In case you were unaware, the American South has been getting blasted by snow and unusually frigid weather. So much so that Tony Khan took to social media earlier today and suggested that conditions might not allow everyone scheduled for tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Knoxville, Tenn. to make it to the show.
Might that have an impact on this episode? Quite possibly. But it might not necessarily be all bad, as AEW has shown an ability to cook up some entertaining matches and stories on the fly in the past.
Tony Schiavone has made it safely to Tennessee, kicking off Dynamite by calling both Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega to join him in the ring. Ospreay appears earnest in explaining how things have changed since Omega was last an AEW regular, and even though they don’t like each other, it might make sense to join forces against the Don Callis Family. Kenny doesn’t sound so ready to let bygones be bygones, reminding Will that the last time they faced each other at Forbidden Door, Will stabbed him with a screwdriver. OK, that’s a fair reason to hold a grudge.
Omega says he will never trust someone like Ospreay, but just as they’re about to let testosterone take over. Callis appears at the stage. Omega charges up the ramp and is immediately met by Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher. Ospreay grimaces but joins the fight, which starts out badly for our heroes and only gets worse once Lance Archer and Brian Cage make it 4-on-2. The battle spills out into the concourse, where a merchandise stand becomes collateral damage — especially when Omega and Ospreay team to suplex Archer through a table.
Back out in the arena, Ospreay does a moonsault off the second level stands while Omega leaps from a lighting rig, and now they’ve improbably overcome the odds. As they climb the lighting rig again together, Omega threatens to put Callis six feet down under and has an idea: Omega and Ospreay vs. Fletcher and Takeshita at Grand Slam in Brisbane, Australia.
A quick vignette airs for Pac, reintroducing him to anyone who hasn’t been following his current run with the Death Riders. Speaking of that group, Jon Moxley mocks Cope for “going to sleep in 2011” and waking to a world he doesn’t understand. It’s a bit of a rambling promo but we’ll give Mox some grace in this case.
Private Party (champions) vs. The Hurt Syndicate (challengers) – AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
MVP joins the announce team to watch his charges challenge for the titles, suggesting that even as AEW originals, Private Party has never come up against a duo like Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. A cool early spot might prove him right as the challengers catch both of the champs as they dive to the floor, leading to twin suplexes and Zay getting smashed through the announce table.
Can the champs rally? They manage to nail Benjamin with a 450 Splash as the fans chant multiple time for Bobby. Interesting. Lashley gives the people what they apparently want with a spear that Zay sells to the moon and back, and here you go folks, new tag team champions.
Winners … and new AEW World Tag Team Champions: The Hurt Syndicate by pinfall
A video package features a disdainful Mariah May discussing her lack of overall respect and how she can’t wait to “meet” Toni Storm. Harley Cameron butts in on Storm’s interview with Renee Paquette and the two of them unleash a torrent of Aussie slang that leaves poor Renee befuddled.
Jeff Jarrett assures his wife he’s got this before hitting the ring to reminisce about a time early in his career when Jerry “The King” Lawler told him not to ever get in the gutter with his opponent. After vowing to take MJF to the proverbial woodshed, he makes an even bolder move by calling for Moxley to come out for a chat. He gets Claudio Castagnoli instead, flattening the Last Outlaw with an uppercut and telling him to stay out of the Death Riders’ business. Jarrett is undaunted, telling Castagnoli he wants a match next week to get a world title shot if he wins. Claudio calls it “an interesting proposition” and says he’ll see Double J next week.
We get a quick reminder that Megan Bayne made her Dynamite debut last Wednesday, with the announce team putting her over as a threat to whoever is at the top of the women’s division.
Swerve Strickland vs. AR Fox
Excalibur reminds us of the history these men have together, both in AEW and well before the company first started. Swerve looks like he’s put on more muscle over the past few months without losing any of his agility.
He also hasn’t lost any of his fan support, even if, say, the Prince Nana dance isn’t quite the phenomenon it once was. Strickland prevails and offers his hand to Fox afterward.
Winner: Swerve Strickland by pinfall
Ricochet appears on the big screen after the bell, showing that he has his scissors up to Nana’s throat and suggesting he’s only keeping him alive to deliver a message to Swerve about who the landlord is. That’s … a little over the top even for wrestling, geez Ricochet.
