Tag: Best Friends

AEW Dynamite results 03/27/24: Swerve stomps his way to No. 1 contender status

Also on AEW Dynamite, Willow Nightingale earned a TBS Championship shot at Dynasty.

Though he’s not the only big name recent addition to the roster, it’s hard not to get swept up in the pure enthusiasm that Will Ospreay has brought with him to AEW. In the ring? Of course, that’s a given, and we should see it again tonight in Quebec City when he takes on Konosuke Takeshita.

It’s more than that, though. Ospreay was rarely a straightforward babyface during his time in New Japan, but he’s embraced that role wholeheartedly since he made the jump. He speaks about AEW as an ideal in a way that we have rarely heard (though stalwarts like Jon Moxley and Britt Baker have expressed similar feelings through the years), and in a manner that makes you want to buy whatever he’s selling.

And that’s great. Having two strong national wrestling promotions in the U.S. is a boon for the talent and for fans. Yet it’s even better when someone like Ospreay is where he truly wants to be, not just because one company paid him more or the like.

It’s no doubt easier for Ospreay to feel this pumped since he already has a juicy match set for AEW Dynasty next month. In fact, Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson is the only match finalized for that event so far, which makes one wonder if we might see more movement on that end tonight on Dynamite.

Certainly, the four-way women’s match slated for tonight will do that, as the winner gets a TBS Championship shot. Two tag team matches are part of a tournament for the vacant titles at Dynasty as well, though the winners won’t be able to say “meet me in St. Louis” just yet since these are only the quarterfinals.

Anyway, we’re ready to recap all the action, so let’s light the fuse (RIP original Dynamite theme).

AEW Dynamite results from Quebec City:

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

  • Will Ospreay def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall
  • A hype video is shown for Bryan Danielson, narrated by Excalibur

  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson don’t like Renee Paquette’s “ambush journalism,” but they talk about their biggest goal, which is getting their AEW Tag Team Championship belts back

  • Kazuchika Okada pulls up in an expensive sports car, as one does if one is the Rainmaker
  • Young Bucks def. Private Party by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal; the finish was a little strange and both teams attempted to cheat to win
  • Don Callis appears to talk up Konosuke Takeshita, who is facing Swerve Strickland in tonight’s main event
  • Mercedes Moné rolls up, ready to do guest commentary
  • Darby Allin and Tony Hawk talk about the charity he was going to climb Mount Everest to support, The Skatepark Project
  • Paquette gets Chris Jericho and Hook together, and it sounds like Jericho is offering to mentor or manage him, though Hook is understandably a little wary
  • Willow Nightingale def. Anna Jay, Kris Statlander and Skye Blue in a 4-Way match for a TBS Championship shot; Julia Hart attacks Willow from behind after the bell but backs off when Mercedes gets up from the announce table
  • Dustin Rhodes says nothing’s different even at age 55, and he’s as passionate as ever; The Butcher shows up and challenges him to a Bunkhouse Brawl on Rampage

  • Ben Mankiewicz appears with “Timeless” Toni Storm and ends up completely befuddled by her catchphrases

  • Best Friends def. Undisputed Kingdom by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal, as Chuck Taylor was able to neutralize Roderick Strong’s attempt to interfere; the Bucks make a brief appearance afterward to stare down Best Friends
  • Kyle O’Reilly talks to Paquette about getting a win under his belt to kick off his comeback, and he says he’s going to go it alone again on Collision to keep proving he doesn’t need Undisputed Kingdom backing him
  • An Adam Copeland video goes back through his TNT Championship victory, which he will defend for the first time Saturday on Collision
  • Swerve Strickland def. Konosuke Takeshita by pinfall in a No. 1 Contenders Match
  • Samoa Joe appears briefly with Paquette to menacingly say Swerve is not the man he thinks he is, and he’ll prove it next week

Will Ospreay gets a fun victory over Katsuyori Shibata

Courtesy of NJPW, we see footage from these two gents wrestling each other seven years ago. Ospreay looks like he’s a teenager, and Shibata was victorious on that night.

