AEW Dynamite airs live tonight from the Watsco Center in Miami, Florida, on the campus of the University of Miami. The show is being branded as the Bash at the Beach edition of Dynamite.
Jon Moxley is scheduled to take on Sammy Guevara of the Inner Circle. Moxley turned down Chris Jericho’s offer to join the stable on last week’s show.
Cody is again scheduled to respond to MJF’s proposed stipulations that he must agree to in order to get a match with MJF at Revolution. This was also advertised for last week’s show, but Arn Anderson, acting as Cody’s coach, stated that he and Cody would respond this week instead.
Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall and Diamond Dallas Page will face MJF, The Butcher and The Blade in six-man tag team action. This comes on the heels of last week’s in-ring confrontation that saw DDP lay out Butcher and Blade with Diamond Cutters, before being overwhelmed by MJF and Wardlow.
Kenny Omega and Hangman Page will tag again, facing The Young Bucks, Best Friends and Santana and Ortiz in a four-way bout. The winning team will receive a tag title shot against SCU at a later date.
PAC vs. Darby Allin and a tag match with Brandi Rhodes and Mel vs. Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida round out tonight’s card.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show opened with a graphic for Rocky Johnson. JR then mentioned Pampero Firpo, La Parka and Kendo Nagasaki as well in the intro.
4-WAY NUMBER ONE CONTENDER TAG MATCH: HANGMAN PAGE & KENNY OMEGA DEFEATED YOUNG BUCKS, BEST FRIENDS & SANTANA & ORTIZ
This was a hell of an opener. All action and tough to keep up with.
Nick hit a springboard armdrag to Trent. Taylor and Page got tags. Page hit a fall-away slam. Omega and NIck worked together as Nick hit a springboard double stomp. The Bucks hit a double back handspring and a double dropkick.
Matt hit Trent with four straight bridging suplexes. Trent hit a tornado DDT. Taylor got a tag and hit a suplex to Matt. Matt got cut off from here.
Trent and Taylor hit a Sole Food/half-and-half suplex combination. Ortiz hit a flip dive through the second. Santana hit a tope over the top.
Santana hit two amigos on Matt, picked Matt up for a stalling suplex, then handed him off to Ortiz to complete the move. Matt hit a springboard cutter, then tagged Omega. Omega hit snap dragons on Santana, Ortiz and Trent.
Omega hit you can’t escape, Page hit a standing shooting star, Omega hit a moonsault, Page hit a dive off the post to the floor. Santana hit a tope. Nick hit a slingshot facebuster. Nick and Taylor hit topes. Trent hit a superplex on Matt off the post to the floor onto the other six guys.
Back inside, Trent hit a one-legged dropkick on Omega. The ref took a bump. All eight guys jumped in the ring and teased an eight-way suplex spot. Orange Cassidy jumped in and assisted Santana and Ortiz and Best Friends in hitting a 5-on-4 suplex.
Best Friends hit Omega with Strong Zero. The Bucks broke up the pin. Everyone jumped in for a big move. The Bucks threw a superkick party. Nick teased a Meltzer Driver but hit an Asai moonsault instead.
Page blind-tagged himself in, tagging Matt. Omega hit Taylor with a V-Trigger. Omega and Page hit a combination V-Trigger/Buckshot Lariat. Page pinned Taylor.
Matt was upset with Page after the match, but they shook hands. Omega and The Bucks talked it out while Page left, so there’s still dissension there.
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Cody came out for a promo. He asked for MJF’s stipulations to be listed on the screen. He addressed each one. He did a lot of insider lingo in this promo. He said he’s been in factions and had his pop stolen. He said MJF had pageant parents who paraded him on the Rosie O’Donnell show at 7 years old.
He said old school guys like MJF and call him a true old school heel, and they say less is more, but really, MJF does less because he’s not able to do more. He said maybe MJF should be carrying Wardlow’s bags instead of the other way around.
Cody accepted all of MJF’s stips and promised to give him “his own goddamn scar.”
Cody’s delivery is second to none, but I didn’t like some of the insider stuff. Good promo overall.
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Joey Janela cut a pre-taped promo. He said it’s a new year, but the first time everyone saw his face on TV this year, he was getting punched in the balls by his ex-girlfriend. He said Penelope Ford can only make a name for herself or get herself over by mentioning him.
He said Penelope has a new side piece in Kip Sabian. He dared Sabian to cross the line in front of him and see what happens to him. He said last year, he had a bad record. But he’ll right the ship against Rey Fenix next week.
He said he’s the backbone of AEW and everyone will see why everyone calls Joey Janela a bad, bad boy.
Dr. Luther jumped in Shida’s path as she entered. Mel and Brandi doubled up on Statlander in the ring. Shida used a kendo stick to fend off Luther, then cleared the ring with it.
