AEW Dynamite
February 22nd, 2023
Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
AEW All-Atlantic Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Wheeler Yuta
Orange Cassidy starts the match trying to give a handshake, but Wheeler Yuta goes for a slap that Cassidy ducks before they run the ropes a bit with multiple pin attempts mixed in until Yuta goes to retreat on the outside. Yuta runs back in to stop Cassidy from putting his hands in his pockets before taking Cassidy down to the mat. Claudio Castagnoli makes his way down to the ring and slaps some sense into Yuta and tells him that Blackpool Combat Club means something to him. This amps Yuta up as he goes right after Cassidy, including a suicide dive to the outside before tossing Cassidy around the barricades and timekeeper’s table. Castagnoli seems satisfied with Yuta’s new attitude in this match and heads to the back. Yuta starts chopping Cassidy back in the ring, with Cassidy putting his hands in the pocket in between. Cassidy comes back with a dropkick before smashing Yuta into the turnbuckles ten times, jumps off the top rope but Yuta stops him with an enziguri before hitting a flying elbow strike off the top rope for a two-count. Yuta dropkicks Cassidy to the outside as we go picture-in-picture.
When we come back, Yuta is in control and starts stomping at Cassidy’s face, but he kicks right back before giving Yuta a hug. Yuta headbutts his way out of that and starts hammering down fists to Cassidy. Cassidy tries to knock Yuta to the outside, but Yuta comes back with a German Suplex. Cassidy comes with one of his own before they go back and forth until Yuta puts on the Mouse Trap pin, but Cassidy kicks out at two. They spit at each other, with Yuta’s gum landing right on Cassidy’s forehead before they start trading forearms and elbows. Yuta escapes a Beach Break attempt by holding onto the ropes, fighting on the apron as Cassidy back body drops Yuta off of it, before hitting a DDT on the floor. Back inside, Cassidy hits another DDT before Yuta hits a piledriver for a two. Yuta starts dropping elbows before trying the Seatbelt pin. Cassidy gets out, and hits elbows before they go back and forth a bit more. Cassidy kicks out of the Seatbelt and hits the Orange Punch, but Yuta kicks out at two. Cassidy follows with the Beach Break, which Yuta kicks out of also. Cassidy comes back with another running Orange Punch to finally pin and beat Yuta.
Winner: Orange Cassidy by pinfall at 16:51, to retain
Cassidy goes to hug Yuta after, but Claudio Castagnoli makes his way back out and tells Yuta to leave the ring, which he does.
Not On Your Level
Renee Paquette is backstage with Adam Page & Evil Uno and asks Uno how he prepares for Jon Moxley, but Page interrupts and says you can’t prepare. Uno interrupts him again and says every time Page asks Dark Order not to get involved, it means that they aren’t on his level. So Uno asks Page to not get involved in the match tonight.
The Revolution Will Be Televised
Ricky Starks makes his way down to the ring and gets a real good reaction from the crowd which he acknowledges but says they’ll get mad at him if he goes over his time. Starks mentions what’s been going down with The Jericho Appreciation Society and accepts that the rematch with Chris Jericho won’t happen and that he’s moving on. Starks reveals an open contract for a match against him at AEW Revolution and mentions his theme song saying ‘The Revolution will be televised’ and won’t be left off. Starks asks who will accept it, as Chris Jericho makes his way out. Jericho says that Starks is baiting him to do a match, but it’s never going to happen because Starks isn’t on his level. Jericho says good luck with his open challenge and hopes it goes well with him, as Peter Avalon starts to make his way out. Jericho stops him and takes him out with the Judas Effect.
Jericho gets in the ring and says you can’t have Revolution with him, and maybe he should have the rematch and embarrass Starks. Starks says Jericho will have the rest of the JAS to help him and doesn’t understand why he needs them. Starks says he thinks Jericho has it in him to get it done by himself, which Jericho questions if he thinks Starks can’t beat him one-on-one. Starks says he genuinely thinks Jericho can, as Jericho takes the contract and says he’s the great Chris Jericho and he can beat him on his own and he would sign it and have the JAS stay in the back for the match but he doesn’t have a pen. Starks pulls a pen out and gives it to Jericho who does the whole ‘you just made the list’ pen move before signing the contract. Jericho says to Starks to be careful what he wished for because nobody outsmarts him, as Starks looks into the camera and winks.
