Tag: Jon Moxley

AEW Dynamite results 04/17/24: Joe, Ospreay stand tall ahead of Dynasty

A final showdown between Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe went poorly for the challenger on AEW Dynamite.

You know what they say about pre-pay-per-view momentum being a many-splendored thing? Wait, what? That was love? Are you absolutely sure? Well then OK, but momentum is still a thing that’s worth watching tonight on AEW Dynamite from Indianapolis.

Will Ospreay has all the momentum in the world right now. He’s been tearing through the AEW roster one opponent at a time, mowing through the Don Callis Family in particular. Now he’s moved on the the Blackpool Combat Club, with a showdown against Bryan Danielson waiting Sunday at Dynasty.

Is he taking this Wednesday night off? Heck no, he’s taking on the Swiss Superman, Claudio Castagnoli. Take that, Ospreay grind doubters. We could take about the fun clash of styles here, but you probably already know all about that. The more intriguing part will be seeing if AEW lets Ospreay take his first ‘L,’ even if it’s because of extenuating circumstances, setting up a little more doubt ahead of Sunday.

Pretty much all of the other advertised matches carry with them some kind of Dynasty implications, which is exactly what a good go home show should do. Plus there could even be another match or two added to the Dynasty card tonight, which is something that AEW is not opposed to doing the week of a PPV.

Tony Khan has announced that this show has an overrun already approved, so we’re ready to settle in for more than two hours of action. Let’s get it.

AEW Dynamite results from Indianapolis:

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

  • Jon Moxley and his new championship are here, and he makes a challenge to Powerhouse Hobbs
  • Mercedes Moné puts the entire women’s division on notice with a special warning to Julia Hart or whoever attacker her last week

  • Willow Nightingale has clearly been attacked backstage, but she tells Stokely Hathaway and medical personnel then she’s fine; out in the ring, the lights go out and back on to reveal Brody King in place to attack Adam Copeland
  • Brody King and Julia Hart def. Adam Copeland and Willow Nightingale by submission after Nightingale gets laid out by a shot by Hart wielding King’s chain; Moné arrives with a steel chair after the bell to prevent further damage to Nightingale, perhaps, and ends up shaking Copeland’s hand
  • Samoa Joe tells Renee Paquette he once saw Swerve Strickland as a worthy adversary but now sees him as an annoyance or punching bag; Joe also calls Swerve a choke artist but tells him not to worry, as at Dynasty, he’ll be the one choking Swerve out instead

  • The Young Bucks decide the hype video for the Ladder match doesn’t need the part with FTR, flexing their power as EVPs, and Kazuchika Okada tells Pac he won’t make it to Dynasty
  • The Elite (Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada) def. Daniel Garcia, Penta El Zero Miedo and Pac by pinfall as Okada pins Garcia; after the bell, The Elite continue their assault until Pac produces a bell hammer and chases them off
  • Taz gets Chris Jericho and Hook together to talk, but it doesn’t stay cordial
  • Swerve Strickland admits to Paquette that he has tripped up but he’s always managed to get back up, and when Renee asks him why he’s confident, Swerve says he needs to say that to Joe’s face in the ring tonight

  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Mariah May by pinfall; after the bell, Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm both get involved in the melee, with Rosa eventually smearing Storm’s face with additional lipstick
  • The Bang Bang Gang doesn’t think Paquette is as excited as she should be to be in their presence; Jay White also says his group is going to take the other six-man titles from The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass
  • Speaking of The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, they’re up for putting the gold on the line and will take on the Bang Bang Gang at Dynasty
  • Orange Cassidy def. Shane Taylor by pinfall; Cassidy is immediately jumped by Lee Moriarty and Anthony Ogogo after the bell, eating a nasty body shot from the boxer, and Trent Beretta ensures that Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal eat chair shots when they try to save him
  • Will Ospreay def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall; after the bell, the rest of the Don Callis Family assaults Castagnoli until Moxley hits the ring and clears it
  • Excalibur runs down the AEW Dynasty card
  • Swerve and Joe face off one last time before St. Louis, and it doesn’t end well for Swerve

There’s only one Jon Moxley, as Powerhouse Hobbs will learn next week

Mox says the first championship of any kind he ever won was right here in Indianapolis. Even then, 20 years, he says he was swimming upstream, but his message to doubters now is the same as it was then: Kiss my ass and watch me.

Being great, Moxley says, is about what’s inside and not what other people think. A “you deserve it” chant breaks out as he talks about the IWGP title, which he says he’s been chasing for five years.

After a rallying cry for AEW, Mox turns his attention to the Don Callis Family and the “hit” they put out on Bryan Danielson. If they want to get violent, he’ll be here all night, and he goes beyond that to challenge Powerhouse Hobbs for a match next week at Jacksonville. Moxley says he’ll drag Hobbs to the deepest waters to discover that Callis is feeding him lies.

Oh, and while there are a lot of great wrestlers in the world, but there is only one Jon Moxley.

Taz gets Chris Jericho and Hook together to talk, but not for long

Taz gives Jericho the floor first, asking the fans not to boo him so he can talk. Chris claims he just wanted to get Hook’s attention because he wasn’t listening as much as he could have been.

“I am the learning tree,” Jericho says, mentioning all of the people who have made it to the next level because of him: Orange Cassidy, Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay among them. Uh, sure.

When Jericho asks if Hook will sit under the branches of the learning tree Hook says no, because he doesn’t need Jericho’s help. Taz and Jericho start getting into it a little, which finally turns physical when Jericho shoves Taz.

