Tag: The Acclaimed

AEW Collision results 12/23/23: Eddie Kingston, back from the brink

Also on AEW Collision, Thunder Rosa made a triumphant return from a long injury absence.

A quick confession: Pro wrestling isn’t part of my holiday traditions. But there’s no reason it couldn’t be, especially since tonight’s AEW Collision is coming to us so close to Christmas.

This is no throwaway show, either, thanks in large part to its status as the final night of Blue League competition in the AEW Continental Classic. Andrade El Idolo and Bryan Danielson are in the best positions to advance, since they enter the night with nine points each. But everyone else except Daniel Garcia is still mathematically alive, so these three matches should be dynamite. No pun intended.

We’re also only a week away from Worlds End, so there should be more parts of that card falling into place as well. Let’s see what this night brings, and if we don’t speak again before then, Merry Christmas!

AEW Collision results from San Antonio:

  • Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli go to a time limit draw in their Continental Classic Blue League match; Danielson advances to the Blue League final thanks to getting to 10 points
  • A highlight package of Gold League matches from this week is aired, interspersed with some of the post-match promos cut by Jay White, Jon Moxley and Swerve Strickland
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass def. Top Flight and Action Andretti by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship, though it appeared Max Caster may have pulled the tights to help secure the victory, which is something to file away
  • Hook accepts the challenge from Wheeler Yuta for his FTW Championship on his turf at Worlds End next Saturday

  • Keith Lee def. Brian Cage by pinfall; after the match, Lee says he was taken out for almost two months by someone a year ago and that person hasn’t
  • Renee Paquette finds out Toni Storm doesn’t remember Mariah May, who says she will be making her in-ring debut soon, and Storm also sends a message to Riho

  • Christian Cage and Nick Wayne (but mostly just Christian) invite Shayna Wayne to the ring to explain why she helped Cage defeat Adam Copeland; she says that after seeing Copeland hit Nick with a steel chair, she did what any loving mother would do and protected her son, and that the only person who loves Nick as much as she does is the Patriarch; Cage says he will face Copeland at Worlds End in a No DQ match so he can put Adam down for the last time

  • Lexy Nair catches up with the tag team champions, who immediately suggest Kenny Omega is too scared to face them; Chris Jericho stops by and promises to take their titles, regardless of who his partner will be and when the match might take place

  • Daniel Garcia def. Brody King by pinfall in a Continental Classic Blue League match, eliminating King from advancing to the group final, but …
  • … after the match, the lights go out and return to reveal Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews in the ring, which brings Matt Menard and FTR to the rescue; Dax Harwood makes it clear FTR wants House of Black in the ring
  • Abadon and Thunder Rosa def. Skye Blue and Julia Hart by pinfall
  • Eddie Kingston def. Andrade El Idolo by pinfall in a Continental Classic Blue League match, advancing to the group final against Danielson next week on Dynamite

AEW Collision results 12/16/23: Eddie Kingston, Claudio Castagnoli stay alive

Also on AEW Collision, Thunder Rosa made her return to form a surprising alliance.

We’re getting down to the nitty gritty in the Continental Classic tonight on AEW Collision. For the Blue League, especially, several competitors are in must-win situations, particularly Eddie Kingston.

Maybe he wouldn’t be under so much pressure if he wouldn’t have put both of his titles up for grabs in this tournament, but he did and there’s no going back now. To get them back and become the first ever AEW Continental Champion too, he’s got to go on and win it all.

Kingston made that more difficult for himself by losing his first two round robin matches, but a victory over his archrival Claudio Castagnoli kept him alive. Kingston will need to win against Brody King tonight to still have a chance, and as luck would have it, Castagnoli is in the very same boat against group leader Andrade El Idolo.

All of which is to say that this is an important night in the Continental Classic, and there’s also a title defense by Orange Cassidy, always a good time. Let’s do this.

