Tag: Katsuyori Shibata

AEW Collision results 03/30/24: Adam Copeland is Alwayz Ready for 1st title defense

Several Dynasty matches also came into focus during AEW Collision in Ontario.

What do you do when your bigger competition is about to have its biggest event of the year? Just keep keeping on and put on the best shows you can, which is what AEW Collision will hopefully be tonight in Ontario.

AEW has found some hot crowds during its current Canadian swing, and this should be no exception since Adam Copeland is making the first defense of his TNT Championship. We won’t know who the challenger is until their music hits, which is always fun.

Other big business (no pun intended) for Collision includes a pair of tag team title tournament matches that will help advance two duos toward a title match at Dynasty. We’ve got FTR and Big Bill/Ricky Starks to move on, but we shall see.

Here’s how it all went down.

AEW Collision results from London, Ontario:

  • Adam Copeland kicks off the show by saying how grateful he is to be in Ontario and how the stakes are raised for the Cope Open since he’ll be defending his TNT Championship in these matches now; Copeland makes the call for someone to come out and accept the challenge, and it’s answered by Matt Cardona

  • Adam Copeland def. Matt Cardona by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship
  • After the match, the lights go out and come back on to reveal Malakai Black standing in the ring, bringing on a “holy s–t” chant from the crowd; Buddy Matthews attacks Copeland from behind, and Mark Briscoe fares poorly while trying to help him, but the appearance of Eddie Kingston to reinforce the faces gets the House of Black to pull a disappearing act
  • Lexy Nair asks FTR about their strategy against The Infantry, to which Cash Wheeler says it’s to not look past their opponents since they’ve been on a losing streak, and Dax Harwood says they need to make sure The Infantry’s Cinderella story ends tonight

  • Daddy Ass cuts a promo on Jay White ahead of their meeting on the next episode of Dynamite, and The Acclaimed have some choice words for all of Bullet Club Gold as well

  • FTR def. The Infantry by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal
  • Nair talks to Big Bill and Ricky Starks, who are confident about defeating Top Flight despite not having a match in quite some time

  • Copeland says he knows the TNT title makes him a marked man, but he isn’t crazy about the House of Black jumping in his business, and challenges the House to a six-man match at Dynasty against him, Briscoe and Kingston, both of whom add their own two cents

  • Kyle O’Reilly def. JD Drake by submission, and is immediately hoisted onto the shoulders of the Undisputed Kingdom, who clearly want him to join up
  • Top Flight def. Big Bill and Ricky Starks by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal; also appears that Starks may have suffered an injury toward the end of the match
  • Christopher Daniels makes his own House of Black challenge, the cool thing to do tonight, apparently
  • Thunder Rosa def. Lady Frost by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette speaks to Toni Storm, who asks Mariah May if she’s been plotting to get a title shot all these months and ends up kissing her, saying she sees a lot of Mariah in her

  • Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Katsuyori Shibata def. Lance Archer and The Righteous by pinfall as Shibata pins Vincent

AEW Dynamite results 03/27/24: Swerve stomps his way to No. 1 contender status

Also on AEW Dynamite, Willow Nightingale earned a TBS Championship shot at Dynasty.

Though he’s not the only big name recent addition to the roster, it’s hard not to get swept up in the pure enthusiasm that Will Ospreay has brought with him to AEW. In the ring? Of course, that’s a given, and we should see it again tonight in Quebec City when he takes on Konosuke Takeshita.

It’s more than that, though. Ospreay was rarely a straightforward babyface during his time in New Japan, but he’s embraced that role wholeheartedly since he made the jump. He speaks about AEW as an ideal in a way that we have rarely heard (though stalwarts like Jon Moxley and Britt Baker have expressed similar feelings through the years), and in a manner that makes you want to buy whatever he’s selling.

And that’s great. Having two strong national wrestling promotions in the U.S. is a boon for the talent and for fans. Yet it’s even better when someone like Ospreay is where he truly wants to be, not just because one company paid him more or the like.

It’s no doubt easier for Ospreay to feel this pumped since he already has a juicy match set for AEW Dynasty next month. In fact, Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson is the only match finalized for that event so far, which makes one wonder if we might see more movement on that end tonight on Dynamite.

