Tag: Rob Van Dam

Every No. 1 WWE Draft pick through the years

Who deserved to go No. 1? Who was a surprise when they were picked? We go back through the entire history of WWE Draft top picks.

Is it an honor to get drafted, whether it’s in traditional sports or WWE? Sure. But there’s something to be said for being the No. 1 pick.

The WWE Draft is, of course, not the same thing as a pro sports draft, in the sense that it’s done all for entertainment value. It’s not GMs or authority figures sitting around and selecting the best available wrestler, as much fun as that would be.

Still, most years the WWE Draft has been around, the No. 1 overall pick has been a big name, someone you would actually build a wrestling brand around. And even the years when it wasn’t, it’s fun to look back and say, “Wow, really?”

So let’s do that now. Scroll down for a look at every WWE Draft No. 1 pick in history, from the initial WWF draft lottery in 2002 up through the most recent edition.

WWE Money in the Bank winners — Every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in

Check out the complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in.

Originally the brainchild of Chris Jericho, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match has gone from being an entertaining gimmick match to one of the most anticipated subplots of any WWE calendar year. It’s changed and expanded to multiple brands and the women’s division, and become the focus of its own event, joining the likes of WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam as one of the most important that WWE puts on.

At its core, however, is a simple and compelling idea: Whoever outfights and outwits a group of hungry competitors and grabs the namesake briefcase has a guaranteed title shot they can use any time, any place, for one year. It’s the WWE’s equivalent of a golden ticket, and the anticipation for when a briefcase might get cashed in has become drama in its own right.

As Money in the Bank has risen in prominence, its history has grown as well. Let’s take a look at a complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including how the winners fared when they eventually cashed in their contracts.

Last updated on April 7, 2024.

AEW Dynamite results 02/22/24: Joe leads team to trios victory

Also on AEW Dynamite, Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo engaged in some gamesmanship, and Wardlow cut a fiery promo.

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.

AEW Dynamite preview 02/21/24: Big trios, tag team energy in Tulsa

Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo will also be in action tonight on AEW Dynamite in Tulsa.

Oklahoma, AEW Dynamite is headed your way tonight. To Tulsa, to be specific, for a show that has some of the top storylines headed into Revolution colliding in some interesting ways.

Does a big trios match have the teams wrong?

At first glance, the trios match that is one of the headliners for tonight’s show is pretty straightforward. Three heels, including AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, vs. three faces, including the legend Rob Van Dam.

Simple, right?

Except recent trends suggest there are two men on the wring sides. Swerve Strickland has done some despicable things over the past year or so, but his request for Prince Nana not to interfere in his matches and the fans’ growing cheers for him suggest he’s seeing the light.

On the other side, Hangman Adam Page has been acting positively heel-like as he grows more desperate in pursuit of Joe’s title, especially when he refused to let his last match with Swerve extend for another five minutes. We’d suggest that Swerve and Hangman are already a large way into a double turn, and that should make this trios match fascinating.

Have FTR met their match in the BCC?

After feuding with the House of Black alongside Daniel Garcia, it appeared FTR might be getting their tag team mojo back. Then they decided to make enemies of the Blackpool Combat Club, which could leave them undermanned again.

Tonight in Tulsa, anyway, it appears they’ll only have to deal with Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley. But man, is the word “only” doing a ton of work in that sentence. Watch and see if this battle has repercussions that extend to Collision next month.

Also advertised for Dynamite tonight in Tulsa:

  • Both Toni Storm and Deonna Purrazzo will be in action ahead of their championship bout at Revolution

We’ll be ready to recap all the action as we do every Wednesday night, so be sure to join us back here at Wrestling Junkie at 8 p.m. ET tonight if you aren’t able to watch the show live.

AEW Dynamite results 01/31/24: Hangman, Swerve are on collision course again

After Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page won again, they’ll fight for a title shot next week on AEW Dynamite.

What wrestling fan doesn’t love them some mystery opponent? We’d say none, which is why the Dealer’s Choice matches on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from New Orleans should be a lot of fun.

In fairness, Swerve Strickland already took some of the surprise away by revealing he’s going to send fellow Mogul Embassy member Toa Liona to fight Hangman Adam Page. A perfectly defensible selection, that, given that Liona is a beast who should benefit from the additional spotlight.