The question about this matchup was whether Ospreay would wrestle something more akin to Shibata’s style and pace, and he does … for a bit. He eventually takes to the air, however, and takes the bigger of the bumps when Shibata nails him with a big boot from the apron to the floor.

Oh, and he gets suplexed and kicked on the floor too.

Shibata gets to show off his striking game as well, plus they trade submissions. Yes, Ospreay can do those as well as the fancier stuff.

Ospreay has to fight out of several submission holds, and he eventually hits an Oscutter. Both men escape some close calls before Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade, but it’s still not enough to end it.

You know what is? A Tiger Driver followed by a second Hidden Blade. Good stuff.

Willow Nightingale earns a TBS Championship opportunity

Mercedes Moné is on guest commentary for this, and there’s plenty of intrigue involved. Skye would be going up against her own friend, Julia Hart, if she wins, and Willow and Stat are tag team partners most of the time.

There’s an awesome sequence after the commercial break with a Code Blue by Skye, people getting dropped onto each other, and more. Willow and Stat finally end up facing each other, but Skye barges in and they join forces against her (though also get knocked together).

Willow DVDs Skye on the apron, leading to amazing reactions from both Mercedes and Stokely. Eventually, Nightingale ends up isolated with Anna Jay, hitting a pumphandle sitout powerbomb that wins it.

Right after the bell, Julia Hart attacks Nightingale from behind, which gets Mercedes up from her seat … but only for a staredown.

Swerve Strickland stomps his way past Konosuke Takeshita to become No. 1 contender to Samoa Joe

Strickland offers a handshake, which Takeshita accepts but turns into the beginning of the grappling. Swerve has the upper hand early on, controlling the action and the pace.

Does he hit the Griddy? Yes, yes he does.

Takeshita fires himself up by hitting a sheer drop brainbuster, which actually is a good motivator. Or I’d imagine, I’ve never hit one.

It’s also fair to wonder if there’s an overrun tonight as we head toward six minutes left in the show. Strickland hits his somersault to the apron into a hurricanrana, which is wild.

Swerve is selling the heck out of his neck/shoulder region. Takeshita finds him with a tope con hilo on the floor, also outstanding.

Strickland fires back with a nasty DDT out of the corner and a corkscrew senton, earning both a near fall and a “this is awesome” chant from the Quebec City crowd.

Takeshita pulls off a nasty poison rana and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. We’re going past 10 p.m. and into “what will it take to win this” territory.

Maybe a Swerve Stomp on the apron? That sets off a series of counters and reversals, plus a nasty knee strike that gets Takeshita a two count.

Another Swerve Stomp after a House Call? No, but a standing Swerve Stomp and a JML Driver finally do it. Hot damn.

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 01/31/24: Hangman, Swerve are on collision course again

After Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page won again, they’ll fight for a title shot next week on AEW Dynamite.

What wrestling fan doesn’t love them some mystery opponent? We’d say none, which is why the Dealer’s Choice matches on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from New Orleans should be a lot of fun.

In fairness, Swerve Strickland already took some of the surprise away by revealing he’s going to send fellow Mogul Embassy member Toa Liona to fight Hangman Adam Page. A perfectly defensible selection, that, given that Liona is a beast who should benefit from the additional spotlight.

But Hangman hasn’t revealed his choice to be Swerve’s opponent, and that has us hoping that everyone’s favorite cowboy really gets creative. And yes, that actually means Tony Khan getting creative, but let’s not lose ourselves in the space between kayfabe and real life.

Strickland and Page are having the kind of long-term feud that just satisfies that place in a wrestling fan’s heart, because even when they branch off and do other things, they can’t seem to help but cross paths again. Long may it continue.

Beyond that, we’ll see the first ever singles match between Jon Moxley and Jeff Hardy. And Deonna Purrazzo will take on her toughest foe since joining AEW, Taya Valkyrie. “Timeless” Toni Storm will once again be on guest commentary, which is pretty close to guaranteed entertainment value.

So yeah, looks like a decent enough two hours. Let’s run it all down as it happens.

