Big pay-per-view cards are generally where the most deep-seated feuds get settled in pro wrestling, and Full Gear is definitely one of AEW’s most high profile events of any calendar year. But what happens when you simply can’t wait until then? That’s what we’ll find out tonight on AEW Dynamite in Ontario, Calif.
Who will win the Street Fight with the longest name in wrestling history?
Think we’re joking? Thanks to some sponsorship love, the technical name of this match is the Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Street Fight. And if you think it doesn’t need that many words, please consider that there’s a formal request to change the video game’s Wikipedia page so that it includes everything after the colon.
Jokes aside, this should not be for the weak of heart as Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho try to strike back against The Don Callis Family with the help of two of their friends, Kota Ibushi and Paul Wight. Callis’ side needed some reinforcements too since Sammy Guevara is still out of action, but it found a great replacement in Brian Cage.
It’s hard to imagine this won’t be memorable.
Will the Young Bucks focus if they turn heel?
It wasn’t that long ago that fans were (rightfully) questioning whether the Young Bucks winning a tag team title shot meant anything since AEW immediately seemed to forget about it. But it’s been brought back to the forefront as the Bucks will defend that opportunity tonight against the kinda-Lucha Bros., with Komander subbing for the injured Rey Fenix.
Because of the change, it feels unlikely that the Bucks will lose their chance to compete for the championship. They’ve also been acting a lot more heel-like lately, which begs the question of whether they will get back to what they’ve done best if they complete the turn. This Dynamite match may hint toward an answer.
Will MJF learn the Devil’s true identity tonight?
One of AEW’s most prominent running subplots involves the person in the Deivl mask who’s been making life difficult for anyone in the orbit of AEW World Champion MJF. Since Maxwell is scheduled to speak on Dynamite, it stands to reason that the Devil may make its latest appearance.
But will they reveal themselves? That’s the real drama any time the champ shows up now before Full Gear.
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Also slated for tonight’s Dynamite:
Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta battle Orange Cassidy and Hook
Red Velvet takes on Skye Blue in a TBS Championship title eliminator
We’re ready for this one and will be tuned in to TBS at 8 p.m. ET tonight. Join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for live results and updates at that time.
The good news is MJF is still AEW World Champion. The bad news is the person in the Devil mask plagued him again.
It’s time to see what Daniel Garcia is all about on AEW Dynamite from Portland.
Garcia has had quite the journey during his time in AEW. Originally positioned as a no-nonsense technical wrestler, he did almost a complete 180 by joining the Jericho Appreciation Society. He’s now known even more for his hip-thrusting dance, though his in-ring skills certainly haven’t gone away.
He’s also competed against some of the best the company has to offer, including Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston and Orange Cassidy. Garcia is somehow still only 25 years old, so his best days may very well still be in front of him.
Perhaps this will be one of those days. Garcia has a shot at the AEW World Championship held by MJF, and while it would be shocking indeed for AEW to do a big title change on free TV just 10 days out from a pay-per-view — where it’s already advertised MJF vs. Jay White as a featured bout — stranger things have happened.
White has a hurdle of his own to clear tonight in Portland, where he’ll take on Mark Briscoe, who just recently returned from injury. White’s spot in the Full Gear match is on the line, but unlike MJF, the Switchblade has several buddies to watch his back and ensure he makes it out of Dynamite with that opportunity intact.
(And the title belt in his possession, since he’s been holding onto it even though it still belongs to MJF.)
Plus we’ll see Darby Allin and Sting in tag team action, Swerve Strickland vs. Penta, the in-ring return of Red Velvet, and a talking segment with the Golden Jets, Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho.
You ready? We’re ready to start recapping the action.