But Hangman hasn’t revealed his choice to be Swerve’s opponent, and that has us hoping that everyone’s favorite cowboy really gets creative. And yes, that actually means Tony Khan getting creative, but let’s not lose ourselves in the space between kayfabe and real life.

Strickland and Page are having the kind of long-term feud that just satisfies that place in a wrestling fan’s heart, because even when they branch off and do other things, they can’t seem to help but cross paths again. Long may it continue.

Beyond that, we’ll see the first ever singles match between Jon Moxley and Jeff Hardy. And Deonna Purrazzo will take on her toughest foe since joining AEW, Taya Valkyrie. “Timeless” Toni Storm will once again be on guest commentary, which is pretty close to guaranteed entertainment value.

So yeah, looks like a decent enough two hours. Let’s run it all down as it happens.

AEW Dynamite results from New Orleans:

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

  • Jon Moxley def. Jeff Hardy by submission
  • After the match, Mistico and the other three CMLL wrestlers who were watching the opening match attack Moxley after the bell, but Matt Sydal, Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang eventually come to the rescue and drive the luchadores off
  • Hangman Adam Page def. Toa Liona by pinfall
  • Nicholas Jackson fines a staffer for not using the Young Bucks’ full names, and Matthew apologizes but still expects the fine to be paid by end of day

  • Wardlow def. Komander; after the match, Orange Cassidy and Best Friends come to prevent Roderick Strong and The Kingdom from administering a post-match beating, and the heels want no part of a scuffle tonight
  • Tony Schiavone mediates a sitdown interview with Big Bill and Ricky Starks on one side and Darby Allin and Sting on the other; Starks seems upset that Sting got his first ever AEW victory over him, and Ricky and Darby start yelling at each other while Sting wonders if Bill is a killer like other big men he’s fought; Starks throws a drink on Darby, who has to be restrained by The Icon

  • Chris Jericho def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall; Konosuke Takeshita appears on the stage afterward to taunt Jericho
  • Deonna Purrazzo explains the meanings behind her tattoos, including the identical ink she and Toni Storm got, wondering if it means the same thing to Timeless Toni
  • The Bang Bang Scissor Gang does some good natured guns up and scissoring along with Rock Card Juiceboard

  • Deonna Purrazzo def. Taya Valkyrie by submission with Toni Storm watching closely from the commentary desk
  • Allin is being interviewed by Renee Paquette when the Young Bucks stop by to propose becoming a trio with Darby, but jokes aside, they also accuse him of ducking them

  • AEW World Champion Samoa Joe joins the announcers for the main event
  • Swerve Strickland def. Rob Van Dam by pinfall in a Hardcore match that also sees Brian Cage and Hook briefly get involved
  • Hangman comes down to mock congratulate Swerve, noting that both of them are likely to top the rankings when they come out tonight before vowing to never let Strickland become world champion; Swerve yells back that he has two victories over Page and says Hangman is obsessed with the idea that he can’t win … but Page says it took the whole Mogul Embassy to beat him, and Strickland says they can fight one more time before he leaves this feud behind him to focus on the AEW World Championship
Lee South

Jon Moxley vs Jeff Hardy

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Jon Moxley grinds out a victory over Jeff Hardy

Hardy wastes no time taking to the air, diving onto Moxley from the apron. The announce team suggests the rules for this one are “lax,” so they can do some extreme stuff without fear of DQ and probably won’t be counted out either. Moxley takes flight with a tope suicida, not something he always does.

Back in the ring, Moxley stomps on Hardy’s left arm. Jeff gets flipped over with a suplex of sorts and has to kick out of the ensuing cover.

Mox goes right to a submission attempt, scissoring Hardy’s neck with his legs. Their battle eventually goes back outside the ring, where Moxley end up over the barricade among the CMLL talent that is here for tonight’s show. A right hand from Mox smashes Hardy in mid-flight right as the side-by-side pics arrive.

Th full picture returns to find Hardy running through a bunch of offense, leading to a near fall Tony Schiavone believes Jeff will need to keep Mox on the mat, but he doesn’t and pays for it as he takes a piledriver.

