1/15/25 AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage Recap
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Venue: Brady Music Center
Commentary Team: Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone
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Match 1 – Singles Match
Brian Cage (w/Don Callis and Lance Archer) vs. Kenny Omega
They lock up and Cage backs Omega into the corner. Omega counters out with body shots, and then delivers a few chops. Omega follows with a few right hands, and then delivers a leaping back elbow in the corner. Cage comes back with a shot to Omega’s back and then drops him with a back-body drop. Cage throws Omega down again, and then spears him in the corner a few times. Cage delivers another overhead throw and follows with a corner clothesline. Cage sends Omega to the corner again, but Omega kicks him in the face and charges. Cage catches him, but Omega counters with a hurricanrana that sends Cage to the floor. Omega runs the ropes, but Archer gets on the apron. Omega dropkicks him, but Cage comes back into the ring and drops Omega with a clothesline. Cage tosses Omega to the floor and slams him into the barricade. Cage slams Omega into the ring apron, and then press slams him onto the commentary table. Cage distracts the referee in the ring, and Callis delivers shots to Omega as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Cage slams Omega in the ring and goes for the cover, but Omega kicks out at two. Cage takes Omega to the entrance ramp, but Omega fights back and they exchange shots. Cage delivers a knee to the midsection, but Omega comes back with knee strikes of his own. Cage powerbombs Omega back into th ering, and then delivers an F-5 for a two count. Omega comes back with a back elbow, and then kicks Cage in the face. Omega slams Cage down and goes for a moonsault press, but Cage gets his knees up. Cage slams Omega down and goes for the cover, but Omega kicks out at two. Cage backs Omega in the corner and puts him up top. Cage delivers a chop and climbs up, but Omega escapes and delivers shots to Cage’s head. Omega powerbombs Cage to the mat and delivers a running knee strike for a two count. Omega goes for the V Trigger, but Cage dodges and goes for a German suplex. Omega counters out and kicks Cage in the face. Cage counters a snap dragon, and Omega dodges a clothesline before delivers a knee strike. Omega delivers the V Trigger, and then follows with One Winged Angel for the pin fall.
Winner: Kenny Omega
-After the match, Archer and Kyle Fletcher hit the ring and beat Omega down. Will Ospreay rushes the ring for the save. Ospreay clotheslines Fletcher to the floor after delivers a few shots, and then delivers an enzuigiri to Archer. Omega delivers a knee strike to Archer, and then Ospreay drops him with the Hidden Blade. Ospreay knocks Fletcher off the apron and drops him with a dive over the top rope. Konosuke Takeshita comes to the ring and exchanges shots with Omega. Fletcher comes back in and drops Omega with a snap-suplex. Takeshita drops Omega with a lariat, but Ospreay comes back in and delivers shots to them. Fletcher and Takeshita take advantage and double-team Ospreay, and then Takeshita drops Omega with Raging Fire as Fletcher drops Ospreay with a brain-buster. The Don Callis Family stand tall over Ospreay and Omega.
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Chris Jericho hosts a new episode of the “New York Minute.” Jericho says they are getting ready for their 12-man tag on this Saturday’s Collision and says they’ve already shown Cope is a dope and Dax Harwood is no good. Jericho says Cash Wheeler is a kneeler, and then says he guarantees he and Jon Moxley will be on the same page.
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Ricochet makes his way to the ring. The crowd boos, and he just says that a picture is worth a thousand words. He shows a picture of what he did to Swerve Strickland two weeks ago, and then Strickland’s music plays. Prince Nana gets in the ring and hits him with a chair, and then Strickland walks to the ring. Strickland swings his chain at Ricochet, but Ricochet dodges it and rolls out of the ring. Ricochet goes through the crowd, but Strickland goes after him. Ricochet makes it outside of the arena as Strickland continues after him before going back to the ring.
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Footage of the AEW TBS Champion, Mercedes Mone, doing all sorts of media appearances, shopping, and training airs.