AEW Dynamite results from Portland:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
MJF tells Tony Schiavone that he’s not losing tonight or to Jay White before he gets a video call from BFF Adam Cole, but MJF seems upset that Cole suggests again that he consider Samoa Joe’s offer to watch his back; Daniel Garcia seems offended that MJF says he’ll handle him and confirms that Max will get the professional wrestler tonight …
… but that’s not all because Roderick Strong stops by, and he vows to remind everybody “who the hell I am”
MJF def. Daniel Garcia by submission to retain the AEW World Championship
Mark Briscoe talks about how he and Jay White have locked up in tag team matches but never in a singles match and warns him about what’s coming later tonight
Darby Allin and Sting def. The Outrunners by submission
Schiavone interviews Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida in black and white, where Timeless Toni essentially blames Hikaru for what happened to her
Swerve Strickland def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall, but Hangman Adam Page gets the beginning of some payback afterward with a chair assault and a DeadEye through a table
Jay White gets in some barbs on MJF and tells him to sit back and watch what he does to Briscoe
Don Callis and Kenny Omega cut dueling promos on each other
Renee Paquette talks to Omega and Chris Jericho, who are interrupted by the bitter Young Bucks; one thing leads to another, and they agree on a tag team match at Full Gear with some stakes: If the Bucks lose, the tag team title shot goes to the Golden Jets, who will break up if they lose
Samoa Joe def. Keith Lee by submission to retain the ROH World Television Championship, then relinquishes his title to concentrate on the world title held by MJF
Orange Cassidy says Jon Moxley must be nuts thinking he overlooked Mox, and he says he needs to beat Jon to be the champ he knows he is
The Gunns def. Bollywood Boyz in less than a minute, then boast about their talent and mock MJF ahead of their ROH title match against him and a mystery partner at Full Gear; as MJF watches backstage, Joe approaches him and he decides to move on
Moxley gives his rebuttal to Orange Cassidy, suggesting he’s setting a poor example for Hook and that he doesn’t deserve to make it to Full Gear; Wheeler Yuta tells Hook he crossed the wrong crew too
Lest we forget that Wardlow is gunning for MJF too, a video package showing him working out reminds us that, yes, he is
Julia Hart def. Red Velvet by pinfall, but her post-match attack is interrupted by Skye Blue, and eventually, Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale
Mariah May is in AEW and seems really excited to meet Toni Storm
Jay White def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall
MJF’s music hits after White’s match, and he sneaks in the ring from the back and lays out White’s Bullet Club Gold teammates with the Dynamite Diamond Ring; White heads for the safety of the ramp while MJF tells him playtime is almost over and says Switchblade will have to kill him to beat him because he is fighting for everyone who’s been riding with him, but then …
… the lights go out and people in all black are shown assaulting The Acclaimed, throwing Anthony Bowens through a window; the main in the Devil mask appears briefly as MJF heads backstage, too late to do anything, and Joe laughs at how he’s “running out of friends”
Lots more got settled for Full Gear on AEW Dynamite, which ended with scissoring.
“Another one.”
That’s one of DJ Khaled’s trademark catchphrases, but it could just as easily apply to Tony Khan and his love of “important” announcements. It’s happened frequently enough that he takes some ribbing for it among pro wrestling fans, even though his track record of delivering on them is actually pretty good.
The intrigue about tonight’s announcement, though, is that unlike some of them in the past, no one seems to know what this one is about. That alone should mean that it’s worth tuning in to AEW Dynamite from Louisville.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of in-ring action to look forward to as well. Hikaru Shida will defend her AEW World Championship against Willow Nightingale in what should be a spirited yet respectful encounter. Hangman Adam Page and the Young Bucks will put their Ring of Honor six-man titles (which we honestly forget sometimes that they have) up against Brian Cage and Gates of Agony too.
Oh, and Orange Cassidy will see if his second run as AEW International Champion will end much sooner than his first, as he defends against Claudio Castagnoli. And the odd couple pairing of Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega will team again to face Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang, who are potentially auditioning to be part of the Don Callis Family.
Topping it all off, we’ll hear from birthday boy Adam Copeland. But in the end, for some people it’s still going to come down to that announcement. Such is life.
