AEW Dynamite New Years Smash: Willow Nightingale pins Mercedes Mone

New AEW Men's World Champion MJF speaks. As expected, things take a turn.

Sully Khan

AEW Dynamite New Years Smash: Willow Nightingale pins Mercedes Mone

Apologies for the delay on this recap! I hope everyone rung in the new year in a manner fitting. 2025 was a weird year, to say the least. But one constant was great All Elite Wrestling. Here’s to 2026 continuing the streak!

MJF has the ring and his words are easy to guess. He’s at the top of the Men’s division and he’s not going to let anyone try to keep up with him.

He gets interrupted by The Best Bout Machine, Kenny Omega! Spicy. Make sure your spice tolerance is high because ooh wee! Omega says he’s nearer to the end of his career than the beginning. He asks “what if?”

MJF says Omega wasn’t man enough to come to the ring and say that stuff. “Hangman” Adam Page’s music hits. Oh (cow)boy. His music ends and Swerve Strickland’s music hits. MJF might be in trouble here (again).

Security guards rush out before Strickland and Page can make it to the ring. He high tails it out of there as they break free. The security guards get the worst of it. One of them gets hit with a Buckshot Lariat, which Page delivers off of Strickland’s back, not the ropes!

They warn MJF before Samoa Joe and The Opps are backstage, interrupting them. HOOK’s jacket looks like he borrowed a defective one from CRU. Strickland ups the ante for the challenge next week. NO HOLDS BARRED. NO DQ. LIGHTS OUT.

Orange Cassidy is backstage with the Timeless Love Bombs and Luther. Toni Storm bites into an orange like an apple and Mine Shirakawa is as confused yet seemingly intrigued as all of us. might be.

1. Mixed Trios Tornado Tag: Death Riders (Marina Shafir, Claudio Castagnoli, & Daniel Garcia) vs. Toni Storm, Roderick Strong, & Orange Cassidy

Playing with fire only works until you get burned.

Winners: Death Riders

Ahead of the main event in which she’ll defend her TBS Championship against Willow Nightingale, a Mercedes Mone video package airs.

2. Bandido vs. The Beast Mortos

Don’t mess with the bull or you’ll get the horns. Or, maybe something else if you’re Bandido, actually.

Bandido gets Mortos up and then hits Twente One Plex!

Winner: Bandido

Brody King expects Bandido to beat MJF and claims his spot at the front of the line when Bandido is champion.

3. Brody King vs. Lee Johnson

Lee Johnson gets in some solid offense, using his speed to string a combo together.

That is, only until he runs right into King’s arm. Lariat. Corner Cannonball. Game.

Winner: Brody King

Darby Allin claims that, by beating PAC, he’ll finish off the Death Riders for good. Strong take but is disagreeing with Allin a good idea?

4. AEW Continental Championship – Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley vs. Josh Alexander

As expected, this is the definition of a hard-hitting affair. As close to it as you can get, some might say. After landing multiple brutal shots on Moxley, Alexander has to deal with this.

Winner: Jon Moxley

Interesting to note, Shelton Benjamin and MVP watch Moxley celebrate from the top of the aisle. Perhaps they have their eyes set on a new target?

Triangle of Madness are together backstage and Thekla calls out AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander.

5. Ricochet (c) vs. Jack Perry for the AEW National Championship

Despite what anyone might say, this stuff ain’t as easy as it looks.

Ricochet rallies himself after, fighting back.

Winner: Ricochet retains.

Gates of Agony take care of Luchasaurus. He’s still bandaged from Worlds End on Saturday but they go after his arm, slamming it with a guardrail.

Wheeler Yuta says Darby Allin, eyes set on PAC, has to go through him first. He’s got confidence. As to whether that’s still a smart move? Jury might be out there.

Backstage, Harley Cameron hypes up her tag partner Willow Nightingale, before a massive tilt for Mercedes Mone’s TBS Championship.

Former Men’s Tag Team Championship Brodido confront MJF. He’s clearly got a lot of eyes on him, which he no doubt wanted.

6. “CEO” Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Willow Nightingale for the TBS Champioship

When you get a shot as big as this, you make sure you show up. Willow Nightingale does just that.

Mone gets dropped on the apron with a Death Valley Driver. She responds and plants Nightingale on the announce desk. Back in the ring, Nightingale counters and sits Mone down in the middle of the ring.

Hopefully Mone’s remaining titles will be able to comfort her after dropping yet another!

Winner: AND NEW TBS CHAMPION, FOR THE SECOND TIME, WILLOW NIGHTINGALE!

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