AEW Collision Winter is Coming results from Garland, Texas:

  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Andrade El Idolo by pinfall in a Continental Classic Blue League match, utilizing a low blow while the ref is distracted to set up the finish, and Claudio stays alive to advance from the Blue League
  • A highlight/promo video combo takes us back through the Continental Classic Gold
  • Abadon def. Jazmin Allure by pinfall in a quick squash match, but …
  • After the match, Julia Hart appears to taunt Abadon with the TBS Championship again, and when Abadon decides to just attack Hart, Skye Blue comes to the ring and helps Hart; in turn, Abadon gets some unexpected assistance from a returning Thunder Rosa, and Abadon shakes Rosa’s hand after they clear the ring
  • Renee Paquette gets a word with The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, who are pretty mad about getting attacked by the Devil and his goons a few weeks ago; Top Flight and Action Andretti stop by to issue a title challenge, and since the champs are in a fighting week, they accept for next week
  • Orange Cassidy def. Bryan Keith by pinfall to retain the AEW International Champion
  • Miro says he’s done avoiding people to please his wife and is ready to kill everyone
  • Roderick Strong says he thinks he’s found his next “victim” in Komander
  • FTR dares the House of Black to come out and face them, accusing the House of jealousy of their extended run of tag team success; Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews appear on the big screen to repeat the claim that no one in the back will save them and only the House loves Cash Wheeler, and they punctuate their point by burning a picture of Dax Harwood, his wife and his daughter
  • A hype video promotes the recent run of Keith Lee, including his assertion that Shane Taylor was not “him”
  • Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale def. Diamante and Mercedes Martinez in a wild Texas Street Fight that is the wildest AEW women’s division match in some time
  • Paquette talks to “Timeless” Toni Storm and Mariah May, with the latter ending up disappointed that the former says she’s too busy to watch her debut match
  • Brian Cage def. Kari Wright by pinfall in a quick squash match
  • Cage and the Mogul Embassy (sans Swerve Strickland) are in a celebratory mood, but Keith Lee tells them they they can tell “him” that his patience is running out; hmm …
  • Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia by pinfall in a Continental Classic Blue League match
  • Bryan Danielson def. Brody King by pinfall in a Continental Classic Blue League match

AEW Dynamite results 11/1/23: TK disappoints, Full Gear bulks up, MJF relents

Lots more got settled for Full Gear on AEW Dynamite, which ended with scissoring.

“Another one.”

That’s one of DJ Khaled’s trademark catchphrases, but it could just as easily apply to Tony Khan and his love of “important” announcements. It’s happened frequently enough that he takes some ribbing for it among pro wrestling fans, even though his track record of delivering on them is actually pretty good.

The intrigue about tonight’s announcement, though, is that unlike some of them in the past, no one seems to know what this one is about. That alone should mean that it’s worth tuning in to AEW Dynamite from Louisville.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of in-ring action to look forward to as well. Hikaru Shida will defend her AEW World Championship against Willow Nightingale in what should be a spirited yet respectful encounter. Hangman Adam Page and the Young Bucks will put their Ring of Honor six-man titles (which we honestly forget sometimes that they have) up against Brian Cage and Gates of Agony too.

Oh, and Orange Cassidy will see if his second run as AEW International Champion will end much sooner than his first, as he defends against Claudio Castagnoli. And the odd couple pairing of Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega will team again to face Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang, who are potentially auditioning to be part of the Don Callis Family.

Topping it all off, we’ll hear from birthday boy Adam Copeland. But in the end, for some people it’s still going to come down to that announcement. Such is life.

But hey, we’re excited for every part of this episode of Dynamite, and we hope you are too. Let’s see what this night holds.

