Tag: Christian Cage

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 Revolution 2024 results: Sting ends storied career on high note

See how Sting delivered one final indelible moment, and who else won at AEW Revolution 2024 in Greensboro.

It’s time to say goodbye to Sting. The Icon ends his nearly 40-year career in pro wrestling tonight at AEW Revolution in front of what’s sure to be a very emotional crowd in Greensboro, N.C.

Sting and Darby Allin will take on the Young Bucks … excuse me, AEW EVPs Matthew and Nicholas Jackson. The AEW World Tag Team Championship is on the line as well, but the real stakes involved are because it will be Sting’s last match.

Will he go out on top and retire a champion? Or will he think it’s the right thing to do to pass the torch (though it must be said, the Bucks are far from young up-and-comers themselves at this point) and take the pin in his farewell bout? And what part will Ric Flair play in the whole affair?

The rest of the card looks very promising to boot. There are five other championship matches in store, including a three-way dance for the AEW World Championship between Samoa Joe, Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland. The AEW Women’s World Championship also figures to be a hard-hitting, top notch showdown as “Timeless” Toni Storm collides with former friend turned dangerous rival Deonna Purrazzo.

Even the 8-man All-Star Scramble figures to provide some intrigue, as the winner earns a world title opportunity. Could it, for instance, be used to point Wardlow toward the top of the card? It will be interesting to see.

AEW Revolution Zero Hour results:

  • Bang Bang Scissor Gang def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, Willie Mack and Private Party by pinfall when Jay White pins Mack
  • White cuts a promo after the match that promotes the Big Bang Scissor Gang while also teasing some “big business” for the Big Business episode of Dynamite in less than two weeks
  • Lexy Nair catches up with Orange Cassidy, who tells Best Friends he wants them to stay in the back tonight for his match with Roderick Strong
  • A vignette airs with Pac vowing to be back very soon whether we like it or not
  • Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander def. Skye Blue and Julia Hart by pinfall when Nightingale pins Blue

AEW Revolution 2024 results from Greensboro:

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

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AEW Revolution 2024 results: Christian Cage gets the help he needs to retain against Daniel Garcia

See how Christian Cage retained his AEW Intercontinental Championship against Daniel Garcia at AEW Revolution 2024.

Daniel Garcia comes to the ring with a jacket that has multi-colored scorpions on it, a nice tribute to the man of the night, Sting. No such honors from Christian Cage, of course. Garcia plays some small mind games ahead of the bell, taking the TNT belt from referee Aubrey Edwards and holding it aloft for the crowd.

The announcers frame this match as Cage having help while Garcia does not, and Christian proves it by grouping with The Patriarchy for some strategy early on. It pays off as he takes control of the action, leading to a neckbreaker for a one count.

Cage chokes Garcia across the middle rope as he’s showered with boos. He smashes an elbow down from behind the challenger and flexes for the crowd, then pulls back on Garcia’s face.

Garcia pours on the pressure with repeated right and left hands, then gets sent to the floor where Cage finds him with a cross body of sorts off the top turnbuckle. Back in the ring they go, with Cage berating Garcia until Daniel zeroes in on his left leg and grabs a brief ankle lock.

Cage can’t stop hurling Garcia out to the floor, three times in a row, actually. It appears Christian might be looking for a countout win if he can get it. Garcia also gets run face first into the top turnbuckle, but he’s able to send Nick Wayne flying into the timekeeper’s area to counter a sneak attack.

Garcia battles his way back in from the apron, then rains down rights in the corner and dances literally crotch to face with Cage’s shirt pulled up over his head. Heh. That all leads to a two count, then another in quick succession.

The champ fights back by standing on his challenger’s back, Garcia hits a swinging baseball kick and then sends Cage hurtling over the steel steps. He recovers to hit a backbreaker in the ring, earning a near fall and plenty of additional boos.

Cage’s diving headbutt misses, leaving him a victim for another ankle lock. Garcia wants a suplex out of the corner and finally hits it for another two count.

After Garcia is catapulted into the corner, Killswitch creeps onto the apron for a chokeslam. Cage delivers a frog splash, and neither he nor his henchman can believe it when Garcia kicks out.

Daddy Magic picks that moment to run down and send Killswitch into the post. He also won’t let Mother Wayne slap him battling the dinosaur man back up the ramp.

Christian can’t pull off a spear because of the damage to his leg, so Garcia piledrives him for a very close two count. Garcia gets another pinning attempt on his foe but too close to the ropes.

