Greetings and salutations! It has been five years since AEW launched it’s weekly programming on Wednesdays. While not every episode was a hit, one cannot deny the impact (pun intended) that it has had on the industry. Let’s be realistic, competition is good and without AEW Dynamite, other shows would not have been forced to re-evaluate and improve. With that said, tonight is a monumental occasion for AEW. With the TV deal signed and announced, it is now time for AEW and Tony Khan to focus on the in-ring product to bring AEW back to the alternative it was five years ago.

Tonight’s anniversary show of AEW Dynamite includes a title-for-title match between Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay defending the International Championship against Ricochet, and Britt Baker making her return to Brittspurgh take on Serena Deeb. With all of this and so much more, let’s get to the action.

AEW Dynamite starts with PAC and Claudio Castagnoli asking, nay telling Wheeler Yuta to come home to them. Jon Moxley says he’s going to allow Bryan Danielson to go out on his shield in his hometown and that on October 12 he will relieve Danielson of duty and he’s sending Daddy home for good.

AEW International Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Ricochet

The match kicks off and we get a fast series of takedowns, kip ups and pin attempts that ends in a double Spiderman pose.  Ospreay hits a headscissors on Ricochet, who then delivers one to Ospreay. The two men trade strikes until Ricochet hits the ropes and attacks Ospreay, who goes to the outside. The two men battle to the barricade as Ospreay tries to set himself up, but that turns out to be a mistake when Ricochet drops him onto the barricade. Back in the ring, we get a Stalling senton from Ricochet, but Ospreay fought back with a hand spring corkscrew kick. Pip, Pip, Cheerio which gives him the first 2-count of the night. Ricochet is back and fires back with Lariats of his own. Both men trade Wall Walk Enzugiris, but it was a standing Spanish Fly from Ospreay tthat gave him another 2-count.

Ricochet tried a super hurricanrana, but Ospreay stuck the landing. Ricochet tries to go for an Oscutter, but Ospreay hits a Thrust kick. Ospreay goes up top and looks for a 450,l but rolls through and hits a Hidden Blade, but Ricochet counters into a backslide bomb and Twisting Piledriver for a 2-count of his own. Ricochet ducked a Hidden Blade and connected with one of his own before going up top and hit the Shooting Star Press for a super close near-fall. Dueling poisionranas from both Ospreay and Ricochet and Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade and as he covers Ricochet, his shoulders were also down. The referee counts to 3 and both men’s shoulders were down.

Winner: A draw

Justin Roberts announces that Tony Khan has informed him that this match will continue.

Shortly into the re-start, Konosuke Takeshita hits the ring and attacks Will Ospreay leading to a disqualification. Takeshita attacks Ricochet as well.

Winner: Will Ospreay retains via disqualification

Mercedes Moné and Kamille are backstage with Rene Paquette and they are talking about 5 years of AEW Dynamite. Moné has a music video of everything she’s done since her debut back in March. MVP approaches Mercedes and gives her his business card.

The Gunns are backstage and as they cut a promo are attacked by Hangman Page with a steel chair. Page takes both Gunns out before his match with Juice Robinson.

Chris Jericho does stuff

Big Bill is in the ring and introduces Chris Jericho. Bryan Keith and Chris Jericho come to the ring and Jericho congratulates everyone on five years of Dynamite and the new TV deal. Jericho says they made a lot of experts look like idiots and that the new TV deal is all because of him. Chris Jericho says he’s celebrating 34 years as a performer and says Philadelphia instead of Pittsburgh. Jericho says he recently realized that he wants a new era of Jericho and he wants another championship. This leads to Jericho challenging Mark Briscoe to a match for the Ring of Honor World Championship at WrestleDream.

The Conglomeration and Mark Briscoe are out and Briscoe says his dad brought him up to behave like men and that means not to make excuses. Briscoe says he could say he had Jericho beat in New York and the only way he beat him last week was because Big Bill Chokeslammed him, but that is no excuse since it was a Tornado Tag match.

Mark Briscoe says he’s gonna call Chris Jericho one of the finest professional wrestlers on the planet and that he would love to defend and defeat Jericho for the Ring of Honor Title. Chris Jericho says he doesn’t think Mark can beat him, but maybe his brother Jay could have. Jericho says Mark will never be as good as Jay was. Briscoe has heard enough and decks Jericho and says to take his brother’s name out of his mouth. Briscoe officially accepts his challenge for WrestleDream.

Darby Allin speaks

Darby Allin is at a junkyard and tells a story about three people who would bully him on a bus when he was younger. Allin says it felt good to do something about it and when Moxley told him he wasn’t ready to be the face of AEW all he could think about were those three guys on the bus. Allin says he put everything on the line and he lost. Allin says he wants to be the face of the company but worries people are starting to lose faith in him. Allin says he will be at WrestleDream and he’s issuing an open challenge because at this point he has nothing left to lose.

Juice Robinson vs. Hangman Page

Page gets things started right away as he attacks Robinson up the ramp. Robinson fights back and whips Page with a leather strap. Robinson tried an axe handle off the stage, but Page threw a punch that connected hard on Robinson. Page set up a table, tried a piledriver, but Robinson hit a back drop. The two men brawl into the crowd and Robinson smacked Page in the face with a fans beer and popcorn before heading to the ring where the match officially begins. Robinson fights page to the corner and looks for a Canonball while wishing Page a happy 5-year anniversary, but Page moves out of the way.

