Tag: death riders

Three new matches added to AEW Collision

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New matches are set for Saturday’s AEW Collision.

Jon Moxley will be wrestling on the card where he’ll team with PAC to take on The Infantry. Another Death Rider member, Daniel Garcia, will challenge new International Champion Konosuke Takeshita on the same show.

“Two dangerous teams will fight for the win, when The Infantry collide vs Death Riders, PAC + Continental Champion Jon Moxley on Saturday Collision, TOMORROW!,” Tony Khan wrote when announcing the match on social media.

Elsewhere, The Dogs will be taking on The Gunns, who recently made their AEW return. The Dogs made headlines on Wednesday after they jumped new AEW Tag Team Champions Adam Copeland & Christian Cage, who were about to bring back the long-dormant five second pose they were known for in WWE.

“After Colten was out 9 months, The Gunns won their comeback bout vs Dogs/Death Riders! After jumping the champs Cope & Cage, The Dogs collide vs Gunns TOMORROW!,” Khan wrote.

It was also announced that Lee Moriarty will be in action. He successfully defended the ROH Pure Championship at Supercard of Honor, defeating Ace Austin.

AEW Collision (Saturday, May 30) —

  • AEW International title: Konosuke Takeshita defends against Daniel Garcia
  • AEW Trios Champions The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) defend against Don Callis Family (Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta & Lance Archer)
  • AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne & Lena Kross) vs. TayJay (Tay Melo & Anna Jay) in an AEW Women’s Tag Team title five-minute eliminator match
  • Hazuki vs. Maya World (with Persephone on commentary)
  • Future of the vacant TBS Championship will be addressed
  • The Gunns vs. The Dogs
  • Jon Moxley & PAC vs. The Infantry
  • Lee Moriarty will be in action

AEW faction to challenge for CMLL World Trios titles

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

AEW faction The Death Riders have been announced to challenge for the CMLL World Trios Championship.

Next week, on March 20, 2026, at Arena Mexico, Death Riders, represented by Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia, will take on El Sky Team (Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and Neon) for their CMLL World Trios titles.

CMLL announced the match via a social media update, in which Garcia and Yuta challenged the reigning champions to a title match.

“Sky fly team, we are coming for those CMLL World Trios championships because CMLL gold was pretty good around our waists, you know, just ask Claudio [Castagnoli]. I have lost my hair, I’ve lost my dignity, and it doesn’t matter who’s stepping in front of me, I’m taking my flesh,” Yuta said.

Moxley added that while the Death Riders respect Lucha Libre and CMLL’s heritage and legacy, they plan to take and burn it. While Mercedes Mone recently lost her title, the Death Riders look forward to bringing new titles to AEW.

CMLL March 20, 2026 lineup

  • Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia) vs. EL SKY TEAM (Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and Neon) for the CMLL World Trios titles
  • Atlantis vs. Blue Panther vs. Satanico in Satanico’s retirement match
  • La Jarochita, Reyna Isis, Persephone, La Catalina vs. Lluvia, Zeuxis, Dark Silueta, Valkyria

Jon Moxley explains inspiration behind Death Riders’ name in AEW

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The Death Riders didn’t get their name out of a well-curated plan — it actually stemmed from a surprisingly random discovery linked to Jon Moxley’s hardcore persona. 

Speaking with Renee Paquette on AEW’s Close Up, Moxley revealed the origins and influence of the group’s name. He linked it to his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2019 and recalled how an unexpected find of the phrase ultimately grew into something far bigger than anticipated. 

“I don’t think there’s anything I’ve ever done that I’m more proud of in my career than what we’ve built with the Death Riders,” Moxley said.

“Death Riders means nothing. It’s just words put together. I like it because it’s kind of that wrestling Japanglish, because there was some kind of commercial with a jacket from Goodwill that said ‘Death Riders’ that I think was like the motorcycle guys who ride around inside the big steel ball at the carnival, which I’ve never done. 

“So, I have no idea what it means or where it comes from, but in Japan they started calling me The Death Rider, and started calling – it’s a word that means nothing. But to me, it means something now.”

The former AEW World Champion also touched on how important the other members of the Death Riders have been to the group’s success.

“I don’t think I would be here if not for these people. I don’t know what I would be doing. I might be in jail by this point if not for this group of people,” Moxley said.

“You know, like a couple years ago, I’m looking around and I still look around to this day and I’m like, I’m surrounded by clowns everywhere. And I listen to people talk and I’m like, do you even know what you’re talking about? Are we even talking about wrestling? I don’t think you even know what you’re talking about.”

The Death Riders have been a dominant faction ever since their inception in AEW. Despite the name change from Blackpool Combat Club after a few members’ exits and additions, the group remains strong, now consisting of Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Marina Shafir, Pac, and Daniel Garcia.

Did the right Continental Classic story unfold at AEW Worlds End? | Nason’s Notes

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

Like most of you reading this, I had some thoughts from Saturday’s AEW Worlds End ranging from how the Continental Classic played out to Kris Statlander to long title reigns to people being upset MJF won the AEW World title to something to put a pin in for the next two Worlds End PPVs and a few more items.

In lieu of putting them on my podcast (tired), these are Nason’s Notes (wired!) an incredibly savvy name encompassing perfect alliteration (a word I definitely had to spell check).

**********

I was not expecting THAT story to be what the AEW Continental Classic was all about.

Before the tournament even began, I did a preview pod with AEW PPV previewer Mike DellaCamera where I opined that the Continental Classic was going to be Konosuke Takeshita’s full coming out party with him beating Kazuchika Okada in the finals as the obvious approach.

A sentiment I completely appreciate is that fans will often be negative about a show if things play out in a way they didn’t predict. It’s the curse of fantasy booking, but also something all of us do to some extent in our heads. With that floating over my head, while I was certainly wrong in my prediction, should I have been?

Due to a travel day, I was late to the PPV and was stunned when I read Takeshita had lost in the semifinals and that Okada would be facing Jon Moxley instead. (And that was before I read about the screwdriver finish.) I think my surprise was because a big AEW story over the second half of the year has been the growing dissent between Okada and Takeshita.

It seemed to be lined up perfectly for Takeshita to beat Kyle Fletcher in a semifinal, move on to beat Okada in the finals, end his tournament winning streak and win the CC, tell the Don Callis Family to pound sand, and become a massive babyface en route to an AEW World title run.

What I wasn’t ready for was the STORY (a word I have seen way too much in the last 24 hours) Tony Khan really wanted to leave fans with which was the redemption arc of Moxley and his shift back to being a babyface. The assumption, of course, are the Death Riders are going to turn on him which took a bit away from Moxley’s passionate post-match promo as I think we were all expecting it. Alas, that’s a story to be told another day or perhaps never at all.

The Okada/Takeshita blowup is coming, but we’re probably months away as there’s no AEW PPVs until March. We’ll have to see if how they get there is any better than what could have been last night and if the follow-up achieves what could have been started last night.

