Tag: marina shafir

Women’s title defense, first Zero Hour bout announced for AEW Dynasty card

Posted on by Josh Nason

The AEW Women’s World title will be on the line at next Sunday’s AEW Dynasty as Thekla will defend against former champion Jamie Hayter.

Hayter laid out the challenge on Thursday’s Collision in a backstage segment with Mina Shirakawa and Alex Windsor at her side. The three defeated Thekla and the Sisters of Sin on Wednesday’s Dynamite in the last chapter of their feud.

Thekla’s AEW debut came at Hayter’s expense but the match took a while to be made as Hayter missed time with an injury. The two had their first singles match at last October’s WrestleDream where Hayter came out on top.

Hayter’s only title run ended at May 2023’s Double or Nothing in a quick loss to Toni Storm after which she was out for a lengthy period due to injuries. Thekla will be looking for her fourth successful title defense.

In another new addition, Hayter’s Brawling Birds teammate Alex Windsor will take on Marina Shafir on the Zero Hour pre-show.

Current AEW Dynasty lineup | Vancouver, Canada | Sunday, April 12

  • AEW World Champion MJF defend against Kenny Omega
  • AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley defends against Will Ospreay
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) defend against Christian Cage & Adam Copeland
  • Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo with a World title shot for Allin with a win
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla defends against Jamie Hayter
  • Zero Hour: Alex Windsor vs. Marina Shafir

Ronda Rousey says AEW appearance was a ‘little bit of a f*** you’ to TKO

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Ronda Rousey’s AEW debut at Revolution was more than just supporting her friend Marina Shafir in her first pay-per-view match.

In a new YouTube vlog, Rousey gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her preparation for Revolution and expressed pride in how Shafir has successfully transitioned from MMA to pro wrestling.

“Marina is my best friend in the whole wide world and we grew up doing judo together as little kids. We both quit judo and started doing MMA and then we both quit MMA and started doing pro wrestling,” Rousey said. “She’s absolutely crushing it and I’m so proud of her. I’m so happy that everybody’s finally starting to take notice of how incredibly special she is.”

Rousey also detailed how AEW kept her presence backstage a secret before she showed up at the PPV.

“I was brought into the arena in a very unique — I thought this was going to be much more chill like whatever kind of day, but they’re acting like it’s freaking Royal Rumble super secret whatever,” she said. “But they had me jump into a wheelchair and throw a tarp over me and wheel me in here.”

Rousey compared the AEW experience to WWE and said her being at Revolution was a “little bit of a f*ck you” to WWE’s parent company TKO Group. The UFC is also under TKO’s umbrella, and Rousey had been in negotiations to make her MMA return with UFC before those talks fell apart. She is instead partnering with MVP Promotions and Netflix for her upcoming bout against Gina Carano.

“I mean, it’s a little bit weird, but also familiar, but also it’s like AEW, so it’s nice. It’s a little bit more laidback. But actually, this is my first, I think, full-on AEW show because I only did Ring of Honor before,” Rousey said. “Like, I think I’ve been at the shows, but never really performing them. And Ring of Honor was kind of like a pre-taped, that was a smaller crowd. So, I’ve never been to an AEW pay-per-view, so I don’t really know what to expect so much, but I’m thinking a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE, which sounds like a good time.

“Those are all very good descriptions, I felt. So, yeah. And it’s kind of a cool little bit of a, like little bit of a ‘f*ck you’ to the TKO group, which is kind of funny because WWE is on Netflix, but I kind of figured it’d be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one. Like, I’m promoting your show. It’s fine. We didn’t advertise it. It’s not like we boosted the ratings of it, so it should be fine.”

Rousey made her WWE in-ring debut in 2018 and had two separate stints with the company lasting through 2023. Following her exit, Rousey has openly criticized WWE and TKO. 

In her first MMA fight in nearly a decade, Rousey will face Carano live on Netflix on May 16. Her AEW appearance is not expected to lead to anything more at least in the short term, with there being no further plans for Rousey at the moment.

Toni Storm pulled from advertised AEW Dynamite match

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm was set to take on rival Marina Shafir in a no holds barred match on Wednesday’s Dynamite but was ruled out.

