AEW Dynamite: Rebel Heart for a Cause

AEW Dynamite show it's Rebel Heart on this emotional night.

Tommy "Milagro" Martinez

AEW Dynamite: Rebel Heart for a Cause

It’s Wednesday Night on AEW Dynamite. So you know what that means?

Yes, Virginia. This is the night we celebrate the life of Rebel, as ALL Elite Wrestling dedicates this night to her as she brings awareness to her battle with terminal ALS.

Yeah, there’s also wrestling, like a tables match between The Young Bucks and “The ProtoStar” Kyle Fletcher and Kevin “The Jet” Knight, but really…AEW does know when to spotlight a worthy cause. So my snark will be dialed down a touch.

Just a touch.

There is a shot of The Butcher, who passed away this weekend, with fans chanting that name as well to start the show.

We come to you from the Akins Ford Arena in Athens, GA. Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz have the call.

But first, we’re in the Waiting Room with Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. Who thanks “Reba” for her fight. Then she brings out Persephone, and she thanks her for helping save the women’s division by beating Maya World. Next is Hikaru Shida, and She’s happy she rearranged Baker’s nose all those years ago.  But nothing will make her happier than to take out Maya World and her crew.  As all three women head off, Rebel calls out to Baker to take her glove.

Justin Roberts is out with an “A W” armband, like all the roster tonight and he introduces the First Match of the Night, and it is an…

AEW World Trios Championship Match: Swerve Strickland and The New Level (Austin Creed and Kofi, with Prince Nana) (c) vs. The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong)

There is a big pop for Swerve and The New Level at the start.  Kofi and Cassidy start and wrestle to a standstill.  Now Creed and O’Reilly tag in, and he shows the Conglomeration member why he’s on a New Level.  Strong jumps in and they show off their unorthodox offense on the champs, continuing through Picture in Picture.  Momentum swings back to Swerve and The New Level, especially with a triple stomp attack on the outside.

It’s a Pier Six in the squared circle with Cassidy living rent-free in the heads of Swerve and New Level.  However, The New Level deliver with a new finisher on Cassidy to retain,

Your Winners, And Still AEW Trios Champions:  Swerve Strickland and The New Level

After the match, O’Reilly and Cassidy (no Strong in sight) shake hands until The Demand is out with Jay Lethal and The Swirl, and tells The New Level to get to stepping.

When they don’t, Ricochet offers to help them out. Before that can happen, The Good, The Bad, and The Guapo provide support to even the odds.

After they back off, the trios teams from Swerve and Page’s camps stare down in a show of respect.

Steven Borden Jr. cuts a promo about fearing his dad’s shadow and how he wanted to overcome it, and he reached out to Darby Allin. The training wheels are off, and Allin lays it out for the second-generation wrestler: He’s not the second coming of Sting.  He’s the first Steven Borden.

Excalibur and company give tribute to Andy “The Butcher” Williams and his passing, and Excalibur’s voice cracks with emotion as he describes The Butcher better than any obituary could.

With that, allow me an…

(Author’s Note:  If you were not choked up by this, I barely imagine how Excalibur was able to forge on.  I have my own thoughts on the matter that I may share at a later time, but whatever thoughts you, gentle reader, may have, keep them in your hearts).

Rene Paquette is backstage with the Don Callis Family, and Alexander and Davis are keen to face Borden and Allin, showing them a thing or two. As for family getting along, Fletcher and Knight are gonna try towork as a tag team tonight.  Even Okada sees the value in family.

Now for women’s trios action with…

Maya World, Hyan, and Thunder Rosa vs. Persephone, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., and Hikaru Shida

This is the first time Baker is in a wrestling match in two years. Interestingly, it didn’t feel like much of a pop for her from the Athens crowd.  It might be something to watch in the future, but this may be a one-off given the theme of the night.

Baker and Rosa are in the squared circle, but she gets Persephone in to face La Mera Mera.  It isn’t long before all three women work over the CMLL champion until she nails a powerslam to Hyan.  Shida is in and takes her licks, but once World comes in, she is distracted, and she is an It Girl in Peril throughout Picture in Picture.  Rosa comes in with the hot tag, and she is full of Thunder.  The heels get some measure of revenge, and Rebel wheels out with a glove to Baker, and gets Hyan in the Lockjaw to submit.

Your Winners Via Submission:  Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., Hikaru Shida, and Persephone

Baker is emotional, and goes out to roll out with her friend one more time.

By the way, I’m not crying.  You Are.

Gods Damn It, Wrestling!  Will you stop making me feel my feels?!

Just as I dry my eyes, there’s a vignette of Rebel during her time in AEW and how she learned of her disease, and how she wants to bring awareness to ALS, and…

I’m sorry, I’m catching more feels again.

