Greetings and Salutations all! We are a week away from Grand Slam Dynamite so I expect (and hope) that this weeks episode is full of build up towards that show. We have the finals of the Men’s AEW Championship tournament set as Samoa Joe faces Roderick Strong. Will Adam Cole take a side? Is MJF okay after last weeks beatings? We also have a 4-way women’s eliminator match to determine the #1 contender for that show also. Will Toni Storm get the win, or will Shida be able to get her rematch? We also have Jon Moxley defending his International Title again Big Bill. Its quite the lineup so without further ado, let’s get right to things.
AEW International Championship: Jon Moxley (c) VS Big Bill (with Ricky Starks)
The match starts off hot as Mox goes right after Bill as he always does, but Bill is not like most of his opponents. Bill is able to actually use his raw and brute strength to overpower the champion. Bill slams Moxley with a huge Boot to the face which casually sends the champion outside. Bill stalks his opponent and the two men start brawling outside. Moxley uses this time as they brawl to take back control of the match as he is able to push Bill hard onto the steel steps. Back in the ring, it was much of the same as Bill is able to control the match again as Bill grounds Moxley (who is now bleeding). After some back and forth, Moxley hits a Superplex on Bill, but Bill comes right back with a Spinning Side Slam.
With Bill in firm control of the match again, he is able to hit a second Big Boot to the champion. This infuriates Moxley and the two start trading punches back and forth, until Mox hits Bill with a Clothesline that finallys end shim down hard. Moxley then brawls it out hitting Bill with hard elbows and punches. Moxley hit a Cutter and looks to be in the clear, but Bill comes right back with a third Boot. In the outside, Danielson attacks Starks, but Starks sends him to the steps. Back in the ring, Bill slams Moxley hard with a Chokeslam but after a nearfall, and some back and forth, Moxley is able to get Bill in a Triangle Choke. Starks is trying to come into the ring to break it up, but Danielson stops him. Bill is forced to give up.
Winner: AND STILL International Champion; Jon Moxley
After the match, Starks attacks Danielson. Bill continues his beat down of Moxley but Claudio Castagnoli makes the save for everyone!
Don Callis Reveals the next Target….
Callis is out to the ring with Konosuke Takeshita. Callis has the mic and says that Takeshita is better than all the Aces. Callis calls Takeshita “The Alpha” since he’s been able to beat Omega Twice. Callis says that beating OMega twice wasn’t enough. He wants to take his heart now. Callis then reveals that their next target is none other than Omega’s best friend Kota Ibushi. Callis vows to butcher Ibushi and burn him. Callis then calls out Omega again and says that he will be helpless like the pathetic “cuck” that he is.
In the back, Bryan Danielson challenges Ricky Starks and Big Bill to face him and Claudio Castagnoli on AEW Collision this Saturday. Rey Fenix shows up to confront the International champion, Jon Moxley. Fenix says that he will beat him next week. Eddie Kingston then shows up and stares Castagnoli down. He laughs at Castagnoli and says “one more week.”
HOOK was backstage for an interview and Orange Cassidy appears. HOOK tells Cassidy that he was a great champion, and Cassidy says that HOOK is a great champion.
Grand Slam Women’s World Championship Eliminator: Nyla Rose VS Britt Baker VS Toni Storm VS Hikaru Shida
As the match goes on, Baker and Shida team up a bit and take out Rose. Storm takes a break on the outside. Storm’s break didn’t last too long as the entire fight is at her feet on the outside. Rose gets slammed hard at ringside. Shida then dives from the ring onto everyone at ringside. Back in the ring, all 4 battle it out once again in a very evenly set match. Storm and Shida fight as the focus of the match. Rose comes in and goes for a BEast Bomb, but Shida counters it and subsequently gets a 2-count with a rollup. Shida knees the living lights out of Rose, then hits the Katana, Baker Stomps Shida, Storm rolls up Baker for the sneaky win.
Winner: Toni Storm
After the match Saraya, who is on commentary says Storm lost her mind, and she’ll also lose the bout next week.
Le Sex Gods have a chat…
Chris Jericho starts things off and shows a video package that highlights their friendship. Guevara takes a mic and says he still doesn’t know the lyrics to “Judas.” Jericho tells Guevara and tells him that he is the one that told Tony Khan AEW needed to sign Guevara. Jericho says that over the last 4 years Guevara has grown. Jericho then tells Guevara that he is proud of him. Guevara thanks Jericho for changing his life and says there is no AEW without Chris Jericho BUT he tells Jericho that he didn’t work his way to AEW just to be a sidekick. Guevara says he needs to beat Jericho because he wants to be seen as a top star in AEW.
