In her AEW career, Julia Hart has taken some inspiration from WWE star Alexa Bliss.
Hart spoke with ITR Wrestling and addressed the character transformation she went through when she went from playing a cheerleader to the darker persona she has today. It was a necessary shift for Hart as she grew into her wrestling career and left her cheerleading past behind.
“I think it just needed to happen because I was so hung up on cheerleading. That’s all I knew for six years so I was trying too hard to put a cheerleader in wrestling instead of being a wrestler and just happen to be a cheerleader kind of thing,” Hart said. “So I think this character shift really helped me become my full self as a wrestler and kind of leave cheer behind and really helped me get to the next level. I started to feel more confident because I wasn’t trying to be a cheerleader, ‘A cheerleader wouldn’t that, a cheerleader wouldn’t do this.’ Okay, but you’re not a cheerleader, you’re a wrestler. It definitely helped me, I needed that character shift.”
Growing up, Hart was a big fan of Bliss and has looked to her character for inspiration without directly imitating her.
“I didn’t look at her career and think, ‘I want to do exactly that.’ She definitely was a big influence and I definitely grew up loving her and watching her,” Hart said. “So, I would go back and use her as a reference, but I never directly went like, ‘This is what I was going to do.’ I wanted to be a cheerleader because I was a cheerleader in real life in high school and I had no other character ideas.”
Hart credited her former House of Black teammates — Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King — and Tony Khan for guiding her character shift and helping her get more television time.
“We were then put in a program with Malakai (Black) and I was like I want to be on TV more and I wanted to ask like, ‘How can I make this a story?’ And he was fully on board with me and worked with me and helped me and Brody (King) and Buddy (Matthews) helped as well,” she said. “And then Tony (Khan) brought it to life. It was just trying to figure out how can I get out of this loop and get to the next level.”
Hart began her AEW career in 2021 and soon joined The Varsity Blondes as a cheerleader. A run-in with Black later that year led to the darker transformation and eventual alignment with House of Black. She has since risen through the women’s division, which ultimately led to the formation of Triangle of Madness with Thekla & Skye Blue.
Aleister Black is happy to see his former stablemate Brody King thriving in AEW.
Before Black departed AEW for WWE, he led The House of Black with King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart. King has since held Tag Team gold with Bandido and reached World Championship contention before ultimately losing to MJF. In an interview with The Stunner, Black said he knew his AEW faction members would fare well after he left. He had a conversation with King and Matthews prior to leaving AEW where they all agreed that shaking things up might be for the best.
“It was a very thorough conversation between me, [King], and Buddy. They were in agreement. They were like, ‘Yeah, we also think that it might be best, you know, to change course.’ Because we felt that we were hitting a wall constantly. Not in a malicious way, not in a bad way. Like, there’s only so much room and so much time for everybody, which is fine,” Black said.
“I said to [King], ‘I think once I go one direction, I think you will eventually see a big explosion in regards to how you are being perceived as.’ And I’m glad that we see that now because the whole reason why I initially told Tony [Khan] about Brody was because I already saw that. I knew how good he could be. And even when we first started moving around with him, I had to kind of tone him down a little bit because he’s a big human being. He came out of an era where a lot of big guys would still do flips and stuff like that. I would say, ‘I’d like for you to be more effective. One elbow from you equals dude on the ground and not getting back up.’ Instead of like five forearms and a clothesline.
“He picked up on that tremendously. He saw that it was more effective. He saw that it helped his character get over. He was just one of those guys that I feel was a big diamond in the rough. He’s a good dude. I have a lot of love for him. We fight like brothers, even back then, and sometimes I’m his dad and sometimes he’s my dad. We’ve always had a good relationship, and I am very, very happy for him. Because that’s what should happen. Unique guy, charismatic guy, talented guy.”
In November 2024, Black wrestled his final AEW match before eventually departing the company in February 2025. He is now on the WWE SmackDown roster and works alongside his wife Zelina Vega.
The biggest attended shows in combat sports of 2024
Who drew the most big crowds of the year
What companies drew the biggest crowds
Amazing UFC PPV gates
The biggest pro wrestling drawing card by the year from 1916 to 2024
The biggest enduring drawing cards of all-time and where the modern stars rank with the historical stars
Updating all the Vince McMahon legal issues, from the SEC findings, the criminal investigation an the lawsuits, plus several things that have happened regarding the Grant chase this past week and who are with Vince for his start of a new company
WWE and NBC book Saturday Night’s Main Event head-to-head with All In Texas
The history of this tactic, and an estimate of how much revenue it would cost AEW
WWE on Netflix, what episode one did for business, trying to figure out what the numbers mean, time of show and more
WWE & TNA make deal
New Japan Battle in the Valley coverage
The arenas in the U.S. that have held pro wrestling for the longest amount of time
Bret Hart talks his favorite wrestler and the life of Sweet Daddy Siki
What is up with Corey Graves
Death of Ray Richard
The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week and key takes
Blue Panther vs. Hechicero
Athena tours Stardom
New Japan big shows coming up
Thoughts on the death of Bob Uecker
VOW best wrestlers of 2024
More on the AEW show in Brisbane, Australia
Lots more on AEW ratings declines and where
Darby Allin update
Ticket sales for upcoming WWE & AEw shows
International TV ratings and streaming numbers
Conor McGregro sued again in a sex case
PFL drops the Bellator name, releases Bellator’s biggest star and cuts tournament prize money in half
Lots of new stuff from GFL
WWE sets more business records
Notes on the next Saturday Night’s Main Event
Paul Heyman talks booking
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
Dragon Lee shared this morning that his new daughter will be arriving soon. Lee and his wife are at the hospital preparing for her to give birth.
Before NXT this week, Javier Bernal returned to action for the first time since suffering a broken foot in June 2024. He wrote in an Instagram post yesterday: “I missed yall so much. Thank you [heart emoji] #WWENXT”
After Konnan claimed that Britt Baker and Adam Cole broke up because Baker cheated on Cole, Baker posted a tweet denying the allegation. Baker said she has never cheated on anyone in her life:
I understand we as performers are expected to have thick skin through opinions and lies we read about ourselves, but spreading lies about my personal life is just low, weird, and something I won’t tolerate.