We get a video package with all the teams in tonight’s Revolution Tag Team Battle Royale proclaiming why they will win tonight.
The Firm (Lee Moriarty & Big Bill) (w/ Stokely Hathaway) vs. The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) (w/ Billy Gunn)
Max Caster’s freestyle mentioned Big Bill being ‘sawft’ and how Lee Moriarty’s mom likes it doggy style (as his catchphrase is Tiger Style). Caster and Moriarty start the match by running the ropes, before Caster takes Moriarty down with an arm drag. The crowd starts chanting ‘Scissor-Zona’ as Anthony Bowens tags in and hits Moriarty with a backbreaker for a two as they head to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, The Gunns have made their way down to the ring. Bowens goes after Moriarty, hitting him with a faceplant, but Big Bill runs in to try and stop him. Bill takes Billy Gunn off the apron with a big boot before The Gunns start attacking Billy on the outside. The Acclaimed chase them away as Moriarty hits a DDT on Bowens on the inside for a two count. They go back and forth until Bowens hits The Arrival, followed by the Mic Drop by Caster for the pin and the win.
Winners: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) by pinfall at 7:12
Con-Chair-No
Tony Schiavone is on the ramp and welcomes Christian Cage. As Cage comes out, Jack Perry runs out and spears Cage before Cage can even say anything. Perry grabs two chairs and teases hitting the Con-Chair-To, but as he hesitates, Cage hits a low blow and smacks Perry in the face with a chair before continuing to smash Perry’s face into the chair. Cage raises Perry’s head to show that he’s bleeding before standing on his head, as officials come out to break them up.
We see a video package from Wardlow’s sitdown interview last week before we get words from Samoa Joe who says Wardlow will regret stepping into the ring with him.
Saraya (w/ Toni Storm) vs. Skye Blue
Right away, Saraya pie faces Skye Blue, but Blue comes right back. As Blue gets on the top rope, Toni Storm jumps on the apron to distract her as Saraya drops her down. Saraya starts stomping Blue in the corner, before tossing her to the outside where Storm is there to hit her with a snap suplex. Back inside, Saraya starts stretching Blue while taunting the crowd. The crowd starts chanting for Blue, but Saraya stops her on the top rope and tries a superplex. Blue pushes Saraya off and hits her with a cross body, hits a couple of knee strikes and a dropkick, but Storm gets on the apron to prevent Aubrey Edwards from doing the count. Saraya hits a thrust kick before putting on the Saraya Cradle as Blue submits.
Winner: Saraya by submission at 3:42
Saraya and Storm go to spray paint Blue after the match, but Dr. Britt Baker DMD & Jamie Hayter run out to stop them. As Storm & Saraya are leaving, Ruby Soho comes out and points to Hayter that she wants the title.
MJF Hates Me
After the break, Justin Roberts introduces Bryan Danielson who makes his way to the ring. Danielson starts by saying he’s glad to be back here in Phoenix, Arizona and as they start cheering for him he says it sounds like they want him to win the AEW World Championship. Danielson said he will do everything in his power to beat MJF for that title but first, he wants to talk about what MJF said last week. Danielson says how MJF ‘hates him’ by putting a bounty on his head and trying to injure him. Danielson starts talking about William Regal being hospitalized but MJF cuts him off and makes his way to the ramp. MJF starts to talk about this girl who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and start a family with, but she left him as the crowd chants ‘you deserve it’. MJF says the only thing that matters to him is the World Championship and that’s the only thing stopping him from taking pills. MJF mentions Danielson and his family and Danielson’s concussion history and how every time Danielson steps in the ring he’s saying that wrestling is more important than his family. MJF mentions sending Regal to the hospital and how he’s going to punish Danielson at Revolution for trying to take away the one thing he has in this life and for everything Danielson has taken for granted. MJF then points to the camera and says he will speak to Danielson’s children, but Danielson says don’t he dare or he’ll kick the shit out of him. MJF says hi to Birdie & Buddy and talks about making ‘dada pay’ for all his selfishness and continues to talk about what he’s doing but as he makes his way to the ring, Danielson attacks him. As they continue to go at it, security comes out to keep them apart. MJF escapes before Danielson is able to sneak out and give one last shot to MJF before they go to the commercial.