AEW Dynamite results from New Orleans:

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

  • Jon Moxley def. Jeff Hardy by submission
  • After the match, Mistico and the other three CMLL wrestlers who were watching the opening match attack Moxley after the bell, but Matt Sydal, Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang eventually come to the rescue and drive the luchadores off
  • Hangman Adam Page def. Toa Liona by pinfall
  • Nicholas Jackson fines a staffer for not using the Young Bucks’ full names, and Matthew apologizes but still expects the fine to be paid by end of day

  • Wardlow def. Komander; after the match, Orange Cassidy and Best Friends come to prevent Roderick Strong and The Kingdom from administering a post-match beating, and the heels want no part of a scuffle tonight
  • Tony Schiavone mediates a sitdown interview with Big Bill and Ricky Starks on one side and Darby Allin and Sting on the other; Starks seems upset that Sting got his first ever AEW victory over him, and Ricky and Darby start yelling at each other while Sting wonders if Bill is a killer like other big men he’s fought; Starks throws a drink on Darby, who has to be restrained by The Icon

  • Chris Jericho def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall; Konosuke Takeshita appears on the stage afterward to taunt Jericho
  • Deonna Purrazzo explains the meanings behind her tattoos, including the identical ink she and Toni Storm got, wondering if it means the same thing to Timeless Toni
  • The Bang Bang Scissor Gang does some good natured guns up and scissoring along with Rock Card Juiceboard

  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Taya Valkyrie by submission with Toni Storm watching closely from the commentary desk
  • Allin is being interviewed by Renee Paquette when the Young Bucks stop by to propose becoming a trio with Darby, but jokes aside, they also accuse him of ducking them

  • AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joins the announcers for the main event
  • Swerve Strickland def. Rob Van Dam by pinfall in a Hardcore match that also sees Brian Cage and Hook briefly get involved
  • Hangman comes down to mock congratulate Swerve, noting that both of them are likely to top the rankings when they come out tonight before vowing to never let Strickland become world champion; Swerve yells back that he has two victories over Page and says Hangman is obsessed with the idea that he can’t win … but Page says it took the whole Mogul Embassy to beat him, and Strickland says they can fight one more time before he leaves this feud behind him to focus on the AEW World Championship
Lee South

Jon Moxley vs Jeff Hardy

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Jon Moxley grinds out a victory over Jeff Hardy

Hardy wastes no time taking to the air, diving onto Moxley from the apron. The announce team suggests the rules for this one are “lax,” so they can do some extreme stuff without fear of DQ and probably won’t be counted out either. Moxley takes flight with a tope suicida, not something he always does.

Back in the ring, Moxley stomps on Hardy’s left arm. Jeff gets flipped over with a suplex of sorts and has to kick out of the ensuing cover.

Mox goes right to a submission attempt, scissoring Hardy’s neck with his legs. Their battle eventually goes back outside the ring, where Moxley end up over the barricade among the CMLL talent that is here for tonight’s show. A right hand from Mox smashes Hardy in mid-flight right as the side-by-side pics arrive.

Th full picture returns to find Hardy running through a bunch of offense, leading to a near fall Tony Schiavone believes Jeff will need to keep Mox on the mat, but he doesn’t and pays for it as he takes a piledriver.

Moxley wants another piledriver on the apron, but Hardy counters with a Twist of Fate. He follows with the Whisper in the Wind, and he’s back up top but met by Moxley, who treats him to a superplex.

They both rise to trade right hands until Hardy’s Twist of Fate attempt is countered with a cutter. Jeff comes right back with a Russian leg sweep, then uses a legdrop right into a pinning predicament that comes oh so close to winning it.

Hardy connects on another Twist of Fate but finds no one home for the Swanton Bomb. Moxley drops to the mat and locks on his bulldog choke, and Hardy eventually goes to sleep.

Lee South

Adam Page vs Toa Liona

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Hangman Adam Page pulls off an AEW first, pinning Toa Liona

Page notes during a quick pre-match promo shown during his entrance that Liona has never been pinned or submitted in AEW. Did not know that. Early on, Hangman is able to stay one step ahead of the bigger man, at least until Liona can slow the pace.

