It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz are the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
CM Punk makes his entrance with the AEW World Championship on his shoulder.
He gets on the mic and says the crowd ruins his tough guy face by making him smile, and his smile isn’t the prettiest, but his belt is the prettiest. He hasn’t been around, and he has some business to attend to, and he wants to start with the less important stuff.
He says there’s somebody who’s from around these parts that he’d like to challenge to a rematch right here and right now. He sets the belt down and sits cross-legged in front of it, calling him out and telling him if he wants his rematch he’s got it, right now.
Page doesn’t come down and he says that’s coward shit, and the apology must be at least as loud as the disrespect, as a general rule. And if anybody else wants some, come on down, because everybody wants to be the champ, but nobody wants to do champ shit.
Jon Moxley’s got a lot of fans, and he can be number one in your heart but he’s not number one in this ring, and CM Punk is *THE* AEW World Champion. He knows what it’s like to talk a big game and claim to be the best and he knows what it’s like to lose, but Mox has always been number two.
There’s always been a guy that has his number, and Punk is that guy. Jon Moxley is the third best guy in his own group, and that seems to be a reoccurring theme in his career. He calls Eddie Kingston the third best Eddie and second-best Kingston he’s ever been in a locker room with
He repeatedly asks us to tell him when he’s telling lies and admits he missed us, and he missed defending the AEW World Championship and he’s ready to do it again against Jon Moxley at All Out. And hey, Jon Moxley ain’t even the first John he’s defeated in Chicago!
Moxley’s music hits and Punk says he’s got some time before he gets here so he’s gonna do some snow angels.
Indeed, Mox moseys his way down and gets on the mic in his own time. He says to watch out, Punk’s dropping pipe bombs, writing checks with his mouth that his body can’t cash yet again. He thinks he’s the best wrestler in the world? Most of the time he’s not even the best wrestler in catering.
CM thinks the microphone in his hands is power, but this is the real world, and the words he spits into the mic don’t mean shit and neither does the belt on his shoulder. And to be fair, the belt on his own shoulder don’t mean shit until he beats Punk. He’s the heart and soul of AEW and every time he’s called interim it grates on him.
Punk says he can be the heart and soul, that’s fine, he’s the dollars and cents. Jon says they both know he only came to AEW because he ran out of money and being the best is about guts and fighting spirit and we all know CM ran out of fighting spirit a long time ago.
Go ahead, prove him wrong, do something about he, he isn’t gonna do shit. Punk says they have a match at the pay-per-view and he’s afraid if he touches him now, he’s just gonna bleed all over him. They go forehead to forehead, Mox butts in and they start unloading frantic punches on each other as staff try to pull them apart!
BACKSTAGE: Powerhouse Hobbs says Ricky Starks showed the world his true colors, that he’s okay with losing, and for two years he’s paraded around like he’s god’s gift to this business, hiding behind him so he’d stay champion, and he couldn’t do it. Hobbs doesn’t just break backs, he breaks necks, and he’s got something for QT and the Factory, too.
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat is shown at the table as special guest timekeeper.
Chris Jericho makes his entrance to join commentary for this one.
MATCH #1: Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match:
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “Dragon Slayer” Daniel Garcia
Circling, Immediately Bryan Danielson brings down Daniel Garcia, working his knee, and they then kick each other in the face while in the submission. Things heat up with a slap from Danielson, and he then holds back Garcia to throw some rabbit punches, which he follows up with a classic kick only for Garcia to slap him back.
They then trade strikes until Bryan explodes with his kicks in the corner, which he follows with a dropkick, but they quickly go back to their striking battle. Garcia then locks in an arm submission, but Danielson reverses with a suplex to break out. He then sends Garcia to the floor, but he avoids the running knee and suplexes the BCC star to the floor. Back in the ring, he looks for the Dragon Tamer, but Danielson reverses into a triangle sleeper, which is reversed by a Piledriver into the Dragon Sleeper and Bryan fades as the referee awards the First Fall to Garcia.
Winner of the First Fall: Daniel Garcia
Garcia then attacks Bryan immediately as he struggles to stand which leads to the JAS star mocking his Yes chant. Things spill outside again as Bryan gets thrown into the guard rail repeatedly as Garcia then exposes the concrete and drops Bryan onto it with a DDT which busts him open. He locks in the Dragon Sleeper once again inside the ring, and then hammers down with some elbow strikes, but Bryan reverses that with a pinfall to level things up.
Winner of the Second Fall: Bryan Danielson
They’re now tied 1 fall a piece!