Moxley wants another piledriver on the apron, but Hardy counters with a Twist of Fate. He follows with the Whisper in the Wind, and he’s back up top but met by Moxley, who treats him to a superplex.

They both rise to trade right hands until Hardy’s Twist of Fate attempt is countered with a cutter. Jeff comes right back with a Russian leg sweep, then uses a legdrop right into a pinning predicament that comes oh so close to winning it.

Hardy connects on another Twist of Fate but finds no one home for the Swanton Bomb. Moxley drops to the mat and locks on his bulldog choke, and Hardy eventually goes to sleep.

Lee South

Adam Page vs Toa Liona

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Hangman Adam Page pulls off an AEW first, pinning Toa Liona

Page notes during a quick pre-match promo shown during his entrance that Liona has never been pinned or submitted in AEW. Did not know that. Early on, Hangman is able to stay one step ahead of the bigger man, at least until Liona can slow the pace.

Two springboard lariats aren’t sufficient to knock Liona off the apron, though he has no such trouble hurling Page over the top rope and out to the floor. Liona hits a diving cross body to the floor, looking very confident.

Liona sits on Page’s chest back in the ring, good for a near fall. A series of right hands from Hangman leads to Liona chucking him back out to the floor as boos rain down.

After more commercials, it’s not looking much better for Page until he’s able to get Liona to miss and land hard on his back. Hangman steps on the gas, leading to a high cross body off the top for a near fall.

Page tries but can’t get Liona hoisted for the Deadeye. A thrust kick comes back and leads to a near fall for Liona.

What will it take to get Liona off his feet? Three lariats finally do the trick. This time Page is able to get the Deadeye on target too, but Liona pops right back up for a headbutt.

A discus lariat smashes Page back down, and though he’s able to kick out again, he takes a senton on the apron right after that. Liona tries and misses on a moonsault, but Hangman doesn’t miss his off the top rope.

The Buckshot looks like it’s next, but even though Liona evades it and hits a Samoan drop, Page is able to roll up his shoulders and hold on for a pin.

Lee South

Deonna Purrazzo vs Taya Valkyrie

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Deonna Purrazzo keeps rolling by tapping out Taya Valkyrie

AEW Women’s World Champion Taya Valkyrie joins the announcers for this one, claiming she has no knowledge of the matching tattoos that Purrazzo has been talking about. The Virtuosa gets off to a strong start, controlling Valkyrie with a variety of holds until a leg sweep tilts the momentum.

Purrazzo goes hard into the steps on the outside, giving Valkyrie a chance to do some making out with Johnny TV as commercials slide in. They battle back to the ring during the half-break, with Purrazzo using knees and kicks to set up a Russian leg sweep. A pump kick leads to the second of two quick two counts.

Valkyrie’s Blue Thunder Bomb gets her a two count right back. A sliding lariat makes Purrazzo kick out again as Storm mugs for the camera.

A baseball slide drop kick is on target for Purrazzo, who ends up flinging Valkyrie into the champ. Back in the ring, Deonna gets both of Taya’s arms pulled up behind her while sitting on Valkyrie’s back, and that’s enough to get the submission.

Lee South

Swerve Strickland vs Rob Van Dam

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Swerve Strickland outdoes Rob Van Dam in his own game: a Hardcore match

Hangman Page appears on the screen after RVD heads to the ring to reveal one more twist: Dealer’s Choice means they get to pick the match, not just the opponent, so this is a Hardcore match.

Van Dam wastes no time putting chairs to good use once the bell rings thanks to that stipulation. He sends Strickland into and over the ringside barricade, and the fans are already happily chanting “we want tables.”

After some picture-in-picture, Swerve has taken control, using a chair to assist him. He sets that across one corner but ends up getting an Irish whip right into it.

Rolling Thunder is on target by RVD, and he picks up another chair to use for a Van Terminator in the corner. A cover follows but Swerve kicks out at two.

Van Dam wants a monkey flip but sees it countered into a sitout powerbomb onto the chair, somehow managing to kick out. Brian Cage arrives to lend a hand to Swerve, but he’s neutralized by a chair-wielding Hook. They fight out of the ring and up the ramp.