A “you f–ked up” chant breaks out as Hook is mad now. The FTW Champion says if Jericho wants to see how good he is, they can fight again any time, any place. Hook tells Jericho to get out of his ring, which the fans love.

Will Ospreay passes his last pre-Dynasty test against Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio’s strength is immediately brought to bear on Ospreay, who can’t be the Aerial Assassin if you don’t let him off the ground. Ospreay is able to fire back on the outside, hopping over the barricade and then leaping off of it to land a forearm shot.

His next attempt to fly is less successful, as Castagnoli catches him on a springboard plancha to the floor and smashes him into the apron. As one does.

Castagnoli is able to get Ospreay on the mat to subject him to submission holds while dueling chants break out (though more are for Ospreay). The rally from Ospreay includes a Tiger Driver for a near fall as a “fight forever” chant rings out.

Ospreay even turns an exchange of uppercuts into some cool spots, but Castagnoli is scoring the near falls. Claudio calls for the Giant Swing, but Ospreay counters it with a guillotine and nearly wins it before hitting the Hidden Blade and winning for real.

Swerve gets what he asked for from Joe … and more

As he and Prince Nana hit the ring, Strickland reminds viewers that he was asked earlier tonight why he’s confident he can beat Samoa Joe. Swerve says it was because he’s seen the fear in Joe’s eyes and wants to tell the champ to his face he’s going to lose at Dynasty.

While security tries to hold him back, Joe does indeed head down the ramp. Swerve ends up launching a massive Swerve Stomp that takes out all the security guards, but Joe seizes the advantage and chucks Swerve into the steel steps.

As Joe is occupied with threatening Nana, Strickland flies back in for a House Call. Joe catches Strickland on the top rope a second later, though, and drops him in the middle of the ring with a massive Muscle Buster. Joe stands tall over Swerve to end the show.

Jon Moxley at WrestleMania? Tony Khan says WWE didn’t ask

We’ll never know if AEW would have allowed Jon Moxley to make a cameo in the main event of WrestleMania 40.

Among the glorious chaos of the Night 2 main event at WrestleMania 40, one of the more surreal moments was when The Shield’s music hit. The drama built up until Seth Rollins, dressed as he did back when the group was together, entered the ring with a steel chair (though the cameras missed it).

He was immediately decked by a Roman Reigns Superman punch, but it turns out Rollins was there for an important storytelling reason. Given the choice between hitting Rollins or Cody Rhodes with the chair, Reigns smashed Seth across the back as payback for then he turned on his Shield teammates and broke up the group years ago.

That proved costly, as it gave Rhodes the chance to recover and win the match. So everything worked on in logical fashion, and Rhodes was even seen after his victory saying a special thank you to Rollins.

Still, because Rollins had been in a grueling match earlier that night against Drew McIntyre, the first impulse was that he couldn’t possibly be coming to the rescue. Despite every rational reason why it couldn’t work, there was a second or two where many WWE fans thought the same thing: Wait, is Dean Ambrose really coming out here?

The third member of The Shield has been better known in recent years as Jon Moxley and has worked for AEW since 2019. That fact alone would seem to rule out any kind of participation at WWE’s biggest event, but it turns out there’s an even simpler explanation.

As ComicBook.com’s Liam Crowley found out directly from AEW CEO, GM and head of creative Tony Khan, “WWE did not reach out to AEW about using Jon Moxley for a one-off appearance.” That’s that.

Whether Khan would have agreed to do it is an interesting “what if.” It almost doesn’t matter in the end, both because Rollins turned out to be the proper person in that spot and because in the moment, it was enough that The Shield’s music made viewers believe Moxley might be coming.

As cool as it would have been to see him, the mere uncertainty worked in WWE’s favor, making for a small but clever wrinkle in what turned out to be a very entertaining match.

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WWE Money in the Bank winners — Every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in

Check out the complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in.

Originally the brainchild of Chris Jericho, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match has gone from being an entertaining gimmick match to one of the most anticipated subplots of any WWE calendar year. It’s changed and expanded to multiple brands and the women’s division, and become the focus of its own event, joining the likes of WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam as one of the most important that WWE puts on.

At its core, however, is a simple and compelling idea: Whoever outfights and outwits a group of hungry competitors and grabs the namesake briefcase has a guaranteed title shot they can use any time, any place, for one year. It’s the WWE’s equivalent of a golden ticket, and the anticipation for when a briefcase might get cashed in has become drama in its own right.

As Money in the Bank has risen in prominence, its history has grown as well. Let’s take a look at a complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including how the winners fared when they eventually cashed in their contracts.

Last updated on April 7, 2024.

Sakura Genesis 2024 results: Tetsuya Naito holds off Yota Tsuji in Tokyo

Yota Tsuji wanted to usher in a new era of NJPW, but Tetsuya Naito wasn’t ready to let go of the current one yet.

Established star vs. rising talent. Old guard vs. new wave. Teammate vs. teammate. Any way you want to look at it, the main event of NJPW Sakura Genesis 2024 is dripping with intrigue.

Tetsuya Naito always planned to be in this position, defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the spring. It’s the culmination of a journey that took him through last year’s G1 Climax to Wrestle Kingdom, where he fulfilled a long-held dream of winning New Japan’s top prize in the main event.

It’s very likely he didn’t expect he’d be facing his LIJ-mate Yota Tsuji in this spot. While a little intramural competition is always acceptable among Los Ingobernables de Japon, Naito has gone on record saying he thought it would be Shingo Takagi, not Tsuji.

Interestingly, the young-ish Yota has already declared something of a throwback title reign if he wins, complete with restoring and then retiring the Intercontinental Championship and then bringing back the old IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt. But it’s also clear a victory for him would mark a true turning of the page for New Japan.

