A new era of AEW Dynamite begins tonight with the shift from TNT to TBS.
In a rematch from their one-hour draw at last month’s Winter is Coming, Hangman Page will defend the AEW World Championship against Bryan Danielson on tonight’s show.
The first-ever TBS Champion will be crowned, as the tournament to decide the winner will reach its conclusion. Jade Cargill faces Ruby Soho in the TBS title tournament finals.
The AEW World Tag Team Championships will also be on the line tonight, with Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix defending the titles against Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus.
After weeks of his group being targeted by Malakai Black, Brian Pillman Jr. goes for revenge tonight, taking on Black in a singles match.
MJF in action has also been announced for tonight’s show from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Show Report —
The only difference between this and the first match was that if it goes to the time limit, a decision would be rendered by judges. The judges were Mark Henry, Jerry Lynn, and Paul Wight.
AEW World Championship: Hangman Page (c) defeated Bryan Danielson
This was better than the time-limit draw match and one of the best matches in AEW history. It went a shade under a half hour and was pretty much perfect.
Early on, including right at the bell, Danielson stalled for a slower pace while taunting the champion. After a couple minutes, Page landed a suicide dive but missed an Orihara moonsault before recovering to powerbomb Danielson onto the edge of the ring. He teased the Buckshot Lariat, but Danielson rolled to the floor, where he countered another dive and sent Page crashing into the barricade. Subsequently, Danielson targeted the champion’s right arm and shoulder.
The challenger continued to dismantle Page’s arm until Page made a brief comeback with a springboard clothesline. Another diving clothesline got two. Danielson created some space and went for a tope suicida, but Page caught him and tossed him onto the floor with an overhead throw. Danielson then countered some running offense with a drop toe hold into the steel steps, which busted the champion open. Danielson targeted the injured head through a commercial break.
Once back, Danielson laid in ground and pound and went for the cross armbreaker. Page powered out and hit a Death Valley driver. He was bleeding heavily at this point. A German suplex bridge from Page got two. They suplexed each other to the floor, where Page was sent into the ring post for about the fifth time. Danielson tried to tie Page up around the post, but the champion countered and took control.
Back in the ring, Page laid in repeated headbutts ahead of a commercial. Once back, Danielson was somehow busted open even worse than Page. Tons of blood all over both guys. They fought on the top rope, where Page hit an insane moonsault powerslam for a near fall. Out on the floor, Page nailed the Deadeye. He called for the Buckshot, but Danielson collapsed just as Page was about to land it.
Danielson cradled Page before applying the LeBell Lock. The champion powered out and catapulted Danielson over the ropes before landing the Orihara moonsault. Danielson avoided the Buckshot and hit the Busaiku Knee for a good near fall. They had a great headbutt battle until Danielson hit a high kick. Page wanted the Deadeye, but Danielson turned it into a Gotch-style piledriver for another near fall.
The challenger grabbed Page’s wrists and stomped his head in. He went for the knee again, but Page reversed it into a pop-up powerbomb. Danielson countered the follow-up into a triangle, but Page’s power forced him to adjust into a knee bar. Page got back control and landed rabbit punches before hitting a release backdrop suplex. Page then hit the Buckshot for the win.
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The Acclaimed said they’d drop a music video next week.
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Shawn Dean defeated MJF by disqualification
Right at the bell, CM Punk ran out and chased MJF out of the ring. Punk then hit a GTS on Dean for the disqualification, meaning MJF was 0-1 as the win-loss records reset for the new year.
– CM Punk grabbed a mic and said this would happen every week until MJF got in a ring with him. MJF called Punk phony and said that without him, Punk is nothing — he makes Punk relevant. He said Punk’s not the guy he used to be, he’s not the savior, but MJF is. MJF asked if Punk thinks he’s Roddy Piper, because unlike Punk, Piper was talented enough to main event WrestleMania. He said that if he’s not shown more respect, he might main event Mania too.
Punk said all he wants to do is kick MJF’s ass. He told him to go ahead and go to the other place and get released right away. MJF then said it would be CM Punk vs. Wardlow next week. Punk said that eventually, MJF would run out of people to hide behind, and he’d put MJF to sleep.
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Chris Jericho promo
Jericho said it was great to be back after 2point0 hit him in the face with a chair six weeks ago. Last week, he didn’t come out to save Eddie Kingston, he came out to take it to 2point0.
2point0 interrupted. Lee asked how the steel chair tasted, so Jericho said he had a square head. He then said Parker has a pinhead. Jericho grabbed Floyd the Bat, but a sneak attack from Daniel Garcia allowed them to beat down Jericho. Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz ran out. Those six will collide in a street fight on Rampage.
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A video package recapped Jake Atlas’s debut match and subsequent signing.
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Adam Cole was backstage with Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. He knows O’Reilly didn’t mean to kick him in the face. When they and the Young Bucks are together, they are unstoppable. Cole then challenged Jake Atlas to a match — “I’m still the guy everyone’s talking about.” It’s a new year, and the same Adam Cole.