RVD is distracted but manages to counter into a pinning predicament and a near fall. Strickland comes right back with a near fall of his own, and now it’s reaching “what will it take to win it?” territory as the crowd calls for tables again.

There is one set up on one side of the ring, but the two combatants fight to a chair on the opposite side. RVD takes a Swerve Stomp and falls back into the steps.

With Van Dam rolled into the ring, Strickland climbs up top but takes a thrown chair to the face and crashes down from the top rope through the table. Rob tries to follow with a Five Star Frog Splash but finds no one home and eats a chair to the face before kicking out at two.

Both men head to the top rope again, though Van Dam is knocked to the mat. He flips Strickland the double bird but takes a Swerve Stomp, and that’s it for the legend as Swerve is victorious.

AEW Dynamite preview 10/25/23: Okada, RVD and the Diamond Ring battle in Philly

This edition of AEW Dynamite will also feature AEW women’s world title and ROH six-man title matches.

You know how sometimes you look at the rundown for a weekly wrestling show and think “How are they going to fit this all into two hours?” That’s definitely the case for tonight’s AEW Dynamite in Philadelphia.

We’re not complaining, mind you. We applaud ambition. We also like special guest stars, which is what this show will definitely have when Orange Cassidy teams with NJPW icon Kazuchika Okada to face the Blackpool Combat Club’s Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli.

Three matches will have big prizes attached. Hikaru Shida, one again a fighting champ, will defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against Ruby Soho. The men’s world champ, MJF, doesn’t have his title on the line, but he will be fighting to hold onto something close to his heart when he tries to keep Juice Robinson from winning the Dynamite Diamond Ring. And the Hung Bucks (that’d be the Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page) will defend the ROH six-man titles we often forget they hold against The Hardys and Brother Zay.

That’s not even all. Since we’re in Philly, an RVD appearance only make sense, and he’ll team with Hook to take on the Dark Order duo of Alex Reynolds and John Silver. Plus we’ll hear from Swerve Strickland as he addresses Hangman once again, Chris Jericho will have a sitdown interview with Renee Paquette, and Tony Khan will present a gift to Sting.

We’d say that’s a pretty packed lineup, all things considered. And the Philly fans should definitely represent like they always do, despite that whole NLCS business last night.

Oh, and we’ll be in the house live for this one too, so we’re looking forward to it. If you are too, you’ll want to tune in at 8 p.m. ET on TBS to catch this stacked AEW Dynamite live.

[lawrence-related id=39247]

Rob Van Dam suggests WWE permitted him to appear on AEW Dynamite

It seems WWE had no issues with Rob Van Dam wrestling on a recent episode of AEW Dynamite.

Rob Van Dam surprised everyone by appearing on the 200th episode of AEW Dynamite to confront Jack Perry for the FTW Championship on behalf of Jerry Lynn. It led to a match on the Aug. 9 episode of Dynamite, which Perry won.

However, it seems some fans took exception to Van Dam showing up at a non-WWE wrestling television show.

Taking on social media, the former ECW star commented on fan criticism, indicating that WWE gave him permission to appear on Dynamite.

Some fans are saying I did WWE wrong by appearing on AEW. I wonder if they would all eat s**t f I revealed that I had permission to do it? Or would they just move on to puke out the next meaningless bulls**t that comes out of their mouths?
Yeah, I figured. I’ll keep it to my self for now.

Earlier this year, Van Dam featured on WWE Draft programming, and WWE has been promoting him for WrestleMania events in Philadelphia. Especially if WWE permitted him to appear on Dynamite and wrestle Perry, it seems both sides have no issues, which should silence fan backlash.

WWE talent have long been appearing on other wrestling television shows, especially those who jumped to TNA during its heyday, Ring of Honor, or any other popular show. In fact, numerous WWE legends have popped up on AEW, including Bret Hart and William Regal, so Van Dam’s presence did not reinvent the wheel.

Look at all the ex-WWE stars who work full-time with AEW, too. Whether it’s CM Punk, FTR, Samoa Joe, Saraya, Miro or someone else, they dominate Dynamite or Collision.

If anything, at 52 years old, Van Dam impressively pulled off a vintage performance, proving he can still work a match in front of thousands of fans and put on a good show.

