Tag: Roderick Strong

AEW Dynamite results 06/28/23: MJF, Adam Cole play odd couple, Sting takes flight

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Hamilton will also see Chris Jericho and Sting in the ring together again, plus The Elite in action.

The “can they coexist?” bit has become so well-worn in storylines by the biggest U.S. wrestling promotion that it’s almost self-parodying at this point. Not so much for AEW, but it’s leaning into that vibe hard for what should be one of the more notable parts of tonight’s episode of Dynamite from Hamilton, Ontario.

MJF successfully made it out of Forbidden Door with the AEW World Championship still around his waist. Adam Cole would like to change that status quo, and is seeking a title rematch after taking MJF to a time limit draw a few weeks ago.

The problem is that AEW is also having a tag team tournament where the pairings are decided by a blind draw (wink, wink), and wouldn’t you know it, the first two names picked were MJF and Cole. The two men can’t stand each other and would love nothing less than to rearrange the other’s facial features, but for the time being, they need to work together.

OK, need is a strong word. They can certainly throw down if they want, but the guess is that if they do, it will prevent them from getting what they truly desire. We should find out more on that score tonight.

Elsewhere, there’s going to be a strong Forbidden Door fallout vibe in Hamilton. Tomohiro Ishii is still in Canada, and will tangle with Jon Moxley. The Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page, or the Hung Bucks if you like that kind of humor, will be in action. Plus Chris Jericho and Sting will be in the ring on opposite sides of a match for the second time in less than a week after somehow not doing that for decades.

Time to dive into Dynamite.

AEW Dynamite results from Hamilton:

Jon Moxley def. Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall

No fooling around for these two gents, who just go right at each other, smash-mouth style. The Blackpool Combat Club is ringside to support Mox, but Eddie Kingston shows up before the picture-in-picture segment wielding  chair to deter any hijinks.

Ishii takes a nasty shot later that still probably isn’t quite as ridiculous as the one he took from Konosuke Takeshita at Forbidden Door. Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli aren’t taking their eyes off each other on opposite sides of the floor.

They eventually end up head butting each other bloody, because of course. Moxley finally wins with a Death Rider, but it took a huge effort.

Renee Paquette catches Adam Cole on his way into the arena, but he’s soon joined by an enthusiastic MJF, who says he thinks they got off on the wrong foot. To that end, he asks Cole if he wants to hang out this weekend, and even presents some “tag merch.” Heh.

Paquette asks Moxley what is going on and tries to play peacemaker when Kingston comes looking for him. It’s a serious yelling match, and Renee gets in the last word, telling Kingston he better fix this.

Orange Cassidy, El Hijo del Vikingo and Keith Lee def. Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker by pinfall when Lee pins Menard

There’s a peek at how this particular face trio came together, but honestly, does it matter? It’s just a fun trio. Also, Garcia teases his dance but doesn’t do it, but since fans dislike his dance, wouldn’t the heel play be to do it? Please ponder that.

Vikingo’s craziest dive to the floor hits only Lee, who picks him up and uses him as a weapon, then hurls him to the turnbuckles. He misses whatever he was going to try as he slips, but still launches into a moonsault.

Poor Daddy Magic ends up alone with Lee a little later, and welp.

The Elite wants to do a trios open challenge, and Hangman Adam Page is caught off guard when the Dark Order is upset that he ghosted them and wants to be their opponents tonight.

Chris Jericho says he and Sting in the ring together should be on TBS and should be commentated by Tony Schiavone. He also says it’s time to get into the “primordial ooze” of Jericho and summon the Painmaker. Sammy Guevara looks less enthused about the whole thing.

The Elite def. Dark Order by pinfall when Hangman Adam Page pins John Silver

Page looks conflicted, saying “we don’t have to do this.” No one does that emotion in pro wrestling like he does. When he finally becomes the legal man, he has a discussion with John Silver but finally gets hit in the face, and instead of punching back, he tags Matt Jackson in.

But Evil Uno finally pushes Hangman too far, and he comes in firing. The announcers note that Dark Order has no issues taking it to their friend as they’re trying to get the win. Page hesitates again when he has a chance to hit the Buckshot on Silver and nearly gets pinned. But he pulls it together to hit the Deadeye, and after a BTE Trigger by the Bucks, he finishes Silver with a Buckshot … and looks like he’s apologizing afterward, but …

… the Blackpool Combat Club invades the ring with chairs after the bell, and the Dark Order doesn’t stick around to help. Eddie Kingston tries, but he’s soon in as much trouble as The Elite. Page is bloodied as Konsuke Takeshita arrives to assist.

