Tag: Chris Jericho

AEW Rampage results 01/26/24: Komander commands the ring

See how Komander earned a title shot against Orange Cassidy this week on AEW Rampage.

AEW returned on Friday night after a heavily storyline-driven episode of Dynamite. The quest for the next contender to Samoa Joe’s AEW World Championship progressed, including Adam Copeland’s latest “Cope Open” against Minoru Suzuki and a subsequent callout to Christian Cage.

Meanwhile, Rampage featured its own developments, such as the “Freshly Squeezed 4-Way” match for the No. 1 contender to Orange Cassidy’s AEW International Championship and the ongoing story involving Ruby Soho, Saraya and Harley Cameron. Multiple angles unfolded in Savannah, Georgia, creating another chaotic hour of AEW programming:

AEW Rampage results:

  • Jon Moxley def. Lee Moriarty by submission, drawing “this is awesome” chants in a lengthy match showcasing Moriarty’s in-ring prowess; Shane Taylor thwarts Moxley’s show of respect after the match as he and Moriarty beat down the Blackpool Combat Club member
  • As Anna Jay gets interviewed backstage, Angelo Parker tells her that he believes he knows who is responsible for everything and questions if Anna was behind Harley Cameron’s kiss; Anna slaps Parker and says she is tired of having everyone’s back when no one supports her in return
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Christopher Daniels by pinfall within minutes; Don Callis says after the match his family is taking everything from Chris Jericho and challenges the Fozzy singer to face Takeshita in two weeks on Dynamite; however, Kyle Fletcher intervenes, claiming his right to a shot; Callis agrees and says Fletcher will face Jericho next week, while Jericho battles Takeshita the following week
  • Backstage, Renee Paquette announces Top Flight vs. Private Party for next week; Action Andretti says he’ll be in Top Flight’s corner next week to make sure nothing crazy happens
  • Anna Jay def. Ruby Soho by submission
  • In a backstage interview, Eddie Kingston tells Renee Paquette he has no respect for Bryan Danielson; Kingston then challenges Willie Mack to a non-title match on Collision, but if Mack wins, he earns a chance at the AEW Continental Championship
  • Komander def. The Butcher, El Hijo del Vikingo and Kip Sabian to become the No. 1 contender to Orange Cassidy’s AEW Intercontinental Championship

AEW Rampage results 01/19/24: Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy take extreme measures

The Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway situation also took another twist this week on AEW Rampage.

AEW enjoyed a few shows at the friendly confines of Daily’s Place, but things returned to the norm Friday night with Rampage on the road in Charleston, South Carolina.

This week already featured the chaotic AEW World Championship match between Samoa Joe and Hook on Dynamite. Given the advertised card entering Rampage, multiple bouts, including Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin and Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata, looked set to continue that momentum. But it’s Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal that kicked off the weekend of AEW action.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Chris Jericho def. Matt Sydal by pinfall with Don Callis on commentary during the match; Konosuke Takeshita attacked Jericho on the stage afterward and knocked out Christopher Daniels as he and security guards tried to break up the fight
  • A brief video package teases Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy’s match
  • Penta El Zero Miedo def. Anthony Henry by pinfall with “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard on commentary
  • Saraya and Ruby Soho interrupt Renee Paquette’s backstage segment; Ruby pinned Holly Cameron against the wall to get answers for her recent actions, so Holly naturally blamed Anna Jay
  • Kris Statlander, with Stokley Hathaway as her manager for the first time, def. Queen Aminata by pinfall; Stokley pushed the referee aside
  • Jay Lethal questions how much more of this faction with Sanjay Dutt and Satnam Singh he can take because he wants to focus on in-ring action; Dutt offers to remove Karen Jarrett to resolve it, but Lethal says he came to AEW to win gold and insinuates he wants a singles title
  • Willow Nightingale tells Kris Statlander and Stokley Hathaway her flight was canceled and hints at Hathaway being behind it so he could manage Kris Statlander against Queen Aminata; Statlander says she’ll figure this out, which causes Nightingale and Hathaway to argue further
  • Darby Allin def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall in a chaotic match reminiscent of their last bout in 2022; Hardy avoids Allin’s respectful fist-bump attempt afterward and rolls out of the ring to close the show

AEW Dynamite results 01/17/24: Hook gives his all but Samoa Joe retains

Samoa Joe is still the champ after AEW Dynamite, but more than one challenger is lurking in the wings.