But hey, we’re excited for every part of this episode of Dynamite, and we hope you are too. Let’s see what this night holds.
AEW Dynamite results from Louisville:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
MJF doesn’t have an answer for Renee Paquette on who his three partners will be for tonight, but at least he gets advice from Adam Cole via video chat, and he thinks the champ should consider Samoa Joe’s offer; Roderick Strong and The Kingdom roll in when MJF leaves, accusing MJF of being The Devil, who then shows up on the screen
Orange Cassidy def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship, but …
… after the match, Jon Moxley makes his way through the crowd to the ring, and he greets a rushing Cassidy with a beatdown until Castagnoli finally tells his teammate it’s enough
MJF knocks on Kenny Omega’s dressing room door, but Chris Jericho just laughs when asked if Kenny is there; even worse, MJF runs into Wardlow, who shoves him against a wall and says he’ll take everything from Max when he least expects it, and in anger, the champ ignores another offer from The Acclaimed to team with him
An angry Moxley says he showed Cassidy respect when he didn’t have to, and though he says maybe it isn’t even about him, he plans on beating Orange within an inch of his life at Full Gear just because he can
Brian Cage and Gates of Agony def. Hangman Adam Page and Young Bucks by pinfall to become the new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions after Swerve Strickland taunts Page about invading his home, leading to a backstage brawl that leaves his teammates a man down
MJF passes up on Samoa Joe’s dressing room and writes “emo bitch” on Darby Allin’s sign before ignoring The Acclaimed once again
Adam Copeland is convinced to team with Sting and Darby Allin after an attack by Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
Tony Khan makes his “huge announcement”: You can sign up now to get a ticket pre-sale opportunity for All In London 2024; seriously, that was it
Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega def. Angelo Parker and Matt Menard by pinfall, then accept Don Callis’ challenge to a Street Fight in two weeks on Dynamite, where they will be joined by Kota Ibushi … and Paul Wight
Paquette catches up with Omega and Jericho, but the Young Bucks have an issue with The Ocho being there and warn Kenny that Chris will stab him in the back
Hikaru Shida def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship match, but …
… Shida has to take car of Toni Storm, and Nightingale turns to find Julia Hart stalking her; Skye Blue runs down and teases helping Hart, then turns and sprays Julia in the eyes with her own blue mist
The Acclaimed makes one last pitch to MJF, who says he has one more group on his list … but it’s Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh, ugh
Strong calls Cole on speakerphone, who finally tells him to shut the hell up
Bullet Club Gold def. MJF, The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass by pinfall, and Max Caster takes a belt shot intended for MJF …
… so MJF relents and scissors with his partners to end the show
MJF may have had the best match of his career in his AEW World Championship defense against Kenny Omega on AEW Collision.
Should one of the biggest possible AEW World Championship fights just be put together with three days’ notice? That’s a question worth pondering before we dive into tonight’s episode of AEW Collision from Uncasville, Conn.
No one would argue that MJF vs. Kenny Omega for the world title is a big deal, the kind of bout that could easily be a pay-per-view main event. So why was it only announced on Dynamite and taking place tonight?
Pondering that has led many to suspect that there will be some hijinks on Collision, something that will lead to a rematch or more people being added to another meeting between the two down the road. Something, surely.
Or maybe it’s just a way to ensure some ratings for Collision on a typically tough Saturday night for it. Either way, it’s added an extra layer of intrigue to this episode, so let’s not wait: Here’s what went down in Connecticut.
