It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz greets the audiences at home as we head to the ring for the AEW International Championship match.
MATCH #1: AEW International Championship Match:
“Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy © vs. Kyle Fletcher
We then hear the theme for Orange Cassidy and out comes the best show-starter in AEW history. The AEW International Champion heads to the ring for his scheduled Championship defense against Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher. He gets a big pop from the Vegas crowd.
Kyle Fletcher’s theme then hits and out comes the Aussie Open tag-team member. As he heads to the ring, we see footage of his recent backstage attack of Cassidy.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with our championship opener. Cassidy stops Fletcher in mid-sprint and does his sunglasses removal spot. He continues to do the hands up and down in the pocket’s routine, but Fletcher is having none of it.
Aussie Open’s Fletcher ambushes Cassidy and connects with a big suplex. He slaps a side head lock on him and then knocks him out to the floor, where he hits a follow-up running dive through the ropes, splashing onto the “Freshly Squeezed” one.
Back in the ring, Fletcher goes for a cover but only gets two. The fans chant “Freshly Squeezed” to try and rally behind Cassidy. Fletcher again sends the AEW International Champion out to the floor.
Fletcher heads up to the ropes backwards. He goes to do the hands in the pocket routine to mock Cassidy, but Orange is back up and he knocks Fletcher down. Fletcher falls awkwardly and his back bounces off the hard part of the ring apron.
Cassidy continues to control the offense from there, connecting with a leaping DDT off the middle ropes onto Fletcher on the hard part of the apron. Cassidy again knocks Fletcher out to the floor and the commentators speculate he is hoping for a count out victory.
The referee gets to the count of nine and a half but Fletcher rolls back into the ring at the last possible millisecond. Cassidy fires up on offense from there with his hands in his pockets. Fletcher cuts his run short with a drop kick.
Kyle hoists Orange up and holds him up in the air for what seems like forever before connecting with a beautiful delayed suplex. He goes for the follow-up pin attempt but only gets two. After Cassidy kicks out, we head to a mid-match commercial break.
When we return from the break, we see Fletcher go for another suplex, but Cassidy counters and connects with a Stun-Dog Millionaire for a close pin attempt. Cassidy then hits a wrap-around-the-body DDT on Fletcher for another pin attempt.
Fletcher catches Cassidy and hits a spinning Michinoku Driver for a pin fall attempt. Cassidy kicks out at two. Fletcher then looks for thrust kick to the mid-section. Cassidy catches it but Fletcher blasts him with a big punch. Cassidy slumps down in the corner.
Cassidy tries firing up on offense, but Fletcher stops it short and hits a big tombstone pile driver. He doesn’t let go of Cassidy after connecting, instead hoisting him back up and hits a follow-up spinning tomb stone for a close pin attempt.
The fans break out in a loud “This is Awesome” chant as the two slowly get back to their feet. Fletcher looks for a pile driver off the top. Cassidy defends. Fletcher ends up hitting an insane Michinoku Driver off the ropes for another super close near fall attempt.
We see Cassidy fire up again on offense. Fletcher tries slowing him down again and once more looks for a big piledriver or Michinoku Driver, however this time Cassidy rolls through and rolls up Fletcher for the pinfall victory.
Winner: “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy
BACKSTAGE: Renee Paquette is with Ricky Starks. The “Absolute” one talks about having nothing to lose and announces himself for the Blackjack Battle Royale for the AEW International Championship at AEW Double or Nothing.
Before he can say anything else, he is ambushed and attacked by Bullet Club Gold’s Juice Robinson and Jay White. The two beat him down and hold him while they inform him that he’s not done with Bullet Club Gold yet. After this, we head to another break.
As we settle back in from the break, Excalibur sends us to a special message from one of the four pillars in AEW involved in the Double or Nothing World Championship main event.
With that said, we shoot to “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry, who talks into the camera about his journey to his shot at the AEW World Championship this Sunday night. He talks about the pro wrestling business affording him the ability to live the life he wants.
