Tag: Sting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEW Dynamite results from Savannah:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Copeland survives, pins Minoru Suzuki

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Is Sting’s final match about to be against the Young Bucks?

The Young Bucks made what appeared to be a silent challenge to Sting at Daily’s Place.

We’ve known for a bit that the last match for pro wrestling icon Sting would be at AEW Revolution in March. What wasn’t clear is who he’d be facing, and while fans and observers made plenty of guesses over the past few months, a surprising option presented itself at the end of AEW Dynamite in Jacksonville Wednesday night.

Sting and Darby Allin had just finished a no DQ, falls count anywhere tag team match with Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs of the Don Callis Family — appropriately remaining undefeated after Sting did a Scorpion Death Drop out of the stands through some tables on Hobbs.

Tony Schiavone got in the ring to straight up ask Sting who his opponent would be, but the Stinger never got to answer the question as the Young Bucks’ music hit and brought the Brothers Jackson (sporting some new mustaches) out on stage.

The Bucks said nothing, but the implication was clear: They were throwing their hats in the ring to be in Sting’s final match at Revolution.

A tag team match makes a lot of sense for the 64-year-old Sting, who has competed exclusively alongside Allin during his time in AEW. There was a school of thought that perhaps he would wrestle against Allin in his final match, but The Sporting News’ Daniel Yanofsky pointed out that Darby wasn’t keen on ever doing that match.

Sting doesn’t really have much history with the Bucks, but that’s never mattered all that much for AEW when it comes to special attraction matches of this nature. Plus, with two months until the pay-per-view, there’s plenty of time to build a narrative around it.

Sting and Allin vs. The Young Bucks may not have been what many people had in mind for Sting’s last go-round in the ring, but the more it marinates, the more fun it sounds like it could be. We likely won’t have to wait long to see if Tony Khan and company have their hearts set on this course.

AEW Dynamite results 01/10/24: Sting thrills Daily’s Place as Young Bucks loom

Will we be seeing Sting and Darby Allin vs. some AEW EVPs at Revolution?

Oh yeah, it feels so good
To be back where we belong
Oh yeah, it feels so good
This is where we started from

Thanks for that, New Edition. Those immortal words are echoing through this writer’s skull as we get ready to take in AEW Dynamite Homecoming from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.

You might remember this as the pandemic-era home of AEW, the place where everyone buckled down and got through some very difficult times thanks to the Power of Pro Wrestling (don’t try to trademark that, I’ve already filed). It was the place where talent simply worked through it, the spot where The Gunns went from “Who are those lads with Billy on the right-hand side of the ring every week?” to actual weekly TV types.

On a sadder and more serious note, it’s also where the world at large got to know the late Mr. Brodie Lee better, which has gone into the thinking behind some of the matches on tonight’s card, according to Tony Khan. Yes, there are some random-ish eight-person tag matches, but they feature people important to Lee, and that is a cool touch.

Some of the more prominent singles matches may not have that kind of story behind them, yet they still could cook. Ricky Starks vs. Sammy Guevara for the first time ever? Sure. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Hangman Adam Page? Of course!

We’re also on Day 10, give or take, of Mercedes Watch, so there’s that too.

Plenty of reason to tune in. Light the fuse, Daily’s Place!

AEW Dynamite results from Jacksonville:

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

  • Hangman Adam Page def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall
  • A short compilation of Brodie Lee highlights from Daily’s Place is shown, along with an explanation of how his two hand-picked proteges are in action tonight
  • Orange Cassidy, Preston Vance, Dustin Rhodes and Adam Copeland def. Brian Cage, Gates of Agony and Lance Archer by pinfall, with Vance pinning Cage after some turmoil between Archer and the Mogul Embassy members during the match
  • Renee Paquette talks to Bullet Club Gold about the Undisputed Kingdom, and The Acclaimed stops by to repeat their suggestion that they form a “Bang Bang Scissor Gang superfaction,” and you can tell Austin Gunn is still on board with the idea
  • Samoa Joe says he has changed the title challenge protocol, but that doesn’t stop Swerve Strickland, Hangman and Hook from all throwing their hats in the ring
  • Paquette is with Toni Storm and Mariah May, and the champ is both dismissive of May and a little disturbed by the arrival of Deonna Purrazzo

