AEW Dynamite
February 23rd, 2022
Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT
Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur & Tony Schiavone
AEW World Tag Team Championship #1 Contendership Battle Royale
This match includes The Blade & The Butcher, The Dark Order (John Silver & Alex Reynolds), Santana & Ortiz, FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler), reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly), The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson), 2point0 (Jeff Parker & Matt Lee), Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy), Gunn Club (Colten Gunn & Austin Gunn) & Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor). Jurassic Express came out to watch this match as it started. The Blade eliminated Alex Reynolds, then got eliminated by John Silver, who then got jumped by the Gunn Club to get the crowd to chant ‘Ass Boys’. Colten Gunn was posing which ended up getting his brother Austin eliminated by Ortiz, then Colten got eliminated himself by Santana. Chuck Taylor saved Trent Beretta from elimination and ended up eliminating The Butcher. Kyle O’Reilly ends up kicking Taylor off the apron, eliminating him. Matt Hardy tries to help Private Party, but John Silver ends up eliminating both Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy, as Hardy walks out on them, being disappointed. 2point0 tries to eliminate Ortiz, but Santana ends up eliminating both Jeff Parker and Matt Lee, but the Young Bucks eliminate Ortiz. The Young Bucks and FTR have a face off, but it got broken up by reDRagon. It is now down to FTR, Young Bucks, reDRagon, Trent Beretta, John Silver and Santana, as the crowd chants for Silver. FTR goes to eliminate O’Reilly, but gets saved by Nick Jackson, so FTR eliminates Nick instead. reDRagon goes to eliminate Beretta, but Orange Cassidy shows up from under the ring to save him, putting him on his shoulders and back in the ring. Beretta takes out Bobby Fish as they go picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Tully Blanchard tries to help eliminate John Silver, but Cash Wheeler gets eliminated instead as it’s down to six people; one representing each team; Santana, Beretta, O’Reilly, Harwood, Silver & Matt Jackson. Santana and Beretta fight on the apron, but both get taken out by Matt Jackson and Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly and Harwood fight on the apron for a while, until Bobby Fish sneaks up from behind and takes out Harwood. It is now down to John Silver, Matt Jackson and Kyle O’Reilly as Jackson and O’Reilly start double-teaming on Silver, but he comes back with a suplex on both of them. Silver hits Jackson with the Spin Doctor then picks up O’Reilly but gets super kicked by Jackson. They hit him with a Superkick Party/Chasing the Dragon combination, as Jackson eliminates Silver just to get quickly taken out by Kyle O’Reilly right after.
Winners: reDRagon (with Kyle O’Reilly being the sole survivor) at 18:25, to advance to the AEW World Tag Team Championship match at AEW Revolution
Storytime with Adam Page
The Young Bucks jump in the ring right after and start getting into a shoving match with reDRagon as commentary says Adam Cole who is the voice of reason is nowhere to be found. Instead, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page comes out instead and starts attacking reDRagon as Young Bucks watch on, don’t get involved and walk out. Adam Cole runs in from behind and tries to superkick Page, but Page catches him and attacks him instead, setting up for the Buckshot Lariat, but reDRagon saves him. John Silver takes out reDRagon and throws O’Reilly back in the ring who gets hit with the Buckshot Lariat by Page. Page grabs the mic and asks who is ready for storytime with Adam Page, bay bay. As Fish screams, that’s copyright infringement on Cole. Page starts talking about the story of Cole coming into wrestling and becoming world champion everywhere he’s been but as he felt the world crumbling around him, he decided to come be with his friends and try to go after the AEW World Championship. Page continues to say that Cole is just digging a six foot hole in the crowd and at Revolution he took one step closer to his grave and the ‘better Adam’ laid him in it from a fresh Buckshot Lariat that went ‘boom’.
Before We Team Together…
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Bryan Danielson who is asked about his match tonight with Daniel Garcia. Danielson says Garcia reminds him of himself, but the difference is Danielson was trained by someone like William Regal not hanging out with people like 2point0. Imagine the difference if Garcia was trained by someone like Danielson, and he’ll show him tonight. As far as Jon Moxley and him saying they must bleed together before they team together, he will answer that tonight as well.
Is it True?
