Sometimes it really is best to keep your enemies closer than your friends, which is what AEW World Champion Samoa Joe will be doing, at least in part, on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Tulsa.
When the fuse lights this evening, Joe will be part of a trios match that is ostensibly heels vs. faces. There’s just one pretty big catch: Swerve Strickland is on Joe’s team.
It’s safe to say that Strickland has been swerving (when he drives, sorry) toward fan favorite status over the past few months. But even more to this particular point, he’s also going to be battling Joe and Hangman Adam Page — who is on the opposite team tonight — for the world title at Revolution in a few weeks.
What motivation do Strickland and Joe have to work together? That’s not a rhetorical question as we really don’t know the answer.
There’s also something interesting brewing between FTR and the BCC. Both parties have the “take on all comers” mentality that meant a showdown of some sort was probably inevitable. That makes it feel like their fight tonight might not be the only one, and could lead to something at Revolution. Which … would be cool, even with no tag team titles on the line.
The only other matches advertised ahead of time for tonight are Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo hitting the ring, albeit not against each other. That means there must be some surprises in store, we just don’t know what those might be. You know what, though? We’re going to find out starting right now.
AEW Dynamite results from Tulsa:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
- Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) vs. FTR ends in a time-limit draw, with both teams eager to keep brawling afterward
- Renee Paquette catches up with Orange Cassidy, who’s been through quite a bit recently but is “barely” cleared to compete
- Alex Marvez gets a word with FTR, who suggests they run it back at Revolution, and an angry Castagnoli and Moxley show up and have to be held back from resuming the hostilities
- Orange Cassidy def. Mike Bennett by pinfall, then gets jumped by The Undisputed Kingdom after the bell until he’s saved by … Jake Hager?
- Paquette talks to Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho before they head off on their date; meanwhile an SUV pulls up and out hops (well, as much as possible at his age) Ric Flair
- Flair bumps into Paquette and says he’s upset he’s not more involved with Sting’s last match and vows to “explore some options” … which apparently means meeting with Matthew and Nicholas Jackson
- Daniel Garcia has a date with destiny against Christian Cage, and Matt Menard has Garcia’s back
- Paquette talks to Hangman Adam Page, Hook and Rob Van Dam, with Page saying tonight is full of opportunities for all of them, though he does it in a condescending way
- Toni Storm def. Sydni Winnell by submission in a short match, using Deonna Purrazzo’s Venus de Milo to do it
- Deonna Purrazzo def. Madison Rayne by submission, using Storm’s Break a Leg finisher; afterward, Storm hits the ring with a shoe, and a distraction from Mariah May allows Toni to get the upper hand, lock in her finisher and then put on way too much lipstick afterward (seriously)
- Darby Allin and Sting have a message for the Jacksons: The Bucks were the first ones ever to mess with Sting’s own flesh and blood; Sting is also dealing with the passing of his father, reminding him that time catches up with all of us, so Sting vows to bring everything he has left to give the Jacksons “the fight of your life”
- Wardlow gets some interview time to say he’s been pissed off for about two years after his big push ended with him being screwed over and over again; he notes the beatings he gave CM Punk (not by name, but still), MJF and Samoa Joe and calls himself the uncrowned king of AEW before storming out, damn
- The Bang Bang Scissor Gang comes up with a new combination for their next trios match
- Don Callis discusses why he’s having Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita and that the Family will be looking for Sammy Guevara at Rampage
- Brian Cage, Swerve Strickland and Samoa Joe def. Hook, Rob Van Dam and Hangman Adam Page by submission as Joe submits RVD
Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) and FTR settle nothing in intense 20-minute draw
Not too shabby for an opener, eh? Castagnoli and Cash Wheeler are keen to go right at each other out the gate, with Wheeler finally getting the upper hand by hitting a low dropkick and tagging in his partner.
Claudio turns the tables on Dax with a body slam and gives Mox the chance to get in some work. Some stiff chops ring out in both directions, no surprise given who we’re talking about.
Wheeler ends up sending Moxley to the floor when he’s once again the legal man, and Mox takes a second to consult with his partner. Wheeler and Moxley trade headbutts, fists and other goodness until all four men are in on the action at once. Wheeler comes off the top rope with a double clothesline, and double dropkicks send both members of BCC out to the floor again.
Harwood is teeing off on Moxley but gets caught from behind by a Castagnoli uppercut. A tope suicida by Mox is on the mark, but he’s sent into the steel steps in return.
Moxley ends up taking a beating from both opponents in the FTR corner, strangely getting some boos from the fans. Harwood puts Mox in an abdominal stretch, and FTR takes a shortcut for some extra leverage when the ref isn’t looking.
A low dropkick gives Wheeler the chance to mock one of Claudio’s trademark taunts, and FTR catapults Moxley’s throat into the bottom rope. Mox could really use a tag, and his ridiculous lariat out of the corner to Harwood earns him the space to make it.