Moxley gets on the mic and says it’s time to end this: July 19, Boston, Blood and Guts.

A video package shows the contestants in the Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament talking about their first round opponents.

Cole tells a concerned Roderick Strong that he’s just playing along with MJF, who comes to scoop him up for “party time.”

“JungleHook was special because of me.” Jack Perry is now definitely a heel since he’s running down the fans and bragging about his bedroom exploits. Perry asks if he turned on Hook or everyone turned on him, and I think we know where he’s headed with this.

He calls Hook an entitled, second-generation prick and mocks the FTW Championship. Hook finally has enough and heads down the ramp, so Perry flees for the back.

With Hook in super hot pursuit, Perry leaps headfirst into the back of a waiting SUV, barely escaping what is almost certainly going to be an ass whooping.

Ruby Soho def. Alexia Nicole by submission

This was supposed to be Soho’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament match against Britt Baker who is out with illness. This … is not that, and Soho gets a quick tapout by using Baker’s own Lockjaw.

The Outcasts spray paint the ‘L’ on poor Nicole, and Soho blames Canada like South Park once did for Baker getting sick. Ruby mocks Baker and Adam Cole a bit more and vows to leave Britt nothing after defeating her.

QTV touts the arrival of Johnny TV, and Hayley Cameron does a poor impression of Brother Zay.

Darby Allin and Sting def. “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara by submission in a Tornado tag match as Sting makes Jericho tap out to the Scorpion Deathlock

Guevara enters separately and to his own music, something he teased last week. Jericho has a special entrance and what looks like glow in the dark makeup as the Painmaker, and before anything too crazy starts going down, he and Sting have a duel with their respective baseball bats.

Sting and Allin slowly gain the advantage, setting up two tables on the floor as both of the faces scale a ladder in the ring. It’s not Darby but Sting who makes the jump, and he barely makes it to send Guevara through the first table but looks like he lands hard in the process.

Despite Allin using his skateboard, Jericho is able to send Darby to the floor with a Judas Effect. Sting tries sneaking up on the Painmaker form behind, but Jericho puts him in the Walls of Jericho. There are no rope breaks, but Sting crawls and gets his bat, using it to break the hold.

A bloody Painmaker takes a Stinger Splash but answers a second with a Codebreaker. But the Judas Effect is countered with a Scorpion Death Drop that somehow only gets two.

Jericho tries another Codebreaker, but Sting sees it coming and applies the Scorpion Deathlock, and since the show is now in an overrun, the Painmaker taps and Dynamite quickly says peace.

AEW Dynamite results 05/24/23: Young Bucks put one over on the BCC before Double or Nothing

AEW Dynamite is rocking Las Vegas for the final show before Double or Nothing, with three championship matches and much more.

There’s a feeling of excitement in the air on the Las Vegas Strip. Well, to be fair, that feeling is always there at the beginning of a trip to Sn City, not always at the end. Speaking for … a friend. Yeah, that’s it. But poor jokes aside, it’s Double or Nothing week in Vegas, and it begins in earnest tonight with AEW Dynamite.

Typically, go home shows can be light on the in-ring action, but that’s not the case tonight. There will be three, count ’em, three championship matches on TBS before the night is over. Orange Cassidy, apparently unfazed by trying to retain his Intercontinental Championship on the line against 20 men at once this weekend, will take on Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher.

The Lucha Bros. will put their ROH World Tag Team Champions up against Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta after Claudio won the Double Jeopardy match against Rey Fenix last week. And House of Black will defend their AEW World Trios Championship against the ragtag yet exciting band consisting of AR Fox, Blake Christian and Metalik.

We’re going to hear from people too. Oh man, are we going to hear from people. The list includes all Four Pillars (MJF, Darby Allin, Jack Perry and Sammy Guevara), FTR and Ricky Starks. Plus Adam Cole and Chris Jericho will have their contract signing, and Tony Khan will announce the first location for AEW: Collision.

Phew! This feels like it could be the goods, particularly for the final Dynamite before a pay-per-view. Let’s find out.