  • Sammy Guevara def. Ricky Starks by pinfall
  • Sammy shakes Ricky’s hand after the match, but it’s a ruse for an attack by Big Bill that also draws in Chris Jericho … all while “Judas” blares the whole time
  • Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, Anna Jay and Thunder Rosa def. Saraya, Ruby Soho, Skye Blue and Julia Hart by submission as Anna Jay gets Skye Blue to tap out to the Queenslayer
  • Wheeler Yuta fires back at the “disrespect” he’s been shown by Eddie Kingston and makes it clear he’d like to face Kingston for his Continental Crown Championship on Rampage
  • Roderick Strong def. Bryan Keith by pinfall
  • Adam Cole gets on the mic after Strong’s win and goes over the Undisputed Kingdom mission statement again

  • Paquette talks to Purrazzo about Storm, and Deonna gets a Collision challenge from Red Velvet

  • Darby Allin and Sting def. Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs by pinfall
  • Schiavone gets in the ring to ask Sting who his last opponent will be, but the answer is interrupted by the more clean shaven Young Bucks, who linger on stage with their music playing before leaving

Hangman Adam Page does enough “Cowboy S–t” to beat Claudio Castagnoli

Upset as he has been recently, Hangman takes it right to Claudio as soon as the opening bell sounds. That’s not a bad idea, but you’re not going to just overwhelm the Swiss Superman, and sure enough Castagnoli takes control once the fight gets inside the ring.

Or is he just pissing Hangman off more? Page no sells some shots in the corner and marches forward, and they trade hard shots until Page ends up going for the Giant Swing.

Claudio goes for the Sharpshooter next, but he almost gets rolled up when he transitions to a crossface. Castagnoli fires right back with a Death Valley Driver, and both men are slow to rise.

Page breaks out with a fallaway slam as the fans applaud to egg him on. He kips up and hits a springboard lariat, then follows with a plancha and some right hands on the floor.

Once they’re both back inside the ropes, Page is caught on a corner charge and slammed hard over the top rope and onto the ramp. That couldn’t have felt good.

After some side by side ads, Page ends up right back on the ramp, and not by choice. Claudio punches him up to the stage, but the Cowboy sends him back toward the ring and then into it with a running lariat.

Castagnoli sees the Buckshot coming, however, and gets a near fall with a popup uppercut. The battle goes back to the floor, where Claudio catches Hangman and smacks him into a wall (yes) before getting countered with a DDT.

Page hits a moonsault off the wall, then counters a Tombstone with one of his own back in the ring. Castagnoli kicks out, though, and the match rolls on.

After sending Page face first into the top turnbuckle, Castagnoli hits a running uppercut and more of them in the corner. A big short arm lariat leads to a cover, but Page isn’t ready to be pinned yet.

Hangman pops up to deliver the DeadEye, but is somewhat slow to cover and only gets two again. They both end up ascending or trying to, and Claudio’s Ricola Bomb is countered with a hurricanrana. Two doses of the Buckshot are enough to keep Castagnoli down for the three count.

Samoa Joe has more than one person pursuing his title

Were some people tiring of MJF? It sure sounds like it as the current champion is getting “thank you Joe” chants. The champ says he’s making some changes to the title challenge protocol, saying people won’t have to whine in the ring or on social media.

Instead, you bring your record and reputation to the “championship committee,” and if they deem you worthy, you get an express pass for Joe to “stomp your ass out.” Wait, that doesn’t sound like a prize!

For anyone who wants a piece of him, the champion will be waiting. Of course, all that is unlikely to go unanswered, and sure enough, Swerve Strickland and the Mogul Embassy pop out on stage. Strickland boasts that he took Hangman’s spot, and just like that was, it isn’t personal between Swerve and Joe. He just wants the championship and he’s going to take it.