In a clip shared to X ten minutes before the show started, Storm was shown laid out in her locker room in a pool of blood with Mina Shirakawa tending to her and Luther freaking out as Renee Paquette ran up to the scene.

Then it was announced at the onset of the broadcast that Storm wasnot cleared after her match with Shafir at this past Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view, but the backstage attack wasn’t referenced until much later in the show.

As of this writing, it’s unknown what injury or injuries that Storm is working through and how long she could be out of action.

Shirakawa was announced as taking the match against Shafir Wednesday instead, later defeating her with the Storm Zero piledriver.

Tony Khan addresses Ronda Rousey-AEW relationship

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Tony Khan had high praise for Ronda Rousey after her AEW Revolution appearance and addressed the possibility of her signing with the promotion.

Sunday night’s pay-per-view saw Rousey make a surprise arrival after Marina Shafir lost to “Timeless” Toni Storm. When asked about how the appearance came about at the post-show press conference, Khan cited Rousey’s friend Shafir as being key to making it happen.

“Well, Ronda is a really good friend of Marina Shafir, and Marina brought her in as backup,” Khan said. “Everyone was banned from ringside, so that match was a great wrestling match. I thought Toni and Marina Shafir was a great wrestling match. [Shafir and Storm are] going to have a no holds barred fight on Wednesday night, and I’m looking forward to that.”

While further addressing Rousey’s AEW status, Khan expressed that she’s welcome any time she wants, referencing the one match she worked for ROH in 2023.

“Ronda’s actually wrestled for me before, but never in AEW. Ronda wrestled in ROH,” Khan noted. “We had a great match a few years ago, also here in Los Angeles, it was Ronda and Marina teaming up in ROH against Billie Starkz and the World Champion Athena. I thought it was fantastic. I love that match.

“And when Marina said Ronda was going to be her backup, it was like, ‘Okay, well, everyone’s banned from ringside.’ But once the match was over, Ronda did get involved, she made her presence known, and then Marina really took advantage of the situation, landed a sucker punch on Toni Storm while everybody was very mesmerized that Ronda Rousey was in the house.

“Ronda Rousey is a huge star. So, we have a great relationship with her. She’s wrestled for me before in ROH and she’s always welcome here in AEW anytime.”

At the PPV, Storm defeated Shafir before Rousey showed up to assist her ally. She called out Storm, which led to referees having to break up a confrontation between the two. Shafir then sucker-punched Storm while she was distracted.

“Getting a front row seat to watching this woman shine as her most authentic self brought me so much joy – I’m sorry I couldn’t keep it together better and resist grinning ear to ear all night but I couldn’t be more proud watching @marinashafir’s growth and determination on full display,” Rousey posted on Instagram.

“Thank you @aew and @tonyrkhan for letting me steal the best seat in the house.”

Rousey made her pro wrestling in-ring debut for WWE in 2018 and had two separate runs before wrapping up with the promotion in 2023. This May, she returns to her MMA roots in a highly anticipated clash against Gina Carano that will stream live on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

People in WWE ‘shocked’ to see Ronda Rousey at AEW Revolution

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Ronda Rousey shocked the world when she recently appeared on AEW Revolution and confronted Toni Storm.

Shortly after the match, our Bryan Alvarez reported that although only a few people in Rousey’s former promotion, WWE, knew about her PPV appearance, most within WWE were “shocked” to see Rousey show up at AEW Revolution.

Rousey appeared following Storm’s victory over Marina Shafir. The two women proceeded to have a confrontation in the ring before security swarmed in. Rousey, who was heavily booed, left the ring with Shafir through the crowd.

Rousey is also set to make her MMA return in May 2026 against Gina Carano under Jake Paul’s MVP, which will be aired on Netflix. Rousey left WWE in 2023 and wrestled a few times on the indies and ROH, where she teamed up with Shafir. Her last match dates back to November 2023.

No holds barred match set for AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm and Marina Shafir will run it back this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite in a no holds barred match.

Storm and Shafir did battle on Sunday’s AEW Revolution in a match where everyone was banned from ringside. Storm picked up the victory, but got a surprise afterward when former UFC and WWE titleholder Ronda Rousey appeared to call Storm out, leading to a pull apart confrontation.

