***CONTAINS SPOILERS***
Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, and Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
Tonight’s opening contest…a 5-Man Tag-Team Match!
The Inner Circle (“The Demo God” Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz) vs. “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy, Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent)!
“Aubrey Edwards has her work cut out for her tonight,” observed Tony Schiavone.
Orange and Hager began the match for their respective teams (after Jericho quickly and cowardly tagged out when the bell rang). Cassidy was outsmarting Hager with arm drags when suddenly chaos broke out and both teams went at it!
“We really need two referees for a match like this,” insisted Jim Ross.
Luchasaurus (with Marko Stunt on his back) jumped off the apron and crashed down onto the Inner Circle on the outside of the ring! After a Jurassic-sized Best Friends group hug, Sammy tried to ambush them but Luchasaurus caught him by the throat. Order was finally restored by ref Aubrey Edwards, and Jericho seized the moment to attack Trent.
The Inner Circle singled out Trent. They began stomping on him in their corner.
“It’s a five-man beat down on Trent,” noted Taz.
Santana and Ortiz hit a double vertical suplex on Trent.
“They have a lot of upside,” said Jim Ross.
Sammy clotheslined Trent and tagged in Hager, who began to stretch Trent. He hit a suplex on Trent! Luchasaurus got the tag and cleaned house on the Inner Circle! He spiraled forward with the Spinning Lizard kick on Sammy!
Jericho tried to interfere with the baseball bat but Orange Cassidy pulled him down off the ring apron, neutralizing him.
Sammy was about to jump off the top rope when Matt Hardy’s music hit! Sammy was distracted just long enough for Hardy to push him off the top rope, directly into Luchasaurus’ powerful grip! Luchasaurus pinned Sammy while Matt Hardy taunted Sammy!
Up next was the Open Challenge for the TNT Dynamite Title—“The American Nightmare” Cody (along with Nightmare Family head coach, “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson), defending his TNT Dynamite Title against independent wrestler Warhorse!
“This might be the biggest opportunity that Warhorse ever gets,” said Taz.
They locked up in the center of the ring with Cody getting control of Warhorse’s wrist. Cody had an opportunity to chop Warhorse but passed on it. Warhorse wasted no time though, chopping Cody and taking him down with an arm drag!
Cody was frustrated and rolled out of the ring.
“Don’t let your anger get in the way of your talent,” warned Arn Anderson.
They crisscrossed the ring but Warhorse caught Cody with a lariat. Cody rallied back with a superplex for a near fall on Warhorse. Cody seemed more confident now and started doing push-ups. The champ stomped on Warhorse and then wrenched on his lower back. He followed up with a figure four but Warhorse countered it, putting the pressure on Cody’s knee!
“Warhorse showing a lot of energy and exuberance here,” said Taz.
Warhorse walloped Cody with chops and a back elbow, and then began headbanging!
Warhorse climbed to the top rope and then double-stomped the back of Cody’s neck! He followed up with a Macho Man-like elbow from the top turnbuckle for a (very) near fall on Cody!
“Warhorse is outwrestling the champion,” said Jim Ross.
Warhorse jumped off the top rope but Cody moved! Warhorse jammed his leg in the process. Cody locked on the figure four and Warhorse had no choice but to tap!
John Silver and Alex Reynolds of The Dark Order tried to assault Cody from behind after the match but Warhorse pushed Cody out of harm’s way! They outnumbered Warhorse and turned their attention back to Cody.
Arn Anderson got in the ring to enforce some order of his own on Silver and Reynolds until Matt Cardona made the “Strong Island” save!
Matt Cardona and Cody celebrated outside the ring!
Tony Schiavone was on the ramp to talk about AEW’s next pay-per-view, ALL OUT, until he was interrupted by Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle!
Sammy Guevara swore at Matt Hardy for interfering in his match tonight.
Jericho said he wasn’t finished with Orange Cassidy. He said in two weeks, it’ll be Jericho vs. Cassidy: the rematch! But first, on August 5th, he’s going to have a debate with Orange, with a special guest moderator!
Earlier in the day, FTR were with Tony Schiavone and an AEW lawyer.
FTR were ready to sign a contract but first had a few details they wanted to review. They called in tag team specialist Arn Anderson to double-check the finer points of the deal. FTR wanted to make sure that on August 12th, per Tony Khan’s agreement, Dynamite will be Tag Team Appreciation Night with FTR hosting. The lawyer confirmed it was in the contract. FTR signed the contract finally. “Hangman” Adam Page walked in and poured drinks for FTR to celebrate the contract signing.
This was followed by an AEW World Tag Team Championship Match –Kenny Omega & “Hangman” Adam Page vs. The Dark Order’s Evil Uno & Stu Grayson!
Colt Cabana joined the commentary team for this match. Mr. Brodie Lee and Anna Jay stood by Colt.
Evil Uno and Stu Grayson jumped Page before the bell rang, while Kenny was still coming out on the ramp, being introduced by Justin Roberts. Colt implied that perhaps Kenny was a little slow coming to assist Page in the ring.
