Tag: Mercedes Mone

AEW Dynasty card: Swerve Strickland to challenge Samoa Joe for world title

A look at the updated match card for AEW Dynasty 2024.

Revolution was a standout AEW pay-per-view, highlighted by Sting’s retirement match and a thrilling world title bout. It became an unforgettable night of action and arguably the best show that the company ever hosted.

Tony Khan and company now face the challenge of following up on the electrifying show, and it appears they are on track for a promising show.

AEW Dynasty is scheduled for Sunday, April 21 in St. Louis, marking the company’s second pay-per-view of the year. With a card already in progress, this show holds strong potential.

Will Ospreay went to battle with Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution, arguably having the match of the night and one of the best of 2024. They delivered a hard-hitting slugfest that not only showcased Takeshita’s in-ring prowess, but what the Aerial Assassin can do for an American audience that may not have seen him wrestle live.

Ospreay’s next opponent is Bryan Danielson, who issued a challenge after Ospreay’s victory over Kyle Fletcher on Dynamite. Their match, now official for Dynasty, promises a stellar showdown between two top-tier talents, sure to be a wrestling clinic.

Following his victory in a No. 1 contenders match against Konosuke Takeshita, Swerve Strickland will clash with Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship. It’s Strickland’s second attempt at the title following the three-way match at Revolution, and without Hangman Adam Page in the picture, a one-on-one bout improves the odds of the belt going to Swerve’s house.

Plenty of other matches have also been made to try to entice AEW fans into checking out this inaugural event from St. Louis. Here’s what the full card looks like at the moment.

Latest update: April 17, 2024, 10:40 p.m. ET

AEW Dynasty card:

  • Bullet Club Gold (Jay White, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) (c–ROH) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn (c–AEW) – Winner Takes All match for the AEW World Trios Championship and the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Zero Hour pre-show
  • Hook (c) vs. Chris Jericho – FTW Championship match
  • Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson
  • Young Bucks vs. FTR – Tournament final Ladder match for the vacant AEW World Tag Team Championship
  • Julia Hart (c) vs. Willow Nightingale – House Rules match for the AEW TBS Championship
  • Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston and Mark Briscoe vs. House of Black
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Thunder Rosa – AEW Women’s World Championship match
  • Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Pac – AEW Continental Championship match
  • Roderick Strong (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly – AEW International Championship match
  • Samoa Joe (c) vs. Swerve Strickland – AEW World Championship match

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.

AEW Dynamite results 04/03/24: Swerve signs in blood, Trent betrays Best Friends

AEW Dynamite from Worcester also saw Thunder Rosa become No. 1 contender for Toni Storm.

The funny thing about joining a team is you never know right away if you’re going to be a good fit for it or vice versa. That’s a relevant thought as we head to Worcester, Mass. for AEW Dynamite tonight, because Will Ospreay is fighting another one of his Don Callis Family teammates.

To be fair, Ospreay has rarely done much alongside his other Family members in the first place, what with still being a member of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling roster when he first joined and all. Since he’s arrived in AEW full time, the Aerial Assassin has had just three matches, and two of them were against teammates.

Which would be weird except that this is a group assembled by Don Callis that we’re talking about, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if it turned out he was jealous of Ospreay’s popularity. No one bigger than the team and all that.

As a result, Callis might be hoping Powerhouse Hobbs beats Ospreay tonight. And if he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see what role the Family might play when Ospreay faces Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynasty later this month.

The other big thing on the docket tonight is a contract signing between Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe. These two certainly have turned their program into a nice little powderkeg waiting to ignite, and this might be the spark that lights it.

It’s also fair to wonder if, despite Joe being a worthy champ, whether AEW is ready to push Swerve to the level it feels like he’s earned and let him have a run with the top title.

We’re excited for what this night might have in store from Worcester, so let’s get into it.