AEW Dynamite results from Louisville:

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

  • MJF doesn’t have an answer for Renee Paquette on who his three partners will be for tonight, but at least he gets advice from Adam Cole via video chat, and he thinks the champ should consider Samoa Joe’s offer; Roderick Strong and The Kingdom roll in when MJF leaves, accusing MJF of being The Devil, who then shows up on the screen
  • Orange Cassidy def. Claudio Castagnoli by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship, but …
  • … after the match, Jon Moxley makes his way through the crowd to the ring, and he greets a rushing Cassidy with a beatdown until Castagnoli finally tells his teammate it’s enough
  • MJF knocks on Kenny Omega’s dressing room door, but Chris Jericho just laughs when asked if Kenny is there; even worse, MJF runs into Wardlow, who shoves him against a wall and says he’ll take everything from Max when he least expects it, and in anger, the champ ignores another offer from The Acclaimed to team with him
  • An angry Moxley says he showed Cassidy respect when he didn’t have to, and though he says maybe it isn’t even about him, he plans on beating Orange within an inch of his life at Full Gear just because he can
  • Brian Cage and Gates of Agony def. Hangman Adam Page and Young Bucks by pinfall to become the new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions after Swerve Strickland taunts Page about invading his home, leading to a backstage brawl that leaves his teammates a man down
  • MJF passes up on Samoa Joe’s dressing room and writes “emo bitch” on Darby Allin’s sign before ignoring The Acclaimed once again
  • Adam Copeland is convinced to team with Sting and Darby Allin after an attack by Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
  • Tony Khan makes his “huge announcement”: You can sign up now to get a ticket pre-sale opportunity for All In London 2024; seriously, that was it
  • Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega def. Angelo Parker and Matt Menard by pinfall, then accept Don Callis’ challenge to a Street Fight in two weeks on Dynamite, where they will be joined by Kota Ibushi … and Paul Wight
  • Paquette catches up with Omega and Jericho, but the Young Bucks have an issue with The Ocho being there and warn Kenny that Chris will stab him in the back
  • Hikaru Shida def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship match, but …
  • … Shida has to take car of Toni Storm, and Nightingale turns to find Julia Hart stalking her; Skye Blue runs down and teases helping Hart, then turns and sprays Julia in the eyes with her own blue mist
  • The Acclaimed makes one last pitch to MJF, who says he has one more group on his list … but it’s Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh, ugh
  • Strong calls Cole on speakerphone, who finally tells him to shut the hell up
  • Bullet Club Gold def. MJF, The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass by pinfall, and Max Caster takes a belt shot intended for MJF …
  • … so MJF relents and scissors with his partners to end the show

AEW Dynamite preview 11/1/23: A little too Freshly Squeezed?

The women’s world title will be on the line tonight on AEW Dynamite, plus Tony Khan has promised an important announcement.

Happy November! AEW Dynamite is coming tonight to usher in the penultimate month of 2023 and accelerate things toward Full Gear.

As usual, AEW has promoted a mix of matches and other points of interest for this show from Louisville, so let’s bite into what’s good at the KFC Yum! Center (no, that’s really the arena’s name, KFC is big in Louisville).

Is this Orange Cassidy title run about to be a lot shorter than the last?

Orange Cassidy was the very definition of a fighting champion during his initial reign as AEW International Champion (which started even before the title had that name). He took on all comers, tirelessly, to the point where his nonstop grind became a big part of his story and helped elevate both him and the championship.

Maybe that’s why it was so surprising when he recently won the title again. It would be weird if AEW just set him back on another lengthy run, so it wouldn’t be shocking if he dropped it tonight to Claudio Castagnoli, someone who would also bring prestige to the belt. The outcome of this match should give us a better idea of what story the company wants to tell for each man leading into Full Gear.

Will MJF just give in and accept help from The Acclaimed?

Even though MJF has been more than a little weirded out by Max Caster shipping himself with the world champ, he’s also run out of time to find partners to take on the four-man outfit of Bullet Club Gold. And let’s be real: With Adam Cole on the shelf, it’s not like he has a lot of friends.

Everyone still loves The Acclaimed, but they feel as if they might have lost just a tad of their momentum, and putting them in a subplot with MJF can’t hurt them. It’s also possible we might get another appearance from the person in the Devil mask during this match.

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What will Tony Khan’s latest big announcement be?

