Tag: Adam Copeland

AEW Dynamite results 04/17/24: Joe, Ospreay stand tall ahead of Dynasty

A final showdown between Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe went poorly for the challenger on AEW Dynamite.

You know what they say about pre-pay-per-view momentum being a many-splendored thing? Wait, what? That was love? Are you absolutely sure? Well then OK, but momentum is still a thing that’s worth watching tonight on AEW Dynamite from Indianapolis.

Will Ospreay has all the momentum in the world right now. He’s been tearing through the AEW roster one opponent at a time, mowing through the Don Callis Family in particular. Now he’s moved on the the Blackpool Combat Club, with a showdown against Bryan Danielson waiting Sunday at Dynasty.

Is he taking this Wednesday night off? Heck no, he’s taking on the Swiss Superman, Claudio Castagnoli. Take that, Ospreay grind doubters. We could take about the fun clash of styles here, but you probably already know all about that. The more intriguing part will be seeing if AEW lets Ospreay take his first ‘L,’ even if it’s because of extenuating circumstances, setting up a little more doubt ahead of Sunday.

Pretty much all of the other advertised matches carry with them some kind of Dynasty implications, which is exactly what a good go home show should do. Plus there could even be another match or two added to the Dynasty card tonight, which is something that AEW is not opposed to doing the week of a PPV.

Tony Khan has announced that this show has an overrun already approved, so we’re ready to settle in for more than two hours of action. Let’s get it.

AEW Dynamite results from Indianapolis:

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

  • Jon Moxley and his new championship are here, and he makes a challenge to Powerhouse Hobbs
  • Mercedes Moné puts the entire women’s division on notice with a special warning to Julia Hart or whoever attacker her last week

  • Willow Nightingale has clearly been attacked backstage, but she tells Stokely Hathaway and medical personnel then she’s fine; out in the ring, the lights go out and back on to reveal Brody King in place to attack Adam Copeland
  • Brody King and Julia Hart def. Adam Copeland and Willow Nightingale by submission after Nightingale gets laid out by a shot by Hart wielding King’s chain; Moné arrives with a steel chair after the bell to prevent further damage to Nightingale, perhaps, and ends up shaking Copeland’s hand
  • Samoa Joe tells Renee Paquette he once saw Swerve Strickland as a worthy adversary but now sees him as an annoyance or punching bag; Joe also calls Swerve a choke artist but tells him not to worry, as at Dynasty, he’ll be the one choking Swerve out instead

  • The Young Bucks decide the hype video for the Ladder match doesn’t need the part with FTR, flexing their power as EVPs, and Kazuchika Okada tells Pac he won’t make it to Dynasty
  • The Elite (Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada) def. Daniel Garcia, Penta El Zero Miedo and Pac by pinfall as Okada pins Garcia; after the bell, The Elite continue their assault until Pac produces a bell hammer and chases them off
  • Taz gets Chris Jericho and Hook together to talk, but it doesn’t stay cordial
  • Swerve Strickland admits to Paquette that he has tripped up but he’s always managed to get back up, and when Renee asks him why he’s confident, Swerve says he needs to say that to Joe’s face in the ring tonight

  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Mariah May by pinfall; after the bell, Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm both get involved in the melee, with Rosa eventually smearing Storm’s face with additional lipstick
  • The Bang Bang Gang doesn’t think Paquette is as excited as she should be to be in their presence; Jay White also says his group is going to take the other six-man titles from The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass
  • Speaking of The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, they’re up for putting the gold on the line and will take on the Bang Bang Gang at Dynasty
  • Orange Cassidy def. Shane Taylor by pinfall; Cassidy is immediately jumped by Lee Moriarty and Anthony Ogogo after the bell, eating a nasty body shot from the boxer, and Trent Beretta ensures that Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal eat chair shots when they try to save him
  • Will Ospreay def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall; after the bell, the rest of the Don Callis Family assaults Castagnoli until Moxley hits the ring and clears it
  • Excalibur runs down the AEW Dynasty card
  • Swerve and Joe face off one last time before St. Louis, and it doesn’t end well for Swerve

There’s only one Jon Moxley, as Powerhouse Hobbs will learn next week

Mox says the first championship of any kind he ever won was right here in Indianapolis. Even then, 20 years, he says he was swimming upstream, but his message to doubters now is the same as it was then: Kiss my ass and watch me.

Being great, Moxley says, is about what’s inside and not what other people think. A “you deserve it” chant breaks out as he talks about the IWGP title, which he says he’s been chasing for five years.

After a rallying cry for AEW, Mox turns his attention to the Don Callis Family and the “hit” they put out on Bryan Danielson. If they want to get violent, he’ll be here all night, and he goes beyond that to challenge Powerhouse Hobbs for a match next week at Jacksonville. Moxley says he’ll drag Hobbs to the deepest waters to discover that Callis is feeding him lies.

Oh, and while there are a lot of great wrestlers in the world, but there is only one Jon Moxley.

Taz gets Chris Jericho and Hook together to talk, but not for long

Taz gives Jericho the floor first, asking the fans not to boo him so he can talk. Chris claims he just wanted to get Hook’s attention because he wasn’t listening as much as he could have been.

“I am the learning tree,” Jericho says, mentioning all of the people who have made it to the next level because of him: Orange Cassidy, Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay among them. Uh, sure.

When Jericho asks if Hook will sit under the branches of the learning tree Hook says no, because he doesn’t need Jericho’s help. Taz and Jericho start getting into it a little, which finally turns physical when Jericho shoves Taz.

A “you f–ked up” chant breaks out as Hook is mad now. The FTW Champion says if Jericho wants to see how good he is, they can fight again any time, any place. Hook tells Jericho to get out of his ring, which the fans love.

Will Ospreay passes his last pre-Dynasty test against Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio’s strength is immediately brought to bear on Ospreay, who can’t be the Aerial Assassin if you don’t let him off the ground. Ospreay is able to fire back on the outside, hopping over the barricade and then leaping off of it to land a forearm shot.

His next attempt to fly is less successful, as Castagnoli catches him on a springboard plancha to the floor and smashes him into the apron. As one does.

Castagnoli is able to get Ospreay on the mat to subject him to submission holds while dueling chants break out (though more are for Ospreay). The rally from Ospreay includes a Tiger Driver for a near fall as a “fight forever” chant rings out.

Ospreay even turns an exchange of uppercuts into some cool spots, but Castagnoli is scoring the near falls. Claudio calls for the Giant Swing, but Ospreay counters it with a guillotine and nearly wins it before hitting the Hidden Blade and winning for real.

Swerve gets what he asked for from Joe … and more

As he and Prince Nana hit the ring, Strickland reminds viewers that he was asked earlier tonight why he’s confident he can beat Samoa Joe. Swerve says it was because he’s seen the fear in Joe’s eyes and wants to tell the champ to his face he’s going to lose at Dynasty.

While security tries to hold him back, Joe does indeed head down the ramp. Swerve ends up launching a massive Swerve Stomp that takes out all the security guards, but Joe seizes the advantage and chucks Swerve into the steel steps.

