AEW Dynamite
January 25th, 2023
Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara (w/ Daniel Garcia) vs. Action Andretti & Ricky Starks
As the show starts, Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara are already on their way to the ring and rip off their pants in extravagant fashion. Guevara and Action Andretti start the match and quickly run the ropes and go back and forth with some fast-paced action. They have a bit of a standstill until Guevara takes Andretti down with a super kick as the crowd chants ‘Sammy sucks’. Andretti sends Guevara to the outside, imitating his pose, but Guevara runs back in and takes Andretti to the outside with a dropkick. Guevara teases diving to the outside but gets distracted as Andretti takes out Daniel Garcia before Guevara does dive onto Andretti before saying ‘I love you, Tay’ into the camera. The crowd starts chanting for Ricky Starks, as Guevara tries a top rope hurricanrana, just for Andretti to land on his feet and hit a standing Spanish Fly for a two count. Starks and Jericho both tag in and start chopping each other. Jericho jumps off the top rope, but Starks blocks him and catapults him into the corner, starts walking the ropes, but Guevara takes Starks out, and he springboards in with a cutter as Jericho gets a two count. Jericho and Guevara start taking turns working on Starks while tagging in and out. Starks is able to fight them off and make the hot tag to Andretti. Andretti is able to fight off both Jericho and Guevara, including hitting back-to-back suicide dives. Starks helps out with a DDT to Guevara, before Andretti springboards in with a moonsault for a two-count. Jericho and Starks go back and forth until Starks hits a spear, but Guevara is able to break up the pin. They go back and forth until Starks blocks a Code Breaker with a Liger Bomb, but Jericho kicks out at two. Andretti tags in and goes to work on Jericho, but Jericho is able to put his knees up on a split-legged moonsault attempt before he tags out to Guevara. Andretti has control until Jericho stops him, but Starks takes out Jericho. Back inside, Andretti hits a reverse hurricanrana followed by a hanging neckbreaker for a two. Starks takes out Jericho on the outside with a Rochambeau. Inside, Andretti had the upper hand until Garcia took out Andretti with the bat before Guevara hit the GTH for the pin and the win.
Winners: Sammy Guevara & Chris Jericho by pinfall at 12:43
Jay Briscoe
We go to a video package for Jay Briscoe showing highlights of his career as well as family videos and photos with a voiceover from Jay, Mark Briscoe, and other members of The Briscoe family. This was very well done and I’m so happy they are able to honor him properly.
AEW TNT Championship: Darby Allin (c) vs. Buddy Matthews (w/ Julia Hart)
They show highlights from Darby Allin & Sting from NOAH where they teamed up with The Great Muta in his final match. Buddy Matthews took off his mask and revealed that half his face was painted. Right away, Julia Hart jumped on the apron and caused Matthews to take advantage and take Darby to the outside. They start fighting on the apron, where Matthews catches Darby and starts swinging him into the barricade, but Darby reverses a power bomb attempt and tosses Matthews into the barricade with a hurricanrana. As they are fighting to go back inside, Matthews uses the ring skirt to take down Darby, before taking him out with a Meteora on the apron for a two-count. Darby counters Matthews with a stunner, sending him to the outside where Darby hits a Coffin Drop. As they head back inside, the lights go out. When they come on, Brody King and Malakai Black are at the bottom of the ramp, but Ortiz runs out with a kendo stick and starts swinging at them. Sting joins in and uses his bat on them, as Matthews hits a Liger Bomb on Darby for a two. Everyone on the outside starts brawling to the back as they head to a break.
When we come back, Darby is on Matthews and tries punching his way out before hitting a poison rana sending Matthews to the outside. After attacking Matthews into the barricade, he tries a crossbody inside, just for Matthews to reverse it. Darby comes right back with a crucifix bomb, but Matthews kicks out at two. They go back and forth until Matthews hits a buckle bomb and a stomp for a two-count. Darby comes back with a Code Red for a two and tries another Coffin Drop, but Matthews stops him and tries a superplex, but Darby counters with an Avalanche Scorpion Death Drop for a two, as Matthews’ foot was under the rope originally. Darby traps Matthews on the ropes and hits another Coffin Drop for the pin and the win.
