It’s the start of the new era, not for AEW, although maybe with Cody Rhodes returning to WWE over the weekend, maybe it is. It’s a new era here at SLAM! Wrestling as I will be taking over the Dynamite beat for Nick Tylwalk, who we wish the best in his future endeavors. Seriously, though, Nick is one of my best friends and if were not for him, I would not be here today. Way back in 2003, Nick convinced Greg Oliver to bring me onboard here at SLAM! and for that I am forever grateful. Best of luck buddy. Let’s get onto the show.
Adam Cole vs. Christian Cage
Christian should no better than to think the Cole is going to play fair. After a cheap shot, Cole beats Cage into the corner. Cole is knocked from the ring, so he spits in Cage’s face. Christian runs him down on the floor and chops him against the security railing. Back in the ring, Cole cuts down Cage on the top rope and the fight goes back to the floor. Cole whips Cage into and over the ring steps. Adam blows Cage a kiss, but Christian gets to his feet and tosses Adam to the floor. He follows with a leapfrog over the ring post, crashing into Cole. Back in the ring, Cage with a sunset flip, but can’t get the three count. He follows with a DDT, but it still isn’t enough. Cole misses the enziguri, but blocks the Kill Switch and hits a back stabber. Cole taunts Cage, and almost gets rolled up in a small package for his hubris. Cage misses splash from the top and Cole takes advantage with kicks and a knee strike. Cole goes up for the Panama Sunrise, but Cage beats him to the punch, slamming Adam to the mat. Cage runs into a kick. Cole with a pump kick to counter a spear. Cage ducks the knee strike and answers with a spear. Cole kicks out. Cage wants the Kill Switch, but Cole gets himself between the ropes. The ref separates the two, but Cole thumbs Cage in eye. He lowers the boom with the knee strike and covers to get the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Adam Cole
After the bell, ReDRagon runs down to beat on Cage, but Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy make the save. Cole stays in the ring and is confronted by AEW Champion Hangman Adam Page. The champ is in no mood. Page will give Cole another title shot next week in a Texas Death Match, fittingly in Texas.
Samoa Joe vs. Max Caster w/Anthony Bowens – Owen Hart Memorial Tournament Qualifier
Samoa Joe returned to ROH on Friday. Joe isn’t even phased by Caster’s rap; he’s ready for business. “Joe’s gonna kill you!” rains down from the Boston crowd, as Caster gets up in Joe’s face. The big Samoan head butts him and pummels him in the corner. Max retreats to the floor, but that won’t save him. Joe wipes him out with a suicide dive. Bowens wants some now, talking trash. The distraction allows Caster to get the upper hand, for about 20 seconds. Joe shrugs off an elbow shot. He drops Caster with the Muscle Buster and covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: Samoa Joe
Jay Lethal and Sanjay Dutt pop up on screen from backstage. Lethal is upset that Joe never picked up the phone when he tried to get in touch. Lethal and Dutt want to roll out the red carpet next week, but I don’t think it’s going to be a good thing.
William Regal is fired up that Bryan Danielson will face Trent Beretta next week and that Jon Moxley will take on Wheeler Yuta this Friday.
“The Chairman” Shawn Spears vs. Cpt. Shawn Dean
Before the match, MJF makes his way to commentary. Spears takes down Dean with a back breaker and stomps him in the head. Dean is tossed over the ropes to the floor. The crowd wants Wardlow, but he is banned from all AEW events. Spears with a neck breaker and covers. He pulls Dean off the mat at two. He stalks his opponent, then picks him up. We cut to the back, where security has been laid out. Spears is worried as we seen Wardlow rampaging through the back. Wardlow has entered the arena! He wants MJF and nothing will stop him. Wardlow is finally subdued by security. Dean takes advantage of the chaos but rolling up Spears. He gets the three count for the win.
Winner via pinfall: Cpt. Shawn Dean
Spears is beside himself with anger.
Chuck Taylor tries to convince Yuta Wheeler to stay with some brotherly love. Trent Beretta on the other hand calls him scum and wants Yuta to watch what he is going to do to Bryan Danielson next week.
Earlier tonight, Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz beat down the Jericho Appreciation Society. The JAS were literally run out of town.
Eddie Kingston hits the ring with mic in hand with Santana and Ortiz in tow. He calls Jericho a coward and gives him a warning. They will attack the JAS on site; it doesn’t matter where or when they are. Kingston knows where they live. Santana calls them scrubs. Ortiz wants a six man tag next week.
Tony Schiavone welcome TBS Champion, Jade Cargill, to the stage. Unfortunately she brings Smart Mark Sterling with her. Schiavone asks her about approaching win number 30. She is here to formally introduce her “Baddie” section. Marina Shafir is not welcome. Jade seems a tad over confident heading into her match with Shafir.
Alex Marvez gets a word with Shawn Spears and MJF. Max wants Wardlow to show up next week and then calls out Shawn Dean for a match.
The Butcher and the Blade vs. The Hardys – Tag Team Tables Match
The Hardys rush Butcher and Blade, but end up on the wrong end of the beat down. Jeff stops short of getting whipped into a table. Blade charges, but Hardy dodges and Blade crashes through the table. He isn’t eliminated, because it was not an offensive move that caused the damage. A double DDT puts down the Butcher. Jeff goes up top as Matt places Butcher on a table. The Blade knocks Jeff to the floor and the hits Matt with a neck breaker. Butcher picks up Jeff and the Blade spears him off the top rope through a table. Jeff is eliminated.