And yes, I understand NJPW Wrestle Kingdom is next week but allow to me to be selfish: I don’t want to have to care about what happens in a completely separate promotion affecting what happens in the promotion I’m trying to follow. Not all AEW fans also watch and follow, nor should be expected to watch and follow, NJPW and vice versa.

Are you ready for a PPV on Christmas?

Khan was asked on a Monday media call about whether he’s considered moving the CC due to its proximity to the holidays and the end of the tournament taking place, for example, on actual holidays. He didn’t seem concerned in the least, taking “a very glass half-full perspective on some of the benefits” and that he likes how there’s a tradition of wrestling around the holidays and the added importance of the shows:

“I would love it for people to want to watch AEW, potentially I hope, with their family and friends on the holidays, and having great wrestling on these days can be, I would hope, a draw, and make people watch AEW. Certainly, that is always a goal and makes these must-see episodes when there could be an incentive to watch these episodes around the holidays and make them must-see programming and just like big sporting events that happen on these holidays and are associated with these holidays, like big football games and such, make them part of the holiday season and try to make that a positive.”

In other words, he likes it as is and it’s going to stay that way.

But while Khan won’t potentially have to worry about a Dynamite or Collision on Christmas until 2030, the next two Decembers will be interesting to track when it comes to Worlds End scheduling and how AEW approaches the holiday week with the CC.

Join me on a brief look ahead on the Google calendar, will you?

If Worlds End in 2026 takes place on Saturday, December 26, Dynamite on 34th Street would fall on Wednesday, December 23 and the assumed Christmas Collision would take place on Christmas Eve. If they taped those shows the weekend before, it’s the same issues as we had this year in terms of spoilers and, frankly, time to watch among holiday commitments.

However, 2027 is what really intrigues me.

That’s because Worlds End, if still held on a Saturday during the last week of the year, would fall on Christmas Day. If Khan adjusts the schedule, he would either have to run it the week before (honestly, the ideal for all the reasons) or the week after which would be on New Year’s Day.

The other intriguing thing is that month *could* be the final one in AEW’s media deal with WBD depending on whether their option is picked up or a new deal is signed which, I mean, who frickin’ knows where WBD will be in 2027 anyway.

All of this is to say Khan clearly wants AEW to be associated with the big holidays and is just fine with potentially sacrificing part of his audience for his biggest tournament of the year to do so. Best for business? It remains to be seen (or perhaps not seen by some).

Quick hitters

  • I guess some people don’t like MJF as AEW World Champion? I don’t get that. I assume he’s back full-time and fully engrossed into wrestling which really didn’t feel like was the case in 2024 and 2025. He physically looks ready (OH, THAT HAIR!) and if they are giving him the big belt again, Khan must have confidence he’s going to be active. It’s been two years. It’s time.
  • I think everyone expects the Dynamite Diamond ring to be put up in the MJF-Bandido title match and for MJF to reclaim it. I think it’s far past time to retire the ring thing, don’t you?
  • A PSA should be annually be put out after Full Gear that it’s WORLDS END, not World’s End. I fear we are stuck with the apostrophe conundrum with this show until our eventual end (looking at you, Bryan Alvarez).
  • I have been watching Kris Statlander matches since November 2018 which was my first Limitless Wrestling show (Maine indie). She’s always had a connection with fans and is obviously very capable in the ring. But…this AEW Women’s title run isn’t working for me and it’s because she still hasn’t found what character/presentation she is going with. Long memorized promos aren’t it, so what is?
  • Having written all that, Marina Shafir should be the next AEW Women’s World Champion and Willow Nightingale should be the next TBS Champion. I can’t believe I’m typing that about Shafir who, just a few years ago, was about as exciting to watch in the ring as as doing your taxes. Now, she has meaning and an aura. To the point about Statlander, all it takes is one shift and you’re there.
  • I strongly agree with the sentiment that shorter title reigns should be normalized. If you have a talented roster with plenty of parity, it’s 100% reasonable that champions would lose in six months or even less. I can argue that the lengthy runs of Mercedes Mone and Athena have hurt the rest of their respective divisions more than they have helped.
  • I have questions about the amount of times the Sports Illustrated awards were mentioned this week by both Khan and AEW and the timing of a two-hour interview with Khan with SI dropping Monday.
  • Was I the only one who completely forgot Tailgate Brawl pre-shows were a thing that quietly didn’t happen Saturday?
  • I was surprised to see no Jim Ross on the call for at least the CC finals and perhaps the World title match. He tweeted that he was watching the show, so I’m guessing/assuming it was health-related reasons for not traveling which is unfortunate.
  • The Mixed Nuts Mayhem match was WAY more fun and entertaining than I had thought going in. Once a year? Let’s do it.
  • Khan deserves credit for slowly building up an upper tier men’s World title picture this year that may include Kenny Omega sooner than later. We’ll see if we get that Andrade match first.

And that will do it. See you soon.

Claudio Castagnoli should lead AEW’s Death Riders | Opinion

Posted on by Corey Michaels

Image: AEW

The Death Riders were built on the act of betraying a mentor figure. In fact, current leader Jon Moxley pulled the trigger on that, leading his fellow Blackpool Combat Club teammates in excommunicating Bryan Danielson.

It’s about time that fellow senior member Claudio Castagnoli takes that mantle, fittingly usurping the purveyor of paradigm shifts.

I write this not as a denigration of Moxley; far from it. It’s possible that such an angle can steer all parties into new territory. Moreover, Claudio, as the leader of the pack, will have a distinct image change of the group.

Observing the past month of AEW programming, the seeds for Castagnoli stealing the reins have already been sown.

Why a Castagnoli-run Death Riders is plausible

Moxley’s had a rough second quarter of 2025. Losing the AEW World title to Hangman Adam Page at All In Texas was the start. Yet, he still maintained his momentum. His bravado hid all traces of diminishing confidence. A few losses here and there, but the Death Riders remained on top.

Then came WrestleDream. Thanks to interference from Sting to offset the heels, Darby Allin defeated Moxley in a memorable I Quit Match. Since then, Moxley has consistently lost on AEW shows with a recurring story of seeing his shield chip thanks to Kyle O’Reilly and his ankle lock. From late-October to late-November, Moxley exercised every means possible to escape O’Reilly’s unforgiving technical prowess.

A disqualification and a double countout later, O’Reilly had Moxley’s number, ultimately submitting him at November’s men’s Blood & Guts match. Moxley rebounded with Castagnoli on the following Dynamite, but then, Full Gear saw Moxley submit to O’Reilly in a no holds barred match. His promo afterward did carry his usual confidence, but that same confidence was not shared in the eyes of his teammates.

Despite a successful start to the Continental Classic in a triumph over CMLL’s Mascara Dorada, Moxley has since lost to Castagnoli himself and Konosuke Takeshita. Conversely, Castagnoli’s 2025 has seen a marked improvement.