Women’s Three Way
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker DMD and Hayter noticed Saraya gazing at her title and how she hasn’t lost one match since she returned. Hayter says she thinks someone else is deserving in Ruby Soho so makes it a three-way match at Revolution and says she will beat ‘both of them bitches’.
Revolution Tag Team Battle Royal
The teams in this are Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin), Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal, Lucha Brothers (Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo), Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor), Rush & Preston Vance, Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher), Matt Menard & Angelo Parker, The Butcher & The Blade, John Silver & Alex Reynolds and Ari Daivari & Tony Nese. As the match starts some teams are on the outside still observing. As Penta El Zero Miedo & Tony Nese are fighting on the apron, Mark Briscoe runs out and starts going after Josh Woods. Penta follows this with a Fear Factor to Nese on the apron, to eliminate him. The Lucha Brothers press slam Ari Daivari to toss him out onto Nese as we go to picture-in-picture.
When we come back, The Butcher & The Blade eliminate Aussie Open before John Silver tosses out The Blade. The commentary mentions Darius Martin was eliminated as well. The Butcher lifts up Alex Reynolds and eliminates him. Penta eliminates Preston Vance, but Vance grabs Penta’s leg, and Rush eliminates him. Rey Fenix and Rush go at it on the apron, as Fenix walks the ropes and kicks Rush off, eliminating him. The Butcher eliminates John Silver, as Matt Menard & Angelo Parker finally make their way into the ring. They try to eliminate the Best Friends, but Danhausen runs in just to get tossed off the top ropes also. Danhausen ‘curses’ them, as the Best Friends eliminate Menard & Parker. Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett eliminate Chuck Taylor as it’s not down to Jarrett, Lethal, Butcher, Fenix, Beretta & Dante Martin. Excalibur announces that Young Bucks vs. Aussie Open has been made for this Rampage, as Dante gets eliminated, followed by Fenix eliminating Butcher and Lethal eliminating Fenix. It’s now down to Jarrett, Lethal & Beretta with the two-on-one advantage. As Beretta keeps trying to eliminate them, Satnam Singh is there to catch them. Jarrett hits The Stroke on Beretta and goes to eliminate him, but Orange Cassidy is there to save Beretta. As Sonjay Dutt tries to hold Beretta, he tosses Lethal up and over to eliminate him. Danhausen chases Dutt to the back, as Singh catches Jarrett again from elimination. Jarrett hits another stroke and finally eliminates Beretta.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal at 18:36
We get a promo from the House of Black who says they want to talk to The Elite this Friday about the state of the Trios Championship.
Tony Khan Has An Important Announcement
Renee Paquette is backstage with Tony Khan who says he has a huge announcement to make. Khan says it involves a lot of people before passing it off for Adam Cole to say. Cole says in March there will be a weekly one-hour television series immediately after Dynamite called AEW All Access where Cole says he’s happy to share his journey to recovery. The night the show premieres Cole will make his in-ring return and he will be the best Adam Cole he will ever be.
Rampage Line-Up
- Young Bucks vs. Aussie Open
- Action Andretti vs. Sammy Guevara
- Willow Nightingale vs. Toni Storm
- Lance Archer in action
- We’ll hear from Keith Lee & Dustin Rhodes
Dynamite Line-Up
- Casino Tag Team Battle
- Hook vs. a member of Stokely Hathaway’s choosing
- More matches are to be announced on Rampage
Jon Moxley vs. Evil Uno
Evil Uno goes right after Jon Moxley as the bell rings, as we see Adam Page watching in the back. Uno starts whipping Moxley with his jacket as Taz brings up him being on a winning streak. They head to the top rope, where Moxley starts ripping Uno’s mask to take him down. Uno kicks Moxley off the apron, goes to the top rope and hits Moxley with a senton. They continue fighting on the outside, where Moxley tosses Uno into the steel steps before driving his face into it as well. As Uno slowly makes his way back inside, we see that his face is busted open. Moxley continues hammering on Uno’s face but Uno comes back and hits two back-to-back piledrivers, but Moxley kicks out. Moxley puts on a sleeper hold and starts dropping his elbows, before putting on the bulldog choke. Uno’s blood is gushing down, as Moxley puts on the sleeper hold until the referee stops the match.
Winner: Jon Moxley by referee stoppage at 6:13
Moxley doesn’t let go of the move, as John Silver, Alex Reynolds, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta run to the ring. Adam Page makes his way out and goes after Moxley with barbed wire until Moxley is busted open.