We have arrived at The Moment. Wrestling has lots of those, and in fact it’s generally a bummer when we go a week without one. But the one we’re talking about has been the subject of much chatter over the past week, and it’s here and in front of us tonight at AEW Dynamite in North Charleston.

Samoa Joe will make his first defense of the AEW World Championship he won from MJF at Worlds End, and he’ll do it against Hook. Joe, of course, has been in many spots like this over a well decorated career. Hook has not.

There’s no denying that Hook is a bright prospect for the future, maybe one of AEW’s best. He’s a stud athlete, able to pull off impressive offense, and he’s improving at selling. He isn’t the greatest on the mic yet, but he’s getting more comfortable there and AEW has played into his silent tough guy persona in a helpful way.

As Hook himself pointed out this week, there’s no pressure on him. There’s basically nothing to lose (his FTW title isn’t even on the line) and everything to gain. No one expects him to win, so this is a classic opportunity to look good in a heroic losing effort, assuming Joe doesn’t just steamroll him.

For AEW, though, the stakes are a little higher. If this match isn’t good, it gives ammo to those who don’t feel Hook “deserved” a world championship match, even if they came at it from a different direction.

We think it’s going to be really good, and AEW is presenting it without commercial interruption, which is nice. Let’s see how this plays out.

AEW Dynamite results from North Charleston:

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

  • Samoa Joe is shown entering the building earlier tonight, as is Hook
  • Christian Cage def. Dustin Rhodes by pinfall to retain the TNT Championship
  • Swerve Strickland says he came out of the Continental Classic as the man everyone was talking about, so he’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on the world title match tonight, and he doesn’t fear Hangman Adam Page chasing that title at the same time as he’s already beaten Page twice

  • Renee Paquette talks to Chris Jericho about the tag team title loss he and Sammy Guevara suffered on Collision, but he points the blame squarely at the interfering Don Callis Family; Matt Sydal stops by and challenges Jericho to a match to get him back on his game, which Jericho accepts though with a warning that he has a lot of pent up aggression to get out

  • Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta def. Komander and Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall
  • After the match, Roderick Strong and The Kingdom confront them, with Strong warning that he’s coming for Cassidy’s International Championship and Orange Cassidy proposing a title match right now; Strong says Cassidy will have to wait until Revolution so that Orange has to live with the idea that he’s keeping the title warm for him

  • Paquette gets a word with Hangman Adam Page, who says he’s not only going to win the AEW World Championship in 2024, he’ll make it his own; Hangman also suggests he isn’t thinking about Swerve at all since he isn’t the champ

  • An emotional Mark Briscoe discusses the passing of his brother Jay a year ago and the amazing recovery of his niece, who he says doctors felt may never walk again; a tribute video to Jay Briscoe is shown afterward

  • Paquette talks to the Young Bucks, who now want to be called Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, and Matthew reacts angrily to all the false rumors swirling around them; they also say they’ll have to say goodbye to Sting and everybody like him since the idea behind AEW was to change the world, and they walk away from the interview as they have a meeting to attend

  • Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and The Gunns) def. Brian Cage and Gates of Agony by pinfall to become the new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions
  • Adam Cole says Wardlow will go down as the most dominant AEW wrestler of all time and will continue to run through the competition until he acquires the world title

  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Anna Jay by submission; after the match, Paquette talks to the Virtuosa, who says that while Toni Storm has changed, so has she, but that earns an angry rebuke from the champ and they throw a show back and forth at each other

  • Private Party def. Top Flight by pinfall, albeit with a little shortcut taken by the victors
  • A video package shows highlights of Darby Allin and Sting
  • Samoa Joe def. Hook by submission to retain the AEW World Championship
  • After the bell, Hook remains defiant, asking Joe if that’s all he’s got; Joe hits another Muscle Buster but ends up heading for the hills as Hangman Page hustles to the ring to check on Hook even as Swerve and Prince Nana are shown watching from the crowd

Image credit: All Elite Wrestling

Christian Cage fends off a very game Dustin Rhodes

The fans have no problem booing and chanting “Christian sucks” as a greeting for the champ. Cage stays away from a direct confrontation with Rhodes in the early going, forcing referee Aubrey Edwards to call for several breaks in the corner or ropes.

After kicking out of an early cover, Cage lures Rhodes into the corner, but The Natural drags the champ out to the floor and batters him over to the announce table. Christian’s knees taste the steel steps, which also make a good launching pad for a leaping clothesline.

