AEW Worlds End 2023 predictions: Who ends the year with a win?

Vaughn Johnson picks winners for all the matches on Long Island at AEW Worlds End.

Alas, we have reached the end of a roller coaster year for AEW with the promotion’s final pay-per-view offering, World’s End.

Will AEW end close out 2023 with a bang, or will it stumble to the year’s finish line?

Let’s run through the show match-by-match and offer some predictions.

AEW Dynamite results 12/27/23: Eddie Kingston triumphant, MJF betrayed

Several more parts of the Worlds End picture slid into place on AEW Dynamite in Orlando.

The AEW Continental Classic approaches what should be an explosive finish with the Gold League and Blue League finals tonight on AEW Dynamite in Orlando.

The Blue League final is a story of regret turned possible redemption, as Eddie Kingston tries to make it all the way back from losing his first two matches after including both of his championships in the tournament. Standing in his way? None other than Bryan Danielson, who has essentially wrestled his way through with one eye as AEW played up a real life injury.

In the Gold League final, it will be not two but three men vying for one spot in the overall final at Worlds End. Jay White, Jon Moxley and Swerve Strickland would all be worthy representatives, but only one can prevail in their three-way bout to go for the Triple Crown Championship on Saturday night.

There are some other interesting things planned for tonight outside the tourney too. MJF and Samoa Joe will fight two of the Devil’s masked men — for real this time. We think. Lexy Nair will have a sitdown interview with Christian Cage and Adam Copeland, who can’t wait to tear each other apart at Worlds End.

So this should be anything but a calm go home show, or at least it doesn’t appear that way. Let’s find out, shall we?

AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash results from Orlando:

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

  • Jon Moxley def. Jay White and Swerve Strickland in the Continental Classic Gold League final
  • A video package shows us Continental Classic highlights from Collision and hypes up the meeting tonight between Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston
  • Strickland tells Tony Schiavone how badly he wanted this but says he proved he was one of the best, and he addresses how Keith Lee has been looking for him for a match at Worlds End
  • Renee Paquette asks Mariah May about her attack on Riho last week, which Mariah simply says was supporting Toni Storm; May also tells the world her in-ring debut will be on next week’s Dynamite and 2024 will be all about her, which leads to Riho and Toni Storm hitting the ring in quick succession and Riho diving off the top rope to hit Storm (and Luther) on the floor
  • Top Flight and Action Andretti are keeping their heads up despite their loss to The Acclaimed, and look surprised when they get challenged by Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero for a match on Rampage
  • Miro throws out a challenge to Andrade El Idolo for Worlds End which apparently is already official
  • The Don Callis Family has its Boxing Week celebration and says hello again to Sammy Guevara, but their reunion turns into chaos that draws in Chris Jericho, Big Bill, Ricky Starks, Darby Allin and Sting
  • Roderick Strong and The Kingdom try to show Paquette their evidence board that points to MJF as the Devil, and Strong insists he’ll prove it
  • Eddie Kingston def. Bryan Danielson by pinfall in the Continental Classic Blue League final; Moxley comes to the ring afterward to check on Danielson and also has a mic, pointing out how many people love Kingston but also setting into a passionate exchange between the two men
  • Christian Cage waits for Adam Copeland so their sitdown interview can start, but Copeland is only in the mood to throw hands, and their scrap leads all the way down a long hallway and requires damn near the entire locker room to break them up
  • Skye Blue def. Kris Statlander by pinfall thanks to interference by Julia Hart; Willow Nightingale saves Statlander from a post-match beating and Abadon also makes a brief appearance
  • Ruby Soho has a match with Marina Shafir on Rampage, while Saraya has a new friend
  • The Devil’s masked men def. MJF and Samoa Joe by pinfall to become the new ROH World Tag Team Champions, but a bigger bummer for MJF is that Joe is apparently working with the Devil

Jon Moxley overcomes the odds, beats Jay White and Swerve Strickland to win the Gold League

How often will two of the three combatants get to try to settle this among each other? That’s something to watch as Moxley and Swerve quickly pair off. Mox ends up throwing both of his foes into the crowd, then brawling with Swerve and dropping White crotch first on a barricade.

Strickland bites Moxley’s forehead and smashes him with a running knee shot while Mox is helpless seated on a steel chair. Those two battle up into the first section of seats off the floor, repelling White again when he tries to join in … but only momentarily as Switchblade comes roaring back as soon as the others are occupied with each other.

