Tag: Minoru Suzuki

AEW Dynamite results 01/24/24: Adam Copeland survives Minoru Suzuki

AEW Dynamite also set up a tag team title match and new challenges for Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page.

It’s time to light the fuse for a dream match kind of night on AEW Dynamite from Savannah.

Actually, no, scratch that. Adam Copeland vs. Minoru Suzuki is more like a fever dream, the product of some random half-awake ranting at some point. It’s not a pairing we ever thought to even ask for at any point, honestly.

Yet it should be great. The Rated-R Superstar taking on Murder Grandpa is not the kind of thing Copeland’s “Cope Open” matches have typically been to this point, which is him working with talent that doesn’t always get enough exposure.

Suzuki is pretty much the exact opposite of that. But Copeland has also said he wanted the Cope Open to be unpredictable, and tonight’s showdown definitely qualifies in that respect.

Speaking of unpredictable, that term should also apply to Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo having a face-to-face interview. The AEW Women’s World Champion has been typically dismissive of The Virtuosa ever since her arrival in AEW, but Purrazzo has had the type of in-ring success that is pretty much unavoidable now. Add in some real life history between them (whether Timeless Toni chooses to remember it or not) and you have the makings of a fun program.

We’ll also hear from Sting and Darby Allin, see Thunder Rosa in action again, scissor with The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, and much more. Light the fuse.

AEW Dynamite results from Savannah:

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

  • Samoa Joe tells Hook to get to the back of the line for a world title shot
  • Hangman Adam Page def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall with Joe watching from the commentary table; afterwards, Page yells “I am taking that from you” to Joe
  • Renee Paquette speaks with Orange Cassidy, who says it’s fine that Roderick Strong wants to challenge him at Revolution, but he’s also going to keep wrestling in the meantime, including this week on Collision

  • The Young Bucks have arrived, saying they’ve fixed catering, and they give Top Flight of not being at the show on time or wearing their credentials

  • Wardlow def. Trent Beretta by pinfall; Best Friends hit the ring to prevent a post-match beating, and the Undisputed Kingdom convinces Wardlow not to press the issue at the moment
  • Adam Copeland cuts a promo for his main event meeting with Minoru Suzuki and says you can sum it up with three words: grit your teeth
  • Renee Paquette sits down with Deonna Purrazzo and Toni Storm, who exchange some verbal jabs and real shoe-throws
  • Jon Moxley puts over the titles and victories the Blackpool Combat Club has piled up but says they spend zero time celebrating, because that’s the way they stay as hungry as they need to be; Mox says he will beat and pulverize everyone who isn’t willing to step up and give their all this year, and he’s very believable when he says it

  • Taya Valkyrie and Johnny TV reintroduce themselves, and Valkyrie challenges Purrazzo to a match next week, vowing to send her to “the back of the line”
  • Swerve Strickland def. Jeff Hardy by pinfall
  • Paquette is caught in the middle as Swerve and Hangman nearly come to blows, and she tells them that they’ll get to choose the match for the other man next week on Dynamite in a pair of “Dealer’s Choice” bouts

  • Thunder Rosa def. Red Velvet by pinfall
  • Darby Allin and Sting hold court, discuss going after the tag team titles
  • Big Bill and Ricky Starks accept the challenge from Allin and Sting, apparently because they’re happy the face painted duo mentioned them by name
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass def. Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage and Gates of Agony) by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship, getting some help from Bullet Club Gold to prevent chicanery
  • One final Serena Deeb highlight video is shown before she returns on Saturday
  • Adam Copeland def. Minoru Suzuki by pinfall
  • After the match, Copeland offers a show of respect to Suzuki, who refuses it, and says he’s still coming for Christian Cage

Samoa Joe says title shots will need to be earned, Hook needs to get to the back of the line

Looking spiffy in a suit, the AEW World Champion says from now on, title opportunities must be earned. Your favorite superstars are all going to battle it out for the right to challenge for his gold.