The match began. Mel and Shida started off slowly. Mel hit some strikes. Shida hit a rana, sending Mel outside. Statlander hit a moonsault to the floor. Shida did her jumping knee off the chair spot on the floor.
Mel just ended up back on offense back in the ring. Mel and Brandi used some classic heel tag team spots, taking the ref, phantom tags and the like, working over Shida. The crowd was quiet.
Shida’s selling got the crowd into the match and they started chanting for her. They were building to a hot tag to Statlander.
After a break, Shida hit a running knee. Statlander and Brandi tagged in. Statlander hit a high kick for a near fall as Mel saved for Brandi. Shida hit a missile dropkick to Mel. Brandi hit Statlander with a spear for a near fall. Crowd was still dead.
Mel hit a black hole slam for a near fall. Shida hit Mel with a superplex. Statlander hit a running knee for a one count. Statlander hit a standing moonsault for a near fall. Statlander then hit a package tombstone for the pin.
Brandi berated Mel on the floor after the loss.
The match was laid out well and the crowd got behind Shida at times, but I can’t call this a positive segment.
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We got a Dark Order video package. The unseen leader of the Dark Order mentioned Michael Nakazawa and Hangman Page as potential recruits.
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Sammy Guevara entered. He did his cue cards bit during a commercial break. The cards said Moxley gave Sammy an ulcer and needs to pay.
JON MOXLEY DEFEATED SAMMY GUEVARA
Guevara hit a shotgun dropkick right at the opening bell. Moxley cut him off with a lariat. Guevara hit a springboard cutter and a tope. Guevara teased a top rope elbow but landed on his feet and taunted Moxley instead.
Moxley hit another lariat, a Regal knee, then used an x-plex for a two count. Moxley teased a Paradigm Shift on the apron, but Guevara blocked, then came off the top with double knees, sending Moxley to the floor.
Guevara sent Moxley into the barricade. Back inside, Guevara used a drop toe hold and choked Moxley with the ropes. They went back and forth during the break. Guevara hit a samoan drop for a near fall. They brawled on the floor. Guevara teased a top rope splash but got cut off. Moxley hit a superplex.
Back from commercials, Guevara landed on his feet out of a German and hit a standing shooting star for a two count. They traded near falls.
Moxley teased a top rope Paradigm Shift. Guevara fought it off, then hit a top rope Spanish fly for a near fall. Guevara used a knee strike for another two count.
The finish saw Guevara go to the top. He went for a moonsault. Moxley caught him coming off the top, then locked on a rear naked choke with a body scissors. Guevara tapped out immediately. Good match.
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Jericho’s music hit. The lights went out. When the lights came back on, Jericho, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz had Moxley trapped in the ring.
Santana and Ortiz used their loaded sock on Moxley. Guevara slapped him in the face. Hager hit a running low blow.
Jericho then removed one of the metal spikes from his jacket, and spiked Moxley’s right eye.
This was a well-done angle.
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Jericho cut a promo after the break. He promised to do the same thing to Jungle Boy next week that he did to Moxley tonight. He made several jokes about Moxley not being able to keep an eye on him. Great heel stuff.
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MJF wore an “I banged Dallas’s Daughter” shirt to the ring. JR called MJF “Matthew.”
MJF teased starting off with DDP, but begged off. MJF and QT started instead. QT hit a springboard crossbody. Wardlow passed MJF his ring and he used it to punch QT. Dusting got a tag and got a bit of shine before being cut off. They worked over Dustin through a commercial break.
After the break, DDP got the hot tag. He hit lariats on all three heels. He hit a Diamond Cutter on Butcher. He went for one on MJF, but MJF hit a low blow. DDP tagged out. Dustin hit a destroyer on MJF. DDP jumped in and hit MJF with a Diamond Cutter. Dustin covered for a two count as Blade saved.
Dustin and QT hit dives. Page hit a dive off the post to the floor onto the other five guys. QT climbed back inside. MJF used a schoolboy on QT for the pin.
This was textbook stuff. DDP wrestled without a shirt and didn’t look cosmetically all that different than he did 20 years ago.
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Jenn Decker was with SCU backstage. Hangman interrupted the promo with a drink in his hand. He started talking trash to SCU. Omega intervened. I’m not sure what the point of this was. The main event is next.
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PAC DEFEATED DARBY ALLIN
They did a tackle/dropdown/leapfrog sequence with a couple of new wrinkles. PAC kipped up. Allin hit a dropkick. Allin hit a shotgun dropkick and teased an apron dive. PAC side-stepped, so Allin jumped back inside and hit a tope suicida instead.
Allin teased a hurricanrana off the apron. PAC caught him and slammed him into the steps instead. PAC hit a powerbomb on the steps during a commercial. PAC continued beating Allin around ringside after the break.
PAC hit a missile dropkick for a near fall. PAC teased something off the top rope, but Allin turned it into a crucifix bomb. PAC rolled outside. Allin hit a Coffin Drop to the floor. Allin hit a backpack stunner and a code red for a near fall.
