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All Elite Wrestling doubleheaders began with a tribute to Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul who started TBS and TNT, after his death.
AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone and Sting had some kind words about Turner’s influence on pro wrestling. Turner bought World Championship Wrestling and created a powerhouse that challenged WWE in the television ratings for months in the 1990s.
Later that night the fighting began.
AEW TNT Champion Kevin Knight stepped up to the plate and challenged Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship. Allin had already successfully defended his championship twice in brutal matches against Tommaso Ciampa and Brody King.
AL ELITE Wrestling Tributes TED TURNER AFTER HIS DEATH AT 87
Darby Allin enters the ring during the Pro-Wrestling NOAH Great Muta Final “Bye-Bye” event at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan on January 22, 2023. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
But Knight had been on a hot streak when he captured the TNT Championship in a casino gauntlet match at Dynasty.
Each man struggled to gain momentum in the match. They started the match by putting wrestling moves with chokeholds and submission holds. The two then knocked each other down with a double clothesline.
Allin dug deep as the match progressed. He hit Knight with a Code Red and nearly got the pinfall after a match-changing dropkick. As Knight rolled out of the ring, Allin executed a suicide dive on Knight, who fell backwards and hit the announce table. Allin wanted to do more damage with a coffin drop to a seated knight.
Knight appeared on the apron and hit a hurricanrana on Allin, who fell to the ground outside the ring. Knight tried to do as much damage as he could on the outside of the ring. He propped Allin up on the announce table and hit an incredible springboard clothesline.
Back in the ring, Darby countered Knight and put him in the Scorpion Death Lock. Knight broke the hold by hanging on the rope. He tried another Coffin Drop, but Knight put his knees up. Both men were down, writhing in pain again.
Knight reached deep into his bag. With Allin hanging upside down in the ropes, he went to the opposite corner and hit a coast-to-coast dropkick. He then nailed a UFO on Allin from the top rope, but Allin kicked out of a pinfall.
Allin just wouldn’t quit. He put Knight in a guillotine and began repeating the check. Two more Coffin Drops sealed the deal for Allin’s win over Knight.
‘THE JET’ KEVIN KNIGHT PILOT MASTERY CAREER IN ALL ELITE WRESTLING
Before Allin could really celebrate the third title defense, Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) came out to start the “Collision” portion of the show. He said it was “time” for Allin to give him a rematch. Allin said the only way he got his rematch was if he put something on the line.
MJF proposed his scarf, his Dynamite diamond ring and offered $1 million for a rematch. Allin said no every time.
“I want something you hold so dear in this life,” Allin said. “Something you’re so desperate to keep that you’re willing to fly 15 hours to Turkey to have it sewn onto your skull. I’m talking about your hair.”
Allin said a contract will be signed for a championship vs. hair fight ahead of Double or Nothing. And if MJF doesn’t show up, he’ll never get another shot at the title.
Kazuchika Okada, who made it clear earlier in the night that he was going after the AEW World Championship, also put himself in the title picture. Okada said he wanted more than just the AEW International Championship.
Okada will challenge Allin for the title next week.
Jon Moxley, Death Riders continue to mold Will Ospreay
Will Ospreay enters the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Edion Arena Osaka on November 4, 2023. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Will Ospreay returned to the Death Riders’ training dojo after spending a weekend at New Japan Pro-Wrestling helping his United Empire compatriots win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship at Wrestling Dontaku.
He was taunted and driven by Callum Newman to attack Shingo Takagi after Newman retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
At “Dynamite”, Ospreay was seen crouching while Yuta Wheeler was doing crunches using Ospreay’s neck as leverage. Ospreay appeared to be doing his own neck exercises as he sought to build strength in his injured muscles.
“You just got off a 15-hour flight. You’re winning titles with your little dramatic friends in Japan. We don’t care,” Death Rider Daniel Garcia said during one episode. “It’s us against the world, and if you want to be the best version of yourself, you’re going to have to work for it.”
Jon Moxley, who was kicked in the stomach by Marina Shafir, continued to be the voice in Ospreay’s ear.
“Have you ever heard of the term ‘dead ground?’ Stand on the ground you can’t leave from. There’s no escape. There’s no other options, do or die. That’s where you are right now,” Moxley told Ospreay. “If we don’t get your neck right, if we don’t get this right (pointing to his head), it’s over. You’re done. Sure, you can still have a career with AEW. Get paid, hang out like the rest of these posers. But that’s not what you want.
“You’re not like all these people man. You’re different. It’s a privilege to be where you are – to come all the way, this far, up the mountain, and all you have is the last 1%. This is the hardest 1%. You’re on the deathbed. It’s going to be hard, but it’s the only good option. Nothing else exists right in front of you, every second, right in front of you.”
Meanwhile, later in the night, Samoa Joe pleaded with Ospreay. He said he knows Ospreay was “destined for greatness” but wondered if he would still be standing to remain a champion if he were to reach the top of AEW.
Joe said that with The Opps, Ospreay could remain a champion “for a very long time.”
An AEW doctor said on “Collision” that Ospreay was closer to being cleared to appear with the company. Ospreay said he was not part of the Death Riders.
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Chris Jericho to Ricochet: “It’s time to fight”
Chris Jericho enters the ring during the DDT Pro-Wrestling event at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on November 12, 2023. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
After being ambushed by The Demand last week, Chris Jericho said he was done talking and wanted to “fight” Richochet. The heel-like high-flyer led the charge on Jericho at last week’s “Dynamite.” Jericho told Renee Paquette that he was beyond “p—ed off” by the attack.
“I’m done with the three-on-one beatdowns and I’m done with the back attacks. I’m done with the bulls—,” Jericho said in the ring as he demanded Ricochet come out and talk to him.
Ricochet obliged, telling Jericho that he was doing him a “favor” by asking him to leave AEW. Ricochet wondered what he and the group would get out of facing Jericho again. But Bishop Kaun gave him a great idea—a stadium match at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York, at Double or Nothing.
Ricochet challenged Jericho to find four more partners to join him in the match.
Jericho was sure he could find four partners for the match, but if he couldn’t, he said, “I’ll take you all.”
He beat Ricochet and sent The Demand alone. Toa Liona ended Jericho’s momentum, but The Hurt Syndicate – Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley – came to back Jericho up.
Swerve Strickland wants “more power”
Last week, Swerve Strickland appeared to be hot on the tail of “The Most Wanted Man” Bandido. On Wednesday, he made it clear that he wants more “power.”
In a soliloquy with Prince Nana, the Bandidos’ most wanted poster was smashed.
“From the most dangerous to the most violent all the way to the most wanted, more power means more fear and more control,” Strickland said. “And there is nothing more dangerous than a man who wants power. And I want it all.”
Bandido, the Ring of Honor World Champion, said Strickland was right about him being the “most wanted.” He said if Strickland wanted him, he was “easy to find.” Brody King also warned Strickland that there would be “hell to pay” if he messed with Bandido.
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Dynamite match results
- Jon Moxley def. Juice Robinson in an AEW Continental Championship eliminator match.
- Orange Cassidy def. Dax Harwood gave The Conglomeration a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
- Kazuchika Okada def. Bryan Keith to retain the AEW International Championship.
- Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander def. Harley Cameron and Mina Shirakawa.
- “Speedball” Mike Bailey def. AR Fox.
- Jamie Hayter def. Cloud blue.
- Rush def. Matty Lo.
- Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn and Ace Austin def. Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Clark Connors and David Finlay in a 10-man tag team match.