Two springboard lariats aren’t sufficient to knock Liona off the apron, though he has no such trouble hurling Page over the top rope and out to the floor. Liona hits a diving cross body to the floor, looking very confident.

Liona sits on Page’s chest back in the ring, good for a near fall. A series of right hands from Hangman leads to Liona chucking him back out to the floor as boos rain down.

After more commercials, it’s not looking much better for Page until he’s able to get Liona to miss and land hard on his back. Hangman steps on the gas, leading to a high cross body off the top for a near fall.

Page tries but can’t get Liona hoisted for the Deadeye. A thrust kick comes back and leads to a near fall for Liona.

What will it take to get Liona off his feet? Three lariats finally do the trick. This time Page is able to get the Deadeye on target too, but Liona pops right back up for a headbutt.

A discus lariat smashes Page back down, and though he’s able to kick out again, he takes a senton on the apron right after that. Liona tries and misses on a moonsault, but Hangman doesn’t miss his off the top rope.

The Buckshot looks like it’s next, but even though Liona evades it and hits a Samoan drop, Page is able to roll up his shoulders and hold on for a pin.

Lee South

Deonna Purrazzo vs Taya Valkyrie

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Deonna Purrazzo keeps rolling by tapping out Taya Valkyrie

AEW Women’s World Champion Taya Valkyrie joins the announcers for this one, claiming she has no knowledge of the matching tattoos that Purrazzo has been talking about. The Virtuosa gets off to a strong start, controlling Valkyrie with a variety of holds until a leg sweep tilts the momentum.

Purrazzo goes hard into the steps on the outside, giving Valkyrie a chance to do some making out with Johnny TV as commercials slide in. They battle back to the ring during the half-break, with Purrazzo using knees and kicks to set up a Russian leg sweep. A pump kick leads to the second of two quick two counts.

Valkyrie’s Blue Thunder Bomb gets her a two count right back. A sliding lariat makes Purrazzo kick out again as Storm mugs for the camera.

A baseball slide drop kick is on target for Purrazzo, who ends up flinging Valkyrie into the champ. Back in the ring, Deonna gets both of Taya’s arms pulled up behind her while sitting on Valkyrie’s back, and that’s enough to get the submission.

Lee South

Swerve Strickland vs Rob Van Dam

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Swerve Strickland outdoes Rob Van Dam in his own game: a Hardcore match

Hangman Page appears on the screen after RVD heads to the ring to reveal one more twist: Dealer’s Choice means they get to pick the match, not just the opponent, so this is a Hardcore match.

Van Dam wastes no time putting chairs to good use once the bell rings thanks to that stipulation. He sends Strickland into and over the ringside barricade, and the fans are already happily chanting “we want tables.”

After some picture-in-picture, Swerve has taken control, using a chair to assist him. He sets that across one corner but ends up getting an Irish whip right into it.

Rolling Thunder is on target by RVD, and he picks up another chair to use for a Van Terminator in the corner. A cover follows but Swerve kicks out at two.

Van Dam wants a monkey flip but sees it countered into a sitout powerbomb onto the chair, somehow managing to kick out. Brian Cage arrives to lend a hand to Swerve, but he’s neutralized by a chair-wielding Hook. They fight out of the ring and up the ramp.

RVD is distracted but manages to counter into a pinning predicament and a near fall. Strickland comes right back with a near fall of his own, and now it’s reaching “what will it take to win it?” territory as the crowd calls for tables again.

There is one set up on one side of the ring, but the two combatants fight to a chair on the opposite side. RVD takes a Swerve Stomp and falls back into the steps.

With Van Dam rolled into the ring, Strickland climbs up top but takes a thrown chair to the face and crashes down from the top rope through the table. Rob tries to follow with a Five Star Frog Splash but finds no one home and eats a chair to the face before kicking out at two.

Both men head to the top rope again, though Van Dam is knocked to the mat. He flips Strickland the double bird but takes a Swerve Stomp, and that’s it for the legend as Swerve is victorious.