White suplexes Moxley into a steel chair along the ringside barricade, rolling Strickland back into the ring and covering for two. A suplex into the barricade gets another two count, but Swerve is able to battle back with a running knee shot from the apron.

Strickland picks up the pace against Moxley only to get rakes across the back. He bites Mox’s fingers in response and follows with a running lariat.

Swerve nails Mox in the back of the head with an elbow and hits the griddy. He kicks White in the head and backdrops Moxley out to the floor on top of him. Strickland hits a diving frog splash onto both foes that gets the crowd on its feet.

After some picture-in-picture action, Mox goes diving to the floor to take out Swerve. A flurry of right hands crash down on Strickland’s face, as well as Moxley’s teeth on his forehead. A piledriver leads to a cover, with Moxley switching to mat wrestling immediately after Strickland kicks at two.

Swerve’s jump from the top is greeted by a kick to the gut, then a DDT for another near fall. White has been out of the action completely for several minutes, but he arrives just in time to smash Swerve with a chair.

That leads to an extended flurry of kicks from Strickland, but his somersault splash can’t win it because Mox comes right behind him to hit a stomp, and all three men are down for more side-by-side commercials.

It’s a legit three-way battle when we return, with no one quite able to gain the upper hand. White brings a steel chair into play, setting it across the pads in one corner. Alas, it’s him who ends up getting shoved into it, and Strickland nearly rolls up Moxley to win it.

Swerve and Mox start smacking each other with open hand shots before Strickalnd opens up with two pump kicks and a discus lariat. He whips Moxley into the corner but gets shoved to the floor by White.

Mox takes advantage with a clothesline and a Death Rider to White, and Strickland can’t get back in the ring fast enough to break up the pin. Moxley is on to the Continental Classic final at Worlds End.


The Don Callis Family’s Boxing Week celebration devolves into chaos

To a chorus of boos, Don Callis says this has been a difficult two weeks that he would not have made it through without his family. To show his appreciation, he has some Boxing Week gifts to give out to his crew, which of course consists of paintings of a way too buff version of him with each member of his team.

Callis says his family feels complete, but one person who may object is Sammy Guevara, freshly back from paternity leave. Guevara appears upset that Callis hasn’t spoken to him for a while, but Don has a painting for him too, showing Sammy holding his baby with the rest of the faction behind him.

Guevara says the Family members are big time stars but Callis makes all of their victories about him. Don turns it around and talks about his disappointment with Sammy for being gone so long, and he tells Guevara to choose between his real family and the Don Callis Family.

As he is wont to do, Don goes too far and says Sammy is about to be remembered as a big failure as a wrestler and a parent. That gets him shoved down, and when the rest of the Family attacks Guevara, Chris Jericho comes flying to the rescue with his bat, Floyd. They clear the ring and destroy the paintings, and with the fans urging them on, they hug before they get attacked by Big Bill and Ricky Starks.

The lights go out as they scrap, then come back on to reveal Darby Allin and Sting, who finally help drive off the tag team champs.


Eddie Kingston completes his comeback, defeats Bryan Danielson to head to the Continental Classic final

The winner here faces Mox for all the marbles on Saturday. Danielson hears some boos as he stays elusive in the early moments. He’s certainly living rent free in Eddie’s head for now.

A suplex and a tope suicida make for a great response by Kingston, who stays on his opponent on the outside. Hard chops crash into Danielson’s chest, and he’s thrown into the barricade before taking more of them.

Danielson finally gets an opening to unleash his own chops but is met by a bigger one that knocks him down. He bounces back to deliver a DDT on the apron and a flying knee to the floor. Picture-in-picture is next.

It’s Danielson who has taken control during the break, verbally berating Kingston while he kicks him. An exploder suplex make Bryan stop, and he hits a DDT when his spinning back fist is countered.

Kingston batters Danielson into the corner as the fans urge him on. He wants another exploder but is dragged to the mat for the LeBell Lock. Eddie is a long way from the ropes, but he’s moving forward and grabs the bottom rope for a break.

Danielson’s kicks lead to a snap suplex, but his attempt to come off the top rope is foiled by more chops. But Kingston ends up in the Tree of Woe, eating more kicks. What does Danielson have in mind next? It’s a superplex, but Kingston rolls over top of him and lands on his face, so both men are down or more side-by-side ads.