AEW Dynamite results from Las Vegas:

  • Orange Cassidy def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
  • Ricky Starks tells Renee Paquette he’s in full control of his emotions, and that if he’s going to keep getting beaten up by Jay White and Juice Robinson, he’s going to take matters into his own hands … but White and Robinson attack him and lay into him with a steel chair before White tells him they’re going to “keep having fun” with him
  • Jack Perry says he’s made the drive to Las Vegas many times, but the one thing that’s been the same every time is how being in the ring makes him feel, and he vows to make the drive back this time as AEW World Champion

  • Cash Wheeler admits that Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett have outsmarted them a number of times, but they’ve also been lucky and their luck is about to run out; Dax Harwood gets in some shots as well, but Mark Briscoe is angry at just about everyone involved, slapping some of them on his way out and telling Lethal he’s tired of them all

  • Paquette tells Sammy Guevara that MJF’s offer of a “handsome check” to lay down for him still stands, but he says the champ can shove the offer up his a–, also saying he’ll take the title on Sunday

  • House of Black def. AR Fox, Blake Christian and Metalik by submission in a House Rules match to retain the AEW World Trios Championship
  • After a video package promoting Anarchy in the Arena, Blackpool Combat Club says their goal at Double or Nothing is to end The Elite … and that they’ll show the difference between professionals and amateurs
  • MJF gets his pre-PPV mic time, insulting the crowd but putting over the homegrown Pillars before he talks about how bored he is in the company; Darby Allin comes to the ring and explains how AEW saved his life, but MJF boots him in the crotch, Guevara chases the champ off, and Perry rocks MJF on the ramp with a clothesline and holds up the championship belt
  • Wardlow and Arn Anderson deliver a warning to Christian Cage and Luchasaurus ahead of the Ladder match at Double or Nothing

  • Taya Valkyrie def. Lady Frost by pinfall with Jade Cargill and her minions watching from the ramp
  • Tony Khan announces that the AEW: Collision debut episode on TNT will take place at the United Center in Chicago; CM Punk is not mentioned in the announcement

  • Hangman Adam Page says while he hasn’t always been friends with the other members of The Elite, they have always been family, and the price the BCC has rung up will be paid in blood this Sunday

  • Adam Cole and Chris Jericho come to the ring for their contract signing, with Roderick Strong backing Cole and the whole Jericho Appreciation Society supporting their leader; when Jericho points out that his crew outnumbers them, Cole says he made a call for some backup … in the form of ECW legend Sabu

  • AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Toni Storm do some video package verbal sparring ahead of their meeting at Double or Nothing
  • Roderick Strong def. Daniel Garcia by pinfall
  • A video package shows Willow Nightingale winning the inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Championship, defeating Mercedes Moné  in the final
  • Lucha Bros. def. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta by pinfall to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship after the Young Bucks come from beneath the ring to assure the BCC loses
  • Jon Moxley cuts a promo in the ring and promises the most violent spectacle ever in Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing

AEW Dynamite results 05/17/23: Hangman sides with The Elite, spelling Anarchy for the BCC

This week’s AEW Dynamite includes a big women’s tag team match and Roderick Strong vs. Chris Jericho in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

When someone says you’re more than a friend to them and are indeed more like family, it takes a special kind of jerk to betray them in a very public and violent fashion. Don Callis is proving to be exactly that kind of jerk, which is relevant for tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from Austin.

See, Callis turned on Kenny Omega in the middle of a Steel Cage match, making him bleed with a screwdriver and gift-wrapping a victory for Omega’s bitter rival, Jon Moxley. So far, he hasn’t explained himself, but he’s supposed to tonight on AEW Dynamite.

Other parts of tonight’s show will need much less exposition. For example there’s no mystery about why Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida and Jamie Hayter want to get their hands on The Outcasts. Heck, the only thing to wonder about is why it took so long (OK, probably because of the need to wait for Shida to return, but still).

Similarly, there’s not much mystery around why Ricky Starks is eager to step in the ring to face Jay White, or why Roderick Strong is sticking up for his friend Adam Cole to the point where he’s facing Chris Jericho in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The battle lines in these programs have been pretty well drawn.

There’s also a good chance we’ll find out more about the big wrestling news of the day, which was the official announcement of AEW: Collision. Will there be another name revealed as a star for the new show? A certain Second City Saint, perhaps?

