AEW delivered a star-studded show with the December 28 episode of AEW Dynamite.
The Elite faced Death Triangle in the sixth bout of their best-of-seven series. Plus, Wardlow challenged Samoa Joe for the TNT Championship, and Jon Moxley teamed up with Claudio Castagnoli to face Top Flight. Elsewhere on the show, Bryan Danielson battled Ethan Page, and the team of Tay Melo & Anna Jay A.S. clashed with Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale.
Bryan Danielson vs. Ethan Page (with Stokely Hathaway)
Before the match starts, AEW World Champion MJF, sitting in the luxury box, distracts Danielson, and Page attacks “The American Dragon.” Page controls the beginning of the bout, but Danielson rallies. He drills Page with some kicks, but “All Ego” chops him. Danielson fires back with some kicks and stomps Page’s legs in the surfboard position. He stomps on Page’s Achilles. Page drops Danielson with a back elbow. Danielson takes Page down with a missile dropkick. Hathaway distracts Danielson, who evades a charging Page and sends him to the outside. “The American Dragon” dives onto Page and stares down Hathaway. Page capitalizes and drills Danielson with a big boot. “All Ego” grounds Danielson and blasts him with a stiff shot to the face. Danielson takes him down with a German suplex.
The two stars trade blows. Danielson gains momentum with a hurricanrana off the top rope. Danielson sends him to the outside and goes for his running knee off the apron, but Hathaway shoves Page out of the way. Page slams Danielson onto the floor. Back in the ring, Danielson catches Page with a DDT and rocks him with a kick. He locks in the LeBell Lock, but Page reaches the ropes. Danielson reverses an avalanche slam once, but Page hits it on a second attempt. Page goes for the Ego’s Edge, but Danielson reverses and hits the running knee. He stomps Page’s head and locks in the Regal Stretch. The referee calls for the bell, as Page is out.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Wardlow is interviewed about his TNT Championship match against Samoa Joe, and the champion attacks him with a baseball bat.
Hangman Page is asked for a medical update, and he says it’s a week-to-week situation. He doesn’t have a firm answer about his condition. The doctor says Page could return in two weeks if he stays on track, but that could change if he keeps fighting Moxley.
Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) vs. Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli
Dante and Darius take the fight to Moxley and Castagnoli, but the Blackpool Combat Club members overpower them. Moxley and Castagoli take control and isolate Darius. “Mox” chops Darius. Dante makes the hot tag and clears house with a flurry of offense. Moxley seemingly hurts his knee, and Darius slams him into the barricade. He grounds the former world champion and targets his knee. Mox gains some breathing room, and Castagnoli makes the hot tag. He drills Dante with a series of European uppercuts. Castagnoli sends Darius swinging with the Giant Swing. Dante rolls him up for a two count. Darius drops Claudio with a spinning DDT.
Moxley breaks up a pinfall attempt. Dante trades strikes with Castagnoli. The Martin brothers kick Claudio. Darius hits a Spanish Fly for a two count. Castagnoli gets a two count with the Neutralizer. Claudio elbows Darius until he’s seemingly unconscious. Moxley hits the Paradigm Shift on Dante on the outside. Claudio nails Dante with a European Uppercut.
Winners: Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli
Kip Sabian is backstage with Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends. Sabian wants a shot at the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. Trent Beretta points out that he deserves a title shot because he eliminated Sabian from the battle royale on Rampage. Cassidy agrees to give him a title shot on Rampage.
HOOK vs. Baylum Lynx
HOOK dominates Lynx and suplexes him. He locks in the Redrum for the easy win.
Winner: HOOK
Stokely Hathaway, Big Bill, and Lee Moriarty walk down the ramp, and he says he’s the Southwest Airlines of AEW because he won’t be able to get the job done against his guys. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry comes charging into the scene and attacks Moriarty. He helps HOOK fend off Big Bill.
A video package recaps Chris Jericho’s past few weeks, including his loss to Action Andretti. In a promo, Jericho vowed to take Ricky Starks to school when they face off next week.
Backstage, Renee Paquette interviews Swerve Strickland and Mogul Affiliates and says everyone will find out more about the mystery member of the group soon. Wheeler Yuta confronts Strickland and challenges him to a match on Rampage.