Kingston is landing chops at will as the full picture resumes, only to be hit by a shoulder capture suplex that forces him to kick out at two. Danielson’s upper chest is bright red, but Kingston can’t be feeling too good either as he takes a huge series of kicks to the chest.

Danielson’s running knee in the corner misses, giving Kingston an opening for a Northern Lights Bomb that comes close to ending it. Both men score some near falls before Bryan nails a Busaiku Knee, only to see Eddie kick out again.

Pulling up his eyepatch, Danielson appears bemused by the continuing chants for his opponent. He rains down hammer and anvil elbows that cause Kingston to fade. The ref checks on him, but he ends up getting stomped in the face and has to convince the ref again … with a middle finger to Danielson.

Kingston gets his second wind, firing through a flurry of offense that includes the spinning back fist. He follows with a powerbomb and a high stack, and against all odds, Eddie is through to the final.


Kris Statlander falls to Skye Blue, but Willow Nightingale still has her back

Stokely Hathaway joins the announce team to take in this one, though he scoffs at the idea that he’s been trying to recruit Statlander. Kris definitely isn’t taking it easy on Skye just because they used to be friends, bossing the early action.

Blue fights back by stomping Statlander into the corner but is quickly picked up for a delayed vertical suplex. They fight out to the apron, where Blue smashes Stat’s face down before picture-in-picture.

The full picture is back just in time for a Statlander near fall. Blue responds with a thrust kick and Code Blue, good for a two count.

Blue tries for a top rope hurricanrana but gets caught and eventually powerbombed, though she’s able to kick out at two. Shortly after, referee Aubrey Edwards is checking on Blue, totally unaware as Julia Hart gets in a cheap shot while Statlander is on the top rope. Blue delivers an Avalanche Code Blue, and Stat isn’t kicking out from that.

After the bell, Blue attacks Statlander again, and Hart joins in with a sliding lariat. Who’s coming to the rescue? It’s Willow Nightingale, who runs over both heels and sends them fleeing.


MJF loses his tag team titles, and Joe is in league with the Devil

Two of the Devil’s masked men take the ring for this tag team match, and MJF makes his way down too, but he sees Samoa Joe laid out backstage on the big screen and angrily says he’ll defend the titles alone (even with a brace on his left shoulder).

When the bell rings, MJF goes right after one of the masked men trying to unmask him. It doesn’t work, but he flips the other man out to the floor and hurls him into the steel steps. MJF goes for this guy’s mask but is hit from behind by a third man wielding a metal pipe.

A tag is made and the masked man hits the Heatseeker, and with his partner holding MJF’s feet, they make the pin and win the titles. All three goons stomp away on MJF, but even hobbling, Joe makes his way down with a steel chair.

Suddenly, the Devil appears on the big screen with the message “pleasure doing business with you” … which apparently is for Joe since he nails MJF in the back with the chair. Joe stands over MJF holding the world championship aloft as Dynamite goes off the air.

AEW Dynamite preview 10/4/23: 4th anniversary episode is Rated R

AEW Dynamite from Stockton will also see Rey Fenix put his International Championship on the line against Nick Jackson.

We always knew we were headed for this, right? That on the fourth anniversary of AEW Dynamite, we’d be celebrating by welcoming WWE Hall of Famer Edge, who of course can’t be called that in AEW, so he’s going by his real name of Adam Copeland, right?

Well that’s exactly where we’ve found ourselves. Tonight’s episode of Dynamite kicks off year five of AEW’s flagship show, and Mr. Copeland will be a big part of it if the advertising is any indication. He’s not scheduled to wrestle for the first time in an AEW ring until next Dynamite (which will be on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, because baseball), but he will be speaking in Stockton.

What will he address? Most likely why he decided not to help his old friend Christian Cage and instead stood against him beside Darby Allin and Sting at WrestleDream. If I was Cage, I’d want to know why as well.

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Copeland isn’t the only big name appearing on tonight’s show. Kenny Omega, fresh off his video game victory over MMA fighter Demetrious Johnson, will team with Chris Jericho to take on Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara. A championship will also be up for grabs as AEW International Championship Rey Fenix tries to stay that way against Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks.

But let’s be real. The big attraction for Dynamite is going to be hearing “You think you know me?” followed by “Metalingus” blaring about how someone can see clearly on this day on AEW TV. It’s going to be cool and surreal at the same time until we all get used to it.