Allin teased a baseball slide. PAC pulled him into the ring skirt, then hit a high kick. PAC hit a lariat, Allin took a flip bump. PAC covered for a two count.
Allin used a magistral cradle for a two count. They traded cradles. Allin tried a springboard Coffin Drop. PAC caught him, then hit a high-angle powerbomb for a two count. Allin was taking an absolute beating in this match.
PAC climbed to the top rope. Allin jumped up and tried a superplex. PAC fought him off, then hit Black Arrow for the pin. A good main event.
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Tony Schiavone interviewed PAC after the match. Tony announced next week’s match between PAC and Mox as a number one contender’s match. PAC said no, Mox is out, I win by forfeit, and I’m coming for Jericho.
Tony threw it backstage. Moxley was being loaded into an ambulance. Moxley broke out of the ambulance and came to the stage. He said he doesn’t care if he’s blind, he’s going to win the match and kick PAC’s ass next week.
I found the angle to be a little bit corny, with Mox kicking his way out of the ambulance, but it was very 1990s pro wrestling. If that’s your thing, this worked for you.
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There was a lot of good wrestling on the show this week. The angles were still not great, but much better than they have been in recent weeks. Things are trending upward.
A tag team number one contender’s match is the latest addition to the card for next week’s Bash at the Beach episode of Dynamite.
AEW has announced that The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega & Hangman Page, Santana & Ortiz, and Best Friends will face off in a four-way tag match on Dynamite next Wednesday. The winning team will get a title shot against champions SCU (Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian).
When the title match will be taking place hasn’t been announced.
AEW has been teasing dissension between Omega & Page, but they defeated Private Party on Dynamite this week.
SCU became the inaugural AEW Tag Team Champions in October.
The Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida is hosting the Bash at the Beach episode of Dynamite. Jon Moxley vs. Sammy Guevara, PAC vs. Darby Allin, Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida vs. Awesome Kong & Mel, and Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall vs. MJF, The Butcher & The Blade have also been announced for the show.
A number of matches were announced for next week’s episode of Dynamite, including the debut of DDP in AEW.
He will be teaming with Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall against The Butcher, The Blade, and MJF. This comes from a segment on tonight’s show where DDP fought off Butcher and Blade only to get low blowed from MJF. Rhodes and the Young Bucks came out for the save.
Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida will team together to take on the Nightmare Collective’s Awesome Kong and Mel. The Nightmare Collective became involved in Kris Statlander’s match against Riho for the AEW Women’s title tonight and ended up laying her out after the match. Shida came to her aid and warded them off.
Pac will also take on Darby Allin in singles action. In recent weeks, Pac has been demanding a singles match against Kenny Omega.
Next week’s Dynamite, titled Bash at the Beach, will take place at the Watsco Center at the University of Miami.
After WCW last held the event in 2000, the Bash at the Beach name is returning for AEW.
AEW announced this morning that the Wednesday, January 15 edition of Dynamite will be named Bash at the Beach. The show is taking place at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, with tickets going on sale this Friday at noon Eastern time. The Watsco Center is on the campus of the University of Miami.
AEW also issued a press release announcing that Bash at the Beach will be “an unprecedented, nine-day experience for superfans that features two Dynamite shows, a cruise onboard Chris Jericho’s tricked-out party ship, and non-stop entertainment in between.” It will include the January 22 episode of Dynamite being filmed from Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise.
“AEW’s Bash at the Beach events will deliver nine unforgettable days of wrestling and much more from the hottest company in the business today,” Jericho said. “Thousands of the Friends Of Jericho onboard the SOLD OUT ‘Rock N Wrestling Rager At Sea’ will have the experience of their lives, and now millions more will be able to watch AEW Dynamite along with us, as we break out the bubbly together from Miami to the Bahamas.”
Cody Rhodes filed a trademark for Bash at the Beach in March of this year.
Here’s the updated list of announced Dynamite locations:
November 20: Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana
November 27: Sears Centre Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
December 4: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
December 11: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
December 18: American Bank Center Arena, Corpus Christi, Texas
It all started in late 1995 at the coffee table of the strength coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kim Wood’s house.
Brian Pillman was 33 years old. His body was breaking down from the years of football and high flying wrestling. His contract was due the next summer. His future was stable in that there was little doubt he’d be able to renew his deal, probably for at about the $250,000 per year on a three-year deal at the level he was at. But, like every branded mid-carder in WCW, he was frustrated that he wasn’t going to elevated and felt unless he got a Lex Luger level contract, he’d never be pushed past the glass ceiling into the main mix. Unlike others who just got frustrated waiting for the their push that never came unless they left the company, he decided to formulate a plan. He and Wood, who was like his father figure because his natural father died young, formulated this angle.