Tony Khan pushing an “important announcement” hasn’t quite ventured into the realm of self-parody … but let’s just say it’s toeing that line. AEW’s head honcho has indeed dropped some bombshells over the year, but he’s also risked the “boy who cried wolf” thing by promoting these proclamations on a regular basis.

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Will tonight’s reveal be something worth getting worked up over? We’ll admit that we’re always suckers to see if it is.

Also on tonight’s AEW Dynamite:

  • Hikaru Shida defends the AEW Women’s World Championship against Willow Nightingale
  • Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang, apparently trying to impress Don Callis, will take on Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho

AEW Dynamite heads your way at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, but you can always head back here to Wrestling Junkie if you’ve got other post-Halloween plans and need live updates.

AEW Collision results 10/28/23: MJF, Kenny Omega go to war in instant classic

MJF may have had the best match of his career in his AEW World Championship defense against Kenny Omega on AEW Collision.

Should one of the biggest possible AEW World Championship fights just be put together with three days’ notice? That’s a question worth pondering before we dive into tonight’s episode of AEW Collision from Uncasville, Conn.

No one would argue that MJF vs. Kenny Omega for the world title is a big deal, the kind of bout that could easily be a pay-per-view main event. So why was it only announced on Dynamite and taking place tonight?

Pondering that has led many to suspect that there will be some hijinks on Collision, something that will lead to a rematch or more people being added to another meeting between the two down the road. Something, surely.

Or maybe it’s just a way to ensure some ratings for Collision on a typically tough Saturday night for it. Either way, it’s added an extra layer of intrigue to this episode, so let’s not wait: Here’s what went down in Connecticut.

AEW Collision results from Uncasville:

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

  • Jay White def. AR Fox by pinfall, then manages to keep the AEW World Championship (which you may remember doesn’t actually belong to him, but hey) in his possession afterward despite MJF’s efforts to reclaim it
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass are looking forward to National 69 Day, and Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn put Max Caster in the corner for getting catfished by someone claiming to be MJF

  • The Gunns vs. The Boys by pinfall in a quick match
  • The MJF-Kenny Omega hype video shown originally on Dynamite is aired again
  • Danhausen wishes Happy Halloween to all humans and hints again he’ll be back soon

  • Ryan Nemeth is ready to try to attain CJ Perry’s services but is greeted by Miro and it sounds like he pays for it
  • Hikaru Shida def. Abadon by pinfall in a Halloween Fright Night match to retain the AEW Women’s World Championship
  • In her usual black and white, “Timeless” Toni Storm comes out to steal the spotlight from Shida after the title match, posing on the announce table

  • A video package features Keith Lee and Shane Taylor talking smack to each other
  • Samoa Joe def. Rhett Titus by submission to retain the ROH World Television Championship
  • Renee Paquette catches up with QTV and finds out that Q.T. Marshall plans to defend his AAA title against the best luchadores AEW has to offer

  • Claudio Castagnoli says Bryan Danielson has a broken orbital bone and promises to make Kazuchika Okada pay for it in Japan or the U.S. while also challenging Orange Cassidy to a title match for Dynamite

  • Ricky Starks def. Dax Harwood by pinfall, but when House of Black tries to gang up on FTR after the match, La Faccion Ingobernable arrives and turns face, helping the former tag team champs
  • Andrade El Idolo seems to be focused on his own business, not whatever is going on with LFI
  • Kris Statlander wants to settle things between Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue, but Skye says anything that needs to be cleared up between her and Willow is only their business
  • Claudio Castagnoli def. Hot Sauce by pinfall
  • Joe tells MJF he’ll watch his back if needed and to scream Joe’s name if he finds himself needing help
  • MJF def. Kenny Omega by pinfall to retain the AEW World Championship, though Joe, Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs and Bullet Club Gold are shown watching separately backstage
  • MJF offers another handshake to Omega, who accepts and then moves in for a hug as the crowd cheers in approval

AEW Rampage results 10/27/23: Santana-Ortiz grudge match, Don Callis Family grows

AEW Rampage also found a title challenger for Hikaru Shida, and it’s a bit of a pleasant surprise.