And we’ll be here for it on Wrestling Junkie, in both the figurative and literal senses, so hop back here for live AEW Dynamite results tonight if you aren’t able to watch the show.

AEW WrestleDream results: Seattle sees thrills plus a Rated R debut

Full AEW WrestleDream results from Seattle including title matches, a betrayal and a familiar face from Christian Cage’s past.

What’s in a dream? We’re about to find out, pro wrestling style, thanks to AEW WrestleDream in Seattle.

Tony Khan conceived this new addition to the AEW pay-per-view lineup as a way to honor the great Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling who passed away a year ago. While this isn’t a straight up dual-branded PPV with NJPW a la Forbidden Door, there will definitely be some New Japan talent who are prominently featured in the show.

There are also several levels of intrigue around the event. Khan hasn’t been shy about calling WrestleDream the end of one era of AEW and the beginning of a new one, but he has declined to elaborate on what that might mean.

Could there be some debuts? Perhaps. Many fans are anxious to see if WWE Hall of Famer Edge, likely using his real name of Adam Copeland, might show up since his WWE contract has expired. The fact that the main event will feature Darby Allin and Copeland’s longtime friend Christian Cage has only ratcheted up the hype.

Even if no one new shows up, the card should deliver on pure in-ring action as AEW usually does. Let’s see what the night has in store.

AEW WrestleDream Zero Hour pre show results:
  • Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena and Billie Starkz def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty), Diamante and Mercedes Martinez by pinfall
  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Josh Barnett by pinfall; afterward, Barnett gives Claudio a big show of respect afterward and says Inoki-san would be a fan of his, then says he will come after Castagnoli again down the road, to which he says “any time, any place” and pays respect in return
  • Luchasaurus def. Nick Wayne by pinfall
  • The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn def. TMDK (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, and Bad Dude Tito) by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship

AEW WrestleDream results:

(click on ay match with a link for

  • MJF addresses the crowd, talking about how pissed he is that someone stole his mask and that Adam Cole isn’t here tonight; he also tells The Righteous exactly what he’s about to do to them
  • MJF def. The Righteous by pinfall to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship
  • Eddie Kingston def. Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship
  • Kris Statlander def. Julia Hart by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship
  • Young Bucks def. The Gunns, Lucha Bros. and Orange Cassidy and Hook to win a future AEW World Tag Team Championship shot
  • Swerve Strickland def. Hangman Adam Page by pinfall
  • Ricky Starks def. Wheeler Yuta by pinfall
  • Bryan Danielson def. Zack Sabre Jr. by pinfall
  • The Don Callis Family (Konouke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay) def. Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi by pinfall
  • FTR def. Aussie Open by pinfall to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship
  • Christian Cage def. Darby Allin 2-1 in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match to retain the AEW TNT Championship after Nick Wayne turns on Allin during the match
  • Cage and Wayne stomp away on Allin after the bell, but Sting comes down the ramp to make the save, except Luchasaurus arrives to aid the heels, and it looks bad for our heroes …
  • … until a short film plays that says “Rated R” on a road, bringing Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge, to the ring; he takes a chair from Wayne and teases a Con-chair-to before using the chair to save the day; Sting and Copeland shake hands as the show goes off the air

AEW WrestleDream predictions: Who walks out of Seattle on top?

Who will emerge victorious in the first ever AEW WrestleDream in Seattle? Vaughn Johnson gives his picks for all the matches.

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During a media call earlier this week, Tony Khan revealed that the plans behind Sunday’s pay-per-view began back on Oct. 1 of last year, when he heard that legendary wrestler and founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling Antonio Inoki had passed away at the age of 79.

Khan told the media that he took a mental note of the date and immediately began the ideation process of putting on a tribute show with New Japan to honor Inoki. The result is WrestleDream.

The last time AEW did something with a distinct NJPW flavor was the dual-branded Forbidden Door event back in June, which produced some of the best wrestling matches of the year. With a title like WrestleDream, I’d imagine we’ll see more of the same Sunday night.

Here are my predictions for the event:

Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

What is a better way to headline a supposed dream card than with a dream match between two of the best technical wrestlers in the world?

When matches like this come around, fans usually cheer for both participants because they are so happy to see the match become a reality. However, I believe that can take away from a match.

