Tons of rumors swirling around tonight’s show so let’s get to it!
- Riho vs. Willow Nightingale
- Eddie Kingston, PAC, & Penta el Zero Miedo vs. The Elite
- Jay White vs. Darby Allin
- LionHook vs. Gates of Agony
- AEW World Heavyweight Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
AEW Dynamite: Big Business
Live from the TD Garden Arena in Boston, Massachusetts! Taz, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary and Renee is in the back with a breakdown of the show as a brand new Mercedes pulls up… and we head to the ring!
It’s BOSS TIME! C E O. C E O. C E O.
Mercedes Mone is here! The entire arena is chanting C E O are Mercedes is moved to tears.
“Bostonnnnnn! I’m home!”
“Welcome home!”
Mercedes thanks the fans and says they’re the reason she’s here, saying there are many more moments and milestones to come. If the fans only knew how much tonight means to her, how much the fans mean, and how much wrestling means. Wrestling has changed her life, saved her life. Mercedes says guys like Eddie Guerrero led her to chase her dreams, like main eventing a PPV, and leading a revolution. Mercedes has been watching AEW week after week, and she can’t wait to tear it up with them. Let’s start with tonight’s main event… Riho vs. Willow Nightingale (that’s the main event?).
Mercedes has a lot of unfinished business with Willow, but until then… Mercedes Mone is All Elite.
Renee is with Samoa Joe. Joe says tonight smells like Money, and debts need to be paid. Joe don’t lose championships at the garden.
Adam Cole is shown reading from a book in his private library. Cole reads a story about Wardlow that ends with him becoming champion.
Match #1. AEW World Heavyweight Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow
Wardlow jumps Joe early and bounces his head off the LED board on the outside. Wardlow rips up a sign at ringside and spinebusters Joe back inside the ring. Joe responds with some jabs and a running back elbow after Wardlow misses a corner charge. More jabs by Joe and a splash in the corner, followed by an enziguiri in the corner. Chops by Joe now as he sets Wardlow up on the top rope. Joe looks for an avalanche back suplex but Wardlow fights him off and takes him out with his version of Whisper in the Wind! Two count. Huge dropkick by Wardlow and a body slam. Joe runs into a back elbow and walks away from a Wardlow dive, but Wardlow lures him in with a shoulder block from the middle rope. Manhattan drop and a running boot by Joe followed up by a senton. Two count. Snap powerslam by Joe gets two. Joe looks for a running powerslam but Wardlow escapes out the back but his knee buckles. The referee checks the knee but Wardlow goes to Joe’s eyes behind the referee’s back… but then in front of the referee. Draping knee to the face by Wardlow off the top. Wardlow misses a senton and Joe tries to mount him with punches in the corner, but Wardlow counters with a big powerbomb. Wardlow drops the straps but Joe ducks underneath and locks in the Kokina Klutch. Wardlow goes out!
Winner and STILL AEW World Heavyweight Champion: Samoa Joe
Rating: **3/4. Big ol’ hoss fight here, but some awkward spots throughout. Looks like there was a clash of heads after the Mariposa so that may have had something to do with it. Good win for Joe, though.
Swerve appears on the stage and takes out security with the chain wrapped around his hand. Joe escapes with the belt.
Alex Marvez catches up with The Elite and Okada makes him sing Happy Birthday to Matt.
