**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live from the sold out Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL!
Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
The Hardys—Matt & Jeff Hardy
vs.
The Gunns—Austin & Colten Gunn!
The Hardys used tandem offense on Austin, and then on Colten.
“Classic Hardys right there,” said Taz.
Colten cracked Jeff with a blindside shot from the apron, taking away Jeff’s momentum. Colten suplexed Jeff.
The fans chanted “Ass Boys! Ass Boys!” at the Gunns.
Jeff dropped his shoulder and took Austin out to the arena floor. Colten tagged in but Jeff stunned him with a jawbreaker. Matt Hardy tagged in and cleaned house on the Gunns. Matt connected with a Side Effect on Austin. Matt followed up with a Twist of Fate, but Colten broke up the pinning cadence by placing his brother’s boot on the ropes.
“They’re taking every shortcut they can,” said Tony Schiavone.
Jeff double DDT’ed the Gunns. Jeff sent Colten flying with a Twist of Fate. Jeff climbed to the top rope, but Bullet Club Gold ran down. Juice Robinson distracted the ref while Jay White shoved Jeff off the top rope. The Gunns rocked Jeff with the 3:20 to Yuma and Austin pinned Jeff Hardy.
“Bullet Club Gold returning the favor to the Gunns. That was impressive,” said Taz.
Bullet Club Gold double teamed Matt Hardy after the match. Then Juice clocked Jeff with a roll of quarters. “Absolute” Ricky Starks sprinted down to even up the odds for the Hardys. Bullet Club Gold and the Gunns swarmed Starks but then AEW World Tag Team champs FTR ran to the ring. Bullet Club Gold and the Gunns had FTR outnumbered. CM Punk ran to the ring, and Bullet Club Gold and the Gunns bolted out of the ring.
CM Punk: “If you want to fight so bad, we’ll make it official, and we can kick your asses on Collision. I’ll see you chumps on Saturday. Now hit my music!”
Concession Stand Brawl!
“The Last Outlaw” Jeff Jarrett vs. Mark Briscoe!
The match began in the concourse of the arena. Mark walloped Jeff with a garbage can. Mark sent Jeff crashing into a table. Mark Briscoe squirted mustard on Jeff.
Karen Jarrett snuck up and squirted ketchup in Mark’s eyes. Mark set up a ladder and climbed it. Sonjay Dutt climbed it and shoved Mark off the ladder, sending Mark flying and crashing through a table below!
Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, and Jeff Jarrett took Mark Briscoe to the ring. Lethal tried to clear the timekeeper’s table but Papa Briscoe was there. Papa Briscoe choke slammed Lethal through the table! Papa Briscoe hit a lariat on Sonjay and Jeff. Karen Jarrett ran in and connected with a low blow on Papa Briscoe.
Mark went for the Jay Driller, but Satnam Singh entered the fray and choke slammed Mark! Christopher Daniels and the Best Friends ran down. The Lucha Bros joined the melee. They took down Satnam. Penta El Zero Miedo rocked Jeff Jarrett with a thrust kick in the ring. Mark rolled up Jeff with a schoolboy and pinned him!
“Thankfully someone was there to even up the odds for Mark Briscoe! A big assist by the Best Friends, Christopher Daniels, and the ROH World Tag Team Champs the Lucha Brothers,” said Excalibur.
“And let’s not forget from Papa Briscoe,” added Tony Schiavone.
The Blackpool Combat Club was backstage with Don Callis and Takeshita!
Moxley: “Only three letters matter: BCC. The Blackpool Combat Club. We define pro wrestling in 2023. And for Forbidden Door, we have assembled a truly elite team. The BCC and tall, dark and sexy Takeshita, and my friend the shooter, Shota Umino. We challenge the Elite to a five-on-five match at Forbidden Door!
“What will be a celebration of wrestling. And the dream match will become a nightmare when the Rainmaker meets the “Best in the World” Bryan Danielson.”