Alas, Joe says all it’s going to mean is an opportunity to have the worst night of their life. A man who kind of experienced that last week interrupts, as Hook makes his way to the ring … with a mic in hand, unusually.

Hook says he lost and shakes Joe’s hand, promising that he’ll see Joe again. But the champ isn’t as gracious, asking for security to get “the unworthy” out of the ring. A few arm drags and such later, Hook leaves on his own instead of being escorted out by guards.

Hangman Adam Page goes to 3-0 in 2024 by beating Penta El Zero Miedo

With the announcers reminding us the rankings are returning Saturday, that makes this match a little more important, as does Samoa Joe watching on guest commentary. Page scores the first near fall after a rolling shooting star press, then goes to work in the corner.

Joe taunts Hangman a bit but Page stares daggers at him in return. A bottom rope legdrop (yes, that’s right) earns a two count for Penta, and he escapes a Deadeye attempt to trade strikes. A double clothesline finally sends both men down to the mat, perfect for sending us to picture-in-picture.

The full broadcast returns just in time to catch Penta flying to the outside, though he has to pull up on a second aerial move inside the ring and gets caught with a Death Valley Driver for two. Penta fires right back with another near fall before zeroing in on Page’s right arm.

Hangman hurls his foe away and then connects on a Liger Bomb for another two count. A series of counters leads to a Made in Japan by Penta, and Hangman barely kicks out in time. Joe is shown looking a little upset, perhaps hoping Page would be pinned.

Out to the apron they go, where Penta is hit by the Deadeye and a moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Penta evades one Buckshot but not the second, and the cowboy is your winner.

Deonna Purrazzo, Toni Storm share some of their past, but a violent future awaits

The AEW World Champion is in black and white, and while she admits they have a past together, Toni says that doesn’t mean Deonna can waltz right to the front of the line. Storm admits that Purrazzo might be the best technical wrestler in the world, but it’s not going to help her if they meet.

The Virtuosa says she didn’t come to AEW to make friends but to become champion. It just so happens that Storm used to be her friend, but Purrazzo will gladly take her apart limb by limb. Deonna also doesn’t want to face this “delusional sham” but the version of Toni that was once one of the best in the world.

Purrazzo says Storm should look at her ankle because it should look a lot like hers, and the two women reveal identical tattoos. Toni doesn’t take kindly to that and throws a shoe at Deonna, who throws it right back and tries to apply the Venus De Milo. The champ needs to be bailed out by Luther and Mariah May, and Deonna poses with the title belt before tossing it to the butler.

Darby Allin convinces Sting to pursue tag team gold before he hangs it up

Allin tells the story of when Sting first was announced as coming to AEW, rolling around in the ring at his house and telling the Icon “you still got it.” He thinks the fans would agree that’s still the case, and with the rankings coming back, Allin believes they should take advantage of that and challenge for the tag team titles.

Sting says alright, I’m all in. No, not that All In, sorry. But clearly he’s on board with going after Big Bill and Ricky Starks.

Adam Copeland survives, pins Minoru Suzuki

The crowd starts a “holy s–t” chant right away, anticipating the chops and forearms that come soon enough. Suzuki tries for a Gotch style piledriver but get back body dropped instead.

Suzuki goes for an armbar across the top rope but ends up eating a big boot. He catches Copeland with a knee coming toward the apron and drags Adam out to the floor. They go stumbling back through the barricade together in painful fashion.

Both men barely beat the ref’s 10 count, sliding in together at nine. Suzuki laughs, as he does, before they start smashing each other with elbows and forearms on their knees, then up to their feet. Here come the slaps, which end up knocking them both down at the same time.

Suzuki slugs his way into an armbar attempt, but Copeland counters with an Impaler. Dueling chants break out for each man as they rise slowly again. Copeland heads in for a spear but is countered by a Fujiwara armbar, forcing Copeland to a rope break.

Now Suzuki goes for a rear choke in the corner, but Copeland gets loose and hits a spear for a close two count. Suzuki scoots over and applies a sleeper with his legs hooked in as well. Copeland nearly escapes it before sinking to his knees with his face turning purple.