MJF heads to the ring and tells them to cut his music as he isn’t his usual self, as the crowd chants ‘CM Punk’. MJF says he used to be a Punk fan himself, and he knows he’s the easiest person to cheer for but he asks for an opportunity now. MJF brings up the photograph between him and Punk and how for Punk it was just another Friday, but for him it wasn’t. People think his upbringing was easy, but the only thing that kept him waking up in the morning was professional wrestling and that day meant everything to happen. He brings up the year 2007, being 11 years old and having ADD and other disabilities, and every day in school being hell for him and he was only one of two Jewish kids who tried out for the football team, and him starting as middle linebacker meant everything for him as he thought he fit in. The next day in school when he walked the hallways, his teammates walked up to him with rolls of quarters and they threw them at him as hard as they physically could and said, ‘pick it up, Jew boy, pick it up’. He went home and cried but remembered he was meeting CM Punk that day, and it meant everything to him, and he told himself he was going to become the ‘best in the world’ just like Punk says. Fast forward to December 2013, where he declined scholarships because he wanted to be a professional wrestler just like CM Punk. He then brings up January 2014 when CM Punk left him and all of us, so he decided to quit on his dreams also. He then saw a photo of Punk and Bryan Danielson and it got him livid, and it made him want to become the best in the world in spite of CM Punk. And at Revolution, he will bleed buckets and he won’t quit, because if he quits, he won’t be any better than CM Punk as he’s better than him and you know it. CM Punk heads down to the ring and asks MJF if all this is true and MJF says it’s true.
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Daniel Garcia and 2point0 as Garcia says tonight, he will be the one to give Bryan Danielson a lesson.
The Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black & Brody King) vs. PAC & Penta Oscuro (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
Penta El Zero M comes out with a darker look and entrance, with the name Penta Oscuro as Alex is dressed up in white face paint and a new look as well. PAC and Black are the two to start the match, but King quickly comes in and hits a clothesline on PAC for a two count as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Brody King is seen taking out both PAC and Penta and hits them with a suicide dive, before tossing PAC back inside where he gets attacked by Black with a kick and German suplex for a two count. PAC dodges and Black hits King by accident, as Penta takes out King with a crossbody. King and Black go to double team Penta with Dante’s Inferno, but PAC saves him. PAC and Penta take out King with a double superkick, and go for the Fear Factory, but Black had blind tagged in and tries to mist Penta, but Penta blocks the mist with his hand and rolls up Black for the roll-up pin, as commentary mentions that Black is choking on his own mist.
Winners: PAC & Penta Oscuro by pinfall at 7:31
I’m Not Your Buddy, PAC
King and Black continue to attack PAC and Penta after, and Black grabs the shovel that Penta brought in with his entrance and goes to attack Penta with it, but the lights go off. When they come back on, Buddy Matthews is in the ring and Malakai is taken aback. Matthews teases attacking Black but ends up attacking PAC and Penta instead. Security tries to help out but gets taken out as well. Brody and Malakai give Matthews the order to attack Penta with a chair, and he does.
Thunder Rosa & Dr. Britt Baker DMD cut a video going back and forth about their upcoming contract signing on AEW Rampage.
Achievemephobia; The Fear of Success
Eddie Kingston comes down with a Public Enemy shirt as Chris Jericho has purple shoes, and there’s four security guards in the ring and Kingston asks everybody if they are done singing the Judas song and asks why there’s security and Jericho says he requested them so they can talk like men and Kingston can’t act like a ‘street thug’. Kingston says he’s not a sports entertainer and just wants to fight Jericho, and if they aren’t going to fight, he asks Tony Khan for Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale, and if Jericho doesn’t want to fight, he can go down the block. Jericho says since they are down the block from Stamford, he will give them some sports entertainment but actually make it entertaining. Jericho mentions how when he heard of Eddie Kingston, he had no idea who he was and thought it was Eddie Edwards and when he saw him, he thought was a jobber. Then Kingston fought ‘what’s-his-name’ (Cody Rhodes) and he thought he could be a babyface and he finally made it to the big time as a 38-year-old, and everybody cared except Jericho. Jericho says Kingston is jealous because he made it at 22, and at 38 he was already touring the world and Kingston can never be at his level. Kingston says the only reason Jericho main eventing all those places was because Kingston wasn’t there, and he’s not like the rest of the carnies and lies and tells the promoter to ‘f off’ and he will be who he is until he dies. Kingston says he doesn’t want to talk anymore, and his blood doesn’t pump Kool-Aid and asks for a match with Jericho at Revolution. Jericho asks if Kingston suffers from ‘achievemephobia’, the fear of success, and says he looked up to failures like his uncle and dad, and he’s a failure just like him. And in this company, Chris Jericho is the big one in this company and runs down his nicknames and if he wants to challenge him, it’s on. Kingston asks for Jericho who was the first World Champion in this company, not the one who had the Mimosa match. The Jericho that turned WCW upside down and the one his close friend Levesque hated and if he doesn’t, he’s going to eat Jericho alive. Jericho says Kingston is nothing more than a loser and he always will be, and he will never win the big one.
