Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here to give you the live play-by-play recap of tonight’s edition of AEW Dynamite! Jacksonville hosts the AEW Homecoming special, to bring in the new year! Watch this space!
A vignette shows asking the question; is The Elite still the Elite?
After the card rundown, Darby Allin gets a special video leading into his entrance, showing him holding a cut-out of a picture of Cody’s face and setting it on fire. Cody for his part has his new manager Arn Anderson by his side!
Cody vs. Darby Allin
Big dueling chant as we start. Cody with shoulder blocks, quick cover, Darby with the immediate kickout. The two pace around the ring, lock-up, Cody wants a wristlock. Darby rolls out of it, reverses, spins him around, takes control of that wrist, Cody wants his Rhodes Uppercut but Darby blocks, covers, cradles combination, Jackknife from Darby countered into a Sunset Flip from Cody, kickout, staredown to an ovation! Cody takes a moment to get some coaching from Arn Anderson. Darby with a waistlock, Cody bounces him off the ropes, Darby with a springboard but gets caught out of the air, Cody wants Crossrhodes but Darby escapes, exchange of strikes, Cody throws Darby between the ropes to the post and Darby hits hard, crumpling to the floor!
Cody waits until Darby rises, goes out to the apron, where Darby clips the leg and he falls right onto it! Cody falls right onto his shoulder, Darby into the ring, springboard back elbow, Cody bails but eats a destructive Suicide Dive! Darby pulls Cody’s shoulder into the post! Cody slips into the ring, baseball slide takes Darby’s head into the barricade! But he’s able to get inside and retake the lead with a driving facebuster for a nearfall. Cody trips Darby up for a Figure Four Leglock! He can only post on his right arm due to the injury. Darby trying to reverse the pressure, makes it happen! Cody rolls back over as they get closer to the ropes. Darby reaching for the bottom rope, by the fingertip it breaks the hold!
Cody tries to reapply the hold but Darby kicks him away, dropkick sends Cody’s bad shoulder into the corner! Darby with a flip into the Fujiwara Armbar! Cody reaches for the ropes but Darby manages to grab the opposite arm as well, got both hooked deep! Cody has to sling his foot onto the bottom rope to break the hold! Darby smashes Cody’s arm hard into the mat, rips off the top turnbuckle pad! Gets into the face of Aubrey Edwards, crowd boos. Darby wants to drive Cody into the exposed buckle with a bulldog, Cody sends him flying but Darby springs from the top rope and lands on the raised ramp! Cody thinks he landed worse than he did, drops his guard, Darby rushes into the ring to capitalize, but eats a Snap Powerslam!
Big boot to Darby, takes him into the corner, Corner 10 Count! He gets every last shot out of it, Darby stumbles from the corner, springboard cutter! 10 minute warning as Cody strips off the weight belt and tosses it into the crowd. They’re applauding him as he tends to that arm. Stomps the hand of Darby now. Takes him up top. Reverse Superplex, Darby lands on his knees and explodes to sell, nearfall with Darby barely kicking out! Commercial break, match continues in the inset, chant of “Darby Allin” as we go. Cody with another figure four now. Darby sits up, furiously swiping at Cody but he’s a little too far away. Grabs the ropes for the break. Cody takes Darby up top again but this time he manages to counter with a Code Red off the second rope!
Darby hits his flip stunner! Darby up top, Cody rolls to the apron… COFFIN DROP! Takes Cody into the ring, kick to the face as he pursues. Less than five minutes left. Cody wants the Cody Cutter but Darby blocks, wants the flipping Stunner again, but Cody blocks it, Crossrhodes spikes him! BUT DARBY KICKS OUT! Cody waits for Darby to rise, charges, Darby evades and he nails that banged up shoulder against the exposed buckle! Darby rushes up top for another Coffin Drop, but Cody barely gets the knees up – with some coaching from Arn to help him out – and Cody rolls Darby up for the win!
Winner: Cody
A great match to be sure, once again Darby having a big performance with Cody, getting closer than ever to that win. Eventually it’ll happen.
Interview with SCU backstage, who says everybody wants a shot at them, including the Dark Order. Says nobody likes it when Spooky Perverts come out and ruin their finish. Make a few football puns as they move on to calling out P-N-P, Sammy Guevara interrupts. Says Frankie and Scorpio got titles but asks what Daniels has. Says maybe he doesn’t have it anymore. Daniels says he’ll show him what he’s got, smudges his phone which makes him quite pissed.
