AEW Dynamite
January 31, 2024
By: John Siino
UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Jon Moxley vs. Jeff Hardy
We see CMLL stars Hechicero, Mistico, Volador Jr., and Mascara Dorada in the crowd, as they are going to appear on this Friday’s Rampage as well as Hechicero vs. Bryan Danielson Saturday’s Collision. Right away, Jeff Hardy catches Jon Moxley in the corner and sends him to the outside where he leaps onto him off the apron. Excalibur says that this match has been giving more relaxed rules, as Hardy is choking out Moxley with a shirt before Moxley comes back with a tope. Back inside, Moxley takes Hardy to the mat and ties him up between his legs in submission before delivering kicks on him. While going through the matches for next week, they mention that Tony Khan will make a big announcement. Moxley starts tossing Hardy around the barricades, next to the CMLL luchadores, before Hardy whips Moxley right into their laps as Moxley gets into a shoving match with them. They keep fighting on the outside, as Hardy uses a chair before they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, they mention that Moxley has Excalibur’s pen that he’s trying to stab Hardy’s ear with. Moxley comes back with elbows and hits a piledriver for two. They fight on the apron, as Hardy hits the Twist of Fate. Hardy stays in control and heads to the top rope, but Moxley stops him, rakes his back, and hits a superplex. Bit of back and forth before Moxley hits a cutter. Hardy comes back with a Russian Leg Sweep and pins Moxley down for two, as Moxley gets his shoulder up. Hardy hits a stunner, a Twist of Fate, and goes to the top rope, but misses the Swanton Bomb. Moxley hooks on the rear-naked choke as the referee calls off the match.
Winner: Jon Moxley by referee stoppage at 15:04
Moxley goes to shake Hardy’s hand after, but he flips him off and leaves. The CMLL luchadors run in and attack Moxley as commentary mentions the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club not being there tonight. Eventually, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal run out to chase them away.
Adam Page vs. Toa Liona
Toa Liona was the Dealer’s Choice pick that Swerve Strickland chose for Adam Page, although we are still not sure who Strickland’s opponent is just yet, just a lot of clues that make you think it’s Rob Van Dam. Liona starts the match in control before Page is able to hold the top rope and make Liona spill to the outside. Liona runs back in and tosses Page to the outside before hitting him with a cross body off the apron. Page tries to mount a comeback before Liona pounces him right against the ropes before he spills to the outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
Liona is in control as we come back, hitting a diving headbutt to an upside-down Page in the corner, followed by a leg drop on the apron attempt, that Page is able to dodge. Page hits a couple of dives to the outside before hitting a top rope crossbody for two. Back and forth with Page knocking down Liona with a hard lariat and the Dead Eye, but Liona gets right back up and knocks Page down with a headbutt. Page is able to dodge a moonsault from Liona to the outside, and hits one of his own, sending Liona back in and trying the Buckshot Lariat, but Liona ducks it before Page puts on a crucifix pin for the win. They announce that after tonight’s show, the rankings will be revealed.
Winner: Adam Page by pinfall at 12:34
$500 Fine
We see the arrival of Matthew & Nicholas Jackson from earlier today, coming out of a limousine as they are handed tonight’s format. Nicholas gets upset that they are called ‘Matt & Nick’ and tells him to never let him do it again and gives him a $500 fine. Matthew apologizes for his brother being a hothead but tells him to pay the fine anyway.
Wardlow (w/ Matt Taven, Mike Bennett & Roderick Strong) vs. Komander (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
Adam Cole (in a wheelchair) comes out with The Undisputed Kingdom and joins the commentary table. Komander tries to use his speed to deliver kicks before Wardlow catches him and pops him up into a power slam. Wardlow picks up Komander, spins him, and drops him before looking at himself on the screen and posing. Wardlow goes after Komander on the outside, and he comes back with headscissors sending Wardlow into the steel steps. Wardlow tries to fight off Komander on the apron, but he’s too fast and runs the ropes, knocking down Wardlow with a dropkick before hitting the Phoenix Splash for two. Wardlow comes back with a power slam and teases power bombing Komander, before setting him in the corner and hitting a knee, followed by the powerbomb for the pin, with Wardlow’s knee seeming to be bothering him a bit.
