AEW Dynamite: Moxley, Danielson advance to Arthur Ashe

The civil war between CM Punk and The Elite has resulted in the vacating of both the AEW World Championship and AEW World Trios Championships, but a different party has risen to the top. It thankfully wasn’t the Jericho Appreciation Society but instead the Blackpool Combat Club as Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson won their respective tournament matches in solid showings tonight on Dynamite. One week away from Grand Slam in Queens, New York, AEW has a lot to look forward too.

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Jon Moxley vs Sammy Guevara 

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The winner of tonight’s opening match advances to Arthur Ashe in the finals of the AEW World Championship tournament, and Guevara’s chances aren’t high against the promotion’s heart and soul. Albany is hot for Moxley, who is ol’ reliable in the face of crisis, but Guevara takes control preceding picture-in-picture. Moxley kicks out of a springboard cutter and cinches a Bulldog Choke before Guevara counters with a standing Spanish Fly. They’re both floored by an Avalanche German when Anna Jay distracts the referee, and Tay Melo kicks Moxley in the crotch. He powers out before a striking exchange, but the Death Rider from Moxley hands him the victory.

Winner: Jon Moxley 

A huge reaction for MJF is interrupted by himself, and Albany cheers getting insulted. He describes both Moxley and Albany as “uneducated, poor white trash,” which also gets a hearty pop. MJF says that Moxley is the same kid from Cincinnati but now “old enough to drown all (his) childhood trauma in alcohol like a worthless drunk.” He later introduces AEW’s newest faction, The Firm, led by Stokely Hathway – who helped MJF secure the Casino Ladder Match chip at All Out. Hathaway confidently takes over and individually presents his men: W. Morrissey, Lee Moriarty, Colten and Austin Gunn, and Ethan Page. Hathaway bet on himself, and in the spotlight, he absolutely delivered. 

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Jungle Boy vs Jay Lethal w/ Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh

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“You stupid boy, my best friend’s a man!” says the animated Dutt in a precursory promo package. Numbers overwhelm the child heading into picture-in-picture, and Lethal retains control thereafter. Boy escapes the Lethal Injection and delivers a Brainbuster, but the latter comes back with a second-rope leg sweep. The lad fails to connect with a Killswitch and instead eats an elbow drop for two, but he recuperates with the Snare Trap that ultimately lends him the submission victory.

Winner: Jungle Boy

A vignette plays for Action Bronson, of all people, who is training with Hook before their match against “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and “Cool Hand” Angelo Parker next week. To his credit, Bronson’s delivery sounds hard – although that’s pretty much his job. 

Viral internet wrestler Luigi Primo, the Italian guy who spins the pizza dough, is interviewed on AEW Dynamite! “Imma Luigi Primo!” he says before immediately getting booted by Ethan Page in genuinely one of the funniest five seconds in the show’s history. Out comes Danhausen, who accepts Page’s challenge for Rampage amidst his quest for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. 

Footage from Nitro Circus captures Darby Allin’s extreme scooter stunt, and Matt Hardy responds in a promo package. He, too, issues a challenge for Rampage on Friday.

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Powerhouse Hobbs vs Matt DiMartino 

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DiMartino receives a warm hometown pop and a nasty Spinebuster for three. “Super easy. Barely an inconvenience,” reads two signs in the crowd. 

Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs 

“We want Ricky” chants envelop Hobbs, who somehow busted his mouth open. Everybody rises when Ricky Starks enters through the crowd and dashes towards his rival, clocking him with a microphone.

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Lucha Brothers vs Swerve In Our Glory (c) – AEW Tag Team Championships

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Lucha Brothers are the new AEW Trios Champions alongside the AEW All-Atlantic Champion Pac, and they evidently want all the gold, sucka. Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee are scheduled to defend against The Acclaimed next week, which is only happening because it’s a highly requested rematch that is supposedly in jeopardy for null reasons. Lee does his best grizzly bear impression but is eventually taken down by a Destroyer from Penta that lights Albany up. Rey Fenix scales the ropes but is pushed off by Strickland, giving Lee the opportunity to slam Penta for the victory. Congratulations, the new AEW Trios Champions just ate a clean defeat merely days after their coronation.

Winner: Swerve In Our Glory

The sirens go off, and AEW’s most favorable tag team The Acclaimed makes an entrance in new “Ooooh Scissor Me Daddy” t-shirts. Max Caster and Anthony Bowens hit some one-liners before scissoring Daddy Ass to great fanfare.

Alex Marvez tries catching up with the defeated Lucha Brothers, but a frustrated Pac speaks on their behalf. Orange Cassidy socks him in the jaw, claiming that he won’t be a double champion for long. 

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Serena Deeb and Britt Baker vs Athena and Toni Storm 

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AEW Interim Women’s Champion Storm and partner Athena take early control, but Deeb turns the tide before picture-in-picture. Albany is distractingly quiet for this match in between sporadic big maneuvers, but meanwhile, Rebel hops onto the apron. Storm is sent into a chair held by Baker, which gives the latter and Deeb the victory. Athena lashes out post-match, but she eats a superkick and stomp from Baker. Out comes Jamie Hayter, who teases a turn but ultimately continues the attack against the opposition.

Winners: Serena Deeb

“Smart” Mark Sterling credits Josh Woods for saving his life against Wardlow. Friday, Woods faces Samoa Joe for the ROH Television Championship.

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Chris Jericho vs Bryan Danielson

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The winner of tonight’s main event advances to Arthur Ashe against Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship. It’s either a fresh friendly fire between Blackpool Combat Club members or a continuation of their dragged-out Jericho Appreciation Society feud, and it’s clear which outcome is more appealing. ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia is watching backstage at a reasonable angle as the “American Dragon” takes control. Jericho briefly reverses the momentum preceding an exchanging of chops and a double cross body that sends them into picture-in-picture. 

Danielson powers out of multiple chest-targeted elbows, and a respective Codebreaker and Bisiko Knee floor both competitors. They battle atop the apron, and Danielson crashes badly to the ground, beginning Jericho’s attack on the injured ankle. The Walls of Jericho are applied and transitioned into a single-leg Boston and Figure-four Leglock, but Danielson reverses into the Lebell Lock that ultimately gives him the submission victory. 

Winner: Bryan Danielson 

As William Regal watches on, Blackpool Combat Club’s Moxley enters the ring. The finalists of the AEW World Championship tournament shake hands to “BCC” chants in the closing moments of Dynamite, one week before AEW Grand Slam

TOP PHOTO: Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson end Dynamite. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

RELATED LINK

George Tahinos’ AEW Albany photo gallery