Officially sitting down to start my recap at 9:15 EST, but my daughter’s fully-assembled Gabby’s Dollhouse is sitting under the Christmas tree beside me, so I’d say I’m having a pretty good night. Tonight, the final league action of the Continental Classic, and the last meeting between the four competitors in the AEW Men’s World Championship match for World’s End!
Match One: Continental Classic: Blue League: Konosuke Takeshita (7 Points) vs. Orange Cassidy (6 Points)
Jockeying, Cassidy with a rollup for two, Takeshita goes for a back suplex, reversed into a side headlock takeover for two, Takeshita with a chop, whip to the corner, Cassidy floats to the apron, Takeshita boots him to the floor, toss into the barricade, rolls Cassidy into the ring, follows, hammerlock, forearm to the back, shin breaker, German, blocked, Cassidy with a snapmare, heads to the apron, forearm, tosses Takeshita’s head into the turnbuckles, springboard DDT, tilt-a-whirl DDT for two, punches in the corner, ten-punch, stomps, trading shots, Cassidy with a dropkick, another, Takeshita doesn’t budge, a third, Takeshita tumbles, Blue Thunder Bomb for two, both men to the floor, Takeshita tosses Cassidy into the barricade, running boot, rolls Cassidy into the ring, covers for one, side headlock, forearm to the back, whip, forearm to the back, whip, Cassidy with a boot, forearms, Takeshita with a forearm, suplex, blocked, punches to the back, suplex, blocked, punches to the back, suplex, blocked, Cassidy goes for Beach Break, reversed into a rollup, Cassidy rolls through, PK, Takeshita with an elbow, goes up top, brings Cassidy with him, suplex, reversed into Stundog Millionaire, suicide dive into a DDT, rolls Takeshita into the ring, Takeshita with a boot for two, suplex, blocked, Cassidy goes for Stundog, Takeshita reverses into a Tombstone, reversed into a rollup for two, reversed into a German for two, Takeshita follows up with an elbow, Cassidy hits Orange Punch for two, Takeshita with a knee, powerbomb on the apron, reversed into Beach Break, Takeshita tosses Cassidy into the barricade, boot, misses, Cassidy with an Orange Punch, sending Takeshita into the crowd, Cassidy rolls back into the ring, Takeshita beats the count at 9, Cassidy with a pair of rollups for two, Orange Punch, reversed into Raging Fire, reversed into a rollup for two, reversed into Raging Fire for three.
Winner: Konosuke Takeshita (10 Points, 3-0-1, Clinches Semi-Final Berth)
Also, contrary to what I wrote above, the final league action will actually be tomorrow, during Christmas Collision. I thought it was another 3-hour special tonight.
Gabe Kidd talks about wanting revenge on Darby Allin, then challenges him for World’s End.
Bang Bang Gang challenge FTR to a Chicago Street Fight.
Match Two: Continental Classic: Blue League: Roderick Strong (0 Points) vs. Mascara Dorada (3 Points)
Roderick Strong is mathematically eliminated, Dorada is theoretically not, but it would take a lot from the other matches.
Lockup, trading arm wrenches, Strong hooks a leg, reversed into a rear waistlock, reversed into an arm wrench, Strong forces a rope break, Test of Strength, Strong with a side headlock takeover, Dorada with head scissors, into a cross arm breaker, reversed into an STF, Dorada with a trip, surfboard stretch, into a cover for two, Strong with a whip, reversed, reversed again, jockeying, Strong presses Dorada to the apron, Dorada with a kick, springboard arm drag, both men to the floor, Strong tosses Dorada into the apron, then into the barricade, into the ring, stomps, chop in the corner, backbreaker for two, trading knees, Dorada gets the better of it, trading chops, Dorada with an arm drag, Strong to the floor, Dorada with a leaping arm drag, rolls Strong into the ring, goes up top, senton for two, goes up top again, misses a 450, Strong with a knee in the corner, high angle back suplex for two, Sick Kick for two, powerbomb, reversed into a hurricanrana for two, Strong with a backbreaker, End of Heartache, reversed into a kick, Dorada goes up top, shooting star for three.