After winning the title, Swerve says he’ll be happy to make things personal between them. Of course, he already has a personal issue that somehow still isn’t done, and that’s with Hangman, who joins them. He also vows to make the AEW World Championship his in 2024, and Joe simply laughs as Page and Strickland stare holes in each other.

Page turns to Joe and says he hasn’t forgotten what Joe had done to him, and he’s going to take the title from him for it. After everyone leaves, Joe simply holds the belt aloft.

He’s not done, though. Hook’s music hits and the FTW Champion comes to the ring to have his own staredown with Joe. “One week,” Hook says before leaving.

Sammy Guevara rocks Ricky Starks for a big win

These two have never been in the ring for a singles match before, and they start off a little cautiously as a result. Guevara is the first to step on the gas, forcing Starks from the ring with a dropkick and dropping a moonsault on him from the top rope.

The battle goes to the apron, where neither man can impose his will into Sammy starts landing some nasty chops. Starks shrugs those off and slams Guevara hard onto the apron as side-by-side commercials slide in.

(They wasted Ricky’s awesome rope walk spot during the ads, darn them.)

Guevara seems to have a rally going now and gets a near fall right after the full broadcast is back. Sammy wants to climb but Ricky doesn’t want to let him, and Starks sets off on a flurry of offense that leads to his own near fall.

Starks’ great counter wrestling allows him to score another two count, but Guevara manages to nail him with a couple of superkicks and pulls off an inside cradle to get the dub.

Sting has one more crazy spot in him as he and Darby Allin top the Don Callis Family

Ric Flair and Don Callis are ringside with their respective teams, and this is going to be hard to recap since it immediately breaks down with fighting into the crowd in two different directions. No DQs, falls count anywhere for this one.

Takeshita is hitting rolling Germans on the floor on poor Darby as we get picture-in-picture action. Sting is faring even worse … until Allin gets tossed by both his foes and does like three revolutions before hitting the mat.

Sting comes back into the ring on fire but gets smacked down quickly by Takeshita. Flair decides to step in and chop Hobbs, which does nothing, but he thumbs Powerhouse in the eye and buys Sting enough time to recover.

All four men brawl up to the stage, and it feels like something nuts is going to happen. Sure enough it does, with Allin hitting a Coffin Drop on Takeshita from high up in the stands.

Hobbs hoists Sting and carries him down a walkway in front of the stands, but the Icon turns the tables with a Scorpion Death Drop down through some tables. Sting rolls over and throws an arm on top of Hobbs, and he stays undefeated as the ref counts to three.

AEW Dynamite preview 01/10/24: Homecoming at Daily’s Place

AEW Dynamite Homecoming will also feature Hangman Adam Page vs. Claudio Castagnoli and a stacked eight-woman tag match.

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The Daily’s Place era of AEW was a time. With the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the company from touring, it ended up creating a home for itself under difficult circumstances in Jacksonville. While tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite will look to the future and be part of an extended goodbye to an Icon, it will also undoubtedly bring back some memories from several years ago with its Homecoming theme.

Sting is in tag team action on his farewell tour

Even though chronologically it makes perfect sense for Sting to hang up the boots and paint, it’s still a little surreal knowing that every time he performs somewhere is the last time fans in that market will see him wrestle. That’s true again tonight in Jacksonville.

As always, he’ll have Darby Allin by his side. They’re undefeated as a tag team, but maintaining that status against The Don Callis Family’s Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs feels like a tough task. And that’s as it should be.

Has Hangman Adam Page bitten off more than he can chew?

It hasn’t been a good couple of months for Hangman Adam Page, who is understandably irritable after coming out on the short end of his feud with Swerve Strickland. The problem with looking for a fight, whatever the cause, is that you may find a very difficult one, which is what Hangman got tonight in Claudio Castagnoli.

