Christian Cage’s former best friend briefly teased aiding him but chose to help Darby Allin and Sting instead in his AEW debut.
AEW has usually created a buzz through its in-ring work, although not as often since the company’s start when wrestlers from WWE or other promotions joined Dynamite or pay-per-view events. That’s why when Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge, showed up at AEW WrestleDream, it sparked that hype once again.
At WrestleDream, Christian Cage defended the TNT Championship against Darby Allin in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match, headlining the PPV despite the belt being second fiddle to the world title. Speculation obviously skyrocketed around whether this was the time for Copeland to debut in AEW, as he last wrestled for WWE in August as Edge. Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended) reported earlier today that he’s a free agent, amplifying the possibilities.
Cage retained the TNT Championship after Nick Wayne shockingly turned heel and helped him defeat Allin in the main event. Post-match, Sting and Luchasaurus got involved in the matter, but then the lights went out and a video played. When it cut, “Metalingus” by After Bridge — the same song Copeland used in WWE — played and Copeland emerged to a raucous ovation from the Seattle fans.
[lawrence-related id=37348]
The Rated R Superstar Adam Copeland has arrived in #AEW!
Cage and company thought the Rated R Superstar would help them finish off Sting and Allin when he entered the ring, but instead, he used the steel chair they gave him to clear the ring of the heels, delighting everyone. Copeland then stared down Cage and his TNT Championship to close the show.
AEW has given itself a much-needed boost by introducing a new top face, while further pushing the issues surrounding CM Punk’s summer behind them. This moment was necessary, for now and the future, to create positive momentum, as Copeland provides plenty of that as a beloved figure in pro wrestling and someone who’s a proven draw.
Dynamite and Collision will become must-watch events with Copeland’s next move. With a top program with Cage seemingly ahead, it should make for some fun programming.
Darby Allin was sold out by someone close to him, but Christian Cage saw an old friend turn up at AEW WrestleDream.
As befitting the night’s main event, it gets the big fight ring intros. Darby Allin hands his skateboard to a fan while Christian Cage hears plenty of boos.
Allin doesn’t mind doing some technical wrestling in the opening minutes, though Cage is crafty as always. He spits in Darby’s face but gets taken down by an arm drag.
Allin holds onto a side headlock, then uses a flying takedown to ground Cage. A big elbow frees Cage, who stomps away on the challenger and punishes the chest with chops.
Cage poses and flips the crowd the double bird. But Allin is able to outwit Christian by pulling his own turtleneck over his face and using a jackknife rollup to score the first fall.
Darby Allin leads, 1-0.
There are actually dueling chants for the two men as Cage takes control looking to even the score. He cranks Darby’s neck repeatedly and looks like he might be tearing at Allin’s one eye, then guillotines the back of his foe’s neck on the top rope.
Cage goes for a diving headbutt and misses, leading to a Code Red and about three straight near falls. Christian finally buys himself a moment by sending Darby crashing hard to the outside, where he’s sent hard into the barricade as well.
Christian pauses to approach Nick Wayne’s mom, who lures him in before throwing a drink in his face. Allin comes flying in out of nowhere, then delivers a Coffin Drop to the floor. There’s another in the ring, but the champ gets both knees up.
Allin is blasted off the apron into the announce table, giving Cage a chance to stop and provoke the fans again. After a thumb to Allin’s eye, Cage tries to suplex his opponent onto the steel steps from the apron … then does it from the floor instead. Christian follows by dropping Allin back first on the steps, and the ref counts to 10.
Match is tied 1-1.
Officials are out to check on Allin, who bring out a stretcher. That doesn’t stop Cage, who frog splashes him from the top rope on the stretcher.
Meanwhile, Cage has torn up the canvas and padding over most of the ring. Cage hits the Killswitch on the wood, but somehow Allin kicks out.
The champ switches gears and applies the Scorpion Deathlock, wanting to beat Darby with one of Sting’s holds. Allin gets a rope break but still looks like he’s in big trouble.
Allin jumps on Cage’s back, gouges the eyes and hits a Scorpion Death Drop. Next is the Coffin Drop, but this time it’s Cage’s turn for an unbelievable kickout.