After the ref checks him once, Copeland is up and manages to hit the Killswitch, which is enough to win it.

 

AEW Dynamite preview 01/24/24: Murder Grandpa comes for Adam Copeland

Also on AEW Dynamite from Savannah, Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page will be in action tonight.

Thank goodness it’s been a quiet week in pro wrestling and we can all just concentrate on the shows, right? Sarcasm aside, it’s time to get back to actual matches and stories and such tonight on AEW Dynamite in Savannah, including a match we never thought we’d see.

Adam Copeland vs. Minoru Suzuki sounds like something from a wrestling sim

Though Adam Copeland has been using his “Cope Open” challenge matches each week to help highlight younger talent, he certainly is going in a different direction this week against Minoru Suzuki. Yes, we can barely comprehend that we’re typing that either.

This is a matchup between two legends from very different backgrounds and parts of the world, and it’s likely a once in a lifetime deal. That works for us.

Hangman and Swerve seem like they’re still tied together

Even though Swerve Strickland has already defeated Hangman Adam Page twice, the ill will between them is palpable and ongoing. Both men are in action tonight against different foes (Swerve vs. Jeff Hardy, Hangman vs. Penta El Zero Miedo) that you’d expect them to beat.

But then what? The reason they can’t break free from each other right now is that they both have their eyes and hearts set on the AEW World Championship held by Samoa Joe. Can one of them definitively move in line in front of the other, or might there be a Triple Threat match in their future?

What will Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo say when they’re face to face?

Deonna Purrazzo has only been All Elite for a few weeks and she’s already catapulted herself right into the mix for the AEW Women’s World Championship. Her bemused exasperation with the wrestler who holds that title, Toni Storm, is understandable: The Virtuosa knew Toni before she was Timeless, after all.

The guess here is that these two would have a heck of a title match against each other, but AEW is wisely taking things fairly slow and giving them more chances to interact. We’ll have a big one tonight on Dynamite, with the two women in a face-to-face interview that should be entertaining.

Also slated for Dynamite from Savannah:

  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass defend their Trios titles against the Mogul Embassy
  • Wardlow takes on Trent Beretta
  • We’ll hear from Sting and Darby Allin live

Set aside two hours to light the fuse starting at 8 p.m. ET, or simply join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for live Dynamite results as they happen.

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday results 10/10/23: New champs, overlapping feuds on super-sized show

See who won titles on AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday, and if Adam Copeland won his AEW in-ring debut.

It’s not that often that Tuesday night is the night for a big pro wrestling showdown. Monday night, sure, as they were the stuff of legend once upon a time. More recently it was Wednesday nights where a young AEW Dynamite and WWE’s NXT were on against each other, but that ended when NXT departed for Tuesdays. Alas, Dynamite was bumped up to Tuesday this week by the MLB Playoffs, putting them in direct competition for again one week only.

Happily, both companies took this very calmly and are proceeding like it’s business as usual.

Wait, what’s that? You say this is pro wrestling so they actually did the exact opposite of that?

That tracks. We’re here to talk about the AEW Dynamite part of this equation, which Tony Khan and company have dubbed Title Tuesday or Title Fight Tuesday depending on which X post we’re talking about. There are championship matches, sure. Saraya vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship for one. Rey Fenix vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW International Championship for another.

But there’s more, including the AEW in-ring debut of Adam Copeland, the artist formerly known as Edge. Plus the first 30 minutes will be sans commercials, and Khan says he’s secured an overrun as well.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s even a Buy-In pre-show like this was a pay-per-view, and no big deal, it just has Eddie Kingston vs. Minoru Suzuki. Damn.

With that in mind, let’s get into some live updates, shall we?