Winner: Wardlow by pinfall at 5:34
They keep attacking Komander, until Orange Cassidy, Rocky Romero & the Best Friends come out to stop them. Roderick Strong thanks them for coming out, then leaves.
I’ve Always Hated Talk
Tony Schiavone has a sit-down with Sting, Darby Allin, Ricky Starks & Big Bill as Starks talks about respect and talks about Sting’s journey here starting with him at Revolution 2021. Starks says it doesn’t sit right that Sting’s first win was against him. Darby calls all this a load of shit and says that Starks doesn’t respect anybody and says Sting’s career is not a stepping stone. Starks says next week they are going to retain the tag titles and then he’s going to get his lick back on Sting, and the chip on his shoulder ends his week and he will make sure Sting doesn’t make it to his retirement match. Bill chimes in and says next week they will take all their frustrations on Sting & Darby. Sting said he admired Starks in those days as he was the only one who talked smack but he has to earn his respect, as far as Bill he’s just another big man he’s faced, but they were killers and he’s not sure about Bill, yet. Darby says the only person he should blame is himself, as Starks tosses water in his face. Starks tells him to hit him, although it was stated at the top there would be no physicality.
Chris Jericho vs. Kyle Fletcher (w/ Don Callis & Powerhouse Hobbs)
They start the match fast and hard, with Kyle Fletcher hitting a Michinoku Driver for two. Chris Jericho comes back, knocking Fletcher off the apron with a dropkick. Jericho follows him to the outside but starts chasing Don Callis to the back, as Fletcher attacks Jericho from behind. Jericho gains control in the ring, but Powerhouse Hobbs distracts the referee as Callis trips up Jericho, going into picture-in-picture.
Fletcher is in control still, hitting a brainbuster before Jericho comes back with a pair of shoulder tackles and a double sledgehammer off the top rope. Jericho goes for a Lionsault, but Hobbs punches him during it as Aubrey Edwards is somehow distracted by Don Callis. Jericho is able to catch Fletcher and puts him in the Walls of Jericho, but Fletcher eventually crawls and grabs the bottom rope. The crowd starts chanting where Callis’ socks are as Jericho hits the Codebreaker for two. Jericho heads to the top rope, but Fletcher stops him with a kick and hits a nasty-looking brainbuster. They go back and forth before Fletcher kicks Jericho on the outside where he stops a diving Fletcher with a Judas Effect, sends Hobbs into the steps, heads to the top rope, and hits a flying Judas Effect for the pin and the win.
Winner: Chris Jericho by pinfall at 13:25
Konosuke Takeshita comes out and stares down Jericho ahead of their match next week.
What The Duck?
We have a video from Deonna Purrazzo where she talks about all the tattoos she has including the ‘duck’ one she got with Toni Storm and asks Toni what it means to her.
Guns, Scissors & Cardboards
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang make their way to the ring as Jay White says even though he’s a fan of scissoring they have their own thing as they put their ‘guns up’. Max Caster says you are looking at the six men who have dominated the trios division. Caster says they have someone missing and tells Anthony Bowens to get ‘Switchboard’. Colten Gunn says they fired him so tells Austin Gunn to get the ‘Juice Board’. Billy Gunn cuts off Austin from doing his intro and says he’s been doing this before he was born. They all do their phrases before ending this segment that didn’t really have a purpose.