AEW Dynamite results from Worcester:

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

  • Adam Copeland tells us why AEW should be celebrated
  • Will Ospreay def. Powerhouse Hobbs by pinfall
  • Ospreay pauses on the ramp and exchanges a look and some words with Bryan Danielson on the way in for his match
  • Bryan Danielson def. Lance Archer by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette welcomes Chris Jericho, who asks Hook to join him so he can clarify that he understands why Hook would be wary about trusting him but wants Hook to believe in him; Hook says he got them a match on Collision but will be keeping his eye on him, and Jericho says he’d expect nothing less … bet

  • Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty reveal they’re the opponents for LionHook on Collision
  • Billy Gunn def. Jay White by DQ as White hits him with a low blow following a distraction from The Gunns; The Acclaimed come to the rescue despite being shown on the big screen having been laid out in the back
  • The Young Bucks and Best Friends (plus Trent’s mom Sue) are shown walking into the building earlier today
  • Paquette talks to Willow Nightingale about her TBS Championship shot at Dynasty, and she thanks the fans for giving her confidence during her career in general and at this time in particular …

  • … Stokely Hathaway is singing her praises as well when he’s interrupted by Mercedes Moné, who makes it clear that she’s up next for whoever walks out of Dynasty as TBS champ

  • Young Bucks def. Best Friends by pinfall in an AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Semifinal, using a catapult into an exposed turnbuckle to help them pull it off …
  • … and after the match, instead of going in for the customary group hug, Trent Beretta hits Orange Cassidy with a flying knee and storms off without his teammates or his mom
  • Thunder Rosa def. Mariah May by pinfall in an AEW Women’s World Championship No. 1 Contenders Match
  • Penta El Zero Miedo says Copeland should defend the TNT Championship against an AEW original next week … namely him
  • Samoa Joe signs in ink, Swerve Strickland signs in blood, but it’s the champ who ends the night standing tall

Adam Copeland circles the wagons nicely for AEW

Even though his mic is sort of messed up and there was some negative talk during the week, Copeland wants to talk about the positives. He’s looking at it from a “what a time to be alive” standpoint.

Growing up, Copeland watched WWF, NWA and much more, devouring it all because he loved professional wrestling. When he started thinking about the end of his career, he says he realized AEW is where he needs to be, touting the phenomenal roster with talents like Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page, Swerve Strickland and much more.

When his friends ask him if he’s having a blast, Copeland says he is — the most he’s ever had in his 32-year career. He adds that AEW should be celebrated for pushing the whole business to a better place and that it’s where the best wrestle.

Turns out it’s a really long introduction for the man himself, Will Ospreay, as Copeland puts him over as the man who will be what AEW is going forward.

Will Ospreay wins the “Battle of Wills” against Powerhouse Hobbs

Don Callis joins the announcers for this one and takes credit for pitting his own stable members against each other in an “iron sharpens iron” way. He likes Ospreay’s early aggression, which finally gets him in trouble when Hobbs hoists him off the barricade and slams his spine on the steel steps. Ouch.

Much as we like seeing Ospreay do his thing, it feels like after some side-by-side commercials that we’re going to need a Hobbs showcase sequence at some point. We get just a tad before Ospreay goes back on the attack, then catches Hobbs with an inside cradle.

Hobbs hits an impressive move off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall, but his next powerslam is countered by a DDT. A sky twister press is next, and the Hidden Blade wipes out Hobbs to secure a pinfall for Ospreay.

Callis has to step between the two men after the match, and is able to broker some peace before things get out of hand.

Thunder Rosa leaves Toni Storm speechless by defeating Mariah May

Toni Storm joins the announcers, the better to see Rosa’s X-Men inspired ring gear. The champ seems to think her protege might have a quick night here, but she’s taking more punishment than she’s giving early on.

It still looks like Rosa is in charge after picture-in-picture action, leading Storm to say she’s getting nervous. May evades a double stomp off the top and nails a knee for a close near fall.

The finish comes sort of out of nowhere, with Rosa hitting the Tijuana Bomb and earning No. 1 contender status for Storm’s title. Rosa tells Storm to get in the ring right now, but Toni simply looks stunned.

Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe make it official … in blood

Tony Schiavone moderates and Joe wastes no time signing on the proverbial bottom line. The champ says he wants to give his challenger a little bit of advice before he signs. Namely, Joe says signing is a career-defining mistake, as he’ll beat Swerve down so badly that it’ll leave him mentally scarred like he left Diddy’s party too late. Joe’s words, not ours.