Though he spent the early half in frustration, he recovered and eventually became the soul of the Death Riders; Moxley had simply become the lungs. In trios or tag bouts with either Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and/or PAC, Castagnoli stewarded his team to wins and began to have a silent winning reputation, with a smattering of losses here and there. He even became the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.

Coincidentally, he went on a brief winning streak, broken only by Mascara Dorada in his third Continental Classic bout followed by a draw with Takeshita.

Death Riders under Castagnoli’s leadership

Castagnoli has worked excellently with PAC and the younger Garcia and Yuta. They even accompany him to his matches. On the surface, he seems like an older brother who knows how to navigate the world. Thus, their eyes, though hardened and serious, appear loyal and curious. Yuta, PAC, and Garcia seem eager to follow, and in doing so, they wrestle more confidently with the reps they get alongside the towering Swiss athlete.

A second glance at Castagnoli gives off militant vibes as though there’s a numb, yet classy, demeanor. Perhaps it’s the way he looks like Agent 47 from the Hitman video game series, or perhaps it’s the use of classical music. Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” bolster this aura. He may be stoic, but there’s a deadliness beneath.

Not only is it this visage and his presence that entice me to see Castagnoli as the Death Riders commander, but his history. CHIKARA fans will remember his time in the stable Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (The Brotherhood of the Cross) where he became a central figure bent on a hostile takeover of the promotion, teased with the quote “A war (is) coming”. 

Often, he has stood in the shadows, in the background and on AEW programming, fans haven’t seen too much of him. Considering this and everything mentioned above, it’s time he steps into this role.

What of Jon Moxley?

The rest of the Death Riders can thrive Claudio Castagnoli just fine and the same as they did with Moxley and Danielson. But the more that things continue as they have, it would make sense in the storyline to have a seismic shift change the group once more. They don’t even have to change the name.

If his twilight in the stable comes by a betrayal, this can leave Moxley in a state where he understands who he is again. He’d be alone, with several of his bridges burned, the embers flickering out long ago. Or, he could remain in the group if the Death Riders so wish, under the direction of Castagnoli.

Moxley would enter this environment as a captain whose crew mutinied against him. Could he repair the fractured relationships with other wrestlers? Can he make peace with enemies? The character Moxley is, he’d be stubborn and scrappy, likely to catch loss after loss, unable to climb up that hill. He didn’t get this far by giving up. Ultimately, though, he’d have to shed the mentality that spawned the Death Riders from Blackpool Combat Club’s ashes to stand a chance.

What’s important to note is that AEW is swimming in a sea of heels. That’s where Moxley comes in; he can be that underdog, yet badass, babyface to challenge this swarm.

In retrospect, the Blackpool Combat Club and Death Riders accomplished their mission by heightening the AEW roster’s potential. In giving AEW’s wrestlers a threat, everyone worked to their full potential. There’s nothing more Moxley can do, but Castagnoli can take the group to another level. To him, there are no limits to the Death Riders as he said in a recent interview with Wrestling Republic.

The Death Riders need to become stricter, meaner. They don’t have a roster to inspire through rage, spirit, or hate anymore. Now, it’s time to take for themselves, not as a band of outlaws, but as a hostile force, a militia of killers. Through this, a relentless approach is needed. Everything must be seized by force.

I am of the mind that Castagnoli is far better than given credit for, but hasn’t had the same time to shine and has done just enough to get by in a still great spot in the company. Were he given this spot, the Swiss wrestler can transform the Death Riders into something soulless like a fascist military seeking a coup to usurp the status quo. Furthermore, he has shown he cares for his teammates, adding an emotional core that would translate well under his authority.

With that in mind, this reinvention of the Death Riders can keep the title scene interesting with multiple shifts in the card. Wrestlers could come out of this better or worse than they started — sink or swim.

As the Don Callis Family faces their own plot developments from in-fighting to championship pursuits, the Death Riders will need something else. They’ll need to stand out. That’s what professional wrestling as a business does: it evolves and reinvents itself for the next generation.

AEW Dark Stocking Stuffer live results: Death Riders in trios action

Posted on by Ryan Howard

For the first time since April 2023, AEW Dark returns for one night only.

Taped this past Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, tonight’s YouTube-only show features three matches — two of which include the Death Riders.

Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley teams with Wheeler Yuta and PAC against the Grizzled Young Veterans & wrestler/coach Nathan Cruz.

Another trios bout will see Orange Cassidy team with fellow Continental Classic wrestlers Mascara Dorada and Roderick Strong against Mark Andrews, Kid Lykos 1 and Kid Lykos 2.

The show is rounded out by Marina Shafir vs. Isla Dawn.

Our coverage kicks off at 7 pm Eastern.

**********

AEW Dark: Stocking Stuffer is on the air, as Excalibur welcomes us with Taz, who we’re told gassed up the jet to come to Cardiff to do this show. If only Ruby Soho was wrestling on this card and we could get a proper return of Remix Jones and Taz serenading us all.

Marina Shafir vs. Isla Dawn

(I sure have missed Excalibur & Taz’s shenanigans on Dark. Despite this only being a 3-match show tonight, you can tell this Cardiff crowd is going to be a lot of fun with the chants. Dawn had a lot of support and put of a valiant fight, but Shafir was simply too much to handle.)

During Shafir’s entrance, Excalibur informed us they were ducking under the desk, thus why we couldn’t see them (as they’re in no way recording from studio), as Taz tells us he’s also taking off his socks in solidarity of Shafir and channeling his Tazmaniac days. Cardiff crowd sings for Dawn at the opening bell, while a test of strength sees Shafir get multiple sweeps before working a headlock. Dawn tries a drop down, but Shafir rolled out into a punt kick to the back. Dawn battled back with kicks, which Shafir no sold, daring Dawn to bring it, which she did, with a Fisherman’s Suplex.

Tiger Feint Head Scissors drove Dawn’s head into the apron, as after the fight briefly went outside, we return inside with Shafir locking in a Bow and Arrow. Dawn spun out into a low dropkick and corner knee, but Shafir avoided a suplex into a throw. Dawn fired off a roundhouse kick and backdrop suplex for a near fall. Dawn got a jawbreaker, but Shafir grabbed wrist control, hit a lariat and pulled Dawn into Mother’s Milk for the quick submission.

Match Result: Marina Shafir submitted Isla Dawn

-Video package on the upcoming Worlds End show in Chicago one week from Saturday was shown.

Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Mascara Dorada vs. Mark Andrews, Kid Lykos I & Kid Lykos II

(I know Strong doesn’t want to be part of The Conglomeration and only teams with them because of Kyle O’Reilly, but O’Reilly is hurt, so this partnership is more confusing than usual. Regardless, whether he likes Cassidy or not, they do team pretty well, as I wish this match went longer, as the brief time we saw Dorada & Andrews in there with one another was a highlight.)