Danielson: “Okada, I’ve challenged you to a face to face tonight, but as far as I can tell, you’re not even here. And I understand why. Because so many people call you the best wrestler in the world. The best wrestler of a generation. But when you step into the ring with me it’s going to be clear to everybody that you’re nothing but an amateur.
“I’m going to wait until the end of the night and call you out and if you don’t show up, I’m going to prove to everyone what I just said. That you’re not the best. You’re not the best of a generation. That you’re an amateur and a coward.”
Trios Tag Match!
“The Ocho” Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, & Minoru Suzuki
vs.
Action Andretti, Darius Martin, & AR Fox!
Sammy and Action locked up. Sammy took down Action with a shoulder block. Both me went for thrust kicks and there was a stalemate. Sammy tagged Suzuki, instead of Jericho.
Darius chopped at Suzuki and Suzuki smirked. Suzuki dropped Darius Martin with a vicious forearm. Jericho tagged in and AR Fox walloped Jericho with a lariat in the corner and then a dropkick. Jericho distracted ref Aubrey Edwards while Sammy blasted Fox with a knee to the spine.
Action Andretti tagged in and flew in with a big elbow strike to Jericho. Action hit a springboard onto Jericho and followed up with a John Woo style dropkick. Suzuki got in the ring, but Darius tried to stop him. Minoru knocked Darius down with a forearm. Minoru Suzuki grabbed Action Andretti, hoisting him up for the Gotch-style piledriver. But Darius got to his feet and saved Action with a kick to Suzuki’s skull. Sammy was there, though, and rocked Action and Darius with a perfectly timed double cutter!
Fox springboarded with a missile dropkick to Sammy. Jericho was rolled up by Action for a near fall. Action wiped out Jericho with a kickoff of the ropes. He followed up with a running shooting star press for a near fall.
Darius tagged in but Sammy grabbed him and planted him with a Spanish Fly. AR Fox jumped in and clocked Sammy with a corkscrew brainbuster. Suzuki got a hold of Fox and spiked him with a Gotch-style piledriver!
Andretti surprised Suzuki with a hook kick. Jericho then shocked Andretti with the Code Breaker! Darius Martin snuck in from behind Jericho and rolled him up for a near fall. He followed up with a Flatliner off the bottom rope for a two-count on Jericho. Jericho anticipated Darius’ next move, countered with the Lion Tamer, and forced Darius to tap out!
After the match Renee Paquette entered the ring to interview the winners.
Renee Paquette: “Last week we saw Chris Jericho and Sting nose-to-nose inside this ring for the very first time. What was that like?”
Jericho: “Sting and Chris Jericho in the ring for the very first time ever was a monumental moment in pro wrestling history. Never been seen before. Everyone was so excited, except for me. You see Sting, I’ve known you a long time. I know how selfish you are. How egotistical you are. You claim to be a hero to millions.
“Meanwhile, all you ever do is show up to where the highest bidder is. You’re a whore. And it stops now. That’s why Le Suzuki Gods are challenging you and that mutant Darby Allin to find a partner if anyone will team with you and face us this Sunday at Forbidden Door! Jericho and Sting in the ring for a match for the first time ever!? But are you going to accept? I don’t think so Sting. You’re a coward, you’re selfish, you’re nothing more than sanctimonious—”
Sting’s music hit!
Sting and Darby Allin walked to the ring!
Sting: “Chris, why are you so uptight? You’re cussing at me now under your breath. We had a great moment last week, I agree. But a moment is not long enough, Chris. I need some time with you. Sunday, I plan on having some time with you. In other words, I accept. Darby accepts your lame challenge.”
Darby: “You gotta remember, Chris. You made a lot of enemies in a lot of places. We got the guy for Sunday.”
Jericho: “Yeah? Who ya got? Who is your partner?!”
Darby: “You’ll find out at Collision.”
Tony Schiavone and RJ City were backstage to kick things off for the Blind Eliminator Tournament!
Schiavone: “Names are chosen at random and next week we will announce the brackets but today we will choose a couple of names. These two men will be a tag team formed at random and here is the first name.”
RJ City spun bingo balls in a randomizer and then Tony picked them out.