Certainly, the four-way women’s match slated for tonight will do that, as the winner gets a TBS Championship shot. Two tag team matches are part of a tournament for the vacant titles at Dynasty as well, though the winners won’t be able to say “meet me in St. Louis” just yet since these are only the quarterfinals.

Anyway, we’re ready to recap all the action, so let’s light the fuse (RIP original Dynamite theme).

AEW Dynamite results from Quebec City:

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

  • Will Ospreay def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall
  • A hype video is shown for Bryan Danielson, narrated by Excalibur

  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson don’t like Renee Paquette’s “ambush journalism,” but they talk about their biggest goal, which is getting their AEW Tag Team Championship belts back

  • Kazuchika Okada pulls up in an expensive sports car, as one does if one is the Rainmaker
  • Young Bucks def. Private Party by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal; the finish was a little strange and both teams attempted to cheat to win
  • Don Callis appears to talk up Konosuke Takeshita, who is facing Swerve Strickland in tonight’s main event
  • Mercedes Moné rolls up, ready to do guest commentary
  • Darby Allin and Tony Hawk talk about the charity he was going to climb Mount Everest to support, The Skatepark Project
  • Paquette gets Chris Jericho and Hook together, and it sounds like Jericho is offering to mentor or manage him, though Hook is understandably a little wary
  • Willow Nightingale def. Anna Jay, Kris Statlander and Skye Blue in a 4-Way match for a TBS Championship shot; Julia Hart attacks Willow from behind after the bell but backs off when Mercedes gets up from the announce table
  • Dustin Rhodes says nothing’s different even at age 55, and he’s as passionate as ever; The Butcher shows up and challenges him to a Bunkhouse Brawl on Rampage

  • Ben Mankiewicz appears with “Timeless” Toni Storm and ends up completely befuddled by her catchphrases

  • Best Friends def. Undisputed Kingdom by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal, as Chuck Taylor was able to neutralize Roderick Strong’s attempt to interfere; the Bucks make a brief appearance afterward to stare down Best Friends
  • Kyle O’Reilly talks to Paquette about getting a win under his belt to kick off his comeback, and he says he’s going to go it alone again on Collision to keep proving he doesn’t need Undisputed Kingdom backing him
  • An Adam Copeland video goes back through his TNT Championship victory, which he will defend for the first time Saturday on Collision
  • Swerve Strickland def. Konosuke Takeshita by pinfall in a No. 1 Contenders Match
  • Samoa Joe appears briefly with Paquette to menacingly say Swerve is not the man he thinks he is, and he’ll prove it next week

Will Ospreay gets a fun victory over Katsuyori Shibata

Courtesy of NJPW, we see footage from these two gents wrestling each other seven years ago. Ospreay looks like he’s a teenager, and Shibata was victorious on that night.

The question about this matchup was whether Ospreay would wrestle something more akin to Shibata’s style and pace, and he does … for a bit. He eventually takes to the air, however, and takes the bigger of the bumps when Shibata nails him with a big boot from the apron to the floor.

Oh, and he gets suplexed and kicked on the floor too.

Shibata gets to show off his striking game as well, plus they trade submissions. Yes, Ospreay can do those as well as the fancier stuff.

Ospreay has to fight out of several submission holds, and he eventually hits an Oscutter. Both men escape some close calls before Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade, but it’s still not enough to end it.

You know what is? A Tiger Driver followed by a second Hidden Blade. Good stuff.

Willow Nightingale earns a TBS Championship opportunity

Mercedes Moné is on guest commentary for this, and there’s plenty of intrigue involved. Skye would be going up against her own friend, Julia Hart, if she wins, and Willow and Stat are tag team partners most of the time.

There’s an awesome sequence after the commercial break with a Code Blue by Skye, people getting dropped onto each other, and more. Willow and Stat finally end up facing each other, but Skye barges in and they join forces against her (though also get knocked together).

Willow DVDs Skye on the apron, leading to amazing reactions from both Mercedes and Stokely. Eventually, Nightingale ends up isolated with Anna Jay, hitting a pumphandle sitout powerbomb that wins it.

Right after the bell, Julia Hart attacks Nightingale from behind, which gets Mercedes up from her seat … but only for a staredown.