Claudio goes nuts with uppercuts in the corner, and the fans cheer as he signals for the Giant Swing. Wheeler saves his partner from that fate, but Castagnoli is powerful enough to hoist up both his foes and drop them straight backward. Claudio covers Dax but gets only a two count.
A stuff piledriver by both members of BCC has Harwood in serious trouble as we head to side-by-side commercials.
He’s still fighting through it on the other side of the break, and fortunately fight is something Dax has plenty of. Wheeler finally gets the hot tag and unleashes a whole bunch of offense, earning a two count on Mox as the 15-minute mark passes.
Neither team is able to get a double team move worked out, eventually leaving Moxley and Wheeler to slug it out even though Harwood is legal. Dax takes advantage by coming off the top rope, nearly but not quite winning it.
The BCC have thoughts of a Doomsday Device only to be foiled by Harwood, who sets off a series of moves that leads to his getting caught in the Giant Swing. Moxley dropkicks him to end it and covers for a close two.
Mox gets the hooks in from behind on a choke on Harwood, but the other two combatants come crashing down on top of them. Less than two minutes remain.
After some more strikes, Harwood locks in a Sharpshooter on Moxley, and Wheeler suplexes Castagnoli to prevent him from breaking the hold. Claudio puts Wheeler in a Sharpshooter and exchanges slaps with Dax, and a wild sequence leads to a pinfall attempt by Moxley and another near fall.
FTR wants the Shatter Machine on Mox, but the bell rings as the 20-minute time limit has elapsed. The fans don’t like that. Neither do the competitors, who start brawling until officials and security can separate them. Claudio gets a choke on Dax from the apron, but even more people are there trying to break stuff up.
Daniel Garcia has a date with destiny against Christian Cage
Tony Schiavone calls Garcia to the ring and delivers some good news: Garcia will get a shot at Christian Cage and the TNT Championship at Revolution. Garcia says he was down bad recently and thanks the fans for picking him back up every time. He vows to see Adam Copeland again, and that he’ll be wearing the TNT title when he does.
Naturally, that brings out Cage and The Patriarchy. The TNT Champion says he doesn’t think they should wrestle at Revolution, not because Garcia is not worthy, but because he’s not ready. Cage thinks he’s easily distracted, primarily by wanting to please the fans.
On top of that, Cage says Garcia had a pretty dark childhood, which of course leads to Christian pointing out that Garcia’s father is dead and was an alcoholic while he was alive. Geez.
Cage ends by saying he wants to be Garcia’s father, to which Daniel offers to “put you in the ground right next to him.” Cage sends Nick Wayne into the ring instead, and the youngster quickly ends up in a submission hold.
Killswitch is next, but Matt Menard waffles him with a steel chair. That’s the end of those pleasantries for now.
Samoa Joe leads his team to victory despite friendly fire from Swerve
Joe and Hook start out for their respective sides, with Joe’s power giving him the early edge. Hook uses the ropes to get the velocity he needs to send the champ to the mat, but Joe pops right back up and hammers Hook in the corner.
Cage takes over and continues to punish Hook, who gets RVD into the action. His efforts at a monkey flip go for naught, and now he’s taking it on the chin from Swerve … until he isn’t. Hangman tags himself in and finds himself nose to nose with bitter rival Strickland. Time for some side-by-side.
Hook takes some extended punishment while the crowd chants for RVD. Cage gets countered by Hook into something of a DDT, allowing him to make the hot tag to Van Dam (and upsetting Page, who wanted the tag).
RVD’s trademark flurry includes Rolling Thunder on Strickland and a Five-Star Frog Splash on Cage, but Joe breaks up the ensuing pin. Swerve hammers Hangman with a high boot. Joe has RVD in trouble just as more side-by-side ads arrive.
There’s still peril aplenty for Van Dam after the broadcast returns, but he’s able to drop Joe so both sides can make tags. Page goes right after Strickland, who isn’t legal, and Cage, who most definitely is. Hangman goes off the top but is caught by Cage, though he’s able to free himself for a Death Valley Driver and a near fall.
Now everyone’s getting in on the action in a rapid fire sequence of moves. A multi-person superplex is in there too, after which Hook gets Redrum on Cage only to see him tag out to Joe. Swerve stumbles into Redrum but frees himself, making the House Call on Hook. answered by Page’s Buckshot on Cage.
That leaves the three men vying for the world title at Reovlution in the ring together, though of course two of them are on the same team tonight. Joe flies to the ring with a tope for Page, and Swerve laughs but his kick accidentally nails Joe, and Hangman powerbombs him through the announce table.
Back in the ring, Joe hits a powerslam on Page for a two count. Hangman escapes from a Muscle Buster attempt, then Hook suplexes the world champ. RVD wants to fly but gets pushed down by Cage, who wipes out Hook with a lariat.
After all that, Joe gets a choke applied on RVD, and he’s soon out, giving the champ’s team a hard fought victory.
