Kenny Omega has been out of action since he suffered from diverticulitis back in December. Tonight will mark his first appearance since then as he returns in his hometown with something on his mind to share. While it remains to be seen what he has to say, The Young Bucks kicked both him and "Hangman" Adam Page out of The Elite ultimately replacing them both with reigning AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry.
Adam Copeland has successfully retained the TNT Championship twice against Matt Cardona and Penta El Zero Miedo since he dethroned Christian Cage in an I Quit Match on the March 20 edition of "AEW Dynamite". Tonight will mark his third defense as he puts his title on the line against a member of the House of Black.
Chris Jericho defeated HOOK in a FTW Rules Match to become the new FTW Champion at AEW Dynasty on April 21. The following Wednesday on "Dynamite", he vented his frustrations with HOOK for opting to not take him up on his offer of mentorship and named both Katsuyori Shibata and Taz as reasons he was being held back which led to Shibata challenged Jericho to a title match. Tonight, such that will be coming to fruition.
Additionally, while Swerve Strickland may have dethroned Samoa Joe as AEW World Champion at Dynasty, he looks ahead as his first challenger at Double Or Nothing will be revealed tonight. Serena Deeb will also be returning to action on "Dynamite" as she goes one-on-one with Mariah May. Deeb and May came face-to-face last week when a physical altercation involving May, Anna Jay, Mina Shirakawa, and AEW Women's Champion Toni Storm ensued and Deeb appeared to put Storm on notice.
We are live! We head over to a message from Tony Khan in Jacksonville, Florida who is unable to travel due to The Young Bucks' attack on him last week. The Young Bucks then interrupt from the production truck and explain their contracts prevent them from being fired.
A special introduction video of The Elite introduces the show before Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone greet audiences at home. Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana make their way down to the ring.
Swerve Strickland Gets A New Challenge For The AEW World Championship
Strickland says he's had three matches on three shows in one week. He says that's the kind of AEW World Champion the company deserves, and that's the champion he's always said he'd be. He addresses The Young Bucks and calls them out for their actions with their attack on Tony Khan last week. The Young Bucks then appear on the Titan Tron, and Nicholas Jackson reminds Strickland that he isn't the only champion around here. Matthew Jackson then says Strickland needs some humility, and him and Nicholas have the perfect opponent in mind.
Christian Cage's music hits, and he makes his way down to the ring along with the rest of The Patriarchy. Cage looks to speak, but opts to hit Strickland with the microphone. He begins to beat him down, but Strickland fights back. He clocks Cage, Killswitch, and Nick Wayne. The Patriarchy overpowers him, and Cage lands Killswitch on Strickland on top of his AEW World Championship. Wayne then delivers Wayne's World to Nana.
Cage grabs a mic, and tells Strickland that there's something he should know about him and that's he never forgets. He says he hasn't forgotten that he broken into Wayne's gym or that he embarrassed him. He says he's been waiting for the right moment for him to answer to his mistakes, and there's no better time now that he's AEW World Champion.
Cage stomps on Strickland's head, then invokes Strickland's daughters names and says they won't have a father for the rest of their lives. He tells Strickland he'll rip the AEW World Championship out of his hands at AEW Double Or Nothing, and says the pain has just begun. Killswitch then pulls a piece of Strickland's hair out of his head, and Cage holds up the AEW World Championship.
Adam Copeland then makes his way down to the ring. House of Black follows.
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Buddy Matthews for the TNT Championship
The bell rings and the two lock up. They take turns locking one another submission holds before Matthews delivers a tijeras and a boot to Copeland's face. Copeland dumps Matthews out of the ring and connects with a tope suicida to level him.
Back from the break, Matthews delivers a hanging DDT to Copeland. He lands a series of boots on Copeland in the corner, but Copeland catches him with a flapjack. The two then teeter on the top rope, but knock each other down to the outside. The referee then begins a ten count, but both men beat it. They then exchange right hands with one another in the center of the ring before leveling one another with crossbodies. Matthews then begins to bleed from his mouth.