I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life. #TellYourSource
With Malakai Black not expected back in AEW, a video aired on Dynamite spotlighting Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Julia Hart as a trio. The “Hounds of Hell” has been trademarked as a potential new name for the group. They said in their promo last night:
For years, we’ve had a voice to guide us. That voice was all but deafening. Now, that voice has gone silent. And we are done living in the shadows. It’s time to honor ourselves. No rules. No leaders. No gods. No masters. Just violence. When we bark, we bark together.
Frakie Kazarian tweeted out the following after his former tag team partner Christopher Daniels announced his retirement from in-ring competition:
There’s no way to articulate what [Christopher Daniels] means to me. As an opponent, a tag team partner, or most importantly as a best friend and brother. His contributions to our sport will never be realized. I love you CD. Bad Influence, The Addiction or SCU. I loved every single minute.
In an interview with Undisputed, Mark Briscoe said he’s made it a point to incorporate a lot of his late brother Jay Briscoe’s ideas into his style as a singles wrestler:
For so many years, Jay and me, we’d argue. Jay would sell me on his ideas and his style being the way to go. I would be selling him on how my ideas and my style were the way to go. All along, it was iron sharpening iron. Well, now I have no desire to argue his points. In the past, it was automatically incorporated because we were two partners in a tag team. Now it’s just me, and I’m incorporating what Jay was saying all along.
When we tagged together, the contrast was obvious. You knew who Jay was and who Mark was, and the whole was greater than the sum of both parts. That’s what made The Briscoes so special. We went together like peanut and jelly, or peanut butter and chocolate if you’re a fan of Reese’s like myself.
Mark Briscoe, at his core, is a tag team specialist with Jay Briscoe. That’s what we did for 22 years. So I made the decision to incorporate more of Jay Briscoe into what I do in the ring. Jay is one of the finest wrestlers, in my opinion, there ever has been, so I’m damn sure going to take everything my brother taught me and learn from it.
Anthony Bowens filed a trademark for “The Pride of Pro Wrestling” on January 21.
Hendry and The Hardys appeared on SA Live, promoting tonight’s live episode of TNA Impact in San Antonio.
Axiom tweeted about making his TNA debut on Impact tonight: “In 2008 @ThisIsTNA started airing on TV in Spain. Someone tell 10 years old Axiom that one day he will be making his TNA debut while defending a WWE Title.”
CMLL announced that its Women’s Tag Team title tournament will have qualifying rounds on March 7 and March 14 with the finals then taking place on March 21. The titles were vacated last month when Tessa Blanchard departed CMLL.
Former WWE wrestler Indi Hartwell is sharpening her in-ring skills by training with Ace Steel at his Foundation of Professional Wrestling school in Florida.
Buddy Matthews filed to trademark the name “Hell Hounds” with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Friday, January 17, 2025.
His filing was made two days after his House of Black stablemate Brody King applied to trademark a similar term. On January 15, King filed to trademark “Hounds of Hell” with the USPTO.
Matthews’ filing lists the purposes as “Advertising services, namely, promoting the goods and services of others; organizing fairs for commercial and advertising purposes; providing a searchable website featuring the goods and services of other vendors. Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer.”
No attorney is listed on the filing. Rather, Matthews filed for the trademark himself under his real name, Matthew Adams, using an address in Plant City, Florida, the same town where Malakai Black and Zelina Vega’s Dark Arts gym is located.
Matthews and King appear to be staying together as a team after Black’s AEW departure. They are scheduled to wrestle The Gates of Agony on AEW Collision: Homecoming next Saturday. Another former House of Black member, Julia Hart, is set to wrestle Jamie Hayter on Dynamite.
A House of Black member has now spoken on the record about the rumors of Malakai Black departing AEW.
In an interview with Denise Salcedo, former TBS Champion Julia Hart was asked about the possibility of the group leader leaving the company. She said she doesn’t know what’s going on, but wishes him the best regardless of what he ends up doing.
“He has been such a great rock for me and I appreciate everything he’s ever done with me. The rumors aren’t confirmed or anything, so I don’t know what exactly is going on. Anything could be happening. We don’t know. So, it’s just a matter of fact whatever happens, happens, and I’m happy for him no matter what happens, and I think House of Black will be okay,” she said.
Hart said she actually came up with the idea of joining the faction and approached producer Jerry Lynn for advice and to talk to Black as she didn’t know him, Brody King or Buddy Matthews.
The 23-year-old recently returned from a shoulder injury after being out since April, picking up a victory over Jamie Hayter on the first Dynamite of the year.
Hart also talked about her recovery from that injury and more in the full 20-minute interview below:
The Kings of the Black Throne portion of House of Black will now be part of a four-way for the AEW Tag Team titles at next Saturday’s Full Gear.
Malakai Black & Brody King earned their spot on Wednesday’s Dynamite after defeating FTR when King put Dax Harwood out with a sleeper. While the two have held the AEW Trios titles, neither Black or King have been an AEW Tag Team champion.
It’s FTR’s first loss in a traditional tag team match since this past April’s Dynasty — a streak of eight bouts.
The two join reigning champions Private Party and The Outrunners in the match. The Acclaimed and LFI’s Rush & The Beast Mortos will clash this Saturday to determine the fourth entrant.
Here’s the current card for Saturday, November 23rd in Newark, New Jersey:
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defends against Orange Cassidy
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Kris Statlander
TNT Champion Jack Perry defends against Daniel Garcia
Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher
Jay White vs. Hangman Page
Bobby Lashley vs. Swerve Strickland
MJF vs. Roderick Strong
Four-way match for AEW Tag Team titles: Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) defends against The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd), House of Black (Malakai Black & Brody King) and TBD
A handful of new matches and appearances are on tap for this Saturday’s AEW Collision, taped Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island.
Ahead of their impending match against FTR in the contender’s series to be part of a Tag Team title four-way at Full Gear, the House of Black will be in trios action against the Iron Savages.
After taking out Mercedes Mone and Kamille Wednesday following her nearly being run over, Kris Statlander will be in action against Ashley Vox who she feuded with on the indies.
TNT Champion Jack Perry will be in action as he goes one-on-one with Action Andretti.
