AEW Dynamite: MJF hands CM Punk first loss with Wardlow’s help

Wild speculation is swirling around tonight’s episode of Dynamite. Why? Well, the 90 day non-compete clauses are up for all the wrestlers released by WWE, well 90 days ago. The big name is Keith Lee, who I do hope makes his debut. Fans should learn their lesson from the Royal Rumble, where all sorts of names were being thrown around, Cody Rhodes I’m looking in your direction, only for no one to show up; leaving fans disappointed and negatively coloring their opinion of the show. What we do know is that CM Punk should finally be able to get his hands on MJF tonight in Chicago.

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Jon Moxley vs. Wheeler Yuta w/Orange Cassidy and Danhausen

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Yuta comes out at the bell with a flying drop kick that Mox deftly dodges. Moxley applies a head lock and then shoves Wheeler to the mat. Yuta gets in Jon’s face and the two lock up. Moxley rolls to the floor and eyes Orange. Yuta wants a suicide dive, but Mox catches him. Wheeler hits a shotgun drop kick on the floor, but then misses a drop kick off the turnbuckle in the ring. Mox delivers a pile driver, only to get a two count. He follows by locking in the STF. Yuta is able to pull himself to the ropes. Wheeler with another drop kick and follows with a corner splash. Yuta goes up top, but Mox rolls to the apron. Moxley with a series a head butts and then spike Yuta with a DDT on the apron. Moxley gets distracted by Danhausen allowing Yuta to hit a suicide dive. A hits  a German suplex into a bridge but Jon kicks out. Moxley with a cutter, but Wheeler escapes the Paradigm Shift. He hits a body slam and follows with a splash off the top rope. Moxley kicks out at two. Moxley locks in a sleeper and then takes him down with a lariat. Mox hammers on Yuta’s chest and hits the Paradigm Shift. Moxley covers and gets the three count.

Winner via pinfall: Jon Moxley

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After the match, Moxley turns around to find Bryan Danielson has joined him in the ring. Danielson asks the crowd if they want to see them fight. Of course they do. Bryan has wanted that for a long time, also, but this is a new Jon Moxley. Deep inside Bryan wanted to test Mox when he was the champion. He goes as far as call him the best champion. If he had some support, Mox would still be champion. Danielson doesn’t want to fight; he wants to fight by his side. Bryan takes shots at Adam Page, Luchasaurus and other AEW favorites. He wants to team up and run AEW. Mox could be AEW World champion or they could be tag team champions. Bryan suggest taking someone like Wheeler Yuta under their wing.  They would be able to train the future of professional wrestling together. The crowd may not like Danielson, but they sure like what he is talking about. Bryan tells Mox to think about the possibilities.

Brandi Rhodes addresses the Chicago crowd, but mistaking that she is in Cleveland. Not that there’s a difference, according to her. Dan Lambert and the Men of the year interrupt. Lambert takes her to task for pretending that she isn’t getting booed out of the ring, despite him being there. Brady takes a verbal jab at Ethan Page. Brandi thinks they should get to know each other. She knows Lambert is doing well, but not great. Brandi ignores the cries of the crowd to shut up. She brings up two of Lambert’s fighters losing their latest MMA fights.

Lambert wants the entire Rhodes family to turn heel. Brandi slaps him across the face. Lambert had a feeling Brandi wanted to fight and brings out Paige VanZant. She drive Rhodes into the corner and the women’s locker room runs to the ring to separate the two.

Matt Hardy isn’t pleased that Private Party did not bring home the AEW tag team titles. Matt announces that Isiah Kassidy will take on Sammy Guevara on Rampage. Andrade walks in and Hardy wants to know why Darby Allin hasn’t been signed yet. Andrade wants more time.

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Knights of the Black Throne vs. Penta El Zero and Pac w/Alex Abrahantes

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Pac is still blind from the poisonous mist spit into his face by Malaki Black weeks ago. Pac starts off facing Black; he just stands stoically in the ring. Black swings and misses as Pac ducks. Pac counters and avoids the attacks by Black. He connects with a sliding drop kick, sending Black to the floor. Pac peels off his blindfold and his eyes are fine! Pac can see. Penta joins his partner, flying over the top rope to take out Brody King, while Pac takes out Black on the floor.

Pac avoids a leg sweep and Penta gets the tag. He hits King with a DDT sending him to the floor, where Pac drop kicks him. Penta with a back stabber on Black, but only gets a two count. Pac with a blind tag, but Malaki floats over on a suplex attempt. A rising knee strike slows Pac and a sliding knee strike nearly gets him the pin. Pac with release German suplex follows by a brain buster. King breaks up the pin. Penta takes a shot and the two trade blows in the middle of the ring. Penta kicks him off the apron and takes him out with a plancha and follows with a dive over the top rope. Pac looks to finish Black off. He hits a thrust kick and tags in Penta. Pac goes up top, but King shoves him to the floor. Malaki spits the mist into the eyes of Penta, allowing King to hit Dante’s Inferno. King covers and gets the win.

Winner via pinfall: Knights of the Black Throne

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Adam Cole is still undefeated and is sick of hearing that Orange Cassidy beat him. His record reflects that and is not getting the respect he deserves. On Friday, Cole will face Evil Uno and when he beats him the world will know what he wants.