Match #2. Eddie Kingston, Penta, & PAC vs. The Elite
Kingston and Okada to start, but Okada tags out, so Pac tags in now. Pac with a powerslam and a backbreaker to Matt. Penta makes the tag and rolls in the ring but right into a cutter from Nick. Superkick by Penta and another one as he sends Nick up and over. Twisting DVD by Penta gets two. Enziguiri by Penta and a running boot in the corner by Pac. Double dropkick by 2/3 of Death Triangle. Penta and Pac take turns superkicking Matt and then hit a diving dropkick to the bunghole off the top. Kingston and Okada tagged in and here we go! Crowd comes to the their feet as Kingston chops the chest… hard. Elbows by Okada. Kingston runs into the dropkick. Kingston sends both Bucks to the apron but a triple dropkick/superkick combo from The Elite stops that. Kingston in trouble throughout the PIP, as The Elite make quick tags and isolate him from his corner. Kingston catches Matt with an Exploder but Nick and Okada pull his partners off the apron, and Okada pretends to be Kingston’s partner before nailing him. Penta gets the tag eventually and it’s a double crossbody to the Bucks and Slingblades to everyone. Cazedora into a double DDT by Penta. Thrust kick to Okada and a shotgun dropkick by Pac. Double dives by the former Death Triangle members. Springboard 450 by Pac to Nick gets two. Kingston tags himself in and drops the straps, begging for Okada to attack and he does. Chops by Kingston but Okada ducks a backfist and DDT’s Kingston. Running Destroyer by Pac. Superkick by Nick. Kingston drops Nick on the top rope, throat-fist. Back hand to Matthew but Nick kicks Kingston low behind the referee’s back, and Okada finishes this one with the Rainmaker!
Winners: The Elite
Rating: ***1/2. Give this match about ten more minutes, please. Great stuff here and the story of Kingston being obsessed with Okada was the thread throughout. Bucks changing their offense is a nice touch to their bad guy-ness.
Tony Schiavone welcomes Will Ospreay to the ring to a huge ovation. “Bruv” chants echo through the arena. Ospreay says he respects Danielson and his passion for the business. Ospreay says after his match with Omega, everyone was talking about the Tiger Driver 91. No regard for their body, bruv. Was it worth it, Danielson asked? Yeah bruv, it was. The moment that Ospreay stepped foot in AEW, they talked talked about restoring the feeling? BRUV, HE IS THE FEELING. ONLY ONE MAN WALKS OUT OF THAT ARENA AND AEW IS ABOUT THE BEST WRESTLERS VS. THE BEST WRESTLERS. It’s your life, or it’s mine, and Ospreay don’t plan on dying, Bruv. April 21st, it’s about finding out who is the best wrestler in the world, and his name is Will Ospreay and he is on another level!
Deonna Purrazzo says it isn’t over with Toni Storm, and she wants to find a tag partner to take on Toni and Mariah May next week.
Match #3. Darby Allin vs. Jay White w/ The Bang Bang Gang
Darby is covered in medical tape here, as per he nearly died about 9 days ago. White attacks the injured back and midsection early. Unbelievably hard chops by White but Darby responds with a snap mare and a shotgun dropkick. White gets sent to the outside and Darby follows up with a somersault plancha off the top rope! Suicide dive by Darby on the opposite site of the ring! Darby sets White up on a chair in the corner of the guardrails, but White stops him and sends him hard into the chair with an overhead half-and-half suplex! White now hammer throws Darby over the steps and HARD into the LED board. White is in control throughout the commercial break, working the injured body of Darby. Chops by White to the taped up back of Darby, who just nine days ago, went through a huge pane of glass from the top of a ladder. White misses a Stinger Splash and Darby looks for the over-the-top Stunner, White counters, Darby counters, and finally gets it. Running sunset flip bomb. Two count. Last Supper by Darby for a count of 2.999999. Darby looks for a springboard Coffin Splash but White catches him and plants him with a German suplex. High angle Uranage by White for two. White now digs the fingernails in the back of Darby but Darby ducks underneath and catches him with a Scorpion Death Drop for a two count. Coffin Drop but White crawls to the apron and Darby tries for it anyway, but White moves. Darby lands 1/4 on the apron and just crumbles to the ground at an unbelievable rate of speed. Jeez. Darby, somehow, makes it in by the count of nine but right into Bladerunner. One, two, three!
Winner: Jay White
Rating: ***1/2. Similar to the previous trios match, I could go for another ten minutes of this one. These two guys had a solid match and feels like there is a lot more meat on the bone. White is gaining some momentum.
