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It is Wednesday and AEW Dynamite is in the Entertainment and Sports And Entertainment Arena Washington DC. Our commentary team is Excalibur, Matt Menard, and Tony Schiavone.
In the back, Renee Paquette is with Jay White and Orange Cassidy. White says that his focus is on the AEW World Championship, but first he has to make it to World’s End. He has no Bang Bang Gang at his side, so he has to rely on Orange Cassidy and Adam Page, but Page is only good at letting people down. Page shows up and says tonight, Jon Moxley is his.
Darby Allin is in the back as well and lets us know it is showtime. Will Ospreay says he will show us why he is on another level when they face each other tonight.
Excalibur runs down the card for tonight.
Mercedes Mone (TBS Champion) vs Anna Jay
Anna has been moved up the card, and unlike most people in AEW who fall to oblivion when losing a Title shot, they are keeping Anna at the top of the card for a match for the other women’s title. Anna weathers the initial attack by Mone, and Anna takes over right before the commercial break, and dominates when they return from the break and starts with her big moves and the Queenslayer. Mone breaks out of the Queenslayer by biting her arm, and then Mone locks her submission finisher and Anna forces their way to the ropes.
The crowd is on Anna’s side, and does cheer for Mone when she gets in her big moves, but I am a bit surprised by the support for Anna. In the end, Mone hits a Moneymaker for the pin and the win.
Winner and still TBS Champion: Mercedes Mone
Not one of Anna’s better matches, however. She was a step off and didn’t look as good as she has lately.
We get a promo from FTR from home who say they are not cleared to compete for the rest of the year, but they are coming for the Death Riders on January 1st and they aren’t coming alone.
MJF’s music plays and he comes to the ring to scattered cheers. He launches into a promo where he runs down the local sports team, but that actually starts a “Wizards Suck” chant. He is also wearing a suit with tons of Hanukkah symbols over it, so when he says it’s the most wonderful time of the year because of Hanukkah, they chant for that. He says Santa isn’t real and they chant for Santa.
He mocks Adam Cole as being a starving yellow Bay Bay and he will have a foundation to put Cole out of his misery.
Cole shows on the big screen, He says the Matt Taven and Mike Bennett are cleared to make sure he can’t get his hands on the Dynamite Diamond Ring before the match is over. He then says, just like Columbo, just one more thing, “Am I kicking your ass yet?”
We pull back to see Cole is in the ring and he lays out MJF with a super kick.
Jamie Hayter is in the back and calls Julia Hart a coward for attacking her from behind after her match Saturday. She then challenges Hart to a match at Fight For The Fallen.
This followed by a promo for the return of Kenny Omega.
Christian Cage and Nick Wayne w/Mother Wayne and Kip Sabian vs Hook and Katsuyori Shibata
We get an insert showing what has happened between Hook and Cage’s team over the last few weeks.
Cage and Shibata have a nice sequence of babyface vs heel as Shibata dominates and Cage either cowers or takes advantage of the rules when he can. When Hook is tagged in, Cage RUNS to his corner to tag out. Hook is able to backdrop Cage out of the ring onto Wayne before tagging Shibata in, and Shibata stays in the ring and waits for Wayne to get back in the ring.
As the match goes on, Cage is able to snap Hooks injured arm over the top rope. Shibata is given a spotlight as he fights off most of Cage’s team, and simply uses wrestling moves to maintain his advantage. There are sequences where Shibata fights off both Cage and Wayne.
We do get a sequence where Hook is able to get a suplex on Cage on the floor, but it hurts his injured hand. After Shibata takes out Wayne, Mother Wayne gets on the apron and distracts the ref as Cage rakes Shibata’s eyes and hits him with the Killswitch and pulls Wayne on top of Shibata for the pin and the win.
Winners: Christian Cage and Nick Wayne
Nothing special here, but a solid TV match to build the heat with this feud, show Cage in the ring, and really put a spotlight on just how good Shibata is.
We then get a video for Chris Jericho to hype his match at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle. He mocks New York City as he says he is the King Of New York!
Next is a hype video for the return for Bandido.
Harley Cameron singing = Pure Entertainment
We get a promo from Mariah May where she runs down Thunder Rosa and her father. Her promos are superb in that she simply talks as if no one has any chance to beat her and the rest of the women’s division doesn’t matter.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring to speak to Ricochet about his match with Ospreay on Saturday and the rest of the Continental Classic. Tony asks about his change of attitude. Ricochet says the change looks good on him. We then hear the music for the Hurt Syndicate as MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin come to the ring.