Let’s find out.

AEW Dynamite results from Austin:

  • Wardlow wants Christian Cage to back up his tough talk, but he’s not about to let Cage actually spit on his face; the problem is that Luchasaurus is there too, and the two of them beat Wardlow down with a ladder
  • Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin def. Big Bill and Lee Moriarty by pinfall
  • The Young Bucks get approached by the Blackpool Combat Club in the parking garage, which stinks for them since they’re outnumbered; Jon Moxley grabs the camera and says they’re the only elite in this business
  • Renee Paquette is on hand to see Wardlow and Arn Anderson discuss what just happened, which leads Wardlow to challenge Cage to a Ladder Match at Double or Nothing
  • Paquette talks to Cassidy, who tells Kyle Fletcher, or anyone really, to find Tony Khan and ask for a title match at Double or Nothing
  • Sammy Guevara def. Exodus Prime by pinfall in a squash match, then cuts a short promo about his long, winding road leading to his championship opportunity at Double or Nothing
  • Tony Schiavone tries to summon Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett, but they get attacked by FTR before they can even make it to the ring … which ends badly for the outnumbered tag team champs as they take twin guitar shots

  • A very busy Paquette gets a word with Allin when he’s visited by Guevara, who says he won’t be laying down for MJF and gets a “may the best man win” fist bump from Darby
  • Ruby Soho and Toni Storm def. Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida by pinfall, with some cheating involved, naturally
  • Paquette tells Cassidy 20 people asked for a shot at his title, so he says he’ll fight them all in a 21-person (including him) battle royal for the Intercontinental Championship

  • Tony Khan promotes the June 17 premiere of AEW: Collision, including the fact that the first few shows will be in Canada
  • Roderick Strong def. Chris Jericho by pinfall in a Falls Count Anywhere that ranged all over the arena and eventually outside the building, meaning Adam Cole could lend a hand … which he did

  • “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry def. Rush by pinfall, then gets a hand from Allin and Guevara to fight off an attack from Rush’s teammates
  • MJF angrily knocks the microphone out of Paquette’s hand instead of answering her question about his title match at Double or Nothing

  • Paquette talks to Storm, who mocks Jamie Hayter for not being there tonight and challenges the champ to put her title on the line at Double or Nothing
  • Jay White def. Ricky Starks by DQ after Starks is caught using a chair introduced to the match by Juice Robinson
  • “We are … THE ELITE!” Instead of talking about what he did to Kenny Omega, Don Callis wants to talk about what Omega did to him, and when Kenny comes out, the Blackpool Combat Club immediately beats him down; the Young Bucks limp out there with weapons and are joined by Hangman Adam Page, who says at Double or Nothing it’s The Elite vs. Blackpool Combat Club, Anarchy in the Arena

AEW Dynamite preview: Anti-Outcasts team finally bands together, Don Callis speaks

This week’s AEW Dynamite also features Ricky Starks vs. Jay White and “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry vs. Rush.

Faces need more friends. It’s one of our mantras here at Wrestling Junkie when it comes to the usual pro wrestling fare, where the bad guys inevitably outnumber the good guys. It’s been true for The Outcasts most of the time since they formed, but it won’t be tonight on AEW Dynamite in Austin.

That’s because the “homegrown” side of the feud that has been top of mind in the women’s division for some time got a much needed boost with the recent return of Hikaru Shida. Now she, Britt Baker and AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter will fight together against The Outcasts in what figures to be one of the night’s biggest bouts.

We’ll also hear from the man who was front and center for AEW’s most shocking recent plot twist, Don Callis. Though it appeared he was reinforcing The Elite by recruiting Konosuke Takeshita, he revealed that wasn’t the case when he betrayed longtime friend Kenny Omega at a pivotal time during his Steel Cage match with Jon Moxley.

Why did Callis turn? Fans in Austin will supposedly have a closeup view to find out.

Another potential showstopper on the card will put one of AEW’s foundational talents against a man who’s only recently arrived. Chris Jericho has been doing all he can to torment Adam Cole to the best of his considerable abilities, but Cole got some backup when Roderick Strong arrived a few weeks ago. Tonight, the two men will do battle in a Falls Count Anywhere match where both Cole and the JAS are banned from participating.