Jericho says Guevara is inching closer and closer to being a Main-Event star each and every week, but he has to do it on his own. Jericho says Guevara has to win to get that next level, just re-iterating what Guevara just said. Jericho says that Guevara will have to be his best self to beat him, but he doesn’t think Guevara is ready to beat him yet. Guevara says he’s going to beat Jericho and earn his respect before they go on to win some tag team titles. The two shake hands as Jericho says that he’s going to give Guevara the match of his life and he expects the same from Guevara.
We get a video recorded last week after MJF’s fight with Joe. MJF is shown in the trainer’s room and they mention that he won’t be able to travel to tonight’s show. MJF calls Roderick Strong a “simp” and says that he is manipulative with his “friends”. MJF calls Strong a wet blanket and a “bland bitch.” MJF then turns his attention to Samoa Joe and says he’s not afraid of Joe as he has a lot of bite. MJF vows to choke Samoa Joe out. MJF then recounts Steiner Math as he explains to Joe that the numbers aren’t in his favour.
Hangman Page VS Brian Cage III
The Monster Brian Cage overpowets Page from the get-go. Page is able to hit a Springboard Clothesline on Cage that sends him to ringside. Page dives onto Cage, but Cage catches him like a baseball and slams him hard onto the ring post. The two fight for a bit outside and Page hits a Hurrucanrana on Cage that sends hi straight to the ring post. Page then dives onto Cage yet again, successfully this time though. Swerve Strickland is out and distracts Page. This distraction allows Cage to comeback and take the match over. Back in the ring, Cage hits Page with a German Suplex. The two trade punches, but Page cannot find a solution to Cage’s raw strength. Cage with a Spinnng Slam on Page.
Page comes right back though and hits a clothesline on Cage, that send shim over the ropes and to ringside again. Page with a diving Moonsault on Cage to the outside. Cage is back in the ring, Page hits a Crossbody and goes for the pin, but it’s only good for a 2-count. Page sets up and attempts a Buckshot Lariat, but Cage counters it, but Page finds a rollup for a nearfall Page immediately hits the Dead Eye and gets the win.
Winner: “Hangman” Adam Page
After the match, Page tells Swerve to stop keeping his balls in Prince Nana’s crown. Swerve tells Page that their issues won’t be solved tonight, but instead it’llhappen in the great state of Washington. Swerve challenges Page to a match at WrestleDream, but before Page can accept, Cage attacks Page and the Young Bucks come out to make the save.
Backstage, Daniel Garcia is with Renne Paquette. Garcia says that his dances are going viral and so his career is on the rise. Don Callis comes in and tries to recruit Garcia. Garcia just dances. Callis walks away…
A video package recaps Jade Cargill’s return on AEW Collision from last Saturday
Darby Allin & Nick Wayne VS Matt Menard & Angelo Parker
As the match starts, Christian Cage and Luchasaurus are out to join the commentary team. Wayne is in for the majority of the early stages of the match and even finds himself cut off and isolated from his partner. Menard slams Wayne a bit, but Wayne manages to escape to get the hot tag to Allin. Alin clears house and hits a Code Red for a nearfall. Allin dives onto Menard at ringside, then climbs the top and hits a Coffin Drop on Parker to pick up the win.
Winners: Darby Allin and Nick Wayne
After the match, Cage says that he looked through Nick Wayne’s Moms Instagram and complained that she doesn’t post enough bikini pictures. He says that he’s ired of eharing about his loss at All In so Cage Challenges Wayne and Allin to a match at Dymamite: Grand Slam next week.
Grand Slam World Title Eliminator Tournament Finals: Roderick Strong (with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) VS Samoa Joe
Strong is just being man handled by Joe through the match. Joe with his strikes to Strong, but Strong is able to come back for a bit. Strong slams Joe down and tries to keep the match down in the mat. This doesn’t even phase Joe as he comes right back into the match as he gets Strong down then slams him with a Senton. Strong tries to come back, but Joe just slams him like nothing again. Mike Bennett is on the apron, and Joe just punches him off. This distraction allowed Strong to hit Joe with some offense that ends with a running knee for a 2-count. Joe is back up and clotheslines the living daylights out of Strong, locks in the Coquina Clutch and gets the win.
Winner: Samoa Joe
After the match, Joe takes the mic and vows to take everything away from MJF. Adam Cole is out. Strong collapses in the ring as everyone including trainers check on him. A Stretcher is brought out and Strong is loaded on it. The Kingdom and Cole argue and as they head to the back Bennett and Taven stop Cole from going with them. A confused and hurt Cole is left in the ring, but Joe attacks him from behind and repeats that he will take everything away from MJF.