Ricochet starts fawning over them and then says Ospreay will see a different side of Ricochet. MVP asks if he has MVP’s card, and when he pulls it out, Lashley grabs him and MVP tears up the card, saying, “No one likes a kiss ass.” Ricochet leaves the ring quickly, saying he will talk to them later about it.
Shelton Benjamin vs The Beast Mortos - Continental Classic match
MVP joins commentary.
This is gonna be a hoss fight. Benjamin just tosses Mortos to start and Mortos starts fighting back with speed and high-flying moves. Mortos gets a single leg crab and twists Benjamin’s leg. Benjamin is able to crotch Mortos on the top and knock him to the floor with a rising knee strike that looks more brutal than anyone else makes that move look.
Benjamin dominates through the picture in picture. MVP talks about how Benjamin had a minor procedure on his knee to further sell the knee. They go back and forth with big moves until Mortos strings together a series of big moves for a near fall. Benjamin gets a running power slam and as Benjamin recovers, Mortos pops up. Benjamin gets a big boot and we have no sign that his leg is hurt.
Benjamin tosses Mortos with his German Suplexes. Benjamin then gets two running knee strikes and hits a power slam called the Hurt Fall.
Winner and getting three points: Shelton Benjamin
Mortos has 0 points so far. I wonder if LFI and Undisputed Kingdom will now fight over who HAS to have him on their team.
MVP and Bobby Lashley joins Benjamin in the ring to stomp down Mortos. MVP says that this is what Daniel Garcia has to look forward to on Saturday.
Garcia comes to the stage and says he won’t go to the ring because he is outnumbered. He then says DC wants to see a fight and as he goes to the ring Mark Briscoe joins him. Still not enough as the Hurt Syndicate easily takes them out. Benjamin takes the TNT title belt and holds it over Garcia. Maybe Garcia should have counted to three.
Renee is with Ricochet and he says he won't worry about how MVP treated him. He has to get ready to face Will Ospreay this weekend in the Continental Classic. He turns to see Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana. Swerve calls him a turd and then says he is finally acting like the real Trevor he has known for years. He says that Trevor has always been a follower.
Ricochet says that last year, Swerve didn’t win the Continental Classic last year and he’ll be watching as Ricochet does so.
RC City is with Toni Storm, who introduces herself and is blown away by all the lights and how cool it is to be in the big time. He tries to jog her memory and she talks about how cool it will be to meet everyone in AEW, and being a champion 3 times is just jumping the gun.
Will Ospreay vs Darby Allin - Continental Classic match
These two guys are well-matched. Nice mix of fast-paced move vs move and mat wrestling. They go back and forth in the corner until Darby is knocked to the floor. Ospreay misses his dive and Darby hits a high speed cannonball into Ospreay on the floor. Darby misses a Coffin Drop from the top and hits the apron, which I hear is the hardest part of the ring.
When we come back from commercial, they are back to move/counter move and Darby has trouble following up on any advantage because of his back. Ospreay is able to block a Code Red, hit a hidden blade, and a storm breaker. Darby is able to get out of it and hit that Code Red for two. Awesome sequence.
Ospreay gets a series of strikes that make Darby fires up and fights back. He dodges an Oz Cutter and uses the momentum to shove Ospreay to the mat. Ospreay is able to get a styles clash from the apron to the floor. In the ring, Darby is able to get the Scorpion Death Drop followed by a pair of coffin drops for the pin and the win.
Winner and getting three points: Darby Allin
Darby pulling out the Scorpion Death Drop and getting the win was a surprise. Ospreay should be treated like a top guy who is nearly impossible to beat, so this outcome is baffling.
Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta and Pac) vs Jay White, Orange Cassidy, and Adam Page
This is a storyline match, and the story is that White’s team isn't on the same page and the Death Riders are a unit. Cassidy wants to destroy Yuta and Page just wants to fight. When White tags himself in, Page throws a fit and storms to the back allowing Mox to attack White from behind.
White becomes the babyface in peril and when he gets to his corner for a tag, Cassidy is still on the floor, recovering. The wrestling is secondary to the story of the Death Riders able to keep White’s team from working together. White is finally able to get the hot tag and Cassidy gets to beat on Mox for a while. White and Cassidy are able to start working together. Cassidy tries for an Orange Punch, and runs right into a cutter.
Page shows up and attacks, He sets for the Buckshot on Mox, but Cassidy nails Mox with an Orange Punch instead, which lets Page yell at Cassidy. After the Death Riders get in some attacks, Page goes for a Buckshot that Cassidy dodges and takes out Pac. White and Page start arguing, and when Cassidy comes over to sort things out, it allows Mox to grab a surprise rollup for the pin and the win.
Winners: Death Riders
White’s team keeps arguing and the Death Riders surround the ring. THIS gets White’s team to fight back, and we are out of time!!
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