Winner: Mascara Dorada (2-2, 6 Points)
They recap the Sports Illustrated Awards, and AEW’s victories therein.
Renee welcomes both Kris Statlander and Jamie Hayter. Stat talks about how both of them had everything ripped away from them at a certain point, but Stat decided her sob story was over, and became what she is today. Hayter goes for a sucker punch, but Stat blocks her. Hayter reminds her that the last time she hit her, she didn’t get up.
Match Three: MJF vs. Dustin Waller
MJF with a double-leg, mounted punches, toss to the corner, face wash across the top rope, tackle, runs the ropes but then slows down and hits Waller with his crotch, pair of chops, hammerlock DDT, Salt of the Earth for the tapout.
Winner: MJF
MJF grabs a mic, but before he can say anything, Hangman appears in the crowd. Swerve then appears elsewhere in the crowd. Hangman says they only agreed to no physicality in Manchester, accuses MJF of being a 1990s style edgelord, and dares him to do his schtick again. He and Swerve head down to the ring, but The Opps hit the ring. Hangman and Swerve take out the Dojo members, hit the ring, swing, and miss MJF, narrowly missing each other. Joe comes across the big screen and says he sent those men to expose the cracks between his opponents, and how they don’t just all hate Joe, they hate each other. He promises to come for all of them one by one and crush their hopes of taking the title from him. MJF slides back in the ring, misses Swerve, and eats a fist from Hangman. Swerve hits MJF with the House Call, and Page chokes MJF with the chain.
Swerve grabs a mic and says MJF doesn’t actually hate the fans, he likes them, because they feed his ego. He says MJF is the worst person he’s ever met, and it’s made worse because he has power, which makes him more of a Diddy than Swerve will ever be. He runs through the list of people MJF has screwed: The Pinnacle, Wardlow, Jay White, and Adam Cole. He says that all of them ended up worse off after interacting with him, but everyone Swerve gets in the ring with comes out better, no matter the nature of their feud.
Babes of Wrath gas each other up, then gas Renee up, and vow to come for Mercedes and Athena.
Match Four: Dynamite Diamond Ring: National Champion Ricochet vs. ROH World Champion Bandido
So, I guess with that last in-ring segment, we can pretty much write off all possibility that they’ll swerve us last minute and have MJF involved in this. No swerve, courtesy of Swerve?
Lockup, Ricochet presses Bandido to the corner, reverse position, break, lockup, Ricochet with a hammerlock, into a side headlock, takeover, crucifix cover for two, lockup, Bandido with a double-leg, Ricochet with a whip, jockeying, Bandido with a hurricanrana, dropkick, Ricochet with a tackle, toss to the floor, Bandido skins the cat, slaps Ricochet’s bald head, punches, whip, blocked, Ricochet with a chop, punch, Bandido with a one handed gorilla press slam onto the apron, Ricochet tumbles to the floor, Bandido follows, punch, Ricochet shoves him into the steps, then tosses him into the barricade, stomps, rolls Bandido into the ring, stomp, another, hair stand, tackle for two, chinlock, Bandido to his feet, Ricochet takes him down, stomps, knee to the back, chinlock, Bandido elbows his way out, Ricochet with a knee, whip to the corner, reversed, Ricochet floats over, Northern Lights into a vertical, rolls both of them to the apron, snap suplex, rolls to the floor, Bandido reverses and hits a suplex, both men back in the ring, Bandido goes for a German, blocked with an elbow, Ricochet with a boot, forearm to the back of the neck, Bandido with a rollup for two, Ricochet with a rollup for two, Bandido almost hits Aubrey by accitend, Ricochet throws him down, Vertigo for two, Spirit Gun, blocked, Bandido goes for a superkick, blocked, Ricochet with a knee, superkick, fireman’s carry, reversed into a poison rana, Bandido with a 21-plex, Ricochet lands on his feet, rollup, Bandido with a pop-up Styles Clash bomb for two, goes up top, misses, hits a knee, X-Knee, goes for a 21-plex, Kaun holds Ricochet while Toa distracts the ref, Ricochet with a low blow, Spirit Gun, reversed into a rollup for three.
