Winner: Claudio Castagnoli
Match Rating: 5 / 10
As Joe enters the ring the Gunns hit the road. While MJF hits the ring Joe holds the ropes open for him. MJF has the numbers 365 all over his gear. One presumes he is predicting a win in the main event tonight so he will have held the AEW World Championship for 365 days. As he struts over one Gunn, MJP spits at another and swivels his hips at Joe. The Gunns attack him from behind. As the Gunns whip MJF into a corner Joe uses his body to shield MJF from hitting the buckle. MJF clotheslines both Gunns to the mat.
MJF to Joe: I don’t need your help!
Joe tags in anyways. Joe and MJF exchange words. Joe dives out onto the floor onto the Gunns. Joe walks away from a Colton drop kick. Joe smiles as he batters him with one haymaker after another. The Gunns turn things around cutting MJF off from Joe. The Gunns throw MJF off the ropes. They announce a double clothesline but hit double elbow smashes. The Gunns mock the crowd.
MJF ducks under both Gunns finally tagging in Samoa Joe. Joe demolishes both Gunn. He attempts a Muscle Buster. MJF tags in for one of his own. MJF is thwarted by a drop kick. MJF double-DDTs the Gunns. He signals for the Kangaroo Kick but Joe tags himself in. The Gunns hit 3:10 to Yuma on Samoa Joe. MJF foils the pin by pulling a Gunn to the floor. Both Gunns slam MJF’s head into the steel ring stairs. As they set-up Joe for another 3:10 Adam Cole’s music plays. Cole comes out on crutches. The Gunns are distracted. Joe wins the match with a Kokina Clutch.
MJF greets Cole and they hug. MJF shakes Samoa Joe’s hand in the ring. If MJF wins tonight, Joe has earned himself a shot at the AEW World Championship. The Gunns drop MJF. The Gunns take a steel chair to MJF’s left knee over and over as all Cole can do is look on. The Gunns wrap the chair around MJF’s ankle and hit the ankle with a stomp from the second rope. MJF is writhing in pain. He has to be taken away on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. Adam Cole’s soul is crushed.
Winners: …and still ROH World Tag Team Champions, Adam Cole and MJF.
Match Rating: 7 / 10
Main Card
Sting, Darby Allin, and Adam Copeland (with Ric Flair) vs. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
A child’s choir sings Christian Cage and his gang to the ring. Ken Jeong gives the team a thumbs-down from the crowd. Ric Flair is out first styling and profiling. Nigel McGuinness says that Christian stated that Flair comes back more than herpes and is just as welcome.
Adam Copeland, Darby and Sting are shown cloaked in shadows each holding baseball bats. Copeland has half his face painted like Sting and Darby Allin. Steve-O is shown freaking out at ringside. Nigel calls Copeland the “biggest jackass” in the arena tonight. Hardy-Har-Har. The crowd keeps singing Copeland’s theme even after it ends.
Christian hugs Wayne before he starts the match. Wayne cheap shots Allin as the crowd chants: Who’s your daddy? Sting tags in throwing Wayne to the floor and the ringside barricade. Christian tags in. Sting gives Copeland his wish and tags him in. Christian bails from the ring tagging in Luchasaurus. Luchasaurus crushes Copeland pillar to post until Copeland lands a spinning neckbreaker.
Darby flips out of a chokeslam right into Christian who guillotines him backwards over the ropes. Luchasaurus chokeslams Allin over the top rope onto the ring apron. The announcers remind us that Allin is supposed to catch a flight to climb Mount Everest after the show.
The heels block Allin from tagging out to his partners. Wayne does the Flair strut in front of The Nature Boy and then gives him the finger. While they are on the second rope Allin bites Wayne’s fingers, slams his head into the turnbuckle and slams him down with a powerbomb. Allin looks to be bleeding from his ear.