Another title match has a past vs. present vibe when it comes to LIJ, as Takagi will try to claim the NEVER Openweight title from EVIL. For AEW fans who don’t mind staying up late on the busiest wrestling weekend of the year, there’s also a tag team match pitting Jon Moxley and Shota Umino against Ren Narita and Jack Perry.

We’re looking forward to hearing Chris Charlton and special guest Jeff Cobb on the English call, so let’s get into it.

Sakura Genesis 2024 results from Tokyo:

(please scroll down for more details on any match in bold)

  • Kickoff match: Frontier Zone – Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii def. 2AW (Ayato Yoshida, Takuro Niki and Chicharito Shoki) by pinfall
  • TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita) def. El Desperado and Ryusuke Taguchi  by pinfall as Fujita pins Taguchi
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi) def. Bullet Club War Dogs (David Finlay and Gedo) by submission as Bushi taps out Gedo
  • Just Five Guys (Douki, Sanada and Yuya Uemura) def. United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman) by pinfall as Uemura pins Great-O-Khan; after the match, Uemura suplexes Khan and admires the KOPW belt, holding it high above its owner
  • Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors) def. Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kushida and Kevin Knight) and Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
  • Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) def. Bullet Club (Kenta and Chase Owens) to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions
  • The field is announced for Best of the Super Juniors 2024, which kicks off May 11, including talent from CMLL, ROH and Pro Wrestling Noah
  • Sho def. Yoh by injury stoppage to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, but Kosei Fujita and Douki arrive to declare their interest in challenging Sho, and Douki ends up leaving with the title belt
  • Jon Moxley and Shota Umino def. Jack Perry and Ren Narita by pinfall as Moxley pins Narita after Umino takes a shot from the push-up bar that was intended for Mox
  • Shingo Takagi def. EVIL by pinfall to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion in a wildly overbooked match
  • Shingo gets some brief mic time after his victory, but he and his LIJ teammates are quickly jumped by Gabe Kidd and other War Dogs; Kidd gets on the mic himself and calls the title a joke and Tanahashi an embarrassment, ending by saying “f–k New Japan Pro Wrestling” while vowing to take the title from Shingo
  • Tetsuya Naito def. Yota Tsuji by pinfall to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Yoh vs. Sho comes to an unfortunate quick end, but new challengers for Yoh quickly emerge

Sho is in hot pursuit of his former partner even before the bell rings, desperate to get physical custody of his belt back. But unfortunately, Yoh’s left shoulder looks like it’s dislocated from the first bump he takes, and the match is called to a quick stop.

While the medical team looks at Yoh, Kosei Fujita climbs into the ring. After Yoh is led to the back, Fujita grabs a mic to call Sho the worst champion in history and challenges him for his title. They’re soon joined by Douki, who gets in Fujita’s face and says he’s the one with the buzz right now and deserves a shot first.

Sho gloats about Yoh’s injury and says it shows how tough he is, making it clear he doesn’t want to wrestle either one of them. Fujita hears enough and hits him with a springboard dropkick, holding the title belt up in Douki’s face before laying it back down on the mat.

Fujita heads for the back and Douki decides to leave with the belt, basically taking over for what Yoh had done.

Shota Umino sacrifices himself so Mox can get them a victory

Can’t imagine there will be too much subtlety here, and all four men eagerly pair off and start brawling as soon as the bell rings. Chris Charlton mentions how Perry has “been in the news all week,” an oblique reference to CM Punk giving his side of the story for their altercation at All In London last year.

Umino and Narita end up getting paired off before too long, turning this into something like a proper tag match. The crowd comes to life for Moxley tagging in and running wild on Narita, who is able to escape a bulldog choke with a rope break.

Some fun bumps are taken out on the floor right in front of President Tanahashi. Perry jumps a long way to deliver a top rope elbow, punctuating it with two middle fingers to the crowd before he leaps.

Mox gets to work Narita again, delivering a superplex for a near fall. With the ref distracted, Narita gets the push-up bar into the mix, and Umino takes a shot from it that was intended for Moxley.

That pays off, as Mox is able to hit the Death Rider on Narita to win it for his side.

Shingo Takagi survives the full House of Torture nonsense platter, claims NEVER Openweight title

Chris Charlton and Jeff Cobb frame this as a battle for the soul of the NEVER title after it was painted black by EVIL. House of Torture is up to its usual tricks before the bell even rings, with Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a referee shirt and trying to make himself the official of record.

(Note: It doesn’t work.)

It doesn’t take long for the real ref to take a bump, leading to a chair-swinging battle on the floor that goes in EVIL’s favor. The King of Darkness sneaks more foreign objects into the ring, causing Charlton to grudgingly admire his creativity in cheating.

Shingo eventually gets rolling on offense, foiling all of EVIL’s efforts to avoid more punishment. Takagi’s big superplex is on target but only gets him two.

A rally by EVIL leads up to Darkness Falls, which nearly wins it. We then enter the battle of wills phase, but Yujiro Takahashi sneaks in a chair shot from the floor. Bushi runs down to assist his teammate, though his help is questionable … because it’s Dick Togo under the mask.

The real Bushi arrives but accidentally hits the ref with his mist. That means a House of Torture group beating for Shingo, including “dick to dick contact” as Togo hits Takagi in the crotch.

Shingo takes a Magic Killer and Kanemaru makes a super fast three count. Hiromu runs down in his own referee shirt, so perhaps this match is continuing on. Takagi takes a low blow but hits EVIL with his own finisher, and now Kanemaru is back to fight with Hiromu.