Wayne has revived by now, hitting a shot from the apron. Cage follows with the Killswitch, and that’s enough to keep the gold in his hands.

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AEW Collision results 03/02/24: Revolution Eve in Huntsville

AEW Collision filled in the final spot on the Revolution card and added a match to the pre-show as well.

We’re so, so close to AEW Revolution now. In fact, we’re so close that AEW Collision isn’t live tonight, having been taped earlier this week in Huntsville, Ala.

It’s a go home show for sure, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing important happening. For one, there’s a three-way match that will fill the final spot in the

AEW Collision results:

  • Buddy Matthews was supposed to wrestle an unknown opponent when he was attacked by Mark Briscoe; a wild brawl ensued that also drew in other members of the House of Black, but Briscoe was able to fight them all off and nearly managed to burn Matthews with the pyro and flame jests before the House retreated
  • Swerve Strickland admits that Hangman Adam Page tricked him good on Dynamite, but also says it won’t happen again and that he’ll take the AEW World Championship from Samoa Joe at Revolution
  • Dante Martin def. Bryan Keith and Penta El Zero Miedo by pinning Keith to win a spot in the All-Star 8-Man Scramble at Revolution
  • Page is shown angrily explaining that he isn’t proud of the deception he pulled off but insists “I had to do it”
  • Mariah May def. Angelica Risk by pinfall; afterward, “Timeless” Toni Storm blows by May right after the bell and calls for Deonna Purrazzo to join her in the ring, and the two friends turned rivals exchange one last set of threats, then some blows after Storm kisses Purrazzo on the cheek; May tries to help Storm but gets beaten up for her efforts
  • Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Anthony Bowens, Colten Gunn and Max Caster) def. Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno and John Silver) by pinfall
  • Lexy Nair talks with Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale and Stokely Hathaway, and while Stoke apologizes, a fired up Willow says she and Stat are going to kick the asses of Julia Hart and Skye Blue on Sunday night
  • Tony Schiavone has an in-ring conversation with Wardlow, who says he finally got someone’s attention, and that he’ll finally get his world championship shot after he beats the other all-stars in the Scramble at Revolution; he ponders who he’ll be facing for the title but is eventually interrupted by Chris Jericho, and their verbal sparring is in turn interrupted by Powerhouse Hobbs, who lays out Jericho and threatens Wardlow
  • Lexy talks to Serena Deeb, who says she’s been putting on clinics week after week; she says anyone watching who thinks they’re the best should step up and prove it against her
  • Private Party def. Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal by pinfall, thanks in large part to assistance from Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett, and the two groups teased a new alliance after the win
  • A video package hypes the Revolution match between Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson, with some additional words from both men
  • Thunder Rosa def. Cassandra Golden by submission
  • A video package shows Matthew and Nicholas Jackson trying to give Sting his “exit interview,” after which we get a rundown of the full Revolution card
  • Christian Cage, Brian Cage, Roderick Strong and Killswitch def. Orange Cassidy, Hook, Daniel Garcia and Trent Beretta by pinfall when Killswitch pins Beretta; after the bell, the two teams continue to fight, and Matt Menard ends up getting chokeslammed onto a steel chair by Killswitch before the show simply fades out with fighting still very much going on

AEW Revolution 2024 predictions: Will Sting win his last match?

Will Sting win his swan song? And which champions will retain at AEW Revolution in Greensboro?

While WWE has been gearing up for its biggest show of the year, AEW has been plugging away on its road to Revolution, which will be a historic event in its own right.

That is because Revolution will be the site of Sting’s final match. The promise of seeing Sting’s final match has helped AEW sell more than 16,000 tickets at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., which is where Sting burst onto the national wrestling scene as a member of Jim Crockett Promotions.

Five decades later, Sting will bid farewell to wrestling fans not only in Greensboro, but to fans from around the world who enjoyed watching him perform throughout his stellar career.

What can we expect from Sting’s final time in a ring? How many tears will wrestling fans shed during the event? Let’s get to that and more in my predictions.

AEW Collision results 02/03/24: FTGar? FTR, Garcia outduel The Patriarchy

FTR and Daniel Garcia grabbed another big victory on AEW Collision.

The news in the pro wrestling business continues to flow at such a furious pace that sometimes it’s nice that we actually get to watch some wrestling for a couple of hours. That makes this episode of AEW Collision from Edinburg, Texas almost a form of escapism, as it looks to have a very nice card.