As Joe is occupied with threatening Nana, Strickland flies back in for a House Call. Joe catches Strickland on the top rope a second later, though, and drops him in the middle of the ring with a massive Muscle Buster. Joe stands tall over Swerve to end the show.

AEW Dynamite results 04/03/24: Swerve signs in blood, Trent betrays Best Friends

AEW Dynamite from Worcester also saw Thunder Rosa become No. 1 contender for Toni Storm.

The funny thing about joining a team is you never know right away if you’re going to be a good fit for it or vice versa. That’s a relevant thought as we head to Worcester, Mass. for AEW Dynamite tonight, because Will Ospreay is fighting another one of his Don Callis Family teammates.

To be fair, Ospreay has rarely done much alongside his other Family members in the first place, what with still being a member of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling roster when he first joined and all. Since he’s arrived in AEW full time, the Aerial Assassin has had just three matches, and two of them were against teammates.

Which would be weird except that this is a group assembled by Don Callis that we’re talking about, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if it turned out he was jealous of Ospreay’s popularity. No one bigger than the team and all that.

As a result, Callis might be hoping Powerhouse Hobbs beats Ospreay tonight. And if he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see what role the Family might play when Ospreay faces Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty later this month.

The other big thing on the docket tonight is a contract signing between Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe. These two certainly have turned their program into a nice little powderkeg waiting to ignite, and this might be the spark that lights it.

It’s also fair to wonder if, despite Joe being a worthy champ, whether AEW is ready to push Swerve to the level it feels like he’s earned and let him have a run with the top title.

We’re excited for what this night might have in store from Worcester, so let’s get into it.

AEW Dynamite results from Worcester:

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

  • Adam Copeland tells us why AEW should be celebrated
  • Will Ospreay def. Powerhouse Hobbs by pinfall
  • Ospreay pauses on the ramp and exchanges a look and some words with Bryan Danielson on the way in for his match
  • Bryan Danielson def. Lance Archer by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette welcomes Chris Jericho, who asks Hook to join him so he can clarify that he understands why Hook would be wary about trusting him but wants Hook to believe in him; Hook says he got them a match on Collision but will be keeping his eye on him, and Jericho says he’d expect nothing less … bet

  • Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty reveal they’re the opponents for LionHook on Collision
  • Billy Gunn def. Jay White by DQ as White hits him with a low blow following a distraction from The Gunns; The Acclaimed come to the rescue despite being shown on the big screen having been laid out in the back
  • The Young Bucks and Best Friends (plus Trent’s mom Sue) are shown walking into the building earlier today
  • Paquette talks to Willow Nightingale about her TBS Championship shot at Dynasty, and she thanks the fans for giving her confidence during her career in general and at this time in particular …

  • … Stokely Hathaway is singing her praises as well when he’s interrupted by Mercedes Moné, who makes it clear that she’s up next for whoever walks out of Dynasty as TBS champ

  • Young Bucks def. Best Friends by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Semifinal, using a catapult into an exposed turnbuckle to help them pull it off …
  • … and after the match, instead of going in for the customary group hug, Trent Beretta hits Orange Cassidy with a flying knee and storms off without his teammates or his mom
  • Thunder Rosa def. Mariah May by pinfall in an AEW Women’s World Championship No. 1 Contenders Match
  • Penta El Zero Miedo says Copeland should defend the TNT Championship against an AEW original next week … namely him
  • Samoa Joe signs in ink, Swerve Strickland signs in blood, but it’s the champ who ends the night standing tall

Adam Copeland circles the wagons nicely for AEW

Even though his mic is sort of messed up and there was some negative talk during the week, Copeland wants to talk about the positives. He’s looking at it from a “what a time to be alive” standpoint.

Growing up, Copeland watched WWF, NWA and much more, devouring it all because he loved professional wrestling. When he started thinking about the end of his career, he says he realized AEW is where he needs to be, touting the phenomenal roster with talents like Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page, Swerve Strickland and much more.

When his friends ask him if he’s having a blast, Copeland says he is — the most he’s ever had in his 32-year career. He adds that AEW should be celebrated for pushing the whole business to a better place and that it’s where the best wrestle.

Turns out it’s a really long introduction for the man himself, Will Ospreay, as Copeland puts him over as the man who will be what AEW is going forward.

Will Ospreay wins the “Battle of Wills” against Powerhouse Hobbs

Don Callis joins the announcers for this one and takes credit for pitting his own stable members against each other in an “iron sharpens iron” way. He likes Ospreay’s early aggression, which finally gets him in trouble when Hobbs hoists him off the barricade and slams his spine on the steel steps. Ouch.

Much as we like seeing Ospreay do his thing, it feels like after some side-by-side commercials that we’re going to need a Hobbs showcase sequence at some point. We get just a tad before Ospreay goes back on the attack, then catches Hobbs with an inside cradle.

Hobbs hits an impressive move off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall, but his next powerslam is countered by a DDT. A sky twister press is next, and the Hidden Blade wipes out Hobbs to secure a pinfall for Ospreay.

Callis has to step between the two men after the match, and is able to broker some peace before things get out of hand.

Thunder Rosa leaves Toni Storm speechless by defeating Mariah May

Toni Storm joins the announcers, the better to see Rosa’s X-Men inspired ring gear. The champ seems to think her protege might have a quick night here, but she’s taking more punishment than she’s giving early on.

It still looks like Rosa is in charge after picture-in-picture action, leading Storm to say she’s getting nervous. May evades a double stomp off the top and nails a knee for a close near fall.

The finish comes sort of out of nowhere, with Rosa hitting the Tijuana Bomb and earning No. 1 contender status for Storm’s title. Rosa tells Storm to get in the ring right now, but Toni simply looks stunned.

Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe make it official … in blood

Tony Schiavone moderates and Joe wastes no time signing on the proverbial bottom line. The champ says he wants to give his challenger a little bit of advice before he signs. Namely, Joe says signing is a career-defining mistake, as he’ll beat Swerve down so badly that it’ll leave him mentally scarred like he left Diddy’s party too late. Joe’s words, not ours.

Strickland responds that he’s wanted this moment his entire life, dreaming about it and wondering if it was possible. He mentions the new signings that are helping AEW build a dynasty and says he’ll prove that he is every bit that man.

“Now run the fade on that bitch,” Strickland says in closing. Joe shoves him but Swerve fires back a mean right hand. Strickland goes to choke out the champ with his chain, but Joe wrestles it away and wraps it around his right hand. Strickland ends up eating multiple shots from the chain in the corner, bleeding from the onslaught.

But as Joe heads back up the ramp, a bloody Swerve simply laughs and says “I love this s–t,” adding that if this is all Joe’s got, he’s taking the championship. Strickland signs the contract with his own blood, but an enraged Joe runs back to the ring, kicks him in the groin and slams him through the table with a uranage.

AEW Collision results 03/30/24: Adam Copeland is Alwayz Ready for 1st title defense

Several Dynasty matches also came into focus during AEW Collision in Ontario.

What do you do when your bigger competition is about to have its biggest event of the year? Just keep keeping on and put on the best shows you can, which is what AEW Collision will hopefully be tonight in Ontario.

