Tag: Taya Valkyrie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEW Dynamite results from New Orleans:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jon Moxley vs Jeff Hardy

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Jon Moxley grinds out a victory over Jeff Hardy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lee South

Adam Page vs Toa Liona

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lee South

Deonna Purrazzo vs Taya Valkyrie

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

Deonna Purrazzo keeps rolling by tapping out Taya Valkyrie

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

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

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

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

Lee South

Swerve Strickland vs Rob Van Dam

New Orleans, LA

AEW Dynamite

January 31, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEW Dynamite preview 01/31/24: Mox vs. Jeff Hardy, Dealer’s Choice matches in NOLA

Deonna Purrazzo will also look to continue her winning ways against Taya Valkyrie on AEW Dynamite from New Orleans.

It’s been two years since AEW Dynamite last paid a visit to New Orleans, but that changes tonight. UNO Lakefront Arena, which we assume is actually right by a lake, is set to light the fuse.

Jeff Hardy vs. Jon Moxley, first time ever

When The Hardys mentioned a few weeks ago that they’d prefer to be used differently, Tony Khan apparently took notice … for Jeff Hardy, anyway. He’s been more active on TV as of late, and he’s in for it tonight as he has his first ever singles match against Jon Moxley.

AEW has noted that with the wrestler rankings returning soon, this would be a big win for Mox. We’d argue it would have a bigger impact on him if he lost, but either way, you’d assume he comes out of this with a dub and is high up on said rankings early on.

What opponent will Hangman choose for Swerve?

Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland can’t seem to let go of the beef they have with each other, and AEW is helpfully facilitating its continuation by allowing them to pick the other’s opponent in a pair of Dealer’s Choice matches on Dynamite.

Since Swerve rolls with a crew, it’s only natural he selected a member of the Mogul Embassy, Gates of Agony’s Toa Liona, to face Hangman. But Page is a more solitary type these days, so who will he tap to step in against Swerve? We’ll have to wait to find out.

Can the Virtuosa keep conducting victories?

It’s obvious by now that Toni Storm perceives Deonna Purrazzo as a threat, even in her eccentric state. The question is whether anything can stop Purrazzo before she gets a title shot, whether Storm likes it or not.

So far no one has been able to defeat Purrazzo, and while Taya Valkyrie figures to be her biggest test since joining AEW, the chances are high that Storm will be on guest commentary again watching Purrazzo’s hand get raised, maybe she’ll think of something to change the script.

Also advertised for tonight’s Dynamite from New Orleans:

  • Chris Jericho battles Kyle Fletcher in his latest showdown with a member of The Don Callis Family

AEW Dynamite hits the airwaves at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, and we’ll be set with live results and updates all throughout the show.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEW Dynamite results from Savannah:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Copeland survives, pins Minoru Suzuki

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

AEW Rampage results 09/08/23: Joe gets one step closer to MJF

Joe will now face Penta El Zero Miedo in a semifinal match on Collision.

It’s tournament time again in AEW, and unlike college hoops, that doesn’t mean it’s March but rather early September on the way to Grand Slam in New York City. Two important matches will take place tonight on AEW Rampage to set up the semifinals on Collision tomorrow night.

The tournament winner gets to face MJF for the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam, and while the person with the best storyline (Roderick Strong) already advanced on Dynamite, you can’t count out the others still in the field. We’ll see who makes the final four from this particular hour of Rampage.