AEW World Women’s Championship: Riho (c) vs. Nyla Rose vs. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida
Before the bell rings, Nyla attacks Riho and steals the women’s title for big heat! But Shida nails her with her kendo stick! Bell rings, Nyla taken to the outside, Shida takes down both of the other women and hits the ropes, Nyla grabs her by the leg and drags her to the floor! Goes for a table and sets it up, it’s no DQ in multi-way matches! Hikaru attacks her but gets driven into the apron! Nyla and Hikaru scrap, Britt Baker comes off the top rope with a crossbody to the floor taking both of them out! Commercial, match continues in the inset. Baker pursues Nyla but she retakes the advantage, back into the ring, Rose is clobbering Britt and Riho. Gets Britt in the corner, drives Riho into her, sandwiching them both! Snapmare takes Riho to the center of the ring, kick to the back. Britt charges but Nyla gets her onto her shoulders, Samoan Drop!
With Britt down, Nyla takes up Riho, powerbombs her onto Baker! Covers, but Hikaru comes in as we come back from break to cut her off. Nyla wants a powerbomb but Hikaru manages to lift her and back body drop her to a big ovation! “Shida” chant! Shida tries to capitalize but gets hit with a Stun Gun draping her on the top rope, Nyla up top for her big knee drop! Takes her outside, drapes her on the table, comes off with a splash taking her right through the table! But as Nyla slowly rolls into the ring, Riho off the top with a diving footstomp to the back! Nyla struggling to her knees, Britt gets her with a draping Piledriver for a nearfall! Britt wants the Triangle Choke but Nyla deadlifts her into a Powerbomb! Cover, Riho has to break it up! Riho running around, roll-through into a double foot stomp, off the top rope with another for a cover but Baker breaks it up with a thrust kick to the face! Swinging Neckbreaker, very close nearfall! Britt wants to go up top but Shida stops her quick, gets her Cesaro Style Superplex! Nyla charges, Shida trips her to a seated position against the bottom buckle, snap suplex takes Riho onto Nyla!
Shida lifts Britt above her head for a big backbreaker, Nyla picks her up from the cover for a deadlift German Suplex! Effortless body slam on Riho, she stacks Riho onto Shida! Nyla up top now with a leap! Senton, both women move out of the way and she crashes and burns with a pained scream! Shida’s running knee misses but Riho’s Metoera nails flush! Hikaru breaks up the pin, Falcon Arrow on Nyla Rose, baaaaaaaarely kicks out! Close enough for the crowd to argue it! Britt tries to get Hikaru into Lockjaw, countered into an Oklahoma Roll, Riho pulls Britt out of it into a Sunset Flip/Jackknife Cover for the flash win!
Winner: Riho
Phew! Little breathless and I wasn’t even talking. Great finish there.
Afterwards, Nyla clotheslines Riho! Brings another table into the ring, crowd giving her a lot of flak now. Takes Riho onto the table! Frog Splash from the middle rope destroys Riho! She’ll be going into that title match next week banged up now!
Joey Janela backstage is about to cut a promo but he’s cut off by a lowblow from Penelope Ford. Kip Sabian lords over him. Looks like we’re doing this angle after all.
Dark Order vignette, speaking on how the Elite have fallen. Soon you will see the true reach of the Dark Order.
Trent vs. Jon Moxley
Lock-up, Mox with a side headlock takedown. Trent with a headscissor counter, Mox nips out of it, side headlock takedown again, wristlock in. Gets the trip. Turns it into a hammerlock, Trent escapes and gets a side headlock of his own. Gets shot off, Trent with a shoulder block, escapes a bodyslam and gets a chop in! Mox is mad. Answers with some destructive chops of his own! Trent amps it up in response, loud as hell chops from him now! Hits the ropes, big double knee! Another series of loud chops, Trent hits the ropes but Moxley with a big right hand just takes Baretta to the ramp. Mox hooks him, wicked stun gun and Trent bounces violently from the top rope back onto the ramp! Big chant of “Moxley”!
Commercial break, match continues in the inset as Mox poses in the ring. Trent favoring his knee after the fall. Rolls back into the ring all the same though, Mox with a big lariat, nearfall! Single leg boston crab locked in now, quickly focusing on that knee. Mox gets Trent up top, superplex nailed for a nearfall. We come back to see Mox power whip Trent into the corner, he does the HBK flip sell, but escapes a back suplex for a Half-Nelson Suplex of his own! Mox has to bail, Trent fights to his feet, hits the ropes for a big tope! Throws Moxley into the ring, charging elbow, wicked Tornado DDT follows for a nearfall! Moxley avoids a charging knee and nails one of his own! Wheelbarrow Facebuster for a nearfall!
Mox wants a powerbomb, Trent reverses with a jackknife, series of kickouts, crowd applauds but Mox with a big lariat! Nearfall, Trent responds with one of his own for another! Orange Cassidy gets onto the apron! Big pop! Slowly enters the ring… puts the hands in his pockets! Chant of “Freshly Squeezed”! Moxley shrugs and responds in kind for a big ovation! Turns around into the Buisaku Knee!! Trent with a Stump Piledriver for a nearfall, goodness! Mox rolls outside to the elevated ramp, Trent up top, flies but Mox with a kick to the gut out of the air, Double Arm DDT onto the ramp! Rolls Trent into the ring, picks him up, full-on Paradigm Shift for the victory!
