AEW Dynamite – “Thanksgiving Eve”
November 22nd, 2023
By: John Siino
Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Continental Classic Gold League Match: Swerve Strickland vs. Jay Lethal
This is the first match in the Continental Classic, and we start with the Gold League tonight; with the round-robin tournament’s rules being a 20-minute time limit, 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and everyone is banned from ringside. Right away, Swerve Strickland takes Jay Lethal to the outside, but Lethal is able to catch Swerve on the apron where they start trading punches. Lethal knocks Swerve to the outside where he meets him with a dive. Swerve keeps attacking Lethal in the corner, as the crowd is fully behind Swerve. They go back and forth on the ropes before Lethal snaps Swerve’s arm back. They go back and forth before Swerve hits a shoulder breaker as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, they are both on the top rope as commentary compares this tournament to other sports leagues as Swerve hits a superplex on Lethal. They trade pin attempts before Lethal heads to the top rope and hits the top rope elbow drop for a two. Swerve stops the Lethal Injection with a dropkick, followed by the House Call and the Swerve Stomp to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland by pinfall at 13:51, to get 3 points in the Continental Classic.
Pure Thoughts
Renee Paquette is backstage with Orange Cassidy, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata ahead of their six-man match later, but before Cassidy can make his announcement, Wheeler Yuta walks in and mockingly makes fun of how Cassidy beat Jon Moxley at Full Gear. Yuta says he hasn’t forgotten about Shibata and his walking around with the Pure Championship makes him feel sick, and he tells him to watch his Pure Rules match tomorrow on ROH on HonorClub. Renee tells Cassidy they are out of time for his announcement.
Honorable Scumbag
MJF’s music hits, but we quickly find out it’s the Better Than You Bay Bay theme as Adam Cole on his crutches comes out with MJF who is on a walking cane. MJF starts talking about his voice being hoarse from drinking all night and talks about getting deep with some women here in Chicago, and not talking about pizza. MJF says he learned in 30 minutes that Jay White is truly one of the best professional wrestlers in the world however nobody is on the level of the devil. MJF starts naming all his accolades and says he’s been humble before calling himself the greatest AEW World Champion of all time.
Adam Cole gets on the mic and says he is happy they are still ROH World Tag Team Champions and says they had a little help from Samoa Joe. Cole talks about the bad news of having a long road ahead of him before he can step in the ring again but when he does come back he’ll be the best he’s ever been. Cole talks about being worried for MJF but talks about not being able to be by his side and talks about people gunning after him and the Devil and his goons. MJF cuts Cole off and says to the man behind his mask, when he finds him the hell he’ll put him through will feel like heaven. The lights go out as we see the Devil on the screen laughing.
Samoa Joe’s music hits as he now heads to the ring. Joe brings up MJF’s ‘less adequate friend’ not being able to defend him as the crowd chants ‘Adam’. Joe said he made sure MJF started his night right at Full Gear so he came to Chicago to make sure honorable men honor their deals and asks for his title shot. MJF tells Joe to take a step back because of his breath and says he thought long and hard about their deal, and his response is as follows, but it gets censored. Joe grabs MJF, and Cole begs Joe to stop. Cole says that the answer is what the old MJF would say, but the new Max is a man of his word. Cole tells MJF to be a man of his word. MJF says Joe wouldn’t be the only ROH legend he beat here in Chicago (twice) and says he will face Joe here tonight. Joe says absolutely not as tomorrow MJF will bitch and complain that he wasn’t 100% and doesn’t want to hear that, and he wants the fully-healed Max and says by Worlds End, MJF should be ready to defend his title. MJF asks Joe if he wants to face him in the greatest place in the world, on Long Island, and says Joe has himself a deal. MJF tells Chicago to calm down as he still loves Chicago pizza. Joe says from now on, MJF is his property and everywhere he goes, he will be a step behind and he will take his World Championship in front of his friends, family, and everybody he knows and loves.
Hook, Katsuyori Shibata & Orange Cassidy (w/ Danhausen) vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker & Jake Hager
Before the match can start, Orange Cassidy says he has a Thanksgiving surprise, as a Danhausen video starts playing on the screen before he comes out and makes his return to be in the babyfaces’ corner. Matt Menard goes right after Hook, but Hook is able to take him down. Angelo Parker quickly joins in as he and Menard double-team on Hook, before Jake Hager tags in and hits a Hager bomb for a two as we go to picture-in-picture.