AEW Collision results from Uncasville:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Jay White def. AR Fox by pinfall, then manages to keep the AEW World Championship (which you may remember doesn’t actually belong to him, but hey) in his possession afterward despite MJF’s efforts to reclaim it
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass are looking forward to National 69 Day, and Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn put Max Caster in the corner for getting catfished by someone claiming to be MJF
Claudio Castagnoli says Bryan Danielson has a broken orbital bone and promises to make Kazuchika Okada pay for it in Japan or the U.S. while also challenging Orange Cassidy to a title match for Dynamite
Ricky Starks def. Dax Harwood by pinfall, but when House of Black tries to gang up on FTR after the match, La Faccion Ingobernable arrives and turns face, helping the former tag team champs
Andrade El Idolo seems to be focused on his own business, not whatever is going on with LFI
Kris Statlander wants to settle things between Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue, but Skye says anything that needs to be cleared up between her and Willow is only their business
Claudio Castagnoli def. Hot Sauce by pinfall
Joe tells MJF he’ll watch his back if needed and to scream Joe’s name if he finds himself needing help
MJF def. Kenny Omega by pinfall to retain the AEW World Championship, though Joe, Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs and Bullet Club Gold are shown watching separately backstage
MJF offers another handshake to Omega, who accepts and then moves in for a hug as the crowd cheers in approval
Twelve men enter, one man leave. Or something like that. It’s time for a Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale tonight on AEW Dynamite from Rosenberg, TX.
MJF has made the Dynamite Diamond Ring even more securely than Gollum did the One Ring, considering that no one to date has been able to win it from him. Will that change in 2023? First we need to figure out who will face him for it, which tonight’s battle royale will accomplish.
Which 12 men are competing? We don’t know that yet, but Juice Robinson and Dustin Rhodes are among them. Should be a fun time regardless of who else is in the mix.
Plus there’s other potentially good stuff in the pipeline. Sting will address AEW fans, though we hope it’s not for the reason many are speculating. Adam Copeland will finally offer his rebuttal to possibly former friend Christian Cage. And Jim Ross will have a sitdown interview with Nick Wayne and his mom.
All the while, we’re grinding toward Full Gear. So we could see more developments on that front as well. Never hurts to have a few matches booked in advance, right?
We’re looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the peeps in the Houston area, provided they aren’t too concerned with what’s going on with their Astros. Let’s get into it.
AEW Dynamite results from Texas:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Jay White def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall after a timely cheap shot from Juice Robinson
After his win, White mocks MJF by suggesting he can’t find anyone to team with him against Bullet Club Gold; meanwhile, Robinson says he’s going to win the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale in the main event, win MJF’s ring and pawn it for another gold tooth
Meanwhile, MJF is backstage with Renee Paquette, explaining why he didn’t rush out there, and he once again turns down Max Caster and The Acclaimed’s offer to team with him — though Caster says he’d entering the Battle Royale so he can win that and defeat MJF to make him “put a ring on it”
Hikaru Shida def. Emi Sakura by pinfall
Adam Copeland sits down with Paquette to tell some stories about his past with Christian Cage and why things have gone off the rails between them; Copeland says he won’t fight Cage but will be the one to pick him up when Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne leave him high and dry
Wardlow def. Ryan Nemeth by referee stoppage, then makes it clear he’s got his sights set on MJF
Kenny Omega tells Paquette his record hasn’t been great lately, but he says he’s still the measuring stick in AEW, so he figures he can take out Kyle Fletcher, The Don Callis Family, and then maybe come after the AEW World Championship; MJF comes to shake his hand but also whispers “13 days, bitch” before walking away
Adam Cole is still being bossed around by Roderick Strong but agrees to make him and The Kingdom some PB&J sandwiches, which turns into a music video; when Cole finally gets fed up and leaves, Strong tells The Kingdom he may have to be nice to “that scumbag” in order to get his best friend back
Don Callis brags about his Family making history, then has an interesting discussion with Kyle Fletcher
Kenny Omega def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall
The latest Danhausen promo video suggests everyone will be cursed soon enough
Lance Archer def. Barrett Brown by pinfall
Prince Nana says Swerve Strickland should be excited about his music video, but Swerve says he’s not because he doesn’t have the TNT Championship thanks to Hangman Adam Page; Strickland delivers an ominous threat: “It’s not always you who pays for your actions.”