There’s also an intriguing six-woman tag match and a high profile tag team match, so let’s not waste any more time on the preliminaries.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Penta El Zero Miedo def. Jay Lethal by pinfall in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament quarterfinal match, despite attempted assistance by Lethal’s crew, who all end up getting ejected from ringside
  • At the announce table, Chris Jericho is asked about the animosity between him and Sammy Guevara, who comes out so they can both say they want to punch each other in the face, and they agree to have a match at Grand Slam in New York
  • Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. Taya Valkyrie, The Bunny and Anna Jay by submission as Baker taps out The Bunny
  • Hook says it feels good to have the FTW title back where it belongs … in New York
  • The Young Bucks def. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker by pinfall
  • Mike Santana says he didn’t come back to be a guy in the game, he came back to be The Guy, and he’s here to make money — not friends
  • Samoa Joe def. Jeff Hardy by submission in a Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament quarterfinal match

AEW Rampage results 09/01/23: Dark Order punches their ticket for All Out

See how Dark Order won a spot at All Out, plus a fiery women’s division main event on AEW Rampage from Chicago.

Facing the unenviable task of booking pay-per-view cards on consecutive weeks, AEW is certainly making the best of it. Even with some, ahem, complications affecting the availability of its biggest Chicago-born star, things are plowing ahead toward All Out, and AEW Rampage still has something to say on that front.

If nothing else, Rampage will find challengers to everyone’s favorite brochados, MJF and Adam Page. Let’s not waste any time, either, since the match to determine them is up first.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Dark Order (Alex Reynolds and John Silver) win the Tag Team Battle Royale to determine the No. 1 contenders for the ROH World Tag Team Championship, earning a title match against Adam Cole and MJF at All Out
  • Aussie Open, who did not win the battle royale, have words with Chris Jericho at the announce table that elevates to fists; Sammy Guevara arrives with Jericho’s baseball bat (Floyd) to run them off
  • Mike Santana takes us back to the beginning of his time here at AEW, when his dad passed away, then flashes forward to his injury at Blood and Guts 2022 before finishing by saying he has more story to tell
  • Nick Wayne and El Hijo del Vikingo def. Kip Sabian and Gringo Loco by pinfall
  • Johnny TV is in charge of QTV while QT Marshall is away defending his AAA title, and he promised big changes
  • Hangman Adam Page def. “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette talks to Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker and Matt Menard ahead of their Trios Championship opportunity, and they’re looking forward to getting back to basics since they weren’t part of All In
  • Paquette has a contentious interview with Roderick Strong, who ends things early and leaves with The Kingdom
  • Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale def. Anna Jay and Taya Valkyrie by pinfall, but Valkyrie attacks Blue after the bell, forcing Nightingale to come to her partner’s rescue while Taya tells the crowd that Chicago sucks

AEW Dynamite results 07/26/23: Orange Cassidy is up in the BCC’s business

AEW Dynamite from Albany also featured an appearance by MJF and Adam Cole and a response from FTR.

For a guy who would prefer to work as little as possible, Orange Cassidy sure does defend his AEW International Championship a lot. And that makes for a totally relevant segue, because he’s going to be doing it again tonight on AEW Dynamite.

He’s already taken on quite the diverse group of challengers, but he’s getting a completely different test in Albany from high-flying AR Fox. The story AEW is telling with him is a good one: When will he simply wear out, and will he feel pressure to take more shortcuts to stave off the inevitable?

We’ll also see the latest comedy stylings from Adam Cole and MJF, and there are some other fun matches on the card too, so let’s jump right into it.

AEW Dynamite results from Albany:

Darby Allin narrates a video that tells us more about AR Fox, who not only helped him when he was just getting started in wrestling, he actually let Darby live with him for free. Respect.

Orange Cassidy def. AR Fox by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship

Even with his hands in his pockets, Cassidy is able to go move for move with Fox right off the bat, but he ducks out to the floor to slow the pace as soon as he’s able.

That only stops Fox momentarily, and the challenger has several good chances to win it. He also hits a cool somersault senton on the apron before returning to the ring, where Cassidy hits none of his big finishers but still is able to outwrestle Fox on the mat to get the pin.

After the bell, Cassidy offers a handshake, then his sunglasses to Fox. But AR destroys the sunglasses and then smashes Orange with  a right hand. Allin, who advocated for Fox to get this shot, runs down the ramp for an angry confrontation.