Also being promoted for tonight:

You know what to do if you want to see everything in store for Austin: Tune in at 8 p.m. ET on TBS. We’ll also have live AEW Dynamite results right here on Wrestling Junkie if you can’t, so you’re covered either way. See you then!

AEW Dynamite results: Stacked Detroit card ends in big betrayal

Two titles were also on the line in the Motor City, but did either one change hands?

Unlike many pro wrestling stables, The Elite and Blackpool Combat Club don’t really have designated leaders. They’re more collections of equals in many ways. But Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley are certainly the frontmen when necessary, and that’s extremely relevant to this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Detroit.

See, the beef between the two groups has gotten to the point where something dramatic needs to be done to settle it. And well, Omega and Moxley stepping in against each other in a steel cage fits the bill.

That’s a spectacular main event for free TV by any reckoning, but Little Caesars Arena will also be treated to a pair of title bouts: Orange Cassidy will defend his International Championship against Daniel Garcia, and House of Black will put their World Trios Championship on the line against Bandido and Best Friends under their unique “House Rules.”

There’s more, too, but let’s not waste any more time. Here we go.

AEW Dynamite results from Detroit:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Rey Fenix by pinfall, meaning he and a partner of his choice will get a ROH World Tag Team Championship shot against the Lucha Bros.
  • Renee Paquette welcomes Miro back to Dynamite, but he ignores her question and walks right into Tony Khan’s office
  • MJF compares the AEW Pillars to The Beatles, calling himself Paul
  • A hype video is shown for the Steel Cage match, not that we need it to get any more amped up
  • FTR come out to apologize to Mark Briscoe, but Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal want an answer to their challenge, and Briscoe reveals that the title match is on for Double or Nothing — with Mark himself as special guest referee; Sonjay Dutt spits moonshine in Dax Harwood’s eyes, and in his blind fury, he accidentally piledrives Briscoe
  • Paquette wants to know how Chris Jericho feels about Adam Cole getting the best of him, but The Ocho has lawyered up and gotten a restraining order, but that doesn’t apply to Roderick Strong, who challenges Jericho to a Falls Count Anywhere match … and Jericho accepts only to find that Strong has ensured that the JAS will be banned from the building next week when it goes down
  • Thunder Rosa makes her return to Dynamite, also passing Paquette on her way to talk to Khan
  • A video promotes Sammy Guevara, which includes testimonials from Jericho and Tay Melo
  • Khan puts over tonight’s show but also wants everyone to tune in for one of the most important AEW announcements ever
  • Orange Cassidy def. Daniel Garcia by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
  • Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter accept the challenge from The Outcasts for a trios match next week on Dynamite
  • Tony Schiavone gets some time with Christian Cage, who brags about his ability to get a title shot and mocks the relationship between Wardlow and Arn Anderson
  • Another hype video shows Darby Allin preparing for his world title shot, and offers insight from Sting and Darby himself
  • Julia Hart def. Anna Jay by submission in a No Holds Barred match
  • Best Friends and Bandido are ready for their title shot and decide the final rule for the Open House Challenge is going to be “all witches are barred from ringside”
  • House of Black def. Best Friends and Bandido by pinfall in an Open House Challenge to retain the AEW World Trios Championship
  • Backstage, Cassidy has been laid out by Kyle Fletcher of Aussie Open
  • The final Pillars hype video is about Jack Perry, which strangely has validation from Christian Cage
  • Ricky Starks is sick of Bullet Club, but Jay White remains unimpressed ahead of their match next week on Dynamite
  • Jon Moxley def. Kenny Omega by pinfall in a Steel Cage match after Don Callis turns on Omega and hits him in the head with a screwdriver

AEW Dynamite results: MJF’s plan goes awry, Hikaru Shida fools us all

We’ll find out tonight if MJF will be facing three angry Pillars trying to take his title at Double or Nothing.

It’s time to see if MJF has played the medium game correctly tonight on AEW Dynamite.

See, he knew that all three of AEW’s so-called Four Pillars were aiming for his AEW World Championship. So he tried to play them off against each other, and even paid Sammy Guevara to try to get past the other two and then lay down for him at Double or Nothing.

And like lots of stuff MJF does, it almost worked.

