After last week’s AEW Dynamite 200, what’s in store for the encore? We’ll find out tonight on Dynamite from the home of the Buckeyes, Columbus.
We know there will be plenty of juicy in-ring action. Hikaru Shida, fresh off winning the AEW Women’s World Championship last week, will defend it for the first time against Anna Jay. The Hardys will battle for brotherly supremacy against the Young Bucks. And the Lucha Bros., who have been caught up in an ongoing beef with the Blackpool Combat Club, will go up against two of that group’s finest in Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley.
Oh, and Rob Van Dam will ride again, trying to take the FTW Championship from Jack “Don’t Call Me Jungle Boy Any More” Perry.
As for non-fighting segments of interest, there figure to be at least a few of those too. The Jericho Appreciation Society, now appropriately concerned about the actions of the man they are supposed to be appreciating, is having a mandatory meeting. We’re invited too, we presume.
We’ll hear from MJF and Adam Cole, who seem to be on a path to the main event of All In, where they will face each other, without either of them turning on the other. At least not yet.
And speaking of All In, the biggest show in AEW history, we’re now a week closer than we were during Dynamite 200. Only the aforementioned MJF-Cole match has been revealed so far, but could there be other bouts revealed tonight? We’ll have to wait and see, but that’s definitely possible.
AEW Dynamite results from Columbus:
With the Jericho Appreciation Society gathered in the ring, Daddy Magic somewhat reluctantly introduces the group’s leader, Chris Jericho. He says he came to the ring as their friend, but Daniel Garcia asks him to stop talking and listen. Garcia is still upset about last week and reminds Jericho that he sacrificed for Chris every single time … so why won’t Jericho choose them? Daniel does his dance and then leaves.
Not usually the talkative one, Jake Hager says he liked that hat but no longer appreciates Jericho. Chris tries to stop the bleeding by addressing Anna Jay and Tay Melo, but Tay says she will come back next year after having her baby and become a champion without his help. Anna admits Jericho has helped them, but he’s helped himself more, and she needs to be selfish as she goes for the title tonight.
Angelo Parker says he doesn’t want to do this, and that he loves being a sports entertainer. But he’s given Jericho everything and has nothing left to give.
What about Daddy Magic? Matt Menard says Jericho was his childhood hero and that the last 18 months have been nothing but a dream for him. Alas, he walks away too.
That leaves only Sammy Guevara, who says he won’t walk out on Jericho. He does, however, say Chris has a lot of things to work out, and when he does, maybe Sammy will be there.
Renee Paquette catches up with Jericho, but so does Don Callis. Jericho says he has a decision about whether he will join Don’s family and will announce it next week.
The Young Bucks def. The Hardys by pinfall
The Bucks have really not done much tag team wrestling this year — this is only their third two-on-two match of 2023. That’s a fun framing for watching the Hardys do well early on (though they haven’t been doing that much either, with Jeff only recently returned to the fold).
The Jacksons take the upper hand after Risky Business, and Nick Jackson dives to the floor over his brother to take out both Hardys. Matt and Jeff get things turned around during picture-in-picture, and Jeff nearly pins Nick with the Whisper in the Wind.
Here comes the superkick party, and both Hardys are invited. The Bucks hit a variation on the 3-D but can’t put Jeff away. The Hardys rally with twin Twists of Fate, and Jeff hits a Swanton Bomb on Nick that forces Matt Jackson to make the save.
After a scramble among all four men, Matt Hardy looks for a Twist of Fate, but the Bucks counter with a BTE Trigger that wraps up a victory.
The victorious Young Bucks ask for a microphone but only get out FTR before the tag team champions head their way. The two teams have a bit of a discussion, which the fans like, before Matt Jackson simply says “All In.” FTR hold their titles up, so we’re saying that’s challenge accepted.
All In will also have a four-way match for the AEW Women’s World Championship, with Toni Storm guaranteed a spot since she is owed a rematch. Or we think that’s right.
MJF is dismayed that Adam Cole’s outing for the night is a trampoline park, but the world champ lights up when he discovers there is dodgeball, and he amuses himself by eliminating kids with extreme prejudice.