Allin climbs to the top again only to be crotched. They battle on the top rope until Cage can deliver a sunset flip powerbomb onto the wood. Cage tries for a spear but takes out the ref … so he hits a low blow on his challenger instead.
Christian goes to grab his title belt, showing it to Nick Wayne’s mom. But Nick runs down and snatches the title, and now it’s two on one in the ring. Except Wayne turns and hits Allin instead.
Cage covers Allin after dragging Bryce Remsburg over to revive him, and the count reaches three.
Christian Cage wins, 2-1.
Sting tries to save Allin from a post-match beating but falls himself when Luchasaurus arrives to assist the heels. The lights go out, a short video is played, and Adam Copeland arrives.
Copeland teases a Con-Chair-to on Allin, then turns and hits Wayne with the chair. He clears the ring of the heels and has a long staredown with Cage, now back on the ramp, before shaking hands with Sting as the show ends.
Full AEW WrestleDream results from Seattle including title matches, a betrayal and a familiar face from Christian Cage’s past.
What’s in a dream? We’re about to find out, pro wrestling style, thanks to AEW WrestleDream in Seattle.
Tony Khan conceived this new addition to the AEW pay-per-view lineup as a way to honor the great Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling who passed away a year ago. While this isn’t a straight up dual-branded PPV with NJPW a la Forbidden Door, there will definitely be some New Japan talent who are prominently featured in the show.
There are also several levels of intrigue around the event. Khan hasn’t been shy about calling WrestleDream the end of one era of AEW and the beginning of a new one, but he has declined to elaborate on what that might mean.
Could there be some debuts? Perhaps. Many fans are anxious to see if WWE Hall of Famer Edge, likely using his real name of Adam Copeland, might show up since his WWE contract has expired. The fact that the main event will feature Darby Allin and Copeland’s longtime friend Christian Cage has only ratcheted up the hype.
Even if no one new shows up, the card should deliver on pure in-ring action as AEW usually does. Let’s see what the night has in store.
AEW WrestleDream Zero Hour pre show results:
Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena and Billie Starkz def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty), Diamante and Mercedes Martinez by pinfall
Claudio Castagnoli def. Josh Barnett by pinfall; afterward, Barnett gives Claudio a big show of respect afterward and says Inoki-san would be a fan of his, then says he will come after Castagnoli again down the road, to which he says “any time, any place” and pays respect in return
Luchasaurus def. Nick Wayne by pinfall
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn def. TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Bad Dude Tito) by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship
AEW WrestleDream results:
(click on ay match with a link for
MJF addresses the crowd, talking about how pissed he is that someone stole his mask and that Adam Cole isn’t here tonight; he also tells The Righteous exactly what he’s about to do to them
MJF def. The Righteous by pinfall to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship
Eddie Kingston def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship
Kris Statlander def. Julia Hart by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship
Young Bucks def. The Gunns, Lucha Bros. and Orange Cassidy and Hook to win a future AEW World Tag Team Championship shot
Cage and Wayne stomp away on Allin after the bell, but Sting comes down the ramp to make the save, except Luchasaurus arrives to aid the heels, and it looks bad for our heroes …
… until a short film plays that says “Rated R” on a road, bringing Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge, to the ring; he takes a chair from Wayne and teases a Con-chair-to before using the chair to save the day; Sting and Copeland shake hands as the show goes off the air
During a media call earlier this week, Tony Khan revealed that the plans behind Sunday’s pay-per-view began back on Oct. 1 of last year, when he heard that legendary wrestler and founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling Antonio Inoki had passed away at the age of 79.
Khan told the media that he took a mental note of the date and immediately began the ideation process of putting on a tribute show with New Japan to honor Inoki. The result is WrestleDream.
The last time AEW did something with a distinct NJPW flavor was the dual-branded Forbidden Door event back in June, which produced some of the best wrestling matches of the year. With a title like WrestleDream, I’d imagine we’ll see more of the same Sunday night.
Here are my predictions for the event:
Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
What is a better way to headline a supposed dream card than with a dream match between two of the best technical wrestlers in the world?
When matches like this come around, fans usually cheer for both participants because they are so happy to see the match become a reality. However, I believe that can take away from a match.