It’s tough to even keep track of the hinjinks now, but Yujiro nails his teammate in the face with powder, and a real referee arrives to count the three after Last of the Dragon. New champ! But wow that was some insanity.

Yota Tsuji shows out but can’t dethrone Tetsuya Naito

No one currently in New Japan gets a reaction during his entrance like Naito, but the fans are definitely divided and might even be slightly favoring Tsuji once the bell finally rings. Charlton and Cobb note that Naito has wrestled more often than anyone else on the NJPW roster so far in 2024, pondering whether he can or should keep up that kind of pace.

Tsuji won’t let Naito do the Tranquilo pose, finally getting himself a smattering of boos. He controls the next few minutes of action, with Cobb suggesting that Naito has rubbed off some on Tsuji.

Yota taunts and spits on the champ, but that brings a rapid response that includes a knee to the back of Tsuji’s neck. A neckbreaker off the apron to the floor won’t make that feel any better.

A headscissors flings Naito half in and half out of the ring, causing the challenger to bail on his plan for a dive. They battle on the apron instead, where Tsuji hits part of a curb stomp that sends Naito to the floor.

A swinging DDT helps Naito fight back and leaves both men on the mat. The announcers tout Naito’s experience in lengthy singles matches, whereas this is still a relatively new experience for Tsuji as we pass the 20-minute mark.

There’s the Frankensteiner from Naito, but his Destino is countered by a knee to the face. Both men are back on the canvas, but Tsuji is back up first for a sitout powerbomb and a near fall.

Is Tsuji thinking Gene Blast? A rolling kick prevents it, and is followed by a running Destino. Naito tries the normal version but gets hit by the Gene Blast instead. Tsuji can’t follow up with a pin, selling accumulated damage to his neck.

Naito elbows Tsuji repeatedly until he’s back on the mat. The challenger fights back with a curb stomp and once again can’t capitalize on it. What he can do after a moment is use a Boston Crab to set up another curb stomp. To the corner they go, and whatever Tsuji has planned goes for naught as Naito shoves him down. Tsuji tries again, this time delivering a superplex and covering for two.

Back to the Boston Crab goes Tsuji, turning it into a Lion Tamer that looks painful. Red Shoes is checking carefully on Naito, but Tsuji eventually releases the hold. He springs off the buckles for another stomp, coming ever so close with that and his next move to the three count.

Tsuji calls for Gene Blast, but Naito rolls back and catapults Tsuji into the corner. Naito hits his own Gene Blast, but Tsuji kicks out at one.

Naito hits Valentia, and after a series of counters, Destino. Another one follows, and he hooks the leg to retain his title.

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 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 Dynamite results 02/22/24: Joe leads team to trios victory

Also on AEW Dynamite, Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo engaged in some gamesmanship, and Wardlow cut a fiery promo.

Sometimes it really is best to keep your enemies closer than your friends, which is what AEW World Champion Samoa Joe will be doing, at least in part, on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Tulsa.

When the fuse lights this evening, Joe will be part of a trios match that is ostensibly heels vs. faces. There’s just one pretty big catch: Swerve Strickland is on Joe’s team.

It’s safe to say that Strickland has been swerving (when he drives, sorry) toward fan favorite status over the past few months. But even more to this particular point, he’s also going to be battling Joe and Hangman Adam Page — who is on the opposite team tonight — for the world title at Revolution in a few weeks.

What motivation do Strickland and Joe have to work together? That’s not a rhetorical question as we really don’t know the answer.

There’s also something interesting brewing between FTR and the BCC. Both parties have the “take on all comers” mentality that meant a showdown of some sort was probably inevitable. That makes it feel like their fight tonight might not be the only one, and could lead to something at Revolution. Which … would be cool, even with no tag team titles on the line.

The only other matches advertised ahead of time for tonight are Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo hitting the ring, albeit not against each other. That means there must be some surprises in store, we just don’t know what those might be. You know what, though? We’re going to find out starting right now.

AEW Dynamite results from Tulsa:

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

  • Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) vs. FTR ends in a time-limit draw, with both teams eager to keep brawling afterward
  • Renee Paquette catches up with Orange Cassidy, who’s been through quite a bit recently but is “barely” cleared to compete

  • Alex Marvez gets a word with FTR, who suggests they run it back at Revolution, and an angry Castagnoli and Moxley show up and have to be held back from resuming the hostilities

  • Orange Cassidy def. Mike Bennett by pinfall, then gets jumped by The Undisputed Kingdom after the bell until he’s saved by … Jake Hager?
  • Paquette talks to Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho before they head off on their date; meanwhile an SUV pulls up and out hops (well, as much as possible at his age) Ric Flair
  • Flair bumps into Paquette and says he’s upset he’s not more involved with Sting’s last match and vows to “explore some options” … which apparently means meeting with Matthew and Nicholas Jackson

  • Daniel Garcia has a date with destiny against Christian Cage, and Matt Menard has Garcia’s back
  • Paquette talks to Hangman Adam Page, Hook and Rob Van Dam, with Page saying tonight is full of opportunities for all of them, though he does it in a condescending way

  • Toni Storm def. Sydni Winnell by submission in a short match, using Deonna Purrazzo’s Venus de Milo to do it
  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Madison Rayne by submission, using Storm’s Break a Leg finisher; afterward, Storm hits the ring with a shoe, and a distraction from Mariah May allows Toni to get the upper hand, lock in her finisher and then put on way too much lipstick afterward (seriously)
  • Darby Allin and Sting have a message for the Jacksons: The Bucks were the first ones ever to mess with Sting’s own flesh and blood; Sting is also dealing with the passing of his father, reminding him that time catches up with all of us, so Sting vows to bring everything he has left to give the Jacksons “the fight of your life”