We go to Matt Hardy who’s backstage with AHFO and asks Andrade if he’s going to use Isiah Kassidy again to win his match against Sammy Guevara. And since Kassidy got the win, Matt Hardy proposes himself, Isiah Kassidy, and Andrade El Idolo against Sammy Guevara, Sting and Darby Allin at AEW Revolution in a Tornado Tag match.
Face of the Revolution Qualifying Match: Ricky Starks (w/ Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. 10
Taz is on commentary for this match, as 10 starts fast going after Starks, hitting a vertical suplex as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, 10 is trying to take out Starks with the Full Nelson, but Starks keeps trying to escape, he finally twists 10’s mask around and hits him with the spear for the pin.
Winner: Ricky Starks by pinfall at 5:56, to advance
The Cutler Cam
We go backstage where the Young Bucks confront reDRagon about double-crossing them, but reDRagon says that they’ll have another chance next week. The Young Bucks say they are motivated to kick their ass now and go to the pay-per-view. As the Bucks walk away, Adam Cole tells them to get along as he’s got a lot on his plate right now.
AEW TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (c) (w/ Mark Sterling) vs. The Bunny (w/ Matt Hardy)
The Bunny starts going after Jade right away but gets taken down with a boot before Jade picks up Bunny with one arm and starts working on her arm while doing push-ups. The Bunny ends up sending Jade to the apron as they go to picture-in-picture, and Matt Hardy makes his way to ringside.
When we come back, Jade hits a spinebuster, but Matt Hardy gets on the apron and distracts the referee. Hardy throws the knuckles The Bunny, and Sterling throws the title belt and Jade blocks the knuckles with the title as Aubrey Edwards ejects Matt Hardy and Sterling. Jade gets rolled up and kicks out and hits Jaded for the pin.
Winner: Jade Cargill by pinfall at 6:50, to retain
Jade Cargill gets on the mic and asks who’s next as Tay Conti comes out and says she is and goes to the ring to attack Jade. Conti gets taken out by Jade and The Bunny as Anna Jay runs in to save her.
Save it for Revolution
Alex Marvez is backstage with Keith Lee and mentions how the Face of the Revolution match has expanded and only one he’s familiar with is Ricky Starks. Starks comes in and tells Lee to stay in his lane and mind his P’s and Q’s as Powerhouse Hobbs gets in his face, and Starks says they are going to save this for Revolution.
Upcoming Rampage
· Face of the Revolution Qualifying Match: Orange Cassidy vs. Anthony Bowens
· Serena Deeb’s 5 Minute Rookie Challenge
· Thunder Rosa & Dr. Britt Baker DMD Contract Signing
· TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara vs. Andrade El Idolo
Upcoming Dynamite
· Casino Tag Battle Royale
· Adam Page, John Silver & Alex Reynolds vs. Adam Cole & reDRagon
They announce that AEW is returning to Las Vegas at the Michelob Ultra Arena for Dynamite on May 25th, Rampage on May 27th and Double or Nothing on May 29th.
Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia
They start the matching trading slaps in the corner as Danielson yells at Garcia to ‘show him the violence’, so Garcia comes back with chops, but Danielson takes him right down and into a leg lock. They go back and forth with Garcia taking Danielson down with a chop block as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Danielson takes out Garcia on the outside with a flying knee. Danielson throws Garcia back inside and goes to the top rope where he hits a missile dropkick and asks the audience if they want violence, and they say yes. Danielson starts kicking Garcia’s legs and puts on a half Crab. Garcia fights out, but Danielson hits a Tiger suplex and right into Cattle Mutilation. Garcia transitions out and puts on an ankle lock while stomping on Danielson’s head. Danielson fights out as they get into a knuckle lock while trading elbows. Danielson breaks out of it and smacks his way out, Garcia gives one back, but Danielson stops him and starts stomping out Garcia’s head, before putting on the Triangle Sleeper as the referee calls off the match.
Winner: Bryan Danielson by referee stoppage at 10:22
…We Bleed Together
Danielson grabs the mic and says that’s exactly what he wanted to see and asks if Garcia was violent enough. 2point0 jump Danielson from behind and starts attacking him before Jon Moxley’s music plays and he runs to the ring and starts attacking 2point0, knocking them out of the ring. Garcia goes to attack Moxley from behind with a chair, but Danielson takes his chair away as Moxley hits Garcia with the Paradigm Shift. Moxley and Danielson go face to face as Danielson grabs the mic and the crowd chants ‘this is awesome’. Danielson says in order for them to fight together, they have to bleed together, and he said he doesn’t need the chair to make anyone bleed and throws it down, and if they want a match at Revolution, Moxley got it, but don’t be surprised if Moxley is the only one bleeding.