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Wardlow (w/ Shawn Spears) defeated Antonio Zambrano
Spears hit the C4 on Zambrano before the match. He wanted Wardlow to cover him for the win, but Wardlow did it on his own terms with five powerbombs.
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A video package recapped the budding Kris Statlander and Leyla Hirsch rivalry.
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TBS Championship: Jade Cargill (w/ Mark Sterling) defeated Ruby Soho to win the title
This was terrible. One of the worst Dynamite matches in a long time. The fans kind of got into it at the very end but it was easily the worst championship match of any kind in AEW history.
Cargill tried to overpower her opponent, but Soho baited her to the floor, where Soho landed a soccer kick and a missile dropkick. Cargill took advantage upon re-entry to the ring, landing a diving axe handle. Mercedes Martinez ran out, but then Thunder Rosa ran interference and they brawled to the back.
During the break, Cargill made Soho’s shoulder the target of her attack. Soho made a comeback with kicks before an STO got two. She laid in more kicks on Cargill’s leg, but Cargill then hit a shoulder breaker and then a pump kick for two. They jockeyed for position until Soho hit a Saito suplex for two more.
Sterling distracted the official but was ejected from the match for his trouble. Soho countered Jaded into a cradle and hit No Future for a good near fall. They kind of got lost for a minute. Cargill was perched up top and she managed to hit an avalanche Jaded to win the match and the championship.
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Serena Deeb was interviewed by Jim Ross about Hikaru Shida. Deeb said Shida got fluke victories, so from now on, it’s about hurting her. She said she’s the best wrestler on this roster, having paid enough dues for the entire locker room. Deeb demanded a match with Shida next week on Dynamite, and she will take 17 years of anger and frustration out.
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Malakai Black vs. Brian Pillman Jr. (w/ Julia Hart)
Pillman surprised Black early on and sent him to the floor, landing a diving dropkick, but Black regained control during a commercial break. Once back, Black crushed Pillman with a roundhouse kick. He set up for the spinning heel kick, but Pillman made a comeback and hit a jackhammer for two. Pillman went for Air Pillman, but Black then hit the spinning heel kick for the win.
– After the match, Black cornered Pillman and Hart. The Lucha Brothers walked out after Black had attacked PAC, but the lights went out and they had somehow teleported positions. That was stupid.
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Ruby Soho was asked about the tournament finals backstage but was interrupted by Britt Baker and company. Baker said this was the second time Soho had failed to win a title, but Soho said Baker can’t win without her associates — and had never beaten Riho at all. They all brawled, with Riho running out to get involved.
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AEW Rampage (1/7) lineup:
- Adam Cole vs. Jake Atlas
- HOOK vs. Aaron Solo
- Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. & Jamie Hayter vs. Riho & Ruby Soho
AEW Battle of the Belts (1/8) lineup:
- TNT Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Sammy Guevara
- AEW Women’s Championship: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. (c) vs. Riho
AEW Dynamite (1/12) lineup:
- CM Punk vs. Wardlow
- Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb
- Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Dante Martin
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AEW World Tag Team Championships: Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) (w/ Christian Cage) Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fénix) (c) (w/ Alex Abrahantes) to win the titles
This was an awesome spotfest-style main event. I’m a little disappointed that the Lucha Brothers only got less than a four-month run, but this was a fantastic way to close the reign out.
Fénix and Jungle Boy started off with a nice back-and-forth lucha exchange, which Fénix won with some kicks. Luchasaurus and Penta tagged in. He did the glove gimmick and shouted “cero miedo” before trying for some overhand chops. Luchasaurus landed one of his own, but then their partners came in and took each other out. Jungle Boy went for his step-up double arm drag, but then the smaller team members each hit an arm drag on their bigger opponents.
Luchasaurus looked to take control with power, but he was outnumbered by the Lucha Bros. Jungle Boy tagged in and fought off both opponents with the Ultimo Dragon-style double takeover. Fénix surprised him with the tightrope soccer kick ahead of the commercial.
Upon return, Luchasaurus made a comeback against both of the Lucha Bros. The champions took him down with simultaneous thrust kicks before an assisted splash from Fénix got two. Jungle Boy faulted over Luchasaurus and hit a diving destroyer on Fénix as Luchasaurus hit a Death Valley driver on Penta for two.
Fénix hit a destroyer on Luchasaurus and Penta hit Made in Japan on Jungle Boy for two. They were about to nail their combination finisher, but the lights went out. Lucha Bros maintained control, dispatching Luchasaurus before Penta hit the Fear Factor piledriver on the apron. The combo Fear Factor followed for a great near fall.
Abrahantes pulled out a table at ringside before Christian chased him off. Penta tried to superkick Luchasaurus through it, but he was dispatched. Fénix tried, but Luchasaurus caught him and chokeslammed him through it all the way to the floor. Jungle Boy and Penta were in the ring; the former wanted a Killswitch, Penta countered into Made in Japan, but Jungle Boy surprise cradled Penta to win the match and the championships.
– After the match, all the heel tag teams came out on the ramp, outlining all the potential challengers for Jurassic Express.