Swerve Strickland stomps his way past Konosuke Takeshita to become No. 1 contender to Samoa Joe

Strickland offers a handshake, which Takeshita accepts but turns into the beginning of the grappling. Swerve has the upper hand early on, controlling the action and the pace.

Does he hit the Griddy? Yes, yes he does.

Takeshita fires himself up by hitting a sheer drop brainbuster, which actually is a good motivator. Or I’d imagine, I’ve never hit one.

It’s also fair to wonder if there’s an overrun tonight as we head toward six minutes left in the show. Strickland hits his somersault to the apron into a hurricanrana, which is wild.

Swerve is selling the heck out of his neck/shoulder region. Takeshita finds him with a tope con hilo on the floor, also outstanding.

Strickland fires back with a nasty DDT out of the corner and a corkscrew senton, earning both a near fall and a “this is awesome” chant from the Quebec City crowd.

Takeshita pulls off a nasty poison rana and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. We’re going past 10 p.m. and into “what will it take to win this” territory.

Maybe a Swerve Stomp on the apron? That sets off a series of counters and reversals, plus a nasty knee strike that gets Takeshita a two count.

Another Swerve Stomp after a House Call? No, but a standing Swerve Stomp and a JML Driver finally do it. Hot damn.

AEW Dynamite preview, card 03/27/24: Ospreay battles Shibata in Quebec City

A big four-way women’s match with Mercedes Moné on commentary will also be a highlight of AEW Dynamite from Quebec City.

Is the phrase “dream match” thrown around too loosely in the current pro wrestling scene? Perhaps. But it’s a lot shorter than saying “pretty freaking cool matches we never thought we’d see,” and one of those is again on tap for AEW Dynamite tonight from Quebec City.

Can Will Ospreay soar again to defeat Katsuyori Shibata?

So far, Will Ospreay has looked like he’s worth every penny of what AEW paid to sign him, not only bringing his undeniable in-ring talent to bear but also turning in some passionate promos. He’s the goods.

In Katsuyori Shibata, he’s got an interesting opponent for tonight. A number of people are watching to see if Ospreay can perhaps throttle back just a tad and still be compelling, or if Shibata will take bumps we perhaps haven’t seen from him given his injury history. It’s going to be fascinating but will almost certainly be great.

Can Swerve Strickland pass a stiff test in Konosuke Takeshita?

The other big singles match advertised for tonight’s card is a meeting between two wrestlers seemingly headed in opposite directions at the moment. Swerve Strickland is still very much a world title threat, laser focused on getting back to a place where he can take on Samoa Joe one on one.

Konosuke Takeshita remains as awesome as ever between the ropes, but he recently took an ‘L’ to Ospreay and seems likely to do so again in Quebec City. Could his devotion to the Don Callis Family start faltering soon? It might be nice to see him as a face again.

Mercedes Moné might be in the middle of something

Even though the self-appointed CEO of AEW doesn’t have a feud to call her own just yet, Mercedes Moné is definitely sniffing around the edges of one thanks to her history with Willow Nightingale. That figures to come into play tonight as Mercedes will be on commentary when Nightingale and Kris Statlander are part of a four-way match that also includes Skye Blue and Anna Jay.

The stakes are real, too, as the winner gets a TBS Championship shot at Dynasty. Keep an eye on Moné to see what part she might play.

AEW Dynamite card for Quebec City:

  • Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata
  • Konosuke Takeshita vs. Swerve Strickland
  • Young Bucks vs. Private Party – AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal
  • Kris Statlander vs. Skye Blue vs. Anna Jay vs. Willow Nightingale – 4-Way match for a TBS Championship shot at AEW Dynasty, with Mercedes Moné on commentary
  • Best Friends vs. Undisputed Kingdom – AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal

The action kicks off as usual at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll have full AEW Dynamite results and updates live here at Wrestling Junkie all evening long.

AEW Rampage results 03/20/24: Julia Hart, Skye Blue prevail in Street Fight

We also saw Best Friends advance in the AEW tag team title tournament in Toronto.

How’s everyone feeling after AEW Dynamite? Ready for another hour of wrestling? Because that’s exactly what we’re getting on a live episode of AEW Rampage on a special night.