Cole tells him to stop, but when a girl calls them nerds and flips them the bird, he relents and tells Max he can make one more throw.
Jon Moxley says he hopes the Best Friends learned their lesson and that Trent’s mom got the flowers they sent. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta taunt Pac for the injury that will keep him out past All In, which is pretty cold.
Jack Perry def. Rob Van Dam by pinfall to retain the FTW Championship
Perry attacks RVD before the bell, ’cause he’s a heel and all, but Van Dam is able to match him move for move once he gets settled in. RVD hits his spinning legdrop off the apron, getting the fans fired up and leading us to picture-in-picture.
Chairs come into play as well, with Perry trying to throw one at RVD and nailing the ref instead. Perry goes tumbling through a table on the floor, and the ref might be hurt for real.
RVD hits the Five-Star Frog Splash, but by the time Aubrey Edwards arrives to be the new ref, Perry has time to kick out. That allows Perry to do all the cheating: hitting a low blow, hurling RVD into a chair in the corner and pulling the tights to get the pin. All legal in FTW rules, eh.
Lucha Bros. tell Paquette the BCC should be the Blackpool Coward Club and that they’ll get some revenge for Pac tonight.
MJF and Cole come to the ring, where the champ successfully manages to say the Midwest is his favorite place without God striking him down. Max thinks Adam wants a promo battle and starts going in, then backs off saying he’s totally misread the situation.
But Cole says people like them as a tag team, so he suggests they go after titles just as meaningful to him: the ROH World Tag Team Championship. It’s the only ROH title Cole never won, and he convinces MJF to challenge Aussie Open for those belts on the Zero Hour pre-show.
Seems like the segment is going to end on a happy note, but Roderick Strong comes out to protest. MJF goes off on an extended rant on Roddy, who gets upset and is consoled by The Kingdom.
Cole gets mad at MJF, who looks furious, but with the fans chanting “hug it out,” they do exactly that, and Cole runs off to check on Roddy.
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) def. Lucha Bros. by pinfall
Penta and Rey Fenix slip in from the back side of the ring to hit superkicks and tandem dives to the floor before the bell even rings. Mox manages to right the ship, pulling off a double DDT on both the brothers.
Wheeler Yuta sneaks in a belt shot while Edwards is occupied, but Fenix kicks out anyway. He later gets hit with a two-man spike piledriver but manages to kick out again.
All four men start exchanging signature moves, leaving them all flat on their backs. The fans reward them with a “this is awesome” chant.
Mox and Penta start chopping the heck out of each other. Alex Abrahantes prevents Yuta from interfering again, and Fenix dives out on Wheeler, but Moxley unmasks Penta and pins him while he’s trying to cover his face.
After the bell, BCC beats the crap out of the Lucha Bros., while Claudio puts on Penta’s mask and mocks him.
What about Kenny Omega at All In? He’s going to talk to JR about it next week, apparently.
The Mogul Embassy is still out here claiming Darby Allin is to blame for AR Fox’s turn, but Darby comes out to tell his side of the story. He also thinks it’s silly that Fox is made Allin put in a good word for Nick Wayne.
But while Fox has made some new friends, Darby has friends too. The lights go out, then go back on to find Sting in the ring with his trusty baseball bat. After beating up a couple of people, including Swerve Strickland, Sting points at the All In sign. Seems like a challenge is being made. And indeed it’s made official shortly after: Allin and Sting vs. Swerve and Fox in a Coffin Match.
Hikaru Shida def. Anna Jay by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
This is two Dynamite main events in a row for Shida, which is pretty cool. It’s less cool that we go to picture-in-picture so quickly, but hey.
Anna gets some offense in during the tiny picture, hammering Shida repeatedly to the body in the corner. Menard and Parker are still out there supporting Anna, and they stop the champ from jumping off a chair on the outside.
That leads to Jay applying the Queenslayer, and though Shida looks like she may be in trouble, she makes the ropes to break the hold. With Anna trying for the Queenslayer again, Shida falls back from the top rope and follows with a Falcon Arrow for the near fall.
Shida hits the katana, Parker tries to do … something to help Anna, but it doesn’t work and the champ retains.
