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It is Wednesday, and it's time for AEW Dynamite. We're in Raleigh North Carolina in the PNC Arena. Our commentary team is Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone.
We are not starting with a match. Instead, Adam Cole comes out with Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly, reDragon. He asks who is ready for story time. He says that last year was great for them, and this year will be even better since he's not been pinned, he has not submitted, and he's undefeated in singles competition. He says that the crew is back together and it's a New Era in AEW. The Young Bucks come out with Brandon Cutler and they say they are going to join them. Kyle says they weren't invited to their match last week either. The Bucks say this is their company, and the longest reigning tag team champions and they have resolved to get their belts back.
reDragon says they have the same resolution and nothing will stand between them and the titles and that includes the Bucks. Cole says this is exactly what they need, friendly competition. Cole starts to run down the Best Friends, and they show up as well with Orange Cassidy with a microphone.
They go face to face in the ring. Then, all hell breaks loose!
The ring in cleared with Cassidy left in the ring with Adam Cole, who nails Cassidy with a low blow. This causes Kris Statlander to come into the ring, and Britt Baker runs and and takes out Statlander. Cole takes out Cassidy and the Super Elite stand tall in the ring with Baker giving Cole a kiss Bay Bay.
If they are going to start with a story segment, I'm glad it didn't become a 20 minute talk fest and instead ended with a brawl. They also grabbed some simmering stories, added Britt Baker and Statlander to give her a new direction after beating Riho.
We get a video package building up Wardlow.
Wardlow vs CM Punk
MJF comes out with Wardlow. Punk does not take his eyes off of Wardlow and MJF as he does his ring entrance.
Wardlow does a nice bit of rolling his eyes as the crowd chants for Punk. Punk bails out of the ring and Wardlow leaves the ring as well and they eye each other. They return to the ring and lock up and Wardlow shoves Punk to the corner. They lock up again and Punk slaps on a headlock and they transition to Punk being shoved to the ropes and being brought down with a shoulder tackle by Wardlow. Punk isn't being shown as strong as Wardlow, but in the same league by this.
Wardlow is able to start clubberin' and Punk will be taking a beating, but Punk also looks for ways to get in some offense. Wardlow is able to get Punk ready for a power bomb, but Punk drops down to escape. The story is going to be Punk experience against Wardlow's strength. On picture in picture, that story continues, with Wardlow getting in power and strength moves and Punk either taking the hits or outsmarting Wardlow for a move or two.
Punk goes for a DDT and Wardlow just tosses him off, and Punk is shwoign exhaustion. Wardlow goes for a power bomb, and Punk escapes and hits kicks and strikes. He finally drops Wardlow with a flying clothesline. Punk is selling the lower back, and after hitting a knee in the corner, Wardlow is finally able to hit a power bomb.
Wardlow hits a second power bomb and struts around the ring. He comes back and hits a third, a fourth, and a fifth. Wardlow stands on punk's chest and MJF stops the pin and says he wants more punishment.
So we get more power bombs. As MJF taunts the crowd, Punk rolls to the apron. MJF clears the timekeeper's table and tells Wardlown to power bomb him through the table, which he does.
Wardlow returns to the ring and the ref starts the count.
Punk crawls to the ring as MJF is shouting at him. Punk it makes it to the ring on nine. MJF tells Wardlow to power bomb him again.
Punk is able to grab Wardlow for an inside cradle and get the surprise three count.
Your winner: CM Punk
MJF goes in the ring and calls for the music to be cut. He starts berating Wardlow. Is this when Wardlow turns?
Wardlow grabs MJF's finger and Shawn Spears runs into the ring to stop Wardlow from going after MJF. They all head up the ramp and Punk remains on the floor. An old storytelling gimmick, but I was not expecting it, so it worked.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs Dante Martin
Dante runs to the ring and attacks Hobbs and they brawl on the floor and then into the ring as the bell rings. Martin hits a series of Drop kicks and then leaps into Hobbs driving them both to the floor. Taz talks about how his legal team is terrible. Hobbs grabs Martin when he leaps onto him and that's when Hobbs starts working over Martin in the ring.