He talks about the drive he’s made in Vegas for AEW in the past and how it’s been a little different each time he makes it. He vows to make the drive home with the AEW World Championship after this weekend.
Now we shoot back inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena where the familiar sounds of FTR’s theme hits. As the Midnight Express-style music plays, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler head to the ring.
The AEW World Tag Team Champions begin with Wheeler addressing the luck Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal have had, and how it runs out this weekend. Harwood then speaks from there and he gets the crowd riled up as he talks about their rivalry with Jarrett and Lethal.
He says the two, which he calls “a couple of rejects from TNA,” will never dethrone them. He calls Jarrett’s wife Karen a “bitch of a wife.” He tells Jarrett and Lethal to hit up the Queen of the Mountain Dixie Carter after FTR kicks their asses this weekend. “Top guys … OUT!”
Before FTR can leave, out comes Mark Briscoe. “Dem Boy” head to the ring and he doesn’t look happy. Wheeler tells Briscoe not to let Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal make him look stupid.
He goes on to talk about how three times last year Harwood and Wheeler went to hell and back against he and his late brother. He says this year, they’re going to go to hell and back for him.
Dax Harwood goes to talk and Briscoe asks him what was up with that piledriver last week. Harwood apologizes and tells Briscoe to shake his hand like a man. Briscoe slaps his hand away and then bitch slaps him hard.
Wheeler holds Harwood back as Briscoe leaves. Out comes Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and the rest of the gang. Briscoe knocks down and pushes past all of them, last grabbing Lethal by his face and says they’re boys but he’s getting tired of this.
BACKSTAGE: Renee Paquette is with one of the four pillars involved in the Double or Nothing World Championship main event this coming Sunday night – “The Spanish God” himself.
Sammy Guevara is asked and states outright that he will not lay down for MJF this weekend. He talks about being offered a ton of money by other promoters and such but had to live in the real world.
He finishes up by saying he is living in the real world because he’s made it as a pro wrestler and this Sunday, he’s going to finally capture the AEW World Championship.
MATCH #2: Open House Rules Match for the AEW World Trios Championships:
Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews © vs. Blake Christian, AR Fox and Metalik
Now we shoot back inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena where the lights go out. When they come back on, The House of Black trio of Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews make their way down to the ring.
Julia Hart accompanies the AEW Trios Champions to the squared circle as they prepare for their latest “Open House Rules” defense of their Championships. On that note, we head to a pre-match commercial break.
When we return from the break, we see the special lighting in the arena for this Open House Rules showdown for the AEW Trios Champions. Already in the ring now are the opponents for The House of Black – the trio of Blake Christian, AR Fox and Metalik.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. We see Buddy Matthews and Blake Christian kick things off for their respective teams. Blake shows some good athleticism early on but ends up blasted by Matthews with a big shot.
Metalik tags in and starts to fire up but Matthews blasts him, too, and in comes Malakai Black. He blasts a big back elbow to Fox, who comes in. Brody King hits a big splash in the corner. Brody catches Blake with one-arm coming off the ropes and Donkey Kong’s him into the mat.
Black hits a big knee strike to Blake. He goes for a big overhead suplex but Blake lands on his feet. He tags in Metalik but another knee strike from Malakai decks the masked man. Brody King comes in, but Metalik comes off the ropes with a drop kick that sends them both out to the floor.
He runs and hits a flipping diving splash onto the House of Black guys on the floor. Blake hits a big high spot as well. When Fox goes for one, Brody has recovered and blocks him in the ring. Fox starts connecting with big boots to Brody but can’t knock him down.
He hits the ropes for leverage, but Brody runs him over. A big brawl with all of the guys then breaks out on the floor at ringside. AR Fox hits a leaping flipping senton to splash onto the entire pile of bodies.
Back in the ring, he goes for a 450 splash but misses. Buddy Matthews hits a big stun-gun stomp on Fox and then locks him in an inverted Texas Cloverleaf. Fox crawls to the ropes but there are no rope-breaks in an Open House Rules match.