To add injury to insult for Cassidy, Jon Moxley hits the ring and lays out the champ with a Death Rider. Ouch.

Renee Paquette says Don Callis has requested time to speak with Chris Jericho, and he proposes a tag team match with Konosuke Takeshita as a test run for joining the Family. Oh, and it’ll be against Daniel Garcia and Sammy Guevara. Jericho ponders it for a second but then says he’ll do it.

Callis also commemorated some artwork that shows the two of them together in the ’90s, and … yeah.

Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta have a PSA: Don’t mess with the Blackpool Combat Club. That goes for Pac in particular, and Mox says the tag team they are facing tonight will pay for it too.

Tony Schiavone heads to the ring to talk to the new FTW Champion, Jack Perry, who scoffs at how Hook went home after one loss. But when he said he was going to win a championship, Perry clarifies that it wasn’t going to be one “created in a second-class company.”

Doubling and tripling down, Perry says he’d run circles around Taz and all of his dirtbag friends back in the day. Jerry Lynn comes out to take exception to all of this and defend the honor of ECW. When Lynn tells Perry he’ll get his ass kicked if he keeps running his mouth, Jack challenges him to a match next week.

Britt Baker tells Paquette she was surprised when Taya Valkyrie called her out on Collision, but she’s also excited about the opportunity to remind everybody that TBS = The Britt Show. Not sure that’s what it formally stands for, but we’ll roll with it.

Pac vs. Gravity

The announcers remind us that one of Pac’s nicknames used to be “The Man That Gravity Forgot,” and now he’s wrestling someone named Gravity, and you see where this is headed.

This is a pretty fun Dynamite debut for Gravity, but you know he’s not winning, and Pac is able to get him to submit. He hangs onto the hold after the bell, because he’s a bastard and all.

MJF and Adam Cole look a lot more serious tonight, with the World Champion cutting a very serious promo on FTR. Cole says to his partner that it’s become about friendship, which means the world to him. Adam tells Max that he’s becoming one of his best friends, but MJF says he’s going to give Cole a rematch since it means so much to him. Roderick Strong rushes in and starts a ruckus, so Cole tells MJF he’ll handle it, and he does it by telling Roddy he’s being too possessive and weird.

FTR is asked about the team they’ll have to face Saturday, and Cash Wheeler says he like and respects Cole but he hates MJF. Dax Harwood, who was the target of most of Max’s barbs, and says he will beat the s–t out of MJF for talking about his family. Sorry, Adam.

Swerve Strickland def. Darby Allin by pinfall

Allin has already had a bit of a night, what with the AR Fox business, so he might have some extra angst to channel here. A Code Red on the floor seems like it would hurt eve without that, but Strickland kicks out so the match can continue.

The steel steps come into play as well, and Swerve uses them as a launchpad for a jumping head kick that is truly impressive. He gains control after a commercial break and looks for a Swerve Stomp, which hits but isn’t enough to keep the resilient Allen down.

Up top they go, with Allin able to flip over Strickland to pull off a stunner, and Swerve slumps out to the apron. That ends up being bad news for Darby, who take a Death Valley Driver off the top onto the apron.

AR Fox comes down and slams Allin into the ringpost, leaving him easy pickings for the JBL Driver that gives Swerve the win.

Nick Wayne tries to come down and confront Fox, but he ends up getting laid out as well, and Fox takes off his hoodie to reveal a Mogul Embassy shirt.

Paquette is outside the locker room where Jericho has called a meeting of the Jericho Appreciation Society. Angelo Parker turns pretty serious while saying that the group means the world to all of them but he’s not sure it does to Chris. Anna Jay calls Jericho selfish and says they can’t give him 100%. Matt Menard tells him to “figure it out … fast.”

A replay is shown of Daddy Ass taking off his boots and leaving them in the ring on Collision.

Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. def. Taya Valkyrie by submission

Taya just smiles as she smashes home strikes on Britt, and there’s no doubt that it doesn’t look fun to be hit by her. So it looks like the good doctor is going to need to make a heroic comeback of some kind, but happily she’s pretty good at that.