As we come back, Hook is fighting off Parker before hitting a T-Bone suplex and making the tag out to Cassidy. Cassidy takes out Menard with a Tornado DDT, but Hager stops an Orange Punch attempt. Cassidy comes back with a Stundog Millionaire and tags out to Katsuyori Shibata. Shibata & Hager start trading strikes and boots before Shibata goes to town on all three opponents. Shibata starts chopping away at Hager before hitting a running dropkick. The heels start triple-teaming on Shibata, but Danhausen gets on the apron and reveals he has Hager’s old purple hat, that he puts on. Hager gets extremely angry and he starts chasing after Danhausen, who puts a curse on him. Cassidy takes out Hager with a dive, and Shibata & Hook take out Menard & Parker with a Red Rum & sleeper each. They switch Menard & Parker when they realize they aren’t the legal men, as Cassidy takes out Hager with an Orange Punch on the apron. Hook taps out Parker with the Red Rum to get the win.
Winners: Hook, Orange Cassidy & Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall at 8:30
Adam?
Renee is backstage with Adam Cole and says they can’t wish to see him back in the ring. Cole says he’s proud of MJF sticking to his word, as Roderick Strong & The Kingdom roll in. Strong says he’s sorry he missed Cole on Saturday and asked where Cole was on Friday. Cole says he’s not Strong’s best friend anymore and yells at him to back off and leave him the hell alone. They zoom in on Strong’s face showing confusion and disappointment.
The Re-Christianing
The Patriarchy heads to the ring as Christian Cage talks about how on Full Gear, things didn’t exactly go their way. Cage says how he didn’t lose that match, and Nick Wayne didn’t lose that match before looking at Luchasaurus and saying that he lost that match. Christian says since they are both his children it’s time he recreates them both in his image and tells Luchasaurus to take a knee. Luchasaurus refuses until Christian calls him dumb and forces him to, while throwing him insults saying his name will always be associated as a loser. Christian says he came up with a name for strength and toughness as he has renamed Luchasaurus the name of Killswitch. Wayne gets on a knee, as Christian tells him to get on his feet, and says he should never get on his knee as he is special and his golden boy. Christian says he loves Wayne and he will forever be known as The Prodigy, Nick Wayne.
Nick’s mom Shayna Wayne comes out and starts pleading to Nick, as Christian asks her what the hell she is doing there, calling her a terrible mother. Christian starts saying how she’s embarrassing Nick by being a waitress and she can’t give him anything. Christian says it’s a good thing Nick’s dad is dead as he would have disowned him for not being the man, father, or wrestler that he is. Christian says Shayna could have played her cards differently before telling her to leave the ring and go do her shift at Denny’s. Luchasaurus gets in Christian’s face and tells him to get on his knees again, by calling him Killswitch. Luchasaurus doesn’t budge, as Christian slaps him and threatens to take off his mask. Christian shoves Luchasaurus, which knocks Shayna down. Nick is frozen before Christian tells Nick to grab a chair. Christian goes to Conchairto Shayna, before handing the chair to Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus hesitates as Adam Copeland runs to the ring and takes out Nick Wayne with a spear before taking out Luchasaurus. Christian goes face-to-face with Copeland before Luchasaurus rescues Christian. Copeland takes out Wayne with another spear before hitting an Impaler and setting Wayne up for the Conchairto. As Shayna is pleading with him not to do it, Copeland takes out Nick Wayne with the Conchairto.
What Side Is He On?
Renee is backstage with Anna Jay, as Matt Menard is asking what’s going on with Angelo Parker and his ‘girlfriend’. Jake Hager starts yelling about Danhausen and his purple hat before Anna Jay starts screaming that he just wants to wrestle before asking if they are here to help or hurt her. Parker gets a phone call from Ruby Soho, as Anna asks him if he’s in her corner tonight.
Continental Classic Gold League Match: Rush vs. Jay White
The Gunns try to join Jay White before Paul Turner instructs White that nobody is allowed at ringside. Rush backs White in the corner before he escapes to the outside to regroup. They start fighting on the outside as Rush tosses White against the barricades. Rush goes to grab cable from under the ring, but the referee doesn’t allow him to use it and tells them to get back in the ring. They start trading chops and punches before Rush teases doing the Bull’s Horns just to hit the Tranquilo pose as we head to picture-in-picture.
Rush is in control as we go come back, with him hitting the Three Amigos with a brainbuster at the end for a two-count. White dodges Rush off the top rope and hits a brainbuster of his own for a two. A bit of back and forth with White hitting a uranage for another two. Rush comes back by launching White into the corner with a belly-to-belly suplex followed by an elbow strike. Rush calls for the Bull’s Horns but White stops him with a Blade Runner attempt. The referee got distracted during this scuffle, as White hit a low blow followed by the Blade Runner for the pin.
