This is it, the end of the long burn feud between Chris Jericho & MJF. MJF worked his way into Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle, with the intentions always being to stab Jericho right in the back. But he never wanted to take the group over. He assembled his own group of killers, and tonight we see the two teams clash in what could redefine violence in AEW.
Tonight is Blood & Guts, and that means we get to see AEW’s vision of War Games. 10 men, two teams, two rings covered in a giant cage. Once everyone is inside, the only way for it to end is submission or surrender. The Pinnacle have the advantage, and we know that Sammy Guevara will start for The Inner Circle. Tonight will be one to remember, that’s for sure.
Let’s See If We Get Blood & Guts
Inner Circle was dressed in prison outfits, as Guevara started with Harwood. Harwood was picked to start, because he had the best gas tank, but Guevara exploded from one ring to another with a dive. Guevara nailed a dropkick after backflipping over Harwood, before Harwood put spine to the pine with a spinebuster, and pinned him out of instinct.
He’d fight back with some heavy chops, before slamming Harwood off the steel before a kick to the jaw. Harwood climbed the cage for some reason, before Guevara joined him. They’d fight on the top rope, before Harwood was dropped down and hurt his knee on the way down. Guevara threw Harwood into the chain link fence of a cage, before The Pinnacle got the two minute advantage.
Spears would enter after Guevara hit a double springboard cutter on Harwood. A steel chair was brought in, before Spears hit a big spinebuster. Guevara was whacked with the chair, and Harwood was back up but bloody as well. Spears would beat down on Guevara, before Ortiz came into the match with another chair. He’d throw it at Harwood, before dropping him with a lariat and hitting him with the chair.
Spears would have the chair driven into his throat, before Ortiz hit Harwood again. Guevara & Spears fought between the two rings, as Guevara hit a Spanish Fly. Harwood was being beaten down by Ortiz, before Spears took a chair shot as well. Cash Wheeler jumped into the match next, and immediately brought the advantage back to The Pinnacle.
MJF & Jericho Enter Last
FTR was united and hit an assisted Brainbuster on Ortiz, before Guevara was thrown into the steel. Spears would be put into the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring, but even if he tapped out it wouldn’t count. Ortiz was hit with a Gory Bomb into the cage, and Santana was next in. He saved Guevara, before going after FTR in the middle of the ring, dropping them with suplexes.
FTR fought back with a flapjack into the cage, and Santana was stuck between the ring and the cage. Guevara was fighting Spears in the other ring, as Ortiz had some barbed wire and went after FTR with it. Wardlow was in next for The Pinnacle, and being trapped in a cage with him isn’t fun, just as Cody Rhodes.
Ortiz stared him down, before joining him in the ring. Santana & Guevara joined him, and they’d all rush down Wardlow. Wardlow was able to handle all three men, throwing them around. Hager joined into the fun next and did the same thing with The Pinnacle. He’d run down FTR with huge strikes, before hitting a Hager Bomb on Harwood and applying an Ankle Lock on Spears who tapped before it counts.
Wardlow & Hager matched him in the ring, and these hosses would throw some heavy blows. Hager was thrown over the top rope but landed on his feet. Wardlow followed him out, and Hager is comfortable with steel at his back due to MMA. MJF came into the match, meaning all of The Pinnacle was in. Spears hit the C4, and MJF came in to fight the beaten down Inner Circle. Wardlow hit a chop block on Hager, and MJF stomped him down. MJF would talk trash to Jericho, who was itching to get into the match. His time came, and it was time for the Match Beyond.
Time For The Match Beyond
The bell finally rang, as both team took a ring and re-grouped. Submission or surrender wins, and they’d charge into the middle of the ring and brawl it out. Jericho had his trusty bat Floyd, and he’d follow Spears as he tried to climb away. Spears was being choked in the cage, but kicked Jericho off without giving up. Jericho dropped Wardlow with a forearm smash, before whacking him with a steel chair.
Harwood was next to taste the steel, and Ortiz was suplexed on the other side of the ring. MJF would be dropped onto the top rope, before FTR ripped up the canvas. Spears broke a turnbuckle, trying to create a spike. Wardlow tried to outgrapple Hager, but lost out to the MMA fighter.
The ring was being torn apart, and Santana was thrown into the cage. In the more put together ring, Wardlow someone won out over Hager, and he’d apply a front choke but no one was paying attention. FTR wanted piledrivers on exposed pine, but Santana, Ortiz & Guevara dropped them. Spears wanted to stab someone with the broken buckle, and before Guevara & Ortiz set up Coast to Coast on him.
Jericho nailed MJF with the broken buckle, but took time to showboat. Santana had a fork, and would gouge MJF with it. MJF was bleeding now, and Inner Circle had him surrounded but went after the rest of The Pinnacle. Jericho punched MJF between the eyes, and they’d be looking good as the crowd chanted ‘We Want Guts!’
Wardlow came back to life and started to take out The Inner Circle out before being dropped with a steel chair. Five on one is hard for even Wardlow, and a chair to the head and a lariat from Hager. MJF was slingshotted into the bottom rope. Two more piledrivers onto the exposed wood for FTR, and Guevara was choking out Spears in the other ring.
Outside the cage, Tully Blanchard took out Bryce Remsburg and let MJF out. MJF climbed to the top of the cage, and Jericho followed him. Jericho didn’t want MJF to find safety. They’d leave their teams to have their own match, which The Inner Circle was winning. MJF thought he was safe, but would get kicked in the face and have the Liontamer applied. Jericho could win up there, but MJF hit a low blow to get free. Salt Of The Earth was applied on top of the cage, and Jericho considered tapping. Jericho had the hand stomped and slammed before MJF went for the hold again.
Camera focused on this, while down in the ring everyone else was brawling it out. MJF pulled out the Dynamite Diamond Ring and busted Jericho open with it. He’d consider throwing Jericho off the cage, which is far for even this match. The Inner Circle could surrender and stop this, and Guevara surrendered to save him from death.
How do you even rate a match like this? It was an absolute war like we expected from these teams, with enough violence and insane spots to please even the most bloodthirsty of fans. The finish was perfectly done, with a convincing reason for The Inner Circle to give the match up. Fans were a bit upset with MJF for winning this way, but a win is a win. This one will go down as one of the most brutal matches in AEW history. Match Rating: 4/5 (****)
After the match, MJF pushed Jericho to his doom anyways, Jericho crashing through the stage. Could this have been the end of Chris Jericho’s career? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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