Danielson and Sabre should have no such issue as it emanates merely two hours away from the former’s hometown of Aberdeen, Wash. With Seattle being Danielson’s surrogate hometown for the evening, I’d imagine most of the fans in the building will be rooting for the hometown hero, which should elevate the match.

When it comes to picking a winner, that’s where things become difficult. Danielson has openly discussed the end of his full-time in-ring career being in the near future, which could lead to him looking for someone to pass the torch to as this generation’s best technical wrestler.

Sabre would certainly fit that bill.

However, because this match takes place in Danielson’s neck of the woods, I believe he will walk away with the victory, sending the fans in Seattle home happy.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Adam Page

The segment between these two on this week’s edition of Dynamite was fantastic, and it added to my own personal excitement to see this encounter.

While that was fun, this is another match that is proving tough to predict. Why? Because both guys need the win.

Sure, Page has been to the top of the mountain before and has been heavily featured in the past, but he hasn’t been involved in a lot of eventful angles lately. A win here could re-energize his momentum and get him back to the top of the card.

However, Strickland has never been given a main event-caliber push, and it was only until recently that he was a consistent presence on the weekly television shows. And some of that credit should go to the hysterically funny Prince Nana.

Not to mention, it has been a while since Strickland picked up a big win. In my opinion, he’s due.

The match itself should be a classic.

Winner: Swerve Strickland

AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. Aussie Open

Another match, another potential classic for the world tag team titles.

While Aussie Open is a great team, I don’t see a reason to take the titles away from FTR at this point. 

Winners: FTR

AEW TNT Championship (2-out-of-3 Falls): Christian Cage (c) vs. Darby Allin

I may not hit on all of my predictions, but if there is one that you can take directly to the bank, it is that Allin will take chances with his body during the match — and some of them will be unnecessary.

I can easily see Cage doing something that would damn near incapacitate Allin, only for it to be used as a means to have the latter come back from behind and win the match.

Winner: Darby Allin

AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart

As excited as I am to see the TBS title get some shine on a pay-per-view, I am just as disappointed in the fact that Statlander versus Hart is the only women’s match on this card.

When AEW and New Japan link up, in my eyes, it is a showcase of the best professional wrestling the world has to offer outside of WWE. There are enough great women’s wrestlers out there to warrant putting more than one match on a card of this magnitude. But guess how many women’s matches were on Forbidden Door?

One.

There are enough wrestlers in AEW’s women’s division that would warrant more than one match. But guess how many were on All In, the supposed biggest wrestling show of all time?

One.

Guess how many women’s matches were on All Out?

One.

And no, I’m not counting the pre-show matches. I’m talking about the proper pay-per-view that people pay their hard-earned money to watch.

Somehow, there’s never enough time for more.

Both Statlander and Hart are great wrestlers, and I love seeing the latter’s maturation into someone who has main event potential, but there are more talented wrestlers in AEW’s women’s division. They deserve to be put on this stage as well.

As far as a winner, I’m going with Statlander. I do believe that Hart will have a star-making performance in defeat.

Winner: Kris Statlander

Ring of Honor World & NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata

On paper, this sounds like it should be a banger, but with Kingston recently revealing that he is dealing with a lower back injury that forced him to step away from independent wrestling, I’m not sure what to expect.

Kingston also revealed that he recently signed a four-year extension with AEW. AEW making such a commitment tells me that the promotion is firmly behind Kingston as the ROH champ.

Winner: Eddie Kingston

Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship: MJF (c) vs. The Righteous

As I wrote in a previous column, it would make total sense to have MJF lose to The Righteous and move on from tag team competition since his partner is sidelined with a broken ankle.

Winners: The Righteous

Chris Jericho & The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. The Don Callis Family (Will Ospreay, Sammy Guevara, & Konosuke Takeshita)

After all of the trouble the Callis family has caused over the last few weeks, my instinct is usually to take the good guys in this situation.

However, I feel like Guevara needs a chance to redeem himself after losing to Jericho at Grand Slam. Sure, he gained some measure of revenge by getting some of his heat back on Jericho after the match.

But I feel like in order for him to get the maximum amount of revenge, he needs to beat Jericho. Maybe that will happen in a one-on-one match one day in the future, but I would make it happen here, and further elevate The Don Callis Family in the process.