Former AEW International Champion Roderick Strong will look to make it two in a row when he faces The Beast Mortos. If he and Adam Cole each win three straight, they will face MJF in a three-way at Full Gear. If one of them loses, it’s a one-on-one match with MJF instead.
After defeating Anna Jay recently to retain her AEW Women’s World title, Mariah May will be on hand to share some thoughts.
The new additions join the previously announced AEW Trios title match, the first AEW Tag Team title four-way contender’s series match, and Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox.
Here is the updated lineup:
AEW Trios Champions PAC, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta defend against The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii)
Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox
AEW Full Gear four-way contenders series: The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum) vs. Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin)
House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) vs. Iron Savages (Boulder, Bronson & Jacked Jameson)
The next challengers for the AEW Tag Team titles at this month’s WrestleDream will be determined on this Saturday’s edition of Collision.
Private Party, Top Flight and House of Black will vie for the opportunity to challenge the Young Bucks (pictured above) at the Saturday, October 12th pay-per-view. None of the teams have held the Tag Team titles before.
Private Party issued a challenge on this past Wednesday’s fifth anniversary edition of Dynamite and the Bucks feigned as if they were going to accept but then decided not to. That led to Jack Perry attacking Private Party from behind and the three heels beating them up until Katsuyori Shibata made the save.
Friday’s Rampage will feature the Bucks and Perry against Private Party and Shibata.
Top Flight have battled the Bucks several times in the past while House of Black feuded with The Elite over the AEW Trios titles in early-2023.
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Darby Allin will be in action against Johnny TV as the former is still looking for an opponent for WrestleDream after issuing an open challenge.
After getting into a scrap with AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May, Willow Nightingale will take on Trish Adora while Nightingale’s rival Kris Statlander will return to action for the first time since their All Out street fight against an opponent to be named.
Ahead of his tag team match alongside Bryan Danielson against PAC & Claudio Castagnoli on Tuesday, Wheeler Yuta will go one-on-one with Beef.
In what should be a high-flying four-way, Hologram will battle Komander, Nick Wayne and Action Andretti.
Two tag team matches are set as the surging Outrunners will take on the Grizzled Young Veterans while The Conglomeration’s Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly battle Tony Nese & Ari Daivari of the Premier Athletes.
House of Black (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews) vs. Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) in a three-way AEW Tag Team title eliminator match for WrestleDream
Darby Allin vs. Johnny TV
The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake)
Willow Nightingale vs. Trish Adora
Beef vs. Wheeler Yuta
The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly) vs. Premier Athletes (Tony Nese & Ari Daivari)
Komander vs. Hologram vs. Nick Wayne vs. Action Andretti
Five matches are set for tonight’s AEW Rampage including the House of Black in tag team action.
In the featured match, Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews will team up against Lio Rush & Action Andretti. Rush and Andretti are aligned with Dante Martin, Darius Martin and Leila Grey of Top Flight.
Konosuke Takeshita will look to keep his recent win streak going as he goes one-on-one with Angelico.
After staking her claim on Dynamite as the top contender to Mariah May’s AEW Women’s World title, former CMLL Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale will be in action against Taya Valkyrie.
Anna Jay returns from her Japanese excursion in the Stardom 5-Star Grand Prix tournament to take on Robyn Renegade.
Former AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) will face enhancement talents Ryan Clancy & TJ Crawford.
This week’s Rampage was taped last Saturday in Springfield, Massachusetts, following Collision. Spoilers from the show are available here.
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Taped in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Tony Schiavone & Matt Menard were on commentary.
Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews(w/ Brody King) defeated Lio Rush and Action Andretti (w/ Top Flight & Leila Grey) (9:04)
At least Top Flight weren’t dressed like airline pilots. Black calmy sat in his corner while Rush and Andretti argued over who would start. Rush caught Black with a quick stunner which didn’t really phase Black. Andretti and Matthews got the tags and there was more dissension between Andretti and Rush. Rush was aggravated and it was distracting Rush. Rush ate a knee from Matthews that sent him to the floor.
On the floor, Andretti kept trying to get into it with Matthews. Back in the ring, Andretti flew in and hit Matthews with a springboard forearm. Matthews blocked a double-suplex attempt, only to get hit with a double dropkick. The Righteous was shown watching the match from the back.
After a split-screen break, Black nearly choked out Andretti with a chinlock. Andretti fought out of it, and both guys crashed into each other going for crossbody blocks. Rush and Matthews got the tags, and Rush caught Matthews with a poison rana and a springboard cutter. Black got the tag and floored Rush with an elbow. Rush came back and set up Black for a splash off the top, but Andretti got the blind tag. Rush and Andretti argued, but that gave Black the opening to hit Andretti with the Black Mass kick and got the pinfall. The arguing between Rush and Andretti was over the top.
After the match, Andretti threw a water bottle at Brody King, who mauled him with a clothesline. Top Flight drug Andretti out of the ring before things got worse for him. Later in the show, it was announced that Andretti and King will face off at Collision: Grand Slam tomorrow night. So I guess things are gonna get worse for Andretti anyway.
– Lexi Nair interviewed Anna Jay, who’s going to find her new place in AEW tonight after a tour of Japan.
Anna Jay defeated Robyn Renegade (2:39)
This is Jay’s first match back from a tour of Stardom. Jay blocked a hip toss attempt and buried a series of knees in Renegade’s midsection. Jay yanked Renegade out of a corner and hit a shotgun dropkick. Renegade came back with a stiff forearm. Renegade clawed at Jay’s face… then licked her own fingers afterward. Jay fired back with chops, ducked a clothesline and hit a forearm. Jay hit a rolling neckbreaker, then hit a Gory bomb to get her 60th win all time in the women’s division. Jay looked improved here.
– Renee Paquette moderated a face-to-face between Ricochet and WIll Ospreay. Ospreeay kind of ran down Ricochet for not winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Ricochet responded that with his decades of experience, failing to win that title didn’t matter. The full interview is available on YouTube.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Angelico (8:05 aired)
Takeshita hit a flying cutter just before the long commercial break.