Sting addresses the rumors and says his retirement match will be next year at Revolution
RJ City is cut off by Toni Storm, who does her own introduction for her latest silent picture, “Gone With the Storm”
Jim Ross sits down with Nick Wayne and his mom, and while neither J.R. nor his mom understand what Nick has done, he says it’s because Christian Cage is a better father than his dad ever was, and he also tells his mom she’s dead to him; right outside, however, Darby Allin is waiting to attack Cage and Wayne …
… and they battle to the ring, where Wayne is bloodied while battling Allin and Sting despite the aid of Luchasaurus
Kris Statlander tells Paquette that she wants to give a TBS Championship shot to Willow Nightingale, and Orange Cassidy says he only learned how much he cared about his International Championship once he lost it
Juice Robinson wins the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale, last eliminating Max Caster
We’ll also hear from Sting and see “Timeless” Toni Storm again tonight on AEW Dynamite from Texas.
Though it’s a little silly, the Dynamite Diamond Ring is also a fun part of AEW lore. Where else can you win a prize that’s also guaranteed to be useful as a weapon when the referee’s back is turned? Well, we suppose a title belt fits that description too, but the ring is a lot more portable and thus easier to hide. In any case, said ring will be an important part of tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Rosenberg, Texas.
So far MJF has won the ring every year it’s been around. He’d undoubtedly like to keep it in his possession, but doing so will mean defeating the winner of tonight’s Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale. As the name implies, it will pit 12 men against each other for the right to face the AEW World Champion and maybe, just maybe, claim the ring for their own.
A couple of AEW’s top stars will be in singles action on Dynamite as well. Kenny Omega will take on Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher in a match that has some real “co-sign for the next generation” vibes to it. Jay White, who already has a date with MJF to fight over another treasure, will battle Penta El Zero Miedo.
Jim Ross will sit down for an interview with Nick Wayne and his mom, and no that’s not a joke of any kind we’re attempting. If it was Stacy’s mom, then we definitely would. We’ll also hear from Sting, which is a treat any time it happens.
On top of all that, we’re slated to see “Timeless” Toni Storm in action again tonight. Storm has been tremendous since she slowly pivoted to her current gimmick, showing real growth as a personality beyond her in-ring skills. She’s basically can’t-miss TV at this point.
And of course, we wouldn’t miss the show this evening, so if you can’t watch live at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, please consider joining us back here at Wrestling Junkie for live AEW Dynamite results and updates on anything else of interest from Texas.
AEW Dynamite also saw The Don Callis Family gain a powerful new ally and Jay White formally challenge MJF for Full Gear.
OK, look, the whole “time flies when you’re having fun” thing is a little tired, for sure. But holy crap, AEW Dynamite has been on the air for four years? It feels like just yesterday AEW was the little startup wrestling promotion that could, and now it’s out here showing off WWE Hall of Famers and stuff.
Well yes, it already had a few of those, granted. But Adam Copeland, the man formerly known as Edge, was WWE through and through … until he wasn’t. He’s already spoken with a couple media outlets about why he made the big move at this point in his career (not this one, but it’s cool, we’ll talk to you eventually Mr. Copeland), but he may tell the whole world more as he’s definitely scheduled to speak on Dynamite tonight in Stockton.
It wouldn’t be a proper anniversary celebration without a title match, and Dynamite is giving us one of those as well. Rey Fenix, who only recently won the International Championship from Jon Moxley, will defend it against one half of the Young Bucks, Nick Jackson. It’s always fun when tag team specialists get a singles run, and that could apply to the winner no matter who it turns out to be.
Speaking of tag teams, it’s hard to find many more unlikely than Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. Yet the enemy of my enemy is truly my friend, which is why they’re joining forces in Stockton to continue their battle against The Don Callis Family … which hasn’t been going well as of late if we’re being honest.
We’ll also hear from Juice Robinson and The Gunns of Bullet Club Gold, and we’re guessing there will be some surprises in store as well given the occasion. Let’s find out.
