All Elite Wrestling’s double episode began with a salute to Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul who started TBS and TNT, after his death.
AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone and Sting said some kind words about Turner’s impact on pro wrestling. Turner bought World Championship Wrestling and created a powerhouse that challenged WWE in the TV ratings for months on end in the 1990s.
Later in the night, the matches began.
AEW TNT champion Kevin Knight stepped up to the plate and challenged Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship. Allin had already successfully defended his championship twice in brutal matches against Tommaso Ciampa and Brody King.
ALL ELITE WRESTLING PAYS TRIBUTE TO TED TURNER AFTER HIS DEATH AT 87
But Knight had been on a hot streak as he captured the TNT Championship in a casino gauntlet match at Dynasty.
Each man struggled to get momentum in the match. They started the bout putting on wrestling moves with chokeholds and submission holds. The two then knocked each other down with a double clothesline.
Allin dug deep as the match wore on. He hit Knight with a Code Red and nearly got the pinfall following a match-changing dropkick. As Knight rolled out of the ring, Allin performed a suicide dive to Knight, who fell backward and hit the announce table. Allin wanted to do more damage with a Coffin Drop to a sitting Knight.
Knight popped up onto the apron and hit a hurricanrana on Allin, who flipped onto the ground outside the ring. Knight tried to do as much damage as he could on the outside of the ring. He propped Allin onto the announce table and hit an incredible springboard clothesline.
Back in the ring, Darby countered Knight and put him in the Scorpion Death Lock. Knight broke the hold by hanging on to the rope. He tried another Coffin Drop, but Knight put his knees up. Both men were down, writhing in pain once again.
Knight went deep into his bag. As Allin was hanging upside down on the rope, he went to the opposite corner and nailed a coast-to-coast dropkick. He then nailed a UFO on Allin from the top rope, but Allin kicked out of a pinfall.
Allin just wouldn’t quit. He put Knight into a guillotine and started to retake control. Two more Coffin Drops sealed the deal for Allin’s win over Knight.
‘THE JET’ KEVIN KNIGHT PILOTING CHAMPIONSHIP CAREER IN ALL ELITE WRESTLING
Before Allin could really celebrate the third title defense, Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) came out to kick off the “Collision” portion of the show. He said it was “time” for Allin to give him a rematch. Allin said the only way he got his rematch is if he put something on the line.
MJF proposed his scarf, his Dynamite diamond ring and offered $1 million to have a rematch. Allin said no each time.
“I want something you hold so dear in this life,” Allin said. “Something you’re so desperate to keep that you’re willing to fly 15 hours to Turkey to get it sewed onto your skull. I’m talking about your hair.”
Allin said there will be a contract signing for a championship vs. hair match ahead of Double or Nothing. And if MJF doesn’t show up, he’s never getting another chance at the title.
Kazuchika Okada, made clear earlier in the night he was going after the AEW World Championship, also put himself into the title picture. Okada said he wanted more than just the AEW International Championship.
Okada will challenge Allin for the title next week.
Will Ospreay returned to the Death Riders’ training dojo after spending a weekend in New Japan Pro-Wrestling helping his United Empire compatriots win the NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Team Championship at Wrestling Dontaku.
He was mocked and goaded by Callum Newman into attacking Shingo Takagi after Newman retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
On “Dynamite,” Ospreay was seen crouching while Yuta Wheeler did crunches using Ospreay’s neck as leverage. Ospreay appeared to be doing his own neck exercises as he looked to build strength in his injured muscles.
“You just got off a 15-hour flight. You’re winning titles with your petty-little dramatic friends in Japan. We do not care,” Death Rider Daniel Garcia said during a segment. “It’s us against the world, and if you want to be the best version of yourself, you’re gonna have to work for it.”
Jon Moxley, who was getting kicked in the abs by Marina Shafir continued to be the voice in Ospreay’s ear.
“Have you ever heard of the concept of ‘death ground?’ Standing on ground from which you cannot leave. There is no escape. There are no other options, do or die. That’s where you’re at right now,” Moxley told Ospreay. “If we don’t get your neck right, if we don’t get this right (pointing to his head), it’s over. You’re done. Sure, you can still have a career at AEW. Get paid, hang out like the rest of these posers. But that’s not what you want.
“You’re not like all these people man. You’re different. It’s a privilege to be where you’re at – to come all the way, this far, up the mountain, and all you got is that last 1%. This is the hardest one 1%. You’re on death ground. It’s gonna be hard, but it’s the only good option. Nothing else exists except what’s right in front of you, right now, every second, every minute.”
Meanwhile, later in the night, Samoa Joe made a plea to Ospreay. He said he knows that Ospreay was “destined for greatness” but wondered whether he would still be left standing to remain a champion should he reach the pinnacle of AEW.
Joe said that, with The Opps, Ospreay could remain a champion “for a very long time.”
An AEW doctor said on “Collision” that Ospreay was getting closer to being cleared for performing with the company. Ospreay said he wasn’t a part of the Death Riders.
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After getting ambushed by The Demand last week, Chris Jericho said he’s finished talking and wanted to “fight” Richochet. The heelish high-flyer led the assault on Jericho on last week’s “Dynamite.” Jericho told Renee Paquette he was more than “p—ed off” about the attack.
“I’m done with the three-on-one beatdowns and I’m done with the attacks from behind. I’m done with the bulls—,” Jericho said in the ring as he demanded Ricochet come out and talk to him.
Ricochet obliged and told Jericho he was doing him a “favor” by telling him to leave AEW. Ricochet wondered what he and the group get out of it by facing Jericho again. But Bishop Kaun gave him a good idea – a stadium stampede match at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York, at Double or Nothing.
Ricochet challenged Jericho to find four more partners to join him in the match.
Jericho was sure he could find four partners for the match but if he couldn’t, he said, “I’ll take on all y’all by myself.”
He sucker-punched Ricochet and dispatched The Demand alone. Toa Liona ended Jericho’s momentum but The Hurt Syndicate – Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley – came to back up Jericho.
Last week, Swerve Strickland appeared to be hot on the tail of “The Most Wanted Man” Bandido. Wednesday, he made clear that he wants more “power.”
In a soliloquy with Prince Nana, crushed Bandido’s most wanted poster.
“From the most dangerous to the most violent all the way to the most wanted, more power means more fear and most control,” Strickland said. “And there’s nothing more dangerous than a man that desires power. And I want it all.”
Bandido, the Ring of Honor world champion, said that Strickland was right in that he was the “most wanted.” He said that if Strickland wanted him, he was “easy to find.” Brody King also warned Strickland that there would be “hell to pay” if he messed with Bandido.