Taz put over how much he enjoys The Conglomeration’s theme song, but doesn’t say which show it reminds him of, as he doesn’t want to pay royalties. Quick start by Andrews & Dorada, with the crowd loudly behind Andrews, who caught a corkscrew kick, until Dorada took down both Lykos with an arm drag to the floor. They dodged a dive, allowing Andrews to hit a rolling double stomp and cracked both Strong & Cassidy on the apron. Cassidy joined the match, but was immediately triple teamed, leaving the UK Trio standing tall before hitting triple dives.

Back inside, Dorada was worked over until floating over Lykos I into a Code Red for the double down. Cassidy made the lukewarm tag, hands in pockets and hitting a huge monkey flip before popping Lykos II & Andrews with a double dropkick. Lykos I tried to attack, but suffered a Stundog Millionaire for his efforts. Cassidy tagged in a reluctant Strong, who seemed to constantly try to strike Cassidy, who’d always dodge and Strong would hit his opponents. Cassidy sent a diving Lykos II into Strong’s Death By Roderick, while Cassidy hit an Orange Punch, Dorada hit a dive on Andrews & Lykos I. Strong capped it off with an End of Heartache on Lykos II to win it.

Match Result: Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Mascara Dorada defeated Mark Andrews, Kid Lykos I & Kid Lykos II when Strong pinned Lykos II

Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta & PAC w/Daniel Garcia & Marina Shafir) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) & Nathan Cruz

(Action packed main event, with G.Y.V. & Cruz getting in plenty of offense, but once the Death Riders crew got in control, they weren’t giving that up. While PAC was cheered by the Cardiff crowd, they were more than happy to boo Yuta. Commentary really put over how Moxley’s early losses in the C2 have put him in a tough spot going forward and really needs to win out if he wants a chance of making the semi-finals.)

Death Riders attack before the bell, as Gibson & Cruz were sent crashing into the barricade and ring steps, while Yuta targeted Drake to start the match. Flying cross body and forearms put Drake in control, as he made fast tags with his G.Y.V. partner until PAC tagged in and he suffered the same fate. Yuta was popped on the apron, resulting in Moxley to check on him, while PAC was isolated with fast tags by Cruz & G.Y.V. Moxley & Yuta broke a pin attempt, as the match broke down. Drake & Gibson hit dueling dives on Moxley & Yuta, while Cruz tried a fireman’s carry-on PAC, who raked the eyes and clobbered Cruz with a big boot. Moxley flew in with a baseball slide on Drake, as Yuta threw Gibson into the barricade, as it’s Cruz now who’s worked over.

Moxley tags in officially for the first time and hits clubbing blows before Yuta tags in with a guillotine knee drop for two. The crowd is letting Yuta really hear it, as Cruz is able to get an enzugiri and hot tag to Gibson. PAC was mowed down with a lariat, as Gibson drove him repeatedly face first into the corner. Yuta tried to help, but was launched with an overhead suplex. Drake tagged in, as he & Gibson hit a combo dropkick/Michinoku Driver combo for two. PAC fought free from a Doomsday Device, crotched Drake, allowing Moxley to tag in and hit Gibson with a flash Cutter.

Moxley mocks the crowd before firing off kicks, only waking Gibson up, as he ran through Moxley with a lariat and lungblower. Cruz tagged in and it’s a triple team on Moxley, with Cruz hitting a sit-out slam on Moxley for a near fall. PAC & Yuta made the save, as both got heads of steam, Yuta hit a flip dive on G.Y.V. while Moxley placed Cruz in position for PAC to take his head off with a lariat. Brutalizer quickly followed, as PAC got the submission. Moxley is bleeding from the mouth, as Excalibur didn’t know how, but Taz said it’s because he wrestled a match, it’s what Moxley does.

Match Result: Death Riders defeated Grizzled Young Veterans & Nathan Cruz when PAC submitted Cruz

I have no idea if or when Dark will return, but I very much enjoyed this little bit of nostalgia, hearing Excalibur & Taz riff like the old days. Even though we didn’t hear Taz sing, nor did we get any Seinfeld tangents like I loved, it was still a fun 30-minute show. I’m glad Tony Khan decided to bring it back, even for one night only.

Challenge issued for men’s AEW Blood & Guts match

Posted on by Josh Nason

As AEW head Tony Khan teased earlier in the month, a men’s Blood & Guts match is on the way in just two weeks time.

Following Jon Moxley and Kyle O’Reilly’s rematch on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite that ended in a double countout, both The Conglomeration and the Death Riders came out to get into a brawl that also included recently Moxley rival Darby Allin.

After things settled down, Mark Briscoe grabbed the microphone and said his group had an idea to settle the rivalry between the two factions. He then handed the mic to Orange Cassidy who eventually said “Blood & Guts.”

Earlier in the night, Allin and Cassidy defeated Yuta and Garcia in a tornado tag team match.

It appears it will be Allin, Briscoe, O’Reilly, Cassidy and Roderick Strong against Moxley, Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli and PAC in the double cage as part of the Wednesday, November 12 special edition of Dynamite.

It will be the third-such match for Moxley, Castagnoli and Yuta while it’s the second for Garcia, PAC, Briscoe and Allin.

The match will join the first-ever women’s Blood & Guts match the same night that is expected to feature Jamie Hayter, Queen Aminata and two others against the Triangle of Madness (Julia Hart, Skye Blue & Thekla) and two others.

AEW Collision live results: Kyle Fletcher vs. Komander TNT title match

Posted on by Josiah MacDonald

The TNT title will be on the line as part of tonight’s live AEW Collision from Huntington, West Virginia.

Coming off a failed challenge of AEW World Champion Hangman Page at last Saturday’s All Out, Kyle Fletcher defends against Komander, making his return after a lengthy injury absence. The winner will defend against the undefeated Hologram on Wednesday’s Dynamite.

In a trios match, the Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia & Claudio Castagnoli) take on Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) and Matt Menard.

Eddie Kingston returns to AEW TV as an in-ring competitor for the first time since April 2024, teaming with Hook against Big Bill & Bryan Keith in a match coming out of last Saturday.

The former Acclaimed — Max Caster & Anthony Bowens — will reluctantly reunite to take on Swirl (Lee Johnson & Blake Christian).

Former AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter battles Julia Hart in the final match of their trilogy.

Our live coverage kicks off at 8 PM Eastern.

**********

The Death Riders and the Paragon, with Daddy Magic, cut promos on each other for their six-man tag. Julia Hart and Jamie Hayter talked about their third match, while Komander talked about his match with Kyle Fletcher and hoping to win the TNT title so he could face his best friend, Hologram. The screen behind them glitched, and El Clon’s video aired and Hologram appeared to have a headache, and as it aired, Kyle Fletcher attacked Hologram, laying him out, delivering a second headache, I assume.