Winner: Darby Allin by pinfall at 12:48, to retain
The King Has Spoken
Tony Schiavone enters the ring to get a word with Darby Allin and talks about Allin and Sting going over to Japan before running down all the opponents Darby has beaten. As Schiavone mentions Samoa Joe, we see Joe on the screen where he sees he is coming to take everything from Darby and he stole the TNT Championship from him. Joe said the king won’t be usurped by a man like Darby, and he will learn that winning that championship is the greatest mistake of his career.
A Better Adam Cole
We see a video package of Adam Cole training as he says every single day he is working at coming back and being a better Adam Cole. Tonight he will sleep easy knowing he can tangle with this AEW roster. He doesn’t know when that day is coming, but that day is coming soon as he stares at the AEW Revolution banner.
Ethan Page & Matt Hardy (w/ Stokely Hathaway & Isiah Kassidy) vs. JungleHook (Hook & Jack Perry)
As Ethan Page & Matt Hardy come out, Page tells them to stop Hardy’s music and play his, before Stokely Hathaway tells Isiah Kassidy to put his chain on him. Page and Jack Perry start the match. Quickly all four men have a face-off before Hardy does the Delete chants. Hook and Page start fighting on the outside, as Page tries Ego’s Edge just for Perry to take out Page with a dive. Page trips up Perry before him and Hardy double-teams Perry, including a double suplex as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Hook comes in and takes out Page before all four men start going at it. Hardy tags himself in and catches Perry for the Side Effect. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate (which Page stated he allowed Hardy to use again), but Page demands to be tagged in. Page goes for the Twist of Fate, but Perry reverses into the Snare Trap. Page goes to reach for the tag, but Hook takes down Hardy as Page taps out.
Winners: JungleHook (Jack Perry & Hook) by submission at 7:07
Family Therapy
We go to family therapy with The Acclaimed, Billy Gunn & The Gunns. The Gunns ask when they will be first, as Billy has abandoned them. Anthony Bowens calls them the biggest pieces of shit and says they can’t control their jealousy. Max Caster says The Gunns can’t do what The Acclaimed do before they all start bickering. Billy stops them and asks what happened to The Gunns. Colten says they failed as children as a result of Billy being a failed father. Billy asks what they want, and they point to the tag titles before leaving.
Rubber Match
Renee Paquette is backstage with Adam Page and asks for more clarification at what he was getting at last week. Page says next week they are in Dayton, Ohio and it’s close to Cincinnati, and suggests another match with Jon Moxley since they are tied 1-1. Wheeler Yuta comes in and challenges Page for this Friday on Rampage, as Page says how does Yuta not know the same thing that happened to Moxley won’t happen to him.
Bryan Danielson vs. Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana)
Right away, Bryan Danielson goes after Brian Cage’s knees, but Cage corners Danielson and starts chopping away before Danielson comes back with his own chops and kicks in the corner. Cage fights him off, but Danielson is able to put on the LeBell Lock before Cage puts his foot on the rope. Danielson knocks Cage to the outside and hits him with a top rope cross-body. Danielson keeps Cage against the apron with kicks, tosses him back inside and tries a missile dropkick, just for Cage to get out of the way and press slams Danielson into the corner. Cage continues the attack hitting a German Suplex, before hitting a back body drop to Danielson the apron as they go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Cage catches Danielson off the ropes and hits a shoulder breaker followed by a suplex from the apron back inside. Cage hits a German Suplex for another two-count. Danielson is able to take control and starts stomping out Cage’s face, before quickly transitioning into a triangle choke. Cage tries to reverse, but Danielson puts on an ankle lock that he captures the leg into a German. They go back and forth before Cage hits a buckle bomb, a powerbomb, and lifts him up for another one, but Danielson rolls Cage up for the pin.