Schiavone: “The brackets will be announced next week here on Dynamite.”
The Elite—Kenny Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page, and the Young Bucks—Matt and Nick Jackson, were backstage!
Page: “The Blackpool Combat Club want to challenge the Elite to a five-on-five match at Forbidden Door? And like always they use the numbers game to their advantage because they know that Kenny Omega has a match against Will Ospreay. And that leaves three of the Elite. But correct me if I’m wrong. The Elite has friends. We have friends all over.”
Omega: “Yeah, whether it be the Blackpool Combat Club, whether it be Don Callis, whether it be Will Ospreay, Takeshita, sometimes if feels like the whole world is against us. But trust me when I say a lot of guys hate you BCC. And it isn’t just exclusive to us. When the chips were down and we needed a friend, we found one in an unexpected place.”
Eddie Kingston walked onto the scene.
Kingston: “Here’s the thing. I don’t like you guys, I don’t respect you at all. But I hate Claudio more. So, I’ll team up with you so that makes four, right? But the fifth person is going to be someone I want. Someone I pick. I may not trust them, but I trust them more than you guys. So, I’m going to make the announcement.”
Adam Cole came to the ring!
Cole: “Who’s ready for story time with Adam Cole, baybay? I have to give the devil his due. MJF gave me one of the toughest matches of my entire career last week. I did everything in my power to win that match, but I didn’t win.
“However, MJF didn’t win either. I understand. It was the smart thing for MJF not to accept the five more minutes. It was also the cowardly thing to do. The fact is MJF has never beaten Adam Cole. I’m going to get right to the point. Max, how about you bring your ass down here and we can talk about my rematch?”
AEW World Champion MJF walked down to the ring!
MJF: “What I would like to say to you, believe it or not, is congratulations. The Panama Playboy came back and better than ever. And I’m the one that dragged him out of you. And I know you won’t thank me, but that’s fine. But I’m real worried about you. You suffered a lot of blows to the head. Last week you lost track of the time. Had that time not run out, I had you beat.
“We all know it’s true. But let’s live in an imaginary world where I didn’t have you dead to rights. As far as you wanting a rematch, as a fan of yours, dare I say, because I care about your health and well-being, as far as your rematch goes, I’m going to have to say no. I’m sorry.”
Cole: “Which is what we all figured. So, I’ve got an idea to change your mind. How about we fight, and I whoop your ass right here in Chicago.”
Tony Schiavone stood up from the announcer’s table. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but I have an announcement here. We just had that drawing for the blind eliminator tag team tournament. The first name I drew was Adam Cole. The second name we drew, the man who will be your partner in the tournament, is MJF.”
Cole: “I’m not tagging with him!”
MJF: “You want me to wrestle every week? What are you? Some sick pervert?!”
Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared on the big screen!
Tanahashi: “MJF, what kind of champion are you? I dare you to show up at Forbidden Door so I can show you what is the strength of NJPW and of the Ace!”
MJF: “I don’t know what kind of dog and pony show Tony Khan is running around here but for the millionth time adjust your hearing aid Tanahashi.”
Cole: “MJF! Wait a minute. I want you to really think about your answer here. Because I know you’re trying to prove you’re not a coward but, oh wait, I really hope this isn’t because you think Tanahashi is better than you?!”
MJF: “I’m the World Champ. Nobody is better than me!”
Cole: “That’s kind of what it sounds like. You think that Tanahashi is better than you, Max.”
MJF: “You listen to me, and you listen to me good. Nobody on this planet is on the level of the devil!”
Cole: “Co-ward! Co-ward!”
MJF: “Dammit, Tanahashi, you want me at Forbidden Door? You’re on!”
Cole: “So the match is official. MJF vs. Tanahashi at Forbidden Door! And let me leave you with this: good luck partner.”
AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy & ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata
vs.
Daniel Garcia & NJPW World TV Champion Zack Sabre, Jr.!
Sabre and Shibata chain wrestled. Sabre was looking for a triangle. Shibata escaped. Sabre put on the Flying Octopus Hold but Shibata escaped that. Garcia tagged in and ate a series of forearms from Shibata.