Winner: Jon Moxley
Absolutely great fight.
Sammy Guevara makes his way out through the crowd with a microphone, says he sees why he does this now. Out here with the people, lot of free food and such… Moxley grabs a chair. Sammy tells him to relax, just wants to ring in the new year. Has plastic 2020 glasses. Blows on a noisemaker. Calls to a video with Chris Jericho, who says what’s no surprise to him is how great he looked in that ring and that’s why he wanted him to be a part of the Inner Circle. There are other factions wanting people to join like the Dark Order or the Nightmare Collective, but he’s offering more than a black mask or a lock of hair.
He wants Moxley to lead the Inner Circle alongside him. He offers him 49% of the Inner Circle LLC, a spot as Executive Vice President of the Inner Circle, and he also has a Ford GT with a Mox vanity plate to offer him. Says the two of them can shove their fists so deep down Cody’s throat they can pull his pink tie out of his ass. Rub Jungleboy’s ‘defeat’ in his face, tie the Young Bucks in an ugly Christmas bow, make everyone feel as embarassed and stupid and ugly as the people in Jacksonville. Wishes him a Happy New Year, and is looking forward to hearing from him soon.
Moxley takes up the mic and says fancy, expensive cars aside, he’s always considered Chris Jericho a friend and a mentor. And out of respect, he will give him his answer in person next week. Boos. Says the whole world is gonna find out what’s in store for 2020 live on Dynamite.
Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara
Dustin has an updated theme, and came out from the crowd to take Sammy by surprise, big lariat quick. Takes him to the corner, chop to the chest. Dustin ducks a shot, Back Suplex Facebuster. Clothesline takes Sammy to the outside, Dustin with a running senton off the apron taking him out! Throws him into the ring, goes to the top rope. Sammy rolls out of the ring… and Jake Hager emerges onto the stage! Dustin leaves the ring, Sammy wants to take advantage of the distraction but Dustin catches the boot, big shot takes him down. Throws him into the ring as Hager approaches. They lock eyes… Sammy with a baseball slide dropkick! Sammy celebrates in the ring, spinaroonies into a tranquilo pose. Distracts the ref as we go to commercial, in the inset, Hager slams Dustin into the barricade! Sammy with a big corkscrew tope as well!
Back from the break, Sammy has Dustin controlled in the middle of the ring with a headlock. Dropkick for a nearfall, big clothesline, hooked tight for another. Goes up top, Dustin avoids his attack, Sammy has to roll through, rushes right into a Snap Powerslam! Consecutive clotheslines, Sammy whips him but Dustin with an uppercut from the knees to block the back body drop! Kick to the gut, running kick to the face! Sammy charges right into a Spinebuster for a nearfall! Dustin hooks him for the Final Reckoning but Sammy escapes, step-up enziguri, Sammy with a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall!
Takes him to the apron, gets him onto his shoulders but Dustin escapes, CANADIAN DESTROYER ON THE APRON! Jesus Christ! Takes Sammy Guevara into the ring, cover, Jake Hager on the apron though and Dustin has to come up to knock him to the floor! Back body drop takes Guevara onto Hager! Goes out, throws Sammy into the ring, half a cheek is exposed so Dustin gives him a spank before setting him up for an Unnatural Kick. Gets the crowd way into it! But the ref intercepts. Ref stops to help Sammy out of the corner, Hager rushes into the ring for a knee to the groin of Dustin! Sammy with the cover for the win!
Winner: Sammy Guevara
Lines up with my prediction exactly there, and a pretty funny finish to boot, good stuff.
Private Party being interviewed in a bar, Page is pouring a drink and they stop him, referencing the storyline on BTE where Page is becoming an alcoholic. Private Party say they’re worried about him. Page says they should be worried because he could kick both of their asses. Steals one of their drinks as he leaves.
MJF makes his way out and after a commercial break, with him getting cheap heat with everyone one by one in the front row during the inset, he is being booed out of the building as we come back. MJF says the roles have been reversed, now Cody needs him! The year is 2020 and they are on the brink of history. So close to getting the match that him and his mark club wants. The only thing standing in the way of that is some teeny tiny stipulations. Number 1… he stops to tell people to let him talk first.
Says the match can happen at one place only and that’s Revolution. In the meantime, if Cody lays a finger on him, no match at Revolution, no match ever. Stipulation Number 2, since he’s such a tough guy, he thinks it’s only fair that in order to wrestle him he should have to go one on one with an opponent of his choosing and beat them. And that opponent is going to be none other than Mr. Mayhem himself, his personal war dog, Wardlow! But he stops to say he doesn’t know if that stipulation is good enough. Says his big debut needs to be bigger. Wants to up the ante, and feels this match should be held in a solid steel cage!
