4/20/22 AEW Dynamite Results
Match 1: CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes
Kicking off Dynamite was this dream match between CM Punk and Dustin Rhodes, made last Friday on Rampage. Dustin was determined to show everyone that there was still some fight left in him, and he called out Punk for the challenge.
Fans were treated to a classic wrestling match that saw the two veterans face off in a psychological war. Limb targets and reversals were the order for the day, and it made for an excellent way to get things going on Dynamite.
The end came when Punk attempted a GTS, but couldn’t connect due to his injured knee. Dustin tried to capitalize with a rollup, but was
Post-Match
Punk helped up Dustin to his feet and gave him props for a spirited effort in this opening contest. As Punk approached the stage, he was met by AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page, the man that Punk had made clear he wanted to face next. They briefly stared down before Punk left.
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“Eat Shit, Pig”
Earlier Today footage showed Wardlow arriving at the arena, met by “Smart” Mark Sterling and a group of security guards meant to escort the big man to the locker room area. Sterling shared a message from MJF, which read “eat shit, pig.” Wardlow responded with “oink oink, bitch.”
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Match 2: The Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and Wheeler YUTA) vs. Dante Martin, Lee Moriarty and Brock Anderson (w/ Arn Anderson)
On paper, this match seemed like a total squash to put over the violence of Blackpool Combat Club, but thankfully, the actual match had more substance to it.
Dante, Moriarty and Brock hung tough against the BCC, with each man getting in their offense during this hard-hitting affair.
The match came to an end with Dante’s attempt at a dive being caught by Mox, who held him in the Bulldog Choke. Wheeler YUTA and Bryan Danielson had their respective opponents trapped as well, as the combined BCC battered their foes with stereo stomps, elbows, and fists. Moxley brought the match to a finish with the Paradigm Shift on Dante to pick up the win.
A solid, short match, with the only disappointment was that there wasn’t any hinting towards Lee Moriarty potentially joining the BCC – especially taking into account Danielson specifying Moriarty as someone who’d benefit from his tutelage.
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United Elite?
The five members of the Undisputed Elite tried to get back on the same page to reverse their fortunes as of late. Kyle O’Reilly egged on the Young Bucks, asking where the “Young Bucks of Old” were in an attempt to motivate them. Adam Cole said that the Bucks’ other friends were gone, but they were still here. He issued a ten-man tag open challenge for next week, so that they could prove that the Undisputed Elite was still the most dominant force in AEW today.
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Tony Khan’s Big Announcement
On the stage, AEW President Tony Khan was joined by NJPW boss Takami Ohbari for a major announcement that had been hyped for days. Before anything could be said by Khan or Ohbari, Adam Cole appeared on the big screen to interrupt. Cole said that he was the only one best suited to make this big announcement: A major AEW & NJPW supercard on June 26th from the United Center in Chicago, IL in an event called Forbidden Door. Cole went on to announce that as a preview for Forbidden Door, he will take on Tomohiro Ishii in an Owen Hart Tournament qualifier.
Oh, and Cole had one more surprise to announce: the arrival of his friend, Jay White.
White appeared on stage and boasted about how he singlehandedly sold out MSG and that this isn’t about AEW and New Japan… it was all about the Undisputed Elite and Bullet Club, because it was still their Era.
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Jade Cargill vs. Marina Shafir Hype
After a hype package on Marina Shafir, we got a short backstage promo from Jade Cargill, who was joined by her “Baddie Section” allies Red Velvet and Kiera Hogan. Jade called herself “The Problem Solver” and said that she’d see Shafir on Friday.
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Match 3: Wardlow vs. The Butcher
Before this battle of big meaty men slapping meat could take place, Wardlow entered the arena led by security and without his theme music – per orders of MJF.
What followed was a good-old fashioned brawl where Butcher certainly tried his best to brutalize his foe to the supposed approval of MJF. However, Wardlow would bounce back and eventually unleashed his Powerbomb Symphony on the Butcher to get the victory.
Post-Match
The security detail showed up to lead Wardlow away from the ring in handcuffs, but the big man had a smile on his face… knowing that his time to fight MJF would be coming soon.
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Eddie Kingston Doesn’t Sow, He Reaps
Ahead of his showdown with Daniel Garcia on Rampage, Eddie Kingston had a few words for his opponent, saying that everything he would do to Garcia will be meant for Chris Jericho. Eddie said he doesn’t sow, he only reaps.
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Match 4: Jungle Boy vs. Kyle O’Reilly (Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier Match)
Adam Cole’s agenda of an Undisputed Elite takeover of the Men’s Bracket of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament remained on schedule as Kyle O’Reilly shined in his first solo match in AEW with a victory.