Winner: Jay White by pinfall at 13:53, to get 3 points in the Continental Classic.
We see footage from after the media scrum of Big Bill & Ricky Starks attacking Chris Jericho and going after his injured arm with stage equipment as commentary questions about when Jericho will be able to compete again.
Toni’s Timeless Championship Acceptance Speech
Renee Paquette & RJ City are on the top of the stage and present Toni Storm, done in the style of an awards ceremony as Storm and Lutha go up to ‘accept’ her AEW Women’s World Championship that Mariah May brings out for her. Storm says it’s embarrassing as she didn’t have anything prepared, just to release a paper full of notes where she thanks Anthony Khan and the wonderful people at Warner Bros Discovery including Jack Warner. The music starts playing her out, but she cuts it off and talks about the little Toni Storm’s out there who want to be her and tell her they will not make it or take it, as May looks disgusted behind her. Storm continues to celebrate before Skye Blue’s entrance cuts her off.
Skye Blue vs. Anna Jay (w/ Matt Menard & Angelo Parker) vs. Ruby Soho (w/ Saraya)
Right away, Ruby Soho starts flirting with Angelo Parker ringside as Skye Blue & Anna Jay go back and forth with pin attempts. Ruby enters and stops Anna before taking out Blue with a Saito Suplex. Blue kicks Ruby off the apron, as Parker holds Blue’s boot causing Anna to kick her off to the outside. Jay stays in control while telling Parker to focus on her and not Ruby, before heading to picture-in-picture.
We come back to a superplex/powerbomb combo from Anna, as he gets two counts on both women. Ruby stops a baseball dropkick attempt from Blue and takes her and Anna both out on the outside, as Parker starts getting close to Ruby, just for Saraya & Matt Menard to break them apart. Anna takes out Ruby with a big boot, before sending her back inside. Blue enters with a diving cross-body and tries the Code Blue, but Anna counters and drops Blue face first, as Ruby breaks up the pin attempt. Menard starts holding Ruby’s foot, which gets Saraya to get in Menard’s face. Blue goes after Ruby with kicks, but Parker is there to catch Ruby. Menard & Saraya get involved as Blue takes out Anna with a cutter to get the pin. Ruby was too busy arguing with Saraya to break up the count.
Winner: Skye Blue by pinfall at 8:52
The Downfall of the Devil
Renee tries to get a word with Wardlow backstage who is working out. Renee asks Wardlow what is he waiting for as Wardlow says the downfall of the devil is going to happen in his time. AR Fox interrupts and questions Wardlow putting the blame on everybody else. Wardlow says he doesn’t need his advice and murders Fox with a headbutt.
Continental Classic Gold League Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Jon Moxley
The crowd is split here with the chants, as Jon Moxley & Mark Briscoe start the match by trading punches and chops. Briscoe knocks Moxley to the outside where he meets him with a dropkick and a neckbreaker off the apron. Back inside, they continue trading strikes before Moxley knocks Briscoe to the outside with a big boot as we go to picture-in-picture with three minutes go before the top of the hour.
When we come back, we see that Briscoe is bleeding (surprisingly, Moxley is not), as Moxley hits a DDT for two. Briscoe comes back with a rolling elbow strike and catches Moxley into a suplex for a two-count. Moxley tries to put on an armbar, but Briscoe rolls into the ropes. They head to the top rope, where Briscoe bites Moxley off. Moxley catches Briscoe off the top rope into the Paradigm Shift, but Briscoe bounces right back with a dropkick as both men are laid out now. Briscoe follows with a Death Valley Driver and hits the Froggy Bow, but Moxley kicks out a two. Moxley stops a Jay Driller attempt with a King Kong Lariat and hits the Death Rider, but Briscoe kicks out. Moxley tries the bulldog choke, but Briscoe reverses into a two-count. Moxley hits a half-and-half suplex before both men start going at it with wild punches and chops. Moxley comes back with a stomp and hits another Death Rider to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Jon Moxley by pinfall at 11:29, to get 3 points in the Continental Classic.
Continental Classic Gold League Standings
- Swerve Strickland – 3 points
- Jay White – 3 points
- Jon Moxley – 3 points
- Jay Lethal – 0 points
- Rush – 0 points
- Mark Briscoe – 0 points
Continental Classic Blue League Standings
- Claudio Castagnoli – 0 points
- Daniel Garcia – 0 points
- Eddie Kingston – 0 points
- Brody King – 0 points
- Bryan Danielson – 0 points
- Andrade El Idolo – 0 points
The Blue League starts on Saturday’s Collision as Claudio Castagnoli takes on Daniel Garcia and Eddie Kingston faces off against Brody King.