After the break, Angelico caught Takeshita with a pair of clotheslines and a small package for a near fall. Angelico tied up Takeshita’s arms, but Takeshita broke free and hit a forearm. Angelico tied up Takeshita with a leg scissors and chinlock combination, but Takeshita made it to the ropes. Both guys climb the ropes, but Takeshita raked Angelico’s face to send him to the mat. Angelico climb back up again and backdropped Takeshita off the turnbuckles! Angelico then went for a blind dive, but dove right into a forearm from Takeshita. A spinning blue thunder bomb followed by a falcon arrow finished off Angelico. Most of the match took place in the split screen before the break, but the finish was awesome.
– Recap of Bryan Danielson & Nigel McGuinness and Dabry Allin & Jox Moxley from Grand Slam.
The Acclaimed (w/ Billy Gunn) defeated “Fancy” Clancy and TJ Crawford (2:03)
Max Caster’s rap was quite political. He rapped about “eating cats and dogs in Springfield,” but they weren’t in that Springfield. A few weeks ago it looked like Acclaimed was thisclose to getting the tag titles back, but they look further away from the top of the division than ever. Clancy had a nice looking dropkick. Other than that, this was a squash for the Acclaimed. Bowens hit the uranage on Clancy, followed by the mic drop from Caster. He wasn’t the legal man, so Caster and Bowens hit some kind of double team powerbomb out of a press slam on Crawford for the finish.
After the match, Caster cut a promo on the MXM Collection (calling them the Maximum Male Models), The MXM Collection responded with just an incredible promo from the big screen in the arena.
Willow Nightingale defeated Taya Valkyrie (10:53)
Willow avenged a earlier loss to Valkyire with a victory here.
Valkyrie tried to whip Nightingale out of the corner, but Nightingale did a cartwheel and caught Valkyrie with an enziguri. Nightingale followed up with several slams. Nightingale hit a shotgun dropkick off the middle rope, and Valkyrie dropped to the floor. There was no respite for Valkyrie on the floor, as Nightingale followed her out with a cannonball.
Nightingale was fighting from underneath after the split screen break. Nightingale floored Valkyrie with a lariat. Nightingale mauled Valkyrie in the corner and hit a spinebuster for a near fall. Crowd chanted for Willow, but she missed a shotgun dropkick. Valkyrie came back with a clothesline and hit a meteora in the corner for a near fall.
Valkyrie hit a superkick and went to the top, but Nightingale cut her off with a superplex. Valkyrie hit a series of forearms, but Nightingale came back with the pounce. Willow got the pinfall after a Doctor Bomb.
MxM Collection is looking to make a fashion statement next week.
After Buddy Matthews defeated Komander on Saturday’s AEW Collision, Mansoor and Mason Madden appeared on the screen and said next week was fashion week, and they were planning on making a major fashion statement by turning Matthews and Brody King into the house of black and blue. They then announced the Friday Night Fashion Fight for next week.
The MxM Collection issue a FRIDAY NIGHT FASHION FIGHT challenge!
MXM Collection made their AEW debut during the ROH Death Before Dishonor Zero Hour event, defeating Angelico & Serpentico. Since then, they have worked both on ROH and AEW Collision. House of Black came up short at AEW All In, losing to PAC, Claudio Castagnol, and Wheeler Yuta in a four-way London Ladders match for the AEW Trios titles.
Next week’s Collision will air head-to-head against WWE SmackDown next Friday as All Out will be held the following night. Here is the updated lineup:
Friday Night Fashion Fight: MxM Collection vs. The House of Black (Buddy Matthews & Brody King)
The next top contenders for the AEW Trios titles will be determined on this Saturday’s AEW Collision with a title match at this month’s All In on the line.
Announced by current titleholder Christian Cage (seen above) on Wednesday’s Dynamite, Cage said that on Saturday, the Bang Bang Gang will face the House of Black with the winners to face Cage’s Patriarchy at this month’s pay-per-view at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Cage also added that in order to make things fair, he will be the special guest referee for the match.
A huge opportunity has been laid out for #AEWAllIn in regards of the #AEW World Trio's Champions The Patriarchy.
The Bang Bang Gang had to relinquish the titles last month when Jay White was injured and the group assumed Juice Robinson could slip into his spot to defend the titles Freebird-style. AEW’s Christopher Daniels didn’t go for it and stripped them, putting the titles up in a match between The Patriarchy and Robinson & The Gunns which The Patriarchy won.
The House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King) have also been in pursuit of the titles with Cage getting involved in Black’s business recently. They held the Trios titles for 175 days in 2023 after losing them to The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn.
Here’s the current card for Saturday in Arlington, Texas:
House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King) vs. Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & The Gunns) with Christian Cage as special referee in a no. 1 contenders match for the Trios titles
Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas bullrope match
Another match has been added to Sunday’s Zero Hour pre-show for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
The bout will see House of Black (Malakai Black & Brody King) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Gabe Kidd & Roderick Strong.
Kidd & Strong teamed up on Friday’s Rampage for the first time, defeating The Infantry with Kidd taking umbrage with Strong’s celebration with The Undisputed Kingdom afterward.
This is the first time O’Reilly and Ishii have teamed up, but they have been on opposite ends of the NJPW ring twice before in 2016.
Black & King will be looking for their second straight win following the recent storyline injuries to Buddy Matthews while Quen & Kassidy are looking to rebound from a loss to The Learning Tree on last week’s Collision.
Here’s the updated card for Sunday’s PPV:
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland defends against Will Ospreay
Ladder match for the vacant TNT Championship: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Jack Perry vs. Lio Rush vs. Dante Martin vs. El Phantasmo
Title for title: TBS Champion Mercedes Mone vs. NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm defends against Mina Shirakawa
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley defends against Tetsuya Naito
Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament quarterfinal match: Bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Takagi
MJF vs. Hechicero
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Orange Cassidy
The Elite (Kazuchika Okada & The Young Bucks) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)
The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho, Big Bill & Jeff Cobb) vs. Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata
Zero Hour: Kris Statlander & Momo Watanabe vs. Willow Nightingale & Tam Nakano
Zero Hour: Owen Hart Foundation women’s tournament quarterfinal match: Saraya vs. Mariah May
Zero Hour: Mistico & The Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) vs. Titan, Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi
Zero Hour: House of Black (Malakai Black & Brody King) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Gabe Kidd & Roderick Strong
Adam Copeland will defend the TNT title on Dynamite.