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Match 2 – Trios Tag Team Match
Mark Briscoe and Private Party (Quen and Zay) vs. The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin)
All six guys brawl as the bell rings, and then Briscoe and MVP are left in the ring. MVP gains the advantage with shots in the corner, but Briscoe comes bakc with shots of his own. Briscoe delivers a dropkick and goes for the cover, but MVP kicks out at one. Briscoe delivers shots in the corner, but MVP sends him off the ropes and drops him with a kick. MVP throws Briscoe to the floor, and then Benjamin throws him into the barricade and the apron repeatedly as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Briscoe delivers shots to MVP, but MVP comes back with a jaw-breaker over his knee. MVP drops an elbow on Briscoe and goes for the cover, but Briscoe kicks out at two. MVP slams Briscoe with a fisherman’s suplex and goes for the cover, but Briscoe kicks out at two again. MVP sends Briscoe off the ropes, but Briscoe dodges him and drops him with a flying elbow strike. Benjamin and Zay tag in, and Zay takes him down with a cross-body. Zay delivers right hands and follows with a dropkick before tagging in Quen. Quen and Zay double-team Benjamin, and then do the same to MVP and Lashley. Quen and Zay hold the ropes, and Briscoe takes Lashley down with a dive. Zay clotheslines MVP to the floor, and then Quen drops Benjamin with a flatliner for a two count. Lashley throws Briscoe down on the floor, and then Quens and Zay double-team Benjamin in the corner. Lashley comes back with a slam on Quen, and Benjamin drops Zay with a release German suplex. Lashley delivers a Spear to Zay, and then MVP takes Briscoe down again on the outside. Benjamin delivers a superkick to Quen and gets the pin fall.
Winners: The Hurt Syndicate
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Cope vs. PAC is announced for next week’s Dynamite, and then footage of their confrontations on last week’s Dynamite and Collision airs, followed by a video package for Rated FTR.
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Jeff Jarrett makes his way to the ring. Jarrett says the last few weeks have been humbling for him, but then MJF interrupts. MJF says Jarrett doesn’t know the definition of the word ‘humble,’ and then says Jarrett had the nerve to turn him down again. Jarrett says MJF didn’t have the nerve to enter the Casino Gauntlet and was looking for the easy way out, and then MJF yells at him for interrupting him. MJF says Jarrett may have the fans fooled, but he has the real story of the Last Outlaw. MJF says Jarrett is the last thing you see before your favorite wrestling company dies, and then says looking at Jarrett’s career makes him want to drink. MJF says for the health of AEW and Jarrett himself, he can send him back to rehab where he belongs, but then says Karen Jarrettcan stick around.
Jarrett says everything MJF said was crude and stupid, but it has been done 1,000 times before. Jarrett says he knows the best years of his career are behind him, but the AEW fans awakened a passion and a desire in him last summer. Jarrett says he is going to use that and do whatever he can to become the AEW World Champion. Jarrett says he was MJF before MJF was MJF, and says he did it better. Jarrett says he feels sorry for MJF sometimes, and then insults MJF’s parents and his girlfriend. Jarrett says MJF is scared of a lot of stuff, including becoming a one-hit wonder.
MJF says he is nothing like Jarrett, because he didn’t need his dad to make him a top guy or to start his own company to become a top guy. MJF says he is the guy to thank for all the records AEW has, and then he got screwed out of his title. MJF says he needs to win the title again so he can shove it down everyone’s throats. MJF says it’s baffling that he has to wait in line for Jarrett, and he sees right through him. MJF says Jarrett is nothing but a leech riding the coattails of Owen Hart, and then Jarrett drops him with a right hand. Jarrett beats MJF down before security and Karen come out to stop him. MJF hides behind Karen, and then shoves her away before leaving the ring.
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Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomihiro Ishii for the AEW Continental Championship is announced for this Saturday’s Collision, and then a video package showing how the match came to be made airs.
