he could hit in AEW — and considering what he’s already been through to get to this point — it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see him come back with a vengeance.

It’s just going to take some time and some hardware. But other wrestlers might want to think twice about cutting promos in the future questioning Cole’s passion for wrestling, because there’s no doubting it given what he’s putting himself through to entertain us.

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Adam Cole’s injury brings everyone’s favorite bromance to a screeching halt

It’s a tough break for Adam Cole, but also unfortunate for fans who will be deprived of seeing what was next between him and MJF.

AEW fans waited with bated breath for an entire week hoping for some good news.

They were hoping that whatever ailed current Ring of Honor World Tag Team champion Adam Cole wouldn’t keep him out of action for too long.

But alas, that will be the case. During Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, Cole told the world that when he tripped off the ramp near the end of last week’s Dynamite Grand Slam main event between MJF and Samoa Joe, he broke his ankle and will undergo surgery.

While there has been no official timeframe set for Cole’s return, judging by the photos his longtime partner Britt Baker posted on social media, which revealed he broke his ankle in three places, it is safe to assume that he will be sidelined for an extended period of time.

(Warning: The photo of Cole’s foot and ankle is kind of graphic, so turn back now if that kind of thing bothers you.)

Could AEW keep the story between Cole and his tag team partner MJF, collectively known as Better Than You Bay Bay, going while the former works his way back to 100%? I suppose, but it definitely throws a large wrench into AEW’s plans to have Cole and MJF put on a rematch in the near future. What could have been a match between them at Full Gear or maybe even Revolution will have to wait for a time in the more distant future.

And what a shame this is. Obviously, the primary person to feel empathy for is Cole, who will once again have to bounce back from an injury that will require a lengthy recovery after already missing the majority of 2022 due to a severe concussion.

What should be Cole’s time to showcase himself at the peak of his powers is now being spent rehabbing far away from a wrestling ring.

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I’m sure this put a damper on AEW and its fans, and rightfully so. For AEW, it loses what I believe to be the best story it has told all year with the budding yet perpetually teetering bromance between Cole and MJF — which made for compelling television due to AEW threading in notes of the underlying tension between the two while also making sure that everything looked just fine between them on the surface.

Outside of Cole, who again, is literally suffering the most because of this unfortunate happening, I feel especially gutted for Tony Khan and the rest of AEW’s creative team. They’ve done a masterful job of keeping fans engaged in the story to the point that it was accepted as the main event of the biggest show in the promotion’s history, All In. I’d be willing to bet that AEW wasn’t looking to end or make a tonal shift in the story until Sunday’s WrestleDream at the earliest, where Cole and MJF were scheduled to defend their ROH tag titles against The Righteous. I personally believe they could have kept this going through the end of the year. Instead, MJF is slated to defend the titles on his own in a handicap match.

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But such is life in professional wrestling. People will get injured, even if it’s after something as simple as running down to the ring to interfere in the match. And when the injuries occur, promotions have to be able to adapt.

AEW is already on the path of making the necessary adjustments by sowing the seeds for a feud between MJF and “Switchblade” Jay White over the world title. While it does not yet have the emotional investment behind it like Better Than You Bay Bay has, it is still quite the silver lining in a tough situation. The fact that AEW can easily slot in someone as talented as White into that position and immediately have fans intrigued is a testament to AEW’s depth that isn’t always properly utilized. Even this time is out of necessity to give its champion something interesting to do.

As far as the tag titles, it would make complete sense for The Righteous to defeat MJF and take the titles. Even if MJF finds a partner, it would still be a convenient way to remove the titles from one equation and add them to another. If the vignettes the team have been showcased in on television are any indication, Vincent and Dutch are in line for a major run in Ring of Honor. The first step would be having them defeat MJF (and technically Cole) to win the titles.

And let’s not forget about Roderick Strong, who neck brace and all, is still lurking in the background along with The OGK.

So all hope isn’t lost for AEW, but it sure would have been nice if AEW’s original plan — whatever that may have been — could have come together.