AEW Dynamite results from Stockton:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
Renee Paquette speaks with Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, who fought in the main event of the same Dynamite but are aligned tonight; Adam Copland stops by, is offered a handshake by Omega and wishes the two of them good luck against The Don Callis Family
Rey Fenix def. Nick Jackson by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
Adam Cole goes to check on Roderick Strong, and they have fun rolling around with Roddy in a wheelchair and Adam on a scooter while The Kingdom sits around looking miserable; the audio is too broken to hear what else they’re discussing
Wardlow def. Griff Garrison by referee stoppage
A brief video shows Copeland’s debut from WrestleDream
Don Callis tells Paquette that Sammy Guevara isn’t cleared to compete but suggests that a number of people want to prove it to the Family, and he says he’s got someone to team with Konosuke Takeshita tonight: Kyle Fletcher
Because of the audio issues, the Cole-Strong video is shown again, with Roddy guilt tripping Adam into rearranging the furniture and putting off his ankle surgery again
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass def. The Butcher, The Blade and Kip Sabian by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship
The second part of Toni Storm’s interview goes even worse for poor RJ City until he convinces her that she’s “Timeless,” and apparently that version of her will premiere tonight
Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr. seem like they’re not finished with each other
Bullet Club Gold gets one over on MJF, getting him to agree to put his title up against Jay White at Full Gear
Paquette talks to Orange Cassidy and Hook, who eat chips and wonder if Orange should get a title shot next week; Renee turns down Hook’s offer of chips
Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega def. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher by pinfall, but …
… Powerhouse Hobbs hits the ring to destroy Jericho and Omega after the bell, smashing Jericho with a steel chair and helping The Don Callis Family hold Omega in place for a chair shot from Callis
Paquette talks to MJF, who pauses to call Max Caster a stalker and tries calling Cole but gets no answer
Samoa Joe discusses the difference between being hungry and satisfied, and that while MJF earned his respect, it only means his hunger will be focused on the world champ
“Timeless” Toni Storm def. Skye Blue by pinfall
Stokely Hathaway joins Paquette to discuss the four-way bout on Rampage to find a No. 1 contender for Eddie Kingston’s ROH World Championship
AEW Dynamite from Stockton will also see Rey Fenix put his International Championship on the line against Nick Jackson.
We always knew we were headed for this, right? That on the fourth anniversary of AEW Dynamite, we’d be celebrating by welcoming WWE Hall of Famer Edge, who of course can’t be called that in AEW, so he’s going by his real name of Adam Copeland, right?
Well that’s exactly where we’ve found ourselves. Tonight’s episode of Dynamite kicks off year five of AEW’s flagship show, and Mr. Copeland will be a big part of it if the advertising is any indication. He’s not scheduled to wrestle for the first time in an AEW ring until next Dynamite (which will be on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, because baseball), but he will be speaking in Stockton.
What will he address? Most likely why he decided not to help his old friend Christian Cage and instead stood against him beside Darby Allin and Sting at WrestleDream. If I was Cage, I’d want to know why as well.
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Copeland isn’t the only big name appearing on tonight’s show. Kenny Omega, fresh off his video game victory over MMA fighter Demetrious Johnson, will team with Chris Jericho to take on Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara. A championship will also be up for grabs as AEW International Championship Rey Fenix tries to stay that way against Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks.
But let’s be real. The big attraction for Dynamite is going to be hearing “You think you know me?” followed by “Metalingus” blaring about how someone can see clearly on this day on AEW TV. It’s going to be cool and surreal at the same time until we all get used to it.
And we’ll be here for it on Wrestling Junkie, in both the figurative and literal senses, so hop back here for live AEW Dynamite results tonight if you aren’t able to watch the show.
Full AEW WrestleDream results from Seattle including title matches, a betrayal and a familiar face from Christian Cage’s past.