Indeed, once she starts building momentum and getting her glove out, she appears to be headed that way. A Valkyrie spear derails her plans for a second, but Britt is able to counter the Road to Valhalla into the Lockjaw, and Taya taps out fairly quickly.

A series of promos for matches on this week’s episode of AEW Collision airs, with Jeff Hardy doing his best impression of The Rock. Yes, really.

Lucha Bros. def. Best Friends and Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley by pinfall

This one turns wild right off the bat, with the teams brawling all the way up toward the stage, where Chuck Taylor somersaults onto multiple targets from the ramp.

The match does eventually settle enough to get in the ring, but the ref is still pretty liberal about how many people are in on the action at once, and we naturally end up with all six facing off.

With the BCC members sent to the floor, the Best Friends hit tandem piledrivers on the Lucha Bros. for a two count. Rey Fenix and Penta end up applying simultaneous submissions but can’t get them to stick. Penta hits the Made in Japan, forcing the BCC to break up the pin.

Mox and Claudio are back and wrecking shop now. But Cassidy comes down the ramp, hitting Wheeler Yuta with an Orange Punch and scrapping with Moxley. Trent nails Claudio but learns he’s not the legal man and can’t make the pin. Penta takes advantage with a Fear Factor on Trent, which is enough to get them a dub.

The violence doesn’t end after the bell, with everyone involved in the match, plus Yuta and Cassidy, all brawling. Orange hits Claudio with an Orange Punch as the show fades out.

AEW Dynamite preview 07/26/23: MJF, Adam Cole are now the hottest thing going

This week’s AEW Dynamite will also see Orange Cassidy defend his International Championship yet again, this time against AR Fox.

Sometimes it’s OK to know all about the destination as long as the journey is plenty of fun, and we’re about to see more evidence of that tonight on AEW Dynamite from Albany.

We’re talking about MJF and Adam Cole, a.k.a. Better Than You, Bay Bay. There was a little bit of eye-rolling when they were paired together in the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament right after Cole wrestled MJF to a draw in an effort to get an AEW World Championship title shot.

Of course, the Devil was going to cozy up to his new partner in order to keep him from the rematch he wanted. That only made sense. And this particular tale is almost certainly going to end with the two men feuding over AEW’s biggest prize.

But in the meantime, MJF and Cole have taken the ball and run with it. Their merch is flying, with a shirt that’s the top seller for the week and the month and another one coming up fast. Audiences can’t get enough of the “double clothesline” battle cry. They’ve been legitimately good TV throughout, and that should continue in Albany.

Alas, they aren’t wrestling tonight, but there’s plenty of that to go around. A three-way tag team bout will see Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley against the Lucha Bros. against Best Friends. Darby Allin will battle Swerve Strickland in a feud that just seems to be heating up. The women’s division will finally start blending some separate storylines as Britt Baker takes on Taya Valkyrie.

Orange Cassidy will defend his title — again — against AR Fox. And Pac will see if Gravity really did forget him or not.

Sounds like a good time, no? We think so too, which is why we’ll be anxiously awaiting 8 p.m. ET, and invite you to either tune in on TBS, join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for our live results post, or both.

AEW Battle of the Belts VII results: 3 champs retain in Calgary

AEW Battle of the Belts VII saw three championships up for grabs, but did any change hands?

Does one good show deserve another? AEW Collision, which featured both Owen Hart Foundation Tournament finals and an absolute banger of a tag team title match between FTR and Bullet Club Gold, just rolled right into Battle of the Belts VII.

We mean that literally, too, as the streamers were still coming down from the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final when the broadcast switched over. Let’s roll with it as well and see what’s going down.

AEW Battle of the Belts VII results from Calgary:

Jushin “Thunder” Liger is out to hand out the Owen Hart cup, but Ricky Starks takes it from him and heads to the back.