Strickland responds that he’s wanted this moment his entire life, dreaming about it and wondering if it was possible. He mentions the new signings that are helping AEW build a dynasty and says he’ll prove that he is every bit that man.

“Now run the fade on that bitch,” Strickland says in closing. Joe shoves him but Swerve fires back a mean right hand. Strickland goes to choke out the champ with his chain, but Joe wrestles it away and wraps it around his right hand. Strickland ends up eating multiple shots from the chain in the corner, bleeding from the onslaught.

But as Joe heads back up the ramp, a bloody Swerve simply laughs and says “I love this s–t,” adding that if this is all Joe’s got, he’s taking the championship. Strickland signs the contract with his own blood, but an enraged Joe runs back to the ring, kicks him in the groin and slams him through the table with a uranage.

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 Dynamite results 03/20/24: Copeland has grit, friends to make Cage quit

Toronto also saw Kazuchika Okada win gold on AEW Dynamite.

When two former friends from Ontario want to settle their massive, ongoing beef, maybe the only real way to do it is in an I Quit match in Toronto. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what awaits tonight on AEW Dynamite.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage have clashed over the TNT Championship before, with Cage emerging victorious thanks to the aid of The Patriarchy. He dismissively sent Copeland to the back of the line, figuring that would be the end of it.

Copeland brushed himself off and jumped into the idea of working his way back to title contention with gusto thanks to his series of “Cope Open” matches. They didn’t really go on as long as he and AEW would have us believe, but it’s a fine narrative regardless.

If you didn’t think we were always headed back here, you must be relatively new to pro wrestling (so welcome!). An I Quit match in front of what is a hometown crowd for both men should be excellent.

It’s not the only title match on Dynamite tonight either. Eddie Kingston actually has several titles that confusingly are sometimes referred to as one. Only one of those three, the still fairly new Continental Championship, is at stake when Kingston faces Kazuchika Okada.

A villainous Rainmaker took some getting used to but seems like a stroke of genius for AEW. Will Okada break through this early in his time in the U.S.? We’ll find out tonight.

AEW Dynamite results from Toronto:

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

  • Mercedes Moné is here, as is Willow Nightingale, but are they united even against Julia Hart and Skye Blue?
  • Matthew and Nicholas Jackson want Alex Marvez to talk Japanese to Kazuchika Okada, or to learn how by next week, but the Rainmaker knows enough English to tell Eddie Kingston he’s coming for the title
  • Kazuchika Okada def. Eddie Kingston by pinfall to become the new AEW Continental Champion, however …
  • … after his victory, Okada sees Pac come out to the stage, insinuating he’ll be going after the Continental title
  • Renee Paquette speaks with Swerve Strickland, who accuses Samoa Joe of running and ducking him but is in the mood to issue an open challenge for a fight tonight
  • Paquette next speaks with Nightingale and Statlander about their Street Fight on Rampage, with Willow noting that she’s completely different in that environment; Moné stops by and exchanges thanks with Statlander but freezes out Nightingale (and Stokely Hathaway for that matter)
  • Hook def. Chris Jericho by pinfall
  • Adam Cole talks about how disappointed he is in Wardlow, so now the big man’s job is to protect the gold Undisputed Kingdom has, framing it as wanting what’s best for Wardlow
  • Paquette grabs a minute with Jericho backstage, and he says Hook lived up to what he expected from the “future world champion”; next week, Jericho says he has a proposition for Hook
  • Tony Schiavone calls Will Ospreay to the ring, and the Aerial Assassin says he’s changed and is now here for the betterment of AEW but needs some maple syrup from Canada in return; he also addresses Bryan Danielson claiming he couldn’t walk in Bryan’s shoes and tells Katsuyori Shibata he wants to face him next week
  • A hype video is shown for the Adam Copeland-Christian Cage I Quit match later tonight
  • Deonna Purrazzo and Thunder Rosa def. “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mariah May by pinfall
  • Swerve Strickland def. The Butcher by submission, then cuts a promo on Samoa Joe which is answered in the flesh by the AEW World Champion, and then by Don Callis, which apparently sets up a match between Swerve and Konosuke Takeshita
  • Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage in an I Quit match to become the new AEW TNT Champion

Mercedes Moné still has business with Willow Nightingale, which only gets more complicated

Please say hello to your new CEO. Mercedes says she’s still on a high from her debut in AEW last week, and goes on to talk about her near-career-ending injury 10 months ago when she was facing Willow Nightingale.