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Nyla Rose w/Vickie Guerrero vs. Ruby Soho

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Ruby wastes no time attacking Rose. Nyla trucks her out of the corner though and then slams her to the mat. Soho dodges a seated splash, but Nyla is too powerful to get whipped into the corner. Nyla with a Samoan drop. Rose manipulates the joints of Soho, even trying to bite her fingers. Nyla with a another body slam and follows with a Death Valley Driver. Soho kicks out. Rose and Soho battle on the apron. Ruby picks Nyla up and drops her face first on the apron. Soho spends too much time jawing with Vickie and walks right into a spine buster. Rose rolls her into the ring and looks for the Beast Bomb. Soho escapes and hits No Future. Ruby covers, but Guerrero is able to place Rose’s foot on the ropes. Soho goes after Vickie, only to have Nyla pull her back into the ring by her hair. She hits a beck breaker through the ropes and goes up top. Soho greets her there, but can’t pull off a hurricanrana. Rose blocks a kick and Nyla with a senton. Rose hits the Beast Bomb and covers for the win.

Winner via pinfall: Nyla Rose

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The Gunn Club harasses Jungle Boy before beating him down outside the arena and tossing him into a snow bank.

Tony Schiavone welcomes AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page to the ring for an interview. Tony asks the champ about his upcoming Texas Death Match against Lance Archer next week. Page says he has only defended the belt twice and he doesn’t care what kind of match Archer wants. He wants to fight tonight and calls out Archer. Dan Lambert and Jake Roberts walk out. Jake tells Page to shut up because he smells fear. Archer runs down looking to fight. Page dives through the ropes to great him, tossing him into the ring steps. Page throw Lambert into the ring, but Archer is able to pull Page off the apron. He slams the champ onto the ring steps. Archer then slam Page through a table with the Blackout.

Chris Jericho isn’t happy that Ortiz and Santana left him hanging last week. He’s embarrassed and wants to know why. Is it because of Eddie Kingston? Jericho stresses that he has all the influence and he wants answers. He is demanding a Inner Circle team meeting in the ring; attendance is mandatory.

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MJF vs. CM Punk

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Obviously this is an extremely pro CM Punk crowd. MJF with a cheap shot as the ref tries to break the two in the corner. Punk unloads on Maxwell in the corner. Punk catches MJF in the ropes, repeatedly striking him and setting him back up. The two go to the floor and Punk with a chop. MJF tries to retreat into the crowd, but Punk gives chase and catches him on the arena stairs. Punk uses a headlock to bring MJF back to the ring and beats on him like Nolan Ryan did to Robin Ventura.

Back in the ring, Punk body slams Maxwell three times in a row. The crowd wants another one and he obliges. Punk takes a load off, chilling in the corner. Punk wants the elbow drop, but MJF rolls away, pulling himself up in the opposite corner. Punk charges, but MJF dodges the spear. Punk crashes hard into the ring post and hits the floor. MJF drops a knee onto Punk’s wrist.

After a commercial break, MJF is working over Punk’s arm in the corner. Punk elbows his way out and delivers a high cross body. Punk fires away with right hands and hits a neck breaker. He connects with a running knee strikes and drops MJF with a bulldog. Max rolls to the apron. Punk slams him on apron and then invites a fan to smack Maxwell in the chest. Punk rolls MJF into the ring and goes up top. MJF crotches Punk on the ropes. Punk hits the Pepsi Twist and calls for the GTS. MJF hides behind the ref. With the ref distracted MJF wraps tape around the throat of Punk and hides it with a sleeper. MJF locks in the body scissors. The ref checks on Punk and he is out. The ref calls for the bell.

Winner via submission: MJF

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The ref raises MJF’s hand only for the tape to fall to the mat. The ref puts two and two together and orders the match to restart.

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MJF vs. CM Punk

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Punk nearly gets a roll up at the bell and then unloads with lariats. He smashes MJF pillar to post and rains down right hands in the corner. Punk with an inverted atomic drop and then a lariat. Punk is favoring one arm and can’t lock in the Texas Cloverleaf. MJF kicks Punk to the floor.

After another commercial break, MJF looks for the pendulum piledriver. Punk fights MJF and hits a springboard elbow drop. Punk wants the GTS, but MJF grabs the ropes. A drop kick sends MJF to the floor. Punk with a suicide dive and both men are down. The fans chant for the GTS as both men roll into the ring. MJF goes to work on the arm of Punk and locking in cloverleaf. Punk reverses into an STF, but can’t hold it with his injured arm. Punk picks up MJF for the GTS, but collapses under the weight. MJF rolls Punk up with an inside cradle for a near fall. Punk sends Max into the turnbuckle face first.

The two trade shots in the middle of the ring. Punk catches a kick, but MJF thumbs him in the eye. Punk with a head butt and a reverse hurricanrana. Punk can’t stay on his feet as he tries to pick up MJF. Both men are down on the mat. MJF with a chop block as he grabs his own neck. Punk misses a kick and MJF with another chop block. Maxwell hits a pump handle slam, but can’t get the three count. Punk with a waist lock and MJF almost hits the ref, but it does allowing him to low blow Punk. He covers but Punk kicks out again.

During the commercial break, MJF wraps Punk around the ring post, whipping his leg into it. In the ring, MJF is twisting the leg of Punk, who counter with a roll up. A leg lariat takes down MJF. Punk strikes with the knee again. MJF bites Punk on the head and sets him up on the turnbuckle. Punk returns the favor with a bite of his own. Punk with  a double under hook face buster off the top turnbuckle. MJF rolls to the floor. Punk rolls him back into the ring, only to have MJF catch him. Punk reverse a piledriver attempt. A roundhouse kick drop MJF and Punk climbs to the top. He drops the elbow and covers. MJF kicks out at two. Punks wants the GTS as MJF falls through the ropes to the floor.

Wardlow walks to the ring. Punk sees him and takes precautions. Wardlow goes eye to eye with Punk. The ref wants MJF and Punk back in the ring. Punk doesn’t trust Wardlow and turns his back on MJF. That was a mistake. MJF nails Punk with the dynamite diamond ring. Maxwell covers and gets the three count.

Winner via pinfall: MJF

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After the match, MJF celebrates as we see a replay of Wardlow passing the ring to Maxwell.