All Elite Wrestling comes to Reading, PA and the Santander Arena for the final DYNAMITE before FULL GEAR 2024! We've got two-thirds of the AEW World Trios Champions in singles competition as Wheeler Yuta faces Orange Cassidy and Claudio Castagnoli takes on Darby Allin, while Kris Statlander faces Hikaru Shida ahead of her TBS Championship fight with Mercedes Moné! In addition, we've got an All-Star 8-Man Tag pitting The Don Callis Family against Will Ospreay, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricochet, and Mark Davis just three days before Kyle Fletcher and Ospreay go to war in New Jersey!
DYNAMITE gets started at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TBS, and can be watched by fans around the world as well, so make a point to visit the official AEW YouTube channel to watch highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, COLLISION, and RAMPAGE, as well as so much more! Then join us Friday at 10pm ET on TNT for RAMPAGE ahead of Saturday night's pay-per-view extravaganza, FULL GEAR 2024! Also if you are in the Arlington, TX area, join us at the ALL IN: TEXAS Kickoff Party tonight from 6p-9p CT where fans will have an opportunity to view the evening’s episode of DYNAMITE as it airs on the Texas Live! screens! Most importantly, all fans in attendance will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets for AEW ALL IN: TEXAS before they go on sale to the general public!
ONE-ON-ONE...
AEW World Trios Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. Orange Cassidy
It has been 957 days since Jon Moxley bloodied and battered Wheeler Yuta, the April 8, 2022 edition of RAMPAGE to be precise, and though it wasn't their first fight or their second, it was the one that changed the entire direction of Wheeler Yuta's life:
Just seven days after winning the ROH Pure Title for the first time at SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2022, Yuta joined the ranks of Blackpool Combat Club and his path through professional wrestling experienced a seismic shift. He now stood alongside Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and later Claudio Castagnoli, as both pupil and peer. Yuta was both their student and their partner, he learned at their feet and fought at their side, was battered in training at their hands and bled at their side in the ring. It was been one of the greatest learning experiences of his life, not to mention his wrestling career, but at the start of that journey Yuta made a choice that has come back to haunt him.
After being brought into All Elite Wrestling by Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor, he chose to walk away from their tutelage and align with BCC. It was an understandable emotional situation, for OC and Chuckie T it felt like a betrayal, while for Yuta it felt like they couldn't see his desire to expand his training beyond what they could teach. It wasn't personal, not at that moment at least, it was just what Yuta felt he needed to do in order to progress his career, which he did in short order. Just three months after aligning with Moxley and company, Yuta made his first trip to Japan since 2017, only this time it was for New Japan Pro Wrestling and as a participant in the BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIOR 29 tournament. Young Wheeler finished the B Block with 10 points, two shy of eventual winner El Desperado, and scoring wins over BUSHI, Titan, TJP, Master Wato, and DOUKI.
He returned from the tournament to join his compatriots inside Blood & Guts, but also to actually fight, and defeat, The Best Friends of Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta on the July 20, 2022 DYNAMITE with Jon Moxley at his side. It would be seven months before Yuta's path converged with his old friends again, but on the 2/22/23 DYNAMITE it was finally Orange Cassidy who stood across the ring from Wheeler. OC defeated him in that All-Atlantic Title match, and in the aftermath offered a best friend hug to former pupil. Instead, whether it a choice of his own or made because of Claudio Castagnoli ordering him to, Wheeler walked past OC to fully solidify his standing with the group. Just because Yuta thought he was done with OC and The Best Friends, doesn't mean they were done with him or his allies. Chuck, Trent, and Bandido fell to Yuta, Claudio, and Moxley on the 5/19/23 RAMPAGE, then it was Chuck, Trent, and Rocky Romero who were beaten by that trio on the June 7th DYNAMITE a few weeks later.
Two months later, during the August 16th DYNAMITE, Cassidy defended the International Title against Wheeler Yuta and though the outcome once again went in favor of OC, the aftermath was far more violent than their previous encounter. Claudio was immediately on the attack after the pinfall happened, Moxley was of course on the attack too, and Yuta also jumped into assail the International Champion. This was the chaos that led to the Stadium Stampede at ALL IN: LONDON 2023, but even though Cassidy's unit won that war, it wasn't as if the animosity between the two sides was buried.
