**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Tonight’s episode of AEW DYNAMITE—“Wild Card Wednesday”—was broadcast live from the Fertitta Center in Houston, TX!
Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Jim Ross were the broadcast team for tonight’s event.
It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
ROH World TV Champion Samoa Joe vs. The Joker Card!
The joker was…Johnny Elite!
“I’ve been around Johnny Elite since day one of his career. He truly is an elite athlete,” said Jim Ross.
Johnny Elite grappled Samoa Joe to the mat. Joe came in for a collar and elbow tie-up but Johnny Elite was looking to stick and move. Samoa Joe shoved Johnny Elite into the corner and clocked him with stiff chops!
Samoa Joe nailed Johnny Elite with a swift kick. Joe cranked on Johnny’s neck. Johnny got to his feet and blasted Joe with a thrust kick. Joe tried for a backdrop but Johnny Elite cartwheeled and then used a lariat on Joe. Johnny Elite, perched up on the top rope, somersaulted down onto Joe on the arena floor!
Back in the ring, Samoa Joe turned Johnny Elite inside out with a shoulder block. Joe hit a high boot and then a massive senton on Johnny Elite for a near fall. Johnny rallied back with body shots to Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe hoisted up Johnny Elite for the muscle buster but Johnny Elite escaped. Johnny climbed to the top turnbuckle and splashed Joe with a 450 for a near fall. Johnny Elite followed up with a knee strike. Johnny attempted a split legged moonsault but Joe got his knees up. He bull rushed Johnny into the corner and then finished him off with the muscle buster, scoring the pin!
Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh blindsided Samoa Joe after the match with a steel pipe! Trent, Rocky Romero, and Chuck Taylor ran down to even up the odds with steel chairs.
“Joe is in bad shape here after that attack,” said Tony Schiavone.
“Regardless of what happened after the bell, the point is Samoa Joe has advanced and will face the winner of Rey Fenix and Kyle O’Reilly,” said Excalibur.
Backstage the Hardys were interrupted by The Young Bucks as Lexy Nair tried to interview Jeff about tonight’s match!
The Bucks told Jeff Hardy to take the night off tonight.
“I got a tournament to win, y’all,” said Jeff Hardy.
“If you Bucks interfere with Jeff’s match tonight, Adam Cole won’t be the only one getting his ass whooped,” warned Matt Hardy.
AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Konosuke Takeshita!
CM Punk was on commentary for this match.
Takeshita rushed Page at the start of the match, trading elbow strikes with Page. “Hangman” hit him back with a fallaway slam. Takeshita jumped over the top rope with a body press to Page. “Hangman” chopped Takeshita on the apron.
Takeshita clubbed Page with a forearm. Takeshita charged in but Page made him pay, dropping him on the apron! Page hit a moonsault off the steel post down onto Konosuke Takeshita on the arena floor!
The fans chanted “This is awesome! This is awesome!” and then “A-E-W! A-E-W!”
“This is why I’m out here. I’m scouting,” said CM Punk.
Page planted Takeshita with a tombstone piledriver for a near fall! Page attempted the Buckshot Lariat but Takeshita ducked it and rocked Page with a hard shot and then a powerbomb for a near fall! Takeshita nailed Page with a knee strike!
Takeshita used a stalling German suplex on Page. Takeshita couldn’t cover Page as his shoulder and neck were tweaked from the tombstone piledriver from Page earlier in the match. Takeshita went for the flying lariat but Page countered with a rolling elbow!
Page set Takeshita up on the top rope. Page climbed up but Takeshita clotheslined him off the tope—but Page landed on his feet. Page used the Buckshot Lariat and then CM Punk’s own GTS to pin Takeshita!
“I’ve got him right where I want him,” said CM Punk.
After the match, CM Punk and “Hangman” Page had a stare down on the ramp!
“Neither man is afraid of the other,” said Tony Schiavone.
“Has CM Punk gotten under the skin of the AEW World Champion ‘Hangman’ Page?” wondered Excalibur.
“Limitless” Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. The Workhorsemen—JD Drake and Anthony Henry!
JD Drake chopped Keith Lee but Keith Lee barely budged. Swerve tagged in but Drake chopped Swerve and then tagged out to Anthony Henry.
Henry grabbed a waist lock on Swerve but Swerve backed him into the corner and connected with a heel kick. Swerve followed up with a flying uppercut. He rolled through and flatlined Anthony Henry.
Keith Lee tagged in and used a body press on Drake. Lee pounced Henry! Keith Lee pinned Anthony Henry after the combo move called Fall from Glory!
Keith Lee grabbed a microphone after the match.
Keith Lee: “Texas, my state, I have some wonderful news. It turns out with that victory the realest Swerve Strickland and yours truly have now become a top five ranked tag team. And with that news I do believe we shall—”
FTW Champ “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs interrupted Keith Lee.