Cognizant that some people might not know exactly who she is, Mercedes shows a video package to fill them in. No, there are no Sasha Banks highlights in it.

She’s not here to lead a women’s evolution, as she’s done that before. Mercedes says she wants to lead a global revolution, facing the best women all over the world.

For now, it seems she wants to focus on Nightingale, but the lights go out when she does her mic drop, then come back up to find Julia Hart standing on the ramp. Skye Blue attempts an attack from behind, but both heels are easily repulsed.

Hart and Blue go under the ring for chairs but are neutralized by the arrival of Nightingale and Kris Statlander, both carrying chairs of their own. The lights go out and back on again, and it appears Willow was considering hitting Mercedes, which of course ticks off the CEO as she leaves.

Kazuchika Okada makes it rain gold against Eddie Kingston

Kingston has been talking about how Okada has never faced anyone like him, but an argument can be made that he’s as rooted in Strong Style as any current non-Japanese wrestler, so perhaps that’s not 100% true.

It’s also fun to see how some of Okada’s trademark mannerisms and bits still work even now that he’s a heel. We also see Matthew and Nicholas Jackson in the back, working as producers for the match as they promised Okada they would.

OK it’s not all business as usual with Okada as he’s a lot cockier than normal, but he’s bumping like the top level pro he is as Kingston hurls him around with suplexes. Eddie is getting plenty of support from the fans but there are some chants for the challenger as well.

Signature Okada dropkick? Check. But Kingston is able to nail the spinning back fist not long after for a near fall.

A running clotheslines has Eddie pulling down his straps, but Okada is able to gouge the champ’s eyes after a quick ref distraction. A spinning powerslam leads to a Rainmaker, and Okada is golden in AEW already.

Deonna Purrazzo, Thunder Rosa get one over on Toni Storm, Mariah May even though they aren’t completely aligned

The framing here is about how Storm and May are a proven team while Purrazzo and Rosa may not be on the exact same page. It’s not a problem in the opening minutes, and Rosa looks good in one of the longest matches we’ve seen from her on TV since she returned from her long injury layoff.

Ah, but things change when the Virtuosa has things rolling against May and Rosa tags herself in. That proves to be a tactical error as she eats a hip attack from the champ, but Thunder reverses a piledriver and gets the victory out of nowhere.

It doesn’t look like Deonna is 100% happy with things after the match, however.

Adam Copeland gets help to overcome The Patriarchy and makes Christian Cage quit

The fans enthusiastically sing along with Copeland’s theme a cappella even after the music stops, but the mood changes quickly when Cage makes his ring walk. There’s also a “holy s–t” chant that rings out in the early going.

It doesn’t take long for the two Canadians to fight into the crowd, where Cage dons a Bruins sweater and Copeland wears a Leafs sweater for an additional hometown pop. During picture-in-picture action, they battle out onto the concourse and then back toward the ring.

The crowd starts a “TLC” chant as a ladder comes into play, and both men are hurt when Copeland pulls Cage backward onto the steel. That gets a “this is awesome” chant going as well.

Now Copeland gets out a table, leaning it against the barricade. Cage leapfrogs a Spear and sends Copeland into the ringpost after a quick poke to the eyes.

Copeland ends up getting driven through the table when Cage jumps off the top rope, and he’s busted open as a result. They head back into the ring, where Cage catapults Copeland into a ladder laid across the ropes. The ref asks Copeland for a response but he’s not ready to quit.

Cage’s frog splash finds no one home, and Copeland grabs him in a crossface. The champ also isn’t quitting and gouges the challenger’s eyes to free himself.

During more picture-in-picture, Cage looks like he’s trying to walk out on the match, but Copeland catches up with him and catapults Cage off the stage. The champ also briefly gets thrown into a hockey net, as one does.

While they fight back toward the ring, Mama Wayne runs up and uses a hockey stick to hit a low blow on Copeland from behind. Cage breaks the stick over Copeland’s back and they head back inside the squared circle.