Danielson and Sabre should have no such issue as it emanates merely two hours away from the former’s hometown of Aberdeen, Wash. With Seattle being Danielson’s surrogate hometown for the evening, I’d imagine most of the fans in the building will be rooting for the hometown hero, which should elevate the match.
When it comes to picking a winner, that’s where things become difficult. Danielson has openly discussed the end of his full-time in-ring career being in the near future, which could lead to him looking for someone to pass the torch to as this generation’s best technical wrestler.
Sabre would certainly fit that bill.
However, because this match takes place in Danielson’s neck of the woods, I believe he will walk away with the victory, sending the fans in Seattle home happy.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page
The segment between these two on this week’s edition of Dynamite was fantastic, and it added to my own personal excitement to see this encounter.
While that was fun, this is another match that is proving tough to predict. Why? Because both guys need the win.
Sure, Page has been to the top of the mountain before and has been heavily featured in the past, but he hasn’t been involved in a lot of eventful angles lately. A win here could re-energize his momentum and get him back to the top of the card.
However, Strickland has never been given a main event-caliber push, and it was only until recently that he was a consistent presence on the weekly television shows. And some of that credit should go to the hysterically funny Prince Nana.
Not to mention, it has been a while since Strickland picked up a big win. In my opinion, he’s due.
The match itself should be a classic.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. Aussie Open
Another match, another potential classic for the world tag team titles.
While Aussie Open is a great team, I don’t see a reason to take the titles away from FTR at this point.
Winners: FTR
AEW TNT Championship (2-out-of-3 Falls): Christian Cage (c) vs. Darby Allin
I may not hit on all of my predictions, but if there is one that you can take directly to the bank, it is that Allin will take chances with his body during the match — and some of them will be unnecessary.
I can easily see Cage doing something that would damn near incapacitate Allin, only for it to be used as a means to have the latter come back from behind and win the match.
Winner: Darby Allin
AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart
As excited as I am to see the TBS title get some shine on a pay-per-view, I am just as disappointed in the fact that Statlander versus Hart is the only women’s match on this card.
When AEW and New Japan link up, in my eyes, it is a showcase of the best professional wrestling the world has to offer outside of WWE. There are enough great women’s wrestlers out there to warrant putting more than one match on a card of this magnitude. But guess how many women’s matches were on Forbidden Door?
One.
There are enough wrestlers in AEW’s women’s division that would warrant more than one match. But guess how many were on All In, the supposed biggest wrestling show of all time?
One.
Guess how many women’s matches were on All Out?
One.
And no, I’m not counting the pre-show matches. I’m talking about the proper pay-per-view that people pay their hard-earned money to watch.
Somehow, there’s never enough time for more.
Both Statlander and Hart are great wrestlers, and I love seeing the latter’s maturation into someone who has main event potential, but there are more talented wrestlers in AEW’s women’s division. They deserve to be put on this stage as well.
As far as a winner, I’m going with Statlander. I do believe that Hart will have a star-making performance in defeat.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Ring of Honor World & NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
On paper, this sounds like it should be a banger, but with Kingston recently revealing that he is dealing with a lower back injury that forced him to step away from independent wrestling, I’m not sure what to expect.
Kingston also revealed that he recently signed a four-year extension with AEW. AEW making such a commitment tells me that the promotion is firmly behind Kingston as the ROH champ.
Winner: Eddie Kingston
Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship: MJF (c) vs. The Righteous
As I wrote in a previous column, it would make total sense to have MJF lose to The Righteous and move on from tag team competition since his partner is sidelined with a broken ankle.
Winners: The Righteous
Chris Jericho & The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Don Callis Family (Will Ospreay, Sammy Guevara, & Konosuke Takeshita)
After all of the trouble the Callis family has caused over the last few weeks, my instinct is usually to take the good guys in this situation.
However, I feel like Guevara needs a chance to redeem himself after losing to Jericho at Grand Slam. Sure, he gained some measure of revenge by getting some of his heat back on Jericho after the match.
But I feel like in order for him to get the maximum amount of revenge, he needs to beat Jericho. Maybe that will happen in a one-on-one match one day in the future, but I would make it happen here, and further elevate The Don Callis Family in the process.