In fact the change from one show to another in the T-Dot was basically seamless, since the main event I Quit match ran long. Confetti for Adam Copeland, tears for Christian Cage.

But hey, there’s plenty to look forward to on Rampage as well. We’ll see another team advance in the tag team title tournament, and Katsuyori Shibata is in action. The main event should be a women’s tag team Street Fight, and that works for us.

So yes, bring on the third hour, we say, if only for this week. Let’s get into it.

AEW Rampage results from Toronto:

  • Bullet Club Gold is in Florida, not Toronto, threatening to win the trios titles from The Acclaimed, and Jay White claims he saved Darby Allin’s life by breaking his foot and keeping him from climbing Mount Everest
  • Renee Paquette brings out The Acclaimed, who are definitely upset at Bullet Club Gold and lob plenty of insults at White and The Gunns
  • Best Friends (Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta) def. Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher and Powerhouse Hobbs) by pinfall in an AEW Tag Team Tournament Wild Card Match
  • Katsuyori Shibata def. Kevin Matthews by pinfall
  • New TNT Champion Adam Copeland is shown popping champagne bottles backstage with plenty of the roster’s faces
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Rocky Romero by pinfall
  • Skye Blue and Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale by submission in a Street Fight as Hart taps out Statlander; the match included tables, moves on top of the announce table, chairs and a whole mess of thumbtacks

AEW Collision results 03/16/24: Danielson downs Shibata in dream match

Christian Cage also revealed what was in his case on AEW Collision and how he’s going to use it on Christian Cage.

How we feeling, AEW fans? The promotion seems to have received a shot in the arm as of late, and that’s no surprise considering Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné all arrived within weeks of each other. It’s a crazy talent infusion, but none of it will be part of tonight’s episode of AEW Collision.

Will that matter? Maybe not, as AEW felt a little more focused even in the build-up to Revolution earlier this month. Maybe not quite to the point where it’s restored the peak enthusiasm from a few years ago, but trending upward for sure.

Plus, if there’s one thing Tony Khan can be counted on to do, it’s to book a dream match out of nowhere just because he can. Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata, come on down!

So while the three newcomers are of course all amazing, AEW doesn’t have to rely on only them, and we should see that tonight from Canada’s capital. Let’s see.

AEW Collision results from Ottawa:

  • Bryan Danielson def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall; they shake hands, hug and generally show each other respect afterward
  • A highlight package from AEW Big Business is shown, with a special spotlight on the debut of Mercedes Moné
  • Julia Hart def. Trish Adora by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship; as a results, Hart can be ringside for the match between House of Black and The Infantry later tonight, but Adora cannot
  • Lexy Nair asks Zak Knight about fighting Angelo Parker, which he’s happy to do, just not in Canada

  • Daniel Garcia def. Lee Moriarty by submission; Matt Menard was on guest commentary and celebrates with Garcia in the ring afterward
  • Pac def. Aaron Solo by submission; after the bell, Pac says he’s looking for trouble and Solo isn’t exactly what he had in mind, so he tells Tony Khan to find him some trouble or he’ll find it himself

  • Danielson is meditating backstage but stops to talk about how grateful he is that he got to wrestle Shibata tonight and that he’s got a match coming up with Will Ospreay coming up; Danielson suggests that Ospreay doesn’t understand what he and Shibata have gone through and isn’t ready for what the American Dragon is willing to do

  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Lance Archer by DQ after he’s attacked by The Righteous; Danielson tries to make the save but is outnumbered, so Shibata also flies down with a chair and sends the heels running
  • Nair talks to Parker, who was ready to fight Knight tonight, but he agrees to “leave it alone for tonight” after Ruby Soho suggests that if he tries to start something tonight, he’ll have to do it without her

  • Kyle O’Reilly def. Bryan Keith by submission; after the match, Undisputed Kingdom comes out to celebrate with O’Reilly
  • Nair speaks with Deonna Purrazzo and Thunder Rosa, who may have some differences in opinion on the world championship but certainly seem like they’ll put them aside to get back at Toni Storm and Mariah May

  • The Infantry def. House of Black (Brody King and Buddy Matthews ) by pinfall in an AEW Tag Team Tournament Wild Card Match, in large part due to interference by Mark Briscoe
  • Adam Copeland sits down to recap his take on the whole Christian Cage situation, saying he never came to AEW to take his old friend’s spotlight away and finally revealing what’s in his box: Spike, a nail-studded 2×4; Copeland says he and Spike will make Cage say “I quit” and take away Christian’s pride

Katsuyori Shibata on New Three Musketeers: ‘We hate each other anyway’

Time to open the Forbidden Door for Katsuyori Shibata to face some of his old NJPW contemporaries?

