AEW Dynamite
January 17th, 2024
By: John Siino
North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Ian Riccaboni
Dark Matches
- Skye Blue def. Brittany Jade
- The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) def. Colt Cabana & Brandon Cutler
AEW TNT Championship: Christian Cage (c) (w/ Nick Wayne & Killswitch) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Ian Riccaboni is taking the place of Tony Schiavone for tonight’s show, as Schiavone is out on assignment. Commentary brings up how Dustin Rhodes has one of the best win-loss records as with every loss he has, he gets four wins. They start the matching locking up in the corner and ropes, as the crowd chants ‘Christian Sucks!’. Rhodes hits a power slam for two before Christian escapes to the outside where Rhodes follows him, attacking him against the barricades and commentary table. Rhodes whips Christian into the steel steps before bringing him back inside where he hits the ten punches in the corner. They fight in the corner before Christian knocks Rhodes to the outside where he dives onto him from the top rope, as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Christian dodges a crossbody from Rhodes, who spills to the outside. Back inside, Christian heads to the top rope but misses a flying headbutt. Back and forth, until Rhodes hit a bulldog for two. Rhodes sets up Christain for the Golden Globes, but Christian is able to put a boot up to stop it. Rhodes comes back with a Code Red for two. Rhodes is able to dodge Christian’s springboard punch on the ropes and goes for a tope, just to be stopped by a punch and snapped back on the ropes, by Christian. Christian hits the Frog Splash but only gets two. Christian brings the TNT title into the ring, but as Aubrey Edwards is taking it away, Nick Wayne runs in to reverse the small cradle, as Christian still only gets two. They fight in the corner as Rhodes sets up Christian for the Golden Globes, this time delivering it as Aubrey is distracted by Nick Wayne. Rhodes follows with a Superplex, before hitting the Cross Rhodes, but Christian is able to get his shoulder up at two. Wayne swipes at the leg of Rhodes prompting Rhodes to go after him. As Aubrey is distracted by Christian, Killswitch & Wayne start attacking Rhodes. Rhodes blocks Wayne’s World and hits a Destroyer on Wayne. Back inside, Christian dodges Rhodes and hits a spear and the Killswitch, but Rhodes kicks out. Christian hits a second Killswitch to finally get the pin and the win.
Winner: Christian Cage by pinfall at 15:25, to retain
Swerve Has Eyes Everywhere
Renee Paquette is backstage with Swerve Strickland and asks if he will have eyes on tonight’s main event. Swerve says he has eyes everywhere, and it doesn’t matter if it’s Samoa Joe or Hook who comes out as the AEW World Champion. Swerve says out of everybody in the Continental Classic, he’s the one everybody is talking about coming out of it, and makes him a dangerous man going after the title. Renee brings up ‘Hangman’ Adam Page going after the title also, as Swerve brings up having eyes everywhere and brings up all of Page’s accolades. Swerve says Page can have a chance at beating anybody else, except him, as he beat him twice and doesn’t have to prove he can do it again.
Being ‘Bourne’ For This
After the break, Renee is with Chris Jericho and asks where Jericho goes next after losing the Street Fight at Battle of the Belts IX. Jericho blames The Don Callis Family for costing them the match and Sammy Guevara being out with an injury. Jericho brings up Konosuke Takeshita and beating him in Tokyo a couple of months back, but that does not mean anything now and brings up all the weapons he can use against him. Matt Sydal interrupts and says this is not how Jericho should handle it, and suggests handling it in the ring against someone who has beaten Jericho before. Jericho agrees and makes the match for this Friday on Rampage.
Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta (w/ Chuck Taylor) vs. Komander & Penta El Zero Miedo (w/ Rey Fenix & Alex Abrahantes)
Commentary brings up how this match was originally supposed to be the Best Friends vs. Lucha Bros but with plans being changed due to Rey Fenix & Chuck Taylor’s injuries, as Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta are teaming up in a tag team match for the first time ever. Penta El Zero Miedo & Cassidy start the match and go back and forth doing their taunts to each other, before going into arm drags and more. Beretta & Komander go at it next with Komander taking out Cassidy on the outside with a tope, before being caught by Beretta right into a half-and-half suplex. Beretta sends Cassidy back inside to get a two-count as we go to picture-in-picture.
We return to see Komander take control over Beretta & Cassidy, before making the tag to Penta who hits a stalling Made in Japan to Cassidy, as Komander takes out Beretta with a dive to the outside. They go for an assisted Fear Factor, but Beretta breaks it up as Cassidy hits Penta with a DDT and makes the tag out to Beretta. Beretta & Komander go back and forth with pin attempts. Penta & Komander start double-teaming on Beretta, including Komander hitting a rope walk splash, but Cassidy is there to break it up. Beretta dodges a Phoenix Splash and hits a running knee strike. Orange takes out Penta with a Beach Break, hits the Orange Punch on Komander, followed by the Crunchie from Beretta for the pin and the win.
