Our AEW Dynamite results for tonight include Darby Allin defending the AEW World Championship against Konosuke Takeshita, Triangle of Madness taking on The Brawling Birds and Hikaru Shida, Will Ospreay vs. Ace Austin, 10-man tag team action, Kevin Knight’s TNT Championship open challenge, and more.
AEW Dynamite Card
- Darby Allin (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita – AEW World Title
- Triangle of Madness vs. The Brawling Birds & Hikaru Shida
- Will Ospreay vs. Ace Austin
- Orange Cassidy, Young Bucks, Cage & Cope vs. FTR, The Dogs & Tommaso Ciampa
- Kevin Knight TNT Title Open Challenge
- Owen Hart Men & Women’s Tournament Bracket Announcement
- We’ll hear from MJF
AEW Dynamite Results
It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means. AEW Dynamite is live from Asheville on TBS and HBO Max.
Kicking off the action tonight will be a star-studded 10-man tag team match featuring The Young Bucks as they join forces with Orange Cassidy, Cope, and Christian Cage against FTR, The Dogs, and Tommaso Ciampa.
Earlier Today
Renee Paquette catches up with MJF ahead of the show. She tells Max that if Darby Allin retains the world title against Konosuke Takeshita later tonight, he will sign the contract for the AEW World Championship match against Friedman in a title vs. hair match. She asks Friedman if he’s willing to put his hair on the line.
Max scoffs at her and walks away, but pauses in his tracks to look at the AEW backstage crew, including Sonjay Dutt and Christopher Daniels. What’s hilarious is that all of these people are bald. Friedman is clearly uncomfortable seeing so many bald heads as “bald” chants ring out from the fans.
Things only get worse for MJF when he spots Tommaso Ciampa, who removes his cap to reveal his bald head. Friedman quickly tries to walk away but is stopped by Ricochet, who attempts to calm him down by saying he’d look great bald, though “not as good as me,” before letting out his signature laugh.
Orange Cassidy, Young Bucks, Cope & Cage vs. FTR, The Dogs & Tommaso Ciampa
- The finish of the match saw Adam Copeland hit Clark Connors with a spear for the win.
Winners: Orange Cassidy, Young Bucks, Cope & Cage
Grade: B+
Solid way to kick off the action on AEW Dynamite. Multi-man matches are usually pure chaos, but this was chaos in a fun way. Orange Cassidy putting Christian Cage’s hands in his pockets was hilarious.
Adam Copeland probably should never attempt a superkick again because he’s not agile enough to get his leg high enough to connect cleanly with his opponent’s face. That said, the final sequence still looked cool.
Death Rider Training Vignette ft. Will Ospreay
Another Death Riders training montage airs featuring Will Ospreay. The vignette opens with Daniel Garcia hyping up Ospreay’s match against Ace Austin later tonight on AEW Dynamite.
The Aerial Assassin is then shown successfully doing a full neck stand thanks to last week’s training. Jon Moxley compares Ospreay to a bird, telling him that he’s carefree. Moxley adds that when Ospreay goes out to the ring, he shouldn’t be worried about his neck and instead focus on giving everything he has without being afraid to take risks. Moxley then yells at Wheeler Yuta as Ospreay reflects on the advice.
Ricochet introduces his team for AEW Double or Nothing
Ricochet introduces AEW National Champion Mark Davis as The Demand’s sidekick for their Stadium Stampede match at AEW Double or Nothing next weekend. Also joining their side will be Andrade El Idolo and The Dogs.
David Finlay and Clark Connors then walk into the frame. Finlay cuts a promo on The Young Bucks and says they will meet at Double or Nothing in a Stadium Stampede match. Jericho’s team will consist of Jack Perry, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and The Hurt Syndicate.
Mike Bailey vs. Westbrook
During the match, Westbrook botches a major spot, turning the whole sequence into an awkward mess.
Speedball Mike Bailey picks up the win with his Ultima Weapon finisher. After the match, Bailey hypes up Kevin Knight for his AEW TNT Championship open challenge.
As Knight stands in the ring waiting for his opponent, Brian Cage returns after months of absence, revealing himself as the surprise challenger.
Renee Paquette reveals that Brian Cage last appeared in an AEW ring 14 months ago. Cage looks more jacked than ever, and Paquette wonders if we may see the crowning of a new TNT Champion tonight on AEW Dynamite.
Kevin Knight (c) vs. Brian Cage – AEW TNT Title
- The finish of the match saw Kevin Knight hit Brian Cage with a UFO Splash for the win.
