5/1/24 AEW Dynamite Recap
Tony Khan opens the show from Jacksonville, Florida, and says he wishes he could be in Winnipeg for Kenny Omega’s return. Khan says due to the attack from The Elite, he cannot travel, but then the feed cuts out. The Young Bucks are in the production truck, and they say the feed got lost. The Bucks say they have iron-clad contracts and they aren’t going anywhere, and there is a clause in their contracts saying that if Khan is not available, then they run the show.
The opening credits roll, which show nothing but Elite clips. Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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The AEW World Champion, Swerve Strickland, makes his way to the ring. Strickland says he had three matches last week, which is what he promised he would do when he became the World Champion. Strickland says AEW doesn’t need power-hungry EVPs and they’ll eventually get what’s coming to them. Strickland then wants to know who his challenger is for Double or Nothing and calls them out, but The Bucks appear on the screen. They say they are also new champions, and then fine him for cursing on television. The Bucks says Strickland’s challenger is one of the greatest Canadian wrestlers of all time who hasn’t been around for a while. Christian Cage’s music hits, and he comes to the ring with the rest of the Patriarchy.
Cage hits Strickland with the microphone, and then follows up with right hands. Strickland fights back, and then delivers shots to Nick Wayne and Killswitch as well. Strickland stops short of hitting Mother Wayne, and then Luchasaurus and Nick deliver shots to him. Cage drops Strickland with the Killswitch on the title, and then Nick drops Prince Nana with Wayne’s World. Cage grabs the mic, and he says he never forgets. Cage says Strickland broke into Nick’s gym a few months ago and left him in a pool of his own blood, and then lost a tag team match for them at All In. Cage says there doesn’t seem to be a better time than right now for Strickland to pay for those mistakes.
Cage says he is going to embarrass Strickland, end his title reign, and make sure he is nothing more than a footnote in AEW history. Cage says when he is finished with Strickland, Strickland’s daughter will have a father that she can look up to for the rest of her life. Cage says he will walk into Swerve’s house at Double or Nothing and rip the title from his hands, and then tells Strickland the pain has just begun. Killswitch pulls some of Strickland’s hair out of his hand, and Cage holds the title in the air.
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A video package airs for the ongoing feud between Adam Copeland and The House of Black.
Match 1 – AEW TNT Championship Match
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Buddy Matthews
They lock up and Matthews applies a side-headlock. Copeland sends him off the ropes, but neither man budges on the shoulder tackle. Copeland goes for a shoulder tackle this time, but it doesn’t work either. Matthews takes Copeland down with a side-headlock take down, but Copeland gets free and does the same to Matthews. They trip each other up and go for quick pin attempts, but they both kick out and stare each other down. Matthews goes behind for a waist-lock, but Copeland turns it around. Matthews drops him with a hurricanrana and follows with a kick to the face. Copeland comes back and sends Matthews to a floor a couple of times. Copeland dives through the ropes to take Matthews down as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Matthews drops Copeland with a draping DDT in the ropes. Matthews stomps Copeland down in the corner and follows with a snap-mare and a kick to the back. Matthews applies a rear choke, but Copeland fights to his feet and backs Matthews into the corner. Matthews keeps the hold applied, but Copeland finally gets free and slams Matthews down. They both go up top and exchange shots, and then both fall to the floor. They both get back into the ring at the nine count and exchange shots. Copeland goes for the Impaler, but Matthews gets free and delivers an elbow strike. Copeland comes back with an elbow strike of his own, and then both men collide with cross-bodies. The referee calls for the doctor as Matthews begins bleeding from his mouth, and the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Copeland delivers shots to Matthews in the corner. Matthews comes back with a Liger Bomb, but only gets a two count. Copeland comes back with a few shots and lays Matthews over the top turnbuckle. Copeland delivers more shots, but Matthews comes back with shots of his own and goes for a powerbomb. Copeland holds on and kicks Matthews in the midsection, but Matthews comes back with a right hand. Matthews goes for a superplex, but Copeland counters and delivers an avalanche Impaler for a two count. Copeland goes for the Spear, but Matthew counters with a few knee strikes and delivers a Jackhammer for a two count. Matthews applies a cross-face, but Copeland rolls into a roll-up for a two count. Copeland slams Matthews down for another two count, and then goes for the Spear. Matthews sends him into the turnbuckle and follows with a knee strike. Matthews goes for the stomp, but Copeland dodges it and delivers the Spear for the pin fall.