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday Buy-In results:

  • Renee Paquette and RJ City run down the full Title Tuesday card
  • Eddie Kingston def. Minoru Suzuki by pinfall to retain the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship and ROH World Championship Championship; after the bell, they exchange a few extra chops as a show of respect
  • Tony Khan provides an update: Jon Moxley is not cleared by AEW doctors, but Rey Fenix will still defend his International Championship tonight; Hook stops by and says it has to be Orange Cassidy since he never got a rematch, and he accepts in typically unenthusiastic fashion

AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday results from Independence:

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

  • Christian Cage has a message for Bryan Danielson and Swerve Strickland, and also says Luchasaurus will end things for Adam Copeland; he also says he got the first 20 minutes commercial-free, heh
  • Bryan Danielson def. Swerve Strickland by pinfall to earn a TNT Championship shot at Collision after Hangman Adam Page prevents the use of Prince Nana’s crown as a weapon
  • Samoa Joe says he is about to show why he’s on the way to becoming AEW World Champion as well, starting this Saturday on Collision
  • Powerhouse Hobbs def. Chris Jericho by pinfall
  • Roderick Strong still has Adam Cole around, delaying his surgery and such
  • Orange Cassidy def. Rey Fenix by pinfall to become the new AEW International Champion, his second reign with the title
  • “Timeless” Toni Storm tells RJ City she has a new film called “Lover’s Lament,” which is a silent picture that plays during a side-by-side commercial break
  • Wardlow def. Matt Sydal by pinfall
  • Paquette tries to get a medical update on Jericho, and Matt Menard gets upset at Daniel Garcia for trying to check on The Ocho too
  • Jay White def. Hangman Adam Page by pinfall, thanks in part to Prince Nana’s attempted interference
  • MJF comes out to the stage to demand his world title belt back, and the crowd chants something obscene at White; MJF says he’s trying to be a better man even though it’s hard and explains why the title means so much to him, challenging White to do the right thing too — which doesn’t go well, with White saying they can do an eight-man tag team match and Juice Robinson saying he’s about to win the Dynamite Diamond Ring next week
  • Hikaru Shida def. Saraya by pinfall to become the new AEW Women’s World Champion, beginning her third title reign
  • Paquette catches up with MJF, who says politely that he isn’t in the mood to be interviewed and just wants to call Adam Cole for advice; he actually gets through to Cole, but the connection sucks and the call is cut off, but at least The Acclaimed offers to be his tag team partners …
  • … also, Daddy Ass and Anthony Bowens want to know why Max Caster is so infatuated with MJF, and Max says they’re friends — and that he likes when Max plays hard to get
  • Cage comes to the ring with Luchasaurus and mocks Adam Copeland, specifically his time with The Judgment Day and their time together in the past, saying Copeland needs him but he doesn’t need Adam; he also tells Copeland’s daughters their new father is coming home, and when Copeland sprints to the ring, Nick Wayne follows him and lays him out from behind; the ref checks on Adam but a match is underway
  • Adam Copeland def. Luchasaurus by pinfall …
  • … and gets attacked after the bell, setting off a wild brawl that involves Cage and his henchmen, Swerve Strickland and the Mogul Embassy, the Blackpool Combat Club and Hangman; the final shot sees Cage tapping out symbolically to Danielson’s LeBell Lock

AEW Dynamite preview 10/10/23: Title Tuesday will start early, run long

AEW is loading up its special Title Tuesday Dynamite, which will even have its own Buy-In pre-show.

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Tuesday is generally one of the calmer nights of any given week in pro wrestling, but that’s definitely not the case for tonight. As a result, AEW is loading up a special Tuesday night episode of Dynamite that is not just themed as Title Tuesday but also will have its own Buy-In pre-show, feature 30 minutes without commercials and reportedly have an overrun as well.

Why all the fuss? Well, once it became clear that Dynamite would have to switch nights this week due to the MLB Playoffs on TBS, it left the show head to head with WWE’s NXT — and at the exact same time as well. WWE spent several weeks reinforcing its broadcast with stars of the past (The Undertaker?!?) and present, to which AEW did the only sensible thing: It started loading up Dynamite too.

The result should be a show fans won’t want to miss, which we suppose is the point. It will start with the Buy-In, a 30-minute pre-show on YouTube and social media that features Eddie Kingston defending both his ROH and NJPW Strong championships against the legendary Minoru Suzuki. Yes, on the pre-show.