Life hasn’t been all dubs for the Swiss Superman either, so this should be an interesting barometer of where AEW feels each man might be headed next. And oh yeah — it should be a pretty sweet match on its own merits, too.

Most of the current players in the women’s division will be in one match

No “Timeless” Toni Storm in this one, but just about everyone else with a storyline going on in the women’s division is in an eight-person tag team match tonight. Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale are having their friendship tested, but so far it’s proven stronger than Stoke.

On top of that, all eyes will be on Thunder Rosa. La Mera Mera only recently returned from a lengthy injury absence and hasn’t had all that much ring time just yet. Will she look like her old, championship-level self? Could she get in the mix with Julia Hart and the TBS Championship, perhaps? We’ll be watching anxiously to find out.

Also on the docket for tonight’s Homecoming episode from Daily’s Place:

  • Ricky Starks takes on Sammy Guevara in their first ever singles meeting
  • Lance Archer, Gates of Agony and Brian Cage team to face Orange Cassidy, Dustin Rhodes, Adam Copeland and Preston Vance
  • AEW World Champion Samoa Joe will be in the house

If this is a Homecoming you’ll want to attend, be sure to tune in tonight at 8 p.m. ET on TBS. We’ll also be serving up live results and other points of interest from the show here at Wrestling Junkie.

AEW Collision results 01/06/24: The House always wins, Sting does too

Sting said farewell to Charlotte and the House of Black got the last laugh on FTR on AEW Collision.

The sad thing about a legend saying goodbye over an extended period of time is that every time they compete, it’s the last time somewhere. That’s the glass half empty view. The glass half full version is that it allows fans in many different places to say goodbye when the show comes to them, which is the case for AEW Collision tonight in Charlotte.

It’s a city that has no lack of history with Sting, of course, but with Revolution and his retirement match coming up in just a few months, this will be the Icon’s last stop in the Queen City. He should get a heck of a reaction as a result, and it’s very cool that he’s in action alongside Darby Allin tonight.

There’s other fun stuff planned, including a title defense by Eddie Kingston and some words from Adam Copeland. Not a bad way to spend a snowy/rainy winter Saturday evening, so on to the action.

AEW Collision results from Charlotte:

  • Ric Flair comes out ahead of this match, to the delight of the North Carolina crowd (and the dismay of many other, probably)
  • Darby Allin and Sting def. The Workhorsemen by pinfall
  • A hype video is shown for the Darby Allin and Sting match against The Don Callis Family on Dynamite
  • Eddie Kingston def. Trent Beretta by pinfall to retain the AEW Continental Crown Championship
  • Tony Schiavone asks Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale (and Boots) about Stokely Hathaway, but Willow quickly pivots to both of them getting off to a good start to 2024

  • Hook says it’s time to start looking for another championship, and he’s got his eyes on the biggest one of all: Samoa Joe, he’s coming for you

  • The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) def. Bryan Keith and Komander by pinfall in a Proving Ground match
  • Renee Paquette talks to Jay White and The Gunns, who quickly get a visit from The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass; Anthony Bowens plays mediator and suggests that big factions are the way to go, and Austin Gunn admits to Paquette that “it makes sense”

  • Adam Copeland responds to Christian Cage’s assertion that he should get to the back of the line and been handed all of his opportunities, but Copeland says when it comes down to it, he just works harder; Adam does say he will earn his title shot starting tonight and makes an open challenge, answered by Griff Garrison and a slap to the face, and we’ve got a referee in there so let’s go …
  • Adam Copeland def. Griff Garrison by submission; Cole Karter tries to ambush Copeland after the match but gets a spear for his efforts
  • Flair puts over Sting and Allin taking on Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs next week on Dynamite, and Sting treats us to a “retro promo” for the match as well