O’Reilly showed why he was a formidable threat as a singles competitor by utilizing his aggressive submission style to his advantage. However, he got the win with a brainbuster, followed by a diving knee for the 1, 2, 3.
Post-Match
Christian Cage met with Jungle Boy after the match, and gave him credit for the effort he gave, despite losing in the end.
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The Snake’s Price
MJF talked about how Wardlow was a snake, which led to the arrival of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, who told a story about he chased the money and it was the right time to do so. Lance Archer barged in and said that he wasn’t in this for the money. He just wanted to fight Wardlow.
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Match 4: HOOK vs. Anthony Henry
This match was a complete squash for HOOK, who dominated one half of the Workhorsemen in the manner that he knew best. With Tony Nese and “Smart” Mark Sterling observing from the crowd, HOOK got the win over Henry in his Dynamite debut after the Redrum submission hold was enough to make Henry tap.
Post-Match
Danhausen popped out from under the ring and got on the mic. He was upset that HOOK hasn’t been able to be cursed by him… so he challenged him to a match instead. Danhausen tried to back away from HOOK, who just pushed him away and walked off.
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SCU Forever
As Frankie Kazarian was interviewed about an upcoming match he was going to have with the new TNT Champion, Sammy Guevara, he was interrupted by Scorpio Sky.
Scorpio said that he had a lot of time to reflect since losing the TNT Title, and he realized that none of his success would be possible if it wasn’t for Kaz. He requested that Kaz do him a favor to wait a bit longer for the TNT Title challenge so that he can get a shot at Sammy. Scorpio promised Kaz that he would give him first dibs at the TNT Title if he beat Sammy in his match.
Frankie responded by saying he always had Scorpio’s back and seemingly agreed with his SCU friend’s request.
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America’s Most Hated Couple
Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti were already in the ring, basking in the boos they were getting from the fans. Sammy said that while he and Tay had love for each other and their fans, he didn’t share the same sentiment for those who turned their back on them. He told those fans: “Be Mad”.
Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page, and Dan Lambert interrupted the couple. Playing the faces in this scenario, Scorpio and Ethan had nothing but harsh things to say to Sammy and Tay, while Lambert mocked Sammy for wasting the hard work in getting the fans’ support to be a “high school douchebag” who couldn’t take his tongue out of his girl’s mouth. He threatened Ethan to give Scorpio the TNT Title match or face a vicious beating.
Sammy said that he didn’t give a shit about Lambert’s dead dad and that he’d accept Scorpio’s challenge on one condition – the long-awaited mixed-tag match between him and Tay vs. Scorpio and Paige VanZant. The Men of the Year agreed to the terms.
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The Sun Dies
We got a promo from House of Black where they threatened to beat down Fuego Del Sol sometime soon.
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Match 5: Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Danielle Kamela (Owen Hart Foundation Tournament – Women’s Bracket Qualifier)
Dr. Britt Baker made her first appearance on AEW TV for the first time since losing her AEW Women’s World Championship to Thunder Rosa over a month ago, doing so in style in her hometown.
Pittsburgh Steelers players Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth joined Dr. Britt in her entrance, with the DMD the clear hometown heroine in this Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier.
Kamela looked good and managed to have Dr. Britt on her toes for part of this match, but it would be the former AEW Women’s World Champion who’d prevail, using a Lockjaw with a Steelers-themed glove to make Kamela tap out for the win.
Post-Match
Baker took the mic after the match and addressed the “Brittsburgh” crowd, saying that the AEW Women’s Division was a disaster while she was gone. She singled out Ruby Soho, Toni Storm, and Jade Cargill in this promo.
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Match 6: Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo
The presumed blowoff between Darby and Andrade in the feared Coffin Match wrapped things up for Dynamite.
Andrade attempted to use the numbers game early, summoning The Blade and Marq Quen to do his dirty work to attack Darby. This assault found its way into the crowd, where Sting was lurking – naturally disguising himself by wearing a Sting mask. The Stinger evened up the odds and fought Quen and Blade to the best of his ability.
True to Sting’s current run in AEW, the Icon took center stage when he shrugged off a Marq Quen chair shot and followed that with a daring leap from the balcony and onto Quen and the Blade to take them out of the equation.
Darby would pick up the win after throwing Andrade into the coffin at ringside and fighting off Jose the Assistant before closing the lid on this main event match.
Post-Match
Matt and Jeff Hardy appeared on the stage to applaud Darby and Sting, again teasing a potential match between these two teams.
