Tonight, AEW will either have a new #1 Contender for the AEW Men’s World Championship in Kenny Omega, or a new EVP in Swerve Strickland! Either the landscape is about to change for the next few months, or the landscape is about to change for the foreseeable future. And will we find out who attacked Toni Storm?
Match One: #1 Contendership vs. EVP Status: Kenny Omega (EVP) vs. Swerve Strickland (#1 Contender)
Oh wow, just kicking right off with it.
Lockup, Nana grabs Kenny’s boot, Swerve with stomps, face wash, whip, Swerve with a lariat, fireman’s carry face drop across the top rope, boot to the face, stomp to the hand, punch to the back, another, Kenny with a hurricanrana, suicide dive, toss into the announce table, another, toss into the steps, chops, V-Trigger in the ringside chair, suplex, blocked, Swerve with knees, rolls Kenny into the ring, arm wrench, neck wrench, chops, Kenny with knees, slingblade, boot, bulldog for two, chop, another, fireman’s carry senton, moonsault for two, misses a knee, goes for a German, blocked, Swerve goes for a suplex, blocked, trading strikes, Kenny with a V-Trigger in the corner, sets Swerve up top, goes for One Winged Angel, blocked, kicks Swerve, Swerve with a back superplex, trading boots, mutual boot, trading forearms, Kenny with a snap dragon, another, goes for a snap dragon on the apron, Swerve blocks, Kenny with punches to the back, headbutt, snap dragon, blocked when Swerve grabs the ref, hits a low blow, boot, drags Kenny up atop the barricade, goes for a powerbomb, Kenny blocks, they both tumble down, Swerve pulls Kenny back up and hits a piledriver, rolls Kenny into the ring, powerbomb for two, Big Pressure, reversed into a rollup for two, Swerve hits the House Call, Swerve Stomp to the back as Kenny is hung across the ropes, another Swerve Stomp for two, goes for JML Driver, blocked with elbows, trading forearms, Kenny with a boot, powerbomb, reversed into a powerslam for two, trading forearms, Kenny with a knee, V-Trigger, One Winged Angel, blocked, Swerve goes for a vertebreaker, blocked, Kenny with a knee to the back, One Winged Angel, blocked with an eye gouge, Swerve hits the vertebreaker, covers for two, goes up top, misses a Swerve Stomp, Kenny with a knee lift, V-Trigger, One Winged Angel for three.
Winner: Kenny Omega
Huh, I was kind of looking forward to seeing EVP Swerve. But Kenny vs. MJF will be fire.
Backstage, Ospreay says he has a problem with PAC because he has a problem with anyone who aligns with Moxley. He says PAC was lying when he said he knew Ospreay was a prick from the moment they shook hands, because they never shook hands. He challenges him for Winnipeg. He says Moxley may have given him more time to spend with his kid, but it will never make up for the fear his family felt. He challenges Mox for Dynasty.
Match Two: Continental Champion Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia and Marina Shafir vs. Top Flight and Zayda Steel
Mox clubs Dante as he enters the ring, the women start off legal, Shafir beats down Steel, Steel with a boot, tijeras, Shafir sets her up top, Steel with a boot, hurricanrana, Darius and Garcia in, Garcia beats Darius down, Mox in, continues the beatdown, brawl breaks out, Mox hits a superplex for two, Dante in, Garcia back in, knocks Dante around, Marina in, gut punches, Mox in, recliner, Garcia in, double team stomps, knocks Darius off the apron, Dante with a knee, Shafir blocks a tag, Dante with a kick, Steel in, Shafir is legal by extension, Steel with a pair of Thesz Presses with punches, boots Garcia, hits a DDT for two, chop, elbow, Yuta grabs her leg, Shafir with a boot to the back, electric chair, Mox in, they go for a Doomsday Device, Steel blocks, tosses Shafir into Mox, Garcia in, Steel with elbows, Dante in, Top Flight with a double team, Yuta enters the ring to distract the ref, Christopher Daniels pulls him down, Yuta with a Busaiku Knee to CD, Steel with a suicide dive to Yuta, Darius with a rollup for two, brawl erupts, Garcia locks Darius in a Dragon Tamer, Mox with a stomp, Garcia covers for three.
Winners: Death Riders
Mox grabs a mic, says it’s not nice to say mean things on television, and that it wasn’t personal with Ospreay, but he’ll accept his challenge. He warns Ospreay not to let his mouth get him in trouble.
In a video package, the Young Bucks vow to get their titles back.