Winner and still AEW TNT Champion: Adam Copeland
-After the match, Copeland continues to attack Matthews. Copeland brings a couple of chairs in the ring, and then hits Matthews with one of them. Copeland sets up for a Conchairto, but the lights go out. They come back on, and Malakai Black is standing beside Copeland. Black tells Copeland to do it, and then Matthews gets on his knees and tells Copeland to hit him. The lights go out, and when they come back on Black and Matthews are gone.
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Match 2 – Singles Match
Isiah Kassidy vs. Samoa Joe
Kassidy goes to the corner and puts Joe’s towel around his neck while dancing. Joe grabs the towel and backs Kassidy into the corner, but Kassidy rakes his eyes. Kassidy comes off the ropes, but Joe throws him down to the mat. Joe delivers right hands into the corner, and then follows with rapid body shots to send Kassidy to the floor. Joe goes through the ropes, but Kassidy gets back into the ring. Joe gets on the apron, but Kassidy catches him with a springboard kick. Kassidy goes for a dive over the ropes, but Joe walks away and Kassidy crashes to the floor. Joe gets Kassidy back into the ring, but Kassidy comes back with a throat punch. Kassidy delivers a dropkick and follows with right hands in the corner. Kassidy goes for a monkey flip, but Joe holds on and delivers a right hand. Joe delivers the Muscle Buster and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Samoa Joe
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Skye Blue has a pre-recorded promo, where she says that Willow Nightingale is a fraud and is only the champion because of Stokely Hathaway. Blue challenges Nightingale to a title match later tonight on Rampage.
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Orange Cassidy makes his way to the ring. Cassidy says he hates this, because he thought Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta would get everything out of their systems after the Parking Lot Fight and that they’d be back in the ring as Best Friends. Cassidy says that isn’t going to happen, because he has been told Taylor will never wrestle again after what Beretta did to him after the Parking Lot Fight. Cassidy begins to call out Beretta, but Beretta interrupts him.
Beretta says it’s shocking that Cassidy is trying to make everything about him again, and Cassidy charges at him. Security holds Cassidy back as Beretta says it is Cassidy’s fault that Taylor’s career is over. Kris Statlander finally calms Cassidy down, and then Don Callis comes out and whispers in Cassidy’s ear. Callis leaves with Cassidy as Statlander yells at Beretta. Beretta gives a thumbs up as everyone else walks backstage.
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Renee Paquette interviews The Young Bucks. Matthew says they don’t really have time for this because they are looking for an old friend. Matthew asks if she has seen him, but he says no, and then Nicholas says they have taken too much TV time and it’s time for Jack Perry to get some. The Bucks leave, and Renee asks Perry about what he did last week. Perry says everyone has to sacrifice eventually, and thanks to Tony Khan’s sacrifice AEW is entering a new era under The Elite.
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Match 3 – FTW Championship – FTW Rules Match
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Jericho takes Shibata down, but Shibata comes right back and applies a rear headlock to Jericho to take him down. Jericho gets to his feet, but Shibata backs him into the ropes. They exchange chops and Jericho takes Shibata down again. Jericho connects with the Lionsault and goes for the cover, but Shibata kicks out at one. Jericho grabs a trash can lid and hits Shibata in the head with it. Jericho dumps a bag of hockey pucks in the ring, but Shibata slams him down onto them instead. Shibata follows with a suplex to Jericho on the pucks, and then stomps his back. Shibata chops Jericho a few times, and then Jericho comes back with chops of his own. They exchange chops as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Shibata chops Jericho into the corner. Shibata backs away and charges, but Jericho throws a puck at him and takes him down. Jericho applies the Walls of Jericho, but Shibata counters into a Figure Four. Jericho throws a puck and hits Shibata in the face with it, and then grabs a trash can, and two kendo sticks from under the ring. Jericho puts the trash can over Shibata’s head and hits it with the kendo stick repeatedly. Shibata gets to his feet as Jericho continues to hit the trash can with the kendo stick. Shibata backs Jericho into the corner and delivers headbutts with the trash can still over his head. Shibata kicks Jericho down into the corner and follows with a dropkick into the trash can and Jericho. Shibata goes for the cover, but Jericho kicks out. Shibata gives one of the kendo sticks to Jericho, and they sit down in the ring.