Winner and NEW Holder of the Dynamite Diamond Ring: Bandido
Ricochet attacks after the bell until Brody King chases him off. King then presents Bandido with the ring.
Lexy Nair asks Darby Allin about being cleared. He says the future seemed uncertain for a while. She asks about Gabe Kidd’s challenge, he says he has better things to worry about. Kidd attacks him, drags him up a set of stairs that either is or looks a lot like the one Darby was tossed from, punches him in the gut, then kicks him down the stairs.
Match Five: Marina Shafir vs. Shirakawa Mina
Mina with a dropkick, kicks in the corner, trip, knee breakers, Figure Four, blocked with a boot, Mina to the apron, knee breaker through the ropes, cover for one, Shafir tosses her to the floor, Mina trips her, goes up top, missile dropkick for two, kicks, punches to the back, kick, Shafir grabs it, hits what could almost be described as an Electric Chair, kicks, knee to the back in the ropes, kick, snap suplex, knees, Mina grabs one, dragon screw, full nelson, knees, throw down, rollup for one, Shafir with a knee, toss to the corner, gut punches, kicks, Mina with a slam for two, trading strikes, Mina locks in a Figure Four, Shafir with a slap, Mina goes for a slap, Shafir grabs her hand and snaps her fingers, causing Mina to break the hold, Mina hits an uraken but clutches her hand, Shafir with a punch, Mother’s Milk, Mina goes out.
Winner: Marina Shafir
Shafir locks Mother’s Milk back on until Toni Storm runs out. Shafir kicks her, and she falls unconscious on top of her lover.
They show a clip from last week, with Lexy Nair asking The Elite about the Bucks’ injury. Matt reveals that they’re out for the rest of the year. Kenny says they’re still The Elite, even if they can’t tag. He says he’s going to take this time to do something he should have done a long time ago.
Main Event: Continental Classic: Gold League: PAC (6 Points) vs. Jack Perry (3 Points)
Lockup, PAC presses Perry to the corner, break, PAC with an arm wrench, arm breaker, Perry with an arm wrench, PAC with an arm wrench, reversed, Perry locks in a hammerlock, PAC eventually forces a rope break, locks in a crevat, snapmare, Perry with a dropkick, front facelock, PAC forces a rope break, PAC with a snapmare, boot, Perry with a snapmare, hurricanrana, PAC escapes to the floor, Perry follows, wheelbarrow bulldog, suicide dive, both men back in the ring, Perry with a top rope elbow for one, goes up top, PAC to the floor, Perry follows, PAC with a boot, snap suplex, rolls Perry into the ring, covers for one, elbow to the head, chinlock, Perry elbows out, chops, boot from the ropes, PAC clotheslines Perry over the top rope, follows to the floor, tosses Perry into the barricade, tosses him into a different part of the barricade, breaks the count, stomp, rolls Perry back into the ring, missile dropkick for two, heads to the apron, shoulder tackle, floats over, Perry with a superkick, trading forearms, PAC with a boot to the gut, Perry with a brainbuster, knees, DDT for two, boot, PAC with a belly to belly to the corner, sets Perry up top, superplex for two, trading forearms, PAC shoves Perry to the corner, Perry with a boot, PAC with a boot from the opposute corner, thrust kick, Perry with a thrust kick, poison rana, lariat for two, running knee, blocked, trading strikes, Perry with a back suplex, running knee for two, PAC locks in the Brutalizer, Perry gets the rope, PAC runs the ropes repeatedly, lariat, Brutalizer, reversed into a rollup for two, PAC locks the Brutalizer back in, blocked with a hand bite, Perry with a rollup for three.
Winner: Jack Perry (2-1, 6 Points)
Luchasaurus comes out with a Santa hat, sack of toys, and milk and cookies. He puts a reindeer antler headband on Perry, who then drinks the milk and hands cookies to the crowd as Dynamite goes off the air.