Orange Cassidy def. Lance Archer by countout to retain the AEW International Championship

This … is not the guy you want to be facing if you’re Orange Cassidy and already worn down from tons of title defenses. He seems to have a solution, however, by piling security guards on top of Archer on the floor. It doesn’t work for long but was a nice idea, anyway.

Both men take some huge moves and keep on going, but lots of it is going on outside the ring. Orange takes advantage of that by knocking Archer off the apron and rolling back into the ring just before the ref counts to 10, allowing him to retain by the skin of his teeth.

The Acclaimed have arrived in Calgary. Max Caster is upset about QTV talking smack about them, so he vows to beat them in the ring and on the mic Friday on Rampage. But that’s not all: Anthony Bowens says next Saturday on Collision, The Acclaimed will get their rematch for the Trios Championship.

Toni Storm def. Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship

A somewhat bitter Ruby Soho accompanies Storm to the ring. Buoyed by her home fans, Valkyrie races out to a quick start, but one can’t help but feel the numbers game is going to get her eventually.

The feed cuts out during the match, however, and the show moves on when the broadcast returns, so we didn’t get to see the finish of the match. A replay at the end of the show verifies that, yep, Soho made the difference to help her Outcasts teammate keep her gold.

Tony Schiavone welcomes Dr. Martha Hart to present Starks and Willow Nightingale with their Owen Hart Foundation belts and trophies. She gives a nice speech, and even though it seems like it might be a setup for Starks to fully commit to a heel turn after he cheated to win, everything stays peaceful.

Luchasaurus def. Christian Cage by pinfall to retain the AEW TNT Championship

You know the fans would love to see Spears get his hands on Cage, but that way leads to danger as Luchasaurus takes advantage … and Scorpio Sky watches on a monitor backstage.

The dinosaur man ends up winning in fairly short order, allowing Cage to pose with the belt as he is wont to do.

AEW Rampage results 07/14/23: Willow shocks Athena, moves on to face Ruby

AEW Rampage also finalized several more matches for Battle of the Belts this Saturday.

AEW Rampage continues the company’s current swing through Canada, this week coming to us from Saskatoon. It’s in a bit of a strange spot on this particular Friday, however, because it’s not just killing time between Dynamite and Collision, it’s also setting things in motion for Battle of the Belts.

Is there still a place for Battle of the Belts now that AEW has an extra two hours of weekly wrestling on TV? It’s a fair question, but considering it’s just an extra hour with (hopefully) nothing but championship matches, it should work out.

In any case, Rampage has a few things of its own worth checking out this week, including an important women’s tournament match, so let’s get into it.

AEW Rampage results:

  • Keith Lee and Dustin Rhodes def. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker by pinfall
  • QTV boasts about burning The Acclaimed with Harley Cameron’s diss track, and Johnny TV says his group is challenging The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass to a match next week
  • Taya Valkyrie def. Izzy McQueen by pinfall in one of the shortest squash matches you’ll see; afterward, Toni Storm and Saraya come down and call her a loser since she’s Canadian, to which Valkyrie manages to goad Storm into a championship match at Battle of the Belts
  • Hook says he’s done chasing Jack Perry and willing to have a title match with him next week on Dynamite
  • Lance Archer def. Trent Beretta by pinfall; after the victory, Jake Roberts calls out Orange Cassidy to challenge him to a title match against Archer at Battle of the Belts, and The Snake ends up taking Cassidy’s backpack with his title and daring him to get it back on Saturday
  • The Hardy Party and Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and company exchange pre-recorded pleasantries
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Mentallo by pinfall
  • Renee Paquette talks to the Dark Order, who are fired up about Hangman Adam Page turning his back on them (at least from their perspective) and looking to rebuild their group
  • Willow Nightingale def. Athena by pinfall in an Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament semifinal, an excellent match that saw Athena pinned for the first time in nearly 50 matches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s dive into it, shall we Chicago?

AEW Dynamite results from Chicago:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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