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It's Wednesday, we're in Cleveland Ohio at the Wolstein Center and it's time for AEW Dynamite! Our commentary team is Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Excalibur.
Cody vs. Sammy Guevara Ladder Match for the TNT Championship
Both men are in the ring as the show starts. Crowd is firmly on Sammy's side. They shake hands to start the match.
They run the ropes twice, with each getting the advantage at the end. They third time they lock up, neither one gets an advantage. They go for their finishing maneuvers and quickly escape each time. After this, Sammy goes for a ladder and Cody attacks him on the way back to the ring. The belts are much higher than in normal ladder matches, and the commentators says they are ten foot ladders. Cody sets up a ladder from the ring to the barricade and they start brawling again, this time into the crowd.
While Cody is high fiving fans, Sammy leaps off the barricade to give a cutter, but it didn't look good. You can tell because JR said “I don't think he got all of it.” As Cody recovers, Sammy brings a ladder into the ring, so it's time for them to fight using the ladder. As they are recovering from running into each other, we see Dan Lambert and Scorpio Sky watching the match from the crowd.
Cody hits a vertical suplex from the near top of the ladder. That's about twice as high as the top turnbuckle. They go picture in picture to allow for them to have some time to recover from that spot. Looked dangerous and impressive.
When they return to full screen, Cody has been battering Sammy, dropping a ladder on him and beating on him. Cody has a ladder set up upside down and Sammy drops Sammy on the hinges of the ladder. He then puts a figure four on Sammy through a ladder. When they release, Cody gives him a series of chops in the corner and Sammy fires up for his comeback. Cody stops it by throwing a adder at him.
That's one way to stop him, I guess.
Cody sets up a ladder for the belts, and Sammy runs up a smaller ladder and hits a cutter. Really amazing visually. Sammy recovers first, puts the ladder over Cody's chest and climbs up, and Cody pushes the ladder off, knocking Sammy into the ropes. The next spot is Cody on a big ladder, Sammy on a small one, and Cody hits a cross roads on Sammy. The next spot is both men climbing up and hanging from the bar with the belts. Sammy falls first and then Cody falls.
They both are on the floor and Cody slams Sammy's leg in the ladder. Feugo Del Sol comes out to tell Cody to lay off and gets a pedigree for his trouble. Sammy takes advantage and takes out Cody with a twisting leap onto Cody on the floor. Cody gets laid on the bridged ladder, so here is Chekov's gun, show the set up, someone has to get hurt by it.
Sammy sets up a twelve foot ladder next to Cody's laying on the bridged ladder, and it's time for him to dive onto Cody...and the bridges ladder doesn't bend. Sammy's the first one up and in the ring. Cody catches up with him and the trade punches on the top of the ladder. Sammy slams a belt into Cody and he pulls down the belts.
Your winner and the Undisputed TNT Champion: Sammy Guevara
As ladder matches go, this was a good one. A few big moves that were impressive, Sammy was able to pull out the win because he was more willing to put his body on the line, and no blood. The Fuego Del Sol run in makes not sense to me.
Team Taz and Tony Schiavone are at the beach covered in snow. Hobbs challenges Dante Martin, and Ricky Starks challenges Jay Lethal to a FTW title shot next week.
Wardlow vs. Elijia Dean and James Alexander in a Handicap match
Wardlow is now called Mr. Mayhem, and he tells Shawn Spears to stay back. Dean and Anderander are making their AEW debut. Power bombs for everyone.
Your winner: Wardlow
Afterward, Shawn Spears goes to the ring, but he walks back with Wardlow without using the chair on our two power bomb recipients.
Chris Jericho, Santana and Ortiz vs. 2point and Daniel Garcia
They are pushing a breakup of the Inner Circle pretty hard, which would be odd, since they have had a few matches where they would have to break up, and they won only to end the group over the Eddie Kingston feud.
Matt Lee and Jericho start off but Santana tags himself in, making Jericho give a big smile, and allowing Lee to sneak attack and drag Santana to his corner to tag in Jeff Parker. This does Parker no good as Santana manhandles him. He tags in Ortiz, and after a near fall, Lee tags in, and he tags in Garcia. Garcia gets in a series of blows, but Santana gets tagged in after Garcia gets clotheslined.
Jericho tags himself in and the Ortiz tags himself in and Garcia hits a chop block on Ortiz while point take out Jericho and Santana which takes us to picture in picture. The ad for Rampage is a highlight reel for Hook.
When we return to full screen, Ortiz is getting beaten down by the heels. Santana is knocked off the apron and Ortiz crawls to the corner. Santana makes it onto the apron to take the tag and Jericho looks shocked. Santana and Ortiz take cvar of business, and as we get to the end fo the match, Jericho hits a Judas Effect on Parker, Ortiz follows with a pile driver and a pin.
Your winners: Chris Jericho, Santana and Ortiz
They have words as Jericho backs up the ramp, and the story was that they effectively ignored Jericho for the entire match, with Jericho making sure they got the win at the end. The match itself was just a backdrop for the story, so there wasn't anything all that special about it.
We then go to a video package on Lance Archer with him and Jake Roberts talking about how the match with Adam Page wants a Texas Death Match in two weeks.
We're back on the stairway with Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy, Private Party, Christian Cage and Matt Hardy. They hype their match on Rampage. I did like the Jungle Boy pointed out that the watch being worn by one of the Private Party members was fake.
It's CM Punk's time to speak!
And there's a “Bring Back Killer Instinct” sign, and I love the video game signs.
It's back to happy Punk as the promo starts. He says he's here to fight. He then unzips his hoodie and shows he's wearing MJF's scarf. He mocks the scarf, he mocks Long Island and calls for MJF to come down to the ring.