During AEW Collision, The House of Black accepted Copeland’s open challenge for Wednesday’s Dynamite in Winnipeg. However, Buddy Matthews said that Copeland will find out who he will face the same time that the rest of the world does.
Also added to Dynamite is a match between Mariah May and Serena Deeb. On last week’s show, Deeb came out and held up the AEW Women’s title as Storm was making the save for May. On Collision, Deeb said after everything she’s gone through to come back from injury, failure wasn’t an option and it was time to become the AEW Women’s Champion.
Here is the updated lineup for AEW Dynamite:
FTW Champion Chris Jericho defends against Katsuyori Shibata
Swerve Strickland’s AEW World title challenger for Double or Nothing revealed
TNT Champion Adam Copeland defends against a member of The House of Black
The following is an opinion-based preview and reflects the views of the author and not our website.
Yet again, friends, AEW finds itself wrapped up in yet another unnecessary, self-created mess of a media cycle. Forget The Masters: this is fast becoming a tradition unlike any other.
The focus, yet again, is not on the excellent card for Sunday’s Dynasty (8 PM Eastern on PPV from St. Louis), but on more exhausting behind-the-scenes intrigue.
Showing the CM Punk/Jack Perry footage from All In nearly two weeks ago on Dynamite was a mistake, full stop. As much as I respect pettiness, and God knows I do, this was a low floor, low ceiling decision and exactly the type of decision they would be wise to avoid.
How exactly did seeing this footage change anything for the better? All it did was put Punk’s name on the tip of the wrestling world’s tongue (though to be fair, it is frequently there). There were no Punk chants at AEW shows, but there are now. It was a short-sighted play with negative long-term fallout.
Even though the Young Bucks and FTR did their best by spinning it into the storyline, the damage was done. It’s a wrestling truism that there’s no such thing as bad heat, but I’d argue that a returning Perry getting showered with chants for a wrestler from a rival promotion is exactly that. It makes everyone involved look small.
If this article ran on The Ringer, it would be titles “Winners and Losers of the Jungle Boy/CM Punk footage.” The only winner? Punk, of course. Brandon Thurston said it best: he really is a top guy in two companies. The sooner the obsession with the past ends, the better for everyone in AEW.
With my soapbox put away, let’s run through another promising AEW pay-per-view card with some main card predictions:
FTW Champion Hook defends against Chris Jericho
No matter the question, the answer is never “more Chris Jericho.” That is not a panacea for what ails AEW or anyone, really. He is a vampire getting undeserved regular TV and PPV time at the expense of both a talented roster and the audience’s respect. Look at what the other wrestling legends in AEW are doing. Christian Cage is doing the best work of his career and helping elevate younger wrestlers. Adam Copeland is doing the same. Jericho does what he does for one person, himself. Not being on TV is a fate worse than death to him.
Even though this isn’t the best opponent for Hook, matches on big shows like this are necessary for his growth and should have been happening far sooner. The chaos agent inside me wants Jericho to win but I simply will not have it.
Prediction: Hook retains
Adam Copeland, Mark Briscoe, & Eddie Kingston vs. House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King)
Copeland, Briscoe, and Kingston are just three guys being dudes. Copeland and Briscoe are brimming with some of the most powerful dad energy on television. Pair that with Kingston bringing his trademark level of chaos makes for a wonderful juxtaposition.
Most of their backstage interviews go something like this:
Copeland: Standard wrestling promo with a corny joke
Briscoe: “God is good.”
Kingston: “Malakai Black, you looked at me with both eyes and where I come from, that means one of us has to die and it’s not going to be me.”
House of Black works so well as a trio because they each bring something completely different that plays to their strengths. Matthews is a muscle hamster that moves with incredible power and suddenness (him vs. PAC again soon, please), Black brings striking and aura, and then, there is King.
The king is saved for last because he’s, well, he’s the best. People yearn for Matthews and Black singles runs, but I want nothing more than Big Bad Brody King to get some solo shine. Equal parts powerful and agile, he is a throwback to a territory-style hoss; one tailor-made for either a TNT or International title reign. He had the mixed tag against Copeland on Wednesday, and I’d love to see this match lead to something there.
Prediction: Copeland, Briscoe & Kingston
AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against PAC
AEW is better when PAC is around. Hell, wrestling is better when PAC is around. Still one of the most enthusiastic sellers and explosive performers in modern wrestling, his return makes us realize how much he was missed. There’s always a place in wrestling for someone this angry.
His anger is different than Eddie Kingston’s. Where Kingston is generally perturbed, PAC seems angry that others dare even inhabit his world. Their existence is a source of disgust to him. Other than when the bell rings, my favorite part about the PAC experience is that he always looks the same with black trunks and bicep bands. That’s it and that’s all. I can’t even picture him wearing anything other than his ring gear, let alone something with a collar. Regardless, I’m thrilled he’s back if you couldn’t tell.
The arrival of Okada in AEW is one of the better presentations for a debut in recent memory. There was no time wasted when he formally showed up as he immediately rocked Kingston, aligned with The Elite, and won a championship. There was no pandering to the crowd, no happy to be here promos; just a whole bunch of being a smug jerk, which is Okada’s perfect character alignment. It allows him to work to his strengths: lengthy, control-focused matches with memorable finishing stretches. He is far more charismatic and interesting playing this role compared to being a generic babyface.
This suits him well, and so does having a championship. He’ll keep it this weekend.
Prediction: Okada retains
AEW International Champion Roderick Strong defends against Kyle O’Reilly
O’Reilly is another wonderful return. I have, depressingly, been consuming wrestling long enough to have seen the entirety of O’Reilly’s career. We are similar in age and seeing him grow from a young boy to a full-grown man with a family resonates.
There are moments when we observe someone navigating life’s challenges in a spotlight that amplifies their experiences, mirroring our own. It fosters a unique sense of connection and empathy, knowing that we travel parallel paths through life’s hurdles, both public and private. His triumphant return to the ring is inspiring and a testament to the indomitable will to pursue one’s dreams.
At 40 years old, Strong is still a certifiable monster. A cardio king with an unlimited gas tank, he should be wrestling regularly on TV and having killer matches. Orange Cassidy made this the International title a workhorse title, and there are few better than Strong to carry that mantle forward. He is made for TV matches, ones that are crazy sprints full of non-stop moves. That’s kind of his bag, bay.