AEW has found some hot crowds during its current Canadian swing, and this should be no exception since Adam Copeland is making the first defense of his TNT Championship. We won’t know who the challenger is until their music hits, which is always fun.

Other big business (no pun intended) for Collision includes a pair of tag team title tournament matches that will help advance two duos toward a title match at Dynasty. We’ve got FTR and Big Bill/Ricky Starks to move on, but we shall see.

Here’s how it all went down.

AEW Collision results from London, Ontario:

  • Adam Copeland kicks off the show by saying how grateful he is to be in Ontario and how the stakes are raised for the Cope Open since he’ll be defending his TNT Championship in these matches now; Copeland makes the call for someone to come out and accept the challenge, and it’s answered by Matt Cardona

  • Adam Copeland def. Matt Cardona by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship
  • After the match, the lights go out and come back on to reveal Malakai Black standing in the ring, bringing on a “holy s–t” chant from the crowd; Buddy Matthews attacks Copeland from behind, and Mark Briscoe fares poorly while trying to help him, but the appearance of Eddie Kingston to reinforce the faces gets the House of Black to pull a disappearing act
  • Lexy Nair asks FTR about their strategy against The Infantry, to which Cash Wheeler says it’s to not look past their opponents since they’ve been on a losing streak, and Dax Harwood says they need to make sure The Infantry’s Cinderella story ends tonight

  • Daddy Ass cuts a promo on Jay White ahead of their meeting on the next episode of Dynamite, and The Acclaimed have some choice words for all of Bullet Club Gold as well

  • FTR def. The Infantry by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal
  • Nair talks to Big Bill and Ricky Starks, who are confident about defeating Top Flight despite not having a match in quite some time

  • Copeland says he knows the TNT title makes him a marked man, but he isn’t crazy about the House of Black jumping in his business, and challenges the House to a six-man match at Dynasty against him, Briscoe and Kingston, both of whom add their own two cents

  • Kyle O’Reilly def. JD Drake by submission, and is immediately hoisted onto the shoulders of the Undisputed Kingdom, who clearly want him to join up
  • Top Flight def. Big Bill and Ricky Starks by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal; also appears that Starks may have suffered an injury toward the end of the match
  • Christopher Daniels makes his own House of Black challenge, the cool thing to do tonight, apparently
  • Thunder Rosa def. Lady Frost by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette speaks to Toni Storm, who asks Mariah May if she’s been plotting to get a title shot all these months and ends up kissing her, saying she sees a lot of Mariah in her

  • Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Katsuyori Shibata def. Lance Archer and The Righteous by pinfall as Shibata pins Vincent

AEW Rampage results 03/20/24: Julia Hart, Skye Blue prevail in Street Fight

We also saw Best Friends advance in the AEW tag team title tournament in Toronto.

How’s everyone feeling after AEW Dynamite? Ready for another hour of wrestling? Because that’s exactly what we’re getting on a live episode of AEW Rampage on a special night.

In fact the change from one show to another in the T-Dot was basically seamless, since the main event I Quit match ran long. Confetti for Adam Copeland, tears for Christian Cage.

But hey, there’s plenty to look forward to on Rampage as well. We’ll see another team advance in the tag team title tournament, and Katsuyori Shibata is in action. The main event should be a women’s tag team Street Fight, and that works for us.

So yes, bring on the third hour, we say, if only for this week. Let’s get into it.

AEW Rampage results from Toronto:

  • Bullet Club Gold is in Florida, not Toronto, threatening to win the trios titles from The Acclaimed, and Jay White claims he saved Darby Allin’s life by breaking his foot and keeping him from climbing Mount Everest
  • Renee Paquette brings out The Acclaimed, who are definitely upset at Bullet Club Gold and lob plenty of insults at White and The Gunns
  • Best Friends (Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta) def. Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher and Powerhouse Hobbs) by pinfall in an AEW Tag Team Tournament Wild Card Match
  • Katsuyori Shibata def. Kevin Matthews by pinfall
  • New TNT Champion Adam Copeland is shown popping champagne bottles backstage with plenty of the roster’s faces
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Rocky Romero by pinfall
  • Skye Blue and Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale by submission in a Street Fight as Hart taps out Statlander; the match included tables, moves on top of the announce table, chairs and a whole mess of thumbtacks

AEW Dynamite results 03/20/24: Copeland has grit, friends to make Cage quit

Toronto also saw Kazuchika Okada win gold on AEW Dynamite.

When two former friends from Ontario want to settle their massive, ongoing beef, maybe the only real way to do it is in an I Quit match in Toronto. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what awaits tonight on AEW Dynamite.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage have clashed over the TNT Championship before, with Cage emerging victorious thanks to the aid of The Patriarchy. He dismissively sent Copeland to the back of the line, figuring that would be the end of it.

Copeland brushed himself off and jumped into the idea of working his way back to title contention with gusto thanks to his series of “Cope Open” matches. They didn’t really go on as long as he and AEW would have us believe, but it’s a fine narrative regardless.

If you didn’t think we were always headed back here, you must be relatively new to pro wrestling (so welcome!). An I Quit match in front of what is a hometown crowd for both men should be excellent.

It’s not the only title match on Dynamite tonight either. Eddie Kingston actually has several titles that confusingly are sometimes referred to as one. Only one of those three, the still fairly new Continental Championship, is at stake when Kingston faces Kazuchika Okada.

A villainous Rainmaker took some getting used to but seems like a stroke of genius for AEW. Will Okada break through this early in his time in the U.S.? We’ll find out tonight.

AEW Dynamite results from Toronto:

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

  • Mercedes Moné is here, as is Willow Nightingale, but are they united even against Julia Hart and Skye Blue?
  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson want Alex Marvez to talk Japanese to Kazuchika Okada, or to learn how by next week, but the Rainmaker knows enough English to tell Eddie Kingston he’s coming for the title
  • Kazuchika Okada def. Eddie Kingston by pinfall to become the new AEW Continental Champion, however …
  • … after his victory, Okada sees Pac come out to the stage, insinuating he’ll be going after the Continental title
  • Renee Paquette speaks with Swerve Strickland, who accuses Samoa Joe of running and ducking him but is in the mood to issue an open challenge for a fight tonight
  • Paquette next speaks with Nightingale and Statlander about their Street Fight on Rampage, with Willow noting that she’s completely different in that environment; Moné stops by and exchanges thanks with Statlander but freezes out Nightingale (and Stokely Hathaway for that matter)
  • Hook def. Chris Jericho by pinfall
  • Adam Cole talks about how disappointed he is in Wardlow, so now the big man’s job is to protect the gold Undisputed Kingdom has, framing it as wanting what’s best for Wardlow
  • Paquette grabs a minute with Jericho backstage, and he says Hook lived up to what he expected from the “future world champion”; next week, Jericho says he has a proposition for Hook
  • Tony Schiavone calls Will Ospreay to the ring, and the Aerial Assassin says he’s changed and is now here for the betterment of AEW but needs some maple syrup from Canada in return; he also addresses Bryan Danielson claiming he couldn’t walk in Bryan’s shoes and tells Katsuyori Shibata he wants to face him next week
  • A hype video is shown for the Adam Copeland-Christian Cage I Quit match later tonight
  • Deonna Purrazzo and Thunder Rosa def. “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mariah May by pinfall
  • Swerve Strickland def. The Butcher by submission, then cuts a promo on Samoa Joe which is answered in the flesh by the AEW World Champion, and then by Don Callis, which apparently sets up a match between Swerve and Konosuke Takeshita
  • Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage in an I Quit match to become the new AEW TNT Champion

Mercedes Moné still has business with Willow Nightingale, which only gets more complicated

Please say hello to your new CEO. Mercedes says she’s still on a high from her debut in AEW last week, and goes on to talk about her near-career-ending injury 10 months ago when she was facing Willow Nightingale.