It’s a bit of a tense New York Minute as Big Bill doesn’t seem to be using the knowledge Chris Jericho has imparted to him. Bill takes the hint and challenges Powerhouse Hobbs for Collision this Saturday.
MJF chases a jobber (sorry, Tyler Shoop) out of the ring so he can cut a promo on Jarrett. He’s especially dismissive of the idea that Jarrett can grind his way to more time in the business, saying that pro wrestling in general and these fans in particular don’t love him any more. Before he can call it a night, though, he ends up having to leave so “Hangman” Adam Page can have his match. Good thing too because we’re almost 75 minutes in and there have been two matches.
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Tyler Shoop
Well this is a third match, just not a long one. Page by squash. He then does the Angel’s Wings just for good measure.
Winner: “Hangman” Adam Page by pinfall
Page is furious to see Christopher Daniels, sporting a neck brace, come to the stage. The Fallen Angel says he regrets being goaded into the Texas Deathmatch with Page, as doctors say he should never wrestle again. That revelation seems to have shaken up Hangman just a bit.
Hey, it’s Mercedes Moné and her four title belts. Paquette notes that she’s made good on her promise to take things global when Mercedes is interrupted by a slightly unhinged but still delightful challenge from Cameron in the form of a song. Moné declines citing Cameron’s lack of televised dubs, leaving Renee to try cheering up Harley by complementing her singing.
Jamie Hayter vs. Julia Hart
The commentary team remind us that these women went right after each other during the Casino Gauntlet match a week ago, so no love lost even though both wrestlers missed time in 2024 due to injuries. Hayter takes a hard landing in the corner when Hart takes out her legs while standing on the middle rope, but she appears to be OK.
Later she tests the flexibility of Hart with a half crab, and Julia passes the test by making the ropes for a break. A small but audible “fight forever” chant breaks out, which is great to hear for these two. Hayter eventually prevails, so the stage might be set for a rubber match between them sometime soon.
Winner: Jamie Hayter by pinfall
After the bell, Hayter pays Hart some respect, calling her “a tough bitch” and saying she’d be down for a third match any time. Like we were saying.
Hobbs responds to Bill’s challenge, saying he’ll be waiting in the parking lot in Jacksonville. It shouldn’t be hard to miss him, he’s a big dude.
Ricochet certainly has Strickland’s attention, as an enraged Swerve says maybe he won’t even wait until Atlanta to get his hands on his foe.
The three remaining members of House of Black say it’s time for no leaders, no masters, just violence. “When we bark, we bark together.” So a name change sounds like it’s coming too.
Cope vs. Pac
This might be the least combined letters for two wrestlers in a main event I can ever recall. Also I’m not sure why but the beginning of the Death Riders music sounds like Godzilla is coming and then seconds later it goes in a completely different direction.
Pac zeroes in on Cope’s neck, which all but the youngest wrestling fans know is his theoretical weak point. He also sells a dropkick like crazy, springing back and almost folding in half. Not sure I’ve ever seen someone do it exactly that way.
Another cool moment comes when Pac wiggles from the fireman’s carry position onto Cope’s back, applying the Brutalizer to his standing opponent. He gets the hold applied in more conventional fashion on the mat, but Cope powers to his feet just to slam Pac back down.
Cope hits a spear but is slow to follow up, which the announcers credit to Pac’s earlier neck assault. He manages to stagger over to hit a cutter, and that’s enough to keep the Bastard down for three.
Winner: Cope by pinfall
Uh-oh. We’re not done yet, as the big screen shows the Death Riders beating up the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express with chairs backstage as a few other wrestlers, including FTR, are helplessly bound in duct tape. Moxley’s bunch surrounds the ring, then wades in for a full group assault. Just when it appears Cope is out of allies, here comes Switchblade Jay White. His initial charge is eventually blunted by sheer numbers just before he’s about to hit the Blade Runner on Moxley. Both Cope and White are laid out in the ring as the show, which has overrun by about seven minutes, draws to a close.
Overall, we got everything AEW was advertising for tonight except for Samoa Joe vs. Nick Wayne, so the weather didn’t really wreak havoc on the card after all. Until next week!