  • Skye Blue def. Kiera Hogan by pinfall
  • Serena Deeb warns everyone once again that the professor of pro wrestling is ready to return
  • Prior to his match, Claudio Castagnoli says he’ll fight Hangman Adam Page on the upcoming episode of Dynamite
  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Andrew Everett by pinfall
  • Lexy Nair checks in with Ricky Starks and Big Bill ahead of Ricky’s match with Sammy Guevara on Dynamite, and Bill says they’ll defend their titles at Battle of the Belts against Guevara and Chris Jericho
  • FTR def. House of Black (Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black) by pinfall; Daniel Garcia comes down with a chair to prevent Brody King from interfering, but House of Black gets some payback on Garcia and FTR during a post-match assault

AEW Worlds End 2023 live report: The Devil in the details

Get the vibe of AEW Worlds End from amidst the live crowd from Wrestling Junkie’s Rob Wolkenbrod.

LONG ISLAND, NY — Entering Worlds End, it felt like a pay-per-view AEW needed to hit out of the park. The second half of the company’s 2023 left something to be desired, with lagging ticket sales, unfortunate injuries to Adam Cole, Kenny Omega and MJF, and backstage controversies remaining constant.

Filling the Nassau Coliseum wasn’t an issue Saturday night; AEW fans loaded the arena waiting on their favorite “scumbag,” the culmination of the Continental Classic and the next step of Christian Cage and Adam Copeland’s feud. The rest of the card had little fanfare since AEW glued it together within the last week, and it showed from the start of the main show until the main event matches.

At the same time, Worlds End was always billed as a three-match show featuring the three longest-running storylines in AEW. Along with the impending reveal of the Devil, the final 90 minutes of the five-hour show held all the eggs in the basket.

But even though fans were awaiting the identity of the person under the mask, questions loomed about MJF’s injury status. Was it his final night wrestling for a while? Did AEW extend his contract into 2024 and beyond? Tony Khan said he can’t comment on the AEW future of the Long Island native after the show, so take that as you will.

AEW answered questions beyond that during Worlds End, though, creating an interesting night of pro wrestling to close 2023.

AEW Worlds End results from Long Island:

  • Willow Nightingale def. Kris Statlander by pinfall in a solid match with a bumpy finish at the end.
  • A vignette teases Serena Deeb’s return to the ring.
  • Killswitch wins the battle royal to become the No. 1 contender to the TNT Championship. Not sure anyone expected Trent Beretta to be the runner-up over Danhausen, and it made the ending anticlimactic.
  • Hook def. Wheeler Yuta by submission to retain the FTW Championship.
  • Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia and Mark Briscoe def. Jay White, Jay Lethal, Brody King and Rush by pinfall. Danielson and White stepping into the ring together created one of the best pops of the night, and King was very over with the crowd.
  • Miro def. Andrade El Idolo by submission in a relatively slow-paced match. During the post-show press conference, Tony Khan confirmed that El Idolo’s contract with AEW will expire at the end of the year, making that the former WWE United States Champion’s final match with the company.
  • Toni Storm def. Riho by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s Championship. Storm’s impeccable character presentation highlighted a fine match.
  • Swerve Strickland def. Dustin Rhodes by pinfall. The atmosphere changed on a dime when “Big Pressure” played, waking a mild crowd from the last two matches. Rhodes also replaced Keith Lee, who was replaced an hour before the show due to injury.
  • Sting, Darby Allin, Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara def. Konosuke Takeshita, Will Hobbs, Ricky Starks and Big Bill by pinfall. Boos toward Chris Jericho dominated this match, with various chants his way that made it to air and some explicit ones the live broadcast might not have registered.
  • Julia Hart def. Abadon by pinfall to retain the TBS Championship. A “This is spooky chant” rang out early, but the match work kept the crowd quiet.
  • Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage to win the TNT Championship. This show needed a hard-hitting, storytelling-focused match, and the crowd was lively for it. Copeland’s cross body in the crowd received a wild reaction, but the “We want fire” chants were arguably the popular aspect of the night.
  • Christian Cage def. Adam Copeland to win the TNT Championship. The live crowd had mixed feelings about Cage winning back the title within minutes after Killswitch gave up the contract. It surprised many, but it also served as a way to keep the feud going and shift the momentum back in the Patriarch’s favor.
  • Eddie Kingston def. Jon Moxley by pinfall to win the Continental Classic. This was the grueling, hard-hitting match everyone expected with stiff strikes and some tough spots, including the suicide dive that seemed to hurt Kingston more than Moxley.
  • Samoa Joe def. MJF by submission to win the AEW World Championship, ending the 27-year-old’s record title reign, in a match where the now former champion was clearly hurting and even had an audible scream of pain. After the match, Adam Cole revealed himself as the Devil, with Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett as his goons.