Cognizant that some people might not know exactly who she is, Mercedes shows a video package to fill them in. No, there are no Sasha Banks highlights in it.

She’s not here to lead a women’s evolution, as she’s done that before. Mercedes says she wants to lead a global revolution, facing the best women all over the world.

For now, it seems she wants to focus on Nightingale, but the lights go out when she does her mic drop, then come back up to find Julia Hart standing on the ramp. Skye Blue attempts an attack from behind, but both heels are easily repulsed.

Hart and Blue go under the ring for chairs but are neutralized by the arrival of Nightingale and Kris Statlander, both carrying chairs of their own. The lights go out and back on again, and it appears Willow was considering hitting Mercedes, which of course ticks off the CEO as she leaves.

Kazuchika Okada makes it rain gold against Eddie Kingston

Kingston has been talking about how Okada has never faced anyone like him, but an argument can be made that he’s as rooted in Strong Style as any current non-Japanese wrestler, so perhaps that’s not 100% true.

It’s also fun to see how some of Okada’s trademark mannerisms and bits still work even now that he’s a heel. We also see Matthew and Nicholas Jackson in the back, working as producers for the match as they promised Okada they would.

OK it’s not all business as usual with Okada as he’s a lot cockier than normal, but he’s bumping like the top level pro he is as Kingston hurls him around with suplexes. Eddie is getting plenty of support from the fans but there are some chants for the challenger as well.

Signature Okada dropkick? Check. But Kingston is able to nail the spinning back fist not long after for a near fall.

A running clotheslines has Eddie pulling down his straps, but Okada is able to gouge the champ’s eyes after a quick ref distraction. A spinning powerslam leads to a Rainmaker, and Okada is golden in AEW already.

Deonna Purrazzo, Thunder Rosa get one over on Toni Storm, Mariah May even though they aren’t completely aligned

The framing here is about how Storm and May are a proven team while Purrazzo and Rosa may not be on the exact same page. It’s not a problem in the opening minutes, and Rosa looks good in one of the longest matches we’ve seen from her on TV since she returned from her long injury layoff.

Ah, but things change when the Virtuosa has things rolling against May and Rosa tags herself in. That proves to be a tactical error as she eats a hip attack from the champ, but Thunder reverses a piledriver and gets the victory out of nowhere.

It doesn’t look like Deonna is 100% happy with things after the match, however.

Adam Copeland gets help to overcome The Patriarchy and makes Christian Cage quit

The fans enthusiastically sing along with Copeland’s theme a cappella even after the music stops, but the mood changes quickly when Cage makes his ring walk. There’s also a “holy s–t” chant that rings out in the early going.

It doesn’t take long for the two Canadians to fight into the crowd, where Cage dons a Bruins sweater and Copeland wears a Leafs sweater for an additional hometown pop. During picture-in-picture action, they battle out onto the concourse and then back toward the ring.

The crowd starts a “TLC” chant as a ladder comes into play, and both men are hurt when Copeland pulls Cage backward onto the steel. That gets a “this is awesome” chant going as well.

Now Copeland gets out a table, leaning it against the barricade. Cage leapfrogs a Spear and sends Copeland into the ringpost after a quick poke to the eyes.

Copeland ends up getting driven through the table when Cage jumps off the top rope, and he’s busted open as a result. They head back into the ring, where Cage catapults Copeland into a ladder laid across the ropes. The ref asks Copeland for a response but he’s not ready to quit.

Cage’s frog splash finds no one home, and Copeland grabs him in a crossface. The champ also isn’t quitting and gouges the challenger’s eyes to free himself.

During more picture-in-picture, Cage looks like he’s trying to walk out on the match, but Copeland catches up with him and catapults Cage off the stage. The champ also briefly gets thrown into a hockey net, as one does.

While they fight back toward the ring, Mama Wayne runs up and uses a hockey stick to hit a low blow on Copeland from behind. Cage breaks the stick over Copeland’s back and they head back inside the squared circle.

Cage unloads with the blade half of the stick and flexes to a chorus of boos. He jams the stick into Copeland’s throat, and the ref asks him several times if he’ll quit and still gets a quiet no.

Looking under the ring again, Cage slides several chairs into the ring. He produces one with barbed wire around it too, looking for a devastating Con-chair-to. Copeland rolls away at the last second and now he has the barbed wire chair, but Cage kicks it away.

Copeland runs Cage over with the hockey stick and tries choking him out, then takes the drawstring out of his tights to choke the champ. Nick Wayne and Killswitch pick that moment to jump in again, and they invite Mana Wayne to slap him.

Daddy Magic and Daniel Garcia run down to attack The Patriarchy, and Killswitch takes a DDT on the barbed wire chair. They also send Wayne flying to the floor, and Copeland climbs a ladder and dives to the floor onto both of them.

Garcia produces handcuffs, and the faces end up cuffing both Wayne and Killswitch to opposite corners. Mama Wayne sees more handcuffs and decides to make a run for it.

Cage is now left three on one, which makes things look grim for him. He’s handcuffed to another corner, where Copeland kicks him in the junk repeatedly.

Copeland gets in one shot from Spike, his nail-studded 2×4, and threatens another to finally make Copeland say “I Quit.”

AEW Dynamite preview 03/20/24: Can Adam Copeland make Christian Cage quit?

And can Kazuchika Okada win AEW gold from Eddie Kingston so soon after his arrival?

Even though last Wednesday was Big Business and the site of a huge debut, it’s not like tonight’s AEW Dynamite is just a ho-hum “regular” episode. Nope, there are big things on the card for this week as well, as the scene shifts to Toronto.

Will Adam Copeland finally beat his point into Christian Cage’s head?

When Adam Copeland first arrived in AEW, he tried to approach his old friend with love in his heart. That didn’t work, and as Copeland has since learned, it’s because Christian Cage isn’t the man he once knew.

They’ve been fighting off and on ever since, but even after failing to take the TNT Championship from Cage on his first try, Copeland kept battling to get back to face Cage again. That’s led them back home to Toronto, the proper setting for an I Quit match between the two Ontario natives.

The only thing that might work for Copeland now is to humble Cage. Getting him to verbally quit might do that. But the deck will once again be stacked against him, and it’s going to be fascinating to see if AEW finds a compelling way to overcome the odds.

