***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
Tony Schiavone and “The American Nightmare” Cody (& Pharaoh) kicked off the show from ringside, running down tonight’s card!
They revealed the matches for the other side of the TNT Championship Tournament Bracket:
“Superbad” Kip Sabian vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
&
“The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer vs. “Boom Boom” Colt Cabana
The tournament begins next week!
Our first bout of the evening was AEW World Tag-Team Champion Kenny Omega (on a 6-match singles winning streak) vs. TRENT (accompanied by Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy)!
Cody noted that TRENT is a 16-year pro in the wrestling ring. Kenny and Trent chain-wrestled early on in the matchup. They traded forearms and then Kenny began stomping on Trent.
“Kenny is an absolute mauler of a striker,” said Cody.
Kenny ran into the corner where TRENT put the double-stomp on him, and then pulled off a moonsault to the outside. Kenny retaliated with a tope con giro to The Best Friends. Kenny followed up with a Bret Hart-style backbreaker on TRENT.
“He smells blood here,” said Cody.
Kenny went for the pin attempt after three consecutive backbreakers. Kenny continued to work over TRENT’S back, throwing him hard into the turnbuckle.
TRENT stomped on Kenny’s hand out of desperation. He dropped a knee along Kenny’s jaw, and then took him over with a snapmare. Trent dropped sledgehammer fists on Kenny, who rolled out of the ring to buy some time.
Kenny blasted TRENT with a deadlift German suplex on the outside floor! He then threw TRENT into the ringside barrier.
“This is a donnybrook!” said Tony Schiavone.
Kenny caught TRENT and spiked him spine-first into a post on the outside of the ring!
TRENT grabbed Kenny with a tornado DDT, a la Jerry Lynn! TRENT was still alive in this match! TRENT followed up with a baseball slide snap German suplex to Kenny!
“These guys have entered the fourth quarter here,” said Cody.
Kenny nailed TRENT with a half-nelson suplex and a knee! TRENT fought back but missed a running knee strike of his own. Kenny countered with a quick snapdragon suplex. TRENT threw heavy back elbows and a lariat to Kenny! “The Cleaner” came back with a V-trigger!
With two minutes left, TRENT suplexed Kenny off the top rope, and almost got the three count with a running knee! Kenny battled back with a knee strike and with barely a minute remaining, Kenny pulled out the victory with the One-Winged Angel!
In a show of mutual respect, Kenny and TRENT shook hands when the match concluded.
This was followed by (#1 ranked) Hikaru Shida vs. Anna Jayy!
Shida took down Jayy with a shoulder block, but Jayy countered with a running knee. Shida gave a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Jayy. Shida gave a running knee to Jayy, while Dr. Britt Baker was on the outside of the ring advising Shida not to approach her. “Don’t come any closer!” said Baker.
Shida knocked down Jayy with an ultra stiff forearm! Shida blocked Jayy’s attempt at a knee strike. Jayy rolled up Shida with a schoolgirl pinning attempt, but Shida countered with a submission. Jayy escaped by clutching the bottom rope! Shida won after planting Jayy on her head!
“Shida has now won seven of her last eight matches in AEW,” noted Tony Schiavone.
Shida approached Dr. Baker at ringside. Shida kicked the barricade to intimidate Dr. Baker. Dr. Baker took off her shoe and threatened to club Shida with it if she got in her personal space.
Up next was a video package highlighting the escalating tension between “Big Hurt” Jake Hager and AEW World Champion Jon Moxley!
“I guarantee Mox will get everything Jake Hager has,” said Hager.
“He is just a man. There is a formula. There is an Achilles’ heel. I’m not looking for applause. I’m looking to fight Jake Hager!” said Moxley.
In two weeks on DYNAMITE, tune in for Hager against Moxley in an Empty Arena No Holds Barred match for the AEW World Championship!
“Boom Boom” Colt Cabana joined Tony Schiavone at the commentary table.
The next match was the official AEW in-ring debut of “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer vs. Marko Stunt!
Archer knocked Marko down with a lariat before the bell rang. He chopped at Marko and yelled threats over to Colt Cabana. Archer invited Marko to give him his best shot. Marko threw some fists at Archer and “The Murderhawk Monster” shrugged them off!
“He is laying waste to Marko Stunt,” said Tony Schiavone.
Archer ran right into Stunt, who ricocheted out of the ring. Archer pulled Marko back in and choke slammed him. Archer won decisively with his finisher, the Blackout! Archer picked up Marko and launched him out of the ring, over the barricade, crashing onto the Gunn Club and Orange Cassidy.