They battle over in the corner, where Cage gets the best of it before delivering a cross body from the top rope to the floor. After some side-by-side ads, the champ tries a dive from the top rope into the ring, but he crashes and burns when Rhodes rolls away.

On their knees, the two combatants trade slaps and right hands. Rhodes is up for a Manhattan Drop before hurling Cage from one corner to another and dropping Christian down for a near fall.

Cage is catapulted into the top turnbuckle and ends up legs spread, but he frees himself before his globes can suffer. You know what we mean.

Rhodes earns another near fall and pounds the mat to get the fans clapping. But Cage gets him in-between the ropes and stands on his back, then prevents a tope with a well-timed right hand.

Cage’s Frog Splash is on target, and he hooks the leg only to see his foe kick out at two. Christian’s title belt is thrown in and occupies Edwards, giving Wayne a chance to assist with a roll-up that nearly gets the three count.

Rhodes fights Cage back into a corner, and Christian is set up for the Golden Globes again … or the Unnatural Kick we suppose it’s called in AEW. A big superplex is followed by Cross Rhodes, and Cage barely kicks out in time.

Both Wayne and Killswitch get involved, though Wayne pays for it by taking a Destroyer on the floor. But Rhodes turns and is laid out by a spear, and the Killswitch ends … no it doesn’t! The fans come to life again after the kickout by Dustin.

A second Killswitch also finds the mark, however, and The Natural is down for the count this time as Cage retains.

Image credit: All Elite Wrestling

Deonna Purrazzo makes Anna Jay submit

Toni Storm is on guest commentary and immediately mistakes Ian Riccaboni for a clean-shaven Tony Schiavone: “You look great!”

The AEW Women’s World Champion is asked about Purrazzo and is still somewhat dismissive even as she bosses the early action. Anna rallies for a two count right before picture-in-picture.

Deonna is back in command after we return to full picture, using a Russian leg sweep to set up a submission attempt but then trading two counts with Anna. Jay hits a backstabber and grabs another near fall.

Purrazzo avoids the Queenslayer and tries for a cross armbreaker, forcing her foe to work for a rope break. They trade shots until Purrazzo catches Anna coming in and applies the Venus de Milo, and Anna doesn’t last long before she submits.

Image credit: All Elite Wrestling

Hook survives but Samoa Joe retains

The challenger stays poised over the top turnbuckle and doesn’t even look at the champ during ring intros, and he explodes out of the gate when the bell rings. Joe weathers the storm and sends Hook to the floor, where the two men trade furious shots.

Back in the ring, Joe runs over the challenger with a running back elbow as the fans chant his name. Hook gets punched back into a corner and takes more of a beating out in the middle of the ring. He finally gets some momentum back with a leaping shot off the apron, but Joe responds with a uranage off the announce table. Ouch.

Hook gets powerbombed on the apron as well, and the ringside doctor checks on him while Taz takes his headset off too. The challenger slowly rises as the ref makes his count, but Hook beats the count and returns to the ring.

Joe quickly treats Hook to a powerslam, which is good only for two. The announcers are putting over Hook’s never say die attitude, which he displays again by kicking out after a Death Valley Driver.

Out of the corner, Joe delivers a Muscle Buster, and this time Hook kicks out at one. A flying clothesline turns into three by Hook, who peppers Joe with body shots and gets the big man up for a t-bone suplex but can’t make the cover.

Joe blocks Redrum and applies the Coquina Clutch. Hook tries to sink in his fingertips to break the hold, but he’s unsuccessful and eventually put to sleep. Joe retains, but Hook gave it his all.

AEW Battle of the Belts 9 results: Sammy takes a huge fall, champs retain

See how the title matches went on AEW Battle of the Belts IX, as well as Sammy Guevara’s ridiculous dive.

When it comes to truth in advertising, few events can hang with an AEW Battle of the Belts show. These quarterly cards offer nothing but championship matches, though to be fair, usually not the top titles.

Be that as it may, we would never complain about an hour of bonus wrestling on free TV where there are real stakes for each bout. As well, some of the title bouts on previous editions of this show have seemed kind of random, but the only one on this one that fits that description is Orange Cassidy’s title defense, and that’s kind of his whole thing.

So yeah, championships on the line is something we dig. Will any of them change hands? Let’s find out.