Former tag team partner turned enemies is a pretty common trope in pro wrestling. Still, there’s something about the enmity between Mike Santana and Ortiz that hits a little bit different.

From the very beginning of AEW, Santana and Ortiz weren’t just a tag team, they were essentially brothers. They went through a ton both on their own and as part of several factions.

But as they say, that was then and this is now. Santana and Ortiz absolutely seem to detest each other, and they’re going to have to settle things in the ring. As one does.

Let’s get into some Rampage, shall we?

AEW Rampage results:

  • Mike Santana def. Ortiz by pinfall in a No Holds Barred grudge match; after the bell, Santana offers a fist bump but finds Ortiz wants no part of it, and the same appears to be true of Ortiz reacting to Sonjay Dutt
  • A video package promotes MJF vs. Kenny Omega on this week’s episode of Collision, and we hear from both men and a number of others — including Jay White, who wishes Omega good luck, perhaps sarcastically, and Don Callis, who makes a futile effort to recruit MJF
  • Kris Statlander tries to find out what’s been going on with Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale, and the real issue is that Skye hasn’t been the same since getting hit with the black mist
  • Kip Sabian disses Philly sports teams until a returning Mark Briscoe decides he’s heard enough and clears him out of the ring
  • Renee Paquette talks to the former Jericho Appreciation Society members, and Anna Jay asks them all to back her up, but bickering breaks out when Callis appears to make a business proposition to Matt Menard and Angelo Parker, who also gets a visit from Ruby Soho
  • Abadon def. Anna Jay, Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale by pinning Anna Jay to earn a title shot against Hikaru Shida on Collision
  • “Dammit Max!” The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass wants to invite everyone to National 69 Day in eight days, but Max Caster takes it too far, as always, to invite MJF
  • A short clip is shown of a faux press conference between Orange Cassidy and Claudio Castagnoli
  • Konosuke Takeshita def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall, and Fletcher’s attempt to seek revenge on The Don Callis Family with a steel chair afterward actually .. impresses Callis

AEW Battle of the Belts 8 results: Daniel Garcia dances when he should be fighting

No AEW championships changed hands in Memphis, but that doesn’t mean the show was free of intrigue.

It’s that time again. And by that, we mean time for Battle of the Belts, AEW’s quarterly hour of nothing but title matches. It’s kind of hard to believe this is the eighth installment, one of those definite “time flies” things.

As is typical for these shows, tonight’s edition from Memphis doesn’t include a world title match but does have several of the other championships up for grabs. And it will be interesting to see if the House of Black makes its presence felt, as the group is back to full strength and flexed its muscle all over Dynamite prior to this show.

Let’s dive in and see what we’ve got.

AEW Battle of the Belts VIII results:

  • Orange Cassidy def. John Silver by pinfall to retain the AEW International Championship
  • Andrade El Idolo is asked how he feels after his match with Bryan Danielson, but C.J. Perry says with a little guidance she could become the biggest and most handsome star in the world; he seems surprised to say the least
  • Smart Mark Sterling disses the people of Memphis and calls Tony Nese the future TV champ … and Nese insults the fans as well
  • Samoa Joe def. Tony Nese by pinfall to retain the ROH Television Championship; after the match, Joe calls out MJF, saying he’s coming for the AEW World Championship
  • Kris Statlander def. Willow Nightingale by pinfall to retain the AEW TBS Championship; Skye Blue isn’t happy that Nightingale shakes the champ’s hand after the match and has a short staredown with Statlander before she leaves
  • Orange Cassidy is upset with the BCC, so much so that he says he and Kazuchika Okada will take on Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli next week in Philadelphia on Dynamite
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass scissor with the Memphis Grizzlies mascot, because why not?
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Add def. Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker and Matt Menard by pinfall to retain the AEW World Trios Championship, with Garcia paying for it when he dances at an inopportune time

AEW Collision results 10/21/23: House of Black runs roughshod but faces rally to end the show

The AEW tag team champions were the unexpected beneficiary of the return of Malakai Black and company.