What’s in a dream? We’re about to find out, pro wrestling style, thanks to AEW WrestleDream in Seattle.
Tony Khan conceived this new addition to the AEW pay-per-view lineup as a way to honor the great Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling who passed away a year ago. While this isn’t a straight up dual-branded PPV with NJPW a la Forbidden Door, there will definitely be some New Japan talent who are prominently featured in the show.
There are also several levels of intrigue around the event. Khan hasn’t been shy about calling WrestleDream the end of one era of AEW and the beginning of a new one, but he has declined to elaborate on what that might mean.
Could there be some debuts? Perhaps. Many fans are anxious to see if WWE Hall of Famer Edge, likely using his real name of Adam Copeland, might show up since his WWE contract has expired. The fact that the main event will feature Darby Allin and Copeland’s longtime friend Christian Cage has only ratcheted up the hype.
Even if no one new shows up, the card should deliver on pure in-ring action as AEW usually does. Let’s see what the night has in store.
AEW WrestleDream Zero Hour pre show results:
Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena and Billie Starkz def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty), Diamante and Mercedes Martinez by pinfall
Claudio Castagnoli def. Josh Barnett by pinfall; afterward, Barnett gives Claudio a big show of respect afterward and says Inoki-san would be a fan of his, then says he will come after Castagnoli again down the road, to which he says “any time, any place” and pays respect in return
Luchasaurus def. Nick Wayne by pinfall
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn def. TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Bad Dude Tito) by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship
AEW WrestleDream results:
(click on ay match with a link for
MJF addresses the crowd, talking about how pissed he is that someone stole his mask and that Adam Cole isn’t here tonight; he also tells The Righteous exactly what he’s about to do to them
MJF def. The Righteous by pinfall to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship
Eddie Kingston def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship
Kris Statlander def. Julia Hart by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship
Young Bucks def. The Gunns, Lucha Bros. and Orange Cassidy and Hook to win a future AEW World Tag Team Championship shot
Cage and Wayne stomp away on Allin after the bell, but Sting comes down the ramp to make the save, except Luchasaurus arrives to aid the heels, and it looks bad for our heroes …
… until a short film plays that says “Rated R” on a road, bringing Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge, to the ring; he takes a chair from Wayne and teases a Con-chair-to before using the chair to save the day; Sting and Copeland shake hands as the show goes off the air
During a media call earlier this week, Tony Khan revealed that the plans behind Sunday’s pay-per-view began back on Oct. 1 of last year, when he heard that legendary wrestler and founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling Antonio Inoki had passed away at the age of 79.
Khan told the media that he took a mental note of the date and immediately began the ideation process of putting on a tribute show with New Japan to honor Inoki. The result is WrestleDream.
The last time AEW did something with a distinct NJPW flavor was the dual-branded Forbidden Door event back in June, which produced some of the best wrestling matches of the year. With a title like WrestleDream, I’d imagine we’ll see more of the same Sunday night.
Here are my predictions for the event:
Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
What is a better way to headline a supposed dream card than with a dream match between two of the best technical wrestlers in the world?
When matches like this come around, fans usually cheer for both participants because they are so happy to see the match become a reality. However, I believe that can take away from a match.
Danielson and Sabre should have no such issue as it emanates merely two hours away from the former’s hometown of Aberdeen, Wash. With Seattle being Danielson’s surrogate hometown for the evening, I’d imagine most of the fans in the building will be rooting for the hometown hero, which should elevate the match.
When it comes to picking a winner, that’s where things become difficult. Danielson has openly discussed the end of his full-time in-ring career being in the near future, which could lead to him looking for someone to pass the torch to as this generation’s best technical wrestler.
Sabre would certainly fit that bill.
However, because this match takes place in Danielson’s neck of the woods, I believe he will walk away with the victory, sending the fans in Seattle home happy.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page
The segment between these two on this week’s edition of Dynamite was fantastic, and it added to my own personal excitement to see this encounter.