Back from another break, Copeland rains down right and left hands on Matthews in the corner. Matthews responds with a sit-out powerbomb, and the two end up back on the top rope. Copeland pushes Matthew off, but Matthews joins him back up there. He connects with the Impaler and goes for a pin, but Matthews kicks out. Copeland sets up for a spear, but Matthews avoids it and delivers three knees. He hits a Jackhammer and locks in a crossface. Copeland escapes and sends Matthews crashing into the mat.
Copeland looks to land a spear, but Matthews moves out of the way and sends Copeland crashing into the ring post. Matthews delivers a Go To Sleep, but Copeland responds by hitting a spear for the win.
Winner (and still): Adam Copeland
After the match, Copeland fires off right and left hands on Matthews. He grabs a pair of chairs and gets inside the ring with them, then clocks Matthews with one of the chairs. Copeland lays Matthews' head on one of them, but before he can deliver the Con-Chair-To, the lights go out. When they come back on Malakai Black is inside the ring and tells Copeland to do it. Copeland looks to hit Matthews with the chair, but the lights go out again and when they come back on, Matthews and Black are gone from the ring.
Back from the break, Samoa Joe makes his way down to the ring. Isiah Kassidy follow.
Samoa Joe vs. Isiah Kassidy
The bell rings and Kassidy strikes Joe. He tells Joe he doesn't want any of this, and Joe responds by landing a back body drop and firing off right and left hands. Kassidy ends up on the outside and Joe looks to fly, but Kassidy slides back into the ring to avoid him. He sends Joe's head bouncing off the top turnbuckle and looks to fly, but Joe moves out of the way and Kassidy is sent crashing into the floor. Joe looks to sent Kassidy crashing into the mat with a pop-up powerbomb, but Kassidy dropkicks him into the corner and looks to deliver a Monkey Flip. Joe blocks him and hits the Muscle Buster for the win.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Back from the break, Orange Cassidy makes his way down to the ring.
We Hear From Orange Cassidy
Cassidy says he thought after Saturday on "AEW Rampage" that when Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta faced off in a Parking Lot Brawl, they'd get everything out of their systems and stand together in the ring again. He says that's never going to happen, and he's been told that because of what Beretta did to Taylor after the match, Taylor will never wrestle again. Cassidy puts Beretta on notice.
Beretta then makes his way down to the ring, and says Cassidy is making things about himself again. He says he's making someone's career ending about him again. Cassidy charges at Beretta, but security runs down to hold him back. Kris Statlander appears to hold Cassidy back as Beretta continues to berate him. He whispers something to Cassidy and guides him to the back as Statlander watches on in confusion. Beretta then holds a thumbs up to mock Cassidy.
Chris Jericho then makes his way down to the ring. Katsuyori Shibata follows.
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the FTW Championship in a FTW Rules Match
The bell rings and the two lock up. They take turns locking one another in submission holds and exchange chops before Jericho sends Shibata crashing into the mat and connects with a springboard moonsault. He grabs a garbage can lid from under the ring and hits Shibata with it, then grabs a bag from under the ring. He dumps it out to reveal several hockey pucks, then looks to send Shibata crashing onto them.
Shibata prevents him from doing so and sends Jericho crashing onto them, then delivers a suplex to him on top of them. Shibata delivers a series of chops to Jericho, then challenges Jericho to return the favor. Jericho does, and Shibata keeps hitting him with them.
Back from the break, Shibata fires off right hands on Jericho and delivers a chop. He charges at Jericho in the corner, but Jericho throws a hockey puck at him. He locks in The Liontamer, but Shibata counters into a Figure Four Leg Lock. Jericho grabs a hockey puck and throws it at Shibata's face to break the hold, then grabs a garbage can and a kendo stick. He sticks the garbage can on Shibata's head, then hits it repeatedly with the kendo stick. Shibata slowly makes his way up to his feet and corners Jericho as he continues hitting him with the kendo stick. Shibata then hits Jericho with the garbage can and lands stomps on Jericho, then sets it up on his chest and delivers a dropkick to him.
Shibata grabs a kendo stick of his own, and sits down cross legged in the ring. Jericho follows suit, and the pair hit one another with the kendo stick. Shibata lands a back suplex to Jericho on top of the hockey pucks, then grabs a table from under the ring. He sets it up in the corner and fires off more chops on Jericho, then charges at him in the corner with the table. Jericho counters into a codebreaker and goes for a pin, but Shibata kicks out. Shibata delivers a chop to Jericho, then sets up the table in the corner.