Match Three: “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Rocky Romero
Lockup, Bailey wrenches an arm, Rocky with knees, snapmare, kick, Bailey blocks a second kick attempt, hits a boot, kick, volley of kicks, suicide dive, rolls Rocky into the ring, misses Ultimate Weapon, Rocky with an eye rake, poses, Bailey hits a thrust kick, Ultimate Weapon, shooting star knees for three.
Winner: “Speedball” Mike Bailey
After a commercial, MJF hits the ring, insults the crowd, gloats about how Hangman can never compete for the world title again, and says it was an easy match. He says he deserves the championship, then gratuitously runs through his catchphrases, before Kenny Omega cuts him off. He talks about all his nicknames, but says he never called himself a God, but now he might need to accept that moniker as he faces the Devil. He says he pushed himself too hard before and got hurt, which means the first time they faced off he wasn’t at 100%, but now he’s back, and better than ever after learning from his first defeat to Swerve. He says he’s better than MJF, and he knows it. He challenges MJF for Dynasty, and MJF agrees, but refuses to shake on it. Kenny bids the fans adieu, but says he may be back, who knows?
They show an interview from earlier today. Renee asks Cage and Cope if they have anything to say to FTR. Christian says life is about choices, and FTR chose to turn on Copeland. He says the worst thing is that they also hit him with a spike piledriver. Copeland says Cage is an asshole, but FTR are bigger assholes. He says he could understand everything they did up until they attacked Beth. He says taking the titles is just the start, eventually he’s going to end their careers.
FTR then hit the arena and say they made the choice to cut the dead weight, and now they’re champs. Cash says it’s not 2009 anymore, and he doesn’t need Copeland. Dax says they made Copeland wonder if it’s still worth it.
Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong come out for their match and get into a brief scuffle with FTR.
Match Four: Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong vs. David Finlay and Clark Connors
Cassidy and Finlay start off, Finlay misses a chop, hits a chop, Strong in, lockup, back and forth with the lockup, trading forearms, Finlay with a front facelock, Connors in, punches, Cassidy in, Strong with chops, Cassidy with facetious chops, facetious backbreaker/elbow drop combo, Finlay in, stomp, Dogs with a double team whip, Cassidy tosses them into each other, tosses into the corner, goes up top, crossbody to both men, caught, Cassidy with a hurricanrana to both of them, suicide dive, blocked, Finlay tosses Cassidy into the barricade, Connors with a spear, takes out Strong, Finlay knocks Cassidy around the ring, Connors in, punch, Finlay in, beatdown, blocks a tag with an elbow, shoulder tackles in the corner, Connors in, tries to clean house, ends up in more of a brawl, Cassidy hits Finlay with a Stundog Millionaire, goes for a tag, blocked by both opponents in succession, Cassidy finally gets the tag, Strong cleans house, brawl erupts, until Connors hits a Full Clip on Cassidy for three.
Winners: The Dogs
Backstage, Divine Dominion say Babes of Wrath suffered from greed and overconfidence, and they won’t be getting their titles back.
Elsewhere backstage, Kyle Fletcher gloats about his success, but says the Don Callis Family shouldn’t be working with MJF, they should be trying to bring the title to the Family, and he’s the man to do it. He then welcomes in Takeshita and says he hopes his work with Okada won’t get in the way of their friendship. Takeshita says nothing can come between Protoshita. They share a hug.
Match Five: AEW Women’s World Championship: Thekla (c) vs. Shirakawa Mina
Mina with kicks, sets Thekla up top, DDT, knocks her to the floor, beats her down, rolls her back into the ring, brawl back to the floor, trading shots on the floor, Thekla gets the better of it, rolls Mina into the ring, forearm for two, crossface, stomp, trading forearms, Thekla goes for a spear, blocked with a dropkick, Mina with a Slingblade, running elbow in the corner, goes up top, missile dropkick for two, half crab, Thekla makes it to the rope, trading strikes, Thekla with a spear, takes her belt off, the ref takes it from her, she pulls out brass knuckles, Mina ducks, spinning back fist, German, blocked, goes for a back suplex instead, Thekla with a punch with the knuckles for three.
Winner and STILL AEW Women’s World Champion: Thekla
Renee informs Kenny that the contract signing is next week, but if there’s any physicality, the match is off. Kenny says he should have expected chicanery, but it feels strange to finally be in a world title match again. Speedball walks up and says they respect Kenny, and they look forward to facing Kenny when he wins the world championship.