MJF's music hits and he comes out in a suit, not ready to fight. MJF asks the crowd if they want to see him wrestle Punk tonight. He there says he wouldn't waste the match on Cleveland. He runs them down and they tell him they think he's an a***hole. He says next week, people get the match they want next week. He then says it will be with MJF, but because the place is disgusting so tonight they won't fight tonight. He then runs down Cleveland more, He then says when he beats CM Punk, people will get to see the real CM Punk.
He says when Punk loses he will leave again, and throws in a Lebron slam. He then says that Punk no showed when he quit in 2014.
The “Punk quits” stuff is getting old.
Punk tells him to lace up his boots, but he knows he can't. Punks gives a rah rah speech about how he never lies to the fans and how MJF is one of his fans. Punk does a great job with the rah rah stuff and turned the segment around. MJF takes off his watch, and then FTR and Wardlow start to come to the ring, and Shawn Spears attacks Punk from behind.
The entire Pinnacle is in the ring and they keep beating him down. Punk is held in place as Spears nails him with a chaier. Wardlow doesn't take part and just watches.
MJF tells Wardlow to power bomb him. They hand Punk to Wardlow who takes his time but then power bombs Punk on the chair. MJF then sits crosslegged on Punk's chest and ends his promo.
We then get the Acclaimed in the back complaining about Jon Moxley's attacks on them and on Friday, Anthony Bowens will beat him down.
Tony is with Griff Garrison and Julia Hart but before they can speak Mark Sterling, in a neck brace, tells Julia she is Jade Cargill's next challenger, but she has to sing a release since she's still wearing an eye patch. Griff tries to tell her no, but she shuts him up and signs the release.
Leyla Hirsch vs Red Velvet
Red runs to the ring and attacks Leyla, and after a few blows, Leyla rolls out of the ring to escape the final slice. She drags Red out of the ring and beats her down on the floor. Red is able to get in a few blows and rolls Leyla into the ring and works her over on the ropes. Leyla locks in a triangle choke, but Leyla picks her up and slams her into the turnbuckle and starts working her over as we go to picture in picture. The announcers say the story of the match is Leyla's strength vs Red's speed, but we're not really seeing that since they went to commercial so quickly.
When we return to full screen, Leyla hits a stunner out of the middle turnbuckle. Red then hits a series of clotheslines anmd then the double knees to the back with Leyla on the ropes. They work the middle of the ring and Red gets a spear and a two count. Leyla counters the final strike, misses a knee strike and puts on the Legit Lock. Red gets to the ropes for the break.
They trade a few more moves, and Leyla is able to grab Red's leg and rolls her up for a three count with a handful of tights.
Your winner: Leyla Hirsch
Leyla goes for a beat down, but Kris Statlander runs to the rescue, running off Leyla. JR drops a snarky comment about how he doesn't understand why people stop chasing when someone gets up the rampway.
A few botches and some sloppiness, but again, they are both green and it shows.
We get a video of the House of Black. They threaten Pac and the Death Triangle. Nice spooky promo.
Sammy is out next with his championship and his cue cards putting over that he is a champion with Feugo Del Sol.
Tony is in the ring with three Pro Wrestling Illustrated Awards and calls out Dr. Britt Baker. Baker grabs the mic and she says it's weird that MJF and CM Punk couldn't keep her name out of their mouths. She puts over her awards. She mocks Baker Mayfield, and then goes back to putting herself over. The crowd is chanting for Baker Mayfield doesn't seem to be paying attention to her.
I think the football thing was a poor choice, because she lost the crowd on that one. They weren't booing her, they were cheering their team,. And she didn't talk about anyone facing her in the future.
Vickie Guerrero interrupts the rundown for the Rampage Card and Nyla Rose says she shouldn't have lost to Ruby Soho and wants to fight her next week.
Orange Cassidy vs Adam Cole in a Unsanctioned Lights Out Match
Cassidy starts the match by destroying his sunglasses and they then rush at each other and trade blows. The fight quickly goes to the outside with tosses into the barricades. Cole pulls a chair from under the ring and also drags out Danhousen!
Cassidy takes advantage of the shock and hits a spinning DDT. Chairs are used, Cole and Cassidy go through a table, and Cole uses the ring bell to stop an Orange Punch. Cole then puts Cassidy's hand between the steel steps and the ring and kicks it to take Cassidy's punch out of the match. Plunder is then thrown into the ring as we go to picture in picture.
When we get back, chairs are set up and Cole gets driven into them for a two count. Cassidy is knocked out of the ring and Cole calls down Brandon Cutler, but Wheeler Yuta takes him out and then it's everyone coming out to ringside.
As Roppongi Vice takes on the Bucks, Cassidy hits a beach break for a two count, then an orange punch, but Cassidy's hands hurts too much. Cole hits a low blow but Cassidy is wearing a steel cup. Cassidy then hits the Panama Sunrise on Cole for a two count.
Cassidy pulls out a chain and wraps it around his fist. Cole bails out of the ring and heads up the ramp. Cassidy follows and they fight in the entry tunnel, and then into the back. Cole puts Cassidy through the control table in the back on monitors and everything. They then fight up through the entrance tunnel again. Cole goes for the boom, but Cassidy is up and hits a superkick.
Cassidy goes for the punch but Cole nails him with one of the stage lights. Cole climbs up the lighting structure on the stage. He looks down and doesn't see Cassidy, who had snuck up behind him and hits a low blow on Cole. Cassidy hugs Cole and then drops the both of them down and through the stage. Cassidy covers for the three count and the win.
Your winner: Orange Cassidy.
This was a well done brawl, and I am SO happy there wasn't the stuff we've gotten in the past like Thumb tacks and blood. Well done match to end the feud.
And we are desperately out of time!
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