AEW Dynamite
August 9th, 2023
By: John Siino
Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Jericho Appreciation Society Mandatory Meeting
Everyone but Chris Jericho in the Jericho Appreciation Society is in the ring as Matt Menard introduces tonight’s Mandatory Meeting as Jericho makes his own entrance. Jericho is upset that they all came to the ring without telling him and says he didn’t come here as the Rock Star or Demo God but as their friend. Daniel Garcia cuts Jericho off and tells him to stop talking and just listen to them. Garcia says Jericho took advantage of him last week by hitting him with a baseball bat and pinned him, and he changed the fabric of his human being for Jericho. Garcia continues by saying he chose Jericho and wonders why Jericho never chooses them and because of that, he can’t do this anymore. Garcia does his dance in Jericho’s face, before leaving to the back. Jake Hager said he’s not surprised and Jericho made him a lot of money, but if they have to cut ties tonight that’s alright because everyone knows they have a lot of options. Hager says he ‘liked’ that hat but now he doesn’t appreciate Jericho, as he leaves as well.
Jericho gets on the mic and says that they have to agree that their careers have grown since they got together and says that Anna Jay is getting a title shot tonight while Tay Melo has become a bigger star. Melo says she used to be so proud to be in this group, but not anymore, and right now she feels sick and she’s not even talking about her baby. Melo continues to say that she will go have her baby, then become champion without his help as she quits. Anna says that tonight it’s about her and she’s going to be selfish, by learning from the best it’s about winning the AEW World Women’s Championship and it’s not about appreciating Jericho, as Anna and Melo both make their way to the back as well.
Angelo Parker gets on the mic and says he doesn’t want to be doing this as he loves being a sports entertainer and he took joining this group as a badge of honor. He gave Jericho his identity, trust, and blood by hanging upside from a double cage to fight a battle that Jericho picked. Parker says he gave Jericho everything he can but asks what he has given him. Parker says he doesn’t want to do this, but he’s given him no choice as he leaves as well. Matt Menard talks about Jericho being his childhood hero, and when he was 15 years old with his first paycheck he bought a Chris Jericho t-shirt. When his wife was 8 months pregnant and had no job, Jericho invited him to his home and helped bring him to AEW by taking him under his wing. The last 18 months have been nothing but a dream for Menard, but it’s never sat right for him why guys like Eddie Kingston and Kevin Steen hate Jericho’s guts, but now he’s starting to understand why, as he puts the mic down and leaves as well.
Jericho tries to talk, but Sammy Guevara smacks the mic out of his hand and tells him to listen for once as he had his back from the very beginning. Guevara put Sting through a table, not because he wants to but because he’s loyal to Jericho. Guevara said he’s not going to walk on him because Jericho is his friend and he did all these things because he thought Jericho would do them for him, but maybe he was wrong. Guevara says Jericho has a lot of stuff to work on, and when he does, maybe he’ll be here, as Guevara leaves through the crowd.
After the break, Renee Paquette tries to get a word with Jericho, but Don Callis interrupts him and says he is so sorry. Jericho says he has an answer for Callis, but that he’ll answer it next week.
The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (w/ Brandon Cutler) vs. The Hardys (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) (w/ Isiah Kassidy & Ethan Page)
Matt Jackson and Jeff Hardy start the match with a lock-up, before Matt Hardy tags in, and they suplex Nick Jackson on top of Matt Jackson, before clotheslining Nick to the outside and double teaming on Matt Jackson as Matt Hardy gets a two count. Nick Jackson is able to stop the Poetry in Motion, as the Bucks start taking control with Nick Jackson hitting a moonsault to Jeff on the outside before hitting the Risky Business on Matt Hardy. Bucks stay in control as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Matt Hardy hits a Side Effect on Matt Jackson before tagging out to Jeff, as Nick comes in as well. Jeff hits Whisper in the Wind, but the Bucks come back with super kicks and hit the 3D on Jeff for a two-count. The Hardys stop The Bucks and hit double Twist of Fates, followed by a Swanton Bomb by Jeff on Nick, as Matt Jackson breaks up the pin attempt. They both hit Twist of Fates on Nick, but Matt Jackson stops them with super kicks. Jeff gets on the top rope, but Matt Jackson superkicks his ankle to knock him down. The Bucks follow with the BTE Trigger on Matt Hardy to get the pin and the win.