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4/22/22 AEW Rampage results
- Adam Cole def. Tomohiro Ishii via pinfall (12:00) after a Jay White distraction allowed for Cole to hit his favorite move, the punch to the balls. This gave him the opening to finish Ishii off with The Boom knee.
- The Jericho Appreciation Society (save for Daniel Garcia) were thrown out of the building ahead of Garcia’s match with Eddie Kingston. The J.A.S. protested angrily before being escorted from the arena.
- As he was being interviewed, HOOK walked into his locker room and saw Danhausen making a mess out of a big bag of chips. Angered at his chips being messed with, HOOK shoved Danhausen against a wall and said, “You wanted my attention? You’ve got it now…”
- Lance Archer def. Serpentico via pinfall (0:30) in a super quick squash. Post-match, Archer hit multiple chokeslams on Serpentico to send a message to Wardlow ahead of his match with him next week on Dynamite.
- Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia via pinfall (12:00) with the Backfist to the Future in a match where all outside interference was banned. After the match, Kingston teased whipping Garcia, but stopped short, saying that those whips are going to be saved for Chris Jericho.
- Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland vowed to annihilate Team Taz, saying that their war was far from over.
- Toni Storm didn’t care for Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter, saying that she’d meet the former in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament after she beats Hayter in the first round.
- Jade Cargill def. Marina Shafir via pinfall (12:00) to retain the TBS Championship in the Main Event of the evening. With the victory, Jade reached the 30-0 milestone in her time in AEW.
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We’ll get started with the obvious big news, that being the announcement of AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, slated for June 26th from Chicago’s United Center. This event represents a significant development in the two companies’ relationship to the point that they’re collaborating together on a huge supercard. New Japan standouts like Minoru Suzuki, Tomohiro Ishii, Jay White, Rocky Romero, KENTA and Yuji Nagata have previously made appearances on AEW programming, so it’ll be real interesting to see if we’ll get even more major names from NJPW appearing at Forbidden Door or even leading up to the event.
With that in mind, the dream matchups that could come at Forbidden Door are limitless. Could we see Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. go down? Will we have the GTS vs. G2S battle between CM Punk and KENTA finally happen? Time will tell, for sure.
CM Punk vs. Dustin Rhodes was a fantastic match and worthy of the “dream match” billing it received. At 53 years old, Dustin has been putting on a solid effort in the ring during his time in AEW. His match with Punk was no exception to that. He proved to everyone that he could still go, and I wouldn’t mind one last championship run with the TNT Title for Dustin before he hangs up the boots.
Meanwhile, the build towards Hangman Page vs. CM Punk finally began in earnest when the two had a silent staredown following Punk’s match. How alignments work out with this feud will be something to look out for, but I’d honestly prefer a face vs. face matchup between Hangman and Punk. Both wrestlers are popular with the fans and it’d be foolish to not lean into that by letting fans choose who’d they root for in an AEW World Title feud.
And speaking of alignments, it seemed that rather than fight negative crowd reactions, AEW has pivoted in making Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti clear cut heels. Their promo on Dynamite where they told fans who hated them to stay mad pretty much made the turn that more clear. This seemed to also turn Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page into faces – at least for the time being. That being said, I appreciated Scorpio approaching his old SCU friend Frankie Kazarian and respectfully asking him to give his TNT Title shot a pause while he went after Sammy.
The small touches being added to this Wardlow vs. MJF storyline – from the security leading Wardlow to the ring while cuffed and MJF hiring other hosses to do his dirty work – has made this quite a compelling angle to follow.
Wardlow vs. The Butcher was a hard-hitting and to the point match with big men indeed slapping meat. And next week, we’ll see the big man take on Lance Archer in what should be a brutal and violent encounter.
Here’s a look ahead at what you’ll be seeing on Dynamite tomorrow:
- Philadelphia Street Fight: Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida
- Wardlow vs. Lance Archer
- Owen Hart Foundation Qualifier: Dax Harwood vs. Cash Wheeler
- TNT Title Ladder Match: Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Scorpio Sky
- Adam Cole/reDRagon/Young Bucks vs. Dante Martin/Lee Johnson/Brock Anderson/Varsity Blonds
The card for Rampage has not been yet announced, so look for that to be revealed on Dynamite tomorrow.
That’s all for another installment of This Week in AEW. As always, enjoy the week of All Elite action and keep cool, gabagools.
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Marc Quill is the editor of RingCrashers, GateCrashers’ home for all your All Elite Wrestling and indie wrestling needs. He’s also the web novelist behind Skye Emery: Bluebird, which you can read here. You can chat with him about wrestling, comics, and stuff in general on @MarcQuill on Twitter.