Starks: “The fact that you two think you deserve a shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships with me and Hobbs standing right here is insane.”
AEW World Tag Team Champions Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, with Christian Cage, walked onto the ramp.
Christian Cage: “Ricky, you need to learn when the hell to shut up. You’re both worthy teams but you’re not the best. We are the best. And as the best we’re used to being challenged. But we’re going to challenge both of you in a three-way for the World Tag Team Championships at DOUBLE OR NOTHING.
“I would like Jungle Boy to get his win back over Ricky Starks…and the man that cost him that match. So what I’m saying is Jungle Boy against Ricky Starks and Swerve Strickland next Wednesday on DYNAMITE!”
It was time for Wardlow to honor his contract stipulations!
If Wardlow can meet the stipulated sanctions set by MJF, Wardlow will finally get his chance to wrestle MJF at DOUBLE OR NOTHING (live from Las Vegas on pay-per-view Sunday, May 29th)!
MJF walked out to the ring with Shawn Spears!
MJF: “Cut my music. Unfortunately I am no longer in Long Island. I am in Houston, Texas. And I’m looking at a bunch of dumb, grotesque fat hicks. Wardlow if you lay so much as a finger on me during these 10 lashes, you don’t get the match at DOUBLE OR NOTHING and you don’t sign a contract with AEW. Send out the pig!”
Wardlow was escorted to the ring in handcuffs surrounded by AEW security.
MJF spat at Wardlow as Wardlow entered the ring. MJF whipped Wardlow once and Wardlow laughed. MJF whipped Wardlow a second time and MJF didn’t move, smiling.
MJF unbuttoned his dress shirt and removed it. He whipped Wardlow repeatedly, losing his composure. “I hate you, I know it hurts,” said MJF, as Shawn Spears held MJF back.
“Wardlow didn’t even flinch,” said Excalibur.
“Look at the welts on Wardlow’s back,” replied Jim Ross.
Shawn Spears whipped Wardlow twice.
The fans chanted “Wardlow! Wardlow! Wardlow!”
MJF kicked Wardlow in the groin and began whipping him! MJF put on his Dynamite Diamond Ring and then punched Wardlow in the forehead as Shawn Spears held Wardlow back! Shawn Spears planted Wardlow with the C4 and then MJF counted to three as Spears covered Wardlow.
“You ain’t seeing the pay-per-view, boy,” shouted MJF.
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
Rey Fenix (with Penta Oscura, PAC, and Alex Abrahantes) vs. Kyle O’Reilly!
Kyle went for an arm bar but Rey Fenix fought out of it. Kyle hit a rising elbow strike on Rey Fenix but Rey Fenix blasted Kyle with a kick from the ropes. Rey Fenix rocketed with a tope con hiro onto Kyle!
Rey Fenix tried for the frog splash but Kyle countered with a rear naked choke. Rey Fenix escaped but Kyle O’Reilly followed Fenix outside and rammed Rey Fenix’s shoulder into the steel ring post!
Rey Fenix tried to use a hook kick off the ropes but Rey’s arm gave out. Rey Fenix managed to springboard up and kick Kyle in the face! Rey Fenix powerbombed Kyle but Kyle kicked out.
“Rey Fenix innovates so much offense,” said Tony Schiavone.
Rey Fenix took down Kyle with a hurracanrana for a near fall. Kyle elevated Rey Fenix and blasted him with roundhouse kicks. Kyle used a butterfly suplex on Rey Fenix but Rey Fenix pushed Kyle into the corner. Rey Fenix used a half and half suplex but Kyle came back with a lariat!
Both men were knocked to the mat with kicks.
“What a test for the conditioning of Rey Fenix, only his third match back since returning from that injury,” said Excalibur.
Kyle ate a thrust kick from Rey Fenix! Rey Fenix walked the top rope and then took down Kyle with a hurracanrana. Rey Fenix was looking for a cutter but Kyle countered with a submission and forced Rey Fenix to tap!
“What a war!” said Schiavone.
“The Wizard” Chris Jericho of the Jericho Appreciation Society (Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager, Angelo Parker & Matt Menard), had a face-to-face confrontation with William Regal of the Blackpool Combat Club (“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley)!
Mox came to the ring with Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz!
Jericho: “I started thinking, who could have put together this violent attack last week against us…of course it was orchestrated by my old friend William Regal. It’s been awhile Regal. Quite frankly I thought you’d be dead by now. It’s amazing after all the abuse you put yourself through that you still have a brain that works…sorta.
“I mean talk about wasted potential. Right here you could have been one of the greatest of all time like Chris Jericho. You should have been a world class champion ten times over but instead you would up as a world class addict. You’ve been fired from every company you’ve ever worked for until you weaseled yourself into AEW on the coattails of your protégés.