Can Okada make it rain gold so early in his AEW run?

Having Kazuchika Okada was a stroke of creative genius for AEW. Fans have seen so much of the Rainmaker as the hero of New Japan that it was a breath of fresh air, especially while joining forces with the most intentionally unlikeable version of the Young Bucks the company has seen.

On Dynamite, Okada will challenge Eddie Kingston for the Continental Championship, and the fact that it’s only one of Eddie’s three belts makes it feel much more possible that he’ll drop it. Holding some gold right after arrival might make Okada seem like a bigger deal for anyone who still isn’t that familiar with his body of work in Japan. We’ll see if that’s what’s in store.

AEW Dynamite card for Toronto:

  • Christian Cage (c) vs. Adam Copeland – I Quit match for the AEW TNT Championship
  • Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada – AEW Continental Championship match
  • Chris Jericho vs. Hook
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mariah May vs. Deonna Purrazzo and Thunder Rosa
  • We’ll hear from Mercedes Moné

Also don’t forget that Rampage is tonight too, on TBS right after Dynamite to make it an even three hours of AEW action. We’ll be recapping all the action here on Wrestling Junkie, so join us back here at 8 p.m. ET for the latest.

AEW Collision results 03/16/24: Danielson downs Shibata in dream match

Christian Cage also revealed what was in his case on AEW Collision and how he’s going to use it on Christian Cage.

How we feeling, AEW fans? The promotion seems to have received a shot in the arm as of late, and that’s no surprise considering Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné all arrived within weeks of each other. It’s a crazy talent infusion, but none of it will be part of tonight’s episode of AEW Collision.

Will that matter? Maybe not, as AEW felt a little more focused even in the build-up to Revolution earlier this month. Maybe not quite to the point where it’s restored the peak enthusiasm from a few years ago, but trending upward for sure.

Plus, if there’s one thing Tony Khan can be counted on to do, it’s to book a dream match out of nowhere just because he can. Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata, come on down!

So while the three newcomers are of course all amazing, AEW doesn’t have to rely on only them, and we should see that tonight from Canada’s capital. Let’s see.

AEW Collision results from Ottawa:

  • Bryan Danielson def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall; they shake hands, hug and generally show each other respect afterward
  • A highlight package from AEW Big Business is shown, with a special spotlight on the debut of Mercedes Moné
  • Julia Hart def. Trish Adora by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship; as a results, Hart can be ringside for the match between House of Black and The Infantry later tonight, but Adora cannot
  • Lexy Nair asks Zak Knight about fighting Angelo Parker, which he’s happy to do, just not in Canada

  • Daniel Garcia def. Lee Moriarty by submission; Matt Menard was on guest commentary and celebrates with Garcia in the ring afterward
  • Pac def. Aaron Solo by submission; after the bell, Pac says he’s looking for trouble and Solo isn’t exactly what he had in mind, so he tells Tony Khan to find him some trouble or he’ll find it himself

  • Danielson is meditating backstage but stops to talk about how grateful he is that he got to wrestle Shibata tonight and that he’s got a match coming up with Will Ospreay coming up; Danielson suggests that Ospreay doesn’t understand what he and Shibata have gone through and isn’t ready for what the American Dragon is willing to do

  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Lance Archer by DQ after he’s attacked by The Righteous; Danielson tries to make the save but is outnumbered, so Shibata also flies down with a chair and sends the heels running
  • Nair talks to Parker, who was ready to fight Knight tonight, but he agrees to “leave it alone for tonight” after Ruby Soho suggests that if he tries to start something tonight, he’ll have to do it without her

  • Kyle O’Reilly def. Bryan Keith by submission; after the match, Undisputed Kingdom comes out to celebrate with O’Reilly
  • Nair speaks with Deonna Purrazzo and Thunder Rosa, who may have some differences in opinion on the world championship but certainly seem like they’ll put them aside to get back at Toni Storm and Mariah May

  • The Infantry def. House of Black (Brody King and Buddy Matthews ) by pinfall in an AEW Tag Team Tournament Wild Card Match, in large part due to interference by Mark Briscoe
  • Adam Copeland sits down to recap his take on the whole Christian Cage situation, saying he never came to AEW to take his old friend’s spotlight away and finally revealing what’s in his box: Spike, a nail-studded 2×4; Copeland says he and Spike will make Cage say “I quit” and take away Christian’s pride

AEW Dynamite results 03/06/24: Rainmaker aligns with EVPs, Will Ospreay soars again

The world title situation also kept spinning on AEW Dynamite from the Atlanta area.

It’s a bit of a joke online that Tony Khan promises a new era for AEW after every pay-per-view. But he means it for tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Duluth, right near Atlanta.

New, colorful set? Check. New theme song? Possibly, but hopefully we’re all still lighting the fuse.

There could be a new big name making his arrival tonight as well. Possibly one who’s been known to affect the weather with some precipitation? We shall see, but that’s the rumor.

As for what we know is on tap, Will Ospreay, another recent arrival, will be in action against his buddy Kyle Fletcher. Kris Statlander gets a stiff test in the form of former world Champ Riho. And the Young Bucks … excuse me, AEW EVPs Matthew and Nicholas Jackson have a huge announcement. Or at least they’ve said it’s huge, we’ll be the judges.

We’re ready to dive in with live updates, so let’s do this.

AEW Dynamite results from Atlanta (area):

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

  • Tony Schiavone invites Swerve Strickland to the ring to talk about what’s next for him, which ends up as a debate between him, Samoa Joe and Undisputed Kingdom
  • Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland def. The Kingdom by pinfall with Swerve handling the whole match; Joe chokes Swerve out after the match and stares down Wardlow
  • Renee Paquette wants to talk to Hook, but Chris Jericho stops by and admits he respects him after facing off in the All-Star Scramble at Revolution, which gets him a fist bump of respect from Hook

  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson have two huge announcements but say they’ll make them live in the ring later tonight

  • Hook def. Brian Cage by submission to retain the FTW Championship; he’s attacked afterward by Gates of Agony but saved by a bat-wielding Jericho
  • A video package reiterates the fact that the tag team titles have been vacated after Sting retired, with a tournament coming up to decide new champs
  • Paquette talks to Orange Cassidy and Best Friends, and since Chuck Taylor is still injured, he thinks Cassidy and Trent Beretta should win the title tourney

  • Killswitch def. Daddy Magic by pinfall; Daniel Garcia hustles down to prevent a post-match beating, but Nick Wayne also enters the fray and ends up hitting Garcia with Wayne’s World …
  • … but as the heels head up the ramp, Adam Copeland appears to chuck Killswitch off the stage, choke out Wayne and chase Christian Cage to the back; Cage throws some poor guy out of an SUV and speeds off, while Copeland says to the camera that this needs to end where it started: Dynamite in Toronto in an I Quit match for the TNT Championship