Once the broadcast begins in earnest on TBS, there’s a whole mess of goodness on the way, beginning with the first 30 minutes commercial-free. It may include the in-ring AEW debut of Adam Copeland as he takes on Luchasaurus. Or the first part of the show could be where we see Powerhouse Hobbs battle Chris Jericho, or Jay White vs. Hangman Adam Page for the first time since their NJPW days, or perhaps a TNT Championship No. 1 contenders match pitting Swerve Strickland against Bryan Danielson.

And since the show is dubbed Title Tuesday, it has to have championship matches — two, as it turns out. One will see Saraya put the AEW Women’s World Championship on the line against former champ Hikaru Shida. The other will be the third meeting between Rey Fenix and Jon Moxley as the latter tries to reclaim the AEW International Championship from the former.

That already sounds like a lot, but AEW is also promoting appearances from world champion MJF and “Timeless” Toni Storm, which might be why there are reports that Tony Khan has secured an overrun for Dynamite from TBS. The Buy-In begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with the show following at 8 p.m., so be sure to either be watching, set your DVR or join us here at Wrestling Junkie for what sounds like a wild ride on Title Tuesday.

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WWE vs. AEW Tuesday night battle should be a lot of fun

Tonight’s the night: WWE and AEW are pulling out all the stops for their rare Tuesday head-to-head battle.

Wake up, wrestling fans. It’s Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. You know what that means?

It’s time for Tuesday Night Wrestling Promotion Fights!

In one corner, you have AEW, which was forced to move Dynamite to Tuesday due to the MLB postseason. AEW gave fans some incentive to tune in Tuesday night by having Adam Copeland make his in-ring debut for the promotion.

In the other corner, we have the show that typically resides on Tuesdays, NXT, which decided to counter AEW with John Cena, Paul Heyman, Asuka, Cody Rhodes, and based off a not-so-subtle gong at the end of the promo for the show, possibly even The Undertaker.

Then NXT announced before Raw that the first 30 minutes of Tuesday’s show would be commercial free.

Just when it looked like AEW was already down on the mat, the promotion answered back via some fiery Tony Khan posts on X. First, he announced that the first 30 minutes of Dynamite will also be commercial-free.

He then made sure to note that this was indeed a response to WWE stacking NXT with major names that normally DO NOT appear on that program.

Then Khan raised the stakes by announcing a dream match between Eddie Kingston and Minoru Suzuki. Just casually. Not to mention that this will be happening on the pre-show…for an episode of Dynamite.

Good god. 

Neither promotion is even hiding it at this point. This is going to be an all out wrestling promotion fight. You thought we had Tribal Combat at SummerSlam? Well, buckle up, fam. You’re about to see the REAL tribal combat tonight.

Social media will be ablaze with hot takes, I’m sure. Wrestling fans should feel too blessed to be stressed at this point, but telling them to relax is an exercise in futility. So instead of trying to stamp out the flames, I’m going to stoke them. 

That is right, I am here to instigate the madness for once. Call me messy if you want to. I don’t care. I am here for the sneak disses both sides may throw on television. I will also be here for the discourse that will take place during and especially after the shows are off the air. 

Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tune out before it gets too toxic. I still have my limits.

But until it gets to that point, I will enjoy this day. That is because days like this are unique. Days like this are wild. Days like this are fun.

I am here to embrace the chaos that will be this day. And this time, I am advocating for wrestling fans to do so as well.

Watch: Minoru Suzuki wrestling on a bullet train is the best wrestling thing you’ll see this week

No big deal, just Murder Grandpa having a match right there in the aisle.

Sometimes you’re just on a bullet train in Japan and it’s a normal, unremarkable day. And other times, one of the most feared pro wrestlers in the world over the last few decades, Minoru Suzuki, is on the train too.

Having a match. Right there in the aisle.

Yes, Murder Grandpa wasn’t just a passenger, but an active participant in a match against Sanshiro Takagi for DDT Pro-Wrestling. Thanks to footage shared by the Central Japan Railway Company via ABC News, you can watch them duke it out right amidst the travelers.