Orange Cassidy tagged in, and he and Garcia had a dance-off. Cassidy dropkicked Garcia. Daniel Garcia used a snap suplex on Orange Cassidy. Sabre and Garcia double teamed Orange Cassidy.
Cassidy blasted Sabre with a Stun Dog Millionaire and then made the tag to Shibata. After distraction from Garcia, Sabre clipped Shibata with a sneaky forearm.
Orange flew out with a tope to Sabre. Shibata used a butterfly suplex for a near fall on Garcia. Daniel Garcia locked on the Dragon Tamer. Cassidy DDT’ed Sabre. Garcia ran into Shibata with a lariat, but Shibata answered with a pump kick.
Shibata was setting up Garcia for a move when Cassidy went for the Orange Punch, but Garcia ducked, and Orange Cassidy inadvertently connected with Shibata! Garcia rolled up Shibata and pinned him!
“Shibata and Orange Cassidy were working so well together except for the final moments of that match. Some friendly fire giving Garcia and Sabre the win,” said Excalibur.
Alex Marvez was backstage trying to get the scoop from Will Ospreay!
Ospreay: “AEW is going to need to get some security for me in Canada.”
Don Callis interrupted the interview. “Sir William, you need special security, especially in Toronto. I’m going to make my own military grade security available to you at Forbidden Door in Toronto.”
Ospreay: “What do you want from this?”
Callis: “I just want to see a fair fight between you and Omega. Good luck. Let’s get a 1-2-3.”
TBS Championship Match!
Kris Statlander (c.) vs. Taya Valkyrie!
Kris dodged a pump kick from Taya. Kris came back with a shoulder tackle to Taya.
Taya paint brushed Kris with an openhand strike. Kris swept out Taya’s legs. Taya fired back with a knee strike. Kris rallied back with a moonsault off the apron onto Taya on the floor.
Taya butterflied Kris’ arms and then planted her. Kris avoided a curb stomp and followed up with a discus lariat for a near fall.
Taya speared Kris Statlander. Taya followed up with a sliding German Suplex. Statlander superplexed Taya! Statlander spiked Taya with the Wednesday Night Fever and pinned Taya!
Eddie Kingston was in the ring to reveal the fifth member of his team!
Kingston: “There’s been a lot of things going on that I don’t like that I don’t agree with. Especially one of my homeboys who is mad that I’m teaming up with the Bucks. I don’t care if Jon Moxley and I have a problem—”
Jon Moxley walked through the crowd and entered the ring.
Moxley: “You know how this goes. If they stand behind you, protect them. If they stand beside you, respect them. If they stand against you, destroy them. You’re drawing a line at Forbidden Door—”
Kingston: “You drew that line by teaming up with that scumbag Claudio, not me! I ain’t got time for this. Ladies and gentlemen, the fifth man is Ishii!”
The Blackpool Combat Club swarmed Kingston! Tomohiro Ishii ran to the ring to help Kingston! The BCC brawled with Kingston and Ishii!
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson grabbed a microphone!
Danielson: “He’s not coming out! Okada, where are you!? Do you know what? If he’s not coming out, I’m going to stomp Ishii’s face in!”
Okada’s music played and the Rainmaker came down to the ring! Okada and Danielson faced off!
“We only have to wait until Sunday. The main event in Toronto at Forbidden Door! A dream match for the ages!” said Excalibur.
Wheeler Yuta blindsided Okada. Yuta held up Okada as Danielson lined him up for the charging knee. Okada moved and Danielson inadvertently collided with Wheeler Yuta! Okada tried for the Rainmaker, but Danielson dodged it and left the ring. Okada picked up Yuta and smashed him with the Rainmaker discus lariat!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, ON!
This Friday tune in to AEW RAMPAGE at 10pm ET on TNT!
Don’t miss AEW Collision on Saturday live on TNT at 8/7c from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON!
Order FORBIDDEN DOOR 2023 on Sunday, June 25th, live on PPV from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!