Winners: The Don Callis Family
No. 1 contender’s match for AEW World Tag Team Championship: Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros. vs. The Gunns vs. Orange Cassidy and Hook
Since three of the four teams have already been heavily featured in the past, I’m going to call for the upset and go with the odd couple pairing of Cassidy and Hook to come out on top.
Winners: Orange Cassidy and Hook
Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta
Yuta is cool and all, but if Starks doesn’t pick up the win here then we have some serious problems.
Adam Cole also delivered some bad injury news on AEW Dynamite from Broomfield.
The card for AEW WrestleDream this Sunday seems pretty much set since there are already nine confirmed matches. But that doesn’t mean tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from the greater Denver area couldn’t still shake up things for Seattle somehow.
It’s not 100% clear how just by looking at what’s been promoted for tonight’s show, to be fair. Willow Nightingale will take on Julia Hart in what should be a great pairing of two of AEW’s rising stars, but Hart already has a title shot this weekend against Kris Statlander.
The same is true of the four-way battle between Orange Cassidy, Penta, Matt Jackson and Austin Gunn. Will it be fun? Almost certainly. But those peeps are already half each of four teams who will be competing for a future tag team title shot in Seattle.
Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland will sign on the dotted line before they tear into each other at WrestleDream, so perhaps there will be a wrinkle added there. A last minute stipulation of some sort can’t be ruled out.
There’s also the unfortunate matter of a potential injury to Adam Cole. Tony Khan said that his status would be addressed on Dynamite, and since he and his Better Than You Bay Bay partner MJF are scheduled to speak, hopefully it won’t be to tell us that Cole can’t go come Sunday.
Certainly, Khan’s cryptic comments about the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, which he has chosen to keep enigmatic, have raised some eyebrows. Could there be some hints toward what might be coming on Dynamite?
There’s only one way to find out. Well, two ways, really. Let’s get into this show and see what’s what.
AEW Dynamite results from Broomfield:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Rey Fenix def. Jeff Jarrett by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
A video shows MJF trying to cheer up Adam Cole by hanging out together on a boat (his dad’s, apparently) off Long Island, but Max is disappointed that Adam was on the phone with Roderick Strong so long and teases hitting him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and tossing him overboard … but Cole sees that coming (though MJF denies it) and explains it’s OK to have more than one friend, and they end up drinking beers with Captain Insano after catching him with a fishing rod
Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita are shown in Tokyo looking for Kenny Omega’s secrets or something, but that was apparently before tonight as they’re up next
Renee Paquette talks to The Don Callis Family, who revel in adding Sammy Guevara to their ranks and apparently have already attacked Kota Ibushi in Japan
After the Death Match with Bryan Danielson, Ricky Starks brags that he survived, but Wheeler Yuta drops by to call him an entitled prick and says if he disagrees, they can find out in Seattle … and the match has already been added to WrestleDream
Nick Jackson def. Brian Cage and Claudio Castagnoli, earning himself a shot at Fenix next week
The Righteous deliver a message to Adam Cole and MJF about fake friends ahead of their title match at WrestleDream
Adam Cole has bad injury news, and to make matters worse for MJF, Jay White has the Triple B in his sights
Jim Ross has a sitdown interview with Christian Cage and Darby Allin, who argue about the tutelage of Nick Wayne and their upcoming TNT Championship match at WrestleDream
Orange Cassidy def. Penta El Zero Miedo, Matt Jackson and Austin Gunn
Julia Hart def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall, then gets out of dodge when Kris Statlander hustles to aid Willow after the bell
Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page sign on the dotted line, but not without some verbal barbs and a touch of violence
Backstage, Jay White is getting beaten up by men in all black and devil masks …
Better Than You Bay Bay will also be on AEW Dynamite tonight from the Denver suburb of Broomfield.
It’s almost time to dream. WrestleDream, that is, this Sunday in Seattle. The brand spanking new pay-per-view is a tribute to the late Antonio Inoki, but also has a bit of an air of mystery about it. Nevertheless, there is business to attend to first, and that means AEW Dynamite from the Denver adjacent town of Broomfield.
What’s on tap? Only two matches have bee promoted so far. One will see Willow Nightingale slightly less cheerful than usual as she takes on Julia Hart. An all business attitude might help since Hart has been on a tear as of late, and will face Kris Statlander for the TBS Championship on Sunday.