Dig that Gotch-style piledriver and the reaction from the passengers!

As TDE Wrestling reminds us, this is hardly the first time Takagi and Suzuki have battled somewhere other than between the ropes. But was it the first time Suzuki-san had a match on a train, even given all the things he’s done in his illustrious career? We’re guessing the answer is yes.

If you want to see more of this particular flavor of pro wrestling that DDT does so well, you can watch their shows on the Wrestle Universe streaming service. Or just, you know, hope that Suzuki and Takagi randomly end up battling right where you are someday.

Which isn’t impossible, now that we think about it.

Forbidden Door 2023 results: Naito, Sting combine to get a fun win

A fun six-man tag featured some AEW and NJPW icons at Forbidden Door.

Sting is in full Joker makeup for this one, the first time he’s done that in a while. The announcers mention the choice of Tetsuya Naito as a partner is partially to get in the head of Chris Jericho, which it definitely is.

Naito starts the match against Sammy Guevara, matching trademark poses early on. Naito manages to hit a couple moves in quick succession, then tags in Darby Allin. Guevara gives way to Minoru Suzuki, but Allin decides to stand and trade with him. That might be a mistake, so he switches to wrestling instead.

Sting gets a big reaction as he steps in against Suzuki. Minoru shakes off requests for a tag from Jericho but relents so the two icons can stand across from each other for the first time. Before they can throw down, Suzuki rushes in and all six men follow.

The ring clears so Sting and Jericho can trade punches for the first time in the same match. Jericho misses a corner charge and ends up in the Scorpion Deathlock. Guevara tries for a top rope stunner from the far side of the ring and basically smashes Sting’s head into the canvas.

Sammy and Chris hit a double shoulder tackle, and all three heels pose. Guevara hands out corner punches to Sting, who escapes and tags Allin back in. He hits a Code Red on Guevara for a near fall, but Sammy answers with a Spanish Fly for two.

Guevara tries his own take on the Stinger Splash and mostly misses, and now he and Darby are both down. Naito and Jericho tag in to face each other, with Naito hitting a swinging neckbreaker as the announcers mention their battles in 2018-19.

All three heels grab sleepers at once, but Sting and Darby escape and Allin launches into his cannonball tope to Suzuki. He tries one on Jericho too, but The Ocho counters with a well-timed Judas Effect.

Jericho gets a table out and sets it up on the floor. Sting ends up on that table, but Jericho and Guevara argue about what’s next. Sammy relents and hits  630 splash that puts the Icon through the table.

Naito and Jericho battle it out, and somehow Sting is already back up. Jericho hits a Codebreaker amidst the chaos, but Naito kicks out at two. He’s in trouble and Sting looks gassed.

Not for long, however, as he comes in and gives Naito the break he needs to do a running rollup and pin Suzuki.

Jericho goes after Naito with his bat, Floyd, but Sting disarms Jericho and the heels limp away.

Click here for full Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results: All the winners from Toronto

AEW and NJPW come together once again for Forbidden Door. See who had their hands raised in Toronto.

It’s time to see which side of the Forbidden Door reigns supreme.

For the second straight year, AEW and NJPW are coming together to do something that only a few years ago would have been unthinkable, putting some of the top pro wrestling stars from North America and Japan (and all around the world, frankly) together on one massive card.

Following the success of the first Forbidden Door last year in Chicago, the sequel is coming to us from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. If anything, the card for 2023 looks even better than the original, with most of both companies’ big stars participating.

The night will start and end with big matches. The AEW World Championship is on the line right off the bat, with MJF (reluctantly, as is his wont) defending his title against the Ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi. The main event is a dream meeting between two of the very best wrestlers on the planet over the last 10-15 years, Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

Yet neither may be the best bout of the night. That honor could very well go to a rematch of a pairing that many consider a top candidate for match of the year, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. The two men absolutely thrilled during their first meeting at Wrestle Kingdom in January, where Omega prevailed. Ospreay will pull out all the stops to get his win back, and there’s no reason to think the result won’t once again be spectacular.