Last but not least, Stipulation Number 3… this is his favorite stipulation. Live on TNT, in front of his family, friends and God… he is going to get down on all fours like the dog that he is and MJF is going to whip him. He won’t just whip him once, not two times, not three, not four, not five, not six or seven or eight or even nine but ten glorious times! And as the leather of his belt repeatedly rips off his skin, each scar will be a constant reminder for the rest of his days that his name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman and he’s better than him and he knows it!
Backstage, Riho is with Michael Nakazawa and Alex Marvez, who asks her about next week only for Britt Baker to confront her. Says Riho isn’t a deserving champion, Britt’s the one who is here every week when she’s not here, and she balances it with her dentistry career! Says Riho couldn’t imagine that, sick of losing to her by the skin of her teeth.
Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. PAC & The Lucha Bros.
Kenny against PAC… but no he tags in Pentagon. Pentagon slowwwwwly rips off his glove… throws it away but Omega catches it! Smacks him with it, to challenge him to a duel! Pentagon grabs at the eyes and face of Omega, Omega responds with aggressive chops, Penta chops him back, signals for the Cero Miedo, Omega escapes a shot, hits the ropes, PAC trips him up and Pentagon clips Kenny. Tag to Fenix, Kenny ducks under a double shot, low dropkick clips both men, Leaping Bulldog to both as well! Tag to Nick Jackson! Fenix shoots him off, shoulder block exchange, Nick wins out! Rana reverses but Nick springs off the ropes for an attempt at a sunset flip, exchange continues, Nick with an arm drag that Fenix springs from the ropes off of, standing dropkick takes Fenix to the floor!
Wants a tope but Fenix onto the apron, kick stops him, dropkick takes him to the floor, wants a tope, Matt charges, Fenix evades him but Nick is able to take advantage, throws him into the ring. Kicks blocked, roundhouse kicks nailing flush now, they each think of a superkick but stop short! “AEW” chant! Commercial break. In the inset, superkick nailed, Matt tags in, doubleteam neckbreaker/backbreaker, tag to Kenny! Double WWE Headkick/Big Boot combo! Pentagon rushes in but gets caught with a You Can’t Escape, Fenix nailed with a double footstomp and Penta hit with the 450! Fenix finally counters with a lucha springing arm drag that includes a kick to one man and a hurricarana to another! Kenny retakes the advantage as we come back, but PAC stops the Terminator Dive, pulls Kenny to the floor, rushes in, huge corkscrew tope! “AEW” chant again as we go into the ring, push kicks to Kenny as the Lucha Bros grind him away.
Kenny with a boot up on a charge, sunset flip to try and escape to his corner but PAC grabs him. Kenny ducks a clothesline, roll to tag to Nick Jackson! Ducks several shots, combo of kicks! Charging knee lift in the corner, running bulldog out of it! Ovation, tag to Matt Jackson! They perform a roll-through on each other to setup a big Canadian Destroyer! Lucha Bros rush in, but eat a Double Destroyer!! Crowd rises again! Tag to Kenny! “Fight Forever” chant as Kenny is offering PAC the first shot! They slug it out but Kenny wins out! Kenny is just absorbing PAC’s shots but brings it harder, big chop, hits the ropes, PAC with a Pump Kick! Springs Kenny off the ropes for the Snap German Suplex! Enziguri ducked, Kenny with a boot to the back of the head, Snap Dragon!
Kenny with a deadlift Sit-Out Powerbomb, Pentagon has to break up the pin! Penta tags, Bucks rush in, both eat a Slingblade, backstabber in the corner to Kenny! Tag to Fenix, they setup their tag finish but the Bucks stop him! Kenny counters a cutter and pushes Fenix but he hits a double cutter on the Bucks! Kenny with a Snap Dragon on Fenix but Fenix bounces back for a rolling cutter on Kenny! PAC tagged back in, Black Arrow on Kenny, Bucks baaaaarely break up the pin! “This Is Awesome” chant as PAC locks Omega into the Brutalizer, Lucha Bros hold the Bucks back for a moment but eventually Matt manages a kick to the back of Pac’s head to break up the hold! Double Superkick to Pentagon takes him to the floor! Fenix rolls into the ring, tags in, Springboard Spinning Roundhouse Kick but Kenny with a big boot out of the air! One Winged Angel to Fenix, the Elite score the win!
Winners: The Elite
Spectacular stuff as always, shockingly rare that they win matches like this but this was sure a big one! The Elite celebrate in the ring, with Cody joining in, they offer Hangman Page – who was on commentary – into the ring as well but he doesn’t go for it. Never the less, they stand tall as the show goes off the air!
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