Page heads to ringside regroup, but Robinson hits with with a running cannonball senton on the barricade. Page is sent to the ring and Robinson goes up top,  but Hangman meets him at the top and ends this combo with a fall away slam. Juice tries to fight back, and even moves out of the way of a Dead Eye from the turnbuckle, but Hangman hits a Buckshot Lariat for the win.

Winner: Hangman Page

After the match, Page continues to attack Robinson and wraps a strap around his neck to choke him. We get a returning Jay White who attacks Page. Page and White brawl into the crowd and White spears Page through a table.

Renee Paquette is backstage as Jack Perry arrives on his bus. Katsuyori Shibata challenges him to a TNT Title match at WrestleDream. Perry says he’ll think about it and walks away, but returns and attacks him. Perry says he accepts Shibata’s challenge.

Bryan Danielson is backstage and says the only sentence running through his mind all day is f*ck Jon Moxley. Bryan says no matter what and what Moxley wants this to be about him, it’s about the AEW World Championship. Danielson then sets up the match with Okada for later.

Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. vs. Serena Deeb

eeb gets the upper hand with a single leg crab, but Baker manages to fight back, until Deeb drops her back down to the mat. Baker hits a Superkick and takes out the glove looking for Lockjaw. Deeb fights her off, until she is sent to the ropes, but manages to hit Baker with a Clothesline. Baker fights back and looks for an Air Raid Crash, but Deeb once again fights out of it. Baker looks for the Lockjaw again, but Deeb goes for a leglock before being sent to the corner by Baker. Deeb is set up in the top turnbuckle and Baker hits an Avalanche Air Raid Crash for a very close 2-count. Deeb goes back on the attack, but Baker is able to get the Lockjaw in and Deeb has no choice but to tap out.

Winner: Britt Baker

Serena Deeb attacks Baker after the match but Queen Aminata makes the save.

HOOK is backstage with Renee Paquette and he’s very upset about the attack that happened to Taz in the parking lot earlier today and promises when he finds out who attacked him he’s coming for revenge.

Mariah May is backstage and lays into Willow Nightingale, who shows up and the two women brawl.

Private Party vs. Iron Savages (w/ Jacked Jameson)

Squash match that sees Private Party hit Gin and Juice for the win.

A quick squash match that sees Private Party hit Gin and Juice to score the pinfall victory.

Winner: Private Party

Isiah Kassidy gets on the mic and says when started and walked into the first Dynamite this year they said new year, new champs and he meant every word. Kassidy says they will be your next AEW World Tag Team Champions and they hope the Bucks are listening because they beat them once and they know they can beat them again. A challenge is made. The Young Bucks are on the stage and Nicholas Jackson says you can’t have an anniversary show without the two people who built this company. Matthew says Private Party seems far too confident and tease accepting the challenge, but ultimately decide not to. Jack Perry attacks Private Party and the Bucks also join in. Katsuyori Shibata is out and Christopher Daniels comes out and announces a trios match between The Elite and the team of Private Party and Katsuyori Shibata for this Friday night on Rampage.

Shelton Benjamin is All Elite

MVP is backstage with Renee Paquette and is ready to make his announcement, but is interrupted by Prince Nana. Nana says he didn’t like how MVP talked to him last week and offers to put on the wrestling boots and face him tonight. MVP says he doesn’t deal with complaints but his associate does. Out walks Shelton Benjamin who drinks Nana’s coffee.

Title for Title: AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson vs. AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada

The match went past the 20 minute mark, so the Continental title was not on the line anymore. After a grueling match, both men are out of the ring and are struggling to find their way back in. Both men slowly get to the corners and we see Okada charging toward Danielson, who delivers some Kicks. Danielson with a charge of his own, but Okada counters and hits a German Suplex. Okada is looking to end things, but Bryan stops a Rainmaker lariat to lay in another series of kicks. Okada takes the fight to Daniels and hits some hard rights. Okada takes some punches and is dropped to the mat which then sees Danielson stomp at the head and neck of Okada. Danielson goes for a Busaiku Knee, but Okada counters with a Lariat.

The ref begins a standing count and at 7, the two make it up. Okada and Danielson continue to deliver strikes on one another, until Okada hits a Forearm on Danielson. Danielson comes back up and takes the fight to Okada, until Okada hits him with a Busaiku Knee, but Danielson kicks out! They fight back and forth again. Kazuchika Okada hit the Busaiku Knee on Danielson, while Bryan Danielson hit Okada with the Rainmaker, seeing both men kick out of their pins. Okada gets in full control, but Claudio Castagnoli and PAC distract Okada which allows Danielson to get him with a backslide for the win.

Winner: Bryan Danielson retains the AEW World Championship

Castagnoli and PAC hit the ring and hold down Danielson as Jon Moxley comes out. Moxley says this isn’t about him, and he’s doing it because he needs to and because no one else will. Wheeler Yuta is out with a hammer to save Danielson. Yuta and Moxley confront each other as Moxley dares Yuta to hit him with the hammer. Danielson is back up and attacks Moxley. Yuta says he’s sick and tired of Claudio and PAC treating him like a child and says he’s his own man and he can make his own decisions and fight his own fights. Yuta says next week at Title Tuesday if they want to get to Danielson they’re gonna have to get through him too.