We’ll be updating this post in real time as the action plays out.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 results from Toronto:

(click any match with a link for full details)

AEW Collision results: Toronto isn’t Punk Country (but it does like Naito)

See the final matches and actions of AEW and NJPW’s finest the night before Forbidden Door on AEW Collision.

If someone had come back in time from 2023 to tell a slightly younger version of me that “hey, there’s a second big U.S. wrestling promotion and they work hand in hand with New Japan Pro-Wrestling,” younger me would have thought, “wow, that sounds pretty cool!” And as it turns out, it definitely is, as we’ll see tonight on the second episode of AEW Collision.

As you no doubt are already aware, AEW and NJPW are teaming up for their second annual Forbidden Door supershow Sunday night in Toronto. But as it turns out, a bunch of wrestlers from both companies will also be in action tonight.

One very intriguing crossover match has already captured our imaginations. Swerve Strickland has been superb these last few months as a heel, even though AEW hasn’t exactly booked him toward the top of the card. That hard work pays off on Collision, when he’ll take on none other than New Japan’s Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi. It should be a really fun matchup, to say the least.

The main event has some of the flavor of last week’s, with CM Punk and FTR joining forces once again, this time adding Ricky Starks to the mix. Bullet Club Gold is on the other side for the second straight week as well, bolstered by The Gunns. Could Jay White and company have some other devious tricks up their sleeves? You can’t put it past them.

We’ll also see Miro and Andrade El Idolo, plus another first round match in the Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Plus Darby Allin and Sting will announce their mystery partner for Forbidden Door. Sounds like a fun two hours, and we’re looking forward to recapping it.

AEW Collision results from Toronto:

  • CM Punk, FTR and Ricky Starks do a cold open of sorts, along with the other side of the main event: Bullet Club Gold and The Gunns
  • Tony Schiavone calls out Darby Allin and Sting, but he gets Chris Jericho instead, flanked by Minoru Suzuki, and they plan on torturing Schiavone to tell them who the mystery partner is; happily for Schiavone, Allin and Sting come out and tell Jericho their partner is someone who already kicked Jericho’s ass … at the Tokyo Dome … yep, it’s Tetsuya Naito, who appears in the flesh to confront Jericho in the ring

  • Miro says he’s been in exile for almost a year, but says he must walk alone so he has renounced his god, his gold and his beautiful wife

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Swerve Strickland by pinfall, then saw MJF on the big screen promising to embarrass him and claiming he asked Tony Khan for their match to lead off Forbidden Door

  • Andrade El Idolo def. Brody King by disqualification after Buddy Matthews invades the ring while King is about to submit to the Figure Eight, and the House of Black teammates administer quite the beating
  • Christian Cage and Luchasaurus come to the ring to talk with Schiavone, and Cage spends his time running down his own hometown and acting like he’s the TNT Champion, not Luchasaurus

  • A video package hypes the field of the Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament

  • Willow Nightingale def. Nyla Rose by pinfall in a Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match; The Outcasts surround the ring after the match, but Skye Blue runs down with a chair to deter an ambush
  • Scorpio Sky says he wasn’t thrilled by the video package last week because he let his first big break control him, so now everyone will find out who he really is
  • Powerhouse Hobbs def. Jeremy Prophet by pinfall
  • Bullet Club Gold and The Gunns def. Ricky Starks, FTR and CM Punk as Jay White pins Starks

AEW Dynamite results 06/21/23: Leave the (Forbidden) Door open

Chicago hosts the final AEW Dynamite before Forbidden Door, and we’re tracking the action live.

We’re just four days away from Forbidden Door 2023, where the worlds of AEW and NJPW will once again collide, this time in Toronto. But unlike last year, tonight’s final AEW Dynamite before the supershow isn’t even the go home show.

The arrival of Collision has seen to that, giving Tony Khan and the brain trust behind the collaboration time to add matches almost literally right up to the last minute. That said, there should definitely be more pieces of the Forbidden Door puzzle that fall into place tonight in Chicago, and there will definitely be New Japan talent in the house.