There is a vignette of Andrade El Ídolo and his journey to a World Championship match, which leads to your next match of the second hour for the…

AEW National Championship: Andrade El Ídolo(c) vs. The Beast Mortos

I think we know where this is heading, and I feel compelled to do a Lucid Luchador Limerick in Review™:

*Ahem*

El Ídolo is amazing, to say the least
As his offense continues to increase.
But when it comes to this match’s Flow,
No need to ask, “How You Know?”
As El Ídolo defeats The Beast

Your Winner, and Still AEW National Champion: Andrade El Ídolo

After the match, El Ídolo gets jumped by The Dogs until Will Ospreay makes the save.

As they stand off against The Dogs, The Death Riders descend, and Dogs like Kidd get curbed at the sight of their masters.

Moxley joins at commentary, which leads to your…

AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. David Finlay

Finlay is tossing the champ around like a sack of potatoes, but it isn’t long before the Aerial Assassin takes over and then…

Ads (Jesus Marimba.  I haven’t covered this gig in a hot minute, yet the Monkeys in the Truck™ haven’t figured out when it’s necessary to cut out!)

We come back, and Finlay is attacking the neck of Ospreay, but he has a lot in his high-flying arsenal, like an Oscutter that connects for a two count.  He signals the Hidden Blade, but Finlay reverses, and then the champ gets him in a Styles Clash to eliminate the threat.

Your Winner:  Will Ospreay

After the match, Ospreay and Mox lock eyes as he makes sure The Death Rider remembers the sound.

Renee backstage with Brody, Bandido, and  Adam Page, and King bluntly asks the “Hangman” if he wants to stay a trio.  Page commits and suggests they discuss the matter over cervezas.

Next up is tag team action with…

Darby Allin and Steven Borden vs. The Don Callis Family (Mark Davis and Josh Alexander, with Don Callis)

The best sign of the night in the crowd: “It’s Steeeeve!”  Curious how long Schiavone will use that in commentary.

Allin gets Borden in the ring, and he holds his own against Dunkzilla.

Allin tags in, and then Alexander and Davis make sure the TNT Champ is in Peril throughout Picture-in-Picture.  He’s in a Texas Cloverleaf until Davis powerbombs and gives an homage to The Butcher.

Allin escapes and gives a drop kick to Alexander, and attempts to tag in Borden, but Davis flings Borden to the guardrails to ensure no hot tag.  They go for suplex attempts that fail, and now we get a hot tag to Borden, and (as I called it with Shciavone), IT’S STEEEEVE En Fuego.

They deliver with a Scorpion Coffin Drop, giving the fledgling tag team the win.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Steve Borden and Darby Allin

Recap of the tag teams wanting to go All Out in Chicago with Tables, Ladders, and Chairs…

(Oh, wait. Am I allowed to say that? Legally?)

Thekla comes out and addresses the dumb bitches in Athens, and tries to talk down to Mercedes Moné. The champ appears in the crowd, and The CEO has some choice words for the Toxic Spider, but they come to a meeting of the minds on their feelings about Willow Nightingale.

That brings out the former Women’s champion as she charges after Thekla. She rolls out and has her Sisters of Sin waiting in the wings, but theyThe Babe with the Power is ready for a rematch with either woman.

Mox is backstage with the Death Riders, and Mox and Ospreay have a meeting of the minds on what’s gonna take place at the ALL OUT PPV, Bruv.

Yeah, I’m sold, and I bet I’ll cover that night.

Now for the Main Event and it is a…

Tables Match: The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. “The Protostar” Kyle Fletcher and “The Jet” Kevin Knight (with Don Callis Family

The Bucks slide in, and this is a Donnybrook right from the start. They fly outside, and Matt and Nick position a table outside, but Knight and Fletcher suplex them back in.  The early parts of the match favor the Bucks, especially as Matt gives with rolling Northern Lights suplexes on Knight until Fletcher ends it.  The Jet and The ProtoStar are firmly in control throughout Picture in Picture, and at one point Knight goes for a Coast to Coast, but the Bucks thwart his attempt.

There is a flurry of offense between all four men, but Knight goes through a table, as does Matt.

Fletcher steps it up and hits a brain buster on Nick.  But the elder Buck sets up a table, and superkicks Fletcher on the table.  Before Nick can capitalize, the Don Callis family interferes. He fights them off, but then Big Stoke gets involved, and Fletcher delivers a superplex through the table to end this.

Your Winners of the Tables Match:  Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight

Afterward, the Don Callis Family proceeds to beat down the Bucks, along with FTR. Before they can finish the job, Allin and Borden rush out for the save.

They show hands, and Borden’s future looks bright as the show comes to a close.

Make SLAM Wrestling your Google Preferred Source

You can personalise your Google settings to see more stories from slamwrestling.net when you search for wrestling news.

Google’s Preferred Sources feature lets you choose the websites you trust most. Once added, Google is more likely to show SLAM in Top Stories and the “from your sources” section.

How to add SLAM:
  1. Click this link to take you directly to Google’s “Source preferences” page.
  2. Sign into your Google account.
  3. Search for slamwrestling.net.
  4. Tick the box next to Slam Wrestling.

Adding SLAM as a Preferred Source helps you see more of our news, features, and exclusive coverage in Google search.

More Reports