They hit each other with the kendo sticks and Shibata takes advantage. Shibata slams Jericho onto the pucks and grabs a table from under the ring. Shibata props the table in the corner and chops Jericho into it. Shibata backs away and charges, but Jericho counters with a Codebreaker for a two count. Jericho goes for the Judas Effect, but Shibata counters into a rear choke. Shibata delivers an overhand chop and sets the table up in the ring. Big Bill rushes the ring and drops Shibata with a boot to the face. Bill chokeslams Shibata through the table and leaves the ring. Jericho crawls over and gets the pin fall.
Winner and still FTW Champion: Chris Jericho
-After the match, Bill tells Jericho that he told him he deserves to be in the Learning Tree, and Jericho nods as Bill backs up the ramp.
—
Footage of the confrontation between Mercedes Mone and Willow Nightingale airs, and then Renee interviews Nightingale, Statlander, and Hathaway. Statlander apologizes to Nightingale for what went down last week, and then Renee asks Nightingale about the challenge from Blue earlier tonight. Nightingale says she is in a fighting mood and has something for Mone. Nightingale says she has something in store for Blue later tonight, and then Hathaway starts yelling about the Bucks. Renee gets a text from the Bucks, and they say Statlander and Hathaway are barred from ringside on Rampage and if they interfere Nightingale will be stripped of the title.
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Match 4 – Singles Match
Brian Cage vs. Claudio Castagnoli
They both go for clotheslines, and then exchange elbow strikes. They exchange clotheslines, and then Cage delivers a shot to the midsection. Cage follows with a suplex, and then delivers a few more shots and drops Castagnoli with a dropkick. Castagnoli comes back with a kick to the midsection, and then follows with a back-breaker. Castagnoli delivers an elbow strike and charges into the corner, but Cage gets free and delivers a kick to the face. Cage delivers a back elbow in the corner, but Castagnoli comes back with a scoop slam. Castagnoli delivers a double stomp and takes Cage to the corner. Castagnoli delivers a few right hands, but Cage sends him to the apron. Castagnoli comes back with an elbow strike, but Cage delivers an enzuigiri and drops Castagnoli with a superplex back into the ring as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Cage delivers a thrust kick and follows with the Area Code Shot. Cage delivers a discus lariat and goes for the cover, but Castagnoli kicks out. Castagnoli comes back with a springboard uppercut and follows with a series of uppercuts in the corner. They exchange kicks to the face, and then Castagnoli delivers another uppercut and follows with a thrust kick. Castagnoli also delivers an Area Code Shot and follows with a discus lariat of his own for a two count. Cage comes back with a hard shot and gets a two count, but Castagnoli comes off the ropes and delivers a pop-up uppercut for a two count of his own. Castagnoli delivers the Giant Swing with nine rotations, and then applies the Sharpshooter. Cage goes for the ropes, but Castagnoli pulls him back and Cage taps out.
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli
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Renee interviews Rocky Romero. She asks him who he sides with between Beretta and Cassidy, and Romero says he doesn’t side with anyone. Romero says he told all of them he is done with it, and he is going to do his own thing from now on. Romero says he is going to become a champion in AEW just like he has everywhere else. Romero challenges Kyle O’Reilly to a match on Rampage for later tonight.