“And you’ve got Santana and Ortiz who are too stupid to realize they got everything in AEW because of me. You’ve got Eddie Kingston, too stupid to stay home after I burned your face. And then you’ve got Bryan Danielson, possibly the greatest wrestler in the world today yet nothing more than a squeaky-clean nerd. Stick with Regal and you’ll have to join the program with Moxley. It’s a royal flush of losers.
“Regal my advice to you is stay home. And if you don’t stay out of our business I’m going to throw a fireball in your face because I’m the wizard.”
Regal: “Chris, since 1997 when I first met you I’ve had to listen to your whining. So please be quiet. You may be right and you hit a few truths there about my past.”
Jericho: “You obviously want a fight. DOUBLE OR NOTHING, you want a fight, we challenge you to the third ever Stadium Stampede…”
Moxley: “No, no, no, I’m not doing that sh!t. This situation calls for you to get your ass kicked live and in living color in front of an arena of screaming fans. You five against us five in gang warfare. You can call it whatever you want, you can call it pro wrestling versus sports entertainment, the sport we love versus a bunch of stupid bullsh!t.”
Jericho: “Alright, you want anarchy, you got it. We are a well-oiled machine.”
Kingston: “I don’t’ want to wait until the pay-per-view. Get in the ring and fight!”
Jericho: “Forget it.”
The Jericho Appreciation Society walked off. Kingston and Danielson got into a shoving match as this transpired, proving there was still some tension between them.
Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (with Rebel and Jamie Hayter) vs. The Joker Card!
The winner of this match will advance to face Toni Storm.
The joker card was revealed to be Maki Itoh!
Maki shoulder blocked Baker. Maki cradled Baker for a near fall. Baker came back with a sling blade.
Baker taunted Maki Itoh but Maki fired back with a headbutt to Baker! Maki Itoh drilled Baker with a tornado DDT for a near fall! Britt Baker tied up Maki, applied the Lock Jaw and forced Maki to tap!
Dr. Britt Baker advances!
Tony Schiavone was in the ring but was interrupted by Serena Deeb!
Deeb: “I am so sick of hearing you talk, Tony. I heard what you said last week. You said that I couldn’t beat Thunder Rosa at DOUBLE OR NOTHING. Congratulations Tony, after all your years in the business, in one short interview you made yourself a complete idiot.
“Speaking of idiots, there were other people who had a lot to say last week. Dustin Rhodes I invite you to come out to the ring.”
Dustin Rhodes walked to the ring.
Deeb: “Just the man I’ve been waiting for. I heard what you said last week Dustin and you’re just as much of an idiot as Schiavone. I respected you Dustin but you are Thunder Rosa’s coach. Dustin you know my trials and tribulations. Why did you say I couldn’t beat Thunder Rosa? You don’t have the balls to answer me. And when I beat Thunder Rosa and become the AEW Women’s Champion, you will respect me.”
Deeb slapped Dustin Rhodes!
AEW Women’s Champ Thunder Rosa came to the ring but was blindsided by Serena Deeb. Then Deeb left with Thunder Rosa’s championship!
Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-Final Match!
Adam Cole #BayBay vs. Jeff Hardy (with Matt Hardy)!
Adam Cole assaulted Jeff from behind as Jeff was making his entrance!
Jeff Hardy jumped off the ring apron and collided into Adam Cole! Back in the ring, Adam Cole regained his momentum, stomping a mudhole into Jeff Hardy in the corner.
Cole and Hardy traded shots. Hardy countered with a Russian leg sweep.
Jeff Hardy jumped off the top rope but Cole rocked Hardy with a thrust kick! Adam Cole dropped the knee pad and tried to lower the boom but Jeff countered with a stunner! Jeff hardy climbed to the top rope and attempted the swanton bomb but Adam Cole dodged it!
Adam Cole lowered the boom and nailed Jeff with the knee strike! Adam Cole covered Jeff Hardy and scored the pin! Adam Cole advances!
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy confronted Cole, but then the Bucks got in the ring. As the Bucks distracted the Hardys, Cole blindsided Jeff. Sting and Darby Allin ran down to even up the odds but then Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish sprinted down.
The Young Bucks superkicked Sting! The Undisputed Elite ganged up on Sting, smashing his leg in between a steel chair!
Catch AEW DYNAMITE on TBS next Wednesday live at 8/7ct from the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, NV on the final stretch before DOUBLE OR NOTHING!
This Friday tune in to RAMPAGE on TNT at a special start time—7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT featuring:
-Kris Statlander vs. Red Velvet in the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarterfinals!
-“The Chairman” Shawn Spears in action!
-Fuego Del Sol & Dark Order vs. The House of Black!
-Matt Sydal and Dante Martin vs. Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson!
And remember…the home of professional wrestling is All Elite Wrestling!