AEW Battle of the Belts IX results from Norfolk:

  • The show begins with the first match already underway, as the tag team title street fight got rolling during the closing moment of Collision
  • Big Bill and Ricky Starks def. Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs. by pinfall in a Street Fight to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship; the match starts outside the arena, literally in the street, and ranges all over the backstage area to include a number of weapons, including a fire extinguisher, a copier and various food items, but the end comes after some well-timed interference by the Don Callis Family, including Powerhouse Hobbs pulling Starks away from a very high dive by Guevara that sends him through part of the stage

  • Another vignette shows Serena Deeb ready to return and seek her first AEW gold
  • Julia Hart def. Anna Jay by submission to retain the AEW TBS Championship
  • Sonjay Dutt and Karen Jarrett want Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett back on the same page, and Satnam Singh accidentally just kind of makes things worse
  • Orange Cassidy def. Preston Vance by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship, with Roderick Strong and The Kingdom watching from the ramp
  • They don’t stay on the ramp, sliding in afterward and throwing Vance and Jose the Assistant out; the show ends with Strong telling Cassidy the clock is ticking

AEW Collision results 01/13/24: House of Black keeps FTR down bad

Even with Daniel Garcia to help, FTR couldn’t overcome the House of Black on AEW Collision.

There’s a really, really cold football playoff game right now. You know where it will be much warmer and still plenty entertaining? In Norfolk, the site of tonight’s episode of AEW Collision.

While there are a few interesting matches on the card tonight, the main event figures to be FTR and Daniel Garcia teaming to face the House of Black. The House has been messing with FTR for some time now, claiming to be the only ones who love them.

But Garcia proved that wrong when he came to the duo’s rescue after an assault by … yes, you got it, the House of Black. Guess it’s tough love.

It may be an unlikely team-up, but it’s one that works as Garcia tries to balance his love of dancing with his road back toward being more pro wrestler and less sports entertainer. FTR can definitely help him with that. Let’s see if they do that and come out with a win tonight.

AEW Collision results from Norfolk:

  • Adam Copeland is out in his gear, meaning it’s time for the Cope Open; he asks who will step up, and he gets … Lee Moriarty, who gets a short hype video before he takes on Copeland
  • Adam Copeland def. Lee Moriarty by submission; after the match, Copeland returns to the mic and warns Christian Cage that “I’m still coming for your scrawny ass”
  • Lexy Nair asks FTR and Daniel Garcia if they can get along well enough to deal with House of Black, and they seem to be like-minded enough about what they’re doing that it won’t be a problem

  • Nair talks to Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho ahead of their tag team title match on Battle of the Belts
  • Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage and Gates of Agony) def. Lance Archer and The Righteous by pinfall to retain the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship; afterward, Prince Nana calls his team the greatest ROH six-man tag team champs of all time and scoffs at Bullet Club Gold before challenging them for the next episode of Dynamite
  • Staying busy tonight, Nair talks to Preston Vance, who gets interrupted by Roderick Strong (and The Kingdom) and ends up angrily telling Strong they can fight next week
  • Dustin Rhodes def. Willie Mack by pinfall
  • Bullet Club Gold is definitely up for Mogul Embassy’s challenge

  • Rhodes is none too happy about Christian Cage interrupting his backstage interview with Renee Paquette, and even Killswitch and some insults about Dusty Rhodes won’t stop him from daring Cage to put his TNT title on the line next Wednesday
  • Hangman Adam Page def. JD Drake by pinfall
  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Red Velvet by submission
  • Hook def. … uh, someone by submission and tells Samoa Joe “I’ll see you Wednesday”
  • House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black) def. Daniel Garcia and FTR by pinfall
  • After the bell, King goes after Daddy Magic Matt Menard, who was out doing guest commentary, but Garcia and FTR come back in swinging chairs and are able to chase the House from the ring … except for King, who takes the Big Rig/Shatter Machine

AEW Dynamite results 01/10/24: Sting thrills Daily’s Place as Young Bucks loom

Will we be seeing Sting and Darby Allin vs. some AEW EVPs at Revolution?

Oh yeah, it feels so good
To be back where we belong
Oh yeah, it feels so good
This is where we started from

Thanks for that, New Edition. Those immortal words are echoing through this writer’s skull as we get ready to take in AEW Dynamite Homecoming from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.