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Match 5 – Singles Match
Mariah May (w/Luther and Toni Storm) vs. Serena Deeb
Deeb takes May down, but May turns it into a head-scissors. Deeb gets free, but May goes behind with a waist-lock. Deeb counters into a wrist-lock, but May turns it into one of her own. Deeb counters out and takes May down. Deeb puts May in a Paradise Lock and then delivers a dropkick. Deeb takes May down with a snap-mare, and then follows with a shoulder tackle. Deeb applies a grounded surfboard submission, but May comes back with an elbow strike after Deeb breaks the hold. May delivers a shot in the corner, and then drops Deeb with a hurricanrana and a dropkick as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Deeb comes back with a kick to May’s face in the corner. Deeb delivers a neck-breaker over the middle rope and kicks May in the midsection before delivers another neck-breaker. Deeb delivers an uppercut, but May comes back with a back elbow. Deeb delivers a German suplex and follows with a hammer-lock lariat for a two count. Deeb goes for the Figure Four, but May kicks her into the corner and follows with a roundhouse kick. May delivers a shotgun dropkick and follows with the hip attack for a two count. May delivers a running knee strike and goes for the cover, but Deeb kicks out at two again. May goes for Mayday, but Deeb counters into a rear choke. They exchange roll-ups for two counts, and then Deeb gets another two count on a back-slide. May comes back with a headbutt and follows with a suplex into the corner.
May charges, but Deeb counters with a back elbow. May goes for a hurricanrana, but Deeb catches her and locks in a single-leg Boston crab. May goes for the ropes, but Deeb pulls her back and slams her knee into the mat a few times. Deeb wrenches back into the hold, and Storm throws in the towel.
Winner: Serena Deeb
-After the match, it is announced that Deeb will challenge Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Double or Nothing.
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Renee interviews Copeland. She asks if he is okay, because he seemed a bit out of sorts earlier. Copeland says he is okay, and then O’Reilly walks in and says if Copeland ever needs backup he will be watching. Copeland says thanks and catches O’Reilly looking at the TNT title. Copeland wishes O’Reilly luck in his match on Rampage before leaving.
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Kenny Omega makes his return to AEW. Omega says he has never been good at this stuff, and then says his doctors told him he was lucky. Omega says his doctors told him he was 24 hours away from dying due to diverticulitis. Omega says his doctors told him they’d have to do a major surgery that would keep him out of action for a long time, and then told him that he would be a ticking time bomb if he chose to not have the surgery.
Omega says he didn’t watch AEW for a while, because he was thinking he was going to have to retire, but then he turned on Dynasty and watched Strickland win the title and Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay have one of the greatest matches of all time. Omega says he was going to withdrawal and he needed to be back in the ring. Omega says it feels like he has been forgotten, but then says his career is not over until he has exhausted every option. Omega then turns his attention to The Young Bucks.
Omega says The Bucks have been embarrassing themselves more than they ever has, but they must have forgotten that there is another EVP. Omega says they may have fired him from The Elite, but some of the power in the company still belongs to him. Kazuchika Okada interrupts and gets face-to-face with Omega. Omega says they had quite the rivalry in Japan, and tells Okada to give him a couple of months so they can settle it in an AEW ring. Okada says he is the best bout machine now, and Jack Perry attacks Omega from behind. Okada gives Perry a chair, but security guys try to stop Perry from using it.
Perry hits them with the chair, but then Omega takes advantage with a few shots. Omega drops Perry with a snap-dragon suplex, but immediately grabs his midsection. Omega goes for the V Trigger, but Okada trips him and Perry hits him in the midsection with the chair. The Bucks come to the ring and back Perry away from Omega. Omega tries to get to his feet, but the Bucks turn towards him and deliver the EVP Trigger. Okada sets up for the Rainmaker, but FTR rush the ring to make the save as the show comes to a close.
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Announced for next Wednesday’s Dynamite:
-AEW TNT Championship Match: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Brody King
-Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta
Updated card for Double or Nothing:
-AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage
-AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Toni Storm (c) vs. Serena Deeb
-AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (c) vs. Will Ospreay
-AEW TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Mercedes Mone