Yuta and Moxley teamed up to defeat HOOK and Orange Cassidy just about a year ago ahead of Moxley and OC's FULL GEAR 2023 fight over the AEW International Championship, then just about two months ago Claudio, Yuta, and “The Bastard” PAC defeated Cassidy, Kyle O'Reilly, and Will Ospreay in trios competition. Suffice to say that the ill will between Wheeler Yuta and Orange Cassidy hasn't died down despite the time that's passed since Yuta first aligned with Jon Moxley, if anything it's only gotten deeper since Yuta chose to stick with Mox in spite of what was done to Bryan Danielson, and since Yuta chose to perpetrate his own assault on Danielson at ALL OUT 2024 with an explanation that sounded more like Moxley's words coming out of his mouth:
Then there's the fact that Yuta stood by doing nothing as Claudio Castagnoli wrapped a chair around Chuck Taylor's neck, and how Yuta just stood and watched as Castagnoli brought his boot down across the chair to crush Chuck's neck. This is more than the disappointment Orange felt regarding Yuta's choice of allies two years ago, this is disgust and anger and betrayal towards Wheeler, but it's also a message to Jon Moxley. Just as what was done to Chuck was nothing more to The Death Riders than a message to Cassidy and the AEW locker room, Orange Cassidy intends to use his former protégé as one to the AEW World Champion ahead of their FULL GEAR 2024 class in three days.
Will OC do to Yuta what was done to Chuck Taylor, or perhaps even worse? How far will “Freshly Squeezed” go to punish Yuta for his choices and let Mox know what awaits him in Newark on Saturday night? Or perhaps this will be the day that Yuta finally overcomes the man who brought him to the AEW dance in the first place?
ONE-ON-ONE...
AEW World Trios Champion Claudio Castagnoli vs. Darby Allin
On the other hand, we have this battle against The Death Riders that may not be rife with years of history that predates the birth of All Elite Wrestling, but is just as crucial to this fight for preservation. Darby Allin has been one of the most vocal proponents of AEW from the moment he arrived at FYTER FEST 2019. He has praised AEW for changing his life and allowing him to pursue other opportunities away from wrestling like endeavors with legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, and that possibility of tackling Mt. Everest. Darby has stated that he is here in AEW for the long haul, to be part of building something special, and as essentially a day one member of the locker room, he has been part of countless special moments.
One of those moments that was not so special however was Jon Moxley ripping the guaranteed World Title shot from Darby's grasp at DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2024 and parlaying that to a championship victory over “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson at WRESTLEDREAM 2024. Of course there is the aftermath of that fight, what was done to Danielson, and the sheer emotion that Darby felt about his inability to stop it from happening because of Wheeler Yuta's choice to stick with Moxley and Claudio that led to Allin getting handcuffed to the ropes.
Since that night in Tacoma, Darby Allin has made it his mission to assault The Death Riders at every opportunity, be it rappelling down from the rafters like his mentor Sting to help fight against The Death Riders, having he and Orange Cassidy's tag team fight with The Death Riders end in chaos, or flinging himself into the bed of their truck only to brawl with Claudio in the parking lot. It is the latter of those actions that has led us to tonight's fight between Darby and Claudio Castagnoli, one of the pillars of All Elite Wrestling versus a man trying to take a sledgehammer to every aspect of that foundation. Knock out the pillars, break up the foundation, rebuild it into the AEW that Moxley always wanted it to be, that he thought he was building with Bryan Danielson when Blackpool Combat Club first formed.
Claudio has an opportunity to rock that foundation to its core tonight on DYNAMITE when he faces Darby Allin, a chance to take out one of AEW's strongest defenders and deliver a lethal blow to the morale of the men fighting for it against The Death Riders. We know the size difference means nothing to Darby, just look at his victory over Brody King at WRESTLEDREAM 2024 or earlier ones over The Butcher, and he's got enough speed to keep out of Claudio's powerful grasp, which should be his biggest concern.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a stronger individual in the AEW locker room than Claudio Castagnoli, a freakish physical specimen unlike any other foe Darby has faced over the course of his career, but that is the sort of thing that makes a victory here so much sweeter. If Darby can find a way to survive Claudio's physical dominance and bring home this win tonight in Reading, do his sights shift to Jon Moxley and redemption for DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2024?
ALL-STAR 8-MAN TAG...
The Don Callis Family (AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita, ROH World TV Champion Brian Cage, “The Protostar” Kyle Fletcher, & “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer) vs.
Powerhouse Hobbs, Mark Davis, Ricochet, “The Aerial Assassin” Will Ospreay
So many tangled webs here that, given how it all circles around the machinations of Don Callis, it may be more accurate to borrow a line from the movie Polar Express and call it “hopelessly entangled string puppets and marionettes” with Callis operating the cross brace. He used the feelings and competitive nature of Will Ospreay to get revenge on Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho, then when Ospreay asked to be set free from his obligations to The Don Callis Family, Don made sure that Ospreay knew he owed Callis a favor.
He used up Powerhouse Hobbs on his petty revenge schemes as well, sending him after Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Ospreay, but when Hobbs got hurt in an IWGP World Heavyweight Title fight against Jon Moxley that Don Callis arranged, Don cast that relationship into the trash bin. He manipulated Konosuke Takeshita into turning his back on Kenny Omega, and has shown Kyle Fletcher enough to make him turn his back on both Will Ospreay and Mark Davis.
As for Ricochet, while he hasn't been a victim of Callis' manipulations the way his partners tonight have been, it is one of Callis' men who has made his life hellish as of late. If it wasn't for Konosuke Takeshita, there's a solid chance Ricochet would be standing here as AEW International Champion but twice now “The Alpha” has insured that didn't happen.