  • Wardlow gets some interview time to say he’s been pissed off for about two years after his big push ended with him being screwed over and over again; he notes the beatings he gave CM Punk (not by name, but still), MJF and Samoa Joe and calls himself the uncrowned king of AEW before storming out, damn
  • The Bang Bang Scissor Gang comes up with a new combination for their next trios match
  • Don Callis discusses why he’s having Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita and that the Family will be looking for Sammy Guevara at Rampage
  • Brian Cage, Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe def. Hook, Rob Van Dam and Hangman Adam Page by submission as Joe submits RVD

Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) and FTR settle nothing in intense 20-minute draw

Not too shabby for an opener, eh? Castagnoli and Cash Wheeler are keen to go right at each other out the gate, with Wheeler finally getting the upper hand by hitting a low dropkick and tagging in his partner.

Claudio turns the tables on Dax with a body slam and gives Mox the chance to get in some work. Some stiff chops ring out in both directions, no surprise given who we’re talking about.

Wheeler ends up sending Moxley to the floor when he’s once again the legal man, and Mox takes a second to consult with his partner. Wheeler and Moxley trade headbutts, fists and other goodness until all four men are in on the action at once. Wheeler comes off the top rope with a double clothesline, and double dropkicks send both members of BCC out to the floor again.

Harwood is teeing off on Moxley but gets caught from behind by a Castagnoli uppercut. A tope suicida by Mox is on the mark, but he’s sent into the steel steps in return.

Moxley ends up taking a beating from both opponents in the FTR corner, strangely getting some boos from the fans. Harwood puts Mox in an abdominal stretch, and FTR takes a shortcut for some extra leverage when the ref isn’t looking.

A low dropkick gives Wheeler the chance to mock one of Claudio’s trademark taunts, and FTR catapults Moxley’s throat into the bottom rope. Mox could really use a tag, and his ridiculous lariat out of the corner to Harwood earns him the space to make it.

Claudio goes nuts with uppercuts in the corner, and the fans cheer as he signals for the Giant Swing. Wheeler saves his partner from that fate, but Castagnoli is powerful enough to hoist up both his foes and drop them straight backward. Claudio covers Dax but gets only a two count.

A stuff piledriver by both members of BCC has Harwood in serious trouble as we head to side-by-side commercials.

He’s still fighting through it on the other side of the break, and fortunately fight is something Dax has plenty of. Wheeler finally gets the hot tag and unleashes a whole bunch of offense, earning a two count on Mox as the 15-minute mark passes.

Neither team is able to get a double team move worked out, eventually leaving Moxley and Wheeler to slug it out even though Harwood is legal. Dax takes advantage by coming off the top rope, nearly but not quite winning it.

The BCC have thoughts of a Doomsday Device only to be foiled by Harwood, who sets off a series of moves that leads to his getting caught in the Giant Swing. Moxley dropkicks him to end it and covers for a close two.

Mox gets the hooks in from behind on a choke on Harwood, but the other two combatants come crashing down on top of them. Less than two minutes remain.

After some more strikes, Harwood locks in a Sharpshooter on Moxley, and Wheeler suplexes Castagnoli to prevent him from breaking the hold. Claudio puts Wheeler in a Sharpshooter and exchanges slaps with Dax, and a wild sequence leads to a pinfall attempt by Moxley and another near fall.

FTR wants the Shatter Machine on Mox, but the bell rings as the 20-minute time limit has elapsed. The fans don’t like that. Neither do the competitors, who start brawling until officials and security can separate them. Claudio gets a choke on Dax from the apron, but even more people are there trying to break stuff up.

Daniel Garcia has a date with destiny against Christian Cage

Tony Schiavone calls Garcia to the ring and delivers some good news: Garcia will get a shot at Christian Cage and the TNT Championship at Revolution. Garcia says he was down bad recently and thanks the fans for picking him back up every time. He vows to see Adam Copeland again, and that he’ll be wearing the TNT title when he does.

Naturally, that brings out Cage and The Patriarchy. The TNT Champion says he doesn’t think they should wrestle at Revolution, not because Garcia is not worthy, but because he’s not ready. Cage thinks he’s easily distracted, primarily by wanting to please the fans.

On top of that, Cage says Garcia had a pretty dark childhood, which of course leads to Christian pointing out that Garcia’s father is dead and was an alcoholic while he was alive. Geez.

Cage ends by saying he wants to be Garcia’s father, to which Daniel offers to “put you in the ground right next to him.” Cage sends Nick Wayne into the ring instead, and the youngster quickly ends up in a submission hold.

Killswitch is next, but Matt Menard waffles him with a steel chair. That’s the end of those pleasantries for now.

Samoa Joe leads his team to victory despite friendly fire from Swerve

Joe and Hook start out for their respective sides, with Joe’s power giving him the early edge. Hook uses the ropes to get the velocity he needs to send the champ to the mat, but Joe pops right back up and hammers Hook in the corner.

Cage takes over and continues to punish Hook, who gets RVD into the action. His efforts at a monkey flip go for naught, and now he’s taking it on the chin from Swerve … until he isn’t. Hangman tags himself in and finds himself nose to nose with bitter rival Strickland. Time for some side-by-side.

Hook takes some extended punishment while the crowd chants for RVD. Cage gets countered by Hook into something of a DDT, allowing him to make the hot tag to Van Dam (and upsetting Page, who wanted the tag).