It’s not fun to think about, but since Bryan Danielson has said it himself, it’s time to face facts: We won’t have the pleasure of watching the American Dragon in the ring forever. That’s why it behooves AEW to get him in the ring with as many amazing opponents as possible while he’s still around, which is exactly what’s happening on tonight’s episode of AEW Collision in Memphis.

Tony Khan announced a few days ago that he had a dream match lined up for tonight, and while that inevitably led to fans’ imaginations running wild with potential opponents from just about everywhere, it turns out there was one within the company who has been appearing on Collision quite often. That’d be Andrade El Idolo, who has, pretty incredibly, never faced Bryan in a televised match of any kind.

(Seriously, we had our research intern look it up. Just kidding, we don’t have one of those.)

While that bout may just be for the pure in-ring excitement, the rest of Collision looks like it stems from things going on over AEW programming in recent weeks. Eddie Kingston will battle Jeff Jarrett in a Memphis Street Fight, attempting to keep Jay Lethal from earning a shot at his ROH World Championship.

New-ish AEW World Tag Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks will try to remain in that position when they face Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta, while the previous titleholders, FTR, return to action for the first time since losing them. And Action Andretti will try to keep his head attached to his shoulders while staying out of any marital drama as he takes on Miro.

If that weren’t enough for you, be sure to stay tuned afterward as Battle of the Belts VIII presents three championship matches. We’ll get to that in due time, but for now, let’s see what Collision has in store.

AEW Collision results from Memphis:

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

  • Bryan Danielson def. Andrade El Idolo by pinfall, but Malakai Black appears after the bell and lays out Danielson with a spin kick
  • Skye Blue def. Hollyhood Haley by pinfall
  • The Gunns def. Outrunners by pinfall; after the match, the lights go out and the man in the devil mask appears on screen, but doesn’t go after Bullet Club Gold
  • While Orange Cassidy is being interviewed, Kris Statlander says she needs a pump before her match and squats the interviewer
  • Jeff Jarrett def. Eddie Kingston by pinfall in a Memphis Street Fight thanks to help from Jay Lethal, Karen Jarrett, Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt (yes, all of them); Lethal will receive a ROH World Championship shot as a result
  • The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass have to apologize for Max Caster’s behavior but are ready to take down Daniel Garcia, Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang on Battle of the Belts
  • Miro def. Action Andretti by submission in a match that was probably harder than Miro would have figured; C.J. Perry applauds from ringside and Miro decides against beating up Andretti after the bell in what passes as a show of respect from him
  • Anna Jay seems like she’s still trying to keep the peace between Daniel Garcia and Matt Menard; Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho have an amusing exchange about family problems before Soho says she deserves to be a champion and is willing to challenge any of them
  • Rush says he’s sick and tired of all the opportunities going to other wrestlers and mad about the company saying he’s too dangerous … to be continued …
  • Kingston is getting checked out by the trainer but still delivers an angry promo to Lethal, calling him “Jeff Jarrett’s little bitch” and promising to beat Lethal down in front of his mother
  • FTR vs. Bad Thad Brown and Darian Bengston is interrupted by an attack from the House of Black, who lays out FTR
  • Big Bill and Ricky Starks def. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta by pinfall to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship thanks to interference by the House of Black, but …
  • … when the House of Black tries to press its advantage after the match, the faces get reinforcements: from Bryan Danielson, FTR, and eventually, Jon Moxley, leaving the faces standing over a prone Starks to end the show

AEW Dynamite results 10/18/23: Juice Robinson earns a shot at the ring, Sting sets farewell date

See how Juice Robinson used his ring to get a shot at a better one, and when Sting said he’ll call it a career.

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Twelve men enter, one man leave. Or something like that. It’s time for a Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale tonight on AEW Dynamite from Rosenberg, TX.

MJF has made the Dynamite Diamond Ring even more securely than Gollum did the One Ring, considering that no one to date has been able to win it from him. Will that change in 2023? First we need to figure out who will face him for it, which tonight’s battle royale will accomplish.