You might remember this as the pandemic-era home of AEW, the place where everyone buckled down and got through some very difficult times thanks to the Power of Pro Wrestling (don’t try to trademark that, I’ve already filed). It was the place where talent simply worked through it, the spot where The Gunns went from “Who are those lads with Billy on the right-hand side of the ring every week?” to actual weekly TV types.

On a sadder and more serious note, it’s also where the world at large got to know the late Mr. Brodie Lee better, which has gone into the thinking behind some of the matches on tonight’s card, according to Tony Khan. Yes, there are some random-ish eight-person tag matches, but they feature people important to Lee, and that is a cool touch.

Some of the more prominent singles matches may not have that kind of story behind them, yet they still could cook. Ricky Starks vs. Sammy Guevara for the first time ever? Sure. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Hangman Adam Page? Of course!

We’re also on Day 10, give or take, of Mercedes Watch, so there’s that too.

Plenty of reason to tune in. Light the fuse, Daily’s Place!

AEW Dynamite results from Jacksonville:

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

  • Hangman Adam Page def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall
  • A short compilation of Brodie Lee highlights from Daily’s Place is shown, along with an explanation of how his two hand-picked proteges are in action tonight
  • Orange Cassidy, Preston Vance, Dustin Rhodes and Adam Copeland def. Brian Cage, Gates of Agony and Lance Archer by pinfall, with Vance pinning Cage after some turmoil between Archer and the Mogul Embassy members during the match
  • Renee Paquette talks to Bullet Club Gold about the Undisputed Kingdom, and The Acclaimed stops by to repeat their suggestion that they form a “Bang Bang Scissor Gang superfaction,” and you can tell Austin Gunn is still on board with the idea
  • Samoa Joe says he has changed the title challenge protocol, but that doesn’t stop Swerve Strickland, Hangman and Hook from all throwing their hats in the ring
  • Paquette is with Toni Storm and Mariah May, and the champ is both dismissive of May and a little disturbed by the arrival of Deonna Purrazzo

  • Sammy Guevara def. Ricky Starks by pinfall
  • Sammy shakes Ricky’s hand after the match, but it’s a ruse for an attack by Big Bill that also draws in Chris Jericho … all while “Judas” blares the whole time
  • Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, Anna Jay and Thunder Rosa def. Saraya, Ruby Soho, Skye Blue and Julia Hart by submission as Anna Jay gets Skye Blue to tap out to the Queenslayer
  • Wheeler Yuta fires back at the “disrespect” he’s been shown by Eddie Kingston and makes it clear he’d like to face Kingston for his Continental Crown Championship on Rampage
  • Roderick Strong def. Bryan Keith by pinfall
  • Adam Cole gets on the mic after Strong’s win and goes over the Undisputed Kingdom mission statement again

  • Paquette talks to Purrazzo about Storm, and Deonna gets a Collision challenge from Red Velvet

  • Darby Allin and Sting def. Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs by pinfall
  • Schiavone gets in the ring to ask Sting who his last opponent will be, but the answer is interrupted by the more clean shaven Young Bucks, who linger on stage with their music playing before leaving

Hangman Adam Page does enough “Cowboy S–t” to beat Claudio Castagnoli

Upset as he has been recently, Hangman takes it right to Claudio as soon as the opening bell sounds. That’s not a bad idea, but you’re not going to just overwhelm the Swiss Superman, and sure enough Castagnoli takes control once the fight gets inside the ring.

Or is he just pissing Hangman off more? Page no sells some shots in the corner and marches forward, and they trade hard shots until Page ends up going for the Giant Swing.

Claudio goes for the Sharpshooter next, but he almost gets rolled up when he transitions to a crossface. Castagnoli fires right back with a Death Valley Driver, and both men are slow to rise.

Page breaks out with a fallaway slam as the fans applaud to egg him on. He kips up and hits a springboard lariat, then follows with a plancha and some right hands on the floor.

Once they’re both back inside the ropes, Page is caught on a corner charge and slammed hard over the top rope and onto the ramp. That couldn’t have felt good.

After some side by side ads, Page ends up right back on the ramp, and not by choice. Claudio punches him up to the stage, but the Cowboy sends him back toward the ring and then into it with a running lariat.

Castagnoli sees the Buckshot coming, however, and gets a near fall with a popup uppercut. The battle goes back to the floor, where Claudio catches Hangman and smacks him into a wall (yes) before getting countered with a DDT.