Cage unloads with the blade half of the stick and flexes to a chorus of boos. He jams the stick into Copeland’s throat, and the ref asks him several times if he’ll quit and still gets a quiet no.

Looking under the ring again, Cage slides several chairs into the ring. He produces one with barbed wire around it too, looking for a devastating Con-chair-to. Copeland rolls away at the last second and now he has the barbed wire chair, but Cage kicks it away.

Copeland runs Cage over with the hockey stick and tries choking him out, then takes the drawstring out of his tights to choke the champ. Nick Wayne and Killswitch pick that moment to jump in again, and they invite Mana Wayne to slap him.

Daddy Magic and Daniel Garcia run down to attack The Patriarchy, and Killswitch takes a DDT on the barbed wire chair. They also send Wayne flying to the floor, and Copeland climbs a ladder and dives to the floor onto both of them.

Garcia produces handcuffs, and the faces end up cuffing both Wayne and Killswitch to opposite corners. Mama Wayne sees more handcuffs and decides to make a run for it.

Cage is now left three on one, which makes things look grim for him. He’s handcuffed to another corner, where Copeland kicks him in the junk repeatedly.

Copeland gets in one shot from Spike, his nail-studded 2×4, and threatens another to finally make Copeland say “I Quit.”

Report: Mercedes Moné chose AEW over WWE for ‘balance’ between wrestling, other interests

Both AEW and WWE were willing to pay Mercedes Moné a ton of money, so there was more to her decision.

When both of the top two wrestling promotions in the world are willing to make you the highest-paid woman in the business, what becomes the deciding factor in which one to join?

Mercedes Moné recently had to figure that out before signing with AEW and making her much anticipated debut at Big Business in Boston. Though Moné has told ESPN that money was of course a factor, it’s clear that both AEW and WWE were willing to pay her handsomely.

According to PWI, the difference between the two offers came down to where she perceived the greater opportunity to do new things both in and out of the ring.

PWInsider.com is told that in the end, the final factor in the decision-making as to where to go on Mone’s part was which destination would allow for stronger potential, not just for herself but for additional and future women in professional wrestling.

In AEW, Moné has not only a host of new wrestlers to work both with and against. She also has a more direct path to being positioned as the promotion’s top women’s star, as opposed to WWE where it could be argued that Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley are all at the same level.

It’s also clear that Moné has interests outside wrestling, including acting and music, that she may not have been as free to pursue in WWE.

From PWInsider:

Beyond Mone’s acting pursuits, PWInsider.com is also told that over the last several years, by being outside the WWE bubble, she has had the chance to develop fashion and music projects that she wants to keep bringing to the forefront.  Those interests grew exponentially while she was recovering from her leg injury over the last year.

At the end of the day, the belief from those close to Mone is that the best way she could keep developing and working on her passions beyond performing in the ring was to be in a place that would allow her to still develop her projects, not just sign up to return to WWE, where all her energy would be targeted on WWE 90% of the time. AEW provided more of a balance.

The thought here is that in WWE, top stars certainly can reach a wider audience but build up fame and fortune for the brand first and themselves second. In AEW, that formula might be flipped on its head in return for having a smaller reach.

For Moné that might not matter, as she has the brand recognition, for lack of a better way to describe it, that she build up first in WWE (albeit under a different name). There might not be too many women’s wrestling stars for whom this calculus would work out in exactly the same way, but it’s a choice she seems satisfied with for the foreseeable future.

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Mercedes Moné finally speaks about walking out on WWE

Mercedes Moné called leaving WWE in 2022 “the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my whole life.”

Even among the news-filled last few years in the professional wrestling industry, Mercedes Moné made some of the biggest waves.

In the spring of 2022, when she was wrestling in WWE as Sasha Banks, Moné and Naomi walked out during the May 16 episode of Raw, leaving their tag team titles behind. WWE suspended both wrestlers and took the unusual step of mentioning the incident on the air, essentially blaming them for the need to rework the show on the fly.

It was reported at the time that the duo left due to creative differences with Vince McMahon, and Naomi has given credence to that idea simply by the fact that she recently returned to WWE. Still, Moné has been pretty quiet on her reasons for leaving — until now.