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Match 3 – Singles Match
Christian Cage (w/Kip Sabian, Mother Wayne, and Nick Wayne) vs. Hook (w/Katsuyori Shibata)
Hook attacks Cage during his entrance, and then they brawl around the ring. Hook gets Cage in the ring and chokes him over the middle rope. Cage escapes, but Hook goes after him and brings him back to ringside. They exchange shots on the ramp, but Hook sends Cage back into the ring with a back-body drop. Cage tries to beg off and then hugs Hook, but Hook drops him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Hook delivers right hands in the corner, and then slams Cage into the turnbuckles as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Cage stomps on Hook in the ring. Cage delivers right hands in the corner, but Hook escapes and throws Cage to the floor. Hook delivers an elbow strike from the apron, and then slams him into the ring steps. Hook delivers a knee strike to Cage against the steps, and then goes to stomp on his hand. Cage dodges and slams Hook onto the steps before getting him back into the ring. Cage connects with a frog splash and goes for the cover, but Hook kicks out at two. Cage delivers two more frog splashes and goes for the cover, but Hook kicks out at two. Cage goes for the Spear, but Hook counters with a knee strike. Cage comes back with a Spear anyway and goes for the cover, but Hook kicks out at one. Hook comes back and throws Cage around the ring before delivering a corner clothesline. Hook suplexes Cage and goes for the cover, but Cage kicks out at two. Cage kicks Hook in the midsection and goes for Killswitch, but Hook counters with a fisherman’s suplex for another two count. Hook goes for Redrum, but Cage makes it to the ropes. Hook drops Cage to the mat and delivers cross-face shots.
Hook goes for Redrum again, but Cage gouges his eyes and throws him into the ring post. Hook goes to the floor and the Patriarchy surround him. Shibata comes over, but he is dropped with a Killswitch. Hook gets back into the ring and Cage goes for the Killswitch, but Hook counters into the Redrum. Sabian and Wayne hit the ring to attack Hook, and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner via disqualification: Hook
-After the match, they bring chairs in the ring, but Taz stands up at the commentary table. Samoa Joe’s music hits, and he makes his return. Joe knocks Wayne off the ramp, and then delivers shots to Sabian in the ring. Wayne comes back, but Joe throws him right back to the floor and drops Sabian with a powerslam. Shibata kicks Sabian in the chest with a PK, and then Joe helps Hook to his feet and stares Cage down.
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Footage of the men’s Casino Gauntlet Match last week airs, with some of the guys in the match talking about what happened during the match.
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Renee Paquette interviews Jarrett backstage. Dustin Rhodes interrupts and says they’ve known each other for years and says MJF doesn’t know anything about what they’ve done. Rhodes says he is 110% behind Jarrett and says outlaws never die. Rhodes says they are the last of their kind before walking away.
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The AEW Women’s World Champion, Mariah May, joins the commentary team for the next match.
Match 4 – #1 Contender’s (AEW Women’s World Championship) Casino Gauntlet Match
Harley Cameron vs. Jamie Hayter vs. Julia Hart vs. Kris Statlander vs. Megan Bayne vs. Toni Storm vs. Willow Nightingale
They lock up and Hayter applies a side-headlock. Statlander comes back and goes for a shoulder tackle, but Hayter isn’t fazed. Hayter delivers a shot, but Statlander comes back and delivers another shoulder tackle that drops Hayter this time. They both deliver clotheslines, and then Hayter kicks Statlander in the face. Hayter picks Statlander up, but Statlander escapes and delivers a Michinoku Driver as Megan Bayne enters the match. Bayne delivers a shot to Statlander and spears her in the corner. Bayne connects with a corner splash, but Statlander comes back with a back elbow strike. Statlander backs away and charges, but Bayne drops her with a leaping clothesline. Bayne slams Statlander down and goes for the cover, but Hayter breaks it up at two. Hayter delivers shots to bayne, but Bayne kicks her in the midsection. Hayter comes back with a DDT as Julia Hart enters the match. Hayter attacks Hart during her entrance and suplexes her on the ramp as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Bayne takes Statlander down in the ring and Hart and Hayter brawl on the outside as Willow Nightingale enters the match. Nightingale delivers shots to Bayne, but Bayne comes back with shots of her own. Bayne kicks Nightingale in the face, and then Statlander takes Bayne down with shots. Hayter slams Hart into the barricade, and then Nightingale and Statlander drop Bayne with a double suplex. Statlander and Nightingale exchange shots, and then Nightingale delivers the Pounce as Toni Storm enters the match. Storm gets Nightingale in a roll-up for a one count, and then she takes Hart, Hayter, and Statlander down as well. Bayne comes back in with a shot to Storm, and then she throws her onto Statlander on the ramp. Nightingale takes Bayne down, and then Hart drops Hayter with a DDT. Nightingale clotheslines Hart and drops Bayne with a cross-body from the apron. Nightingale and Bayne exchange shots on the outside, and then Statlander flips onto both of them from the ramp. Storm takes Statlander down with a hip attack, and then Hart sends Storm to the floor. Hart and Hayter exchange shots as Harley Cameron enters the match.
