Jim Ross, Excalibur, and Chris Jericho on commentary, along with William Regal for the opener.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta defeated Rush and Private Party (w/ Jose the Assistant) (10:16)
***
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Excalibur noted that this is the building where Moxley made his return to AEW 10 months ago, and he’s been on fire ever since. Members of the Firm were shown watching from the front row. And that was never followed up on again.
Marq Quen started out with Castagnoli, and countered a pop-up uppercut attempt with a shotgun dropkick. Yuta and Isiah Kassidy got the tags and both men exchanged armdrags. Kassidy caught Yuta with an enziguri, but Yuta countered with an abdominal stretch. Rush got the tag and demanded Moxley, who was more than happy to oblige.
Rush and Moxley exchanged forearms and boots, which ended in a stalemate. Moxley caught Rush with a German suplex and hit a corner clothesline while Jose the Assistant look on from the floor.
Moxley and Rush brawled on the floor during a split-screen break, and Rush whipped Moxley with an extension cord.
After the break, Private Party and Rush had trouble working together. This culminated in Quen hitting Rush with a pump kick and then getting X-plexed. Castagnoli and Kassidy got tags and Castagnoli dominated Kassidy. Then, in the spot of the night, Castagnoli gave Quen the giant swing while Kassidy was on his shoulders. Rush broke up a Ricoola bomb attempt with a headbutt, then everyone started hitting moves on everybody else. Castagnoli hit a short arm clothesline and Yuta followed up with a frog splash for two. Moxley took out Rush with a plancha. Kassidy got a pop up uppercut from Castagnoli, and Yuta locked on a short-arm scissors variation on Quen, forcing him to tap out. Great, fantastic opener.
Tony Nese & Josh Woods (w/ “Smart” Mark Sterling) defeated The Varsity Blondes (1:45)
*1/4
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I’m disappointed Sterling isn’t selling the attack from Wednesday with a body cast. This is an interesting match to give live TV time, so I’m hoping for an angle here breaking up the Blondes. Nese and Woods finished Garrison off quickly with an Olympic Slam/swinging neckbreaker double team. Arn Anderson was shown looking disappointed in the back (please team up Pillman and Brock Anderson already).
After the match, Sterling grabbed the house mic to let us know that he’s trademarked the term “Varisty” for use in professional wrestling, and team of Nese and Woods will now know as the “Varsity Athletes.” And the Blondes can no longer use the term “Varsity” or else Sterling will sue.
Sterling then turned his attention to the Acclaimed and the pain he's been in since Wednesday. Of course, this brought the tag champions and Daddy A$$ out to chase Sterling out of the ring and "save the ratings" by “scissoring” to the delight of the crowd.
Tay Melo & Anna JAY A.S. defeated Madison Rayne & Skye Blue (7:42)
**1/2
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Melo tripped up Blue on the outside, then caught her with a pump kick to take control.
After a long break, Rayne and Jay duked it out in the ring. Rayne got a near fall with a northern lights suplex. Blue came in with a cross body for a near fall. Blue got a near fall with a kick, but Melo broke up the pinfall. Melo hit a stuff piledriver on Blue, Rayne hit a crucifix bomb on Melo, and Jay took out Rayne. Jay went for the sleeper, but Blue countered with a hook kick. Jay tried to pick up Blue with a cazadora to hold her in position for a charging knee from Melo, but they fell down. Melo hit Blue with the knee anyway, and Jay locked Blue in the Queen Slayer for the tap out. The finish was clearly blown but they held it together and got to the finish.
Swerve Strickland (wearing a “heel” t-shirt) promised to hurt Billy Gunn in their match next week on Dynamite. Also announced for Dynamite next week, Toni Storm & Hikaru Shida v. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayer.
Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix) defeated Dark Order (10, John Silver & Alex Reynolds) to retain the AEW World Trios Titles (21:01)
***
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PAC will also wrestle in the opener of Battle of the Belts in the next hour, which gives Chris Jericho the opening he needs to bring up how he beat both Steve Austin and Dwayne Johnson in back-to-back matches. “But did you cheat?” asked Schiavone.
Everyone on commentary was effusively praising Brodie Lee, who had his last match two years ago on this day.
After a fast start, 10 held up Fenix for a vertical suplex while the crowd counted to ten. Reynolds got a near fall after a springing elbow off the ropes. Penta got the tag and walked into a thrust kick from Reynolds. Silver and Reynolds hit a double sliding dropkick on Penta for a near fall. Silver and Penta exchanged blows as the show went to another split-screen break.
PAC methodically delivered a backdrop suplex on Reynolds, then got a near fall after a back elbow in the corner. Reynolds selling here was spot on. Fenix held Reynolds for a dropkick to the tailbone from Penta for a near fall. Penta kicked Reynolds arm, then teased snapping his arm. PAC pitched Reynolds to the floor where he gave him a devastating snap suplex. The pace of the match really slowed down but the match was still tremendous due to the selling from Reynolds and the deliberate execution of everything the Death Triangle did.
During another split-screen break, PAC continued to dominate Reynolds in the ring. Reynolds would get in a hope spot here or there, and then Pac would casually come back with one stiff blow to put Reynolds down.
Finally, PAC whipped Reynolds into the ropes for a backdrop, but Reynolds countered with a jumping stomp to PAC's back and tagged in 10. 10 ran through the Lucha Bros with a double clothesline. He hit a blue thunder bomb on Penta and a spinebuster on Fenix. 10 went for a full nelson on Fenix but PAC and Penta broke it up. The champs took 10 down with a triple superkick. PAC and Fenix hit stereo splashes on 10 for another near fall. The crowd got behind 10, who reversed a suplex from Fenix and tagged in Silver.
Silver and PAC exchanged forearms and pump kicks. PAC hit a german suplex, but Silver came back with a series of kicks and a deadlift brainbuster for a near fall. The crowd chanted for Brodie, and Silver took down Fenix with a clothesline. The Dark Order went for a Pendellum bomb on Fenix, Fenix countered once, but the Dark Order got it on the second try for another near fall. Reynolds set up Fenix on the top, but Fenix countered with a top rope hurricanrana. Penta got the tag and hit sling blades on 10 and Reynolds and a backstabber on Silver. Silver and Reynlods hit their finishing combo on Penta, and 10 hit the discus lariat on Penta for another near fall, broken up by Pac and Fenix.
Jose the Assitant came out with a contract for 10, which distracted Silver and 10. Rush then came out of the crowd, and handed PAC the ring bell hammer. PAC doesn’t mind cheating, so he knocked out Reynolds with the bell hammer. PAC then locked in the Brutalizer, and Reynolds was out for the submission. Great match but a terrible finish.
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