Once upon a time, before he returned from a serious head injury that could have killed him and well before he became a fixture in AEW and ROH, Katsuyori Shibata was part of what New Japan Pro-Wrestling called “The New Three Musketeers.” Intended as the next generation of the original incarnation of The Three Musketeers (Keiji Muto, Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto), the trio included some names you might recognize: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that since Shibata enjoyed the least professional success of the group (due in large part to a detour into MMA), The Wrestler doesn’t look back fondly on that part of his career. Or maybe it’s just part of his current, “I don’t like jokes” persona.

Either way, Shibata was asked about The New Three Musketeers by RJ City on the latest episode of “Hey! (EW)” and he didn’t hold back his irritation about the question.

Using his phone to translate, which is also part of his ongoing gimmick, Shibata said, “It’s nothing to do with me wrestling in AEW. We hate each other anyway.”

The bit for the whole interview is that City is flustered by Shibata’s responses, as you can see below.

Though they currently work for three different companies, Shibata, Tanahashi and Nakamura have come together on occasion, including for Antonio Inoki’s wake last fall.

Shibata hasn’t shared a ring with either of The New Three Musketeers since 2016, but given AEW’s close working relationship with NJPW, crossing paths with Tanahashi is something that could still happen. At least based on his exchange with City, it doesn’t sound like it would be a friendly reunion. Maybe something for Tony Khan and Rocky Romero to keep in their back pocket for the next Forbidden Door.

AEW Dynamite results 11/22/23: 3 men get 3 points in Continental Classic openers

Also on AEW Dynamite, MJF and Samoa Joe decided when their world title match will happen.

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The AEW Continental Classic gets underway tonight with three matches that should be the highlight of the Thanksgiving Eve episode of AEW Dynamite from Chicago.

While you can check out the full list of participants and how they’re split between two groups, the short version is that the six wrestlers in the Gold League all have their first round robin matches on Dynamite.

The matchups are:

Each match has a 20-minute time limit and will award three points for a win and one for a draw, with zero points for a loss. Everyone is banned from ringside, so ostensibly, that means no interference from LFI, BCC, BCG or whatever letters you use to describe Lethal’s group.

In other somewhat weird news, Christian Cage has promised to “rechristen” Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne, and what exactly that entails, we honestly do not know. We’ll also see a championship acceptance speech from “Timeless” Toni Storm after her title win at Full Gear, plus we’ll hear from AEW World Champion MJF. No word on whether the Devil may show up too.

That sounds like a full night of Dynamite to us. Let’s light the fuse on this one.

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

Swerve Strickland scores the first 3 points of the Continental Classic, pinning Jay Lethal

Despite his heel status, Swerve hears some chants as the bell rings. The announcers put over the idea that he’s somewhat the worse for wear after his Texas Death match at Full Gear, and yeah, he should be.

Lethal gets in enough offense to tease his strut and faux flip off the fans, but Swerve is able to respond with some offense that targets Lethal’s left knee. Lethal is smartly focusing on Strickland’s right arm and shoulder, which is taped up.

A nice German suplex by Swerve is answered by a shoulderbreaker, and both men are down for the broadcast to head to side-by-side ads. A superplex has Strickland looking good after the break, and his rolling flatliner flows right into a brainbuster for a near fall.

Lethal offers a strong response that ends with a long flying elbow off the top for a two count. A couple of counters leads to a stretch muffler by Swerve, who then gets rolled up for two and stuck in an STF. Lethal connects with a pump kick , but Strickland sees the Lethal Injection coming.

A dropkick, the House Call and the Swerve Stomp finish it off, giving Strickland the first three points of the tournament.

Orange Cassidy wants to make an announcement but is rudely interrupted by Wheeler Yuta, who also has some verbal venom for Hook and Katsuyori Shibata. And then Renee Paquette tells Orange that they’re out of time.