Cameron drops Hart with a kick to the face and goes for the cover, but Hayter breaks it up. Hayter drops Hart with the Hate-breaker, but Cameron rolls her up for a two count. Cameron runs the ropes, but Hayter delivers another Hate-breaker. Hayrer goes for the Hayterade, and then Hart spits the mist in Cameron’s face and takes Hayter down. Storm comes back in and rolls Hart up for the pin fall.
Winner: Toni Storm
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Match 5 – AEW World Championship Match
Jon Moxley (c) (w/Claudio Castagnoli, Marina Shafir, and PAC) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Castagnoli distracts Hobbs, and Moxley attacks him from behind. Moxley delivers shots in the corner, but Hobbs comes back with an overhead throw. Hobbs delivers elbow strikes in the corner and clubs Moxley across the chest a few times. Moxley comes back with chops and runs the ropes, but Hobbs sends him to the floor with a shoulder tackle. Hobbs delivers a forearm shot and clubs Moxley across the back before getting him back into the ring. Moxley kicks Hobbs in the midsection and delivers elbow strikes. Moxley kicks Hobbs in the face a few times to send him back to the floor. Moxley dives through the ropes and they brawl into the crowd. Moxley makes it back to the ring as Hobbs chases, and then bites his face in the corner. Moxley delivers right hands and flips Hobbs off, but Hobbs comes back and slams Moxley into the corner. Hobbs puts Moxley up top and bites his ear. Hobbs knocks Moxley to the floor with a shoulder tackle as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Moxley is bleeding from his ear and they exchange shots. Moxley sends Hobbs to the floor, and Shafir kicks him in the head. Moxley gets Hobbs back into the ring and goes for the Death Rider, but Hobbs powers out and drops him with a shoulder block. Hobbs drops Moxley with clotheslines and follows with a corner clothesline. Hobbs delivers short-arm clotheslines in the corner, but Moxley comes back and tries to take Hobbs down. Hobbs blocks Moxley and delivers the World’s Most Dangerous Slam for a two count. Hobbs goes for an avalanche powerslam, but Moxley rolls through into a cross arm-breaker. Hobbs makes it to the ropes, but Moxley sends him to the ramp. Wheeler Yuta runs out and delivers the Busaiku Knee to Hobbs, and then Moxley gets him back into the ring. Moxley goes for the Death Rider, but Hobbs counters with a spinebuster. Hobbs goes for the Torture Rack back-breaker, but Moxley counters with a choke. Hobbs gets to the ropes, but Shafir hits him with the briefcase. Moxley rolls Hobbs up, but Hobbs kicks out at two. Moxley delivers the Paradigm Shift and goes for the cover, but Hobbs kicks out again. Moxley locks in the Bulldog Choke and Hobbs passes out.
Winner and still AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley
-After the match, the Death Riders attack Hobbs. Hobbs tries to fight back, but Castagnoli hits him in the knee with a chair. They continue to attack him and rip his knee brace off. Moxley hits him in the knee again, and then wraps the chair around it. Castagnoli stomps on the chair, and then Rated FTR hit the ring to make the save. The Death Riders escape through the crowd as the show comes to a close.
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Announced for this Saturday’s Collision Maximum Carnage
-AEW Continental Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
-12-Man Tag Team Match: Powerhouse Hobbs, Rated FTR, and The Outrunners vs. The Death Riders and The Learning Tree
-Texas Death Match: Adam Page vs. Christopher Daniels
Announced for next Wednesday’s Dynamite
-Cope vs. PAC