The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia, & Claudio Castagnoli) (w/ Marina Shafir & Wheeler Yuta) vs. The Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) & ‘Daddy Magic’ Matt Menard

Garcia and O’Reilly started the match, exchanging some fun mat wrestling, before O’Reilly tagged out to Menard. Menard demanded that Garcia face him, but Garcia tagged out to Castagnoli, who immediately hit a wheelbarrow suplex on Matt Menard. Moxley came in and hit a knee and then started chopping Menard. The Death Riders maintained control through the early portions of the match, beating on Menard and Kyle O’Reilly.

Moxley hit a half & half suplex and tagged out to Castagnoli. Garcia and O’Reilly exchanged gullitine choke attempts, and Garcia hit a twist and shout, but O’Reilly hung on and hit a brainbuster and tagged out to Roderick Strong, who ran wild, hitting a dropkick to Moxley on the floor, a back breaker across the guardrail on Castagnoli, a uranage into a backbreaker on Garcia, and an Olympic Slam on Moxley. Strong hit the Sick Kick on Moxley for a 2-count.

Garcia and Menard ended up in the ring together, and Menard hit a series of punches on Garcia but Garcia ran away and tagged out to Moxley. Moxley backed off from the firey Menard, but as Menard hit the ropes Garcia tripped him, and Moxley hit a curb stomp on Menard. Garcia tagged in, hit a Super Dragon style curb stomp for the pinfall finish.

Result: The Death Riders

–Brody King announced that he wanted revenge on the Don Callis Family and the Young Bucks for their assault on Kenny Omega, and he said that he had a plan – Josh Alexander and the Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega & Brodido at Dynamite. That match is going to be so awesome.

The Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shafir) vs. Rosario Grillo & Rachel Ellering

This was a quick squash with Shafir choking Ellering out with an inverted rear naked choke, apparently called Mother’s Milk. There was a production error, as the announcers pitched to an interview before the match, but they came back to the ring and this squash instead.

Result: The Death Riders

–Wheeler Yuta grabbed a mic and said that Kris Statlander made the wrong decision on Wednesday, and next Wednesday, she would face Yuta & Marina Shafir, while Statlander would team with Darby Allin. He also threatened to murder Darby Allin and drop his body on Everest. That is not allowed, Yuta.

–Hangman Adam Page, Samoa Joe, and Powerhouse Hobbs were backstage, and Hangman said that despite how many times the Death Riders have been beat back, they do not learn, and that since Shibata is out for awhile, Hangman would step up to take his place. Joe claimed that school was in session, and his new equestrian coach, Hangman, will run them down, and the new PE teacher, Hobbs would teach them a lesson in pain. Samoa Joe remains one of the best promos in wrestling.

The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. The Swirl (Blake Christian & Lee Johnson)

The Acclaimed, especially Bowens, was completely unwilling to work with Caster. This match had very little heat as the very good Blake Christian and Lee Johnson played heels to the utterly unlikable babyfaces. I hope there is a resolution to this that is actually better than what we are seeing here. Christian and Johnson got the non-existent heat on Caster

Cater pulled Christian from the ring and sent him crashing into the guardrail, which actually got a good reaction, and the fans chanted for Max, as he is apparently the best wrestler alive. Christian hit a flying kick on Caster and then over the ropes into the ring on Bowens. Jonhson did a monkey flip on Christian, sending him into a lariat on Caster.

Bowens tagged in, but was reluctant to fight, and wanted to target Caster instead, which led to Christian and Johnson hitting a series of incredible double team moves on Caster and Bowens, including a handspring kick on Bowens into a brainbuster by Johnson for a pinfall that Caster broke up. Jerry Lynn came down to ringside at some point to try and encourage them to work together, but Caster blind tagged in and Bowens was sent from the ring. Bowens hit the Mollywhop on Johnson as he was near the ropes, and Max Caster rolled up Johnson for the win.

Result: The Acclaim

The fans chanted for the them to scissor, and Bowens refused, but Caster seemed to be warming up for it.

Talk about making Blake Christian and Lee Johnson look like geeks, losing to these guys who couldn’t get along. Not a fan of this.

–Mother Wayne, Kip Sabian, and Nick Wayne were backstage. Wayne said that after his injury, the average human wouldn’t be able to walk again, but he was not average, and he would be Christian Cage’s biggest nightmare, and was always one step ahead.

–Tony Schiavone did an old school NWA style promotion for the upcoming shows in Florida, including with the old 4:3 video, announcing the big matches in the 4 upcoming shows. This was awesome. I want to believe they bought an old camera to make it look that way, though I imagine it was just filters. I still want to believe it though.

–A hype video aired for the upcoming AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship.

–TayJay were backstage with Lexy Nair, and Anna Jay and Tay Melo made it clear that they wanted those tag titles, and threw their hat in the ring to win those titles. Hopefully they actually announce the tournament soon, presuming there will be one. They promised to be the first women’s tag team champions.

The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd) & Dalton Castle vs. Cowpoke Paul, Corey Sparks, & KM

The Outrunners sent Paul and Sparks to the floor, while Castle threw KM around the ring with east. Tony Schiavone claimed he wanted to call Nigel McGuinness a SOB, but he would let the Outrunners do it as they hit the SOB elbow. Dalton Castle hit the Bangarang for the win.

Result: The Outrunners & Dalton Castle

–Mark Briscoe claimed he was satisfied with finally beating MJF, and now he can get back to having fun with the Conglomeration, especially as Orange Cassidy came back, and that while they may be funny, they are not a joke, and they were coming for AEW gold. Great promo from Briscoe.

Komander (w/ Alex Abrahantes) vs. Kyle Fletcher for the TNT Championship

Fletcher shut down the quick offence of Komander with a bodyslam, which he needed, as Komander was relentless. Don Callis was noticeably absent, and Nigel McGuinness insisted he was busy recovering from the destruction of his painting at the hands of Orange Cassidy. Tony Schiavone claimed he was running in fear from the announcement that Kenny Omega was back next week. Komander hit a headscissors takedown on Fletcher, and a hard chop. Fletcher asked for more, so Komander hit a few chops, grabbed the arm, ran up the ropes, bounced around, and hit a hurricanrana.

Komander countered an attempt to lawn dart him into the guardrail with an armdrag, ran across the guardrail and went for a hurricanrana, but Fletcher caught him and powerbomed him on the apron twice as they went to the ad break. Fletcher beat on Komander around the ring so much that the fans started to cheer for Fletcher, and it seems like that match with Hangman Page might be turning him babyface slowly. This is not a bad thing.

The fans were wildly cheering for Fletcher as he chopped Komander and pointed at himself to cheers, and Komander to boos. As Komander ran across the top rope, flipped onto the other rope, and hit an armdrag, Tony Schiavone let us know that Hologram was injured by Kyle Fletcher and the match would not be happening next week on Dynamite. Fletcher hit a half & half suplex.