Winner: Bryan Danielson by pinfall at 12:30
As soon as the bell rings, Cage continues to attack Danielson until MJF makes his way down to the ring. MJF takes a chair from the ringside table and gives it to Cage who wraps it around Danielson’s neck before tossing him into the ring post. Cage tosses Danielson back into the ring where MJF continues to attack Danielson. They trap Danielson’s arm in the chair, but before MJF can jump off the rope, Konosuke Takeshita runs out to save Danielson. MJF runs away as Takeshita takes out Cage with a jumping knee
You Won’t Stop Me
Renee Paquette is backstage and tries to get a medical update on Bryan Danielson. Doc Sampson says it doesn’t look good and before he gives his medical opinion, Danielson asks if he could wrestle or not and nobody will stop him from wrestling. Danielson says he will show the whole world behind the mask is a fraud and the person who should be the AEW World Champion is him and tells Doc Sampson he won’t stop him from wrestling ever again.
Toni Storm vs. Ruby Soho
This match was supposed to be a three-way match, but Dr. Britt Baker DMD was removed due to an injury. Toni Storm had an insert where she called Ruby Soho a ‘misfit’ who defended the homegrown talent. Soho’s insert said she worked her ass off to make it here in AEW and Storm’s journey ends with her. Right away, Storm goes to the outside for a breather but as she enters back in, takes down Soho with a high boot before choking her out in the corner. They start fighting on the apron, where Storm thumbs Soho in the eye and sends her to the floor with a hip attack. On the outside, Storm whips Soho into the barricade before they head to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Soho reverses out and hits the No Future Kick for a two-count. Soho heads to the top, but Storm gets out of the way, takes a kick to the face as the referee gets in between them. Soho acts concerned at Storm’s possible broken nose, but Storm was playing possum and takes out Soho with a German Suplex before hitting a hip attack in the corner and a Tornado DDT for a two count. As Storm goes for Storm Zero, Dr. Britt Baker DMD’s music hits as Soho takes advantage and hits Destination Unknown for the pin and the win.
Winner: Ruby Soho by pinfall at 8:48
Timothy Thatcher
MJF is backstage and calls out Konosuke Takeshita. MJF says Takeshita is very talented in the ring but not in his brain and he can’t match his tempo. MJF tells Takeshita to stay out of his business or there will be consequences. MJF moves on to Bryan Danielson and mentions his injury, and knows that Danielson is obsessed with his title, but so is he. The belt stands for all his blood, sweat, tears & sins were all worth it and it turns his catchphrase into a fact. MJF states that Danielson has enough but still wants to take the title from him, because he has a hole in his soul and wants to fill it. MJF says bad things happen to those who mess with him and says he made a phone call to someone to answer Danielson’s open challenge before going to a clip that shows it will be Timothy Thatcher.
Rampage Line-Up
- Adam Page vs. Wheeler Yuta
- Powerhouse Hobbs in action
- AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator: Jamie Hayter vs. Emi Sakura
Dynamite Line-Up
- Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley
- Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
- The Acclaimed in tag team action
- TNT Championship No Holds Barred: Darby Allin (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Jay Lethal (w/ Sonjay Dutt) vs. Mark Briscoe
Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman join Excalibur on commentary for this match. Mark Briscoe came out to a huge reaction with both ROH World Tag Team Championship title belts as Bobby Cruise did the introductions. They both embrace as the bell rings on what would have been Jay Briscoe’s 39th birthday. They go back and forth to start as the crowd chants ‘Briscoe’. After a chop exchange, Mark knocks Lethal down but Lethal comes right back. Briscoe hits a neckbreaker for a two count, as they head to break.
When we come back, Mark hits some Redneck Kung Fu off the top rope. Mark goes for the Jay Driller, but Lethal escapes and hits Lethal Combination for a two count. They head to the outside, where Lethal places Mark on the ringside table, but Mark runs back in and takes Lethal to the outside where he hits him with a dropkick followed by a blockbuster on the outside. Mark places Lethal on the table, heads to the top rope and hits the Froggy Bow through the table. Mark sends Lethal back inside, and gets a two count. Mark tries a Jay Driller, but Lethal counters out and goes for the Lethal Injection. Mark stops him with a lariat, followed by another lariat and the Jay Driller for the pin and the win.
Winner: Mark Briscoe by pinfall at 12:27
Mark Briscoe speaks into the camera and gives love to Jay and his family. The entire AEW roster is on the stage as Mark and Lethal embrace.