MJF and Samoa Joe set the date for their world title match

A banged up MJF, who is walking with a cane, and Adam Cole, still on crutches, make their way to the ring. MJF helpfully gets a chair so Cole can sit. That’s true friendship.

The AEW champ brags about beating Jay White on one leg but also says Switchblade is one of the best pro wrestlers in the world. After reminding us of his accomplishments, though, MJF says he’s the greatest AEW world champion of all time.

Still, none of that would be possible without his brochacho for life, and Cole does indeed want to do some story time. He’s excited to be back in Chicago and that he and MJF are still ROH tag team champ. Cole has some bad news, though: He has a long road back from his ankle injury, though he promises to do the work he needs to do to get back to his best.

In the meantime, Cole is concerned about MJF since everyone is gunning for him and the Devil and his goons are still out there. MJF tells Cole not to worry because he’ll hunt the Devil down … but the Devil appears quickly on the screen with an evil laugh.

Samoa Joe figures that’s the best time to join the duo in the ring, saying it’s time for celebration. He’s there to ensure Max honors the deal they made that would give Joe a world title shot, but MJF says no, except in much more crass language that gets beeped out.

Cole intervenes and says that while Joe is indeed a killer, skipping out on the title shot is something the old MJF would have done. “Max, be a man of your word,” he implores.

MJF takes an oblique shot at CM Punk before saying he’ll take on Joe right here in Chicago, but Joe says absolutely not. Joe wants the best, fully healed version of MJF, and he figures by Worlds End, he’ll be nice and chipper to defend the title.

That makes MJF almost incredulous since Worlds End is in his hometown, and he tells Joe it’s a deal. They shake hands, but after MJF tries to get in one last verbal jab, Joe calls Max “my property” and says he’ll be watching the champ’s back until Worlds End … when he’ll beat him for the title in front of everyone he loves.

Orange Cassidy and friends get a Very Nice, Very Evil boost

Orange Cassidy gets on the mic before the match can start and says he has a Thanksgiving surprise: Danhausen is back! The heels are unimpressed and try to get the jump on our heroes before the bell.

Hook takes a beating during commercials and is in desperate need of a tag. He manages a t-bone suplex on Angelo Parker and gets Cassidy into the fray. A big powerslam by Jake Hager stops Orange in his tracks but only for a second until he can hit Stundog Millionaire and tag in Katsuyori Shibata.

Shibata vs. everyone works out surprisingly well until it doesn’t. Just when it appears he’s in big trouble, Danhausen produces Hager’s beloved purple bucket hat and curses him to boot.

Hook and Shibata get submissions locked in at the same time, Cassidy Orange Punches Hager off the apron, and Parker, who is somehow legal through all this, taps out.

Cole tells Paquette he can’t wait to get back to doing what he does beat, but when Roderick Strong and The Kingdom arrive, Cole has little time for his nagging and tells Roddy in no uncertain terms that they aren’t best friends any more and he wants Strong to leave him the hell alone.

Christian Cage gives his henchmen new names but runs afoul of Adam Copeland again

Christian Cage is accompanied to the ring by Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus and tells Chicago to be quiet. He says a true champion is gracious in victory and humble in defeat, noting that things didn’t go his way at Full Gear … but he did not lose that match.

Wayne didn’t either. Luchasaurus lost that match. Harsh.

Cage says that’s unacceptable, and the only way to wash the stench of losing away is to recreate Wayne and Luchasaurus in his image. He tells the dinosaur man to take a knee, which he does reluctantly, and says he will be known from here on out as Killswitch.

Wayne takes a knee quickly, but Cage tells him to rise because he’s the golden boy, the one who reminds Christian of himself. His new name is “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne.

Wayne’s mom arrives in the ring, irritating Cage, who berates Mrs. Wayne for being a waitress and insults Nick’s late father. He tells Shayna to leave, but Killswitch comes to her defense. Christian yells at him to get back on his knees, then smacks him.

Finally, Cage threatens to expose Killswitch’s face, pushing him into Shayna and knocking her down. Nick goes under the ring to find a steel chair, the another.