As he struggles, we see Malakai slap a knee bar on Metalik. Blake fires up but then Brody hangs him over the ropes with his choke. As all three guys are locked in submissions, we finally get the taps and The House of Black wins to retain their Trios Championships.
Winners: Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews
After the match: Excalibur brings up the fiery reunion of The Elite last week, with “Hangman” Adam Page returning and helping Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks with their ongoing battle against the Blackpool Combat Club.
We then shoot backstage and we see the Blackpool Combat Club standing together. Bryan Danielson talks first about how they’re going to take out The Elite. Jon Moxley then closes the promo segment, and we head to another commercial break.
As we settle back in from the break, we hear the familiar sounds of the entrance theme song of the reigning AEW World Champion – Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Out comes “The Devil” and he heads over to the commentary section to throw a drink on Tony Schiavone.
MJF heads down to the ring and settles inside. He grabs a mic and tells the dummies in the truck to cut his music as the fans in the MGM Grand Garden Arena boo. He talks about the name of Vegas being Sin City but says by the look of the crowd, it should be Virgin Vegas.
He then goes on to mention one-by-one how he wants to see each of the other four pillars of AEW go down. He talks about having the deck stacked against him this Sunday. He mentions that he is fully aware of the significance of the Four Pillars Championship main event this weekend.
Friedman then fires up as he talks about how four years ago nobody knew who the four pillars were. He says four years later they’re the top dogs and responsible for the best matches and moments in the company and the business.
The AEW World Champion goes on to mention that he’s getting bored in this place. He says he’s sick of AEW fans not showing him the respect he so greatly deserves. He mentions there being a lack of competition. He says Tony Khan knows that. He says Tony also knows, “Daddy’s contract is coming up.”
He talks about how he may just take his ball and go home. He says he earned it. He took it and ran faster with it than anyone who can even try and keep up around here in AEW. He says the other three pillars in AEW are talented and we’ll see it on Sunday, but we’ll also see that none of them are on the level of “The Devil.”
As he wraps up, before he can walk off, we hear the familiar sounds of the theme song of Darby Allin. Out comes the face-painted fan-favorite with a microphone in-hand. He settles in the ring and MJF demands his music be cut off.
The fans chant “Darby! Darby!” MJF then asks if Darby has something he wants to say to his face. Darby talks about how a friend told him when he graduated that he should be in reality. He said that wound up with him cleaning toilets at the 99-cent store.
Darby goes on to talk about how he wasn’t meant to live his life as a man cleaning toilets. He was meant to be a pro wrestler. He says he was meant to do it in AEW, too. He says no other company would let him ride his skateboard with Tony Hawk, jump things with Tony Pastrana and even climb Mount Everest next year.
He then talks about how this Sunday he’s going to finally capture the AEW World Championship. He says he might just do it with a headlock take over. MJF blasts him with a low blow. Sammy Guevara’s theme hits.
Out comes “The Spanish God” but MJF exits the ring and tries escaping up the ramp. Before he can, the theme for Jungle Boy plays and out comes Jack Perry, who decks the champ on the ramp.
He leans down and picks up the AEW World Championship and looks at it as the fans react. His music plays again to end the segment.
Now we shoot to a pre-taped video message from the TNT Champion. Wardlow is shown standing alongside Arn Anderson. He talks about his scheduled Ladder Match Championship defense against Christian Cage at AEW Double Or Nothing.
Wardlow mentions climbing ladders his whole career from a metaphorical standpoint and brings up his past victory in the Face of the Revolution ladder matches. Arn goes on to talk about the damage Wardlow can do with a ladder. He closes with the Four Horsemen hand gesture when talking about how coincidental it is that DoN is in four days.
MATCH #3: Women’s One-On-One Match:
Taya Valkyrie vs. Lady Frost
We head back inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the theme song for Taya Valkyrie hits. Out comes the women’s wrestling star to a decent pop from the Vegas crowd. The commentators talk about if she can end Jade Cargill’s undefeated streak this weekend.
Now the theme for her opponent plays and out comes former IMPACT Wrestling and current Ring Of Honor women’s wrestling star Lady Frost for her Dynamite in-ring debut. She settles in the ring and her music dies down.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one.