AEW All In London results: MJF, Adam Cole prove friendship the real winner at Wembley

Follow along with one of the biggest shows in pro wrestling history with live AEW All In results from London’s Wembley Stadium.

The wait is over, Wembley Stadium. London is playing host to one of the biggest wrestling shows of all time as AEW stages its first ever U.K. event in the most grandiose possible fashion. More than 80,000 fans are expected to experience AEW All In London in person, which is quite the accomplishment for a company that is only a few years old.

It certainly helps that AEW has one of the hottest storylines in all of wrestling going right now to fuel the show’s main event. Adam Cole nearly defeated MJF several months ago for a shot at the AEW World Championship. Then the two men got thrown together unwillingly as a tag team.

Instead of being a disaster, it turned into an unlikely bonding experience where MJF embraced his face side, and Better Than You, Bay Bay was born. The two friends have experienced moments of tension at times but always ended up hugging it out.

That ends tonight, when they’ll meet for the world title at Wembley (though not before teaming to try for tag team gold first). Will one of them finally turn on the other with the stakes this high? It should be very entertaining to find out.

The All In card is also loaded to the hilt with other championship matches (four more besides the main event), a Tag Team Coffin match, and the spectacle that is Stadium Stampede. Plus the man who might be the best wrestler on the planet right now, Will Ospreay, will take on an icon in Chris Jericho.

We’re certainly envious of everyone in attendance in London. Here we go.

AEW All In London results:

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

AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen results 08/16/23: All In takes even more shape

Also on AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen, Britt Baker won her way to London against The Bunny.

In terms of putting in work to elevate a “secondary” title, Orange Cassidy has been doing the textbook definition of it for months now. Yet all good things must come to an end, and you can’t help but feel leading into a special Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite (with proceeds going to the Maui Food Bank) that the end might finally be approaching for the Freshly Squeezed one.

It’s not so much that Wheeler Yuta is one of the most lively challengers for his AEW International Championship, though he is definitely that. No, the issue is more that Yuta’s group, the Blackpool Combat Club, just seems like a force of nature right now. The BCC has been running roughshod over Dynamite for weeks, so it wouldn’t be shocking if Yuta gets the victory tonight.

There are other matches on tonight’s card with high stakes. Britt Baker seems like she should be in the four-way championship match at All In, but she’ll need to beat The Bunny to do it. You’d expect the good doctor to do exactly that, but there are also women with vested interests in keeping Baker off the London show, and it’s fair to wonder if any of them will intervene.

Because sponsorships make the world go ’round, there’s a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game coming out, which is why the Deathmatch between Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy, two gents who are old enough to know better, has that particular theme. Plus Darby Allin and Nick Wayne will try to get some measure of revenge against the Gates of Agony as they await the opportunity to get at Swerve Strickland and AR Fox.

Here we go, with Orange Cassidy starting us off.

AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen results:

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

  • Orange Cassidy def. Wheeler Yuta by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship, then gets help from Best Friends and Lucha Bros. to fight off the BCC … as well as Eddie Kingston, back from Japan and anxious for a piece of Claudio
  • Kingston challenges the BCC “and anyone you can find” to a Stadium Stampede match at All In against him, Lucha Bros. and Best Friends
  • Jim Ross sits down with Kenny Omega to talk Don Callis, his childhood and Konsuke Takeshita, but Callis himself interrupts and provides a distraction that allows Takeshita and Bullet Club Gold to attack Omega from behind
  • Hangman Adam Page is outside the hospital and delivers a message about how he and Kota Ibushi will be on hand in London to help fight Takeshita and Bullet Club Gold; also, he gets yelled at for having a beer at the hospital and chugs it
  • Chris Jericho has an answer for Don Callis, but it isn’t what Callis expects, and when he’s caught in a lie, he unleashes Takeshita … and Will Ospreay
  • Jack Perry says he’s going to retire the FTW Championship next week on Dynamite
  • Darby Allin and Nick Wayne def. Gates of Agony by pinfall before Sting reveals he has Prince Nana captive
  • MJF tells Adam Cole they need to get in the minds of their opponents at Zero Hour, so they head to Outback Steakhouse; also, Cole tells Max they can prepare for Aussie Open by watching both Crocodile Dundee movies and they end up getting yelled at by Tony Khan for doing the double clothesline backstage
  • MJF and Adam Cole talk about London, then repulse a sneak attack from Aussie Open
  • A bloody Jericho tells Ospreay he could have just asked for the match at Wembley since it was supposed to happen in 2021, and promises to make Will drink his own blood in London
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch that also drags in about seven other people and … Leatherface?
  • Britt Baker def. The Bunny by pinfall to earn the final spot in the four-way women’s title match at All In
  • A video shoes Billy Gunn retiring and The Acclaimed telling him how much he’ll be missed
  • As The Acclaimed makes their entrance for a squash match, the lights go out, then back up to find the House of Black in the ring; Brody King has a chain wrapped around his fist and uses it to start a monster beatdown
  • Young Bucks def. The Gunns by pinfall, and are bailed out from a post-match attack by Bullet Club Gold by FTR