The other advertised bout for Dynamite is a four-way dance that is a preview of the four-way tag team top contenders match on the WrestleDream card. Penta, Matt Jackson, Orange Cassidy and Austin Gunn will all do battle tonight to get … we suppose a mental leg up on the competition for the weekend.
Talking segments? Yes, we’ve got some of those too. Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland will have the contract signing for what has quickly become one of the most personal WrestleDream feuds. Christian Cage and Darby Allin will have a sitdown interview with Jim Ross ahead of their 2-out-of-3 falls title match in Seattle. And we’ll hear from Adam Cole and MJF, who will defend their ROH tag team titles against The Righteous on Sunday.
Could there be more beyond what AEW is promoting? Quite possibly, especially when it comes to matches as the above doesn’t feel like enough to fill two hours. But that’s why we watch, right?
We’ll certainly be watching starting at 8 p.m. ET on TBS. If you aren’t able to do the same, please consider visiting us again at Wrestling Junkie as we’ll have live results and updates as they happen.
Everything you need to know to watch the inaugural AEW WrestleDream this weekend, wherever you might be.
AEW’s torrid pay-per-view schedule continues with WrestleDream — a new event created in honor of NJPW founder Antonio Inoki, who passed away last year. The show will emanate from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
An inaugural wrestling PPV needs a special headliner, and that’s what Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. provides. This dream match pits two of the industry’s best in-ring performers in a straight-up wrestling bout, unlike the Strap and Texas Death matches Danielson just had with Ricky Starks, which should dazzle the Seattle crowd in the potential main event of the evening.
While not penciled in to defend his AEW World Championship, MJF puts his ROH World Tag Team Championship on the line with Adam Cole against The Righteous, who have picked up a handful of wins this month. This is one of three matches with current or future tag team title implications, including FTR‘s championship clash with Aussie Open.
After claiming the TNT Championship from Luchasaurus, Christian Cage will defend against Darby Allin in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match in what could put a bow on this father-worthy feud.
The action will transpire from Seattle on Sunday evening. Here’s everything you need to know to watch WrestleDream:
How to watch AEW WrestleDream 2023
UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Cable TV: Available on all major U.S. & Canadian providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, U-verse and Optimum, among others (U.S.); Rogers, Bell, Shaw, SaskTel and TELUS (Canada)
Satellite TV: DIRECTV and DISH
Digital Streaming:Bleacher Report (Web, Mobile, Roku, Xbox, FireTV, Apple TV)
Here’s what happened on the Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage on Friday, Sept. 22.
FLUSHING, N.Y. — They might have held their breath for a moment or two, but the talent and staff of AEW filled Arthur Ashe Stadium for over four hours of pro wrestling on Wednesday night.
AEW struggled to sell tickets in the weeks leading up to the show, possibly due to prices, having run this venue at the same time of year before or other circumstances, once making Grand Slam unlikely to be a base hit. Even with a strong card, fans were not buying in.
To combat this, last week, AEW began a special “buy one, get one free” ticket offer to jumpstart sales. That helped, but so did MJF’s rigorous promotional tour across seemingly every local New York morning show — a tactic scarcely used in this pro wrestling’s company young existence.
AEW found a way to make Grand Slam 2023 work and can learn lessons from it. But quality wrestling pushed the negative attention aside, between two hours of Dynamite and an extensive Rampage taping.
Both before and after the main show, AEW recorded matches for its Friday night series that featured numerous top stars, title bouts and promos that would normally happen on Dynamite or Collision. AEW always touts Grand Slam as its longest Rampage show, extending it to two hours instead of the usual 60 minutes. So once Dynamite ended, the action was hardly finished.
How did the action shape up? Let’s take a look at the results of what happens on the Sept. 22 Grand Slam episode of Rampage.
AEW Grand Slam Rampage results from Arthur Ashe Stadium:
Santana def. Bear Boulder. Ortiz stepped out on the stage after the match, but Santana barely acknowledged him. It seems their real-life animosity will translate to a storyline.
Orange Cassidy, Hook and Kris Statlander def. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker and Anna Jay. A fun match that included a triple suplex spot that popped the crowd.