He gives the chairs to Cage, who in turn hands one to Killswitch and orders him to give Shayna the Con-Chair-To. The dinosaur man struggles with the decision before Adam Copeland has enough, spearing Nick.

Killswitch saves Cage, so Copeland spears Nick instead and follows with an Impaler. Copeland sets Nick up for the Con-Chair-To and doesn’t hesitate to deliver it.

The ex-members of the JAS talk to Paquette, and they’re all out of sorts except for Anna Jay, who just seems to be upset with all of them. And Parker is distracted by his flirtations with Ruby Soho.

Jay White takes a shortcut to get 3 points against Rush in their Continental Classic opener

The referee reminds The Gunns they need to hit the bricks since no one is allowed at ringside for the Continental Classic matches. That might hurt since Rush controls the early action and takes it to Jay White in and out of the ring.

Rush gets out a long cable but is warned not to use it, so he returns to his heavy chops. White tries to give as good as he gets, but Rush is going to win this game, and he stomps White down in the corner as well. He kicks Switchblade in the face and does the Tranquilo pose.

An ad break finds White now in control afterward, but Rush rallies to look for his version of Three Amigos, ending with a brainbuster once White interrupts it. White is covered but manages to kick out at two.

White takes control again as the chop battle is resumed. Forearms are flying as well, so White thumbs his foe in the eye and answers Rush’s knee strike with a uranage for a close two count.

After a German suplex has Rush thinking thrust kick, White proves he has an answer in the form of a dragon screw. Rush responds with a belly-to-belly overhead throw into the turnbuckles. An elbow strike is on target too, but White sees the Bull’s Horns coming.

The referee nearly takes a bump, and when he covers up to protect himself, White lands a low blow. Rush is a sitting duck for a Blade Runner, and White has himself three points.

Paquette and RJ City are on the stage to present the AEW Women’s World Championship to “Timeless” Toni Storm in the manner of an awards show acceptance speech. Mariah May presents her with the title belt before Storm puts on glasses and takes her notes out.

She thanks “Anthony Khan and the wonderful people at Warner Discovery,” and works through it as they try to play her off. She also thanks the little Toni Storms, says they won’t take her spot and tells them to stay in school, maybe learn a trade.

Cue the standing ovation! But Storm hasn’t cleared out yet when Skye Blue pushes past her on her way to the ring for a match.

Skye Blue gets a big win as a battle for the heart of Ruby Soho rages on

Skye Blue might be competing in front of her home fans, but she’s the one taking the big bumps early. Ruby Soho takes one too as she’s kicked off the apron, and Anna Jay gets some help from Cool Hand Ang and Daddy Magic to take control on the outside.

A superplex/powerbomb combo is a fun way to return from commercials. Soho takes a ridiculous head kick on the outside as she’s caught between her teammate Saraya and Cool Hand Ang.

Back in the ring, Anna almost wins it before Soho breaks up her pin on Skye. More arguing breaks out between Sraya and Daddy Magic, as Soho is knocked off the apron into Ang’s hands.

Blue nails Anna with Skyefall, and with Soho caught in the drama on the outside, she can’t prevent the three count.

Wardlow takes a break from working out to tell Paquette he’ll get MJF on his own time, then headbutts AR Fox for daring to offer some advice.

Jon Moxley gets a hard fought Continental Classic victory over Mark Briscoe

This is the first ever singles match between Mark Briscoe and Jon Moxley, and we will go past the top of the hour to get it in, according to the broadcast. Both men come out swinging, with Briscoe taking control after a dropkick to knock Mox to the floor and a cannonball off the apron.

Briscoe thinks Froggy Bow but sees Moxley run away and open back up with strikes. A big boot takes Briscoe to the floor as we go picture-in-picture one last time for the night.

The announcers are surprised that it’s Briscoe bleeding first in this one, but it isn’t stopping him from mounting some impressive offense and countering a King Kong lariat for a two count. Briscoe is caught temporarily in a submission but makes it over for a rope break.

Up top they go, where Briscoe smashes a right hand and bites Moxley on the face. Mark also no sells a Paradigm Shift to land a dropkick, leaving both men on the mat.

Brsicoe’s Death Valley Driver has him thinking Froggy Bow, which finds the mark but isn’t enough to keep Moxley down for three. A King Kong Lariat answers a Jay Driller attempt, but Mox is incredulous when his opponent kicks out after a Death Rider.

