AEW Dynamite begins with a dramatic video looking at the history between Darby Allin and Cody Rhodes, getting into why they want the TNT Championship. As you’d probably expect at this point the show will begin with Cody and Darby.
TNT Championship Semi-Final: Cody vs. Darby Allin
Stare down. Darby hits the ropes, shoulderblock but Cody blocks it! Cody wants a single leg but Darby slips away. Lock-up. Cody takes him into a headlock, Darby shoots him off but Cody gets a shoulder block, cover for a quick 1 count! Cody drives Darby into the corner, Darby reverses into a hammerlock. Arm drag, slips around him for a nice La Magistral for a 1 count, legsweeps for kickouts, Cody tries to bridge out of one but tweaks his knee doing it… Darby with a chop block, immediately going for the leg! Darby slips outside and wants to pull him to the outside, Cody kicks him into the barricade! Cody slams Darby into the apron, stops to gawk at Shawn Spears for a split second.
Cody tries a back suplex but Darby flips out of it, charges, Cody side-steps and actually ends up shoving Darby right into Brandi Rhodes! Cody knocks Darby down and checks on his wife. Cody pulls Darby to his feet and throws him into the ring, stomps to the gut. Commercial break as he’s pounding on him. We come back to see Cody working over the midsection of Darby, with an Indian Deathlock and a Stun Gun. Darby targets the leg to fight his way back, including getting a nearfall off of a Code Red. Single Leg Grapevine cinched in. Cody taken to the outside, where Britt Baker surprises Cody by hitting him with a shoe yet again! Kind of a running gag.
After another commercial break, they meet in the middle with a double clothesline spot! Cody with an uppercut, throws him with a suplex, Disaster Kick! Cody pulls off his weight belt… but just hands it to Aubrey, thinking better of whipping Darby. Tries an inside cradle, Darby kicks out AND NAILS HIM WITH THE CROSS-RHODES! Nearfall!! Figure Four Leglock cinched in now, Cody reverses as Brandi limps her way out with a bottle of water! She hands it to Cody and he takes a sip but Darby steals the bottle and nails him in the face with it, Cody fights back with a Short-Arm Clothesline! They’re both down on the mat.
Fight their way up, Darby ducks a clothesline, Over The Shoulder Boulder Holder! Tries a Springboard Moonsault but Cody catches him out of the air and transitions into a beautiful Cross-Rhodes! NARROW NEARFALL! Cody tries to steal the Coffin Drop but Darby with the knees up! Now Darby up top for the real Coffin Drop and nails it, but as he pins him, Cody barely manages to turn him over for a backslide and Darby doesn’t realize it! Cody gets the three!
Winner: Cody
Hot damn that finish had me! Very clever oldschool kind of ending there. Cody really just beat him by the skin of his teeth, a little lucky that time. Can’t get closer to a win than that for Darby. Next time might be the one where Darby gets his…
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