Winner and still TNT Champion: Kevin Knight
After the match, Speedball Mike Bailey congratulates “The Jet” on one hell of a win. Kevin Knight returns the compliment to his partner and takes the opportunity to welcome back Brian Cage. He laments not winning the AEW World Championship last week and says he hopes Bailey wins a singles title soon.
That gets Bailey thinking, and he challenges the winner of the Darby Allin vs. Konosuke Takeshita match set for later tonight on AEW Dynamite.
Grade: B+
Brian Cage looked like he didn’t miss a step despite being away from the ring for more than a year. The bicep curl on Kevin Knight was especially impressive. No wonder they call him “The Machine.”
The duo also made a smooth recovery after botching a top rope hurricanrana towards the closing stretch, with Cage effortlessly lifting Knight from the ground back up to the turnbuckle to reset the spot.
As for the post-match promo, it appears we’ve got Darby Allin’s next challenger, and his name is Speedball Mike Bailey.
Owen Hart Tournament Men’s Bracket
This year’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Men’s bracket continues to take shape inside AEW, with several major matchups now confirmed for Double or Nothing.
The headline bout sees Will Ospreay take on Samoa Joe for the first time ever at Double or Nothing.
Elsewhere in the bracket, Jack Perry faces Mark Davis, while Swerve Strickland goes one-on-one with Bandido, also set for Double or Nothing. Another key tournament clash features Claudio Castagnoli against Brody King, rounding out a stacked lineup.
The tournament final will take place at Forbidden Door, with the winner earning an AEW World Championship shot at AEW All In.
Jack Perry Promo
Jack Perry cuts a promo on Mark Davis, calling him out for using a golf club to beat him for the AEW TNT Championship on a previous episode of AEW Collision.
Perry says that no matter what object Davis brings, he will use it against him because anything goes in Stadium Stampede. He then references their upcoming Owen Hart Foundation Tournament clash and vows to earn a shot at the world title at AEW All In.
Will Ospreay vs. Ace Austin
- The finish of the match saw Will Ospreay applying a flying cross armbreaker, forcing Ace Austin to tap out for the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay
Both men show respect to each other after the match. Will Ospreay signals the crowd to acknowledge Ace Austin’s performance.
As Ospreay stands in the ring, Samoa Joe and The Opps make their way out. Joe addresses Ospreay as the crowd begins chanting Ospreay’s name. Joe says he thinks Ospreay has had a hard time hearing him over the past few weeks, but fate has now placed them in the opening round of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament at Double or Nothing.
Joe tells Ospreay he could have made a choice to join The Opps, but instead chose to be a lapdog for Jon Moxley. Joe ends his promo by saying he will make Ospreay suffer for his choices at Double or Nothing. He then tells Shibata and Anthony Bowens to ambush Ospreay, but Death Riders’ music hits.
The faction appears, seemingly to aid Ospreay. Bowens and Shibata back down as Death Riders surround the ring with Ospreay in the middle. The Opps are clearly outnumbered. The segment ends with Ospreay’s music blasting through the arena as Death Riders leave him standing in the ring.
Grade: A-
Will Ospreay ditching his Hidden Blade finisher for a submission move was a creative finish to the match. This shows Ospreay has adopted the ways of the Death Riders following their training sessions.
But while Ospreay is adding submission moves to his arsenal, his protege Callum Newman is clearly not happy with how things are turning in AEW for the Aerial Assassin.
Desperate Times for MJF
Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita are backstage with Renee Paquette when they are approached by MJF.
Friedman references his win over Takeshita from a couple of years ago and says he wants him to beat Darby Allin tonight so they can renew their program for the world title. Takeshita shakes his hand and replies in Japanese before leaving the frame.
MJF then hands Callis his Dynamite Diamond Ring, saying he should keep his word that Takeshita wins the title. Callis calls it a great pep talk from Friedman before MJF adds that Takeshita needs to win because he doesn’t want to go bald, prompting a hilarious reaction from Callis.
Andrade El Idolo then shows up, lifts his cap, and waves his long hair in MJF’s face. As Friedman walks off, Callis sounds confident in Takeshita’s chances of winning the world title, while Andrade looks visibly unimpressed.
Former WWE Star Joins Owen Hart Women’s Cup
The bracket for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Women’s Cup is revealed inside AEW.
The announced matchups include Willow Nightingale vs. Alex Windsor, set for AEW Double or Nothing.
The bracket also features international talent, with Persephone from CMLL and former WWE NXT star Sareee confirmed as participants in the tournament field.
REUNIFICATION
Renee Paquette is backstage with The Conglomeration.