Christian crawls under the ring, reappears on the opposite side and rams Edge’s head into a steel post. Sting chases Christian. Luchasaurus drops Sting with a clothesline. Allin makes it to an empty corner. Christian mocks Allin since there is nobody to tag. Copeland is tagged. Christian flees the ring. Copeland gives Luchasaurus an Impaler. He spears him off the apron. Copeland picks up Wayne pressing him over the top rope. Luchasaurus catches him. Allin dives through the ropes onto them both. Sting hits them with a flying clothesline. Sting and Copeland fight out of a double clothesline. Sting and Copeland pummel Luchasaurus with a Scorpion Death Drop and a flying elbow smash at the same time. Allin tosses in Wayne. They double suplex him as Allin executes a flying body press.
Ric Flair and Christian start arguing on the floor. Flair throws off his jacket. He means business.
Flair lays in some chops. Christian catches him with a poke in the eye and a low blow. As the official is attending to Flair, Christian retrieves his championship belt. He swings at Copeland. He hits Luchasaurus instead. Copeland chases Christian. Christian leaps over the barricade and into the crowd.
Luchasaurus is Stinger Splashed, Speared and Coffin Dropped for the pin. Sting and Flair shake hands after the match. Allin pushes the crowd to cheer for Sting. “This is Sting’s f—–g last time wrestling in the state of California. Let’s hear some f—–g noise! Let’s hear it!” he says.
This match should have been so much more and it just wasn’t. It was very, very flat.
Winners: Sting, Darby Allin, and Adam Copeland
Match Rating: 7.5 / 10
Tony Schiavone is with referee Bryce Rensberg as he meets with Jay White and Bullet Club Gold backstage. White comes out with the AEW World Championship. He claims he is the champion. He is ticked off that production is playing the Gunns’ music and not his. Schiavone says MJF will not be able to compete tonight. The match has been cancelled and by default Jay White is the new champion. Adam Cole’s music hits. Cole says there is no way in hell White is leaving the arena with “Max’s championship.” Cole said he made a promise to MJF and has already spoken to Tony Khan.
“If MJF cannot defend his AEW Championship I will do it for him,” says Cole. “One leg or not, tonight’s main event is Jay White against Adam Cole Bay-Bay.”
White laughs and laughs. He says he will take out Cole for good this time.
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jon Moxley – AEW International Championship
Wheeler Yuta accompanies Moxley to the ring. Hook is with Cassidy. Moxley bashes Cassidy from one side of the ring to the other. On the floor, he smashes his head into the announce desk and slams him on the barricade. It is all Moxley in the ring as he hoists Cassidy up and slams him on his back. Cassidy catches Cassidy with a Bossman Slam. Still no offense from Cassidy. As they battle on the ropes, Moxley bites Cassidy. Cassidy rakes his back and bites him. Moxley is naturally already busted open. Cassidy takes Moxley down with a Superplex and a DDT. Moxley kicks out at one. Cassidy dives into Moxley. Moxley throws himself into the announce table. They do the spot again. Moxley is propelled better into the table. Cassidy dives out for the third time but hitting Moxley with an elbow this time.
Moxley no-sells a Slumdog Millionaire. He pounds on Cassidy with the hammer and anvil smashes. Moxley transitions to the bulldog choke. Cassidy breaks free. He kicks Moxley in the face. Moxley no-sells that too. Cassidy puts Moxley into RedRum. Moxley makes it to the ropes. The official pulls Cassidy off Moxley and in doing so Moxley pulls off the top turnbuckle.
Cassidy kicks out of a cutter and a piledriver. Moxley mocks Cassidy by giving him the same lame kicks he does others. Cassidy puts his hands in his pockets. Moxley crashes head-first into the exposed turnbuckle. Moxley bungles around and absorbs six Orange Punches and a Beach Break for the pin. An absolutely stupidly booked matches. One of the silliest and worst matches of the year.
Winner: …and new AEW International Champion, Orange Cassidy.
Rating: 2 / 10