Darby Allin and Sting def. Luchasaurus and Christian Cage by pinfall after Nick Wayne distracted Christian. The crowd chanted “Who’s your daddy?” after the match.
Don Callis (with Konosuke Takeshita) cut a promo about why he recruited Sammy Guevara to work with him. Guevara eventually joined him in the ring to explain his reasoning for turning on Chris Jericho and aligning with Callis. It was difficult to hear most of what Callis and Guevara said because of the crowd booing.
As Guevara explained himself, Jericho interrupted and started brawling with Guevara and Takeshita. Kenny Omega made the save to a great reaction, but when Jericho went to shake his hand, Omega did not reciprocate.
Hangman Page and The Young Bucks def. Toa Liona, Kaun and Brian Cage to win the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship by pinfall, which pleasantly surprised the crowd. Swerve Strickland, who was very over with the New York fans, walked onto the stage during the match to stare down Page and distract him.
Julia Hart def. Skye Blue by submission. Willow Nightingale made the save for Skye when Julia would not release her submission hold.
Tony Khan came out to a mixed reaction (it was his third appearance of the night) to tease Grand Slam one day becoming an AEW pay-per-view. That likely wasn’t for television.
The Righteous def. Best Friends, The Kingdom and The Hardys by pinfall to become the No. 1 contender for the ROH Tag Team Championship. It will be interesting to see how Adam Cole’s injury impacts the eventual match.
The Acclaimed def. The Dark Order by pinfall to retain the AEW Trios Championship. They invited the Impractical Jokers into the ring after the match for a scissor party.
AEW Rampage live notes:
Kudos to a crowd that had already been there for three hours for making as much noise as they did when Sammy Guevara and Don Callis cut promos.
Julia Hart’s live entrance has some pretty neat aesthetics that stand out amongst most of the roster.
A special edition “Better Than You Bay Bay” shirt in New York Mets colors and font was sold at the merch shops.
Get live AEW Dynamite Grand Slam results, with MJF vs. Samoa Joe headlining four championship matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The funny thing about being on top of the world is how many people want to knock you off that perch. MJF has certainly learned that lesson since becoming AEW World Champion, with both friends and foes trying to take that title away from him. Tonight at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium, he’s definitely up against one of the latter.
Samoa Joe had to earn his title shot via a tournament, but really wasn’t pushed all that hard along the way except a bit in the final by Roderick Strong. He and MJF have history that dates back to even before the current champ was a notable wrestler, so it’ll be personal as well as business in NYC.
The same could be said for the other three championship matches on the Grand Slam Dynamite card, all of which have been set up nicely by AEW despite this show now finding itself smashed between the All In/All Out spectacles and the brand spanking new WrestleDream early next month. Of the others, the one with the biggest chance to steal the show is the title vs. title encounter between Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli, the payoff to a sense of mutual dislike that is both rare and long overdue to spill into one-on-one violence.
There’s also the sense that some surprises could show up at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s probably too early for a certain Canadian who can see clearly to make an appearance, but there are other names with WWE histories that would make this show feel even bigger.
We’ve got two members of our Wrestling Junkie team in the house, but we’ll also be manning the keyboard as usual on Wednesday nights. Let’s see what this night has in store.
AEW Dynamite Grand Slam results from NYC:
(scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
Eddie Kingston def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall in a Title vs. Title match to retain the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship and become the new ROH World Champion
We flash back to last week, where The Kingdom is reading inspirational messages to Roderick Strong in the hospital, and Adam Cole is there for him too … but only for a few minutes, as he has to go support MJF and a disgusted Roddy tells him to “just go”
Christian Cage says he’s done with Darby Allin but knows Darby isn’t letting things go, so he invites Allin for a three-way dance on Collision with him and Luchasaurus, with the International Championship on the line but Sting banned from ringside
Chris Jericho def. Sammy Guevara by pinfall, but Guevara kicks Jericho in the groin after the bell and leaves with Don Callis
MJF delivers a warning to Samoa Joe and has Cole beside him, but Adam gets a call from a panicked Roddy and has to talk him down, to the champ’s annoyance
Rey Fenix def. Jon Moxley by pinfall to become the new AEW International Champion
Samoa Joe has his final say before his meeting with MJF
Saraya def. Toni Storm by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
MJF def. Samoa Joe by submission to retain the AEW World Championship, with Cole arriving to lend his support when Max needs it most
Check out AEW Dynamite results from Cincy, including more matches set for both Grand Slam and WrestleDream.