Winners: The Don Callis Family 

No. 1 contender’s match for AEW World Tag Team Championship: Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros. vs. The Gunns vs. Orange Cassidy and Hook

Since three of the four teams have already been heavily featured in the past, I’m going to call for the upset and go with the odd couple pairing of Cassidy and Hook to come out on top.

Winners: Orange Cassidy and Hook

Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta is cool and all, but if Starks doesn’t pick up the win here then we have some serious problems.

Winner: Ricky Starks

AEW Dynamite results 09/27/23: Switchblade guns for MJF, Swerve and Hangman are fired up

Adam Cole also delivered some bad injury news on AEW Dynamite from Broomfield.

The card for AEW WrestleDream this Sunday seems pretty much set since there are already nine confirmed matches. But that doesn’t mean tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite from the greater Denver area couldn’t still shake up things for Seattle somehow.

It’s not 100% clear how just by looking at what’s been promoted for tonight’s show, to be fair. Willow Nightingale will take on Julia Hart in what should be a great pairing of two of AEW’s rising stars, but Hart already has a title shot this weekend against Kris Statlander.

The same is true of the four-way battle between Orange Cassidy, Penta, Matt Jackson and Austin Gunn. Will it be fun? Almost certainly. But those peeps are already half each of four teams who will be competing for a future tag team title shot in Seattle.

Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland will sign on the dotted line before they tear into each other at WrestleDream, so perhaps there will be a wrinkle added there. A last minute stipulation of some sort can’t be ruled out.

There’s also the unfortunate matter of a potential injury to Adam Cole. Tony Khan said that his status would be addressed on Dynamite, and since he and his Better Than You Bay Bay partner MJF are scheduled to speak, hopefully it won’t be to tell us that Cole can’t go come Sunday.

Certainly, Khan’s cryptic comments about the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, which he has chosen to keep enigmatic, have raised some eyebrows. Could there be some hints toward what might be coming on Dynamite?

There’s only one way to find out. Well, two ways, really. Let’s get into this show and see what’s what.

AEW Dynamite results from Broomfield:

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

  • Rey Fenix def. Jeff Jarrett by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
  • A video shows MJF trying to cheer up Adam Cole by hanging out together on a boat (his dad’s, apparently) off Long Island, but Max is disappointed that Adam was on the phone with Roderick Strong so long and teases hitting him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and tossing him overboard … but Cole sees that coming (though MJF denies it) and explains it’s OK to have more than one friend, and they end up drinking beers with Captain Insano after catching him with a fishing rod
  • Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita are shown in Tokyo looking for Kenny Omega’s secrets or something, but that was apparently before tonight as they’re up next
  • Renee Paquette talks to The Don Callis Family, who revel in adding Sammy Guevara to their ranks and apparently have already attacked Kota Ibushi in Japan
  • After the Death Match with Bryan Danielson, Ricky Starks brags that he survived, but Wheeler Yuta drops by to call him an entitled prick and says if he disagrees, they can find out in Seattle … and the match has already been added to WrestleDream
  • Nick Jackson def. Brian Cage and Claudio Castagnoli, earning himself a shot at Fenix next week
  • The Righteous deliver a message to Adam Cole and MJF about fake friends ahead of their title match at WrestleDream
  • Adam Cole has bad injury news, and to make matters worse for MJF, Jay White has the Triple B in his sights
  • Jim Ross has a sitdown interview with Christian Cage and Darby Allin, who argue about the tutelage of Nick Wayne and their upcoming TNT Championship match at WrestleDream
  • Orange Cassidy def. Penta El Zero Miedo, Matt Jackson and Austin Gunn
  • Julia Hart def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall, then gets out of dodge when Kris Statlander hustles to aid Willow after the bell
  • Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page sign on the dotted line, but not without some verbal barbs and a touch of violence
  • Backstage, Jay White is getting beaten up by men in all black and devil masks …

AEW WrestleDream date, start time: When to tune in for WrestleDream

When will AEW WrestleDream kick off from Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena? We tell you when to tune in.

Is pro wrestling for dreamers? The great Antonio Inoki thought so when he founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and AEW is going to do its best to carry on his spirit with the inaugural AEW WrestleDream.

The new event is set to take place at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s Kraken. It occupies what used to be a fairly long layoff between AEW PPVs, which historically have gone from All Out in early September to Full Gear in mid-November with nothing in-between.