Best Of Seven Series: Match Six (Falls Count Anywhere): The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) vs. Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo)
Don Callis joins the broadcast team for the match. The two teams start brawling backstage. Penta dishes out punishment with a garbage can. Pac dives off some equipment and onto Omega and the Bucks. Matt drills PAC with a superkick. Nick sends Penta through a table with a dive and seemingly hurts his arm on the landing. The match finally makes its way into the arena as the teams fight on the stage. Fenix dives off the entrance tunnel and onto the Bucks. Omega levels Fenix with the V-trigger. PAC plants Omega with a German suplex on the ramp. Matt hits PAC with several northern lights suplexes. Penta and Nick brawl into the crowd. PAC and Omega are left alone in the ring for a minute before Penta comes in. Death Triangle gains the upper hand, and they hit a triple dropkick on Omega. The former world champion rallies. Matt Jackson drops Penta with a destroyer. Omega takes PAC down with a snap dragon. He hits PAC with a trash can, puts it on his head and hits a V-trigger.
Omega hits a powerbomb for a two count. The Lucha Brothers hit Omega with the Fear Factor on the floor. Fenix fires up and takes The Elite down by himself with an explosive flurry of offensive. Nick throws a chair at PAC’s head. The Young Bucks hit the BTE Trigger on Penta for a two count. PAC dodges a kick, forcing Nick to kick Matt. Omega hits an avalanche One-Winged Angel on Fenix through a table for the win, just as PAC has Matt locked in the Brutalizer and on the verge of tapping out.
Winners: The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks)
The Acclaimed drop a new music video about Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal; Caster raps and references Jarrett’s time in WWF and TNA. He shifts his attention to Jay Lethal and drops lines about his run in ROH and his “Black Machismo” character.
Tay Melo & Anna Jay A.S. vs. Ruby Soho & Willow Nightingale
Melo and Nightingale start the bout and feel each other out. Willow gains the upper hand, but Melo tags herself in. Jay A.S. tags in as well. Soho unloads on her with a series of right hands. Willow tags back in and double-teams Jay with Soho. Jay gains the upper hand, as she and Melo isolate Willow in the corner. They continue to control the action, but Willow rallies. Soho tags in and clears house as she takes the fight to Melo. She drills Melo with a series of strikes. Ruby drills Melo with the No Future for a two count. Willow takes Jay down with a clothesline and eats a pump kick. Soho dumps Melo with a backdrop suplex. Melo and Jay double-team Soho, and Willow breaks up a pin attempt. Willow and Jay brawl at ringside. In the ring, Melo and Soho trade strikes. Jay gets a chair and goes to hit willow, but referee Aubrey Edwards stops her. With the referee distracted, Melo kicks a chair into Soho’s face and hits the Tay-KO for the win.
Winners: Tay Melo & Anna Jay A.S.
Backstage, The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) leave early and say they’ll address their win over FTR next week.
In an interview, Ricky Starks shares his thoughts ahead of his match with Chris Jericho and vows to get revenge for Action Andretti. He says he’s a star that Jericho can’t control. Starks promises to whoop Jericho’s ass and bring him down several matches.
TNT Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
Wardlow doesn’t come out at first, but he eventually makes his way to the ring. He takes the fight to Joe, but it’s clear that his leg is bothering him. The challenger drops Joe with a spinebuster and continues to control the match. Joe slams Wardlow to the mat. Wardlow fires up with a clothesline. Joe takes Wardlow down with a knee-breaker. The ringside doctor checks on Wardlow, and it’s clear that he’s in pain. He eventually limps back into the ring, and the fight is back on, but Joe again targets the vulnerable leg. He battles Wardlow on the top rope, and the challenger knocks him down. Wardlow hits a Swanton Bomb, but in doing so, he clearly aggravates his knee injury. Wardlow rallies with two German suplexes. He hits the Whisper in the Wind but hurts his knee again on the landing. Joe goes for the Coquina Clutch, but Wardlow escapes. Joe hits a Dragon screw and chops Wardlow in the corner. Wardlow floors Joe with a powerbomb. He goes for the Powerbomb Symphony, but his leg gives out. Joe hits a chop block and locks in the Coquina Clutch until Wardlow passes out.
Winner and still TNT Champion: Samoa Joe
Joe attacks Wardlow after the bell and gets a tool box. He takes out some scissors and headbutts the referee. Joe then cuts Wardlow’s hair. Darby Allin charges into the ring and hits Joe in the back with a skateboard.