Martin gets in a few strikes, but Hobbs shrugs them off and then just drills Martin with a clothesline and then pummels him on the mat. Martin fights his way up, but Hobbs is able to beat him down again. Hobbs goes for the torture rack, but Martin escapes. Hobbs just keeps cuttign Martin off every time he starts to get a head of steam.
Dante is tossed over to the top to the floor and is stomped down by Ricky Starks as we go picture to picture. This really feels like a long squash match and since Hobbs is number two in the rankings, it's clear they are going to make him The Big Monster with Wardlow working with MJF in their story.
Martin gets a few more moves and they look awesome, ending with a middle drop kick that looks effective for a two count. Hobbs finally cuts him off by slamming into him. Starks is moving to interfere, but Jay Lethal cuts him off and Martin is able to hit the Nose Dive and gets the cover and the three count.
Your winner: Dante Martin
For a minute, I thought they were going to finally shed the “Team Taz always loses” in this match, but nope, they still screw up and lose. Maybe Hook can taske over since he actually wins matches.
In the back, Alex Marvez is with Chris Jericho. Since it's an interview on Dynamite, who will interrupt immediately? He tells Jericho that the Inner Circle won faction of the year for Pro Wreslting Illustrated.
Jericho puts over Sammy's match later tonight and Eddie Kingston shows up and gets in Jericho's face. He says that Santana and Ortiz aren't tag team champions because of Jericho. Jericho gets in Eddie's face, and Santana and Ortiz bail, followed by Jake Hager. Jericho says he will be in Sammy's corner if 2point0 interfere, and if Eddie interferes, he will kick his ass too. Jericho ends with GFY and Eddoie has no idea what he means.
Most likely because he would just say what it stands for.
I won't say what it stands for because Mike Johnson bleeps me when I write cursing on the blogs, like if I were to say:
<section redacted>
SEE, HE DID IT AGAIN!
MJF comes out of the tunnel, shouting and he calls out CM Punk. He says that Punk got a fluke victory over an oaf and he says no more running, no more hiding and next week week it's CM Punk vs....
Shawn Spears.
In the back, it's the Super Elite where they start by mocking Brandon Cutler. Britt Baker joins them and challenges Kris Statlander and Orange Cassidy to a mixed tag with her and Adam Cole. And yes, everyone making fun of Brandon Cutler makes me laugh.
Adam Page is on his way to the ring. Page says he has spent 90 minutes over the last two months in the ring with one of the best in the world. After he puts over that he's still the champion and he needs a new challenger and Dan Lambert interrupts and talks about the real cowboys he's known. He then says the matches he's had are the best he's seen in years. He then puts over Page's wins but says he hasn't earned the Cowboy persona.
Lambert is interrupted by the Returning Lance Archer who looks to attacks Lambert, but instead bets down Adam Page. He sets up a chair in the middle of the ring and hits a blackout on Page into the chair.
In the back, Tony Schiavone is with Arn Anderson Brock Anderson and Lee Johnson who are now a tag team. Anderson says it's Horseman country this brings out Tully who says to dump the dead weight and join him. FTR mock them as well and tells them to take an open challenge for next week. Arn and Tully shake hands and we go to commercial.
We get a video package about Jade Cargill winning the TBS title last week.
Hikaru Shida vs Serena Deeb
Deeb attacks Shida with a chop block to the injured knee on her way to the ring, and then drops her knee first on the steel steps. The ref goes outside the ring to check on Shida, who slowly makes his way into the ring, but can't put any weight on her leg. The bell rings and Deeb attacks, nailing a dragon screw in the ropes. She keeps attacking the leg and then locks on the Serenity lock until the Red calls for the bell.
Your winner: Serena Deeb
Deeb keeps up her attacks until pulled off by referees.
In the back, Tony Schiavone is with Jurassic Express and Christian Cage and they say they will take on all comers in the top five. John Silver and Alex Reynolds challenge them, and we have a match on Friday.
In the ring, Matt Hardy is the Hometown boy. His wife and children are at ringside and Private Party are in the ring with him.
Matt Hardy vs Penta El Zero Miedo
They trade Zero Miedo and Deletes as the bell rings. They start by trading big kicks and slaps in the corner as we go picture in picture. Matt, the hometown boy, is in control through the commercials.