Page hits a moonsault off the wall, then counters a Tombstone with one of his own back in the ring. Castagnoli kicks out, though, and the match rolls on.

After sending Page face first into the top turnbuckle, Castagnoli hits a running uppercut and more of them in the corner. A big short arm lariat leads to a cover, but Page isn’t ready to be pinned yet.

Hangman pops up to deliver the DeadEye, but is somewhat slow to cover and only gets two again. They both end up ascending or trying to, and Claudio’s Ricola Bomb is countered with a hurricanrana. Two doses of the Buckshot are enough to keep Castagnoli down for the three count.

Samoa Joe has more than one person pursuing his title

Were some people tiring of MJF? It sure sounds like it as the current champion is getting “thank you Joe” chants. The champ says he’s making some changes to the title challenge protocol, saying people won’t have to whine in the ring or on social media.

Instead, you bring your record and reputation to the “championship committee,” and if they deem you worthy, you get an express pass for Joe to “stomp your ass out.” Wait, that doesn’t sound like a prize!

For anyone who wants a piece of him, the champion will be waiting. Of course, all that is unlikely to go unanswered, and sure enough, Swerve Strickland and the Mogul Embassy pop out on stage. Strickland boasts that he took Hangman’s spot, and just like that was, it isn’t personal between Swerve and Joe. He just wants the championship and he’s going to take it.

After winning the title, Swerve says he’ll be happy to make things personal between them. Of course, he already has a personal issue that somehow still isn’t done, and that’s with Hangman, who joins them. He also vows to make the AEW World Championship his in 2024, and Joe simply laughs as Page and Strickland stare holes in each other.

Page turns to Joe and says he hasn’t forgotten what Joe had done to him, and he’s going to take the title from him for it. After everyone leaves, Joe simply holds the belt aloft.

He’s not done, though. Hook’s music hits and the FTW Champion comes to the ring to have his own staredown with Joe. “One week,” Hook says before leaving.

Sammy Guevara rocks Ricky Starks for a big win

These two have never been in the ring for a singles match before, and they start off a little cautiously as a result. Guevara is the first to step on the gas, forcing Starks from the ring with a dropkick and dropping a moonsault on him from the top rope.

The battle goes to the apron, where neither man can impose his will into Sammy starts landing some nasty chops. Starks shrugs those off and slams Guevara hard onto the apron as side-by-side commercials slide in.

(They wasted Ricky’s awesome rope walk spot during the ads, darn them.)

Guevara seems to have a rally going now and gets a near fall right after the full broadcast is back. Sammy wants to climb but Ricky doesn’t want to let him, and Starks sets off on a flurry of offense that leads to his own near fall.

Starks’ great counter wrestling allows him to score another two count, but Guevara manages to nail him with a couple of superkicks and pulls off an inside cradle to get the dub.

Sting has one more crazy spot in him as he and Darby Allin top the Don Callis Family

Ric Flair and Don Callis are ringside with their respective teams, and this is going to be hard to recap since it immediately breaks down with fighting into the crowd in two different directions. No DQs, falls count anywhere for this one.

Takeshita is hitting rolling Germans on the floor on poor Darby as we get picture-in-picture action. Sting is faring even worse … until Allin gets tossed by both his foes and does like three revolutions before hitting the mat.

Sting comes back into the ring on fire but gets smacked down quickly by Takeshita. Flair decides to step in and chop Hobbs, which does nothing, but he thumbs Powerhouse in the eye and buys Sting enough time to recover.

All four men brawl up to the stage, and it feels like something nuts is going to happen. Sure enough it does, with Allin hitting a Coffin Drop on Takeshita from high up in the stands.

Hobbs hoists Sting and carries him down a walkway in front of the stands, but the Icon turns the tables with a Scorpion Death Drop down through some tables. Sting rolls over and throws an arm on top of Hobbs, and he stays undefeated as the ref counts to three.

AEW Rampage results 01/05/24: Wheeler Yuta keeps it Pure

More developments in the ongoing Kris Statlander-Stokely Hathaway saga also unfolded on AEW Rampage.

While some people question the need for ROH when it is a sub-brand of AEW these days, here’s an even more pertinent question for tonight’s episode of AEW Rampage: Does there need to be a ROH Pure Championship?

We say yes. There’s something cool about a title having its own specific set of rules in a day and age when there are so many championships overall with very little to distinguish between them in many cases.