But not quite, and now he has to team with Guevara tonight to face Jack Perry and Darby Allin. If his team wins, he only has to defend his title against Guevara. If not, well, all three Pillars will be trying to take his gold. We’ll see if he can keep this particular house of cards (since AEW loves the casino analogies) from falling down.

In other news, it’s the third of May, so AEW is celebrating with a Tres de Mayo Trios Battle Royale. We’re assuming the winner gets a title shot, or something? Maybe? Anyway it’s a good reason to watch the amazing team of Lucha Bros. and El Hijo del Vikingo. We’re sold just on that.

AEW says we’ll also hear from The Elite tonight. The trio has been having a rough time as of late in their ongoing beef with the Blackpool Combat Club, which along with being in a perpetually foul mood, also outnumbers them four to three. That may have changed with the arrival of Konosuke Takeshita, but there’s no guarantee the Japanese up-and-comer is on the same page, and the BCC will no doubt be trying to keep it that way.

AEW Dynamite results for Baltimore:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Orange Cassidy, Bandido, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole def. Jericho Appreciation Society (Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager, Angelo Parker and Matt Menard) when Cole pins Parker; Cole then makes a beeline for the announce table to attack Chris Jericho

  • Renee Paquette gets a word with Darby Allin and Jack Perry, who are focused on making it to the Double or Nothing main event, not whether they like each other
  • Jericho is shown in the back imploring security to remove Cole from the building, but Britt Baker shows up and slaps him in the face
  • Bryan Danielson says he’s better than Bret Hart ever was and is the best in the world today, and if he’s not, it’s one of his BCC teammates; he also says someone will be better than him someday, and that the BCC wants to push people, and Jon Moxley wonders if The Elite is still innovative, promising he’ll show Kenny Omega “a whole new version of Jon Moxley” in the steel cage next week
  • Saraya def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall with plenty of help from the other Outcasts; a returning Hikaru Shida fakes joining the Outcasts but helps Baker and Jamie Hayter lay out the heels instead

  • The House of Black says any three competitors can challenge them, but House Rules says 20 count instead of 10, no rope breaks, and DQ is enforced but the challengers get to pick the rule
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass win the Tres de Mayo Trios Battle Royale, last defeating Kip Sabian, Butcher and Blade
  • MJF wants to butter up Sammy Guevara again, but Guevara looks like he buys the champ’s lame excuse, and they end up hugging again
  • Kenny Omega scoffs at the idea of a new Mox, and Don Callis calls him a “sick, twisted, narcissistic sociopath” before Omega promises all of this will end next week
  • Wardlow wins a squash match over local talent and demands for Luchasaurus to come out for a match right now … but Christian Cage says the title shot belongs to him
  • Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and company paid a visit to Mark Briscoe’s home turf, and Papa Briscoe was unamused … as are we after Lethal and Jarrett say they are challenging FTR for the tag team titles

  • Ricky Starks def. Juice Robinson by pinfall, but Jay White attacks Starks after the bell and Ricky narrowly avoids a Blade Runner
  • MJF stops in and visits Perry before the main event, trying to buy him off at the last moment but uses some weird reverse psychology to try to pull it off
  • Jack Perry and Darby Allin def. MJF and Sammy Guevara by pinfall when Allin pins Guevara after a Coffin Drop

Report: WWE initially denied Roderick Strong’s release request before AEW debut

Strong’s arrival on AEW Dynamite to save Adam Cole was a legit surprise.

Roderick Strong‘s debut on AEW Dynamite defied the notion that surprises can’t happen any more in professional wrestling. It also marked the end of his six-plus years with WWE, as he last appeared on NXT in August 2022 before dealing with an injury and quietly disappearing.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), Strong requested his release from WWE some time last year, which was initially rejected. His deal was believed to extend into next year, but the report noted that was hardly confirmed.

Fightful spoke with WWE talent who said they had not received any updates about Strong’s status prior to his departure, making his situation quieter than usual for a soon-to-be WWE departee. The only other indication of his departure was 2K, the company behind the popular WWE 2K video game franchise, being instructed to exclude Strong from the game.

Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer added that despite people knowing Strong’s contract was up, his AEW debut still surprised people in WWE.