AEW Dynamite results 08/09/23: BCC runs roughshod, Shida retains, JAS disintegrates

AEW Dynamite from Columbus also set up some more matches for All In London later this month.

After last week’s AEW Dynamite 200, what’s in store for the encore? We’ll find out tonight on Dynamite from the home of the Buckeyes, Columbus.

We know there will be plenty of juicy in-ring action. Hikaru Shida, fresh off winning the AEW Women’s World Championship last week, will defend it for the first time against Anna Jay. The Hardys will battle for brotherly supremacy against the Young Bucks. And the Lucha Bros., who have been caught up in an ongoing beef with the Blackpool Combat Club, will go up against two of that group’s finest in Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley.

Oh, and Rob Van Dam will ride again, trying to take the FTW Championship from Jack “Don’t Call Me Jungle Boy Any More” Perry.

As for non-fighting segments of interest, there figure to be at least a few of those too. The Jericho Appreciation Society, now appropriately concerned about the actions of the man they are supposed to be appreciating, is having a mandatory meeting. We’re invited too, we presume.

We’ll hear from MJF and Adam Cole, who seem to be on a path to the main event of All In, where they will face each other, without either of them turning on the other. At least not yet.

And speaking of All In, the biggest show in AEW history, we’re now a week closer than we were during Dynamite 200. Only the aforementioned MJF-Cole match has been revealed so far, but could there be other bouts revealed tonight? We’ll have to wait and see, but that’s definitely possible.

AEW Dynamite results from Columbus:

With the Jericho Appreciation Society gathered in the ring, Daddy Magic somewhat reluctantly introduces the group’s leader, Chris Jericho. He says he came to the ring as their friend, but Daniel Garcia asks him to stop talking and listen. Garcia is still upset about last week and reminds Jericho that he sacrificed for Chris every single time … so why won’t Jericho choose them? Daniel does his dance and then leaves.

Not usually the talkative one, Jake Hager says he liked that hat but no longer appreciates Jericho. Chris tries to stop the bleeding by addressing Anna Jay and Tay Melo, but Tay says she will come back next year after having her baby and become a champion without his help. Anna admits Jericho has helped them, but he’s helped himself more, and she needs to be selfish as she goes for the title tonight.

Angelo Parker says he doesn’t want to do this, and that he loves being a sports entertainer. But he’s given Jericho everything and has nothing left to give.

What about Daddy Magic? Matt Menard says Jericho was his childhood hero and that the last 18 months have been nothing but a dream for him. Alas, he walks away too.

That leaves only Sammy Guevara, who says he won’t walk out on Jericho. He does, however, say Chris has a lot of things to work out, and when he does, maybe Sammy will be there.

Renee Paquette catches up with Jericho, but so does Don Callis. Jericho says he has a decision about whether he will join Don’s family and will announce it next week.

The Young Bucks def. The Hardys by pinfall

The Bucks have really not done much tag team wrestling this year — this is only their third two-on-two match of 2023. That’s a fun framing for watching the Hardys do well early on (though they haven’t been doing that much either, with Jeff only recently returned to the fold).

The Jacksons take the upper hand after Risky Business, and Nick Jackson dives to the floor over his brother to take out both Hardys. Matt and Jeff get things turned around during picture-in-picture, and Jeff nearly pins Nick with the Whisper in the Wind.

Here comes the superkick party, and both Hardys are invited. The Bucks hit a variation on the 3-D but can’t put Jeff away. The Hardys rally with twin Twists of Fate, and Jeff hits a Swanton Bomb on Nick that forces Matt Jackson to make the save.

After a scramble among all four men, Matt Hardy looks for a Twist of Fate, but the Bucks counter with a BTE Trigger that wraps up a victory.

The victorious Young Bucks ask for a microphone but only get out FTR before the tag team champions head their way. The two teams have a bit of a discussion, which the fans like, before Matt Jackson simply says “All In.” FTR hold their titles up, so we’re saying that’s challenge accepted.

All In will also have a four-way match for the AEW Women’s World Championship, with Toni Storm guaranteed a spot since she is owed a rematch. Or we think that’s right.

