Sometimes you can just feel when wrestling companies want to put their best foot forward, and tonight is one of those nights as AEW Dynamite airs from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Not that Tony Khan isn’t trying to hit every show out of the park, mind you. But with the debut of AEW: Collision this Saturday, followed quickly by Forbidden Door next week, it behooves this particular episode to have that “can’t miss” feeling about it.
Whether it does or not is in the eye of the beholder, but the card looks compelling from here. MJF and Adam Cole will battle in a world title eliminator, and while “beat the champ to get a shot at the champ” matches are sometimes silly, this one appears very legit.
The Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite may literally fight forever at this point, which will be the case again tonight as they meet in trios action. AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends her title against Skye Blue, and Wardlow does the same with his TNT Championship against Jake Hager, and a big eight-man tag team match sees the Mogul Embassy go up against a fan favorite group made up of Darby Allin, Sting, Keith Lee and Orange Cassidy.
Plus Sammy Guevara will be on Dynamite for the first time since his unsuccessful world title bid at Double or Nothing. Add it all up and it has the makings of a very fun two hours, and that’s not even counting the fact that perhaps a NJPW talent or two will drop by.
AEW Dynamite results from Washington D.C.:
- Adam Cole vs. MJF goes to a 30-minute time limit draw after MJF’s two attempts to cheat both backfire, and Cole has him beaten with the Panama Sunrise only to have the bell ring with the count at two; Cole asks MJF for five more minutes, but the champ takes his title belt and leaves
What an opening match between Adam Cole & MJF!
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS@AdamColePro | @The_MJF pic.twitter.com/Tlj6t1ODBG— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
So close for Adam Cole. This match continues!
Watch #AEWDynamite on LIVE on TBS@AdamColePro | @The_MJF pic.twitter.com/wJYAUHvs77— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- A video package promotes the return of CM Punk at AEW: Collision
The return of @CMPunk this SATURDAY on #AEWCollision LIVE this SATURDAY on TNT at 8pm ET /7pm CT. pic.twitter.com/5BPl3hdsZa
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- Sammy Guevara talks to Renee Paquette about the highs and lows of his last few weeks and says he has to make some personal changes; Darby Allin arrives and suggests Guevara needs to leave the Jericho Appreciation Society to reach the next level … which in turn brings Chris Jericho to the ring, demanding an apology; that in turn brings out Sting, who has a brief, tense staredown with Jericho amid suggestions they might all be in a tag team match next week
#JAS' leader @IAmJericho demands an apology from Sammy 👀
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@sammyguevara | @IAmJericho pic.twitter.com/Zivvvm45oR— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
An EPIC face-off is happening in the ring right now! 😳
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@Sting | @IAmJericho pic.twitter.com/AtvoD248Tn— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Sanada issues an open challenge for his title at Forbidden Door and says he’s anxious to see who from AEW will step up and accept it
BREAKING
SANADA has just issued an open challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at #ForbiddenDoor!#AEWxNJPW pic.twitter.com/TjngZwTD0V
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) June 15, 2023
- Darby Allin, Sting, Keith Lee and Orange Cassidy def. Mogul Embassy by pinfall when Sting pins Brian Cage
- Paquette asks The Gunns about their relationship with Bullet Club Gold, but they play dumb and would rather talk about their challenge to The Hardys for next week … and then they diss Renee’s hair for some reason
#TheGunns challenged #TheHardys next week on #AEWDynamite to find out who the best brother tag team is!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@theaustingunn | @coltengunn | @MattHardyBrand | @JeffHardyBrand pic.twitter.com/otDdxx0Bnu
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- Wardlow def. Jake Hager by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship, with Brock Anderson helping fend off outside assistance for Hager by the JAS; afterward, Christian Cage and Luchasaurus appear on the screen to accept Wardlow’s challenge on Collision and show that they’ve beaten up Arn Anderson
- Hiroshi Tanahashi makes a challenge to MJF for Forbidden Door, and Paquette gives the bad news to the AEW world champ backstage and he says he’s not doing it
#NJPW's Master of the Century @tanahashi1_100 has challenged #AEW World Heavyweight Champion @The_MJF at #ForbiddenDoor!!! Will #MJF accept?#ForbiddenDoor on Sunday, June 25th LIVE on PPV! #AEWxNJPW@njpwglobal pic.twitter.com/gilKCbCR5p
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- Paquette is talking to Orange Cassidy about what the future holds when Zack Sabre Jr. says it should be the two of them facing off for the AEW International Championship at Forbidden Door; Daniel Garcia arrives as well, so Cassidy says he and Katsuyori Shibata will face ZSJ and Garcia next week on Dynamite
Before we get to #ForbiddenDoor, #AEW International Champion @OrangeCassidy will team up with #ROH Pure Champion @K_Shibata2022 to take on #NJPW World Television Champion @zacksabrejr and @GarciaWrestling next week on #AEWDynamite!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@njpwglobal pic.twitter.com/ew3ZQBhvfV
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- Toni Storm def. Skye Blue by submission to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship, with help from the other Outcasts, of course; Willow Nightingale sprints down to prevent a post-match beating
- “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry tells the very busy Paquette he’s accepting Sanada’s title challenge for Forbidden Door and asks Hook to have his back; Hook looks like he accepts with a fist bump
The Summer of #JungleHook Is in full swing with @boy_myth_legend accepting #NJPW World Heavyweight Champion @seiyasanada's open challenge at #ForbiddenDoor with @730hook in his corner!#ForbiddenDoor on Sunday, June 25th LIVE on PPV! #AEWxNJPW pic.twitter.com/06JiVwBjBR
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
- A video package promotes the main event for the debut episode of AEW: Collision on Saturday night
- The Elite (Hangman Adam Page and Young Bucks) def. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta) by pinfall as Page pins Yuta, leaving Bryan Danielson on commentary going “you’ve got to be kidding me”
- After the bell, the BCC attacks The Elite, but Eddie Kingston comes rushing down and goes right after Castagnoli, eventually clearing him from the ring; Kingston and Moxley have a brief showdown and Eddie tries to play peacemaker, but Konosuke Takeshita runs down and attacks Kingston from behind before Kenny Omega joins them and battles Takeshita … but gets assaulted in turn by Will Ospreay, who hits the Stormbreaker on Omega to end the show
EDDIE KINGSTON is BACK! And old rivalries have simmered RIGHT back up to the surface!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/bUBLrrf1fE— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023
Absolute mayhem has been unleashed as Konosuke Takeshita blindsides Eddie Kingston and Kenny Omega takes aim at Takeshita, but Will Ospreay sets the tone for Forbidden Door!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@takesoup | @KennyOmegaManX | @WillOspreay pic.twitter.com/5Rx0KyFfeb— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 15, 2023