It’s even good when a heel has it, like Wheeler Yuta does right now, because we get to see how rulebreakers operate within the confine of, well, rules.

Just something to think about while we dive into this AEW Rampage.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Mark Briscoe and The Hardys def. The Butcher, The Blade and Kip Sabian by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette asks Sammy Guevara about his singles match against Ricky Starks, who he praises as a great talent but says he isn’t better than the best, while Chris Jericho promises to make Uncle Joe cry if Big Bill interferes
  • Paquette speaks with Anna Jay ahead of her match against Hikaru Shida, and Anna says it’s time for this to be her year and that she needs to do this for herself; Harley Cameron stops by to say he wants to help everyone there, including Daddy Magic, Cool Hand Ang and Jake Hager, and she seems to say something suggestive to Coll Hand Ang
  • Stokely Hathaway does the ring intros for the next match, not sus at all, especially since she praises Kris Statlander and disses Willow Nightingale
  • Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale def. Kennedi Hardcastle and Notorious Mimi
  • Private Party walks in on The Hardys’ convo with Paquette, which turns into something of a sarcastic show of respect
  • Hikaru Shida def. Anna Jay by pinfall
  • Sonjay Dutt gives a pep talk to Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett, but there’s a bit of dissension in the room (also Karen Jarrett hilariously points out that she’s been there for a while and the team has no name); Dutt and Karen end up having to play peacemaker when tempers flare
  • A Christian Cage highlight video (if you can call it that) is aired
  • Wheeler Yuta def. Komander by pinfall to retain the ROH Pure Championship

Tony Khan on Chris Jericho sexual harassment allegations: ‘Can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors’

AEW head Tony Khan said he “can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors” around Chris Jericho sexual harassment allegations.

As has unfortunately been the case with AEW pay-per-views more than once over the past 18 months, there was something of a dark cloud hanging over Worlds End on Saturday night on Long Island. Once again, they involved one of the company’s top stars.

In this case, it was serious though as of yet unsubstantiated allegations of sexual harassment against Chris Jericho, one of which involved a wrestler who left AEW suddenly several years ago. It definitely affected the reaction Jericho received at Worlds End, with noticeable booing any time he was involved in his eight-man tag team match and several signs referencing the allegations plainly visible on the broadcast.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jericho did not take part in the post-event media scrum. Tony Khan did, of course, and AEW’s CEO, GM and head of creative was asked by PWI’s Kevin McElvaney fairly early in the conference what measures are in place to help AEW prevent or investigate sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Without going into details, Khan touted the “policy in place” and touted his belief that AEW has “the best safety record, I believe of any pro wrestling company in the world.”

Later in the scrum, Wrestling Junkie’s Phil Strum pressed Khan on whether Jericho specifically was “at any time under any internal investigation for sexual misconduct or any other type of misconduct over the course of his tenure in AEW.”

“I can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors,” Khan said. “I think I spoke earlier to Kevin and mentioned the policy we have in place and the disciplinary process. We’ve always followed that and I believe AEW is the safest wrestling company in the world and we have the best track record for safety and I would hold it up to anybody and any time anybody has any kind of complaint, they have an open door, again, to say it to me or to anyone in the office and we would look into it any time.”

For some of AEW’s past incidents, including those involving CM Punk, Khan wasn’t able to speak about them for legal reasons. While that could certainly be true here, especially if there is an investigation of some type underway, this is a story with the potential to linger into the new year.

AEW Worlds End 2023 live report: The Devil in the details

Get the vibe of AEW Worlds End from amidst the live crowd from Wrestling Junkie’s Rob Wolkenbrod.

LONG ISLAND, NY — Entering Worlds End, it felt like a pay-per-view AEW needed to hit out of the park. The second half of the company’s 2023 left something to be desired, with lagging ticket sales, unfortunate injuries to Adam Cole, Kenny Omega and MJF, and backstage controversies remaining constant.

Filling the Nassau Coliseum wasn’t an issue Saturday night; AEW fans loaded the arena waiting on their favorite “scumbag,” the culmination of the Continental Classic and the next step of Christian Cage and Adam Copeland’s feud. The rest of the card had little fanfare since AEW glued it together within the last week, and it showed from the start of the main show until the main event matches.

At the same time, Worlds End was always billed as a three-match show featuring the three longest-running storylines in AEW. Along with the impending reveal of the Devil, the final 90 minutes of the five-hour show held all the eggs in the basket.