Winners: The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) by pinfall at 11:15
The Bucks get on the mic as Nick Jackson says ‘FTR…’ which prompts them to come out and enter the ring. Both teams face off in the middle of the ring as the crowd chants ‘This is awesome’. Nick Jackson simply says ‘All In’ and drops the mic as the match is made official for London.
All In Women’s 4-Way Match
They announce a tournament where the four winners will compete in a 4-way match for the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In London
- Hikaru Shida vs. Anna Jay (tonight)
- Saraya vs. Skye Blue (Friday on Rampage)
- The Bunny vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD (Next week on Dynamite)
- Toni Storm receives a bye
MJF & Adam Cole Go To The Trampoline Park
We see footage from last week with MJF and Adam Cole as MJF thinks it’s ‘skinny dipping with some rats’ since Cole told him to wear shorts. We see that they are at a trampoline park instead as we see footage of Cole jumping and having fun as young children are there as well. MJF doesn’t seem too happy until Cole mentions that there’s dodgeball there. MJF asks if Cole wants him to ‘play with kids’ as we hear dramatic music over slow motion of MJF hitting kids with dodge balls while throwing them insults as well. Cole tells MJF to stop it as they can’t do that before a young girl walks in and calls them nerds and asks what two grown men are doing at an amusement park. Cole tells her she shouldn’t talk like that, and she gives him the middle finger. Cole says ‘one more’ as MJF tosses the ball to her as it fades to black.
Death Fears BCC
We go to the Blackpool Combat Club in the back as Jon Moxley says he hopes the Best Friends learned their lesson from the Parking Lot Fight and says he sent flowers to Sue. Moxley says the Lucha Brothers think they will win, but they know they will win. Claudio Castagnoli brings up Pac and says he told them he would pay for this and he did. Wheeler Yuta says it sucks that Pac will have to miss Wembley now because he’s injured. Moxley says the BCC doesn’t fear death, but death fears them.
FTW Championship FTW Rules Match: Jack Perry (c) vs. Rob Van Dam
Jack Perry comes out in Jerry Lynn-inspired gear and attacks Rob Van Dam during the introductions for the match. RVD kicks Perry down early in the match, but Perry escapes to the outside. RVD follows him, as Perry attacks him around the ring until RVD places Perry on the barricade and hits him hard with a spinning leg drop as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, there are chairs all over the ring as RVD monkey flips Perry and grabs a chair, using it with a dropkick to Perry in the corner. RVD follows with Rolling Thunder with the chair and gets a two-count. RVD goes for the split-legged moonsault, but Perry gets out of the way and tosses a chair, but it misses RVD and knocks out Bryce Remsburg right in the face. Taz is more impressed with the chair being stuck on the chair than the state of Remsburg, as Perry stops RVD on the top rope, but RVD is able to toss Perry off the top rope onto a table on the outside. RVD tosses Perry back inside and hits him with the Five Star Frog Splash, but the referee is still out and can’t make the count. Aubrey Edwards runs out and makes the count, but Perry kicks out at two. Perry hits RVD with a low blow, sends RVD head-first into a chair on the corner, and rolls up RVD for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jack Perry by pinfall at 9:34, to retain
Blackpool Coward Club
Renee is backstage with the Lucha Brothers and Alex Abrahahantes, as Alex says every time they come out there they fight in the spirit of competition while the BCC want to hurt people as they did with Pac. Rey Fenix calls them the ‘Blackpool Coward Club’ before Penta El Zero Miedo does his catchphrase.