This is his first real match since he won the title in early March, odd since this was the title that used to be defended weekly on the non-Rampage shows. That needs to continue. There are too many belts in AEW, but this one deserves far more attention than it’s currently getting.
As much as I love O’Reilly and am thrilled to see him back doing what he loves, big Rod Strong needs to keep the title
Prediction: Strong retains
TBS Champion Julia Hart defends against Willow Nightingale
This is Willow’s moment. She is as good as babyfaces get and is ready for a title. In some ways, she is the nice version of Kingston as fans relate to her similarly to how they relate to him. She is genuine and vulnerable on the microphone (her Dynamite promo a few weeks ago was the best she’s had), but a killer between the ropes. The approaches couldn’t be more different, but they connect with the audience at similar levels.
Hart’s TBS title reign has been fine as are most first-time title reigns. But, Hart has stayed dripping with superstar potential. Not many 22-year-olds can say they had a months-long title reign on TV. Even if it was just a fine run, those reps are invaluable towards her getting to her ceiling as a performer. The presentation and presence are already realized, the rest should come in time.
These are two people who the women’s division in AEW should be built around in the years to come. Julia had her run and it’s time for Willow to have hers.
Prediction: Nightingale wins the title
Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay
The Ospreay haters must have been fuming when Danielson, the Lisan al Gaib of wrestling, lavished him with the highest of praise:
“He has such a great grasp of what the modern professional wrestling fan wants. When I see him, I think he’s the best wrestler in the world for modern wrestling fans as far as what they enjoy.”
As always, our king speaks the truth. Often, you can distill the best Ospreay match down to five minutes and get 95% of the experience. We have attention spans shorter than a goldfish, so of course a dude that has between seven and ten jaw-dropping moments of athleticism per match resonates. The dopamine-addled brains of modern society, mine included, can’t handle much more than that. Many of you probably picked up your phone while reading this paragraph. I don’t take it personally, I did the same thing writing it. We can’t focus, we can’t just be.
In a word full of inattention, Ospreay might just be the best wrestler for it.
But he’s not because he is wrestling the best wrestler in the world and the best wrestler of all time in Danielson. It will be interesting to compare this match to the Ospreay/Kenny Omega matches that received so much attention last year. In many ways, Ospreay is the Pokemon evolution of Omega in that both are explosive, athletic marvels with unlimited stamina and adamantium necks. Both are top 1% athletes, pushing the limits of what a human body can do in the ring without exploding.
Danielson is none of those things. He approaches wrestling with far more subtlety. An artist of the highest form, he grinds, stretches, and strikes his opponents until he breaks their will and spirit. In other words, he is the stylistic opposite of Ospreay who just hits his opponents with bomb after bomb.
The best wrestler of all time vs. perhaps the best modern wrestler happens Sunday. This is as big of a match as AEW can put on, and I can’t wait.
Prediction: Ospreay
Young Bucks vs. FTR in a ladder match for the vacant AEW Tag Team titles
I already went long about the All In footage earlier so I won’t belabor that point. It’s too bad that it’s overshadowing another match between two of the best tag teams ever.
Since I was critical up front, let me play my own devil’s advocate and offer a more…generous reading of the decision to air the footage. The previous match at All In for whatever reason didn’t click. It didn’t feel like anything we hadn’t seen before. It felt like an empty exhibition rather than an emphatic third match in a trilogy. It was certainly good. but it wasn’t at the level we all know it could be. Weaving in the excuse, no matter how thin, that what happened backstage at All In had an impact on the quality of the match works if you really squint. It does lean into what the Young Bucks do better than almost anyone else: making the audience want to see them get beat up.
No one takes a beating like Matt and Nick Jackson. They’ve been doing it around the world for years and it always works. Sting’s retirement match was nearly perfect, and a ton of credit for that goes to the Bucks who did everything humanly possible to make Sting look like a hero going out. They are weasly, they are slimy, and they are just begging to be punched in the face. More so than any other great tag team of the modern era (Hardys, FTR, Motor City Machine Guns, etc.), they have the unique ability to be hated. It speaks to their skills as heels that two guys who wrestle in such an aesthetically pleasing style can get a crowd to loathe them. History will have a complicated relationship with them, as it does with any level of greatness, but we should all appreciate them while we can.
Logic would dictate that the Bucks win here. The whole Elite thing works best when all the slime puppies have gold. Jack Perry probably gets involved, something I definitely don’t care about, and helps them win.
Prediction: Young Bucks win the titles
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Thunder Rosa
Nothing about this is compelling as Storm’s gimmick prevents her feuds from getting any serious juice. Her last program with Deonna Purrazzo should have been filled with emotional weight as these women effectively grew up with each other in wrestling. But the program ultimately fell flat. If one character barely takes anything seriously, how is the audience supposed to? At its core, that is the issue with the “Timeless” gimmick. It’s been the same thing for months. Even if her opponent tries to introduce some gravitas, her character is so unserious that it just doesn’t matter.
This program with Rosa is more of the same. She’s become just another character sacrificed at the “Timeless” altar and that’s a shame. Storm is an incredible in-ring talent, much like many women in AEW. Until the gimmick goes away, or the character gets changed, the song will remain the same.
Prediction: Storm retains
AEW World Champion Samoa Joe defends against Swerve Strickland
Joe, the champion, reminds us that God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.
Joe can do anything and make it big with gravitas. He is a pillar of stability in a company that too frequently depends on it. He and Jon Moxley allow AEW to weather all storms. Joe is reliably excellent in the ring and transcendent on the microphone; a true legend of modern wrestling that will only be remembered even more fondly when his time in the ring ends.
As wonderful as Joe is, and as much as I would love him to stay champion forever, this is Strickland’s time. This is the moment where he cements himself as one of the top guys in all of wrestling. It doesn’t feel as emotionally charged as when Hangman Page won the title back in 2021, but the builds that led to coronations are similar. It’s appropriate, too, considering his matches with Page pushed him into that upper echelon of main event-level performers.