Moné appeared this week as a guest on The Kick Rocks Wrestling Podcast and finally spoke a bit about what was going through her mind at the time (h/t Wrestling Observer for the transcription).

Something inside of me told me I needed to go do this and stand up for myself. It was a very hard decision, because wrestling in WWE has been my whole life. If people don’t know, it’s been my whole life. And it’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my whole life. But it’s the most proudest. It’s crazy because I would not be sitting here, living the best version of my life and getting to be everything I’ve ever dreamt of. I get to be everything I ever dreamt of and more. You have no idea.

Moné went on to express how proud she was of both herself and Naomi, and that she had nothing but good things to say about WWE in general for giving her the ability to chase her dreams.

She also noted that she has “a lot of unfinished business in wrestling,” some of which she might get to tackle soon. Moné has reportedly come to an agreement to start with AEW, and is expected to debut on the upcoming Big Business episode of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, March 13 in her hometown of Boston.

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Mercedes Moné addition invokes questions for AEW women’s division

The likely addition of Mercedes Moné to the AEW roster suggests potential challenges for an already underutilized women’s division. 

The likely addition of Mercedes Moné to the All Elite Wrestling roster could suggest large challenges for an already underutilized women’s division.

After early conversations for a return to WWE were said to be unfruitful, reports surfaced indicating that AEW was finally in business with The Boss.

On the Feb. 7 episode of AEW Dynamite, CEO Tony Khan announced AEW would return to Boston on March 13 with a special addition of its flagship show, titled AEW Dynamite: Big Business, all but confirming that the Boston native was scheduled to debut.

Following the “Big Business” announcement, Fightful Select and Andrew Zarian reported that Moné was already under contract with AEW, having been on payroll since January; her debut indeed imminent.

The likely addition of Moné creates a slew of questions for the AEW women’s division — questions derived from a clear imbalance between the treatment of the women’s division when compared to the men’s division.

Using statistics from 2023, AEW gave its women only 19% of matches on Dynamite and 26.2% of matches on Rampage. Women’s match time proved to be even worse in 2023, with 14.9% given on Dynamite and 22.2% on Rampage. Those are just television percentages; PPV figures are even worse. All told, they are numbers that don’t exactly generate confidence in AEW’s ability to utilize a new addition to its women’s roster.

Let’s be honest: Moné is not just another addition, either. The Boss will undoubtedly bring in her own bigger-than-life fanbase. A fanbase that, for the most part, likely isn’t in the business of watching AEW product. The former WWE Horsewoman has a tried-and-true following clamoring for more action. When she does step back into the ring, the devotees are sure to follow.

This is a fact AEW knows and plans on benefiting from. AEW surely knows the edge and position of power Moné would provide with her presence. Tony Khan and crew have undoubtedly have paid for that leverage dearly. As such, it’s reasonable to believe Moné will be a fixture on AEW television. Her spot at the top is a given.

So, with the benefit of having Moné on the payroll and such a small amount of time given to the women’s division, where does that lead the rest of the roster? The women’s roster is already comparatively small, with a good number of talent out of action or rarely utilized. How can AEW create an atmosphere where a large part of its women’s division is allowed to thrive, while also ensuring their star signee is placed at the forefront?

The question is a hard one to answer. When analyzing the men’s roster, one can even see how the majority of that roster is not being used. Now take into account that the women of AEW are often given less than a quarter of the same exposure in the ring. Sure, a good chunk of women are currently stationed at Ring of Honor tapings, but that doesn’t answer the big question: Will the women’s division suffer or benefit from The Boss?

The argument has been made that Moné will only increase the value and significance of the women’s roster. With so many new eyes on the product, how can AEW not respond with an increase in visibility? The counterargument is also valid: Mercedes is one individual. AEW doesn’t necessarily need to respond with an increase in matches. More women of AEW could simply be benched.

While appearing for the Grit & Glitter podcast discussing the news, Warren Hayes argued that divisions are often built around one person when looking back at wrestling’s history.