Two of the promoted matches for tonight are proof of that. One will see Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata team up to tangle with Zack Sabre Jr. and Daniel Garcia. There’s a pretty decent chance this tag team bout is going to set up Cassidy vs. ZSJ in Toronto, a matchup yours truly would love to see.

In trios action, Minoru Suzuki will once again align himself with Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. But things have changed since last year, as Suzuki no longer has his army behind him, and Jericho and Guevara aren’t exactly best buds these days either.

We will, of course, hear from a number of people, including Bryan Danielson, who has a high profile Forbidden Door match already lined up against Kazuchika Okada, and Adam Cole, who does not. There have also been reports that a certain favorite son of Chicago is in the building and may appear, and if you need me to tell you who that is, congrats on taking your first dive into pro wrestling. Hope you enjoy it enough to stick around.

Let’s dive into it, shall we Chicago?

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

  • The Gunns def. The Hardys by pinfall after a distraction from Bullet Club Gold, who proceed to help beat down Jeff and Matt after the bell; Ricky Starks and FTR join the fray on the side of the fan favorites, as does … CM Punk, who helps clear the ring and says the two groups can settle things in the ring on Collision

  • A video package promotes the Concession Stand Brawl between Jeff Jarrett and Mark Briscoe, which is well timed because it leads right into …
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Mark Briscoe by pinfall in a Concession Stand Brawl that sees Sonjay Dutt, Karen Jarrett, Papa Briscoe, Christopher Daniels, Best Friends and Lucha Bros. all get involved

  • Blackpool Combat Club and Konosuke Takeshita challenge The Elite to a 10-man tag (they’ll also have Shota Umino on their team) at Forbidden Door, while Bryan Danielson says he’s going to the ring to call out Kazuchika Okada and that the Rainmaker is a coward if he doesn’t show up

  • Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara and Minoru Suzuki def. Action Andretti, AR Fox and Darius Martin by submission when Jericho gets Martin to tap out to the Lion Tamer
  • Renee Paquette talks to the winners after the bell, giving Jericho a chance to call out Sting and challenge him, Darby Allin and a partner of their choice to a match at Forbidden Door; Sting and Allin come to the ring to accept and say they’ll reveal their partner at Collision

  • Tony Schiavone and RJ City kick off the draw for the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament, the brackets for which will be unveiled next week on Dynamite
  • The Elite (in a pre-taped bit, we assume) acknowledge the challenge from the BCC, but they say they have friends all over and a lot of people hate the BCC too … like Eddie Kingston, who also says he’ll pick the fifth member of their team and make the announcement

  • Adam Cole hits the ring to give the Devil his due, admitting that MJF gave him one of the toughest matches of his career last week and calling out the champ to talk rematch; but not only does MJF refuse, Tony Schiavone informs them they’re a tag team for the tournament, but that’s not all …
  • … because Hiroshi Tanahashi appears on the big screen to remind MJF of the challenge the Ace made for Forbidden Door, and Cole manages to goad the AEW World Champion into accepting

  • Daniel Garcia and Zack Sabre Jr. def. Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall as Garcia pins Shibata following a miscommunication by Cassidy and Shibata
  • Alex Marvez catches up with Will Ospreay, who doubles down on his criticism of Canada, to which Don Callis blames Kenny Omega for Will’s troubles and pledges his private security to aid Ospreay
  • Toni Storm disses the people that like Willow Nightingale, who takes the high road and says she respects the champ’s fight; the two women will meet for Storm’s title at Forbidden Door
  • Kris Statlander def. Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship
  • Eddie Kingston says he thinks there’s one member of BCC who might have a problem with him teaming with The Elite, and sure enough, Jon Moxley comes out to confront his old friend before Kingston confirms the fifth member of their team is Tomohiro Ishii; the Stone Pitbull comes to the ring but is waylaid by the BCC, and Danielson’s threats bring Kazuchika Okada to the ring as well, and he gives the Rainmaker to Wheeler Yuta