“I’ve never seen a wrestler handled like that ever!” said Tony Schiavone.
“Lance Archer made a statement in his debut tonight,” added Cabana.
A video package of Brodie Lee and The Dark Order played.
Brodie Lee stood at the head of a conference table. He ordered the members of The Dark Order to refer to him as “Mr. Brodie.” One of The Dark Order minions was caught yawning. “Don’t you ever yawn in front of me again! It shows weakness!” said Brodie Lee.
#8 & #9 of The Dark Order vs. The Natural Nightmares—“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall (with Brandi Rhodes) was next!
QT slapped one of the members of The Dark Order and tagged in Dustin. The Natural Nightmares utilized quick tags to work over #8 and #9 of The Dark Order. Dustin picked up one of the minions and threw him hard onto the mat.
#8 and #9 were having their way with QT Marshall. Dustin got the tag and clotheslined the minions and followed through with a bulldog. Dustin powerslammed #9. The Natural Nightmares worked like a well-oiled machine and got a great win over Mr. Brodie’s minions from The Dark Order!
The Exalted One, Brodie Lee, walked out of the entrance tunnel. He gave a wicked powerbomb to #8 and stared at #9 of The Dark Order, making his point!
A video package played of Le Champion Chris Jericho.
“Today is a holiday,” said Jericho, from his hot tub at home. “Today is April Fool’s Day, and I’ve never met a bigger group of fools than The Elite!”
Vanguard 1 snuck up on Jericho and hovered overhead.
Jericho wanted to apologize for his harsh comments last week. He invited Vanguard 1 to join The Inner Circle, offering him an Inner Circle t-shirt. Vanguard 1 flew away with the free shirt.
“That little bastard stole my t-shirt!” said Jericho.
There was an update on Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks.
Matt Jackson was shown at his brother Nick’s home, and said, “We can’t really go anywhere, so I brought a ring to you.” There was a wrestling ring set up on Nick’s property. Matt ran Nick through some drills to help him train for a return date.
“How’d it feel? Are you ready to get back in there?” asked Matt.
“Not yet,” replied Nick.
It was time for the main event!
“The American Nightmare” Cody (with Brandi Rhodes) & Darby Allin vs. “Spanish God” Sammy Guevara & “The Chairman” Shawn Spears!
These four men will be in the first half of the TNT Championship Tournament Bracket!
Darby and Sammy started for their respective teams, but Sammy quickly tagged out to Spears. Cody was tagged in after Spears demanded for him. Spears snatched a side headlock on Cody. A big pump kick took Spears down, and then Cody tagged in Darby.
Sammy entered the ring and was vlogging for his YouTube channel. Sammy found himself distracted by Brandi at ringside, and Darby capitalized, knocking the “Spanish God” into the guardrail!
In the ring, Darby rolled up Shawn Spears but Sammy kneed Darby to break the count! Sammy snap suplexed Darby for a two-count. Sammy wrenched Darby in a headlock, and then jumped onto him with a double stomp!
“There’s so much fight in Darby Allin. It’s gonna take a lot,” said Colt Cabana.
Sammy and Spears were placing bets on the match while it was taking place! And while this was happening, Darby pulled out a vertical suplex on Spears! Darby tagged in Cody, who scoop slammed Sammy G! Cody followed up with a springboard cutter on Sammy for a two-count! Cody applied a sharpshooter onto Sammy, and then a figure four onto Shawn Spears! Sammy attempted a cutter, but Cody caught him with the Cross-Rhodes!
Cody and Spears traded fists and chops in the center of the ring. Cody came off the top with a moonsault onto Spears, possibly injuring his knee upon landing. Darby got the hot tag and cleaned house, hitting a Coffin Drop onto Spears and Sammy!
Darby jumped through the ropes to the outside but Spears caught him and chucked him into the steel barricade! Sammy took flight with a missile dropkick onto Darby. Spears connected with a C4 onto Cody on the inside of the ring. Cody rolled out of the ring, but Spears and Sammy double-teamed him. Darby climbed a pole in the venue and from great heights hit the Coffin Drop!
Cody took down Sammy with a reverse suplex, but Spears was ready and splashed down on Cody. Spears pulled out a chair to use on Cody, but Darby made the save, and in doing so, was rolled up and pinned by Spears. Cody reached for Darby, and out of frustration, Darby decked Cody clean!
Catch all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT next week!