After the match, Bang Bang Gang go to shake Darby’s hand but White holds the finger gun to his head and they all attack. White wraps a chair around the ankle of Darby and looks to smash it with a bat, but The Acclaimed make the save. All six men have a discussion in the ring as Max Caster and Anthony Bowens carry Darby to the back. Daddy Ass tells Jay White this is BS and White takes a chair and cracks him in the heat. Caster and Bowens see the attack and hit the ring, but the Bang Bang Gang leave them laying. Darby gets dragged back to the ring and his ankle shattered, for good measure.
Match #4. LionHook vs. Gates of Agony
Double suplex to Kaun. Double suplex to Toa. Toa tags himself in and clears the ring, as Kaun attacks Jericho on the outside. Jericho ducks a double clothesline but Toa hits the POUNCEEEEE. Two count. Jericho ducks a charge from Kaun and catches him with a big boot. Lionsault by Jericho and a hot tag to Hook. Hook takes Kaun out with a pair of suplexes and a double clutch Exploder. Toa gets low bridged and a Northern Light’s suplex to Kaun with a bridge for two. Toa makes the save but Jericho comes off the top with a jumping axe handle. German suplex, albeit with some struggle, to Toa. Kaun is in with a gutbuster on Hook. Two count. Hook looks for the RedRum on Kaun but Toa grabs the arm. Jericho grabs Toa, drags him outside, and posts him. Hook now snatches up the RedRum on Kaun and Jericho assists with a Walls of Jericho, but Toa gets on the apron and Jericho hits him with the double jump dropkick. Kaun taps to the RedRum.
Winners: LionHook
Rating: *3/4. This was… not great. Lots of awkward spots in the beginning and it just never felt like they got into a rhythm.
Renee is with Kyle O’Reilly. Kyle says the last two years were the darkest days of his life, and he wonders if he can still hang. Bounty Hunter Brian Keith, in Ottawa, he can bring out the old Kyle O’Reilly.
KYLE!
Roderick Strong is here with the Undisputed Kingdom. Roddy says he’s got a ton of respect for Kyle, and if he wants to do it on his own… he’s got his blessing.
Jericho says that Hook showed him he’s got world champ potential, but Jericho needs to know what it’s like to stand across from Hook. Hook agrees, next week.
Match #5. Riho vs. Willow Nightingale w/ Kris Statlander
Low cross body by Willow but Riho bridges out and hits a dropkick. Running knee by Riho in the corner. Make that two. Willow blocks a third and misses a running senton. Avalanche by Willow and a snap suplex for two. Tieres by Riho sends Willow to the middle rope. Tiger Feint Kick. Diving crossbody by Riho for two. Willow looks for the Babe with the Powerbomb but Riho huricanranas herself out. Nothern Light’s suplex by Riho and Willow lands high on her shoulders. Two count. Diving double stomp by Riho misses and Willow pounces her clear out of the ring. Running cannonball by Willow off the apron but Riho moves and Willow lands hard on the floor! Double foot stomp by Riho, running off the apron. Dragon suplex on the apron by Riho! Diving double foot stomp off the top! Two count. Riho misses a running knee strike, then hits one, but Willow bounces off the middle rope and connects with a huge lariat. Babe with the Powerbomb by Willow but Riho counters with a back body drop, Willow holds on, and THEN hits the BWTPB! One, two, three!
Winner: Willow Nightingale
Rating: ***. These women were short on time b
After the match, both women embrace and Willow enjoys her victory.
LIGHTS OUT.
Julia Hart is on the ramp as Skye Blue chop blocks Willow from behind. Julia wants to hit Willow in the face with the title but Mercedes Mone is here to make the save! Big elbow for Skye Blue on the ramp and a… I forget the name of it, but the Gory Bomb into a DDT to Julia! Willow and Mercedes embrace as we go off the air.
Final Thoughts: Tonight was… as advertised. Big. Business. Crowd was ELECTRIC for Mercedes and she already feels like she’s going to be a game changer. Ospreay, too, is undeniably over in just a short amount of time. The wrestling was pretty good tonight, but it feels like a few of the matches were cut a bit short when they were on their way to something special. Kingston vs. Okada is on the horizon, Ospreay vs. Danielson, Swerve vs. Samoa Joe… lots of good stuff that was built tonight. 7.75/10.