Rousey was not announced as joining Shafir this Wednesday and it’s unclear what her role with AEW could be moving forward. She is currently preparing for her return to MMA in May.

It will be their fourth-ever singles match with Storm remaining a perfect 3-0 thus far.

As of now, the match is the only one announced for the Revolution fallout edition of Dynamite.

Current AEW Dynamite card | This Wednesday | Fresno, California

  • Toni Storm vs. Marina Shafir in a no holds barred match

Ronda Rousey makes surprise appearance at AEW Revolution

Posted on by Josh Nason

As her return to MMA looms, former UFC and WWE star Ronda Rousey made her return to the world of wrestling in a surprise appearance at Sunday’s AEW Revolution.

Rousey appeared following Toni Storm’s victory over Marina Shafir, getting into the ring and pointing toward Storm who was lying in the entranceway. She then re-entered the ring and the two began exchanging words before a slew of security ran into the ring to separate them.

Rousey, who was booed, then took off with Shafir through the crowd.

Rousey’s return to MMA takes place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles against Gina Carano on Saturday, May 16 on Netflix. The crossover star hasn’t been shy at taking shots at TKO leadership for how they manage UFC after initially trying to bring the fight back to the Octagon.

The 39-year-old hasn’t wrestled since November 2023 when she teamed with Shafir against Athena and Billie Starkz at a post-AEW TV Ring of Honor taping in Inglewood, California — part of three matches Shafir and Rousey had in October and November.

She famously had two runs in WWE from April 2018 through April 2019 and January 2022 through August 2023. She’s a former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion in addition to a former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.

Marina Shafir confirms appearance for Ronda Rousey’s MMA return

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Marina Shafir is set to be present and support her friend Ronda Rousey during her upcoming MMA return fight.

On May 16th, Rousey is scheduled to make her comeback fight against Gina Carano at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, under the banner of Jake Paul’s MVP (Most Valuable Promotions). With the fight set to air on Netflix, AEW’s Shafir recently confirmed her appearance for the show.

Speaking on Busted Open, Rousey’s longtime MMA and wrestling friend, Shafir, expressed her excitement before confirming her appearance (H/t Fightful).

“Oh my God, I’m so excited for her. This is visceral for her. In a non-gay way, I have gotten really hard nipples for her. I’m just very excited for her because she has — you guys just have no f*****g idea what people go through, and for her to be doing the thing that she loves, so wholeheartedly and so passionately, I’m just so excited. I’m really f*****g excited to see what happens, what’s to come. I’m really excited to be there actually, too so,” Shafir claimed.

After finishing up with WWE in 2023, Rousey enjoyed a brief stint in the indies and ROH (Ring of Honor), where she teamed up with Marina Shafir to win a couple of matches. Apart from their tag-team run, their history dates back to their initial MMA days.

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.

Jon Moxley praises Death Rider member’s work ethic

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Jon Moxley is proud of his Death Riders faction and recently heaped praise on one of it’s member’s work ethic.

Recently speaking to Renee Paquette on Close Up, Moxley opened up and claimed that every wrestler in the industry should work as hard as Marina Shafir.

“If every wrestler in this sport worked as hard every single day as Marina Shafir, everybody would be a thousand times better,” Moxley said. “The work ethic that she has, the approach to this game, living the life, not just talking about it, but living it. Living the life of a professional athlete, a professional wrestler.”

Despite being in the promotion for several years, Shafir only received her limelight after joining sides with Moxley as a part of the Death Riders in 2024. For the past couple of years, Shafir has elevated herself to one of the most dominant women on the roster. She is next scheduled to face Toni Storm at AEW Revolution 2026.

Jon Moxley also heaps praise on Konosuke Takeshita

Scheduled to face Konosuke Takeshita at AEW Revolution, Moxley continued to heap praise on the Japanese wrestler while speaking to his real-life wife, Paquette.

“[Konosuke] Takeshita, especially over the last year or two, has impressed me a great deal. I think probably Takeshita might be the best guy in AEW.“

On March 15, 2026, Moxley will defend his Continental title against Takeshita in a no-time limit match.

