AEW Dynamite!
January 3rd, 2024!
After a jam packed Worlds End 2023, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz welcome the audience to the first AEW Dynamite of 2024! After they cue to a highlights package showing the events of Worlds End 2023, we cut to the ring for our opening matchup of the night!
Killswitch and Nick Wayne vs Trent Beretta and Danhausen
Fresh off winning the Pre-Show Battle Royal last night, Killswitch teams with Nick Wayne. Tensions seemed high between Trent and Danhausen, after Trent eliminated him in the battle royal. Eventually, Killswitch would take on the match on his own. Powering through Trent and Danhausen, before chokeslamming Danhausen twice. Nick Wayne would then tag himself him, seemingly annoying Killswitch, before Wayne would pin Danhausen, securing the win for his team.
Winners – Killswitch and Nick Wayne – 9:57
Post Match, as the two would argue, Christian Cage’s music would hit. As he would make his way down to the ring looking smug as ever, holding his TNT Championship which he won (and lost) last night, he would gesture for a microphone before entering the ring. He would congratulate Nick Wayne on the victory, before turning to Killswitch. He would shake his hand before telling him that he would need to improve ever so slightly, if he wants to gain pinfalls in tag team matches. Cage then turned his attention to his TNT Championship. He stated that he would defend his TNT Championship this weekend on Rampage, in an open challenge to anybody in the world, let alone AEW. He claims that it doesn’t matter who wins any matches to face him for his TNT Championship, because he will never lose it. Cage, Wayne, and Killswitch leave the ring, with Killswitch drifting behind the other two.
We then cut to another graphic showing the tournament beginning tonight to determine the Number #1 Contender for Eddie Kingston’s Triple Crown Championship. The bracket sides are as followed:
Rey Fenix vs Lance Archer
Matt Hardy vs HOOK – TONIGHT
Dax Harwood vs Ethan Page
Darby Allin vs Claudio Castagnoli - TONIGHT
Buddy Matthews vs Komander
Jay White vs Cash Wheeler
Hangman Page vs Billy Gunn
Nick Wayne vs Dante Martin
We then cut backstage to Renee Paquette, who is joined by our new AEW Champion Samoa Joe. Renee goes to ask Joe a question, before he snatches the microphone out of her hand and tells her to move on. He looks dead straight down the camera as he warns the AEW Roster of what he has done previously, and how it’ll continue tonight. He’s out to make victim out of someone tonight, and the whole roster should be looking over their shoulders, because Joe is gonna kill you.
We then get shown a graphic hyping up tonight’s main event, which will see RUSH vs Bryan Danielson.
Number #1 Contenders Tournament
Matt Hardy vs Hook
In a somewhat weird matchup, Hook completely schooled Matt Hardy. Hardy could not keep up at all with the speed and technical ability of Hook, and in a somewhat sad ending for Matt, he eventually had to tap out to an Armbar from Hook
Winner – Hook – 4:28
Following the matchup, we see a highlight video for Swerve. He tells the AEW fans that he has had enough of sitting on the side and not being the biggest deal of AEW. He then issues an open challenge to anyone in the world for next Wednesday night on Dynamite.
We then come back from an ad break to Adam Cole being wheeled down to the ring by Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Wardlow, and Roderick Strong. Adam gets given a microphone, and you could barely hear him over the boos from the raucous crowd. Once it eventually dies down, Adam begins to explain why he did what he did. He brings up how he’s never been the guy no one can trust, and neither is MJF. He did what he had to do to not get hurt, before MJF hurt him. All of these men have history with MJF. Wardlow decided to not take his shit anymore, while Roderick, Matt, and Mike all didn’t want their best friend taken away from them. Adam says he’s seen the doctors report for MJFs injuries, and he won’t be back for months. The Kingdom are here to take over, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
Number #1 Contenders Tournament
Darby Allin vs Claudio Castagnoli
Wow. Wow. Wow. In potentially the best match AEW has put on Free TV, Darby and Claudio put on a banger. On several occasions Claudio looked like he would power his way to victory, but Darby’s perseverance would come in clutch. As Claudio would throw him up for an uppercut, Darby would fly through and roll him up for the victory.
Winner – Darby Allin – 16:20
Post match, we go backstage to see Jay White sitting with The Gunns. Jay notices the camera, he approaches it asking what they want, before a worker walks past telling White an The Gunns that they’ve just been told they have a match up next. Bullet Club Gold all look at eachother confused before they make their way towards the curtain.
Six Man Tag Match
Bullet Club Gold (Jay White, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn) vs Ryan Nemeth, Peter Avalon, and Shawn Dean.
Quick demolition here by Bullet Club Gold. Jay White picks up the win after the Blade Runner on Ryan Nemeth.
Winners – Bullet Club Gold – 2:13
Post Match: White and the Gunns continue the attack on Nemeth, laying the boots to him before a man appears in the ring wearing a dark hoodie, the man superkicks both of The Gunns, before ducking a clothesline attempt from Jay White, before superkicking him too! The man takes off his hoodie to reveal Nick Nemeth! He screams at Jay to keep his hands off his brother, as Bullet Club Gold retreat up the ramp while Nick Nemeth helps his brother up off the mat to a huge ovation from the crowd.
We get a rundown of the card for Collision this Saturday which will include:
Non Title Match: Eddie Kingston vs Vincent
Daniel Garcia vs Ethan Page
TNT Championship Open Challenge.
Main Event
Bryan Danielson vs RUSH
Danielson would surprisingly shake hands with RUSH to begin the match. Both men would open it up with a spell of reversals and submissions as they both got a feel for each other early on. RUSH would slowly gain the upper hand with his power advantage, but Danielson simply would not quit at all. In the end, Danielson’s perseverance would overcome RUSH, as RUSH would eventually submit to a Heel Hook to end the Main Event.
Winner – Bryan Danielson – 17:31
Post Match: As soon as the bell would ring, Preston Vance would hit the ring and attack Danielson. He and RUSH would pick him apart and lay in the boots before Jon Moxley would run down for the save! He’d clear the ring of Preston Vance and RUSH before helping up Danielson to cheers from the crowd. As they’d leave the ring and walk up the ramp, Moxley would get hit over the back of the head with a sickening blow with a title belt, before Danielson would get hit with a low blow! IT’S SAMOA JOE! Joe would throw Danielson to a podium below the stage, before choking out Moxley! Officials would rush to the top of the stage to get Joe off Moxley! We’d fade to black, as Moxley would too, as we go off the air with Moxley still being choked out by Joe!