Winners: Trent Beretta & Orange Cassidy by pinfall at 10:15
Strong Challenge
Orange Cassidy & the Best Friends go to do their hug, but they get interrupted by Roderick Strong, Matt Taven & Mike Bennett of The Undisputed Kingdom. Strong gets on the mic and says he’s said it to the fans but will now say it to Cassidy’s face and tells him to take off his glasses. He refuses, as Strong says they can take them out now but they won’t. Strong says Orange always defends the title, but tonight decided to be in a tag match and asks if it’s because it’s all happening too much and if Orange has nothing left in the tank to keep it. Strong says maybe it’s because the International Championship belongs to him, and he is coming for it and he’s here to make Orange face it. Orange says he will shut up Strong and says he will do the match right there, right now. Strong says not right now and says Orange has to wait until March 3rd at Revolution because he wants Orange to live with the next six weeks thinking about this.
God Be With You
Renee is in the back with Adam Page and asks what’s with his change lately. Page talks about nobody else caring more about the AEW World Championship, than he has and says in 2024 not only will he win it, but he will hold it, put his name on it, and keep it there for as long as he can. Renee brings up Swerve Strickland also going for it and hit words of Page not being able to beat him. Page says he doesn’t think about Swerve at all, and it doesn’t matter if he can’t beat him, because Samoa Joe is the world champion, not Swerve. Page ends with saying ‘God be with you’, for Hook if it ends up being him as champion after tonight.
The Briscoe Family
Justin Roberts introduces Mark Briscoe and the Briscoe family, as today marks one year since Jay Briscoe’s passing. Mark gets a bit emotional talking about his brother’s accident and his nieces also being injured and told they would never walk again, which prompts Jay’s kids to join Mark on stage as Mark talks about The Briscoe Family never being able to be stopped. They followed this with an amazing video on Jay Briscoe’s life.
Nicholas & Matthew
After the break, we go to a sit-down interview with Renee with The Young Bucks, as Nick Jackson cuts her off and tells her that they are going to be treated more seriously and call themselves to be called Nicholas & Matthew. Matt brings up all the rumors about them not being true and asks Renee what she would do to preserve herself and her baby and what she would be willing to lose, as her reputation and legacy would go out the window. Matt says he would go and do it all again and says ‘You’re welcome’ to Renee getting a paycheck this week. Renee brings up Sting, as Matt says they ‘changed the world’ at the start of AEW as it was out with the old and in with the new, but eventually, they lost their way. Matt says how the company changed due to ‘cancerous superstars’, but says Sting isn’t one of those, as he is a role model employee. Matt brings up Sting not being in line with the ‘changing the world’ agenda, and says, unfortunately, they will have to say goodbye to Sting and everybody like Sting. Renee asks if this is an official call-out to Sting, as Nick says as EVPs they will pull some strings and say they have a meeting to go to.
ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship: The Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) (c) (w/ Prince Nana) vs. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White, Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn)
Jay White & Toa Liona start the match as Taz & Riccaboni argue on commentary, with Riccaboni thinking their Italian heritage would keep them together. Bullet Club Gold keeps Bishop Kaun in their corner before Kaun is able to escape and make the tag to Brian Cage. Cage goes after Austin Gunn, hitting him with a German Suplex as Austin lands right in front of Prince Nana who taunts him with his dance. Gates of Agony start double-teaming Austin in the corner, with an assisted elbow drop getting a two count as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Colten Gunn gets the hot tag and goes after all his opponents in a flurry. Liona is able to stop all of Colten’s momentum with a pounce, before hitting Open The Gates on Colten, followed by an Air Raid Crash from Kaun to Colten, which Austin breaks up the pin for. Cage whips Loana, but the Gunns are able to dodge him as he goes crashing over it. Back in the ring, Colten reverses Kaun and tags out to Jay White who chops away at Kaun. Everybody joins in now and hits offense on each other before it’s back down to White and Kaun again, as Nana trips up White after a Blade Runner attempt. Nana gets in the ring and tries to hit White with the title, but Anthony Bowens runs out and stops Nana. Nana and White go back and forth until White hits the Blade Runner for the pin and the win.
Winners: Bullet Club Gold (Jay White, Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) by pinfall at 9:30
Billy Gunn & The Acclaimed have a bit of a stare-down with Bullet Club Gold after, hoping to form the Bang Bang Scissor Gang.
Property Of The Undisputed Kingdom
We go to Adam Cole & Wardlow in the back, as Cole says it’s horrifying that Wardlow hasn’t even scratched the surface but with The Undisputed Kingdom he is unstoppable now just wait and see as Wardlow runs over each opponent after opponent until just the AEW World Championship is left and then it will be the property of the Undisputed Kingdom, as Wardlow just says ‘Boom’.