So given their assorted reasons for wanting to dismantle The DCF, it only makes sense that these four men come together tonight on DYNAMITE to fight Callis' ilk. What's impressive about Callis' games is that he's amassed a group with four of the most dangerous men in AEW right now; Lance Archer and ROH World TV Champion Brian Cage are monster men, the former a warrior who relishes any opportunity to inflict pain while the latter is perpetually on a mission to prove that no one is better than Cage. Fletcher, himself a former ROH World TV Champ, has demonstrated a ruthlessness neither Mark Davis nor Will Ospreay have seen in him before since coming under the tutelage of Don Callis, and Konosuke Takeshita found the demon inside himself, made his way to the G1 CLIMAX Tournament, and took the AEW International Championship from Will Ospreay at WRESTLEDREAM 2024.
This is tangled, it's ugly, and tonight on DYNAMITE it's going to get very nasty when this All-Star Eight-Man tag gets to the ring inside the Santander Arena! Who will survive to get their hand raised, and who will benefit most from this battle between eight of AEW's best? Hopefully the answer is not Don Callis...
SINGLES MATCH...
Kris Statlander vs. Hikaru Shida
Hikaru Shida has been on the hunt to become the first competitor in AEW history to have held both the Women's World Championship and the TBS Title for quite some time now. She went to battle with Mercedes Moné on the August 14th DYNAMITE as well as at ALL OUT 2024, but failed to defeat “The CEO” and make history. With that in mind, as seen in the video embedded here, Shida approached Kris Statlander for a post-FULL GEAR 2024 fight should she defeat Mercedes in their title fight. The former TBS Champion instead countered with a fight tonight on DYNAMITE that the 3-Time Women's World Champion readily accepted!
It's been almost five years since the lone singles match between these two women, a bout won by Statlander on the December 4, 2019 DYNAMITE, but that wasn't their only clash in AEW history. Twice in 2020 they were been mutual participants in a Four-Way bout, twice Shida won, but neither time was Statlander on the losing end of the decision. In and around those three bouts, there's a collection of ten matches where the women were partners in tags and trios, amassing a 5-5 record in those contests, and demonstrating that they made a fairly solid team.
Clearly, between their bouts as friend and foe, Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander have built a foundation of mutual respect for each other's abilities and that is why Statlander is willing to go to battle with Shida so close to her TBS Championship fight with Mercedes Moné at FULL GEAR 2024. If there's anyone who can make sure Statlander is ready to go for a title fight, it's the 3-Time World Champion who holds the record for longest reign and most defenses! If Stat loses, she knows she needs to step it up for Saturday night but also that should she defeat Moné at FULL GEAR 2024, she'll have Shida waiting in the wings possibly as her first opponent. It's a calculated risk by Statlander to take on this match; will it be one that pays off?
ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONTRACT SIGNING...
With 2-Time ROH World Champion Chris Jericho scheduled to defend his title against “The Stone Pitbull” Tomohiro Ishii on November 27th as part of DYNAMITE: THANKSGIVING EVE, there is a contract that needs a couple signatures to make the match official! Tonight on DYNAMITE we will witness champion and challenger meet, almost two years to the day of their first ROH World Title clash on 11/23/22, and put pen to paper for their rematch! It's Conglomeration versus Learning Tree, which means each man comes to the ring with their own back-up in case anything goes sideways tonight, or next week in Chicago at the Wintrust Arena. Can we get through one contract signing without violence, or will this be a precursor of what's to come on November 27th?
BIG BOOM!
Ahead of his FULL GEAR 2024: ZERO HOUR fight with QT Marshall, Big Boom AJ is going to be in the house in Reading, PA on Wednesday night! After hearing the...vocal stylings...of QT, what will AJ have to say about his opponent? Is QT going to feel the Boom?
DYNAMITE begins tonight at 8pm ET/7pm CT on TBS, as well as around the world, so be sure to drop by AEW's official YouTube channel to watch highlights from recent episodes of DYNAMITE, COLLISION, and RAMPAGE, as well as so much more! We've got a huge All-Star 8-Man Tag on tap pitting The Don Callis Family against four of their biggest enemies, plus two-thirds of the AEW World Trios Champions go into battle against their foes in singles competition, and Kris Statlander puts herself to the test against Hikaru Shida ahead of her TBS Title Fight on Saturday! If you're an AEW fan in the Arlington, TX area, tonight is another huge opportunity for you because Texas Live! is hosting the ALL IN: TEXAS Kickoff Party tonight from 6p-9p CT! Fans in attendance will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets for AEW ALL IN: TEXAS before they go on sale to the general public, as well as take in DYNAMITE on their big screens, meet the athletes of AEW, and so much more!
After that, it's all about FULL GEAR 2024 live on pay-per-view from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, and AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defending the title against 2-Time International Champion Orange Cassidy in a battle over the future of All Elite Wrestling!