AEW Dynamite is almost done, we’ve got the main event left now! We have a video of Cody talking up his TNT Championship open challenge taker of the week, Marq Quen of Private Party! They take the opportunity to debut a new theme song for the team as Quen makes his way out for his first singles match in three years. Marq’s also got a BLM armband and does a Black Power pose as he’s being introduced.
TNT Championship: Cody (c) vs. Marq Quen
Cody offers a handshake, Quen happily accepts. Hands clasped, trying to overpower each other. Cody takes him to the corner and grabbing for the leg, just as they note his ankle injury scare from last week. Exchange of forearms, Marq surprisingly wins out but Cody with a drop toe hold, arm wringer! Marq with a side headlock cinched in, gets shot off but Quen with a shoulder block, Standing Shooting Star for a 1 count! Wants a body slam, Cody slips behind him, uppercut from the mat, looks for the Springboard Kick but Quen with a dropkick out of the air for a nearfall! Cody grabs a boot, trips him down, kick to the face, cover for 1. Grinds the boots in the legs as he sets him up for a Romero Special! Aaaaand there it is, Dragon Sleeper cinched as well! Never seen that before. He eventually kicks him away as we go to commercial break.
In the inset, Cody deposits him from the ring! Seemingly just for the hell of it as he brings him right back in and now he’s got his leg draped on the bottom rope, leaping stomp to the ankle! Goes out there and smashes the leg into the apron! Marq struggles to get back up to the apron, Cody forces him into the ring. Corner charge, Quen with a boot up, slips to the apron, tries for a springboard but his leg gives way and he falls to the mat, Cody covers him for a 2 count! Cody slips outside, pulls Quen over to the post and wraps his legs around it as we come back from break. Clubbering shots on the ankle, doesn’t actually slam it in the post, maybe he thought better of that.
He slips back into the ring, Quen surprises him with an enziguri! Batters him in the corner until the ref pulls him off, Cody with a kick to the shin! Cody grabs a leg and there’s a kneebreaker! Forces him to the top rope and pursues. Reverse Superplex!! Both men struggle on the way up. Quen with a surprise springboard moonsault press, rana for a nearfall! Wants a suplex, Cody reverses, tries to turn it into a neckbreaker but Quen leaps out into a crazy Corkscrew DDT! Wonderful nearfall! Cody slips to the outside for a breather but Quen with a tope! Lands on his feet, but not wisely. He struggles back into the ring, limps as he can barely run now but a flip tope nonetheless!
Rolls into the ring, he’s very slowed now. Can’t quite make it to his feet… Cody in the ring, looks for a bulldog but Quen tosses him away and sends him from the ring! He guts it out and hits a Fozbury Flop! Slowly gets him into the ring for a nearfall! Struggles up to the top rope. Cody rolls out to the ramp… Quen stands up there! 450 ONTO THE RAMP!! Quen throws Cody into the ring and rips off his jacket. Dueling chant from the crowd as he again struggles up to the top rope on one leg. Shooting Star Press but Cody catches him into an Ankle Lock! Grapevine!! Transitions to curling the leg with his boot and it’s a deep submission, he has to tap!
Winner: Cody
Very good stuff, not only did they make Quen look great but even implied quickly on commentary that if he got this shot on a night where he wasn’t coming in with an injured ankle it might’ve been different.
As he celebrates his victory, Jake Hager slowly makes his way out… he enters the ring and actually accosts Arn Anderson! Cody rushes him but Hager lays him out with a big spinebuster! As he celebrates, Private Party and Matt Hardy rush out with chairs to attack Hager! They drive him away, until Sammy Guevara and Proud-N-Powerful emerge! A big brawl kicks up! But the faces get the advantage and send the Inner Circle reeling! Cody asks Jake if he wants a TNT title match at Fyter Fest… says he’s got it!
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