  • Kyle O’Reilly tells Paquette that he’s grateful to be back doing what he loves, but while he has nothing but love for Undisputed Kingdom, he feels like he needs to work his way back on his own
  • A highlight video is shown of Sting’s last match
  • The Jacksons make their big announcements, and an angry Eddie Kingston finds out who they’ve invited to The Elite: Kazuchika Okada
  • Highlights are shown of the Will Ospreay-Konosuke Takeshita match at Revolution
  • Riho def. Kris Statlander by pinfall
  • Toni Storm says she’ll be presenting the first ever Toni Awards (with an ‘i’ so they don’t get sued) soon, and Mariah May receives her first ever shirt, which is just like one of Toni’s old shirts
  • Paquette talks to Stokely Hathaway and Willow Nightingale, who has a match against Riho next week and says she knows she can beat Riho … but also has her sights set on Julia Hart and the TBS Championship
  • Darby Allin, Jay White exchange some pleasantries ahead of their match next week
  • Julia Hart delivers a warning that is obviously intended for Willow
  • The House of Black threatens to literally set Mark Briscoe ablaze Saturday at Collision; Briscoe himself is defiant as he tells Paquette he’ll take on the House all by himself, but Jay Lethal offers his aid and that of Jeff Jarrett
  • Will Ospreay def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall, then has a staredown with Bryan Danielson as the show fades out

What’s next for Swerve Strickland? Samoa Joe and others put in their two cents

A slightly downbeat Swerve says he’s not sure he deserves all the love he’s getting from the crowd. He didn’t get the job done, after all, and Samoa Joe did.

Strickland recalls it was almost two years ago to the day that he signed the AEW contract in the ring with Schiavone. He said at the time he wanted to win championships, but he wonders if not having any is karma for all the terrible things he’s done in the company.

Is he destined to just be a role player? Swerve isn’t sure, as he feels that the crowd in Greensboro was truly behind him for the first time. He doesn’t want to let those people down.

So nothing changes, as Swerve says he’s coming for Joe, and will beat him for that title. That brings the AEW World Champion to the ring, looking like he’s dressed to fight. He says he’s there for a reality check, and wanted to let the people gaze upon an actual champion.

Strickland notes that Joe is ready for a fight, so why don’t they battle for the title right now? The fans like that idea, but it’s quickly interrupted by the arrival of Undisputed Kingdom on the stage.

Adam Cole says the only story worth talking about coming out of Revolution is his group, as Roderick Strong is now the International Champion and The Kingdom are still the ROH tag team champs. The only reason Joe is still on top is because Undisputed Kingdom let it happen.

Cole mocks both Joe and Swerve before saying Wardlow is going to win the world title very, very soon. Strickland thinks that’s funny and drops a hilarious Britt Baker joke.

They end up debating a match between The Kingdom and Swerve and Joe, and while Undisputed Kingdom wants it next week, Schiavone says it’s going to be right now.

Swerve takes down The Kingdom solo, then pays for it afterward

This is “can they coexist?” in a major way. The early answer is yes, as Swerve is cooking after a commercial break that takes place within the first few minutes.

Matt Taven tries to put an end to that by meeting Strickland up on the top turnbuckle, but he fails and Mike Bennett eats a Swerve Stomp. Taven takes the House Call too, and Big Pressure puts him away.

Hey, Joe really didn’t have to do any work, but he’s not happy about it, choking out Swerve from behind while staring down Wardlow, who is lurking on the ramp.

Hook puts Brian Cage to sleep, then gets some surprising post-match assistance

Hook tries to match power with Cage right away, which doesn’t go well for him. Cage looks pretty pleased with himself as he looks for plunder under the ring and pops up with a steel chair. Hook is looking for weapons himself, producing a fire extinguisher and blasting Cage in the face.

A trash can lid is also put to good use before Cage rallies by hurling the champ into the steel steps. Cage tastes the steel himself but catches Hook coming off the top step and pivoting into a powerslam.

Cage thinks he’s lined up Hook but misses and goes hurtling through the barricade as we semi-break for side-by-side ads.

The full broadcast returns in time for Hook to counter an F-5 attempt before taking Cage off his feet with a clothesline and following with a t-bone suplex. A trash can shot has Cage reeling, and that suplex into a metal guardrail set up in the corner probably doesn’t feel good either. Cage manages to kick out of the ensuing cover at two.

A pop-up neckbreaker plants Hook, and Cage continues with a powerbomb and F-5 onto a chair. His cocky cover fails, however, as Hook kicks out.

Cage goes under the ring again and produces a bag full of tacks that he spreads in the middle of the ring. Hook floats over into Redrum only for Cage to back him into the turnbuckles to escape. But the champ finds a handy kendo stick to soften up Cage, who gets suplexed into the tacks.

Hook locks on Redrum and gets dropped into the tacks, but the champ won’t let the hold go, and Cage goes out.

The Gates of Agony attack Hook right after the bell, but Chris Jericho runs down, Floyd in hand, and chases them off.

The Jacksons make their big announcements … and Eddie Kingston suffers at the hands of AEW’s newest signing

Nicholas is mad about Revolution, accusing Sting and Darby Allin of cheating. But he also says no one can take it away from them that they ended Sting’s career, and follows by saying they’re entering themselves in the tag team title tournament.

Matthew takes over and says part of being EVPs is making tough decisions. For putting his hands on referees at Revolution, Matthew says Hangman Adam Page is suspended indefinitely from The Elite without pay. Also, since Kenny Omega hasn’t been “making his dates,” he’s fired from The Elite.

He’s not done, but he’s interrupted by the arrival of Eddie Kingston. He’s got some beef for Nicholas, but he’s ready for a fight. Only the EVPs fight dirty with a low blow, and they’re about to hit Kingston with the EVP Trigger when a coin drop signals the arrival of Kazuchika Okada.

Kingston seems shocked, but he’s even more surprised when he gets a Rainmaker. The Jacksons introduce Okada as the newest member of The Elite, and Okada makes a belt motion to Eddie as he leaves the ring.

Darby Allin has a mountain to climb … but a match with Jay White first

Schiavone calls Darby Allin to the ring to ask him what it will be like without Sting. Allin is emotional talking about helping to give Sting the proper sendoff, and says what’s next is his match against Jay White and then he’s off to climb Mt. Everest. He says there was no chance he’d find a partner to replace Sting and congratulates whoever the next team will be to win the tag team championship …

… but that’s not it, as White (and the Gunns) comes down to talk to Allin face to face. The Switchblade is not too impressed with Darby’s ladder spot, calling it stupid, and he questions what Allin is without Sting. A little lost puppy, perhaps, with no one there to hold his leash.

Just like he didn’t need to jump off the ladder, White says they don’t need to have this match, and no one will think any less of Allin. Maybe Darby would like to hang with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang instead?

Allin mocks White for winning championships overseas but doing nothing in AEW, then whispers something to Jay. White looks like he wants to throw hands, but Allin has Sting’s bat so that’s not happening.

Will Ospreay thrills again against Kyle Fletcher, then gets a visit from the American Dragon

Don Callis joins the announcers to help call the action, and they point out that Fletcher is focusing his attack on Ospreay’s back.

Ospreay is doing better after side-by-side ads, but he telegraphs the Oscutter and is thrown backward by a snap suplex. A sheer drop brainbuster follows, and Ospreay has to hustle to kick out at two.