Though we’ve passed the “All” shows that were just a week apart (All In and All Out), the pace of AEW events isn’t slowing down just yet. The brand spanking new WrestleDream is looming on the first weekend of October, and oh yeah, Grand Slam is coming up at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens in …
(Checks calendar)
One week? Wait, what?
OK then, we’ve obviously got some important business to attend to tonight on AEW Dynamite in Cincinnati, and by that, we mean finding out who’s going to be challenging for the AEW World Championship (held by MJF) and AEW Women’s World Championship (currently around the waist of Saraya). We’re doing that in the most time-honored way possible tonight: in the ring.
On the men’s side, the final match in a tournament will be a very intriguing encounter between Samoa Joe and Roderick Strong. Both have their own reasons for wanting the Triple B other than just wanting to win gold, and we can’t wait to see which direction AEW decides to go.
The women’s challenger will be decided in a four-way bout that includes former champs Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker and Nyla Rose. Two-time champ Toni Storm is in the hunt as well, and would arguably be the juiciest winner of all since she is teammates with Saraya. Or was? We’re not 100% clear on that, nor are The Outcasts, nor, quite possibly, is Storm herself.
Want even more? Cool, because there’s a Jon Moxley title defense in his hometown, the third meeting in a trilogy between Hangman Adam Page and Brian Cage, and an appearance by Le Sex Gods. Sounds like plenty of good stuff to us.
AEW Dynamite results from Cincinnati:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
Jon Moxley def. Big Bill by submission to retain the AEW International Championship, in a match that sees Ricky Starks, Bryan Danielson, and eventually, Claudio Castagnoli get involved
Adam Cole warns Roderick Strong that this match against Samoa Joe is a bad idea, but Roddy says he’s going to win because he’s a wrestling legend
Roderick Strong has a big opportunity tonight in the #AEW Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament against Samoa Joe.
But, things between himself and Adam Cole are far from resolved.
Tony Schiavone (very grudgingly) brings Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita to the ring for an unveiling of a painting … and a new target
The BCC (including a still very bloody Moxley) wants a tag team match with Big Bill and Ricky Starks at Collision; the Lucha Bros. also arrive and cause a ruckus while Eddie Kingston warns Castagnoli “one more week”
Renee Paquette tries to talk to Hook, who ends up getting a show of respect from Orange Cassidy, who admits he’s “still so tired”
Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida, Nyla Rose and Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. to earn a championship shot at Saraya at Grand Slam, speaking of which …
… Saraya tells Paquette she’s proud, maybe, of Storm, but Toni has lost her mind and will lose to her in New York as well
Le Sex Gods promise to give their all against each other at Grand Slam
We flash back to last week, where MJF is told he isn’t cleared for tonight but will be back for Grand Slam; he sounds off on both Roderick Strong and Samoa Joe, doing his own version of Scott Steiner’s infamous match promo in the process, to hilarious effect
Hangman Adam Page def. Brian Cage by pinfall, then jaws with Swerve Strickland to set up a match at WrestleDream, needing a save from the Young Bucks
Daniel Garcia wants to talk about himself with Paquette, and Callis wants to hear more but gets only Garcia’s dance in return
Daniel Garcia continues to be frustrated with his current situation…But Don Callis looks to offer a helping hand of sorts.
A video package replays Jade Cargill’s return and promotes her rematch with Kris Statlander later this week
Darby Allin and Nick Wayne def. Angelo Parker and Matt Menard by pinfall, then get challenged to a tag match at Grand Slam by Christian Cage and Luchasaurus
Samoa Joe def. Roderick Strong by submission in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament final
Joe calls out MJF after his victory, promising to take everything from the champion next week
Cole runs out to check on Strong, who is selling his injured neck like crazy and looks like he’s going to be carried out on a backboard; while Cole is arguing with The Kingdom, Samoa Joe returns and chokes him out