Kyle O’Reilly tells Orange Cassidy that he and Roderick Strong should go after the AEW World Tag Team Titles, before also calling out Jon Moxley for a shot at the Continental Championship.
Willow Nightingale then addresses her involvement in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Women’s Cup.
The segment takes a turn when Mark Briscoe makes a surprise appearance, revealing the word of the day: “Reunification,” as he confirms he is back in The Conglomeration.
Triangle of Madness vs. The Brawling Birds & Hikaru Shida
The match ends in a no contest after Thekla hits Jamie Hayter with the title belt. Skye Blue has Alex Windsor locked in a guillotine choke as chaos breaks out.
Referees rush in to try and restore order, but Julia Hart sprays one of them with mist. Willow Nightingale, Mina Shirakawa, and Thunder Rosa run in to make the save.
The segment ends with Alex Windsor questioning the whereabouts of Hikaru Shida as the babyfaces stand tall in the ring.
Darby Allin (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita – AEW World Title
- The finish of the match saw Darby Allin hit a fourth Coffin Drop on Konosuke Takeshita for the win.
Winner and still AEW World Champion: Darby Allin
Darby Allin signals for his music to be cut and calls out MJF because they have a contract to sign. Ringside crew quickly sets up a table and chairs inside the ring.
MJF’s music hits and the former AEW World Champion arrives looking furious. Darby is still writhing in pain, blood pouring from his mouth. The crowd chants “bald” at Friedman as Darby signs the contract. MJF hesitates before putting pen to paper, while the chants continue.
After several moments of hesitation, MJF finally grabs a mic and tells Darby he has something to explain to him. He mocks Darby for holding “my” AEW World Championship and says there is a small part of him that feels bad for him, before hitting the North Carolina crowd with a crude insult.
Friedman says Darby’s 15 minutes of fame will end just like Hangman Adam Page’s title run ended at his hands. He claims people will remember Darby as a glorified stuntman, while his own legacy will be being remembered as the greatest of all time. He mocks Darby for climbing Mount Everest but says in professional wrestling, MJF is the mountain top.
Darby tells Max to shut up and sign the contract, saying he doesn’t care about legacy — he prefers living in the moment. He tells MJF to sign so he can make him a “bald-headed bitch” at AEW Double or Nothing.
MJF finally signs the contract, then immediately tackles Darby to the mat. He puts on his Dynamite Diamond Ring and punches Darby in the face. MJF then raises the AEW World Championship and calls himself a three-time AEW World Champion over a fallen Darby.
Friedman places Darby on the turnbuckle and teases a second-rope piledriver before Kevin Knight runs in to intervene. The show closes with Knight checking on Darby Allin as the AEW World Champion’s music plays in the background.
Grade: A+
Another excellent title defense in Darby Allin’s already stellar résumé. Excalibur made a strong point on commentary that every title defense has brought more pain and punishment to the AEW World Champion, and this one was no different.
Konosuke Takeshita pushed Darby to the limit, testing his body with a Blue Thunder Bomb on the outside and later an avalanche bridging German suplex.
The post-match angle effectively confirmed the title vs. hair stipulation for MJF moving forward. That said, the run-in felt slightly off, as Kevin Knight made the save instead of Speedball Mike Bailey — especially notable since Bailey had earlier vowed to challenge the winner of tonight’s main event and then didn’t appear to protect the champion.
Overall Grade: A-
The main event was incredible, with Darby Allin and Konosuke Takeshita putting on a standout performance. I would go as far as to say this match exceeded their previous outing on AEW Dynamite from years ago.
Will Ospreay vs. Ace Austin was the second-best match of the night, in my opinion. The armbar submission finish was unique and kept the focus on Ospreay’s ongoing storyline with the Death Riders.
The returns of Brian Cage and Mark Briscoe were a nice surprise, and hopefully Cage gets a decent push this time.
As for the downsides, the Westbrook botch against Speedball Mike Bailey was rough. This is what happens when you prioritize spot-fests instead of giving wrestlers time to adjust pacing and respond to crowd reactions. Speaking of Bailey, he should have shown up to save Darby Allin. That entire “I’m challenging the winner of the world title main event” speech ended up meaning nothing.
The women’s division hasn’t been the same since Toni Storm left. Thekla needs an opponent who can match her on the mic, and frankly there is no one in the upper echelon of the division who can keep up with her trash-talking skills.
That’s it for tonight, and this writer will be back with more AEW Dynamite coverage next week.
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How would you rate this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite on a scale of 1 to 10? Let us know in the comments!