Garcia wastes no time in getting back in control with some elbow strikes, but he then gets caught in the tree of woe as Bryan unloads several kicks while his opponent is exposed. Bryan then suplexes him from the top turnbuckle, and he follows it with a missile dropkick which sends Garcia flying. Danielson follows it with a tope suicida and then more kicks as they then pull each other into the ring post, and Danielson just beats the count.
The two men then chop each other back and forth, but Danielson sits in a yoga pose and just accepts the strikes and kicks, rolling back into position each time, and then Bryan drops him with just one forearm strike. Garcia is able to connect with a lariat to the back of the head, and he then locks in the Dragon Tamer, but Bryan reverses into the Lebell Lock. Garcia hits a dropkick in the corner but Bryan shrugs it off, only for Garcia to nail the Running Knee, yet Danielson kicks out of his own finisher!
They go back and forth again with huge strikes, and it leads to Danielson firing down with elbows, and then he looks to stomp him but Garcia reverses and does it himself. Both of them throw hands yet again until the Lebell Lock is put in place by Danielson, with no response this time around.
Winner of the Third and Final Fall: Bryan Danielson
After the match: Danielson shows respect by applauding Garcia, who still wants to fight even though he is dazed. He shows his hand to Garcia who considers shaking it, only for Jericho to appear from behind as he jumps Bryan, and Garcia then pulls him off and pushes Chris away as the crowd chants, “you’re a wrestler.”
BACKSTAGE: Tony Schiavone is with Swerve in our Glory and Private Party ahead of their Tag Team Match on Rampage. Swerve Strickland says to Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen that they should be thankful and Private Party question him for what, and he says this is as close as they’re getting to the AEW World Tag Team Championships, and after their match they can walk their happy asses back down the ladder.
Private Party swats the gum out of Keith Lee’s hand, and we go to break.
Tony Nese then appears for a match, but Jon Moxley reappears and attacks him from behind, gets in the ring, and calls out CM Punk to unify the AEW World Championships right now. CM Punk appears, but the security stops him from getting in the ring, and they once again get pulled apart, including Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta, who calm their BCC man down.
BACKSTAGE: Jericho tells Garcia he will give him a pass for tonight, but he needs to know his thoughts for sure, and next week he needs to know which side he is on. Ricky Steamboat then appears, he says Garcia is coming into his own and he doesn’t need Jericho as he’s the same guy that he was 15 years ago, and Steamboat believes Danielson is the better choice to mentor Garcia.
Chris tells him to keep his hands off him and stay out of his business and walks off. Angelo Parker gets physical with Steamboat and grabs him by the throat, which earns him a slap across the stomach from the legend!
MATCH #2: Tag Team Match:
Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison vs. Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn
The Gunn Club starts out dominantly, with Colten Gunn jumping Brian Pillman Jr. from the corner as he then drops Griff Garrison with the Colt 45 to get a victory immediately for his time.
Winners: Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn
After the match: Billy Gunn then says that’s what he wants, and he is super proud of them, claiming the best thing he’s done in his career is working with them. Stokely Hathaway then comes out and stands on the entrance ramp, while The Gunn Club attack Billy from behind, jumping their father until The Acclaimed hit the ring to make the save, chasing them away. They scissor and hug it out to reunite.
BACKSTAGE: Death Triangle are shown with PAC calling out the United Empire, stating he begs to differ that Will Ospreay is the best that Britain has ever produced, and he’s looking forward to next week. He claims they’re an unstoppable unit, and if they haven’t heard how unstoppable they are, they must have had their heads in a box.
Jungle Boy heads to the ring as JB says he was told to never wear the t-shirt he wore recently on AEW ever again, and it got him in trouble. But he believes the shirt hit the nail on the head as he has tried to hit Christian Cage with every chance he could, with his hands, a chair, and a car. He points out Cage has done nothing about it, and he will either continue to push him until he gets his hands on him, or he can man up and face him at All Out.
He says that is unless the shirt was right, but Cage then appears and he rejects the challenge, saying no. Cage says things are getting out of hand, which was shown by Luchasaurus getting suspended for his actions last week, but he claims to be proud of him as he’s out talking by himself when a year ago, he couldn’t form a sentence. Cage says they said and did some things they didn’t mean, and he doesn’t want to fight him he wants to fix things and go on another run, as he promises he will take Jungle Boy to the promise land.
Christian says that they’re family and he loves him and is like a son to him, telling Jungle Boy to come back home, but he has other ideas, and he instantly jumps the veteran, attacking him in the middle of the ring until Cage manages to escape and then catches Jungle Boy with a kick. He slams Jungle Boy into the guard rail, but he fires back by throwing Christian into the stairs, and he then stomps down on the arm onto the steel. He then bashes Cage’s skull into the stairs several times until security comes down to break them apart.