Another Set of Tag Team Titles…
MJF & Adam Cole make their way to the ring as MJF tells the ‘Majestic Midwest’ that the Devil has arrived. MJF talks about alleged footage of him telling everybody here that they are mid and says that footage is heavily edited and fake may God strike him where he stands as he says his favorite place in the United States of America is the Midwest. He waits and no bolt strikes him. Cole says he knows they will be wrestling for MJF’s title and says he knows he will beat him for it, as MJF asks if he wants a little promo battle and says Cole is so skinny and white that if this was the ’80s, Hulk Hogan would snort him. MJF continues but Cole stops him and says he doesn’t want to do a promo battle. MJF apologies as Cole says they will make history at Wembley but says they should go ‘all in’ on making history and talks about them having tag team championship gold on their waists. Cole talks about having their eyes on another set of tag team championships and brings up the ROH World Tag Team Championship and says he owes his entire career to Ring of Honor.
Cole brings up all the accomplishments he had in ROH but never having held the Tag Team Championship and brings up teams like The Kings of Wrestling, RedDragon, and The Briscoes and says they should challenge for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at the Zero Hour before All In London. MJF asks if Cole wants him to wrestle twice in one night and calls him a ‘sick pervert’. MJF says usually he would say no, but he’s a sucker for a cheap pop and asks Columbus, Ohio who wants to see them become the new ROH World Tag Team Champions. They cheer as MJF officially challenges Aussie Open for the titles at All In London Zero Hour. We start hearing Roderick Strong screaming ‘Adam’ as he makes his way out to the ramp. Strong says he can’t believe Cole actually wants to win the ROH World Tag Team Titles with MJF instead of an actual legend and friend, in him. MJF calls him Roddy ‘The Simp’ Strong and is getting tired of his jealous ex-girlfriend vibes and wants Strong to get in his car, go home, run up the stairs, slam the door, jump in his bed, cry into his Hello Kitty pillow, put his headphones on, listen to some Taylor Swift and ‘shake it off’ calling him a bland bitch. The crowd starts chanting ‘Shake it off’ as Strong asks Cole if he’s going to just stand there and let MJF talk to him like that. Strong says never mind and The Kingdom was right about Cole, saying he was never really his friend. Matt Taven & Mike Bennett come out and hug Strong. Cole pushes MJF and asks him if he understands him about Strong being his friend too, but MJF gets mad. Cole says he’s sorry as MJF hugs him and says it’s fine and tells him to go check on his boy as Cole makes his way to the back.
Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli) (w/ Wheeler Yuta) vs. Lucha Bros. (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
As Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley are waiting for the Lucha Bros. during their entrance, they show up behind them from the crowd and take them to the outside where they dive on them. Eventually, the match starts as Penta El Zero Miedo hits Made in Japan to Claudio for a two-count. Claudio dodges super kicks from the Lucha Bros. as they hit each other, as Moxley is already bleeding. Moxley comes in and hits a double DDT on the Lucha Bros. but Penta is able to block Moxley and hits him with a sling blade. Claudio dodges Fenix and distracted Aubrey Edwards as Wheeler Yuta hits Fenix with the ROH World Championship. The Blackpool Combat Club follows with a press slam/cutter combo, but Fenix kicks out at two. Claudio stays on top of Fenix as they go picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Claudio and Moxley hit a spiked piledriver on Fenix, as Moxley gets the two-count. Claudio puts Fenix on his shoulders, but Fenix ducks a Doomsday Device attempt, and victory rolls right into a stomp on Claudio, before making the hot tag to Penta. Penta goes after Claudio & Moxley, hitting a backstabber on Claudio for two before tagging Fenix back in who misses a Frog Splash. All four go at it in the ring with offense including a cutter from Moxley to Penta, before Fenix knocks Moxley down with a super kick as all four men are now laid out. Claudio & Fenix start trading chops and strikes before Fenix bounces off the ropes with a kick. Claudio stops Penta off the top rope with an uppercut, before Moxley tags in and gets a two-count. Moxley dares Penta to hit him, as they start trading chops now. They go back and forth before Penta & Fenix hit a stalling piledriver for a two-count. Yuta gets on the apron and stops an assisted Fear Factor, but Alex Abrahantes stops Yuta. Fenix takes out Yuta with a top rope moonsault, as Claudio snatches Penta’s mask off, followed by Moxley rolling up Penta while holding the tights to get the pin and the win.