Four-way TBS title match part of updated AEW Dynamite lineup

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Willow Nightingale is now scheduled to defend her AEW TBS Championship on Dynamite.

Since winning the TBS title from Mercedes Mone on the New Year’s Smash Dynamite episode, Nightingale has defended it once, against Julia Hart. She has now been booked in a multi-woman match with her title on the line.

Just hours before the February 18th, 2026 episode of Dynamite, AEW’s official social media page shared its updated lineup for the show, which included Nightingale in a title match against Marina Shafir, Megan Bayne, and Mina Shirakawa.

The upcoming four-way match will mark Nightingale’s second title defense in her current reign. Apart from her TBS title reign, Nightingale is also the reigning AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champion with Harley Cameron.

AEW Dynamite lineup | February 18th, 2026

The upcoming AEW Dynamite episode is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026, at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California.

  • Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland
  • MJF/Hangman Page face-to-face
  • Brawling Birds TV debut
  • Willow Nightingale vs. Marina Shafir vs. Megan Bayne vs. Mina Shirakawa for the AEW TBS title

Hair vs. hair match set for AEW Grand Slam Australia

Posted on by Josh Nason

A very rare match has been signed for AEW Grand Slam Australia following the events of Saturday’s AEW Collision.

Orange Cassidy and Toni Storm picked up a quick squash match victory and were attacked by Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir of the Death Riders afterward as their rivalry continued. Yuta then produced a pair of scissors and threatened to cut Cassidy’s hair as a measure of revenge for a comment Cassidy made this week.

Storm, however, made the save before that could happen. She then issued a challenge for February’s return to Australia where she and Cassidy would face Yuta and Shafir in a hair vs. hair match.

It was later confirmed that the loser of the fall will get their head shaved and not both members, and that the match will be a tornado tag match.

Updated AEW Grand Slam Australia lineup | Saturday, February 14 | Sydney, Australia

  • Men’s World title eliminator for AEW Revolution: TBD vs. TBD
  • Toni Storm & Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shafir in a hair vs. hair tornado tag match

Marina Shafir feels ‘f****ng people up’ is her purpose in AEW

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Hailing from an MMA background and an established Mixed Martial Arts career, Marina Shafir briefly joined WWE from 2018 until 2021, before jumping ships to AEW. Despite a slow start and sporadic appearances for the first two years, Shafir rose to prominence after joining forces with Jon Moxley and the Death Riders. Recently appearing on Close Up with Renee Paquette, Shafir addressed her MMA background before stating her purpose in the roster.

“I’m not a flashy, flippy toy. I am a f****ng GI Jane f****ng character. I’m just very different from the rest of the roster, and I needed to understand that special in itself. Just learning how to fortify that and not, you know, completely go left and start doing s**t I’m not good at. I’m good at f****ng people up,” Shafir said. “I’m just good at f****ng people up. I’m good at standing my f****ng ground. I’ve always wanted to draw something out of the women that was feral, messy, and dirty. I feel like that is my purpose here.”

Apart from being a regular part of the Death Riders, Shafir also actively tags with Megan Bayne and is currently involved in a rivalry with Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa. The 37-year-old is also the reigning DEFY Women’s Champion, holding the title for over 614-days.

Former WWE star thinks Marina Shafir should be champion

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Part of The Death Riders faction in AEW, Marina Shafir has been on a dominant run since last year. Although without a mainstream title for some time now, former WWE star Shayna Baszler thinks it’s finally time for Shafir to win a championship.

Following the AEW Dynamite on 34th Street episode, where Shafir continued to showcase her dominance against Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa, Baszler shared her thoughts on social media.

“New champ time, methinks….@MarinaShafir”

While Baszler failed to mention the title she wants to see Shafir win, the Moldovan wrestler is eligible to go for both the TBS and Women’s World Championships, currently held by Mercedes Mone and Kris Statlander.

Shafir had also recently teamed up with Megan Bayne to go after the Women’s Tag-Team titles. Following her loss against Storm and Shirakawa, she is currently involved in a feud with the duo on television.

Interestingly, Shafir is also the current DEFY Women’s Champion for 594 days, following her title win on May 10th, 2024. Shafir last defended the title against Su Yung on October 24th, 2025.

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.