There’s been no confirmation as of yet if WrestleDream will carry on as an annual event or if this will be a one-off, but considering the location, it’s only fitting that one of the big attractions will be hometown hero Bryan Danielson. With the American Dragon recently admitting that his time as a full-time wrestler is winding down, his dream match against Zack Sabre Jr. for bragging rights over who is the world’s best technical wrestler should be a can’t-miss bout.

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Another match that should excite fans around the globe will see the unlikely team of Chris Jericho and the Golden Lovers, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi, as they take on The Don Callis Family: Konosuke Takeshita, recent recruit Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay.

A number of championships will also be on the line, including two in one match when Eddie Kingston puts up both his current titles against Katsuyori Shibata. AEW hasn’t announced any matches for a pre-show, which could be themed as Zero Hour, but it’s worth keeping in mind that could still happen this week.

Here’s everything you need to know to be ready for WrestleDream when it invades Seattle.

AEW WrestleDream 2023

  • Date: Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023
  • Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
  • Start time: 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT

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AEW Grand Slam: Rampage results, live report — Sammy Guevara finds his heat

Here’s what happened on the Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage on Friday, Sept. 22.

FLUSHING, N.Y. — They might have held their breath for a moment or two, but the talent and staff of AEW filled Arthur Ashe Stadium for over four hours of pro wrestling on Wednesday night.

AEW struggled to sell tickets in the weeks leading up to the show, possibly due to prices, having run this venue at the same time of year before or other circumstances, once making Grand Slam unlikely to be a base hit. Even with a strong card, fans were not buying in.

To combat this, last week, AEW began a special “buy one, get one free” ticket offer to jumpstart sales. That helped, but so did MJF’s rigorous promotional tour across seemingly every local New York morning show — a tactic scarcely used in this pro wrestling’s company young existence.

AEW found a way to make Grand Slam 2023 work and can learn lessons from it. But quality wrestling pushed the negative attention aside, between two hours of Dynamite and an extensive Rampage taping.

Both before and after the main show, AEW recorded matches for its Friday night series that featured numerous top stars, title bouts and promos that would normally happen on Dynamite or Collision. AEW always touts Grand Slam as its longest Rampage show, extending it to two hours instead of the usual 60 minutes. So once Dynamite ended, the action was hardly finished.

The Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page headlined a strong Rampage card as they competed for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship, while Darby Allin and Sting faced off against Christian Cage and Luchasaurus. Additionally, AEW’s most hated man, Don Callis, explained why he and Sammy Guevara have aligned.

How did the action shape up? Let’s take a look at the results of what happens on the Sept. 22 Grand Slam episode of Rampage.

AEW Grand Slam Rampage results from Arthur Ashe Stadium:

  • Santana def. Bear Boulder. Ortiz stepped out on the stage after the match, but Santana barely acknowledged him. It seems their real-life animosity will translate to a storyline.
  • Orange Cassidy, Hook and Kris Statlander def. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker and Anna Jay. A fun match that included a triple suplex spot that popped the crowd.
  • Darby Allin and Sting def. Luchasaurus and Christian Cage by pinfall after Nick Wayne distracted Christian. The crowd chanted “Who’s your daddy?” after the match.
  • Don Callis (with Konosuke Takeshita) cut a promo about why he recruited Sammy Guevara to work with him. Guevara eventually joined him in the ring to explain his reasoning for turning on Chris Jericho and aligning with Callis. It was difficult to hear most of what Callis and Guevara said because of the crowd booing.
  • As Guevara explained himself, Jericho interrupted and started brawling with Guevara and Takeshita. Kenny Omega made the save to a great reaction, but when Jericho went to shake his hand, Omega did not reciprocate.
  • Hangman Page and The Young Bucks def. Toa Liona, Kaun and Brian Cage to win the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship by pinfall, which pleasantly surprised the crowd. Swerve Strickland, who was very over with the New York fans, walked onto the stage during the match to stare down Page and distract him.
  • Julia Hart def. Skye Blue by submission. Willow Nightingale made the save for Skye when Julia would not release her submission hold.
  • Tony Khan came out to a mixed reaction (it was his third appearance of the night) to tease Grand Slam one day becoming an AEW pay-per-view. That likely wasn’t for television.
  • The Righteous def. Best Friends, The Kingdom and The Hardys by pinfall to become the No. 1 contender for the ROH Tag Team Championship. It will be interesting to see how Adam Cole’s injury impacts the eventual match.
  • The Acclaimed def. The Dark Order by pinfall to retain the AEW Trios Championship. They invited the Impractical Jokers into the ring after the match for a scissor party.