Which 12 men are competing? We don’t know that yet, but Juice Robinson and Dustin Rhodes are among them. Should be a fun time regardless of who else is in the mix.

Like big names in action? Tonight’s Dynamite has some of those too. Kenny Omega will take on Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher, while “Switchblade” Jay White battles Penta El Zero Miedo. Also it looks like Hikaru Shida vs. Emi Sakura has been added in a clash between student and teacher.

Plus there’s other potentially good stuff in the pipeline. Sting will address AEW fans, though we hope it’s not for the reason many are speculating. Adam Copeland will finally offer his rebuttal to possibly former friend Christian Cage. And Jim Ross will have a sitdown interview with Nick Wayne and his mom.

All the while, we’re grinding toward Full Gear. So we could see more developments on that front as well. Never hurts to have a few matches booked in advance, right?

We’re looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the peeps in the Houston area, provided they aren’t too concerned with what’s going on with their Astros. Let’s get into it.

AEW Dynamite results from Texas:

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

  • Jay White def. Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall after a timely cheap shot from Juice Robinson
  • After his win, White mocks MJF by suggesting he can’t find anyone to team with him against Bullet Club Gold; meanwhile, Robinson says he’s going to win the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale in the main event, win MJF’s ring and pawn it for another gold tooth
  • Meanwhile, MJF is backstage with Renee Paquette, explaining why he didn’t rush out there, and he once again turns down Max Caster and The Acclaimed’s offer to team with him — though Caster says he’d entering the Battle Royale so he can win that and defeat MJF to make him “put a ring on it”
  • Hikaru Shida def. Emi Sakura by pinfall
  • Adam Copeland sits down with Paquette to tell some stories about his past with Christian Cage and why things have gone off the rails between them; Copeland says he won’t fight Cage but will be the one to pick him up when Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne leave him high and dry
  • Wardlow def. Ryan Nemeth by referee stoppage, then makes it clear he’s got his sights set on MJF
  • Kenny Omega tells Paquette his record hasn’t been great lately, but he says he’s still the measuring stick in AEW, so he figures he can take out Kyle Fletcher, The Don Callis Family, and then maybe come after the AEW World Championship; MJF comes to shake his hand but also whispers “13 days, bitch” before walking away
  • Adam Cole is still being bossed around by Roderick Strong but agrees to make him and The Kingdom some PB&J sandwiches, which turns into a music video; when Cole finally gets fed up and leaves, Strong tells The Kingdom he may have to be nice to “that scumbag” in order to get his best friend back
  • Don Callis brags about his Family making history, then has an interesting discussion with Kyle Fletcher
  • Kenny Omega def. Kyle Fletcher by pinfall
  • The latest Danhausen promo video suggests everyone will be cursed soon enough
  • Lance Archer def. Barrett Brown by pinfall
  • Prince Nana says Swerve Strickland should be excited about his music video, but Swerve says he’s not because he doesn’t have the TNT Championship thanks to Hangman Adam Page; Strickland delivers an ominous threat: “It’s not always you who pays for your actions.”
  • Sting addresses the rumors and says his retirement match will be next year at Revolution
  • RJ City is cut off by Toni Storm, who does her own introduction for her latest silent picture, “Gone With the Storm”
  • Jim Ross sits down with Nick Wayne and his mom, and while neither J.R. nor his mom understand what Nick has done, he says it’s because Christian Cage is a better father than his dad ever was, and he also tells his mom she’s dead to him; right outside, however, Darby Allin is waiting to attack Cage and Wayne …
  • … and they battle to the ring, where Wayne is bloodied while battling Allin and Sting despite the aid of Luchasaurus
  • Kris Statlander tells Paquette that she wants to give a TBS Championship shot to Willow Nightingale, and Orange Cassidy says he only learned how much he cared about his International Championship once he lost it
  • Juice Robinson wins the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale, last eliminating Max Caster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AEW Grand Slam Rampage results from Arthur Ashe Stadium:

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

AEW Rampage live notes:

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