Moxley tries for a bulldog choke but nearly gets rolled up for the pin. They battle to the middle of the ring again with strikes. Mox hits a stomp, then another Death Rider, and this time it’s too much even for Briscoe.

AEW WrestleDream results: Seattle sees thrills plus a Rated R debut

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
  • Swerve Strickland def. Hangman Adam Page by pinfall
  • Ricky Starks def. Wheeler Yuta by pinfall
  • Bryan Danielson def. Zack Sabre Jr. by pinfall
  • The Don Callis Family (Konouke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay) def. Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi by pinfall
  • FTR def. Aussie Open by pinfall to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship
  • Christian Cage def. Darby Allin 2-1 in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match to retain the AEW TNT Championship after Nick Wayne turns on Allin during the match
  • 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

AEW WrestleDream predictions: Who walks out of Seattle on top?

Who will emerge victorious in the first ever AEW WrestleDream in Seattle? Vaughn Johnson gives his picks for all the matches.

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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.

Winner: Ricky Starks

AEW All Out 2023 results: Mox, Takeshita, Danielson win big in Chicago

Get full AEW All Out 2023 results from the United Center in Chicago, where Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita were among the big winners.

Has the week’s drama been put behind AEW? That’s what we’re about to find out as All Out originates from the United Center in Chicago.

As you’ve likely heard by now, Chicago’s favorite son won’t be on this show nor any other AEW show ever again. All the company can do now is try to move forward, something made a tiny bit harder by the fact that this is the company’s second pay-per-view in the span of a week.

It’s doing the best it can, as despite a card that has no AEW World Championship match, it’s not without a number of intriguing matchups. One will see Kenny Omega take on Konosuke Takeshita in what could be a bit of a passing of the torch. Another bout, potentially the night’s main event, will see Orange Cassidy try to defend his AEW International Championship against Jon Moxley in a pairing of two men who are arguably the MVPs of AEW over the past few years.

Ricky Starks, rumored to be the potential opponent for CM Punk before this week’s events, still gets a big showcase against Bryan Danielson, freshly returned from injury. And the irrepressible Darby Allin will throw his body around again in pursuit of the AEW TNT Championship.

This feels like a night where the in-ring work of a talented roster can, at least temporarily, wash away everything else. Let’s find out.

AEW All Out 2023 Zero Hour results:

  • Hangman Adam Page wins the Over Budget Charity Battle Royale
  • Hikaru Shida, Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue def. Athena, Diamante and Mercedes Martinez by pinfall
  • The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Satnam Singh by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship

AEW All Out 2023 results – Main card:

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

  • Adam Cole and MJF def. Dark Order (Alex Reynolds and John Silver) by pinfall to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship
  • On his way out for his match, Samoa Joe shoves MJF, and the world champ makes a beeline for the ring to confront Joe; a ton of staffers and officials have to separate MJF and Joe as the crowd chants “let them fight”
  • Samoa Joe def. Shane Taylor by submission to retain the ROH World Television Championship
  •  Luchasaurus def. Darby Allin by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship after Allin hesitates when Christian Cage threatens Nick Wayne with a Con-chair-to; a selection of random faces saves Darby from a post-match attack
  • Miro def. Powerhouse Hobbs by submission, but after an apparent sign of respect, Hobbs attacks Miro from behind and pummels him on the mat; Miro’s wife attacks Hobbs with a chair, allowing Miro to do the same, but he leaves without her
  • Kris Statlander def. Ruby Soho by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship, with a strange assist by Toni Storm, who takes the spray paint can from Soho and distracts her to set up the finish
  • Bryan Danielson def. Ricky Starks by submission in a Strap match that also saw Big Bill and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat get involved
  • Nigel McGuinness announces the $50K donation from the Battle Royale is going to The Chicago Public Education Fund in Page’s name
  • Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) def. Eddie Kingston and Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Kenny Omega by pinfall
  • Bullet Club Gold (Jay White, Juice Robinson and The Gunns) def. The Young Bucks and FTR by pinfall
  • Jon Moxley def. Orange Cassidy by pinfall to become the new AEW International Champion