Winners: Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli) by pinfall at 13:06
They keep attacking the Lucha Bros. after, as Claudio puts on Penta’s mask.
Can I Get A Scoop?
Alex Marvez stops Kenny Omega as he’s entering the building and asks Omega what he has planned for All In. Omega says next week he is sitting down with Jim Ross to talk about his future, Don Callis & Konosuke Takeshita, and says he’s looking for to it. Marvez asks for a ‘scoop’, but Omega walks off.
I Have Friends Too
The entire Mogul Embassy makes their way to the ring, as AR Fox is still carrying the tank top that’s soaked in Nick Wayne’s blood from last week’s attack. Prince Nana tells the crowd to shut their faces up when the Embassy is in the ring. Swerve Strickland talks about going to Seattle and putting the fear of God in Nick Wayne and says the Mogul Embassy is above the law, especially in his city of Seattle. Fox gets on the mic and tells Darby Allin to bring his ass out there. Darby comes out with his music and tells Fox to tell these people the whole story about how he tried to call Fox, but he never answered and said he lived with Fox and his demons. Darby says there was only one person who could save Fox, and that was him so he had to leave. Darby says Fox then got to AEW all by himself and he didn’t even have to put a word in and if he’s upset that Wayne put a word in for Nick Wayne. Darby says he respects Fox and will always credit him for changing his life but it looks like he has some new friends before saying he has some friends too as the lights go out. When they come on we see Sting in the ring and he starts taking out the Embassy with his bat. Darby chases away the rest through the crowd as Sting goes after Swerve with his bat before pointing to the All In sign, but Swerve escapes out of the ring.
Rampage Line-Up
- Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage
- Saraya vs. Skye Blue (winner goes to All In London)
- AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Johnny TV
Collision Line-Up
- AEW World Trios Championship: House of Black (c) vs. CMFTR
- The Acclaimed return to action
- Mercedes Martinez & Diamante vs. Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander
Dynamite Line-Up
- MJF & Adam Cole talk about the main event of All In
- Kenny Omega’s sitdown interview with Jim Ross
- The Bunny vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD (winner goes to All In London)
- Darby Allin & Nick Wayne vs. Gates of Agony
- More matches to be announced on Rampage
All In London Line-Up
- AEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Adam Cole
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. The Young Bucks
- Coffin Match: Darby Allin & Sting vs. Swerve Strickland & AR Fox
- AEW Women’s World Championship 4-Way Match: Hikaru Shida/Anna Jay vs. Saraya/Skye Blue vs. The Bunny/Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Toni Storm
AEW Women’s World Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Anna Jay (w/ Matt Menard & Angelo Parker)
They start fast as Hikaru Shida dodges Anna Jay in the corner and hits her with the ten punches, but Jay escapes out and knocks Shida on the apron where she hits her with a spinning kick, knocking her to the outside. Jay sends Shida back inside and gets a two-count as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Shida is on the attack on Jay, hitting her with a running forearm for a two-count. Jay puts Shida on the corner and hits her with a spinning knee kick, but Shida hits Jay with an Enziguri on the apron before finding a chair under the ring. Shida tries to jump off the chair, but Angelo Parker stops her as Jay drives Shida face-first into the steel steps, send Shida back inside, and gets a two-count. Jay reverses a Falcon Arrow and puts on the Queens Slayer, but Shida is able to fight her way out. Jay puts it back on, but Shida starts climbing the ropes and falls back, before hitting a Falcon Arrow for a two-count. Shida follows with the Katana, as Parker tries to stop the count, but Paul Turner makes the three count anyway.
Winner: Hikaru Shida by pinfall at 8:48, to retain