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay
Toni Storm joins the commentary desk for this match, with Mariah May & Luther behind her, and immediately starts thinking that Ian Riccaboni is actually Tony Schiavone. As Deonna Purrazzo & Anna Jay start the match going back and forth, Storm starts asking if Deonna is ‘affiliated’ since being from New Jersey. Deonna starts attacking Anna’s arms, as she cowards to the ropes. Storm talks about once getting ‘virtuosa’ but won’t say where or who she got it from, as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back and see Storm feeding Riccaboni macaroons, as unfortunately having her on commentary does draw attention away from the match in the ring. Deonna escapes out of the Queen Slayer and puts on an arm breaker, but Anna is able to get her foot on the rope. Anna & Deonna start going into a forearm exchange, but Deonna quickly traps Anna right into the armbar, turning it into the Venus De Milo as Anna verbally submits.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo by submission at 6:41
Renee Paquette joins Deonna in the ring and brings up her having two impressive victories in just four days and asks if he would like to say anything to Toni Storm since she’s there. Deonna says she doesn’t know what’s got into Toni as she’s known her for a long time and they used to be like sisters. Deonna says Toni might have changed, but so as she as Toni has never met the technician that is ‘The Virtuosa’. Toni gets on Luther’s shoulders and says ‘Technically speaking’ Deonna is a tanned hag and her past is none of her business and threatens to get in the ring and what sounds like she will ‘sock her right in the box’, before tossing her shoe at Deonna. Deonna & Mariah May start getting in a shoe toss exchange before Toni leaves still on Luther’s shoulders.
Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin)
This is Marq Quen’s first match back from injury since November 2022. Darius Martin & Isiah Kassidy start the match and have a bit of back-and-forth before facing off again in the middle of the ring. Quen & Dante Martin tag in as both teams face off before exchanging respect for each other. Dante is able to hold Quen down and work on his arm before Quen is able to maneuver out and tag out to Kassidy who takes out both of Top Flight as Private Party poses on the ropes, going into picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Quen tags in and hits a tope to Darius crashing into the commentary table, dives to Dante on the other side, before going back and diving to Darius then back to Dante once again. Quen heads to the top rope and hits a 450 splash on Dante, who kicks out at two. Top Flight starts double-teaming on Quen, but Kassidy is there to break up the pin attempt. Darius hits a sick Pele kick in the corner to Kassidy, as Dante goes after Quen. Private Party hit the Gin & Juice on Dante before Quen rolled up Darius while holding onto the top rope, for the sneaky pin.
Winners: Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) by pinfall at 10:15
Action Andretti joins them in the ring as both teams start arguing about the finish before Private Party leaves.
Rampage Line-Up
- Chris Jericho vs. Matt Sydal
- Kris Statlander vs. Queen Aminata
- Anthony Henry vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
- Darby Allin vs. Jeff Hardy
Collision Line-Up
- Eddie Kingston & Ortiz vs. Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli
- Buddy Matthews vs. Daniel Garcia
- Jon Moxley returns
We see a video from Sting & Darby Allin showing all their accolades in AEW, as Darby says this run will end with them being AEW World Tag Team Champions, without mentioning The Young Bucks at all.
AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Hook
Big fight feel for this main event, as they announce it is being presented commercial-free. During the entire introduction, Hook is in the corner with his back against Samoa Joe as the crowd seems pretty split. As soon as the bell rings, Hook goes after Joe in the corner with punches but quickly gets tossed to the outside where they continue with punches and chops. Joe whips Hook into the barricade, he hops off with a punch to Joe. Back inside, Joe stops Hook’s momentum with a back elbow before challenging him to get back up. Joe stays on top for a while, before Hook comes back and takes out Joe on the outside with a punch from the apron. They start fighting by the commentary table where Joe viciously spikes Hook with a uranage onto the table, totally destroying it and Hook in the process.
Joe starts yelling at Hook if he understands yet and if he has anything for him. Hook flips him off, as Joe returns that exchange with a powerbomb onto the apron. Taz shows concern and talks about having to take his headset off. Hook barely beats the ten count, but Joe is there to meet him with a power slam for two. Joe follows with a Death Valley Driver, but Hook kicks out yet again. Joe places Hook in the corner and hits the Muscle Buster, as Hook kicks out at one to Taz’s surprise. Hook starts mounting a come back taking Joe down with three clotheslines before keeping him in the corner with punches and hitting a T-Bone Suplex. Hook puts on Redrum, but Joe escapes and puts on the Coquina Clutch as the referee eventually calls off the match after raising Hook’s arm up and down three times.
Winner: Samoa Joe by referee stoppage at 8:41, to retain
Hook starts yelling at Joe after the match if that’s all Joe has, so Joe runs back in and takes out Hook with another Muscle Buster. As Joe starts to leave again, Hook gets back up on his feet and tells Joe to come back. Joe does, but Hangman Adam Page’s music hits as he runs out and chases Joe away. We cut to Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana who are watching from the crowd. The crowd starts chanting for Swerve, as he and Page now lock eyes before Swerve and Nana leave through the crowd. Hook re-enters the ring as Page helps him up as the crowd gives him a good reaction.