RVD’s trademark flurry includes Rolling Thunder on Strickland and a Five-Star Frog Splash on Cage, but Joe breaks up the ensuing pin. Swerve hammers Hangman with a high boot. Joe has RVD in trouble just as more side-by-side ads arrive.

There’s still peril aplenty for Van Dam after the broadcast returns, but he’s able to drop Joe so both sides can make tags. Page goes right after Strickland, who isn’t legal, and Cage, who most definitely is. Hangman goes off the top but is caught by Cage, though he’s able to free himself for a Death Valley Driver and a near fall.

Now everyone’s getting in on the action in a rapid fire sequence of moves. A multi-person superplex is in there too, after which Hook gets Redrum on Cage only to see him tag out to Joe. Swerve stumbles into Redrum but frees himself, making the House Call on Hook. answered by Page’s Buckshot on Cage.

That leaves the three men vying for the world title at Reovlution in the ring together, though of course two of them are on the same team tonight. Joe flies to the ring with a tope for Page, and Swerve laughs but his kick accidentally nails Joe, and Hangman powerbombs him through the announce table.

Back in the ring, Joe hits a powerslam on Page for a two count. Hangman escapes from a Muscle Buster attempt, then Hook suplexes the world champ. RVD wants to fly but gets pushed down by Cage, who wipes out Hook with a lariat.

After all that, Joe gets a choke applied on RVD, and he’s soon out, giving the champ’s team a hard fought victory.

AEW Dynamite preview 02/21/24: Big trios, tag team energy in Tulsa

Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo will also be in action tonight on AEW Dynamite in Tulsa.

Oklahoma, AEW Dynamite is headed your way tonight. To Tulsa, to be specific, for a show that has some of the top storylines headed into Revolution colliding in some interesting ways.

Does a big trios match have the teams wrong?

At first glance, the trios match that is one of the headliners for tonight’s show is pretty straightforward. Three heels, including AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, vs. three faces, including the legend Rob Van Dam.

Simple, right?

Except recent trends suggest there are two men on the wring sides. Swerve Strickland has done some despicable things over the past year or so, but his request for Prince Nana not to interfere in his matches and the fans’ growing cheers for him suggest he’s seeing the light.

On the other side, Hangman Adam Page has been acting positively heel-like as he grows more desperate in pursuit of Joe’s title, especially when he refused to let his last match with Swerve extend for another five minutes. We’d suggest that Swerve and Hangman are already a large way into a double turn, and that should make this trios match fascinating.

Have FTR met their match in the BCC?

After feuding with the House of Black alongside Daniel Garcia, it appeared FTR might be getting their tag team mojo back. Then they decided to make enemies of the Blackpool Combat Club, which could leave them undermanned again.

Tonight in Tulsa, anyway, it appears they’ll only have to deal with Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley. But man, is the word “only” doing a ton of work in that sentence. Watch and see if this battle has repercussions that extend to Collision next month.

Also advertised for Dynamite tonight in Tulsa:

  • Both Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo will be in action ahead of their championship bout at Revolution

We’ll be ready to recap all the action as we do every Wednesday night, so be sure to join us back here at Wrestling Junkie at 8 p.m. ET tonight if you aren’t able to watch the show live.

AEW Rampage results 02/16/24: Jeff Hardy breaks nose in scary spot

A look at the results from the Feb. 16 episode of AEW Rampage.

For years, Texas has been a cornerstone of the professional wrestling scene. This week, AEW has taken it over with Dynamite on Wednesday and now Friday night with Rampage.

AEW added a Texan touch, featuring Marshall and Ross Von Erich in action alongside Dustin Rhodes. Otherwise, the rest of the card featured a No Disqualification match between Sammy Guevara and Jeff Hardy that goes off the rails. Queen Aminata in action, and the Bang Bang Scissor Gang making their in-ring debut, promising an eventful night.

AEW Rampage results

  • Sammy Guevara def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall in a No Disqualification match; Guevara busts Hardy’s nose during a blocked Shooting Star Press, and the match awkwardly ends shortly after from what F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez reports is a broken nose; Powerhouse Hobbs attacks Guevara after the match
  • Brian Cage says in a backstage interview that Hook “doesn’t belong here” and calls him the flavor of the month; Cage says everyone who cheers for Hook should cheer for him
  • Private Party, with their security guard named Cheesecake, reintroduce themselves backstage; they tout their spot on the AEW power rankings and say it’s “litty in the city”
  • Jon Moxley, referring to FTR, says it’s never a good idea to provoke the Blackpool Combat Club; Moxley puts over FTR’s tag team wrestling, but questions anyone doubting he and Claudio Castagnoli’s ability as a team; Castagnoli says if you’re great, people tell you and that they take pride in what they do
  • Ruby Soho learns Angelo Parker has requested time with her tonight; Saraya, with Harley Cameron, tells Soho they forgive her; Soho says she knows Saraya has been behind every bad thing happening to her, and now, she just wants space
  • Dustin Rhodes, Ross and Marshall Von Erich def. Romero Crews, Hitt and Simbashi by pinfall; Commentary says it’s the first time the Rhodes and Von Erich families have teamed in over 40 years
  • Toni Storm laughs at Deonna Purazzo’s threat to break her arm; Storm enacts what she would do to Purazzo by putting Mariah May in an armbar and an ankle lock
  • A video package hypes Sting’s last match at Revolution
  • Bits from Queen Aminata’s “Close Up” interview plays
  • Queen Aminata def. Anna Jay by pinfall for her first AEW win; Aminata and Jay embrace after the match
  • Willow Nightingale questions Stokely Hathaway for not trusting her during her match on Dynamite against Skye Blue; Kris Statlander says Hathaway hasn’t cheated like that, and they’ll try this partnership again one more time
  • Angelo Parker gives Ruby Soho a Valentine’s Day gift; Parker says he thought he lost Soho; Soho asks Parker out for a drink next week, and he says yes
  • The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster and Billy Gunn) and Bullet Club (Jay White, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) Gold def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, & John Silver) by pinfall

AEW Dynamite results 02/14/24: Orange Cassidy finds friendship amidst Texas Death

The Patriarchy didn’t exactly spread love, however, during AEW Dynamite from Austin.