MJF is dismayed that Adam Cole’s outing for the night is a trampoline park, but the world champ lights up when he discovers there is dodgeball, and he amuses himself by eliminating kids with extreme prejudice.

Cole tells him to stop, but when a girl calls them nerds and flips them the bird, he relents and tells Max he can make one more throw.

Jon Moxley says he hopes the Best Friends learned their lesson and that Trent’s mom got the flowers they sent. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta taunt Pac for the injury that will keep him out past All In, which is pretty cold.

Jack Perry def. Rob Van Dam by pinfall to retain the FTW Championship

Perry attacks RVD before the bell, ’cause he’s a heel and all, but Van Dam is able to match him move for move once he gets settled in. RVD hits his spinning legdrop off the apron, getting the fans fired up and leading us to picture-in-picture.

Chairs come into play as well, with Perry trying to throw one at RVD and nailing the ref instead. Perry goes tumbling through a table on the floor, and the ref might be hurt for real.

RVD hits the Five-Star Frog Splash, but by the time Aubrey Edwards arrives to be the new ref, Perry has time to kick out. That allows Perry to do all the cheating: hitting a low blow, hurling RVD into a chair in the corner and pulling the tights to get the pin. All legal in FTW rules, eh.

Lucha Bros. tell Paquette the BCC should be the Blackpool Coward Club and that they’ll get some revenge for Pac tonight.

MJF and Cole come to the ring, where the champ successfully manages to say the Midwest is his favorite place without God striking him down. Max thinks Adam wants a promo battle and starts going in, then backs off saying he’s totally misread the situation.

But Cole says people like them as a tag team, so he suggests they go after titles just as meaningful to him: the ROH World Tag Team Championship. It’s the only ROH title Cole never won, and he convinces MJF to challenge Aussie Open for those belts on the Zero Hour pre-show.

Seems like the segment is going to end on a happy note, but Roderick Strong comes out to protest. MJF goes off on an extended rant on Roddy, who gets upset and is consoled by The Kingdom.

Cole gets mad at MJF, who looks furious, but with the fans chanting “hug it out,” they do exactly that, and Cole runs off to check on Roddy.

Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) def. Lucha Bros. by pinfall

Penta and Rey Fenix slip in from the back side of the ring to hit superkicks and tandem dives to the floor before the bell even rings. Mox manages to right the ship, pulling off a double DDT on both the brothers.

Wheeler Yuta sneaks in a belt shot while Edwards is occupied, but Fenix kicks out anyway. He later gets hit with a two-man spike piledriver but manages to kick out again.

All four men start exchanging signature moves, leaving them all flat on their backs. The fans reward them with a “this is awesome” chant.

Mox and Penta start chopping the heck out of each other. Alex Abrahantes prevents Yuta from interfering again, and Fenix dives out on Wheeler, but Moxley unmasks Penta and pins him while he’s trying to cover his face.

After the bell, BCC beats the crap out of the Lucha Bros., while Claudio puts on Penta’s mask and mocks him.

What about Kenny Omega at All In? He’s going to talk to JR about it next week, apparently.

The Mogul Embassy is still out here claiming Darby Allin is to blame for AR Fox’s turn, but Darby comes out to tell his side of the story. He also thinks it’s silly that Fox is made Allin put in a good word for Nick Wayne.

But while Fox has made some new friends, Darby has friends too. The lights go out, then go back on to find Sting in the ring with his trusty baseball bat. After beating up a couple of people, including Swerve Strickland, Sting points at the All In sign. Seems like a challenge is being made. And indeed it’s made official shortly after: Allin and Sting vs. Swerve and Fox in a Coffin Match.

Hikaru Shida def. Anna Jay by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship

This is two Dynamite main events in a row for Shida, which is pretty cool. It’s less cool that we go to picture-in-picture so quickly, but hey.

Anna gets some offense in during the tiny picture, hammering Shida repeatedly to the body in the corner. Menard and Parker are still out there supporting Anna, and they stop the champ from jumping off a chair on the outside.

That leads to Jay applying the Queenslayer, and though Shida looks like she may be in trouble, she makes the ropes to break the hold. With Anna trying for the Queenslayer again, Shida falls back from the top rope and follows with a Falcon Arrow for the near fall.