BACKSTAGE: Wardlow is with Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, Cash saying Wardlow didn’t ask for help, but they weren’t going to sit and watch as nobody messes with the Pinnacle. Wardlow claims it doesn’t matter how big they are, everyone gets powerbombed as Dax Harwood challenges Jay Lethal to a match next week.
MATCH #3: Women’s One-On-One Match:
Kilynn King vs. Toni Storm
Kilynn King goes for a roll-up immediately, but Toni Storm kicks out and does the same as she then transitions into a side headlock to slow the pace and gain control, only for her opponent to switch with a sidelock take down. Storm avoids more offense, but King then avoids her dropkick only for the second time to hit the target, but Storm eats an elbow in the corner and then a knee striker that sends Storm to the floor.
King looks to dive out with a dropkick only for Storm to avoid and try a DDT to the floor, but King’s power is too much, and she slams her into the ring apron and then the guard rail. Things go back into the ring where King throws some big shots in the corner, but the veteran then avoids a chop to throw one of her own, only for King to regain control by launching Storm across the mat with an overhead throw.
Storm gets set on the top turnbuckle, but she reverses the back suplex in mid-air with a crossbody which leads to them both being down. Storm hits several forearms and then fisherman’s suplex into a bridge, but King kicks out. King then shows her power again, lifting Storm up as she follows with a spine buster, and this time it is Storm having to kick out. Toni responds with a German Suplex, and she follows with the hip attack in the corner and then a pendulum DDT to score the win.
Winner: Toni Storm
BACKSTAGE: Thunder Rosa is shown clapping at Storm’s victory, but she doesn’t appear to be too visually happy. After the match, it is made official that Storm will challenge for the AEW Women’s Championship at All Out. It is also revealed next week CM Punk and Jon Moxley will collide in an AEW World Championship Unification match next week on Dynamite.
MAIN EVENT: Quarter-Finals Match in the AEW World Trios Championship Match:
Andrade El Idolo, Rush and Dragon Lee vs. Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson and Kenny Omega
The Young Bucks enter the ring and Brandon Cutler hands Justin Roberts a sheet of paper, and he begins recalling a list of accomplishments for…KENNY OMEGA! He is with Don Callis (who goes on commentary) and Michael Nakazawa who heads to ringside. Omega has a brace on his shoulder as he wears a black compression top as well, but it is Nick Jackson who kicks things off with Dragon Lee.
Lee starts out dominantly, dropping Nick with a shoulder tackle, but he responds with a chop as he then leaps from the top rope to drag Lee across the ring and the Bucks hit a dropkick/bulldog combination as they then nail out both of Lee’s partners at ringside. Then it’s the time for the Cleaner, as he tags in and drives the elbow down onto Lee, and he then nails several punches in the corner.
Omega drops down Lee but looks a little rusty, as The Elite then works a trio of moves together as Andrade then comes in, but Jose provides a distraction which allows Rush to jump Kenny. The trio then continues to single out Omega is they make frequent tags and work the injured arm of the former World Champion, while The Young Bucks get taken out at ringside, with Rush using the title to drop Matt Jackson.
Andrade pulls the brace off, but Omega fights out of the corner and Nick hits a crossbody to Andrade, and he then brings in his brother who hits northern lights suplexes to Lee. Then all six men end up in the ring as The Elite hits triple suplexes, and Nick then dives out of the ring to wipe out his opponents again. Lee then gets attacked by all members of The Elite, finishing up with an elbow drop, but the pinfall is broken up.
Matt then gets singled out as they all charge into him in the corner, which is followed up by a tandem dropkick while he’s sat in the ring. Lee works in a single-leg crab and is then held while Andrade runs in with a knee strike, but Omega then makes the tag and drops all three men with incredible suplexes as a trio of tags then get made. They all hit splashes in the corner as Matt then launches Lee into their corner while his partners hit him with kicks upon impact.
The Elite hits a Superkick Party, but Andrade manages to break up the pinfall as The Young Bucks dive out to the floor to take out their opponents. Omega gets the crowd going, and he looks for his classic dive outside the ring only for Lee to cut him off. Omega sends him back out, but Omega’s knee then gives up on him, and when he tries it again Jose trips Omega. Lee mocks Omega while Omega is held up on Jose and Rush’s shoulders and Lee wipes him out, which sends both men flying over the barricade to the concrete by the fans!
Back in the ring, Andrade hits a standing moonsault and he plants him with the Hammerlock DDT, Rush tries to block Matt, but he eventually pushes him to break up the cover. Omega hits Lee with a big knee, and then the V Trigger. He then looks for the One-Winged Angel, and he connects for the win!
Winners: Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson and Kenny Omega
After the match: Andrade drops Dragon Lee with a Hammerlock DDT, which leads to his mask falling off as the show goes off the air.