Taya Valkyrie uses her strength advantage early on by slamming Lady Frost to the mat, but Frost responds by sending her across the mat. The pendulum swings again with a sliding lariat from Valkyrie and she then connects with a huge overhand chop, but Frost then avoids as Valkyrie dives into the corner, allowing her to hit a high kick. However, Frost aims to use gymnastics to reach the corner only to be clotheslined.
Jade Cargill then turns up on the ramp to take a closer look at her Double Or Nothing opponent. Valkyrie continues to remain in control with a running knee strike as she then slams her opponent onto the ring apron before delivering another overhand chop. Frost responds with one of her own and then several knee strikes and a kick to the face back inside the ring.
That only frustrates Valkyrie who unleashes a series of chops, yet Frost nails another kick and then a huge cannonball in the corner. She heads to the top rope who nails a tornado only to be planted with a Spear straight after. Valkyrie then slams Frost down and follows it with a stomp down to the mat, but she spends too long talking to Cargill and that opens up the chance for Frost to nail a kick to the face. However, Valkyrie gets back control with a knee strike and then Road To Valhalla.
Winner: Taya Valkyrie
BACKSTAGE: Tony Khan is ready to make his announcement. He plugs AEW Collision debuting on June 17. He announces that the debut episode will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. at 8/7c on TNT.
The crowd explodes in the background. Khan plugs AEW Double or Nothing and wraps up. No mention of CM Punk but the crowd is reacting like it’s a given that he’ll be there. After this, we head to another commercial break.
When we return from the break, the theme for Adam Cole hits and out comes the fan-favorite with Roderick Strong accompanying him as he heads to the ring for the advertised contract signing for the Unsanctioned Match against Chris Jericho.
Cole takes a seat and then the familiar sounds of “Judas in My Mind” by Fozzy plays as Chris Jericho emerges alongside the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society. He takes a seat across the table from Cole.
Things get started with Adam Cole talking about how Jericho directed traffic and had him handcuffed to the ropes while he had his girl Britt Baker beaten over-and-over again. Cole talks about breaking Jericho’s leg and jaw at DoN.
He then closes by calling Jericho a bitch and telling him to sign the contract. Jericho stands up and responds. “I ain’t no bitch, I ain’t from Las Vegas.” The crowd boos and then Jericho makes some comments before he inks the papers as well.
Jericho then takes advantage of the no contact policy as he replays the footage of Baker being beaten in front of him. He then asks what kind of coward stands by and “allows” the woman of his dreams to be savagely beaten like that.
We see Cole go to attack Jericho but Strong stops him. Jericho tells Cole “You know you can’t beat The Ocho.” He tells Cole he’s not going to end him, because once again he got out-smarted. He says no rules? There’s 5 of us and only 2 of you. Jericho signs the papers.
Adam Cole tells Jericho he’s right, but that’s why he made a call to someone he idolized. He says he’s crazier than the J.A.S. group combined. “He’s homicidal, suicidal and genocidal and his name is Sabu!”
A new version of “Huka Blues” hits and out comes the ECW legend to an enormous pop from the Vegas crowd. Taz jokes on commentary about how he knows that guy. Sabu will be in Cole’s corner for the match this Sunday, Sabu catches a chair that Cole throws to him, and he just launches it into the face of “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard as the rest of J.A.S. runs away to end the segment.
MATCH #4: One-On-One Match:
Daniel Garcia vs. Roderick Strong
Daniel Garcia has to remain at ringside, as he is scheduled for our next match of the evening here on the Double Or Nothing “go-home” episode of AEW Dynamite on TBS.
The two men lock up immediately as Roderick Strong takes Daniel Garcia down to the mat. The encounter then picks up as the two exchange chops and forearm strikes until Strong gains full control with a backbreaker. He then follows up with a series of chops around the ring as Garcia scrambles outside the ring and as Strong dives out Garcia side-steps him and launches Strong face-first into the steel stairs.