AEW Rampage live notes:

  • Kudos to a crowd that had already been there for three hours for making as much noise as they did when Sammy Guevara and Don Callis cut promos.
  • Julia Hart’s live entrance has some pretty neat aesthetics that stand out amongst most of the roster.
  • A special edition “Better Than You Bay Bay” shirt in New York Mets colors and font was sold at the merch shops.

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam results 09/20/23: Kingston, Fenix, Saraya, MJF come up big

Get live AEW Dynamite Grand Slam results, with MJF vs. Samoa Joe headlining four championship matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The funny thing about being on top of the world is how many people want to knock you off that perch. MJF has certainly learned that lesson since becoming AEW World Champion, with both friends and foes trying to take that title away from him. Tonight at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium, he’s definitely up against one of the latter.

Samoa Joe had to earn his title shot via a tournament, but really wasn’t pushed all that hard along the way except a bit in the final by Roderick Strong. He and MJF have history that dates back to even before the current champ was a notable wrestler, so it’ll be personal as well as business in NYC.

The same could be said for the other three championship matches on the Grand Slam Dynamite card, all of which have been set up nicely by AEW despite this show now finding itself smashed between the All In/All Out spectacles and the brand spanking new WrestleDream early next month. Of the others, the one with the biggest chance to steal the show is the title vs. title encounter between Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli, the payoff to a sense of mutual dislike that is both rare and long overdue to spill into one-on-one violence.

There’s also the sense that some surprises could show up at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s probably too early for a certain Canadian who can see clearly to make an appearance, but there are other names with WWE histories that would make this show feel even bigger.

We’ve got two members of our Wrestling Junkie team in the house, but we’ll also be manning the keyboard as usual on Wednesday nights. Let’s see what this night has in store.

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam results from NYC:

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

  • Eddie Kingston def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall in a Title vs. Title match to retain the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship and become the new ROH World Champion
  • We flash back to last week, where The Kingdom is reading inspirational messages to Roderick Strong in the hospital, and Adam Cole is there for him too … but only for a few minutes, as he has to go support MJF and a disgusted Roddy tells him to “just go”
  • Christian Cage says he’s done with Darby Allin but knows Darby isn’t letting things go, so he invites Allin for a three-way dance on Collision with him and Luchasaurus, with the International Championship on the line but Sting banned from ringside
  • Chris Jericho def. Sammy Guevara by pinfall, but Guevara kicks Jericho in the groin after the bell and leaves with Don Callis
  • MJF delivers a warning to Samoa Joe and has Cole beside him, but Adam gets a call from a panicked Roddy and has to talk him down, to the champ’s annoyance
  • Rey Fenix def. Jon Moxley by pinfall to become the new AEW International Champion
  • Samoa Joe has his final say before his meeting with MJF
  • Saraya def. Toni Storm by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
  • MJF def. Samoa Joe by submission to retain the AEW World Championship, with Cole arriving to lend his support when Max needs it most

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam 2023 preview: Gold up for grabs at Arthur Ashe

Four championships will be on the line at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam in NYC.

Say what you want about AEW’s booking style — and many people do — but even with AEW Dynamite Grand Slam arriving in the middle of a more crowded event schedule than usual, the company has managed to put together a card that features a number of championship matches that all have a story behind them.

In what’s likely to be the main event, MJF will defend his AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe. Their history goes back years to a meme you’ve probably seen at some point, plus Joe won his way through a tournament for the chance to see what the Devil is made of.

When Saraya puts her AEW Women’s World Championship on the line against Toni Storm, it will be the latest chapter in a saga with The Outcasts that’s been going on for some time. That’s even more true for the title vs. title showdown between Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli.

Heck, even the AEW International Championship match between Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix has a bit of a back story behind it. And that certainly is the case for the one non-title bout on the card, where Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara will put their friendship aside for one night to find out definitively if the pupil has outgrown the master.

The point is that there are no random matches here, and that’s a good thing. Grand Slam may have be now a bit lost in the shuffle between PPVs, and the wonder may have worn off a little from holding a show at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but it deserves a card with some thought behind it, and that’s absolutely the case tonight.

We can’t wait to see how it plays out beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in live on TBS or join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for live updates throughout the show.