After a commercial break, Matt is doing work with a chair. Matt goes up top, delivering a leg drop on the Butcher, through the table. The Butcher has been eliminated. Matt then misses an elbow to Blade, and crashes through a table, but he is not eliminated. Hardy is whipped into the barrier, as Butcher helps his partner set up a table. Matt is laid on the table, but he rolls out into into the crowd. Blade and Butcher bring Matt back to the ring area with a suplex over the barrier. Jeff made the save by moving a table out of the way; he then crashes into Blade and hits the leg drop on Butcher. Matt with a Twist of Fate to Blade on the floor. Jeff pulls out a ladder, ramming Butcher. The Hardy set up two table next to the ladder. The Blade is laid on the tables and Jeff climbs the ladder. Jeff delivers the swanton bomb onto Blade though the table. The ref calls for the bell.
Winners: The Hardys
After the bell, Andrade and the rest of the AFO walk out on stage. Sting follows them out, evening out the numbers with a bat. Andrade uses the Bunny as a shield to makes his way past Sting.
Christian Cage storms off before Jungle Boy calls out ReDRagon. He points out that their record isn’t good enough to challenge for the titles, so Jungle Boy issues one for them.
Tony Schiavone interviews Jamie Hayter and Toni Storm who have both qualified for the Owen Hart tournament. If these two face each other things will get intense.
Julia Hart w/ Varsity Blondes vs. Hikaru Shida – Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Qualifier
Hart with a kick to the back before the bell and then tries to choke out Shida with her jacket. Hart doesn’t like the Blondes questioning her tactics, so she tells them to leave. Shida gets a chair and uses to launch herself into air for a drop kick. Shida beats down Hart in the middle of the ring. Shida with a running knee in the corner but Hart rolls away from a running knee strike. Shida brings Hart over the top rope with a suplex. Hart gouges the eyes and follows with a bulldog head lock. Shida kicks out. Hart misses with a somersault knee strike. Shida with a diving elbow strike and follows with a spinning knee strike. She plants Hart with falcon arrow and covers to get the three count.
Winner via pinfall: Hikaru Shida
After the match, Serena Deeb’s music hits and Deeb tries to attack from behind. The two face off, Shida with a kendo stick; Deen with a chair. Serena retreats after losing the element of surprise.
Swerve Strickland talks to Alex Marvez about his weekend at the Grammy’s, but he didn’t forget about Starks and Hobbs putting him through a table. On cue, the two attack Swerve in the locker room. Keith Lee evens the odds, putting Powerhouse Hobbs through the wall!
The Young Bucks (challengers) vs. FTR (champions) – ROH and AAA Tag Team Championship Match
Cash Wheeler and Matt Jackson lock up with Wheeler powering him into the corner. The Bucks regroup on the floor as Cash taunts them. Nick throws his head band in Harwood’s face; Dax stuffs it down his briefs and throws it in Matt’s face. Nick and Dax trade throws and holds. Matt makes the blind tag, but Cash joins Dax in the ring to prevent any double team. Matt takes out Wheeler on the apron, so Dax takes out Nick. All four men brawl in the ring, with the Young Bucks getting the upper hand. The hit Dax with a double hip toss and then double drop kick. They do the same to Cash. Wheeler locks in a sharp shooter and Dax does the same. The Bucks are able to break free. Wheeler takes a cannonball senton. Matt with a side Russian leg sweep and goes to the middle rope to drop an elbow. Nick with faux tag and rubs Cash’s eyes across the ropes.
After the commercial break, Wheeler is in trouble, unable to get a tag to Dax. He fights off the Bucks, but Nick superkicks Harwood off the apron. Cash with an uppercut to Nick spring boarding off the ropes. Dax finally gets the hot tag. He sends Nick to the outside and strikes Nick in the corner Dax nearly gets the pin with an inside cradle. Harwood with a piledriver that only gets a two count. Nick saves Matt from the top rope, but pays for it; getting slammed on the apron by Cash. Dax with the superplex, but Nick prevents Cash from finishing the powerplex. All four men are down. Nick gets the tag, delivering a knee strike and bulldog that Matt finishes with a drop kick. Harwood gets kicked from the apron, but then catches Nick and hits a brain buster on the floor.
In the ring, Cash with an inverted slam, but can’t get the pin. Dax rolls into the ring but Nick blocks the Big Rig. Matt with a low blow to Cash and to add insult to injury the Bucks hit Wheeler with the Big Rig. Cash kicks out. Nick hits a 450 splash and Matt follows with a moonsault. Wheeler keeps kicking out. Nick grabs one of the belts, but Dax grabs it. Wheeler nearly gets a roll up, but then gets hit with the belt. Matt rolls him up and grabs the tights. Harwood makes the saves at the last minute. Dax eats a double super kick, leaving Wheeler to fend for himself. Cash gets hit with the BTE trigger, and Nick covers. The ref makes the three count, but Wheeler got a foot on the rope. The ref waives off the decision. Matt picks up Wheeler, but Dax catches Nick in mid air. He hits the slingshot powerbomb as Wheeler piledrives Matt. FTR with a BTE Trigger to Matt. They hit him with the Big Rig; Dax makes the cover and gets the three count.
Winners…and still ROH and AAA champions…via pinfall: FTR
That’s all the time we have! See you in seven!
TOP PHOTO: FTR vs The Young Bucks. Photo by George Tahinos, georgetahinos.smugmug.com
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