But even though fans were awaiting the identity of the person under the mask, questions loomed about MJF’s injury status. Was it his final night wrestling for a while? Did AEW extend his contract into 2024 and beyond? Tony Khan said he can’t comment on the AEW future of the Long Island native after the show, so take that as you will.

AEW answered questions beyond that during Worlds End, though, creating an interesting night of pro wrestling to close 2023.

AEW Worlds End results from Long Island:

  • Willow Nightingale def. Kris Statlander by pinfall in a solid match with a bumpy finish at the end.
  • A vignette teases Serena Deeb’s return to the ring.
  • Killswitch wins the battle royal to become the No. 1 contender to the TNT Championship. Not sure anyone expected Trent Beretta to be the runner-up over Danhausen, and it made the ending anticlimactic.
  • Hook def. Wheeler Yuta by submission to retain the FTW Championship.
  • Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia and Mark Briscoe def. Jay White, Jay Lethal, Brody King and Rush by pinfall. Danielson and White stepping into the ring together created one of the best pops of the night, and King was very over with the crowd.
  • Miro def. Andrade El Idolo by submission in a relatively slow-paced match. During the post-show press conference, Tony Khan confirmed that El Idolo’s contract with AEW will expire at the end of the year, making that the former WWE United States Champion’s final match with the company.
  • Toni Storm def. Riho by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s Championship. Storm’s impeccable character presentation highlighted a fine match.
  • Swerve Strickland def. Dustin Rhodes by pinfall. The atmosphere changed on a dime when “Big Pressure” played, waking a mild crowd from the last two matches. Rhodes also replaced Keith Lee, who was replaced an hour before the show due to injury.
  • Sting, Darby Allin, Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara def. Konosuke Takeshita, Will Hobbs, Ricky Starks and Big Bill by pinfall. Boos toward Chris Jericho dominated this match, with various chants his way that made it to air and some explicit ones the live broadcast might not have registered.
  • Julia Hart def. Abadon by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship. A “This is spooky chant” rang out early, but the match work kept the crowd quiet.
  • Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage to win the TNT Championship. This show needed a hard-hitting, storytelling-focused match, and the crowd was lively for it. Copeland’s cross body in the crowd received a wild reaction, but the “We want fire” chants were arguably the popular aspect of the night.
  • Christian Cage def. Adam Copeland to win the TNT Championship. The live crowd had mixed feelings about Cage winning back the title within minutes after Killswitch gave up the contract. It surprised many, but it also served as a way to keep the feud going and shift the momentum back in the Patriarch’s favor.
  • Eddie Kingston def. Jon Moxley by pinfall to win the Continental Classic. This was the grueling, hard-hitting match everyone expected with stiff strikes and some tough spots, including the suicide dive that seemed to hurt Kingston more than Moxley.
  • Samoa Joe def. MJF by submission to win the AEW World Championship, ending the 27-year-old’s record title reign, in a match where the now former champion was clearly hurting and even had an audible scream of pain. After the match, Adam Cole revealed himself as the Devil, with Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett as his goons.

AEW Worlds End live notes from Long Island:

  • Allowing Sting to receive an ovation in one of his last matches was a nice touch and a needed atmosphere changer after a forgettable eight-man tag match.
  • The reveal of Cole as the Devil was deemed anticlimactic by some of the crowd. It failed to elicit a huge reaction, perhaps because people had suspected Cole to be the man behind the mask all along. However, at times, the proper call doesn’t need to send shockwaves.
  • Throughout the night, the crowd felt like a sleeping giant. They wanted something to cheer for, and they wanted to react loudly. It arguably took until Copeland vs. Cage for that to happen, though, which was too long.

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AEW World Championship history: Every title change to date

See the full AEW World Championship history, including every title change from when it was first awarded on Aug. 31, 2019 to date.

The AEW World Championship has only been in existence since 2019, but it’s already become one of the most prestigious titles in pro wrestling. The rapid ascent of All Elite Wrestling has something to do with that, but it’s also due to the high caliber and pedigree of the wrestlers who have held the championship.

So far, the men who have called themselves AEW World Champion include former world champs from other promotions, a man who made his breakthrough to main event status since his arrival in AEW, and a couple of all-time greats.

Let’s take a look at the complete AEW World Championship title history from August 31, 2019 to date.

Most recent update: Dec. 31, 2023