Because what is Valentine’s Day, really, without some pain to go with the feelings of love? There should be plenty of that tonight on AEW Dynamite from Austin.

Orange Cassidy could be forgiven if he’d like to take tonight off. Just like he did the first time he was AEW International Champion, he’s making a habit out of competing week in and week out, often with his title on the line.

He and his Best Friends are currently tangled up in a program with the Undisputed Kingdom, which is what has led him to where he is tonight: about to have a Texas Death match against Matt Taven.

And sure, Cassidy will probably win, as it’s not often you see him take an ‘L’ in a singles match. It’s no sure thing, however, since his title isn’t on the line, and because of the stipulation, any number of people could get involved. Roderick Strong, who will try to dethrone Cassidy in a few weeks at Revolution, certainly wouldn’t mind if Taven took something out of the Freshly Squeezed one tonight.

There’s a bunch of other fun stuff on tonight’s card as well. Adam Copeland and Daniel Garcia will square off in a battle of the generations. Toni Storm will debut her new film, “Wet Ink.” Matthew and Nicholas Jackson will take on Top Flight, and we’ll hear from Samoa Joe and both of the men who will try to take his AEW World Championship at Revolution, Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland.

So end your Valentine’s Day plans early or revel in the fact that you haven’t got any, and let’s see what’s in store.

AEW Dynamite results from Austin:

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

  • Jon Moxley def. Dax Harwood by submission; the post-match beating draws Cash Wheeler and Claudio Castagnoli into the fray, with the BCC duo emerging totally triumphant
  • Don Callis tells Renee Paquette that no one wants to fight his Family, and since they believe they need to be on Revolution, he’s going to have Konosuke Takeshita take on Will Ospreay … wait, wow!

  • Wardlow def. Barrett Brown by pinfall in a quick squash match, with Adam Cole offering some of the shortest guest commentary ever
  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson are shown flying in to the local airport, for some reason still wearing the blood-stained white suits they wore all last week

  • Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia ends in a no contest after an attack by The Patriarchy, which ends with Christian Cage giving Copeland a Conchairto
  • Samoa Joe faces both of his challengers, and Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page each have something to say
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm debuts her new film, “Wet Ink,” after which Paquette finds Deonna Purrazzo making a much shorter threat to break Storm’s arm

  • The Jacksons arrive in the arena
  • The Young Bucks def. Top Flight by pinfall; after the match, the EVPs declare themselves No. 1 contenders and fine Tony Schiavone $1000 for disparaging them; they also tease an EVP Trigger on Schiavone before Darby Allin makes the save with a baseball bat and lays into the Bucks before making their Revolution match official — as in Sting’s last match
  • Paquette asks the Bang Bang Scissor Gang what’s next, and it appears it will be a 12-man tag team match on Rampage to test their cohesiveness

  • Willow Nightingale def. Skye Blue by pinfall, getting a timely assist from Stokely Hathaway at a critical moment
  • Orange Cassidy def. Matt Taven by KO in a Texas Death match

Dax Harwood steps up to Jon Moxley but gets choked out

Both men clearly have their supporters in the crowd, as evidenced by the mixed chants after the bell rings. Harwood smirks at Moxley’s attempt at early mind games, and we see middle fingers exchanged along with a mock kiss by Mox.

Moxley pays for it when he puts his hands behind his back, as Harwood is happy to chop and punch him into the corner. Mox works the body to open up the head when he sees an opening, biting Dax on the head as well.

Harwood keeps the strikes flowing, but he eventually is caught in a bulldog choke and taken nearly all the way to the mat. Dax escapes and looks for his own submission but eats a boot or two to the face before he’s sent to the floor.

It doesn’t stop there, as Harwood is sent over the barricade out into the crowd. Moxley looks like he’s in full control, even once things return to the ring, dropping numerous right hands in the corner. Harwood finally summons a response in the form of a Liger Bomb, forcing Mox to kick out at two.

Both men tumble over the top rope to the floor, bringing us to picture-in-picture. It’s Moxley leading the way when the full picture resumes, but Harwood hangs in there and keeps swinging. Mox finally gets in the last shot but they both hit the canvas.

The commentary team notes that Dax has bloodied his own hand during all these strikes, though his bigger problem might be Moxley raking his back as they battle to the top rope. Harwood manages to hold onto the ropes but not forever, yet Moxley has been slowed and can’t capitalize immediately. Dax finally gets a burst of energy and hops up to deliver a superplex, leaving them both down on the mat again.

Unwilling to budge, they get to their knees and butt heads like rams. Up on the feet, they exchange lariats until Harwood gets a chance to apply a Sharpshooter. They’re in the middle of the ring, now just five minutes from the 20-minute limit.

Mox looks for an armbar, which Harwood grasps his hands to fight off. Dax does his own back raking but gets back body dropped, and a series of counters leads to a Harwood piledriver. Moxley barely kicks out before the three falls.