AEW Rampage results 08/04/23: Tearing up the parking lot

Best Friends took on Blackpool Combat Club in a Parking Lot Fight. See how it turned out in our AEW Rampage results.

(When I’m with you … apologies to *NCYNC.)

Settling things in the ring? Anyone can do that. Settling beefs in the parking lot? Now you’re talking Best Friends’ language.

The problem is, even though they know their way around a Parking Lot Fight, they’ve never had one against the Blackpool Combat Club, a group that lives and breathes violence.

That could prove to be a big difference in the Parking Lot Fight tonight in the main event of Rampage. Or they might rally to the moment, but there’s only one way to find out: We need to dive into this episode.

Let’s do it.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Keith Lee vs. The Butcher, The Blade and Kip Sabian
  • The Kingdom explains its history with Adam Cole and says his recent behavior is typical, forgetting who his real friends are
  • The Young Bucks say it’s important for them to get back to the tag team division, and to that end, talk to the Hardys about a battle for brother tag team supremacy this coming week on Dynamite
  • Anna Jay def. Skye Blue by submission
  • Kris Statlander does an interview while squatting Renee Paquette
  • Despite losing Pac to injury again, the Lucha Bros. have challenged the winners of tonight’s main event to a match on Dynamite
  • AR Fox and Swerve Strickland def. Local Talent by pinfall
  • QTV brainstorms ideas on who to feud with next
  • Big Bill and Brian Cage tell FTR to kiss their titles goodbye on Collision on Saturday night
  • Blackpool Combat Club def. Best Friends by pinfall in a Parking Lot Fight that features Wheeler Yuta and Orange Cassidy getting involved and the sad demise of Trent’s mom’s van

AEW Dynamite preview 07/26/23: MJF, Adam Cole are now the hottest thing going

This week’s AEW Dynamite will also see Orange Cassidy defend his International Championship yet again, this time against AR Fox.

Sometimes it’s OK to know all about the destination as long as the journey is plenty of fun, and we’re about to see more evidence of that tonight on AEW Dynamite from Albany.

We’re talking about MJF and Adam Cole, a.k.a. Better Than You, Bay Bay. There was a little bit of eye-rolling when they were paired together in the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament right after Cole wrestled MJF to a draw in an effort to get an AEW World Championship title shot.

Of course, the Devil was going to cozy up to his new partner in order to keep him from the rematch he wanted. That only made sense. And this particular tale is almost certainly going to end with the two men feuding over AEW’s biggest prize.

But in the meantime, MJF and Cole have taken the ball and run with it. Their merch is flying, with a shirt that’s the top seller for the week and the month and another one coming up fast. Audiences can’t get enough of the “double clothesline” battle cry. They’ve been legitimately good TV throughout, and that should continue in Albany.

Alas, they aren’t wrestling tonight, but there’s plenty of that to go around. A three-way tag team bout will see Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley against the Lucha Bros. against Best Friends. Darby Allin will battle Swerve Strickland in a feud that just seems to be heating up. The women’s division will finally start blending some separate storylines as Britt Baker takes on Taya Valkyrie.