Garcia starts dancing on the ropes which allows Strong to dump him back into the ring, but he gets back into it by throwing Strong into the ring post. Garcia then pulls Strong back and stomps him face-first to the mat as he then starts dancing again. He follows that up by stomping away on Roddy, but he responds by throwing Garcia across the ring as he then hits a dropkick, and a running knee strike before flattening out Garcia.
Strong aims for a knee strike in the corner but misses and as he bounces back Garcia goes for a roll-up, but it doesn’t work. He follows it with a series of slaps, and he then plants Strong down to the mat but he’s able to kick out. He then locks in the Dragon Tamer but Strong gets out of it and hits a Gut Buster and then End Of Heartache.
Winner: Roderick Strong
A special video package airs with new comments from Willow Nightingale. We see video footage playing of her impressive victory over Mercedes Mone (formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE) to capture the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship.
MAIN EVENT: ROH World Tag Team Championship Match:
Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix © vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta Now we hear Excalibur speed-read through the AEW Double or Nothing lineup for this Sunday before shifting gears and turning his attention to our third and final championship match of the evening here on Dynamite.
The Ring Of Honor World Tag-Team Championships will be on-the-line when we return, as The Lucha Bros duo of Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix defend their titles against Blackpool Combat Club duo Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta in our main event.
On that note, we head to a pre-match commercial break. When we return, we hear the familiar sounds of Claudio Castagnoli’s theme song. Out comes the ROH World Champion and his fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Wheeler Yuta.
The two head to the ring as footage is shown from two weeks ago of Castagnoli’s victory over Fenix in the Double Jeopardy match on Dynamite, which earned him the title shot at ROH World Tag-Team Champions The Lucha Bros tonight.
“The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson joins the man-in-the-mask Excalibur and company on special guest commentary for this headline contest. The B.C.C. guys settle into the ring and their music dies down.
Now the theme plays to bring out the reigning and defending ROH World Tag Team Champions, The Lucha Bros. Out comes Penta and Fenix with Alex Abrahantes as fireworks and pyro erupt inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Both teams are settled in the ring now and its main event time here on the AEW Double Or Nothing 2023 “go-home” episode of AEW Dynamite. The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one.
Straight away all four men begin brawling inside the ring, but it is the champions who come out on top as they send the BCC members outside the ring as they follow it by diving outside to take them down once more. Back inside the ring Claudio Castagnoli regains control for his team briefly before being hit with a sling blade by Penta as Rey Fenix then runs the top rope and kicks him in the face.
However, as Fenix then tries to springboard back to Castagnoli, he ends up eating an uppercut in mid-air. He launches Fenix into his corner and Wheeler Yuta then tags in and continues the attack as Castagnoli then comes back in to hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Fenix kicks out of the following pinfall attempt. Yuta tags back in and starts working the legs of his opponent who fires back with several chops, but Yuta remains in control.
He runs and boots Penta off the apron only to be hit with a backdrop by Fenix straight after. Yuta makes the tag though as Castagnoli stops Fenix from doing the same as he hits the Giant Swing. Penta manages to make the tag though and he starts lighting up his opponents by sending Castagnoli out as he drops Yuta onto his knees. Penta then runs over Fenix to hit a Canadian Destroyer to Castagnoli on the other side.
Fenix drives Yuta down to the mat, but he is still able to kick out. BCC responds with a Fastball Special, but Fenix kicks out this time around. Castagnoli takes a cheap shot and Alex Abrehantes then distracts the official which allows Lucha Bros to hit the Fear Factor. However, as Castagnoli tries to break it up The Young Bucks turn up and stop him.
Winners: Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix
After the match: We see Jon Moxley make his way down to the ring to join Castagnoli and Yuta as they recover from their loss.
Moxley addresses The Young Bucks in the crowd and tells them that this Sunday at DoN, they and their weak ass little friends are getting plastered. He tells everyone who isn’t fond of seeing blood better not tune into DoN.
And those who are, you better buckle up your seatbelts because you haven’t seen anything yet. He throws down the mic on that note and “Wild Thing” plays as Dynamite goes off the air.
