Cody vs. a “top independent wrestler” for the TNT Championship will take place tonight on AEW Dynamite.
Tony Khan promoted Cody’s mystery opponent on Twitter yesterday as “one of the top independent wrestlers in the world,” while Matt Hardy tweeted that the opponent would leave the audience buzzing. On ESPN’s Dan Le Batard show, Jon Moxley promised there would be a “big surprise” for hardcore fans who follow the wrestling scene around the world.
The Young Bucks will face The Butcher and The Blade in a falls count anywhere match. Butcher and Blade have been aligned with The Lucha Brothers in a feud against FTR and The Bucks in recent weeks.
Hangman Page is scheduled to face Five from The Dark Order. Five, the former Alan Angels, will have Mr. Brodie Lee in his corner.
Chris Jericho and Jake Hager will face Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy from Jurassic Express. Ivelisse vs. Diamante, as well as MJF in action have also been announced.
An appearance by Taz and Brian Cage has also been advertised, as well as a promo from Moxley.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The TNT title match opened the show.
Eddie Kingston answered the open challenge. He came to the stage cutting a strong promo. He said that Cody talks about grinding but he doesn’t know what real grinding is.
Kingston said he grew up around alcoholics and junkies. He said Cody likes to buddy up with Tony Khan but Khan paid him to kick his ass tonight.
Kingston made a no-DQ challenge said Cody has to answer or else he’s an egg-sucking dog or an egg-sucking bitch.
No-DQ TNT Championship match: Cody (w/Arn Anderson) defeated Eddie Kingston
The match began on the floor where Kingston ripped off Cody’s shirt and hit some chops. They rolled inside to break the referee’s count. Cody got some offense and went for a disaster kick. Kingston rolled outside and the fight continued there.
Kingston whipped Cody with his own weight belt. Kingston exposed the concrete floor and teased a piledriver but Cody hit a backdrop. They exchanged strikes back in the ring. Kingston used a chinlock.
Cody hit some kicks to the left leg and Kingston sold his knee. Kingston used a stretch plum. Kingston raked the eyes. Cody hit a chop block on the left leg. Kingston came back with a low blow.
Kingston emptied a bag of thumbtacks in the center of the ring. Cody teased a vertebreaker. Kingston dropped him in the tacks with a spinebuster. Cody connected with a back suplex into the tacks.
Cody hit a series of strikes and locked on a figure four. Kingston tapped. A good brawl to open the show with a bang.
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The announcers previewed the rest of the card, then threw to a Jon Moxley promo.
Moxley said in a business where everyone is full of it he prides himself on telling the truth. He said that he promised to tear up Brian Cage’s arm. He said he felt ligaments and tendons popping in the arm but Taz gets his vote for manager of the year for throwing in the towel for Cage.
Moxley said he was disappointed that he didn’t pop Cage’s bicep like a water balloon but next time he won’t let go.
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MJF cut a promo. He introduced his opponent Griff Garrison as “Jungle Man.”
MJF asked Garrison how it felt to be in the ring with an undefeated man. Garrison asked if MJF lost a tag match at Fyter Fest. MJF hit a right hand and the bell rang.
MJF (w/Wardlow) defeated Griff Garrison
This was an extended squash that went through a commercial break.
During the match, MJF grabbed a mic and made Garrison say that he was undefeated. MJF finally won with a Heat Seeker.
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Tony Schiavone was with Rebel backstage. Britt Baker called them into her locker room. Baker unveiled her fourth rule of being a role model which is to never count out a role model.
Baker said she was poised to make a great comeback like Michael Jordan did with the Wizards. Schiavone and Rebel bantered about Jordan.
Baker said she’s on the comeback trail at All Out.
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Taz and Brian Cage were in the ring for a promo. Taz said that he and Cage had a difficult week. He said Moxley put a badass armbar on Cage and Taz made a business decision to throw in the towel for Cage last week.
Taz said will never be in a position where Taz needs to throw in the towel again. Taz said Cage isn’t wired to tap and he’s the FTW Champion because he has an FTW mindset.
Darby Allin entered. Ricky Starks attacked Allin from behind. Cage hit Allin with a powerbomb on the stage and another in the ring.
Starks held Allin up while Cage grabbed Allin’s skateboard. Moxley ran in for the save with a barbed wire baseball bat. Cage and Starks bailed. They put over on commentary that Allin saved Moxley last week and Moxley returned the favor tonight.
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Alex Marvez interviewed Chris Jericho. Jericho said his orange jacket is supposed to be white. He said it cost him seven grand and Orange Cassidy ruined it, so he’s going to ruin Cassidy’s career.
Jericho cut a promo on Jurassic Express. He said Marko Stunt has a bulbous head and that Luchasaurus isn’t really a dinosaur.
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The announcers said that there would be a tag team tournament in the womens division this summer.
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Falls count anywhere match: The Young Bucks defeated The Butcher & The Blade
The Bucks were shown walking backstage. They entered a kitchen where Butcher and Blade were actually butchering and cutting meat.
The match began and they brawled through the kitchen. They brawled onto a concourse in the adjoining footbal stadium. Butcher and Blade tried to use a cart but failed. They brawled around a trailer. The trailer had a sign inside that read “mud show tonight.”