Orange Cassidy will defend his title — again — against AR Fox. And Pac will see if Gravity really did forget him or not.

Sounds like a good time, no? We think so too, which is why we’ll be anxiously awaiting 8 p.m. ET, and invite you to either tune in on TBS, join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for our live results post, or both.

AEW Rampage results 06/16/23: Ospreay, Takeshita grab wins

See what went down on AEW Rampage the night before the Collision premiere.

Will Ospreay is pretty damn cool. All he did was show up at the tail end of a wild final segment at the end of AEW Dynamite this week to attack Kenny Omega, and even if you were unfamiliar with his work, you could feel it. And what do you know, he’s in action on AEW Rampage tonight.

So is Rocky Romero, and guess what? We just talked to him not long ago.

These men are here because Forbidden Door is getting ever so much closer, and it’s fun that New Japan’s finest are spicing up AEW programming. Oh, and the other matches on this week’s card don’t look too shabby either, including rising star (and now heel) Konosuke Takeshita.

Let’s see what this hour of pro wrestling has in store.

AEW Rampage results:

  • United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher and Will Ospreay) def. Chaos (Best Friends and Rocky Romero) by pinfall when Ospreay pins Romero
  • Taya Valkyrie def. Trish Adora by pinfall
  • The Hardys officially accept the challenge from The Gunns for the next episode of Dynamite, with Matt Hardy calling it “adorable” that the Gunns forgot who the Hardys are and Jeff saying they’d make their foes famous
  • Mark Briscoe, Papa Briscoe and Aubrey Edwards def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett by pinfall
  • Valkyrie is feeling good about her latest victory, but less thrilled with TBS Champion Kris Statlander, who seems glad to put her title up against Taya next week
  • Don Callis crashes the Mark Henry pre-main event segment and trash talks Kenny Omega and a handful of Mexican wrestling legends; Callis also joins the announcers for the main event and says he’s going to keep Takeshita climbing until it forces Omega to face him
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Bandido by pinfall

AEW Dynamite results 06/07/23: Orange still golden, but are The Gunns?

AEW Dynamite from Colorado Springs featured an AEW International Championship match between Orange Cassidy and Swerve Strickland.

Orange Cassidy has been magic during his AEW International Championship reign, defending the belt tirelessly despite the fact that he’d rather not wrestle at all if he had his druthers. But with all due respect to the wrestling maneuver of the same name, Swerve Strickland could be the magic killer tonight on AEW Dynamite from Colorado Springs.

Swerve was popular was a fan favorite but has really seemed to hit his groove since embracing his villainous side, not to mention dropping the dead weight (sorry, but it’s true) that was the Mogul Affiliates and joining forces with The Embassy. If someone is going to end Cassidy’s run prior to Forbidden Door, it could very well be Strickland — plus it would be fun seeing Swerve have to defend the title against someone from NJPW later this month.

Another champ, Kris Statlander, will also be in action tonight. The AEW Women’s World Champion should get a pretty nice contest from Anna Jay, who has been impressive in recent appearances.

We’ll hear from MJF, probably about how he’d prefer not to defend his title at Forbidden Door (though he’ll likely be forced to do so). Tony Khan has an announcement to make about the main event for the first episode of AEW: Collision, coming up ever so quickly on Saturday, June 17. And the ever popular “JungleHook” team of Jack Perry and Hook will join forces once again, which should prove popular with the fans on hand in Colorado Springs.

AEW Dynamite results from Colorado Springs:

  • Orange Cassidy def. Swerve Strickland by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
  • The Mogul Embassy heads down to assault Cassidy after the bell, but the lights go out and come back on to reveal that Sting and Darby Allin have cleared the ring
  • A video package hypes tonight’s match between Ricky Starks and Jay White
  • The video from Dominion with Bryan Danielson challenging Kazuchika Okada is shown before he joins the commentary desk
  • Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta) def. Chaos (Rocky Romero and Best Friends) by submission as Moxley gets Romero to tap out
  • Hangman Adam Page and the Young Bucks challenge the BCC to a trios match next week and ask if they can handle it without Danielson or Konosuke Takeshita helping them