Callis thinks Fletcher is taking too long to follow up, which allows Ospreay to meet him in the middle of the ring to exchange chops. Fletcher wins that showdown, but Ospreay quickly nails him with several stiff blows. A series of counters leads to a nasty DDT by the Aerial Assassin, but Fletcher dodges the Hidden Blade and hits Snake Eyes into the middle turnbuckle.

A cutter onto the apron is a nasty bump for both men, and more picture-in-picture is here.

More chops are flying when we return, as well as vicious forearm shots. Both men look for Tombstones, but Ospreay emerges on top with a poison rana. Ospreay heads up top, but Fletcher foils that by pushing him down. He tries for a double underhook superplex but sees Ospreay land on his feet. A Liger Bomb is next, but Fletcher kicks out at two.

Fletcher hits a double underhook slam for two, then a Liger Bomb of his own for another near fall. A dazed Ospreay eats a running kick in the corner, but he escapes another superplex attempt and nails the thrust kick. An avalanche poison rana and the Hidden Blade lead to a very close two count.

Both men still have enough left to trade strikes and reversals. A standing Spanish Fly gets two for Ospreay, but neither that nor the Oscutter can win it. Somehow.

Fletcher gets to his knees and waves in his friend, who obliges with a huge Hidden Blade that ends it.

Callis comes into the ring as the two friends are talking, but so does Bryan Danielson, who stares down Ospreay as the show ends.

AEW Dynamite results 02/14/24: Orange Cassidy finds friendship amidst Texas Death

The Patriarchy didn’t exactly spread love, however, during AEW Dynamite from Austin.

Because what is Valentine’s Day, really, without some pain to go with the feelings of love? There should be plenty of that tonight on AEW Dynamite from Austin.

Orange Cassidy could be forgiven if he’d like to take tonight off. Just like he did the first time he was AEW International Champion, he’s making a habit out of competing week in and week out, often with his title on the line.

He and his Best Friends are currently tangled up in a program with the Undisputed Kingdom, which is what has led him to where he is tonight: about to have a Texas Death match against Matt Taven.

And sure, Cassidy will probably win, as it’s not often you see him take an ‘L’ in a singles match. It’s no sure thing, however, since his title isn’t on the line, and because of the stipulation, any number of people could get involved. Roderick Strong, who will try to dethrone Cassidy in a few weeks at Revolution, certainly wouldn’t mind if Taven took something out of the Freshly Squeezed one tonight.

There’s a bunch of other fun stuff on tonight’s card as well. Adam Copeland and Daniel Garcia will square off in a battle of the generations. Toni Storm will debut her new film, “Wet Ink.” Matthew and Nicholas Jackson will take on Top Flight, and we’ll hear from Samoa Joe and both of the men who will try to take his AEW World Championship at Revolution, Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland.

So end your Valentine’s Day plans early or revel in the fact that you haven’t got any, and let’s see what’s in store.

AEW Dynamite results from Austin:

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

  • Jon Moxley def. Dax Harwood by submission; the post-match beating draws Cash Wheeler and Claudio Castagnoli into the fray, with the BCC duo emerging totally triumphant
  • Don Callis tells Renee Paquette that no one wants to fight his Family, and since they believe they need to be on Revolution, he’s going to have Konosuke Takeshita take on Will Ospreay … wait, wow!

  • Wardlow def. Barrett Brown by pinfall in a quick squash match, with Adam Cole offering some of the shortest guest commentary ever
  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson are shown flying in to the local airport, for some reason still wearing the blood-stained white suits they wore all last week

  • Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia ends in a no contest after an attack by The Patriarchy, which ends with Christian Cage giving Copeland a Conchairto
  • Samoa Joe faces both of his challengers, and Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page each have something to say
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm debuts her new film, “Wet Ink,” after which Paquette finds Deonna Purrazzo making a much shorter threat to break Storm’s arm

  • The Jacksons arrive in the arena
  • The Young Bucks def. Top Flight by pinfall; after the match, the EVPs declare themselves No. 1 contenders and fine Tony Schiavone $1000 for disparaging them; they also tease an EVP Trigger on Schiavone before Darby Allin makes the save with a baseball bat and lays into the Bucks before making their Revolution match official — as in Sting’s last match
  • Paquette asks the Bang Bang Scissor Gang what’s next, and it appears it will be a 12-man tag team match on Rampage to test their cohesiveness

  • Willow Nightingale def. Skye Blue by pinfall, getting a timely assist from Stokely Hathaway at a critical moment
  • Orange Cassidy def. Matt Taven by KO in a Texas Death match

Dax Harwood steps up to Jon Moxley but gets choked out

Both men clearly have their supporters in the crowd, as evidenced by the mixed chants after the bell rings. Harwood smirks at Moxley’s attempt at early mind games, and we see middle fingers exchanged along with a mock kiss by Mox.

Moxley pays for it when he puts his hands behind his back, as Harwood is happy to chop and punch him into the corner. Mox works the body to open up the head when he sees an opening, biting Dax on the head as well.

Harwood keeps the strikes flowing, but he eventually is caught in a bulldog choke and taken nearly all the way to the mat. Dax escapes and looks for his own submission but eats a boot or two to the face before he’s sent to the floor.

It doesn’t stop there, as Harwood is sent over the barricade out into the crowd. Moxley looks like he’s in full control, even once things return to the ring, dropping numerous right hands in the corner. Harwood finally summons a response in the form of a Liger Bomb, forcing Mox to kick out at two.

Both men tumble over the top rope to the floor, bringing us to picture-in-picture. It’s Moxley leading the way when the full picture resumes, but Harwood hangs in there and keeps swinging. Mox finally gets in the last shot but they both hit the canvas.

The commentary team notes that Dax has bloodied his own hand during all these strikes, though his bigger problem might be Moxley raking his back as they battle to the top rope. Harwood manages to hold onto the ropes but not forever, yet Moxley has been slowed and can’t capitalize immediately. Dax finally gets a burst of energy and hops up to deliver a superplex, leaving them both down on the mat again.

Unwilling to budge, they get to their knees and butt heads like rams. Up on the feet, they exchange lariats until Harwood gets a chance to apply a Sharpshooter. They’re in the middle of the ring, now just five minutes from the 20-minute limit.

Mox looks for an armbar, which Harwood grasps his hands to fight off. Dax does his own back raking but gets back body dropped, and a series of counters leads to a Harwood piledriver. Moxley barely kicks out before the three falls.

They head back to the floor, but Mox catches Dax coming back into the ring and hits a cutter, then a stomp. A piledriver looks like it might be it, but Dax gets an arm up at the last moment.

More counters lead to a brainbuster for Harwood, and when that’s not enough to win it, only two minutes remain. Moxley takes Dax back down and applies a rear choke. Harwood tries to fight it but eventually taps out.

After the bell, Moxley won’t release the hold, so Cash Wheeler arrives to pound him with right hands. That brings Claudio Castagnoli to the ring as well, and he levels Wheeler so the BCC stands tall.

