The “can they coexist?” bit has become so well-worn in storylines by the biggest U.S. wrestling promotion that it’s almost self-parodying at this point. Not so much for AEW, but it’s leaning into that vibe hard for what should be one of the more notable parts of tonight’s episode of Dynamite from Hamilton, Ontario.
MJF successfully made it out of Forbidden Door with the AEW World Championship still around his waist. Adam Cole would like to change that status quo, and is seeking a title rematch after taking MJF to a time limit draw a few weeks ago.
The problem is that AEW is also having a tag team tournament where the pairings are decided by a blind draw (wink, wink), and wouldn’t you know it, the first two names picked were MJF and Cole. The two men can’t stand each other and would love nothing less than to rearrange the other’s facial features, but for the time being, they need to work together.
OK, need is a strong word. They can certainly throw down if they want, but the guess is that if they do, it will prevent them from getting what they truly desire. We should find out more on that score tonight.
Elsewhere, there’s going to be a strong Forbidden Door fallout vibe in Hamilton. Tomohiro Ishii is still in Canada, and will tangle with Jon Moxley. The Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page, or the Hung Bucks if you like that kind of humor, will be in action. Plus Chris Jericho and Sting will be in the ring on opposite sides of a match for the second time in less than a week after somehow not doing that for decades.
Time to dive into Dynamite.
AEW Dynamite results from Hamilton:
Jon Moxley def. Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall
No fooling around for these two gents, who just go right at each other, smash-mouth style. The Blackpool Combat Club is ringside to support Mox, but Eddie Kingston shows up before the picture-in-picture segment wielding chair to deter any hijinks.
Ishii takes a nasty shot later that still probably isn’t quite as ridiculous as the one he took from Konosuke Takeshita at Forbidden Door. Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli aren’t taking their eyes off each other on opposite sides of the floor.
They eventually end up head butting each other bloody, because of course. Moxley finally wins with a Death Rider, but it took a huge effort.
Renee Paquette catches Adam Cole on his way into the arena, but he’s soon joined by an enthusiastic MJF, who says he thinks they got off on the wrong foot. To that end, he asks Cole if he wants to hang out this weekend, and even presents some “tag merch.” Heh.
Paquette asks Moxley what is going on and tries to play peacemaker when Kingston comes looking for him. It’s a serious yelling match, and Renee gets in the last word, telling Kingston he better fix this.
Orange Cassidy, El Hijo del Vikingo and Keith Lee def. Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker by pinfall when Lee pins Menard
There’s a peek at how this particular face trio came together, but honestly, does it matter? It’s just a fun trio. Also, Garcia teases his dance but doesn’t do it, but since fans dislike his dance, wouldn’t the heel play be to do it? Please ponder that.
Vikingo’s craziest dive to the floor hits only Lee, who picks him up and uses him as a weapon, then hurls him to the turnbuckles. He misses whatever he was going to try as he slips, but still launches into a moonsault.
Poor Daddy Magic ends up alone with Lee a little later, and welp.
The Elite wants to do a trios open challenge, and Hangman Adam Page is caught off guard when the Dark Order is upset that he ghosted them and wants to be their opponents tonight.
Chris Jericho says he and Sting in the ring together should be on TBS and should be commentated by Tony Schiavone. He also says it’s time to get into the “primordial ooze” of Jericho and summon the Painmaker. Sammy Guevara looks less enthused about the whole thing.
The Elite def. Dark Order by pinfall when Hangman Adam Page pins John Silver
Page looks conflicted, saying “we don’t have to do this.” No one does that emotion in pro wrestling like he does. When he finally becomes the legal man, he has a discussion with John Silver but finally gets hit in the face, and instead of punching back, he tags Matt Jackson in.
But Evil Uno finally pushes Hangman too far, and he comes in firing. The announcers note that Dark Order has no issues taking it to their friend as they’re trying to get the win. Page hesitates again when he has a chance to hit the Buckshot on Silver and nearly gets pinned. But he pulls it together to hit the Deadeye, and after a BTE Trigger by the Bucks, he finishes Silver with a Buckshot … and looks like he’s apologizing afterward, but …
… the Blackpool Combat Club invades the ring with chairs after the bell, and the Dark Order doesn’t stick around to help. Eddie Kingston tries, but he’s soon in as much trouble as The Elite. Page is bloodied as Konsuke Takeshita arrives to assist.
Moxley gets on the mic and says it’s time to end this: July 19, Boston, Blood and Guts.
A video package shows the contestants in the Men’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament talking about their first round opponents.
Cole tells a concerned Roderick Strong that he’s just playing along with MJF, who comes to scoop him up for “party time.”
“JungleHook was special because of me.” Jack Perry is now definitely a heel since he’s running down the fans and bragging about his bedroom exploits. Perry asks if he turned on Hook or everyone turned on him, and I think we know where he’s headed with this.
He calls Hook an entitled, second-generation prick and mocks the FTW Championship. Hook finally has enough and heads down the ramp, so Perry flees for the back.
With Hook in super hot pursuit, Perry leaps headfirst into the back of a waiting SUV, barely escaping what is almost certainly going to be an ass whooping.
Ruby Soho def. Alexia Nicole by submission
This was supposed to be Soho’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament match against Britt Baker who is out with illness. This … is not that, and Soho gets a quick tapout by using Baker’s own Lockjaw.
The Outcasts spray paint the ‘L’ on poor Nicole, and Soho blames Canada like South Park once did for Baker getting sick. Ruby mocks Baker and Adam Cole a bit more and vows to leave Britt nothing after defeating her.
QTV touts the arrival of Johnny TV, and Hayley Cameron does a poor impression of Brother Zay.
Darby Allin and Sting def. “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara by submission in a Tornado tag match as Sting makes Jericho tap out to the Scorpion Deathlock
Guevara enters separately and to his own music, something he teased last week. Jericho has a special entrance and what looks like glow in the dark makeup as the Painmaker, and before anything too crazy starts going down, he and Sting have a duel with their respective baseball bats.
Sting and Allin slowly gain the advantage, setting up two tables on the floor as both of the faces scale a ladder in the ring. It’s not Darby but Sting who makes the jump, and he barely makes it to send Guevara through the first table but looks like he lands hard in the process.
Despite Allin using his skateboard, Jericho is able to send Darby to the floor with a Judas Effect. Sting tries sneaking up on the Painmaker form behind, but Jericho puts him in the Walls of Jericho. There are no rope breaks, but Sting crawls and gets his bat, using it to break the hold.
A bloody Painmaker takes a Stinger Splash but answers a second with a Codebreaker. But the Judas Effect is countered with a Scorpion Death Drop that somehow only gets two.
Jericho tries another Codebreaker, but Sting sees it coming and applies the Scorpion Deathlock, and since the show is now in an overrun, the Painmaker taps and Dynamite quickly says peace.