When they return to full screen, Penta hits a couple fo sling blades a rib breaker (that was botched) and covers for a two count. Matt is up and escapes the fear factor and hits a DDT for a two count. They go to the top and Penta slides out and knocks Hardy down. He leaps up and gives Hardy a stomp for a two count.
They move to trade chops on the apron. Matt finally hits a side effect on the apron and gets a two count. Matt goes for the twist of fate, but Penta shoves him off and they fight in the corner. They go to the top, and Matt misses a Moonsault press. Penta is able to get the Fear Factor and covers for the three count.
Your winner: Penta
Penta then calls out Malachi Black, which makes the lights go out.
Black comes into the ring as the spotlight hits and he takes down Penta and goes for his mask. The Varsity Blondes dome down to even the odds, and Julia Hart, still with an eye patch is screaming at them as the take Black down. The lights go out.
When they come back on, Brody King is in the ring and he cleans house.
In the back, Tony is in the back with Leyla Hirsch, Red Velvet and Kris Statlander who have a match Friday, and Tony asks her about the match with Britt Baker next week. Leyla and Kris have words and Red Velvet tells them to get it together.
The Acclaimed vs Bear Country
Bear Country drop the Acclaimed and they keep working over Anthony Bowens, until he is able to shove them into each other and tax in Max Caster as we go picture in picture. Acca;limed keep control during the commercial.
When they return to full screen, Bear Bronson is able to get the hot tag and Bear Boulder cleans house. Bronson is tagged in and they go for the Bear Bomb but Max pulls Bowens out of the way, and Max is bale to roll up Bronson for a two count. Bowens is able to hit the Mic Drop for the cover and the three count.
Your winners: The Acclaimed
A match to make the Acclaimed look sharp as they are the number one contenders tag team.
Since they mentioned Sting and Darby Allin in their rap to the ring, The snow starts flying. Sting and Darby beat them down, and everyone in North Carolina get to see Sting do the Scorpion Death Drop.
We then get a video package from Pac. He talks about how Malachi Black's mist blinded him. He says that his vision has never been so clear as he holds the Tarot card Justice.
We get a rundown of the card for Rampage and next week's Dynamite.
We then get a video package from Pac. He talks about how Malachi Black's mist blinded him. He says that his vision has never been so clear as he holds the Tarot card Justice.
We get a rundown of the card for Rampage and next week's Dynamite.
Matt Hardy and Private Party are with Tony, and Matt says he should focus more on himself. Andrade El Idolo shows up and tells him to calm down and they are both businessmen. He wants to put together a deal with him.
Sammy Guevara (interim TNT champion) vs Daniel Garcia
Everyone has their groups with them.
They tie up and trade takedown and grapple on the mat. They fight in the corner and the ref makes them break it up. Daniel slaps Sammy as they break and the ref tears into him verbally. They keep fighting, with Daniel going outside the ring and Sammy leaping over the top onto him. They are making this look like a fight instead of a match.
Sammy rolls him into the ring and starts a series of chops. Sammy calls for the GTH, and Daniel escapes. They run the ropes and Daniel is able to catch Sammy with a back across his knee as they go to the small screen. Garcia has control all through the commercial.
When they return to full screen, Sammy fights his way free from a waist lock. He escapes a back drop and takes Garcia down with a clothesline and then hits a series of moves. Garcia goes outside the ring to get his wits about him and Sammy leaps over the top onto him. Sammy rolls Garcia into the ring and goes to the top, but Garcia yanks him off the top, hits a backdrop driver and covers for a two.
We get a series of finishing move and counters with Garcia ending the sequence with a leg lock. Sammy makes it to the ropes. Sammy hits a back drop, and Garcia misses with a leaping attack into the corner. Sammy then hits a cross roads for a two count. Sammy goes to the top for the double jump into a cutter, but Garcia is able to grab him and lock in a sleeper hold. He turns it into a pile driver and covers Sammy for a two count.
Outside the ring, 2point0 attack Jericho. Sammy goes for the GTH but he has to drive 2point0 off the apron. He is finally able to get the GTH and covers for the three count and the win.
Your winner and still TNT interim champion: Sammy Guevara!
2point0 rush the ring, and Jericho and Eddie Kingston drive them off and then go face to face with each other as we are desperately out of time.
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