Remarkably, nothing preceded the departure or arrival of Strong. No build-up, drama, or suspense beforehand, especially since he was still listed on WWE’s roster page as of April 26. It all added to the moment, however, when he arrived to save Adam Cole from the Jericho Appreciation Society on Dynamite. Shock and awe enhance moments, so the lack of details made for a more memorable debut on AEW Dynamite.

Strong reuniting with Cole could be the first step towards rekindling the Undisputed Era, which dominated NXT for a time with Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. Though O’Reilly is injured and Fish no longer works for AEW, it may be intriguing to see these four reunite for another go-around.

Either way, Strong deepens and already loaded AEW roster, and he’ll have every chance to thrive and become a major player immediately.

AEW Dynamite live results: The battle for Takeshita’s soul turns bloody

Plus there’s two title matches and an appearance by Tony Khan.

It’s time to find MJF a top contender once and for all tonight on AEW Dynamite from Sunrise, Fla.

You may recall that the AEW World Champion has been called one of the Four Pillars of the company, and that the other three all made it clear they’d like a shot at his title. MJF skillfully played them off against each other, even aiding Sammy Guevara in defeating “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry.

But now Guevara is just a victory over Darby Allin away from getting that title shot himself. Is having Sammy win part of MJF’s plan too, or does he have another trick up his sleeve?

There are also two title matches on the AEW Dynamite card tonight. Jade Cargill will put both her TBS Championship and her undefeated record on the line against Taya Valkyrie, possibly her most powerful opponent to date. And since it’s another week, it must mean another Orange Cassidy title defense, this time against Bandido.

Also, as you may have heard Tony Khan will be appearing on this week’s episode as well. Is he about to confirm to the world that we’ll all be watching two more hours of AEW action every week on Saturday night? Or is this particular announcement about something else?

There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to tune in tonight at 8 p.m. on TBS. Well, actually two ways, because you can also return to this post as we update it with AEW Dynamite live results as they happen from Sunrise.

AEW Dynamite results from Sunrise, Fla.:

(click on any match with a link for more details)

  • Orange Cassidy def. Bandido by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship; after the match, the two men share signs of respect, including Cassidy putting his sunglasses on Bandido
  • Adam Cole tells Renee Paquette he’s going to call out Chris Jericho … and if Jericho doesn’t come out, Cole will go find him; Cassidy and Bandido are told what’s going on and say “oh”
  • Darby Allin tries to squash things with Jack Perry, but they seem too competitive with each other to be sure that Perry will prevent any hijinks in Allin’s match tonight
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Dax Harwood by pinfall … by cheating, of course, then poses with Harwood’s tag team title bout
  • Tony Khan announces the Owen Hart Foundation tournaments are back again this year, and will include matches at Forbidden Door with the finals in Calgary this summer
  • Wardlow def. a jobber by pinfall in a quick squash match, and has another staredown with Luchasaurus
  • MJF and Sammy Guevara sure seem to still be on the same page as they vow that Sammy will defeat Darby, and they exchange gifts (vests and scarfs)
  • Poor RJ City gets laid out backstage by the Blackpool Combat Club
  • Sammy Guevara def. Darby Allin by DQ when MJF makes it seem like Darby used a skateboard to hit Sammy … but an announcement is made that Allin and Perry will team to face MJF and Guevara next week, and if the faces win, both of them are added to the title match at Double or Nothing
  • MJF and Guevara are furious, but Sammy gets left behind as MJF leaves the building
  • “Jericho, I know you can hear me you son of a bitch!” Cole swears he will beat Jericho within an inch of his life, but all he gets is The Ocho on the big screen sending the JAS to the ring … but Cassidy, Bandido and the debuting Roderick Strong help even the odds and clear the ring
  • QT Marshall tells the QTV crew they need to “go to Plan B” after a visit from an angry Powerhouse Hobbs
  • Jade Cargill def. Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship
  • Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter look somewhat the worse for wear but vow that even though The Outcasts declared war, the only way they’ll stop coming is if they are sent to the morgue
  • Ricky Starks and Shawn Spears exchange trash talk with Jay White and Juice Robinson ahead of their match on Rampage this Friday
  • Kenny Omega and Konosuke Takeshita def. The Butcher and The Blade by pinfall, but Bryan Danielson is with the announcers and distracts them for a full scale BCC assault … until the Young Bucks arrive, though Takeshita stops Omega from using a screwdriver on Jon Moxley and ends up having Mox use it on him