AEW Worlds End live notes from Long Island:

  • Allowing Sting to receive an ovation in one of his last matches was a nice touch and a needed atmosphere changer after a forgettable eight-man tag match.
  • The reveal of Cole as the Devil was deemed anticlimactic by some of the crowd. It failed to elicit a huge reaction, perhaps because people had suspected Cole to be the man behind the mask all along. However, at times, the proper call doesn’t need to send shockwaves.
  • Throughout the night, the crowd felt like a sleeping giant. They wanted something to cheer for, and they wanted to react loudly. It arguably took until Copeland vs. Cage for that to happen, though, which was too long.

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AEW Worlds End results: All the winners from Long Island

Get live AEW Worlds End results for the year-ending pay-per-view from Long Island.

It’s time to see how AEW will look going into 2024, with plenty of big matches in store for AEW Worlds End. And in the hometown of AEW World Champion MJF, will he even leave Long Island with the title?

It’s a legitimate question given the status of his health and contract. There’s every chance that Samoa Joe could walk out of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum as the top champion in AEW, which is something not many probably would have predicted at the start of the year.

Many fans will also be watching to see if the Devil gets involved in the main event, with insiders suggesting their identity will be revealed before the end of the night. That only figures to make MJF’s chances of retaining his beloved Triple B even shorter.

Another highlight should be the Continental Classic final between Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley, two men who know each other extremely well even in an industry in which saying that is something of a trope. Can the Mad King throw off his bad luck in the biggest spots, not to mention his winless record against Mox, and finally come through?

We’ll also see both women’s championships defended (finally), another grudge match between Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, and much more from Long Island. We’re raring to go, so hopefully you are too.

AEW Worlds End results from Long Island:

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

  • Claudio Castagnoli, Mark Briscoe, Daniel Garcia and Bryan Danielson def. Brody King, Jay Lethal, Rush and Jay White by pinfall; King also got into it with Daddy Magic who was on guest commentary
  • Miro def. Andrade El Idolo by submission after CJ Perry turns on Andrade and assists her husband during the match
  • Toni Storm def. Riho by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
  • Dante Martin says he’s looking to become a titleholder and gets the latest pre-emptive challenge from Orange Cassidy
  • Swerve Strickland def. Dustin Rhodes by pinfall in an unusually long match after Strickland attacked Rhodes before the bell and stomped his ankle on top of a cinderblock
  • Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin and Sting def. Big Bill and Ricky Starks and The Don Callis Family (Powerhouse Hobbs and Konosuke Takeshita) by pinfall
  • Julia Hart def. Abadon by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship, with Skye Blue making an assist
  • Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage by pinfall in a No DQ match to become the new AEW TNT Champion; after the match, however, Killswitch (who won the Battle Royal during the pre-show to earn a title shot) attacks Copeland from behind …
  • … and he hands the contract to Cage, who quickly fills it out tells the ref to start a new match, and spears Copeland to win the title back by pinfall
  • Eddie Kingston def. Jon Moxley by pinfall in the AEW Continental Classic final, becoming the first ever AEW Triple Crown Champion
  • Samoa Joe def. MJF by submission to become the new AEW World Champion, despite some attempted assistance by Adam Cole
  • After the match, the ring is surrounded by the Devil’s masked men, and Cole and MJF are quickly overpowered; the lights go out and come back on to find Cole sitting on a chair — he’s the Devil, and the masked men are Wardlow, Roderick Strong and The Kingdom

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.