It’s Wednesday night and we are little more than a month away from AEW Revolution. If my math is correct, that means Bryan Danielson has to win four more matches to earn a shot at MJF. Tonight, he takes on Timothy Thatcher. Samoa Joe is also returning to face Darby Allin in a rematch for the TNT title. Let’s get to the action
Jon Moxley w/his dad and Wheeler Yuta vs. Hangman Adam Page
Moxley doesn’t even wait for Page to get to the ring, attacking him on the ramp. He slams Hangman into the security barrier and tosses him into the crowd. Page strikes back with forearms and then kicks him in the face. Moxley locks in a figure four on the floor. Page tosses a beer in Mox’s face to release the hold. On the floor, in front of the ring, Mox traps Page’s ankle in a chair. Hangman escapes; throwing the chair at Mox. The two finally get in the ring, and the ref kicks the chair back to the floor. The bell finally rings.
Mox is busted open as the two trade blows in the middle of the ring. A low drop kick takes Page down. Moxley locks in an Indian Death Lock. Page gets to the ropes to break the hold. He hits a German suplex. The two now trade chops in the middle of the ring. Mox gets caught on a cross body and tossed to the apron with a fall away slam. Mox blocks a lariat with a clubbing blow to the head. Jon locks in a sleeper on the apron. Page counters a piledriver and tosses Mox into the ring post.
After a commercial break, Mox and Page are fighting atop the turnbuckle. Page hits a Death Valley Driver from the second rope, but Mox is able to kick out of the pin. Mox responds with a slap and the double bird. He drops Page with a cutter. The two trade punches again. Mox unloads with quick kicks and locks in the sleeper. Page breaks free with a drop suplex. Mox rolls through and delivers a suplex. Jon hits a superplex and goes into the hammer and anvil strikes. Mox stomps away on Page on the mat. Hangman blocks the Death Rider, but Mox transitions into an arm bar. Page gets a toe on the ropes to break the hold.
Moxley charges Page in the corner and gets back dropped out of the ring. Mox dodges a moonsault and takes out Page on the floor with a lariat. The two hit each other with lariats, until Page pop ups Mox and power bombs him through a table. Mox nearly gets counted out, barely beating the count. Page connects with a clothesline and hits the Deadeye. Mox responds with the King Kong lariat. The two trade shots again in the middle of the ring. Page with a thrust kick and hits a small package driver. Mox kicks out.
Mox counters the Buckshot, but Page counters into a tombstone piledriver. Page hits the Buckshot Lariat, but Mox kicks out of the pin. Hangman locks in a bulldog choke. Mox counters into a stack is able to get the three count.
Winner via pinfall: Jon Moxley
After the match, Yuta and Castagnoli have to keep Mox away from Page.
Darby Allin wants his rematch with Joe to be No Holds Barred. No matter who wins; there will be no rematch.
The Bunny tells Renee Paquette that she wants an eliminator match with Jamie Hayter. The champ is more than willing to oblige. Renee breaks in with footage of Saraya and Toni Storm attacking Britt Baker elsewhere in the arena.
The Acclaimed w/Billy Gunn vs. Enhancement Talent
Yea, I don’t think AEW even gave us the names of these two guys. It doesn’t matter; the Acclaimed beat these jobbers in short order.
Winners via pinfall: The Acclaimed
After the bell, Austin and Colton Gunn come to the ring. They want a title shot. The Acclaimed go to the people, who don’t think the Gunns deserve a shot. Bowens tells the no. Billy Gunn is sick of this nonsense and leaves. The Gunns call out Billy for walking out. They cut deep. Billy walks back and accepts the match.
Jack Perry vows to become a singles champion in 2023, despite having fun teaming with Hook.
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage w/Prince Nana
Takeshita flies across the ring, connecting with the Konosuke line. He then takes out Cage on the floor. The Machine yanks Takeshita off the apron and slams him into the ring post. In the ring, he hits a sliding drop kick, but only gets a two count. The two trade elbow strikes. Konosuke eats a knee lift, but then catches Cage with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Takeshita misses a knee strike and falls to the apron. Cage brings him back in the hard way with a suplex.
After the commercial break, Cage is sent into the turnbuckle. Takeshita shoots off the ropes and connects with a lariat. Takeshita with a German suplex into a pin; Cage is able to kick out at two. The Machine catches a jumping knee and slams Konosuke into the turnbuckle. Konosuke with a Liger bomb, but still can’t get the pin. Cage hits a back drop driver, followed by a discuss lariat. Takeshita kicks out at two. Konosuke connects with a brain buster and follows up with a second on. Cage still kicks out and then hits an F-5. He takes Takeshita to the top turnbuckle, but Konosuke counters with a brain buster from the second rope. Takeshita follows up with the running knee and covers to get the three count.
Winner via pinfall: Konosuke Takeshita
Chris Jericho isn’t pleased that Ricky Starks has accused them of cheating to win last win. If Starks wants another shot at Jericho, he has to beat the JAS in a gauntlet match.
The Elite challenge AR Fox and Top Flight to a match, only to have Stokely Hathaway show up and challenge them to match against Matt Hard, Ethan Page and Isiah Cassidy on Friday.
Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
Thatcher goes right for arm bar, but Danielson is able to get to the ropes. Thatcher with uppercuts in the corner and then drives a knee into the shoulder. Danielson hits a dragon screw and follows with a stretch. Thatcher breaks the hold by going after the fingers. He drives knee shots into Danielson’s back. Bryan with a running drop kick in the corner, only to get driven into the mat. Thatcher with a wrist lock, but Danielson again gets to the ropes.
After a commercial break, Thatcher is working over Danielson on the ropes. Timothy hits an underhook suplex. He sets Bryan up on the top turnbuckle. Danielson fights back. A head butt sends Thatcher to the mat. Danielson connects with the shot gun drop kick. The two trade uppercuts. Bryan with the quick kicks, but Thatcher blocks the round kick. Danielson with a back slide and then connects with a kick to the temple. Bryan unloads the hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Danielson applies a rear naked choke. Thatcher backs Danielson into the corner, hitting the ref in the process. With the ref down, MJF makes his way to the ring, ready with the Dynamite diamond ring. MJF is attacked out of nowhere; its Konosuke Takeshita making the save.
In the ring, Thatcher has an arm bar locked in. Danielson is able to get to the ropes. Thatcher hits a belly to belly throw. Bryan with a suplex and follows with the Psycho knee and covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: Bryan Danielson
Backstage, Konosuke and MJF brawl in the hallway. AEW officials eventually get them separated. Renee Paquette delivers a message from TK. Konosuke and MJF will face each next week, in the ring.
Next week, Rush will take on Bryan Danielson, and MJF has a nice briefcase full of money for Rush and if he wins, there are four more of those coming his way.
Red Velvet (challenger) vs. Jade Cargill (champion) w/Leila Gray – TBS Championship Match
Red Velvet attacks from behind. A boot take the champ down and Velvet rains down blows. Jade catches Red with a back elbow. Velvet sends Cargill to the floor and hits her with a drop kick through the ropes. Velvet with a knife edge chop against the barrier. Back in the ring, Jade catches a kick and hits a reverse flap jack. Red kicks out of the pin.
After a commercial break, Jade is taunting Red by doing push ups in the ring. She tosses Velvet across the ring. Red with a drop kick and htis the code breaker. Red runs right into a pump kick, but kicks out of the pin. Keira Hogan runs down and takes out Gray. The ref sends her to the back. Velvet with a big kick and makes the pin, but the ref is still dealing with Hogan and doesn’t make the count. Velvet locks in an arm bar. Jade is able to pick Velvet up. Cargill picks her up, hits Jaded and covers to get the pin.
Winner…and still TBS Champion…via pinfall: Jade Cargill
Britt Baker tells Renee Paquette is fine. Ruby Soho, of all people, check up on Baker, who is skeptical of her.
Samoa Joe (challenger) vs. Darby Allin (champion) – TNT Championship No Holds Barred Match
Allin attacks before the bell, beating Joe into the corner. Allin is wearing a thumbtack laced hoodie. Joe rips the hoodie off and kicks the champ into the corner. Joe grabs a table. Allin slams himself into the table with suicide dive, slamming it into Joe. Allin sets up the ring steps, but Joe reverse the whip, sending Darby catapulting over the steps into the crowd. The two fight up the aisle on the arena steps.
After a commercial break, Joe is busted open, but Darby can barely stay on his feet. Allin fires back at Joe in the corner, but then runs right into a uranage. Joe kicks Allin out of the ring and sets up a table against the security barrier. Allin hits a jawbreaker and fires away at Joe with chops. Joe just tosses Darby over the ropes to the floor. Joe hits a brain buster and then grabs several chairs. Joe drops Allin onto the chairs. He sets up the chairs again, but Darby counters the power bomb with a handful of powder to the eyes. He hits a Code Red and follows with a stunner. Darby gets his thumbtack hoodie, donning for a coffin drop. Joe kicks out at two.
Allin starts to take apart the ring. pulling the canvas and padding up, exposing the hardwood. Joe avoids a suicide dive, and Darby crashes through a table. Joe power bombs Allin onto the thumbtacks and then wraps the hoodie arounds his face. Allin blindly gouges at Joe’s eyes to break free. Allin goes to work with chair shots and goes up top. Joe gets to his feet, joining Allin up top. Joe hits Allin with a muscle buster onto the exposed wood. Joe covers and gets the win.
Winner…and new TNT Champion…via pinfall: Darby Allin
Before Joe can celebrate, Wardlow runs to the ring. Wardlow spikes Joe into the mat and pummels him. Joe escapes a power bomb as AEW security run in to restrain Wardlow. Well, that doesn’t end well for security as we go off the air. See you in seven!
AEW Dynamite 2/1/2023
Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
AEW story telling may not have been the strongest over the last six months; it is getting much better. That being said, week to week, they are continuously putting out a great wrestling product. To borrow a phrase from the other guys, AEW just keep putting on banger after banger after banger of matches. The Acclaimed facing jobber tonight doesn’t count, but Danielson-Thatcher, Allin-Samoa Joe and Moxley-Page could have been on PPV.