They head back to the floor, but Mox catches Dax coming back into the ring and hits a cutter, then a stomp. A piledriver looks like it might be it, but Dax gets an arm up at the last moment.

More counters lead to a brainbuster for Harwood, and when that’s not enough to win it, only two minutes remain. Moxley takes Dax back down and applies a rear choke. Harwood tries to fight it but eventually taps out.

After the bell, Moxley won’t release the hold, so Cash Wheeler arrives to pound him with right hands. That brings Claudio Castagnoli to the ring as well, and he levels Wheeler so the BCC stands tall.

The Patriarchy overruns Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia

The announce team reminds us that when Copeland and Garcia agreed to this match, it was with the understanding that the winner would get a shot at Christian Cage and the TNT Championship. So the stakes is high, as De La Soul once said.

Copeland knows it, going right after his younger foe when the bell rings. Garcia likes the mat game more, forcing Copeland to the ropes for a break.

After avoiding some incoming fire, Copeland hits a standing splash for a near fall. Garcia elbows his way out of a headlock, going for a roll-up to score a two count. A drop toehold gives Garcia a chance to work some more holds, some of which allow him to dance at the same time.

Elbows in the corner get Garcia out of trouble, but Copeland comes right back with a shoulderbreaker. A hard Irish whip sends Garcia barreling into the buckles as side-by-side ads arrive.

Can Daddy Magic will Garcia back into it? Not yet as Copeland continues to work his left arm and shoulder.

He does crotch Copeland on the top rope, using a dragon screw to send his foe crashing to the mat. A running boot connects in the corner, and he whips another dragon screw to keep Copeland grounded.

Copeland tries to work his way out of trouble on the mat but gets reversed into an STF. His Avalanche Impaler is a damn good answer, but both men are too worn out now to immediately do anything at all.

Copeland looks for another submission, but the match comes to an abrupt halt as The Patriarchy attacks both men while Christian Cage and Shayna Wane watch. Daddy Magic tries to help with a steel chair but gets flattened by Killswitch.

Garcia is in trouble, but Copeland is able to fight off everyone with a chair of his own until Shayna Wayne hits him with a low blow. Nick Wayne hits Wayne’s World, and now Copeland is helpless as Cage hits him with a Conchairto.

Samoa Joe faces both Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page ahead of Revolution

With plenty of cheers escorting him to the ring, Samoa Joe says he is here in the spirit of apology. The rankings were supposed to help find the best victims for him to destroy, which worked until last week when Hangman and Swerve battled to a draw.

Joe says the championship committee took a page out of the Texas playbook and made his Revolution match bigger and dumber. He is defiant, however, saying he’ll make sure both of his challengers limp out at the pay-per-view.

Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana head to the ring in response, with Swerve saying that things have become personal even though Joe said it would be business. Strickland reminds the champ that he said contenders should show up with their reputation and resume, and Swerve has all that plus unlimited hunger.

On top of that, Swerve says that people have long said he might be one of the best someday, but today is that day. He’s gone toe to toe with the top talent and legends in AEW and is almost always the one standing. Strickland says nothing will be different at Revolution, except he’ll be holding Joe’s title above his head.

Hangman Adam Page also comes out so he can set the record straight. He signed for a 30-minute match to find a No. 1 contender, mocking Swerve for being “added” to the title match. Page says Strickland doesn’t deserve one second of his time after all he’s done to Hangman. Joe is tired of this ongoing dispute and says he’ll whip both their asses, leaving with his belt as they continue bickering in the ring.

Orange Cassidy finds true friendship during Texas Death match victory over Matt Taven

Even though there are no DQs in a match like this, Taven comes to the ring alone. Let’s see if his Undisputed Kingdom teammates are lurking somewhere. He doesn’t need any help early on, staying one step ahead of Cassidy up to the point where he hits a Blue Thunder Bomb.

Cassidy’s head is sent into the steel steps, and Taven keeps working him over in front of some fans. Orange pulls off a cool spot when he is whipped toward the barricade and just leaps right over it, finally getting in some offense out in the crowd as the final picture-in-picture segment arrives.

Lest we think this is all too tame for a Texas Death match, Taven puts Cassidy off the stage through a table just as the full broadcast resumes, then puts the International Champion through the partially broken table again with a vertical suplex.

A running knee strike on the ramp smashes Orange in the face. Blood is finally starting to flow from Cassidy as he’s sent back into the ring for a DDT. Referee Bryce Remsburg starts a count as Taven sets another table to lean on the announce table.

Cassidy flies out with a tope only to get blasted by kicks that send him perilously close to the table. Taven goes for broke with a tope con hilo, though Cassidy moves and it’s only Matt that painfully smashes through the table.

Cassidy looks for weapons and finds a box of chocolates sent to him by Chuck Taylor. Ah, wait, it’s not chocolates, it’s thumbtacks, which Orange sprinkles over the ring. They head up top, and even though Taven sends Cassidy back first into the tacks, he misses a frog splash and takes a DDT, and now he’s bleeding after hitting the tacks twice.

Cassidy gets a steel chain out but is attacked by Mike Bennett, who slides chairs into the ring to his teammate. Here comes Trent Beretta with a metal pipe, though he only takes out Bennett before Taven DDTs him into a chair.

The scuffle has given Cassidy time to recover, though, and he hits an Orange Punch and a Beach Break onto a chair. Taven rips out Cassidy’s pockets, but he takes an Orange Punch with a steel chain.

Roderick Strong tries to save his teammate with a flying knee, but Beretta takes the move for his friend, and Cassidy throws Strong out of the ring as Remsburg counts to 10 to give Orange the win.