Fletcher went for a brainbuster to the floor or on the apron, but Komander hit a kick. Komander went for a headscissors to the floor, but Fletcher countered into a tombstone position, which caused some fans to scream in horror, which was great. Komander flipped out of the tombstone and hit a headscissors takedown onto the floor. When they came back into the ring, Fletcher managed to hit a Michinoku driver for a near fall. This match is fantastic.

Fletcher was sent to the floor, and Komander ran and hit a springboard moonsault to the floor on Fletcher. Komander then hit a springboard into a Canadian Destroyer in the ring, and a 450 splash for a 2-count. Komander ran across the ropes into a shooting star press, but Fletcher got the feet up, hit a lawn dart into the middle turnbuckle, finally hitting the move, and then a helluva kick in the corner before hitting a brainbuster for the win.

Result: Kyle Fletcher

This match was incredible. Kyle Fletcher having this kind of match shortly after his war at AEW All Out is astonishing. The level of work in this match was great, with Fletcher teasing and hinting at that lawn dart throughout the match, and finally hitting it before the finish, and Komander looked like an absolute star by the end, despite losing. Komander was booed for a short time, but by the end, this match was so awesome he won the crowd over and Fletcher was back to being the heel. Excellent match. Go out of your way to watch this.

–A recap of Fletcher injuring Hologram and defeating Komander aired, and transitioned to Fletcher cutting a promo, saying he was reestablishing dominance. Fletcher said that Hologram was scared of him, and he was going to be TNT Champion for a long time. Fletcher said that he wanted to put his title on the line, and wanted someone to step up to him, so he was offering an open challenge. Excellent promo. It was announced that Orange Cassidy stepped up, and would be facing Fletcher on Dynamite.

–Eddie Kingston and Hook came out and announced that the tag match between them and Big Bill & Bryan Keith was now a tornado tag.

Eddie Kingston & Hook vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith

Bill sent Kingston crashing hard into the ring steps, while Keith hit a cannonball off the apron. Keith beat on Hook around ringside. When they came back from break, Keith hit a suplex on Hook, and they sent Kingston from the apron to the floor. As it was a tornado tag, they continually kept Kingston from the ring while attacking Hook. As they were beating on Hook, Schiavone announced that the 6th anniversary of Dynamite would be a 2.5 hour special episode.

Hook hit a suplex on Keith, and Kingston finally made it into the ring, chopping the heck out of Keith. Big Bill tried to chokeslam both men, but Hook and Kingston hit a double team back body drop on Bill, sending him crashing to the mat. They both covered Bill, and Bill shoved them off. Keith hit a suplex on Hook, but ate a lariat from Kingston. Bill hit a big boot and lariat on Kingston for a 2-count.

Bill went for a chokeslam on Kingston, but Kingstonh hit a dragon screw on Bill. Hook hit a suplex on Keith and hit the ropes, but Bill tripped Hook, allowing Keith to roll Hook up with the tights hooked for a 2-count. Kingston hit a Backfist to the Future on Keith, and Keith fell into Red Rum from Hook for the submission win.

Result: Eddie Kingston & Hook

–Austin Gunn & Juice Robinson talked about how they took The Young Bucks to the limit last week, despite losing. However, Jay White called them, and told them they needed some backup, and Ace Austin walked up, rejoining his Bullet Club brethren. This was the right call, I think. Both Austin Gunn and Ace Austin shook hands, said “Hi, I’m Austin,” at the same time, which was amusing.

Jamie Hayter vs. Julia Hart (w/ Skye Blue)

Hayter immediately started attacking fiercely, stomping Hart in the corner, and hitting forearms before throwing Hart across the ring. Hayter missed a running elbow in the corner, and Hart rolled to the floor. As the referee was distracted by Hart, Skye Blue hit a superkick on Hayter, allowing Hart to hit a DDT back in the ring for a 2-count.

When they came back from the break, Hart was distracted the referee again, but Hayter saw Blue coming this time and hit a snap suplex on the floor. Hayter than hit a Saito suplex on on Hart for a 2-count. Hayter picked up Hart in a fireman’s carry into a Samoan Drop, but Hart countered into a crucifix pinfall attempt. Hart locked on an the Tarantula, and floated into the ring through the middle ropes, but Hayer caught her in fireman’s carry and hit an Ushigoroshi. Hayter missed a lariat, and Hart leveled Hayter and hit a moonsault for a 2-count, but Hayter got her foot on the ropes.

As Hayter stood up, Hart locked on an octopus stretch. Hayter countered and powered Hart up into a tombstone piledriver for a 2-count. Hayter picked her up and hit the Hayterade lariat for the pinfall.

Result: Jamie Hayter

Solid main event match with Hart and Hayter here.

–Skye Blue and Julia Hart attacked Hayter after the match, but Queen Aminata ran down to the make the save. Hayter grabbed a mic and said that she was sick of them using their numbers to attack. Hayter said that the only way to solve this issue with the Triangle of Madness was three words: Blood & Guts. It looks like we’ll be having the first ever women’s Blood & Guts match in the near future.

Final Thoughts

There were a lot of squash matches on this episode of Collision, but the Fletcher/Komander match, and the main event more than made up for it. I give this show a thumbs up. Go out of your way to see Fletcher vs. Komander.

AEW Dynamite – October 1, 2025

  • Hangman Page, Samoa Joe, and Powerhouse Hobbs vs. The Death Riders
  • Kenny Omega & Brodido vs. Josh Alexander & The Young Bucks
  • Kyle Fletcher vs. Orange Cassidy
  • Jurassic Express Returns
  • Timless Toni Storm Returns
  • Darby Allin & Kris Statlander vs. Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shafir

AEW WrestleDream – October 18, 2025

  • I Quit Match: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin

Trios match added to AEW Collision lineup

Posted on by Josh Nason

The Death Riders will be in action on Saturday’s AEW Collision with new member Daniel Garcia ready to make a splash.

In a match announced Friday night, former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley teams with Garcia and Claudio Castagnoli against Paragon’s Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong along with Matt Menard. “Daddy Magic” is a former partner of Garcia’s and isn’t happy with the direction his now-former friend has taken.

The Moxley-led group was run off by Darby Allin and his flamethrower on this past Wednesday’s Dynamite after AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander emphatically denied their offer to join the group.

Moxley, Garcia and Castagnoli will face AEW World Champion Hangman Page, Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs on Wednesday’s Dynamite.

Current AEW Collision card | Saturday, September 27:

  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Komander
  • Max Caster & Anthony Bowens vs. Swirl (Lee Johnson & Blake Christian)
  • Eddie Kingston & Hook vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
  • Jamie Hayter vs. Julia Hart
  • Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) and Matt Menard

Death Riders member returns from injury at AEW All Out

Posted on by Bryan Rose

PAC is back.