Shida hits the katana, Parker tries to do … something to help Anna, but it doesn’t work and the champ retains.

AEW Dynamite 200 results: New champion crowned to end anniversary show

Get full details on the special AEW Dynamite 200 show, including a new champion and the arrival of an ECW Original.

It’s a little trite to say “I can’t believe it’s been 200 episode of AEW Dynamite,” but for real, it is actually a little hard to fathom. Not only in a “time flies” sense, though that is part of it, but just overcoming the odds of starting from nothing except some of the best non-WWE talent and plenty of Tony Khan’s willpower and money, turning that into a strong No. 2 promotion on the North American wrestling scene.

While the company has added pay-per-views and additional weekly programming in the form of Rampage and Collision, Dynamite has been one of the constants throughout. It’s turned Wednesday nights into appointment viewing for many wrestling fans, and has produced a number of memorable moments.

Perhaps tonight’s 200th episode of AEW Dynamite from Tampa might cook up a few more. There’s certainly every opportunity, from a pair of championship matches to an Anything Goes three-way dance to The Elite (fresh off confirming they will remain All Elite going forward) in trios action.

Chris Jericho will take on some of his own teammates in what could be a pivotal fork in the road for the Jericho Appreciation Society. Jack Perry will continue to show he’s a Really Bad Guy now, and we’ll hear from AEW World Champion MJF.

Plus there’s been word that matches for All In will start to be announced tonight. That would be ideal considering the show is now less than a month away, and while it’s not unusual for AEW to book right up to the last minute, spreading the word on what to expect on its biggest card ever might not be a bad idea.

We’re psyched to see what’s in store on AEW Dynamite 200, and are raring to go with live updates.

AEW Dynamite 200 results:

Chris Jericho and Konosuke Takeshita def. Daniel Garcia and Sammy Guevara by pinfall

Jericho has no qualms about taking it right to his JAS colleagues, just as Garcia has no qualms about doing his dance right in Jericho’s face. It doesn’t stop him from being the one on his team to take the extended beating, as Jericho and Takeshita are working together nicely.

Guevara eventually gets a hot tag and clears the ring, diving to opposite sides to hit both of his opponents. He Frog Splashes Takeshita as well, but Jericho makes the save.

Fans are chanting for Garcia now, but just when it looks like he has Jericho in real trouble, Don Callis hits him in the head with Jericho’s bat. Chris looks unhappy but covers Daniel anyway and gets the three count.

Tony Khan thanks fans and the staff members that have made 200 episodes of Dynamite possible. A package of highlights over the years is shown with tons of good stuff.

Renee Paquette tries to catch up with Jericho for comment, but Matt Menard reaches him first and informs him that there will be a mandatory Jericho Appreciation Society meeting next week, and Chris will be there.

Tony Schiavone finds his mic quickly taken by Jack Perry, who calls out Jerry Lynn to “take this ass kicking like a man.” He says he won’t go teach Perry a lesson because it would constitute “child abuse.” Lynn also knows he’s past his wrestling days, but he called one of his friends from the ECW days … Rob Van Dam! And he’s even got “Walk” as his music.

Perry wants no part of RVD and flees into the crowd, at one point even acting like he’ll use a small girl as a human shield. He’s a bad guy, you see.

Trent Beretta def. Penta El Zero Miedo and Jon Moxley by pinfall in an Anything Goes match

You want trash cans? You got ’em. Also a 2×4 wrapped in barbed wire. Alex Abrahantes isn’t above getting tables into position on the floor, and it’s Moxley who goes through them thanks to a Beretta superplex.

More tables are set up inside the ring, which is bad news for Beretta as he takes an Avalanche Destroyer through one of them. Here come thumbtacks too, neat.

Penta takes a piledriver into the tacks from Mox but kicks out, only to be slammed back first onto them. More ridiculous violence ensues with tacks and a trash can involved.

Mox hits a Paradigm Shift on Penta, but Trent send him flying with a knee shot and covers Penta to get the win.

After the bell, Mox wants to keep fighting, and his Blackpool Combat Club teammates are coming to his aid. Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy enter the fray as well, with Taylor eventually running Claudio Castagnoli off with a chair while Cassidy hits an Orange Punch on Moxley.