“Divisions and promotions are often built around one person. There’s more than enough precedent in wrestling; Flair, Hogan, even Asuka back in her NXT days. Building a top star not only to topple, but to help create great matches, creates inherent hype and drama in matches, up and down the card. You just need the right person in that position and Mercedes is that: talented worker, superstar presence, business mover.”

There’s evidence that AEW hasn’t changed its numbers in response to any new woman signee. There’s also a consensus in some circles that the world title has always been the focus of the division, receiving the vast majority of time and investment, and every other story has been an afterthought. How often do we see women’s AEW storylines dissipate after a short run? Often, women have made stars out of themselves, in spite of the story given. That, systematically, can be seen across promotions, for both men and women.

There’s precedent for star power creating serious, positive change for a card. There’s also history to the contrary. When you look at how often athletes like Asuka are pushed into a placement unfitting of their level of talent, it’s fair to say that wrestling is always evolving, and predicting the outcome of any addition is nearly impossible. There are just too many revolving parts, and the level of time and interest the promotion places into the division as a whole is just one of them.

It’s not common that woman signees, huge or not, change the direction of an entire division, and in return, create opportunities that weren’t already there. The signing of Ronda Rousey is one example of how the introduction of a star can often backfire. The “it” factor of the WWE women’s division surely saw an increase for a time, but the attention and special treatment Rousey received was not beneficial to the rest of the division.

The fact remains that Moné’s presence can’t possibly create a positive trickle down effect if there isn’t time to give to the hype and drama. If there’s consistently only one woman’s match on a PPV, one women’s match on the flagship program and one well-pushed title, is it even possible to give intrigue to other stories? There’s not a history of AEW changing their approach with the women.

Simply put, you can’t compare what has occurred in the past and present between men and women wrestlers because they are not treated equal. In fact, there’s a long history of the exact opposite; a strong and extreme history, in some cases.

“Let it play out” is not a favorite phrase for most women’s wrestling fans, but in this case, it’s as good as any. Moné is an unprecedented signing for AEW, and that could mean an unprecedented change for their women’s division.

It’s also true that history repeats itself, as it’s proven to do so in many companies, and the result of her presence is just business as usual. It’s unsettling that AEW hasn’t put this amount of faith and trust into its women’s division already. The promotion has upped the ante in what is an assumed response to Moné, but that’s even more concerning. Why not provide time to the women AEW touted so proudly? When asked, Khan doesn’t pause for a second to brag about the women of the company. Why, then, wait until a huge signing to provide a noticeable difference in utilization?

Most of these challenges won’t be addressed until the what ifs become facts. The excited and cautious alike are jumping the gun when assuming the best or worst outcome. While the reports of Moné’s addition create bold scenarios in the minds of every fan, producing deep discussions worth exploring, nothing is certain. We will indeed, have to let it play out.

Mercedes Watch on red alert as AEW Dynamite heads to Boston next month

An upcoming AEW show just happens to be in the place Mercedes Moné calls home.

AEW Dynamite is going to Boston in mid-March. Mercedes Moné grew up in Boston and started her wrestling career there. Coincidence?

Many wrestling fans and observers think not. AEW hasn’t officially announced the show yet, but Ticketmaster has listed the Dynamite/Rampage taping for TD Garden with an on-sale date of this Saturday, Feb. 10.

That suggests that Moné will indeed be either the subject of or at least a big part of Tony Khan’s big announcement promoted for tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Phoenix. The timing for AEW to be able to sell tickets based on Moné’s star power almost dictates that the company reveal her signing now.

Moné, the former Sasha Banks in WWE, is one of the biggest free agents available in pro wrestling at the moment. She did a brief stint with STARDOM and New Japan Pro-Wrestling last spring, but has been out of action for more than eight months due to injury.

While she was recuperating, there was a period of intense speculation about where she’d sign next, including some hope from WWE fans that she’d make her way back there. However, industry insiders like Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp and Wrestling Observer/The Mat Men’s Andrew Zarian have been adamant that it was a question of when, not if, she would arrive in AEW.

It’s possible that date gets confirmed tonight. Having Moné back in the spotlight should make a lot of wrestling fans very happy, and it will be a big feather in AEW’s cap as it gets its schedule of big events for 2024 underway in earnest.

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