The Death Riders member made his presence felt at the end of the coffin match between Darby Allin and Jon Moxley at Saturday’s All Out. Allin had choked Moxley out with a plastic bag and had the match won when PAC made his presence felt. Sporting a shorter haircut, the former International Champion attacked Allin, powerbombing him onto the top of a coffin off the outside of the ring, causing a sickening thud. PAC then threw Allin back into the ring and put him in a bodybag before placing him in the coffin. A battered and bloody Moxley then shut the lid to end the match.

After the match, the Death Riders carried Allin out of the ring as if they were pallbearers as Moxley told fans he didn’t want to do this.

PAC had been out of action for most of the summer, suffering a foot injury during a match against Swerve Strickland after being powerbombed into a corner. Last month, he was seen with WWE star Sami Zayn as they enjoyed a Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool.

Death Riders add new member on AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Ethan Renner

AEW’s Death Riders group have added to their ranks.

In the show-closing angle on Wednesday’s Dynamite, Daniel Garcia attacked Darby Allin and aligned with Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir in the aftermath of the episode’s main event.

Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta of The Death Riders teamed with The Young Bucks in the $500,000 10-man tag main event, defeating Brodido and The Opps. After the bout, The Death Riders continued attacking The Opps as the Bucks and Brodido fought off. Darby Allin ran in to make the save for The Opps, momentarily neutralizing Moxley, his All Out opponent in a Coffin Match.

Allin’s aid was short-lived, as a hooded Garcia ran in and attacked, eventually leaving Allin laying after a curb stomp on a chair.

A video showing the aftermath of the angle was posted to AEW’s social media channels:

Our full Dynamite report from Ryan Howard is available here.

Two new matches signed for AEW Collision

Posted on by Josh Nason

Saturday’s AEW Collision saw two new matches added during Wednesday’s Dynamite.

After the events of Wednesday when Jon Moxley defeated Kevin Knight, Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey will reform JetSpeed to take on Moxley’s Death Riders team of Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta.

In another, it will be a four-way fight for $100,000 between Anna Jay, Penelope Ford and former TBS Champions Kris Statlander and Julia Hart.

The new additions join the previously announced four-way between Nigel McGuinness, Lee Moriarty, Hechicero and Daniel Garcia for a shot at IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.

Saturday’s show will be taped Thursday in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Current AEW Collision lineup | Saturday, August 16 (taped Thursday) | Cincinnati, Ohio

  • JetSpeed (Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight) vs. Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta & Claudio Castagnoli)
  • Anna Jay vs. Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart vs. Penelope Ford
  • Nigel McGuinness vs. Daniel Garcia vs. Lee Moriarty vs. Hechicero for IWGP World title match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

All-star lights out cage match with NJPW icon made for AEW Forbidden Door

Posted on by Josh Nason

This story has been updated.

If your wrestling bingo card had NJPW icon and president Hiroshi Tanahashi competing in a lights out steel cage match in his final ever match in London, England, congratulations.

Tanahashi will be part of the ten-man cage match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in London, England, joining Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi against The Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli), Gabe Kidd, and the Young Bucks.

Here’s how it all came together.

Following Moxley’s win over Kevin Knight on Wednesday’s Dynamite, Allin came to the ring, attacking Wheeler Yuta when Castagnoli returned to lay Allin out and put him in a body bag intended for Yuta.

Castagnoli and Yuta were about to finish the job when Ospreay ran out to even the odds and take out both men. He then grabbed the microphone and told Moxley, Castagnoli, Yuta and Marina Shafir that they tried to snap his neck at All In, so he was going to snap theirs.

He then told the group to get his friends and he’ll bring his, and they will meet at Forbidden Door in a lights out steel cage match.

Ospreay later revealed backstage to Renee Paquette that he and Allin will be part of a team that is still adding a few members, but he confirmed one made via a phone call: Tanahashi. Near the end of Dynamite, Moxley and crew learned about his addition and went to find the Young Bucks who were in the “extras” area.

The lineups were then later revealed.

It will be Tanahashi’s final match in London as his final year as an active wrestler winds down.

A lot of returns

For Ospreay, it will mark his return to the ring after revealing in July that he would be missing some time due to two herniated discs.

For Allin, it’s his first match since December 22, 2024, when he was in the Continental Classic. He left to climb Mount Everest and made his return at All In: Texas as part of the group helping fend off the Death Riders as Hangman Page won the AEW World title.

Kidd hasn’t competed since sustaining an injury in his NJPW G1 Climax opening match against Konosuke Takeshita which forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

It will be Omega’s first match since losing the Unified title to Kazuchika Okada at All In: Texas.

Current AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door card | Sunday, August 24 | London, England

  • AEW World Champion Hangman Page defends against MJF
  • AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against winner of Tag Team title eliminator tournament
  • Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. Nick Wayne & Kip Sabian
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Athena
  • TBS Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Alex Windsor, CMLL TBD and Stardom TBD
  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Hiromu Takahashi
  • Lights out steel cage match: Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. The Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli), Gabe Kidd & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)

AEW All In review: Hangman Page frees us from the Death Riders

Posted on by Bryan Rose

After months of speculation and dread regarding whether AEW was going to send fans home happy at All In, the answer ended up being obvious: of course they did.

Hangman Page defeated Jon Moxley on Saturday to finish his story and finally take away the AEW World title from Jon Moxley and the Death Riders. After spending a year lost in his own hate and self-pity, he overcame everything to finally defeat Moxley, who since October has held the AEW World Championship hostage in a stuffy, stifling briefcase. It was a fantastic, bloody, and downright painful match that was booked perfectly, exactly what it needed to be.

Of course, there was copious amounts of interference. After Samoa Joe was injured earlier in the night, Will Ospreay also fell to the Death Riders, who interfered constantly throughout the match. The arrival of the Young Bucks also seemed to put a damper on things. But the returns of Bryan Danielson and Darby Allin helped even the odds once more. Swerve Strickland ended up being the deciding factor, helping Hangman by striking the Young Bucks with a chain and tossed it to our hero, who then used the chain he left in Swerve’s locker room on Collision to hang Moxley off the ropes, eventually earning the submission win.

Tony Khan thinks long term, very long term when it comes to storylines so sometimes it’s hard to see what the endgame is. The rise of the Death Riders and their rampage across AEW will be remembered as divisive, to say the least. While Moxley’s run as AEW World Champion can be credited for AEW’s upswing in 2025, the matches he defended the title in were a mixed bag, and the promos stopped being interesting a few weeks in. But in the end, after months of sour endings and fans wondering if he should piviot away, Khan stayed true to his vision and delivered the ending he wanted. And it can’t be labeled anything other than a success.

This was a grittier, bloodier version of Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship win from last year. Some people will be upset about that comparison, but it’s true! It’s okay to copy ideas that work really well, and booking a long-term storyline leading to a cathartic-like win, as we witnessed Saturday, always works when everything comes together. With Page’s win, it does feel like a new era in AEW has begun, and while it’s not immediately clear what the future holds, it does look bright after a show like this.