  • A video package promotes the rematch between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door
  • MJF is interrupted during his insults of Colorado and its citizens by Adam Cole, who bears the brunt of the champ’s barbs for a bit before firing back and saying no one respects MJF; it seems to have the desired result, as MJF says he’ll wrestle Cole “any day of the week”
  • Matt Hardy says Ethan Page is the newest member of the Hardy party and makes him apologize to Isiah Kassidy, and Matt says he can make Ethan into a better human being

  • Hook and Jack Perry def. Dralistico and Preston Vance by submission in a wild Texas Tornado tag team match that featured plenty of blood, weapons and Jose The Assistant attempting to get involved
  • Tony Khan announces that the main event of the AEW: Collision premiere will pit Jay White and Juice Robinson of Bullet Club Gold and Samoa Joe vs. FTR and CM Punk
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Damon Ace by pinfall in a quick squash match; afterward Don Callis repeats his assertion that his “new family” is going to cut The Elite out of AEW for good
  • Christian Cage says Arn Anderson cost him a title at Double or Nothing so he’s taking revenge by … having Luchasaurus beat up Brock Anderson, it seems

  • Kris Statlander def. Anna Jay by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship, with Taya Valkyrie looking on backstage
  • Toni Storm talks about the four-way match to determine her No. 1 contender, and she says she and Ruby Soho will be watching
  • Jay White def. Ricky Starks by pinfall after the ref takes a bump and The Gunns hit the 3:10 to Yuma on Starks

AEW Rampage results 05/26/23: Tag teams, trios take the pre-Double or Nothing stage

Check out the action from the final AEW Rampage before Double or Nothing in Las Vegas.

Maybe because AEW PPVs are several months apart, it sometimes feels like the stretch run to each one is longer than it should be. But that’s behind us now as Double or Nothing is Sunday night, meaning tonight’s episode of AEW Rampage is legitimately the last stop before the big event.

Unlike previous years, AEW chose not to do a live Rampage for Double or Nothing week this time out, meaning there are spoilers out there for what’s going to happen. Nevertheless, just like we did for the other wrestling show on TV tonight, we’re going to happily live blog this like it’s unfolding in real time. You can indulge us that, yes?

What we know is that this is going to be a tag team-heavy hour of action. The Acclaimed, who went from being the hottest duo in the sport to a bit of an afterthought as of late as a trio, will face a trio from Le Faccion Ingobernable. A big battle in the women’s division will see Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida join forces to battle Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir. And Best Friends will go up against a tag team that used to be part of The Firm but seems to be sticking together anyway, Big Bill and Lee Moriarty.

AEW Rampage results from Las Vegas:

  • Max Caster gets in a Fight Forever mention in his entrance rap and says Rush’s hair looks like pubes

  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass def. La Faccion Ingobernable by pinfall
  • After the bell, Anthony Bowens says they’ve been running through the trios division all month long so they’re looking to challenge House of Black on Sunday
  • Ethan Page and The Gunns def. Frescomatic, Watson and Jeaux Braxton by pinfall
  • Page says he hopes the Hardys were watching as they just showed the world what a real trio can do, boasting about taking out Brother Zay and implying their match will be three on two … but Matt and Jeff say they’ll delete those egos Sunday, but even though Brother Zay isn’t cleared for Double or Nothing, he’s found a replacement: Hook; the heels want no part of them for now

  • Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes are told that Swerve Strickland and Brian Cage will be in the Blackjack Battle Royal, and Lee’s response is simple: Can’t wait
  • Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida def. Marina Shafir and Nyla Rose by submission as Baker taps out Shafir with the Lockjaw, but …
  • … The Outcasts are shown on the big screen beating up on Jamie Hayter backstage, probably calling her participation in Double or Nothing even more into question

  • Big Bill and Lee Moriarty def. Best Friends by pinfall, then all heck breaks loose as the participants from the Blackjack Battle Royal start brawling; Orange Cassidy comes out to check on his friends, followed by Brian Cage, Keith Lee, Dustin Rhodes and Swerve Strickland, who taunts Lee as the show goes off the air