Tonight, it’s the on-screen AEW debut of The Iinspiration! One must wonder if they’ll still have the rights to their TNA theme, given it was written and recorded by AEW’s own Harley Cameron! Elsewhere, MJF defends the Men’s AEW World Championship against Kevin Knight! Can The Jet pull off the upset of the century? Probably not, but that tiny glimmer of hope is enough to make tonight’s show almost certainly one to remember!
Match One: AEW Men’s World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Kevin Knight
Knight with a face wash during introductions, bell rings, lockup, MJF with an arm drag, taunts, Knight with an arm drag, another, third, fourth, armbar, MJF whips out, Knight with a tackle for one, another tackle for one, a third tackle for one, MJF goes for an arm drag, reversed into an arm drag, Knight presses MJF to the corner, break, MJF with a shove, misses a punch, Knight with forearms, stomps in the corner, foot choke, goes up top, misses the UFO, MJF with a knee lift, crotch attack, Knight with forearms, elbows to the back of the head, rollup for two, another rollup for two, MJF with a flapjack, choke in the corner, break, whip, Knight crumples, MJF with stomps, whip, reversed, Knight misses an avalanche, hits a boot, top rope lariat, forearms, whip, reversed, Knight with a dropkick, goes up top, MJF rolls to the floor, Knight with a suicide dive, goes for another, MJF catches him with a knee lift, dumps Knight on the top rope, Heat Seeker, blocked, Knight with a DDT for two, avalanche, reversed into a knee lift, MJF with an Alabama Slam, F5 for two, suplex, reversed into a rollup for two, Knight with a backslide for two, sunset flip, reversed into a rollup for two, trading rollups for two, Knight with a superkick, suicide lariat, breaks the count, goes to roll MJF into the ring, MJF with an eye rake, toss into the steps, toss into the barricade, Knight with a moonsault from the barricade, goes up top, MJF crotches him, face wrench, superplex, blocked with punches, Knight gets MJF in a tree of woe, climbs the adjacent turnbuckles, Coast to Coast, goes up top, MJF kicks the ref, Knight hits the UFO, covers but the ref is slow to get to the count, then slow to make the count, and MJF kicks out at 2, Knight goes up again, UFO, blocked with knees, MJF hits the Heatseeker for three.
Winner and STILL AEW Men’s World Champion: MJF
MJF grabs the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but Hangman distracts him from the ramp, allowing Speedball to hit the ring and hit a superkick.
Match Two: Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin vs. Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors
Match starts as a brawl on the floor, Darby and Kidd start off the match properly, Kidd knocks Darby around the ring, choke in the corner, punch, Connors tosses Cassidy into the barricade, Kidd with a punch in the corner, foot choke, headbutt, another, cover for two, Connors in, cover for two, foot wash, Cassidy makes his way up to his corner, Connors and Darby trade shots, Cassidy in, cleans house, Beach Break for two as Kidd breaks the count, punches Darby, lariat for Cassidy, Cassidy and Darby clear Kidd from the ring, tee off on Connors, Cassidy hits Orange Punch for three.
Winners: Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin
David Finlay hits the ring and takes the winners out with a Shillelagh! Wait, so does this mean he’s signed with AEW, or is this a sign that he’s still working for New Japan?
Backstage, Renee asks Bandido and Andrade what their upcoming match means to them. Andrade says it’s a dream come true, Andrade says he doesn’t get the hype, because Bandido seems like just a fan.
Match Three: The Iinspiration vs. The Brawling Birds
The Iinspiration do, indeed, have their TNA theme. If they feud with the current tag champs, that’s going to be a bit weird.
The Iinspiration milk their entrance, causing the Birds to attack and beat them down, Hart Attack for three.
Winners: The Brawling Birds
Well, I don’t think anyone expected that.
Match Four: Hangman Page vs. Marty Stone
Hangman with a boot, Buckshot Lariat for three.
Winner: Hangman Page
I think I got the jobber’s name right. Please note, it is NOT Martin Stone.
Hangman grabs a mic and vows to beat MJF like his parents should have. He says that MJF has ragged on him for having a conscience, but that conscience will not be present in Texas Death. He challenges MJF to come out now and try to hit him with the ring like he tried to hit Kevin Knight. MJF comes out and asks if Hangman missed him whooping Kevin Knight’s ass. As he’s taunting Hangman, the Don Callis Family’s Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, and Okada Kazuchika hit the ring and beat Hangman down until JetSpeed chase them off. Don Callis comes out and calls the trios champions greedy and entitled for wanting to be double champions. He makes a challenge for the Trios Championships tonight.
In a sit-down, FTR talk about their history with the Bucks. The Bucks say this time is different because of what FTR did to their family. As FTR leave, they note that Brandon Cutler isn’t covered by the No Contact clause, and Dax levels him with a forearm.
Match Five: AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Hechicero
Test of strength, Mox gets the better of it, Hechicero with an elbow to the back, slap, jockeying, Hechicero with a rollup for one, Mox with a cover for one, hooks a leg, trip, cover for one, kimura, reversed into a head scissors, head wrench, trading strikes, trading tackles, Hechicero with a ten-punch, Mox bites his hand, ten-punch, whip to the corner, clothesline, whip, Hechicero with a sunset flip into a cross arm breaker, whip to the corner, reversed, Hechicero goes up top, Mox with a punch, Hechicero with an elbow drop for two, punches on the floor, toss into the ringside chair, running boot, trading strikes on the floor, Mox rolls into the ring, Hechicero with a chinlock, arm wrench, chops, chop in the corner, suplex, mounted punches, elbow to the back of the head, choke in the ropes, punches to the back, piledriver, blocked, Mox with punches, piledriver, blocked, Hechicero with a Lasso from El Paso (in El Paso!), break, misses an avalanche, Mox with a fireman’s carry, blocked with elbows, Hechicero with a Slingblade, choke in the ropes, Mox with a hangman’s cutter, Hechicero with a dragon screw through the ropes, stomp to the leg, goes up top, Mox with a European uppercut, superplex, cover for two, Mox with a cross arm breaker, Hechicero with a leg lock, Mox makes it to the rope, break, trading strikes, Mox fells Hechicero with a punch, Death Rider, blocked, Hechicero with a flapjack, crucifix gator roll for two, punches, misses a dropkick, Mox with a Stomp, Hechicero flips him off, Mox with a running knee, Death Rider for three.
Winner: Jon Moxley
Takeshita hits the ring to check on Hechicero, and also stare down Moxley.