While that was fun, this is another match that is proving tough to predict. Why? Because both guys need the win.
Sure, Page has been to the top of the mountain before and has been heavily featured in the past, but he hasn’t been involved in a lot of eventful angles lately. A win here could re-energize his momentum and get him back to the top of the card.
However, Strickland has never been given a main event-caliber push, and it was only until recently that he was a consistent presence on the weekly television shows. And some of that credit should go to the hysterically funny Prince Nana.
Not to mention, it has been a while since Strickland picked up a big win. In my opinion, he’s due.
The match itself should be a classic.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. Aussie Open
Another match, another potential classic for the world tag team titles.
While Aussie Open is a great team, I don’t see a reason to take the titles away from FTR at this point.
Winners: FTR
AEW TNT Championship (2-out-of-3 Falls): Christian Cage (c) vs. Darby Allin
I may not hit on all of my predictions, but if there is one that you can take directly to the bank, it is that Allin will take chances with his body during the match — and some of them will be unnecessary.
I can easily see Cage doing something that would damn near incapacitate Allin, only for it to be used as a means to have the latter come back from behind and win the match.
Winner: Darby Allin
AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart
As excited as I am to see the TBS title get some shine on a pay-per-view, I am just as disappointed in the fact that Statlander versus Hart is the only women’s match on this card.
When AEW and New Japan link up, in my eyes, it is a showcase of the best professional wrestling the world has to offer outside of WWE. There are enough great women’s wrestlers out there to warrant putting more than one match on a card of this magnitude. But guess how many women’s matches were on Forbidden Door?
One.
There are enough wrestlers in AEW’s women’s division that would warrant more than one match. But guess how many were on All In, the supposed biggest wrestling show of all time?
One.
Guess how many women’s matches were on All Out?
One.
And no, I’m not counting the pre-show matches. I’m talking about the proper pay-per-view that people pay their hard-earned money to watch.
Somehow, there’s never enough time for more.
Both Statlander and Hart are great wrestlers, and I love seeing the latter’s maturation into someone who has main event potential, but there are more talented wrestlers in AEW’s women’s division. They deserve to be put on this stage as well.
As far as a winner, I’m going with Statlander. I do believe that Hart will have a star-making performance in defeat.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Ring of Honor World & NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
On paper, this sounds like it should be a banger, but with Kingston recently revealing that he is dealing with a lower back injury that forced him to step away from independent wrestling, I’m not sure what to expect.
Kingston also revealed that he recently signed a four-year extension with AEW. AEW making such a commitment tells me that the promotion is firmly behind Kingston as the ROH champ.
Winner: Eddie Kingston
Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship: MJF (c) vs. The Righteous
As I wrote in a previous column, it would make total sense to have MJF lose to The Righteous and move on from tag team competition since his partner is sidelined with a broken ankle.
Winners: The Righteous
Chris Jericho & The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Don Callis Family (Will Ospreay, Sammy Guevara, & Konosuke Takeshita)
After all of the trouble the Callis family has caused over the last few weeks, my instinct is usually to take the good guys in this situation.
However, I feel like Guevara needs a chance to redeem himself after losing to Jericho at Grand Slam. Sure, he gained some measure of revenge by getting some of his heat back on Jericho after the match.
But I feel like in order for him to get the maximum amount of revenge, he needs to beat Jericho. Maybe that will happen in a one-on-one match one day in the future, but I would make it happen here, and further elevate The Don Callis Family in the process.
Winners: The Don Callis Family
No. 1 contender’s match for AEW World Tag Team Championship: Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros. vs. The Gunns vs. Orange Cassidy and Hook
Since three of the four teams have already been heavily featured in the past, I’m going to call for the upset and go with the odd couple pairing of Cassidy and Hook to come out on top.
Winners: Orange Cassidy and Hook
Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta
Yuta is cool and all, but if Starks doesn’t pick up the win here then we have some serious problems.