I don’t think this was the best show of the year, as I thought Revolution was a tad better. And also, at six hours, yes this was a very long show. But the main event and its conclusion will likely be remembered by fans around voting time.

My other thoughts from the show:

  • The Trios titles opener was fine, but seemed like more of an angle to ensure there would be hijinks in the main event after Samoa Joe was taken out on a stretcher. And sure enough, it was. I kind of wish for the days where these titles seemed like a big deal, they’ve really fallen by the wayside. But don’t get me started on AEW and its titles.
  • MJF won the men’s Casino Gauntlet match, earning a future world title shot. I liked this mostly, it featured a ton of good workers like Konosuke Takeshita, Mistico, Mark Briscoe and Josh Alexander going at it and the mystery people coming in kept things going well. The finish pretty much means we’ll see the long-teased MJF and Hangman Page match, though if it’s like last year where people can cash in at any time, you know MJF’s going to use that to his advantage.
  • Dustin Rhodes won the TNT title in an impromptu four-way match to crown a new TNT Champion after Adam Cole gave an emotional speech questioning his career status after vacating the title earlier in the day. This was a solid match that was overshadowed by Cole’s emotional announcement, but people reacted to the surprise win for hometown hero Rhodes. This was all designed to give fans something to cheer for, and they did.
  • The Young Bucks are no longer EVPs, losing that status to Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland in what I thought was a fantastic match. It’s not just that The Young Bucks are one of the best tag teams ever, but Ospreay and Strickland gel very well as a tag team, their synchronicity are top notch. There were some sequences here that were just incredible. The Young Bucks losing is probably a way to keep them off TV for a while until they pop up once again later this year.
  • Athena ended up winning the Women’s Casino gauntlet match, giving herself a future chance at the AEW Women’s title. This was pretty good, everyone worked hard. Syuri from Stardom made her debut and looked great, as did Alex Windsor. Athena winning makes it seem like we’ll see a future match between her Toni Storm soon enough, which sounds good to me.
  • To nobody’s surprise, The Hurt Syndicate retained the tag team titles over JetSpeed and Christian Cage & Nick Wayne. This took place long into the show and no one really reacted to the work here as nobody thought the Hurt Syndicate, who had been booked like demigods in the weeks leading to this match save for this last week, was going to lose the titles here. They didn’t.
  • The match was also overshadowed by Nick Wayne turning on Christian Cage, which was a weird dynamic was it was Christian being mean to Wayne in the weeks leading to this match. Wayne, Kip Sabian, and FTR were about to take out Cage with the conchairto when Adam Copeland made his return, taking out everyone. He then helped Cage to his feet and told him to go…find himself. Deep. All Out is in Toronto so they will likely be buddies again by then, but this all seemed abrupt.
  • Mercedes Mone was not successful in winning the AEW Women’s Championship, as she sustained her first AEW loss to Toni Storm, who won with an avalanche storm zero. This was fantastic with a lot of great nearfalls and submission attempts toward the end. Between the entrances and the work, this felt like a big time main event. Don’t know where they go from here as I feel this is just the start of a series that could eventually see Mone win the title.
  • Kazuchika Okada emerged victorious over Kenny Omega in what I thought was his best match since arriving in AEW last year. The question coming in here is what kind of Okada were going to get — an Okada that works at a 5 or an Okada that works at 10? We got something closer to the latter, probably a 7. With that in mind, this was not as good as their matches from several years ago in NJPW as their bodies are battered, but this was still a great match. With Omega’s loss, he may be taking some time off as he continues on his road to recovery.

Hangman Page wins World title at AEW All In, Bryan Danielson & Darby Allin return

Posted on by Josh Nason

For the first time since May 2022, Hangman Page can call himself AEW World Champion.

Page defeated Jon Moxley in the main event of Saturday’s AEW All In to reclaim the title under Texas Death Match rules — an incredibly violent match which featured a slew of the main players in the story that began last October at WrestleDream.

The final stages began when Moxley called for a plastic bag to suffocate Page. A video from Darby Allin played, filmed atop Mount Everest where Allin said he was coming to take everything from Moxley. Bryan Danielson then ran into the ring with a Blue Panther mask on, revealed himself, and delivered a running knee to Wheeler Yuta, taking out he and Gabe Kidd. He then took out Claudio Castagnoli to boot as Allin descended from the top of the stadium.

Page then hit the Buckshot lariat on Moxley as he was distracted by Allin who then hit a Coffin Drop on the heels on the outside of the ring. As Danielson and Allin dispatched the Death Riders, Page then hit a Deadeye on Moxley on a table outside of the ring. Moxley nearly couldn’t answer the ten count and had to be assisted by Marina Shafir.

The Young Bucks then appeared, superkicked Page, and hit an EVP trigger. Moxley and Shafir brought out a bed of nails from the outside of the ring, hitting a curb stomp on it followed by a Paradigm Shift. Page was able to stand up at the count of nine and Moxley demanded Shafir grab the briefcase and leave. She then got handcuffed by a hidden Prince Nana and out came Swerve Strickland with a chain to take out the Bucks, assisting his old rival.

Strickland then tossed the chain, given to him by Page on Thursday’s Collision, back into the ring. Page then used it on Moxley, wrapping it around his neck. Page hit a Buckshot lariat on Moxley who landed on the bed of nails. Page then tossed Moxley over the top and hung him with the chain in a callback to their previous Texas Death Match. After struggling, Moxley tapped out to a thunderous ovation.

An emotional Page then got the key to the briefcase and revealed the World title belt that had been hidden since last October. Fireworks went off and an exhausted Page celebrated, closing a pay-per-view main card that began at 3 PM Eastern and finished six hours later.

***********

As expected, the blood began in the first few minutes when Page pulled out a fork and stabbed Moxley in the head repeatedly. That was followed by Page getting busted open when Moxley used barbed wire across his forehead. The violence continued throughout with more barbed wire usage, a bucket of broken bottles, as well as tables: both with barbed wire and without.

Chairs were also used as Moxley got powerbombed from the corner onto the top of two put back-to-back. Later, Moxley suplexed Page from the ring apron through two tables covered in barbed wire.

Shortly after, the first run-in happened when Yuta hit Page with a chair and then was taken out himself. Shafir, at ringside for the entire match, then jumped on Page’s back only to get driven through a ringside table with a death valley driver.

Castagnoli then ran into attack Page, joined by Yuta. That brought out Will Ospreay who was followed by Kidd. Kidd then piledrivered Ospreay on the floor and Castagnoli put his head through a chair, delivering a running stomp similar to what he did to Samoa Joe in the night’s opening match. Like Joe, Ospreay was then stretchered out.

**********

It’s Page’s second win over Moxley in a Texas Death Match with the first coming at March 2023’s Revolution. Page is now 5-1 under the rules all-time.

The loss ends Moxley’s fourth World title run that began at WrestleDream when he defeated Danielson to end his full-time in-ring career.