Despite the dissension that Colt was suggesting, the tag champs worked like a well-oiled machine, hitting tandem offense left and right on The Dark Order!
Grayson blasted Page with a nasty knee strike! Evil Uno and Grayson hit Page with a suplex/thrust kick combo!
Omega finally got the tag and used a moonsault on Grayson. Page tagged in but despite this, the momentum shifted heavily back in The Dark Order’s favor. Evil Uno and Grayson were decimating the champs with smooth offense. Dark Order nearly had the match won until Page broke the pin just in time!
Page powerbombed Evil Uno! Kenny defended with the V-Trigger but Uno kicked out! The champs (barely) finished off The Dark Order after the Buckshot Lariat/V-Trigger combo!
Mr. Brodie Lee sent Colt backstage. He didn’t want Colt to witness what was about to happen next. Mr. Brodie punished Stu Grayson and Evil Uno, throwing papers at them and publicly humiliating them.
“I don’t get this. They wrestled a great match,” said Tony Schiavone.
The Young Bucks got into the ring to show strength in numbers and unity.
Mr. Brodie Lee was furious and shouted on the microphone at Kenny Omega, “Thanks for showing up tonight! What a rib!”
Dark Order members swarmed the ring, attacking the Elite members until FTR threw an ice cooler and evened the odds!
Dr. Britt Baker said she was going to give Big Swole a shot at her, but only if she can defeat an opponent of Baker’s choice!
Up next was AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida against Diamante!
The title was not on the line tonight.
Shida offered to shake hands but Diamante pushed her away. She pulled Shida by the hair and started the ground and pound attack! They brawled to the outside of the ring. Shida draped Diamante across the steel guardrail and hit the running knee strike!
Shida blasted Diamante with a missile dropkick back in the ring! The two stood toe to toe and exchanged strikes! Shida stunned Diamante with a forearm and then followed up with another running knee! Shida tried to power Diamante up to the top rope, but Diamante chopped her away.
“Quick hands! A lot of rage in Diamante,” noted Taz.
Diamante used a cutter for a near fall on Shida. She kicked Shida in the abdomen but Shida had enough. She used a devastating standing vertical suplex and then a running knee strike to pin Diamante!
Tony Schiavone explained the rules for The Deadly Draw—the upcoming Women’s Tag-Team Cup Tournament.
MJF was out with Wardlow to give his State of the Industry address!
He thanked Tony Khan for giving him the opportunity to speak tonight. MJF said a certain individual is afraid of being upstaged by him, a certain individual who knows about all about change and paradigm shifts. MJF said he’s undefeated. Then he compared AEW Champ Jon Moxley to a dictator.
“My talent outweighs your tenure. Jon Moxley, I am challenging you for the world title. I will see you at ALL OUT, Jon. We deserve better!”
It was time for tonight’s main event!
In a No Disqualification Tornado Tag Team Match –AEW World Champion Jon Moxley & Darby Allin vs. FTW Champion “The Machine” Brian Cage & Ricky Starks (accompanied by Taz)!
Darby’s music played but he never made an entrance. Moxley’s music played and he came out by himself to the ring.
Taz was backstage with Cage and Starks. Taz laughed and asked Mox where his partner was tonight.
As Starks and Cage walked to the ring, Darby nailed them with a Coffin Drop from the entrance tunnel!
“It was a trap!” said Taz, who was back at the broadcast table.
It didn’t take long for all hell to break loose! Cage grabbed Darby and started doing bicep curls with him. Moxley sprinted and launched himself through the ropes onto Cage!
Starks and Cage double-teamed Moxley inside the ring until Darby hit a missile dropkick on the FTW Champ! Mox put Starks in a sleeper but Cage hit him with a fierce forearm from behind.
Mox chucked a metal chair at Starks’ head! Darby connected with a cutter on Cage! Starks hit a spear! Mox ducked a discus lariat from Cage and German suplexed him! Mox put Cage in the arm bar but Starks broke up the submission attempt.
Cage and Starks planted Mox onto a metal garbage can! They had the match won until Darby broke the pin attempt! Darby used a Coffin Drop onto Cage, who was being held by Mox. The momentum from the Coffin Drop supplied extra power to Mox’s Paradigm Shift on Cage! It was tremendous teamwork from Mox and Darby.
Mox had Cage isolated in an armbar on the apron. As this was going on, Darby pulled out a skateboard that had an underbelly of thumbtacks! Darby jumped off the top rope with the skateboard beneath his feet. With all of his weight and the skateboard, Darby landed on Starks’ back! Darby pinned Starks, who had a back that now resembled a bleeding pin cushion!
Moxley held the AEW World Championship over his head. Darby glared at him and then pointed at the belt!
Jim Ross said he just received word from Tony Khan who has made it official—next week it’ll be AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defending against Darby Allin on DYNAMITE!
Be sure to join us next week for all the explosive action as AEW DYNAMITE is broadcast on TNT!