The Patriarchy overruns Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia

The announce team reminds us that when Copeland and Garcia agreed to this match, it was with the understanding that the winner would get a shot at Christian Cage and the TNT Championship. So the stakes is high, as De La Soul once said.

Copeland knows it, going right after his younger foe when the bell rings. Garcia likes the mat game more, forcing Copeland to the ropes for a break.

After avoiding some incoming fire, Copeland hits a standing splash for a near fall. Garcia elbows his way out of a headlock, going for a roll-up to score a two count. A drop toehold gives Garcia a chance to work some more holds, some of which allow him to dance at the same time.

Elbows in the corner get Garcia out of trouble, but Copeland comes right back with a shoulderbreaker. A hard Irish whip sends Garcia barreling into the buckles as side-by-side ads arrive.

Can Daddy Magic will Garcia back into it? Not yet as Copeland continues to work his left arm and shoulder.

He does crotch Copeland on the top rope, using a dragon screw to send his foe crashing to the mat. A running boot connects in the corner, and he whips another dragon screw to keep Copeland grounded.

Copeland tries to work his way out of trouble on the mat but gets reversed into an STF. His Avalanche Impaler is a damn good answer, but both men are too worn out now to immediately do anything at all.

Copeland looks for another submission, but the match comes to an abrupt halt as The Patriarchy attacks both men while Christian Cage and Shayna Wane watch. Daddy Magic tries to help with a steel chair but gets flattened by Killswitch.

Garcia is in trouble, but Copeland is able to fight off everyone with a chair of his own until Shayna Wayne hits him with a low blow. Nick Wayne hits Wayne’s World, and now Copeland is helpless as Cage hits him with a Conchairto.

Samoa Joe faces both Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page ahead of Revolution

With plenty of cheers escorting him to the ring, Samoa Joe says he is here in the spirit of apology. The rankings were supposed to help find the best victims for him to destroy, which worked until last week when Hangman and Swerve battled to a draw.

Joe says the championship committee took a page out of the Texas playbook and made his Revolution match bigger and dumber. He is defiant, however, saying he’ll make sure both of his challengers limp out at the pay-per-view.

Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana head to the ring in response, with Swerve saying that things have become personal even though Joe said it would be business. Strickland reminds the champ that he said contenders should show up with their reputation and resume, and Swerve has all that plus unlimited hunger.

On top of that, Swerve says that people have long said he might be one of the best someday, but today is that day. He’s gone toe to toe with the top talent and legends in AEW and is almost always the one standing. Strickland says nothing will be different at Revolution, except he’ll be holding Joe’s title above his head.

Hangman Adam Page also comes out so he can set the record straight. He signed for a 30-minute match to find a No. 1 contender, mocking Swerve for being “added” to the title match. Page says Strickland doesn’t deserve one second of his time after all he’s done to Hangman. Joe is tired of this ongoing dispute and says he’ll whip both their asses, leaving with his belt as they continue bickering in the ring.

Orange Cassidy finds true friendship during Texas Death match victory over Matt Taven

Even though there are no DQs in a match like this, Taven comes to the ring alone. Let’s see if his Undisputed Kingdom teammates are lurking somewhere. He doesn’t need any help early on, staying one step ahead of Cassidy up to the point where he hits a Blue Thunder Bomb.

Cassidy’s head is sent into the steel steps, and Taven keeps working him over in front of some fans. Orange pulls off a cool spot when he is whipped toward the barricade and just leaps right over it, finally getting in some offense out in the crowd as the final picture-in-picture segment arrives.

Lest we think this is all too tame for a Texas Death match, Taven puts Cassidy off the stage through a table just as the full broadcast resumes, then puts the International Champion through the partially broken table again with a vertical suplex.

A running knee strike on the ramp smashes Orange in the face. Blood is finally starting to flow from Cassidy as he’s sent back into the ring for a DDT. Referee Bryce Remsburg starts a count as Taven sets another table to lean on the announce table.

Cassidy flies out with a tope only to get blasted by kicks that send him perilously close to the table. Taven goes for broke with a tope con hilo, though Cassidy moves and it’s only Matt that painfully smashes through the table.

Cassidy looks for weapons and finds a box of chocolates sent to him by Chuck Taylor. Ah, wait, it’s not chocolates, it’s thumbtacks, which Orange sprinkles over the ring. They head up top, and even though Taven sends Cassidy back first into the tacks, he misses a frog splash and takes a DDT, and now he’s bleeding after hitting the tacks twice.

Cassidy gets a steel chain out but is attacked by Mike Bennett, who slides chairs into the ring to his teammate. Here comes Trent Beretta with a metal pipe, though he only takes out Bennett before Taven DDTs him into a chair.

The scuffle has given Cassidy time to recover, though, and he hits an Orange Punch and a Beach Break onto a chair. Taven rips out Cassidy’s pockets, but he takes an Orange Punch with a steel chain.

Roderick Strong tries to save his teammate with a flying knee, but Beretta takes the move for his friend, and Cassidy throws Strong out of the ring as Remsburg counts to 10 to give Orange the win.

AEW Dynamite preview 02/14/24: Copeland vs. Garcia, Dax vs. Mox

Austin will also see the debut of Toni Storm’s new film, plus Orange Cassidy in a Texas Death match on AEW Dynamite.

Happy Valentine’s Day! What better way to show your love for someone than to cuddle up in front of AEW Dynamite, right? We thought so too, and tonight’s show from Austin looks like it should keep passions burning, though perhaps not necessarily of the stereotypical Valentine’s kind.

Is Daniel Garcia finally ready for his signature win?

There’s no rush for Daniel Garcia to get to the top of AEW since he is, incredibly, still just 25 years old. He’s had his brushes with the very best, but with the exception of a 2022 victory over Bryan Danielson, he’s usually booked to look good in a losing effort.

That might be his fate in Austin against Adam Copeland too. But thanks to his recent rub from teaming with FTR, Garcia has arguably never been hotter than he is right this second. Might he dance his way to an upset on Dynamite?

Who wins the battle of the ‘x’ names?

It’s been a little bit since some fans were pushing Dax Harwood as a potential Wrestler of the Year candidate, as he hasn’t wrestled too many singles matches as of late. FTR has also mostly been featured on Collision, but that changes tonight as Harwood has a high profile match against Jon Moxley.

The odd for hijinks appear high, however, since Blackpool Combat Club has been embroiled in a battle against AEW’s “guests” from CMLL. This has the feeling of a bout that will be excellent while it lasts but won’t make it to a clean finish, but we shall see.

A Texas Death match is the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day

Because what Orange Cassidy definitely needs is not an occasional day off, but a Texas Death match against Matt Taven. We feel guilty about it, but we’re definitely in.

Also advertised for Dynamite tonight from Austin:

  • We’ll hear from AEW World Champion Samoa Joe and both of his Revolution challengers, Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland
  • Toni Storm debuts her latest film, “Wet Ink”
  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson take on Top Flight
  • Skye Blue goes one-on-one with Willow Nightingale

We don’t need candy nor flowers when we have AEW Dynamite arriving tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Check back with us here at Wrestling Junkie for live results and more throughout the show.