Big Bill appears in the ring and levels Shibata with a boot. He then chokeslams him through the table. Jericho then pins him for the win.
Winner (and still): Chris Jericho
Back from the break, Claudio Castagnoli makes his way down to the ring. Brian Cage and Prince Nana follow.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana)
The bell rings and the pair look to level one another with clotheslines and elbows. Cage connects with an uppercut and a jackhammer, then lands a tijeras and a dropkick. Castagnoli lands a kick on Cage's face, then hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a forearm. Cage delivers a kick to Castagnoli, then gets him up on his shoulders. Castagnoli escapes and delivers a bodyslam, then lands a double stomp on Cage. Cage then suplexes Castagnoli into the ring from the apron.
Back from the break, Cage lands a thrust kick and dials it up for a 619. He turns Castagnoli inside out with a discus lariat, but Castagnoli responds with a European Uppercut. He then delivers a series of strikes and a boot to his jaw, but Cage lands a boot of his own. Castagnoli lands a second boot on Cage and sends him crashing into the middle rope, then dials it up for a 619. Castagnoli lands a pop-up uppercut and executes The Swing, then locks in the Sharpshooter. Cage taps out.
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli
Back from the break, Mariah May, Toni Storm, and Luther make their way down to the ring. Luther follows.
Serena Deeb vs. Mariah May (w/ Toni Storm and Luther)
The bell rings and the two lock up. Deeb delivers a dropkick to May and follows it up with a shoulder tackle, then locks in a submission. May connects with a forearm and a tijeras, then lands a dropkick.
Back from the break, Deeb delivers a neckbreaker to May through the middle rope. Deeb follows it up with a swinging neckbreaker and an uppercut, then hits a German suplex. May lands a roundhouse kick on Deeb's head from the apron, then ascends to the top and delivers a missile dropkick. She lands the Hip Attack and goes for a pin, but Deeb kicks out. May then connects with It's Gonna Be May before pinning Deeb. Deeb counters into a pinfall of her own, but May kicks out. May lands a headbutt and a T-Bone suplex, but Deeb hits a Half Boston Crab. She wrenches it in, and Storm throws a white towel in the ring.
Winner: Serena Deeb
Kenny Omega then makes his way down to the ring.
We Hear From Kenny Omega
Omega says he's never been good at talking about injuries. He recalls being told by doctors that he was 24 hours away from dying from diverticulitis, and asking them to patch him up to return back to AEW. He says the doctors told him it wasn't that simple, and they had to get what was in out of him. He says if they didn't catch the issue now, the doctors told him it would be a ticking time bomb and any blunt force trauma would send him back to the hospital and into surgey. He recalls being scared and thinking of himself as a coward, then says he thought he would have to explain to fans he would have to retire.
Omega says he turned on AEW to watch AEW Dynasty, and says he saw Swerve Stickland make history and Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay put on one of the best matches of his life. He recalls watching his hands shake and questions if he was really scared of being a wrestler. He says he realized that everyone is scared of something when he heard fans chanting for him and Justin Roberts announcing him. He says he needs to be in the ring, and says he's already been forgotten from the conversation of being one of the best of all time. He promises that his career isn't over until he exhausts every option, and says he made a mission statement to change the world.
Omega the addresses The Young Bucks, and says while they're free to kick him out of The Elite as EVPs, he's still an EVP in AEW. He says part of the power in AEW still belongs to him.
Kazuchika Okada's music hits, and he makes his way down to the ring. Omega says it's funny because they had a rivalry in Japan. He says to give him a couple months so they can run it back in an AEW ring. Okada says he's the best built machine now.
Jack Perry blindsides him from behind, and Okada hands him a chair from under the ring. He hands it over to Perry, and security appears. Perry clocks them, but Omega hits him with a Snap Dragon suplex. He grabs his stomach and runs the ropes, but Okada distracts him. Perry clocks him in the stomach with a chair as The Young Bucks join Perry and Okada in the ring. The Bucks land the EVP Trigger on Omega. FTR's music hits, and Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler run down to the ring. The Elite retreats up the ramp.