Taylor notes that the three-way accomplished nothing, so Best Friends challenge the BCC to a parking lot fight at Daily’s Place on Rampage.

RVD tells Paquette that he is here because Perry was running his mouth, and he wants to challenge Jack for the FTW Championship next week.

An emotional MJF says he wants to have a serious talk with the fans in the arena and at home. The champ says he has ADD and also Rejection Sensitivity Disorder. We’ll have the Wrestling Junkie intern look up whether that’s a real thing.

(Editor’s note: It is.)

MJF recalls being bullied as a kid and evolving to believe he needed to stab people in the back before they did it to him. He says getting people to boo him is easy but being vulnerable is hard. Alas, MJF claims he’s not scared of opening up any more because of the fans.

Though it will be hard to stop being a scumbag (his words) cold turkey, MJF says he’s ready to be “your scumbag.” He also credits Adam Cole for showing him how to open his heart, and he calls his “best friend” to the ring.

Cole obliges and praises the man that Max has become. Adam says the people adore him and want to cheer for him.

As much as he loves the flowers, MJF called Cole out to discuss the title match he promised him. Not just any match, though, “The Match”: a championship bout in the main event of All In at Wembley Stadium.

Cole eagerly signs the contract he was offered, and they hug while joking about who will win.

Backstage, Roderick Strong loses it while seeing it play out and gets a visit from The Kingdom.

The Elite (Kenny Omega and Young Bucks) def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Satnam Singh by pinfall

Height differences are fun, and Singh just towers over Matt Jackson while Omega and Nick Jackson jokingly act like they won’t be tagged in to face the big man.

Some foolishness breaks out after a picture-in-picture segment, with Karen Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, Brandon Cutler and The Hardys all getting involved. Jarrett wants to use his guitar too, but Hangman Adam Page arrives with a Buckshot to prevent it.

Lethal ends up eating the One-Winged Angel, and the good guys win.

Hangman reiterates the big news that The Elite has re-signed with AEW. Omega says we’ll be seeing more of them … heck, even on Collision.

AR Fox says he turned on Darby Allin because of his ungratefulness once he signed with AEW. But the Mogul Embassy takes care of its own, including casting Fox in his “new movie.”

To that end, Swerve Strickland and Fox pay a visit to Nick Wayne at his home training ring, which ends up going badly for young Nick. After bloodying Wayne, they force him to call Allin so they can threaten Darby that this is only the beginning.

Aussie Open def. El Hijo del Vikingo and Komander by pinfall to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship

The announcers frame this as hard-hitting vs. high-flying, and early on, it’s the aerialists who are getting the upper hand. Mark Davis of Aussie Open is only recently returned from injury, but he looks like he’s moving well.

Of course, no one moves as well as Vikingo. The only thing that can slow him is when he and Komander try simultaneous dives to the outside, only to get caught and smashed into each other back first by Aussie Open.

After side by side action, the luchadors recover nicely, walking the top rope for twin moonsaults to the outside. Both challengers fly for twin 450 splashes to Davis, but Kyle Fletcher breaks up the pin.

Alas, Komander ends up betting isolated, and the champs execute some nice tandem offense to put him away and retain their titles.

A highlight package shows the events on AEW Collision that have led to a Real World Championship bout between CM Punk and Ricky Starks this Saturday.

Hikaru Shida def. Toni Storm by pinfall to become the new AEW Women’s World Champion

These two know each other well and their physical styles are very complementary. Shida has a little more aerial flair to her arsenal, and she dips into it several times in a row for near falls while Saraya looks concerned on the outside.

Ruby Soho is out there too, providing the assistance to give Storm an opening for a DDT and hip attack. Shida kicks out, though, and the match continues.

A clash of strikes ends with Shida scoring with a knee strike, then a Falcon Arrow for another two count. Saraya slides a kendo stick into the ring, and Shida almost uses it before realizing that would get her DQed. Soho gets a shot instead, but as the ref gets rid of the weapon, Storm sprays Shida in the face with spray paint and hits Storm Zero … but Shida kicks out and reverses Storm’s next attack into a pin, holding on to become AEW Women’s World Champion for the second time.