Nick hit a knee strike into a cookie sheet on Butcher’s face. They sent Blade up an escalator before an ad break.
They brawled into the arena and set up some tables. The Bucks teased a double suplex on Butcher through a table but he reversed and suplexed them on the floor. Blade went for a tope over the top rope but crashed and burned, missing The Bucks and also missing the table it looked like he was supposed to crash through.
Butcher hit a crossbody on Nick through a table on the outside. With Blade still down The Bucks hit some tandem offense on Butcher in the ring. Matt used a sharpshooter while Nick applied a crossface. Blade made the save.
Butcher and Blade hit a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo on Matt on the stage. Nick made the save. The Bucks hit Blade with a BTE trigger. They set Butcher and Blade up on tables.
The finish saw Matt and Nick jump off the tunnels on the stage. Matt hit an elbow drop on Butcher while Nick hit a senton on Blade. The Bucks then covered for simultaneous pins.
There were some cool spots and the finish was spectacular but the rest of the match was just kind of there.
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Alex Marvez was backstage with Jake Roberts and Lance Archer. Marvez asked why Archer didn’t appear at Fight for the Fallen.
Archer then beat up a bunch of jobbers in the locker room while Roberts cut a promo about how they were sick and tired of waiting for someone to step up to them. Archer launched a dude into the ceiling and stuffed another guy in a trashcan.
Archer said when he’s good and ready, everybody dies.
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Diamante defeated Ivelisse
Big Swole cut an inset promo on Britt Baker during the match.
Ivelisse opened up with some strikes in the corner. They brawled outside and traded chops. They continued trading chops back in the ring.
Ivelisse used a powerbomb for a near fall. The finish came out of nowhere as Ivelisse hit the ropes, then Diamante followed her in and cradled her for the pin.
I was not a fan of this match.
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Hangman Page defeated Alan “5” Angels
Page opened the match with some strikes and a big boot. Dark Order came to the stage before a commercial break. Dark Order’s presence seemed to inspire Angels who worked Page over during the break.
Page made a comeback with a rolling elbow for a near fall. Page hit a powerbomb and used a stack cover on 5 for the pin.
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Mr. Brodie Lee and Colt Cabana joined Dark Order on the stage after the match. Lee then made his way to the ring.
Lee told Page that he’s been nothing but impressed with Page but he’s not impressed with his lack of friends right now when he’s in danger. Lee offered Page protection.
Page said he appreciated the compliments but he isn’t ready to join a cult right now. Lee told Page he just made his bed and he hopes he enjoys his sleep. Lee and Cabana left.
Dark Order attacked Page. FTR ran in with a cooler for the save. Omega then ran in but not until FTR had already cleared the ring.
FTR offered Page a beer and he accepted while Omega looked on.
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Omega and Page vs. Evil Uno and Stu Grayson for the tag titles, Hikaru Shida vs. Diamante, a tornado tag match with Allin and Moxley vs. Cage and Starks and Cody defending the TNT Championship were announced for next week.
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Chris Jericho & Jake Hager defeated Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy
This was a fun main event with a ton of good action.
Jericho and Jungle Boy began. Jericho gave Jungle Boy a lot of offense. They both tagged out. Hager and Luchasurus entered and just fired haymakers at each other in an awesome sequence.
Jericho cut Luchasaurus off with a low dropkick. Hager continued working on Luchasaurus’s legs. Jungle Boy got a tag and hit a dive onto Santana and Ortiz on the floor. Stunt interfered behind the ref’s back. Jungle Boy hit a springboard flatliner on Jericho for a two count.
Jericho hit a right hand on Stunt, knocking him off the apron. Jericho worked Jungle Boy over through a commercial break.
After the break, Jericho teased a superplex. Jungle Boy fought it off and hit a high cross off the top for a two count. Hager tagged in and worked on Jungle Boy’s left arm. Jungle Boy came back with upkicks as they teased the hot tag. Hager knocked Luchasaurus off the apron.
Jericho brought a baseball bat into the ring. Referee Aubrey Edwards forced Jericho to drop the bat. Jungle Boy cradled Jericho for a two count. Jungle Boy hit a lariat into a double down. Jericho made a tag and Hager cut Jungle Boy off again.
Jungle Boy hit a double DDT on Hager and Jericho and finally made the hot tag. Luchasaurus ran wild with strikes. Everyone jumped in. Santana and Ortiz took the ref. Stunt hit a missile dropkick on Jericho into a thrust kick by Luchasaurus for a near fall.
Luchasaurus hit a roundhouse kick on Jericho for another near fall. Santana jumped on the apron. Jungle Boy hit a flying headscissors off the apron onto Santana and Ortiz.
Someone in a Serpentico mask hit Luchasaurus with a baseball bat on the apron. Jericho then hit the codebreaker on Luchasaurus for the pin.
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After the match, Serpentico unmasked as Sammy Guevara. Inner Circle continued beating down Jurassic Express. Orange Cassidy and Best Friends entered for the save.
Best Friends, Orange Cassidy, Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus vs. Jericho, Guevara, Hager, Santana and Ortiz was announced for next week.