The criticisms I have with Swerve are nits that don’t even need to be picked (he can be a little loosey-goosey in the ring with too many unnecessary rolls and somersaults.) But he’s got it all figured out and has for some time now. He seethes, he broods, and he delivers in every area. Last year was the beginning of his rise to the top of AEW. On Sunday, he claims his rightful place there. Who’s house?
The Blackpool Combat Club and the Don Callis Family will clash on tonight’s AEW Collision from Highland Heights, Kentucky, as Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli will take on Powerhouse Hobbs & ROH TV Champion Kyle Fletcher.
The match comes before next weekend’s AEW Dynasty where Danielson is set to face another Callis Family member, Will Ospreay.
Katsuyori Shibata will take on Lee Moriarty. Shibata teamed with Chris Jericho & Hook on Wednesday’s Dynamite in a losing effort against Shane Taylor, Moriarty & Anthony Ogogo. Moriarty got the pin on Shibata to put this into motion.
An AEW Women’s title eliminator match will take place as champion Toni Storm will take on Stardom’s AZM while The House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) will face Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin) and Action Andretti in a trios match.
Tonight’s Collision will be immediately followed by AEW Battle of the Belts X.
Sir Elton John played us into this week’s Collision, live from Highland Heights, Kentucky. Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard were on the call and threw to footage from last night’s NJPW Windy City Riot event in Chicago, where Jon Moxley defeated Tetsuya Naito to become the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. They announced that Moxley would return to AEW on Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite from Indianapolis.
Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli were backstage. Danielson talked about Moxley’s win before talking about the BCC’s upcoming schedule. They mocked Don Callis’s instructions to his team, saying that it would be much easier to beat them than it would be to hurt them. Castagnoli said that the hard work they put in when the cameras were off made them tougher and better. Danielson said that they couldn’t be hurt, and they wouldn’t be beat tonight.
House Of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) defeated Action Andretti, Dante Martin & Matt Sydal
Fun trios action to start the show. Not to gripe about it, but these are the type of matches that the Trios Titles should be centered around.
The commentary noted that Darius Martin of Top Flight was getting his pilot’s license today. Living the gimmick, it would seem. Andretti and Matthews started off as Daniel Garcia vs. Angelico was announced for later tonight. Matthews sent Andretti to the floor as Sydal tagged in. Black tagged in and fought off a double team before King tagged in and ran through all three of their opponents.
After some time on the back foot, Andretti got a tag out to Sydal, who ran wild on the House for a short period before Matthews dropped him across Black’s knees with a powerbomb. After a commercial, Sydal made his way to the corner and tagged Martin. Martin ran wild on Black, ducking a kick from Black and hitting a Pele Kick for a nearfall. Black sent Martin flying with a rising knee, where Andretti tagged in.
Andretti took Matthews out with a dive, but Black landed a moonsault to the floor. Black hammered Andretti with a kick. The House set up Dante’s Inferno, but the flyers hit triple superkicks. All aboard the Move Train, the last stop being Martin breaking up a King pin with a frog splash. Andretti hit a springboard 450 splash, but King kicked out at one. King caught Sydal on a Meteora attempt and crushed him in the corner. The House hit a triple-team corner attack to win, with King scoring the pin over Sydal.
We got a recap of Wednesday’s issues in the women’s division, with Toni Storm’s attack on Thunder Rosa, and Mina Shirakawa’s debut at the aid of her protégé Mariah May. Storm and May were with Lexi Nair in the back. Storm said that she would give her opponent tonight AZM a beating that would be seen in fetish magazines all over the world. I couldn’t make that up if I tried.
We got a recap of the issues between Chris Jericho, Hook, & Katsuyori Shibata that cost them a match against Shane Taylor Promotions on Dynamite. Jericho brought a camera with him after Dynamite to talk to Taz. Jericho asked Taz to put a good word to Hook and tell him that Jericho meant well. Taz said that he would try, and we found out that Taz would facilitate a meeting between the two on Dynamite.
Katsuyori Shibata defeated Lee Moriarty (w/ Shane Taylor & Anthony Ogogo)
Anthony Ogogo joined the commentary team as Shibata and Moriarty grappled on the mat. Moriarty escaped a Figure Four and rolled to the floor, where Ogogo laid a body shot into Shibata as Taylor had the referee’s attention. Shibata rolled into the ring and kicked out of a quick cover but got worked on by Moriarty as we went to a commercial.
After the break, Shibata walked into Moriarty’s chops before drilling him with a forearm. Shibata chopped Moriarty to the mat before hitting a hesitation dropkick in the corner. Ogogo was back on commentary and corrected Schiavone when he brought up his interference – it was a left hook he hit Shibata with, not a jab. The two men traded boots until Shibata countered the Fang with a ripcord slap. Shibata then hit the Penalty Kick for the pin and the win.
Shane Taylor attacked Shibata after the match, bringing out his opponent for Battle of the Belts tonight, Hook. Hook dropped Moriarty with a suplex before Taylor left the ring.
We got a recap of Athena’s most recent ROH Women’s Title defense against Hikaru Shida at Supercard of Honor, as well as a recap of Athena’s protégé Billie Starkz becoming the inaugural ROH Women’s Television Champion. Athena and Starkz were in the back with their friend Lexy Nair. Athena promised to make an example out of Red Velvet tonight and show the world what they had been missing.
Roderick Strong & The Kingdom were backstage with Lexy Nair. Strong took offense to Nair giving credit to Wardlow for their recent success. Strong said he would give Rocky Romero the beating of a lifetime on Battle of the Belts.
Daniel Garcia defeated Angelico (w/ Serpentico)
I’m enjoying seeing Garcia work solid matches like this every week. It’s reminiscent of Bret Hart having solid, quality TV matches as he rose up the card.
Angelico caught an early advantage with a high kick and a La Magistral cradle for a nearfall. Garcia countered an Angelico submission attempt with a Figure Four, which turns into a Boo/Yay sequence as both men reversed the pressure on the hold. They rolled into the ropes before Angelico popped Garcia with a right hand. Garcia hit a neckbreaker as he favored his knee.
Garcia fired up with the ten punches in the corner before hitting a back suplex. Garcia locked on a leg lace submission to score the tap out win.