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taya Valkyrie (w/ Johnny TV)
Toni Storm, with Mariah May & Luther by her side, joins commentary and right away asks what happened to Tony Schiavone (since he was replaced by Ian Riccaboni last time). Storm has no comment about the matching tattoos. Deonna Purrazzo starts the match working on Taya Valkyrie’s left arm, but she’s able to hit a leg sweep and starts working on Deonna’s knee. Storm talks about Excalibur actually being Sean Mooney and tells Taz how to properly pronounce ‘suplex’. Deonna starts chasing Johnny TV on the outside, and this distraction causes Taya to spear Deonna on the ramp. Taya tosses Deonna into the steel steps and makes out with Johnny as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back to see Deonna take down Taya with a pump kick. They take it to the outside where Deonna gets in Toni’s face, just for Deonna to toss Taya into Toni. Back inside, Deonna starts locking Taya’s arms together as she submits, while Deonna is staring down Toni who is ‘Speechless’ Toni Storm.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo by submission at 8:51
The Goth Trio
Renee Paquette is backstage with Darby Allin and asks him about his ‘admiration for the Young Bucks’. Nicholas & Matthew cut in as it looks like that line was fed to Renee by them. Matthew asks why Darby is letting a 65-year-old leech take money out of his pocket and long after Sting’s gone, he has a really good idea for a new gimmick for Darby, calling themselves a goth trio. Nicholas calls Darby unprofessional and asks if he has a problem with them. Darby says only the AEW World Tag Team Championships are on his mind, and he walks off.
Hardcore Match: Swerve Strickland vs. Rob Van Dam
Adam Page gets on the screen before the match starts and says not only could he pick the opponent but the match stipulation, making it a hardcore match as Rob Van Dam tosses a chair into Swerve Strickland’s face to start the match. They take it to the outside where RVD whips Swerve into the barricades and hits him with kicks. The crowd starts chanting for tables, as RVD sends Swerve to the ring where he hits him with a leg drop on the apron. RVD drapes Swerve on the barricade and hits him with his spinning roundhouse kick as we go to picture-in-picture.
We come back, as RVD goes crashing into a chair that was wedged in the corner. RVD comes back with a Rolling Thunder but gets caught by Swerve in the corner who hits a sitout powerbomb to RVD on top of a chair for two. RVD drapes Swerve on the ropes and heads to the top rope but gets pushed off by Brian Cage. Hook runs out with a chair and fights Cage to the back. A bit of back and forth before taking it back to the outside as the crowd wants tables. Swerve sits RVD on a chair and takes him out with a stomp off the apron. Back inside, RVD tosses a chair into Swerve’s face while he’s on the top rope, causing him to fall off onto a table that was on the outside. RVD sandwiches Swerve between two chairs, heads to the top rope, but misses the Frog Splash. Swerve hits a House Call with a chair, but only gets two. They both head to the top rope before Swerve pushes him off and hits the Swerve Stomp for the pin and the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland by pinfall at 14:32
Adam Page comes out and congratulates Swerve Strickland and says since they are both undefeated, he assumes they are both on top of the rankings list. Page tells Swerve that he is the next World Champion, and not Swerve as Swerve brings up beating Page twice and not having anything left to prove to him or anyone else, and Page is just upset that he can’t beat him. Page says that man-to-man, Swerve can’t lace his boots as he always had help in the other matches. Swerve says he will give him another match, and after that, they are done. They make the match official for next week, and the winner will face Samoa Joe at Revolution.
Rampage Line-Up
- Top Flight vs. Private Party
- Volador Jr., Mistico, Mascara Dorada & Hechicero vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Matt Sydal & Christopher Daniels
- Big Bill & Ricky Starks vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver
- Willow Nightingale vs. Queen Aminata
- We’ll hear from Orange Cassidy & Best Friends
Collision Line-Up
- Hechicero vs. Bryan Danielson
- Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Keith
Dynamite Line-Up
- Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
- Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: Big Bill & Ricky Starks (c) vs. Darby Allin & Sting
- Volador Jr, Mascara Dorada & Hechicero vs. Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli
- Tony Khan will make a huge announcement