The main event is an interesting matchup pitting Christian Cage and his henchmen in The Patriarchy against FTR and Daniel Garcia, a combo we wouldn’t have thought of a few months ago that’s turned out to make so much sense. There’s also a very intriguing bout between Bryan Danielson and Hechicero as CMLL’s semi-invasion continues.

Let’s sit back and enjoy.

AEW Collision results from Edinburg, Texas:

  • Eddie Kingston def. Bryan Keith by pinfall in a Proving Ground match, meaning Keith would have earned a title shot had he won … but he did not, so there we go
  • Tony Schiavone heads to the ring to announce that Keith is now All Elite, and the Bounty Hunter gets some props from Kingston, who looks irritated when Bryan Danielson also joins them and raises Keith’s arm

  • Jon Moxley cuts a promo about the CMLL wrestlers showing up and thinking this would be “like that show on the other channel” and feature “easy, lazy American wrestlers,” concluding by warning that they better hope the BCC never shows up in their backyard

  • Bryan Danielson def. Hechicero by pinfall; Claudio Castagnoli arrives in time to prevent a post-match sour grapes beatdown from the loser
  • Lexy Nair asks Daniel Garcia and FTR if they’re going to remain a trio, and even though they admit they didn’t expect it, they’re OK with sticking together, and Dax Harwood points out they’re in the trios rankings now to boot
  • Hook def. The Outrunners by submission
  • Mark Briscoe joins Schiavone in the ring and is psyched to be in there with him as he remembers watching Tony call wrestling as a kid; he has some words for House of Black too, who appear on the video screen to threaten to eradicate him from pro wrestling history
  • A hype video is shown to promote Adam Copeland working his way back to a shot at Christian Cage; he’ll be on the show next week

  • Serena Deeb def. Queen Aminata by submission
  • Schiavone is joined by Swerve Strickland, who shouts out other wrestlers he admires during Black History Month, including Ron Simmons, Kofi Kingston(!) and Athena; Swerve thinks he might make his own Black history by defeating Hangman Page on Dynamite and going on to win the AEW World Championship, but he also tells Prince Nana no interference as he wants no excuses when he wins

  • Toni Storm is occupied with her disdain for Deonna Purrazzo, so much so that she can’t be bothered to watch Mariah May’s matches, and she asks Luther to book her a public workout
  • Red Velvet def. Vertvixen by pinfall in a very quick match
  • Daniel Garcia and FTR def. Christian Cage and The Patriarchy by pinfall

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 Dynamite preview 01/17/24: Send Hook … for a world title shot

AEW Dynamite from South Charleston will also see Toni Storm join the announcers for Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay.

If ever there was a night for different members of the roster stepping up, it’s tonight on AEW Dynamite from North Charleston, S.C. Some wrestlers other than the usual suspects are going for gold, and that includes a young challenger for the company’s biggest title.

Can Hook prove a point against Samoa Joe?

It’s tough being the first real challenger for a world champion, because unless the company has some really wacky story to tell, you almost certainly aren’t coming away with the victory. That certainly applies to Hook, who unwittingly became part of the discourse over the past week but seems to be rolling with it just fine.

He truly does have nothing to lose, and a great showing against Samoa Joe will only raise his stock. We’re looking forward to their fight.

How many eyes will Dustin Rhodes need in the back of his head against Christian Cage?

Dustin Rhodes is almost the exact opposite of Hook in terms of experience, but he still makes for a fun challenger for Christian Cage and the TNT Championship, someone the fans will easily get behind.

The problem for The Natural is that Cage has Killswitch and Nick Wayne as henchmen, and they aren’t going to simply watch the match play out if things look bad for the Patriarch. There’s always the chance that Adam Copeland comes looking for another piece of Cage’s crew, but it would be even more interesting if someone new entered the picture.

Will the Virtuosa make a lasting impression on Timeless Toni via Anna Jay?

The AEW Women’s World Champion, Toni Storm, has a hard time staying focused. Such are the demands of old time Hollywood, one supposes. But she’s going to be on guest commentary tonight as Deonna Purrazzo takes on Anna Jay, and she may want to try her hardest to stay locked in.

Purrazzo is still new to AEW but already looks like a threat to Storm’s championship reign. Jay is on a nice roll herself, so a victory by the Virtuosa can’t help but make Toni remember her name.

Also scheduled for AEW Dynamite this week:

  • Bullet Club Gold tries to win the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship from the Mogul Embassy
  • We’ll hear from the mustachioed ones, the Young Bucks

We’ll be taking in all the action from South Charleston beginning at 8 p.m. ET tonight, so join us back here then for live AEW Dynamite results.

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