PAC was backstage, thanking Kazuchika Okada for hitting him with a chair on Wednesday. He now has a perpetual headache that reminds him of Okada. PAC said that while he wasn’t tall, handsome, or the flavor of the month, he was better than Okada and couldn’t wait to prove it at Dynasty.
AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator Match – Toni Storm (w/ Mariah May & Luther) defeated AZM (w/ Anna Jay)
The best Timeless Toni match to date and a fantastic debut for AZM.
The announcers noted AZM’s stats, noting her 450+ day reign as STARDOM High Speed Champion and that she started wrestling at age 11. AZM and Jay came together on Rampage, as they both agreed that Storm and May were stupid. As good of a reason to team as any other. AZM got some chants after a speedy opening exchange that saw her lay out Storm with running kicks. Storm cut AZM off on the apron and sent her flying with a hip attack. May and Jay got into a brawl on the floor that took them to the back. AZM booted Storm from the apron as we went to a commercial.
Storm taunted AZM as we came back from break, with AZM fighting back with forearms. Storm landed a headbutt, but AZM came back with La Mistica and a head kick. AZM hit a leg-trap German suplex as the crowd chanted for both women. AZM drilled Storm with a top rope double stomp for a nearfall. Storm snatched AZM up with a Tree Slam with a nearfall.
AZM caught Storm with a flash pin for a nearfall before Storm dumped her on her head with a German suplex. Storm hit the hip attack and the Storm Zero for the win. After the match, May celebrated with Storm with champagne and cuddling.
Red Velvet was backstage with Lexy Nair. Velvet said she wasn’t scared of Athena and that she would lay Athena out in the Battle of the Belts main event.
Mark Briscoe was backstage. He understood what the House of Black was all about: intimidation. The violent take it by force, and Briscoe, Eddie Kingston, & Adam Copeland were violent people. He told the House of Black to be very afraid.
Tony Schiavone welcomed Thunder Rosa to the stage. Rosa thanked the fans for making her comeback so special and for making AEW what it is today. Rosa told Deonna Purrazzo that she didn’t need her help to win the Women’s Title. She didn’t need help to get her degree, earn her citizenship, or win the title the first time. She thought that Toni Storm was like her, but she’s lost her mind. A part of her died when she had to vacate the title, but she would break every bone in her body to get it back for her people. She told Storm to kiss her clone goodbye because she was going to drag her soul to hell.
(One of the better promos I’ve ever heard Thunder Rosa cut. It really got you on her side and built some much-needed heat for their title match.)
Deonna Purrazzo was backstage. She wouldn’t help Rosa, but she staked her claim for the title because she felt that Toni Storm didn’t embody what it meant to be a World Champion. Purrazzo said that if she couldn’t get one Toni Storm, she might as well get the other. She challenged Mariah May to a match next week and threatened to break her arm.
From the desk, Tony Schiavone announced that the AEW World Tag Team Title match at Dynasty between FTR & The Young Bucks would now be a ladder match.
Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs were backstage. Fletcher said that Will Ospreay would make easy work of Claudio Castagnoli & Bryan Danielson over the next week, while Hobbs made clear that they were ready to pay the fines for what they were going to do to them tonight.
Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli) defeated The Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs)
What a main event. These four guys went hell-for-leather for the better part of twenty minutes, making for an exciting and fantastic main event for Collision. This is everything I want wrestling to be, just four dudes going out and beating the hell out of each other. Fletcher & Hobbs may not have won the match, but with the help of Takeshita, their mission of hurting Danielson ahead of Dynasty was accomplished. A must-watch match.
Fletcher & Hobbs got a jump start on Danielson & Castagnoli, leading to a Pier Six brawl around the ring. Hobbs and Castagnoli made their way into the ring and traded shots as commentary announced The Elite vs. PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo, & Daniel Garcia and Mariah May vs. Deonna Purrazzo for Dynamite. Danielson tagged in and worked over Hobbs’s legs, but Hobbs scored on a suplex on Castagnoli before tagging out to Fletcher. Fletcher sent Castagnoli to the floor with a leg lariat, where Hobbs dropped him with a body block.
After a commercial, Castagnoli was fighting for a tag as Fletcher had a rear naked choke on. Castagnoli muscled Fletcher around into a gutwrench suplex before getting the tag to Danielson. Danielson ran wild until he tried to dive on Hobbs, who caught him and slammed him into the apron repeatedly. Danielson countered a powerslam by sending Hobbs into the post. Danielson hit a running knee off the apron before Fletcher leveled him with a flying kick. Castagnoli then flew in with a running uppercut to Fletcher as the crowd went wild. The four men went brawling into the crowd as we went to another commercial.
After the commercial, Fletcher teased a powerbomb on the concrete but Danielson countered with a back body drop. Back in the ring, Danielson countered a superplex attempt by crotching Fletcher on the top buckle. Hobbs took Danielson on his shoulders, but Castagnoli fought Hobbs to the floor. Back on the top rope, Danielson hit the avalanche belly-to-back suplex for a nearfall. Danielson locked on the LeBell Lock, but Hobbs broke it up and tagged in.
They set Danielson up for Ragnarock, but Danielson shoved Hobbs into Fletcher and tagged in Castagnoli. Castagnoli fired off European uppercuts to both men before snatching Hobbs in the Giant Swing. Castagnoli locked on the Sharpshooter and held onto it after some kicks from Fletcher. Fletcher superkicked an interfering Danielson but took a Swiss Death uppercut from Castagnoli. Hobbs caught Castagnoli with a main event spinebuster – in the main event, no less – for a nearfall.
The four men brawled to their feet before Danielson dumped Fletcher to the floor and followed him with a dive. Castagnoli hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Hobbs shrugged off a clothesline, but a big lariat scored a nearfall for Castagnoli. Fletcher tripped up a running Castagnoli, leading to Hobbs hitting a World’s Strongest Slam, but Danielson broke up the pin.
Hobbs went to hit Danielson with a chair, but the referee took it away. Fletcher dove onto Danielson and cleared the announce table, but Castagnoli took both men out on the floor. Castagnoli hit Fletcher with a Neutralizer in the ring to score the win. After the match, Konosuke Takeshita jumped both men and helped his Callis Family members lay out the BCC. Takeshita laid out Danielson with a brainbuster on the ramp before Castagnoli backed them off with a chair.
