AEW ventures across the pond for a big week, starting tonight!
- Chris Jericho vs. Tommy Billington
- Serpentico vs. Michael Oku
- AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Saraya
- AEW Continental Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
- Darby Allin & FTR vs. The Elite
Make sure to keep refreshing the page as the most recent results are below!
AEW Dynamite 8/21/24
From the Utilita Arena Cardiff in Cardiff, Wales, UK! Tony Schiavone is in the ring and we’re having ourselves a contract signing.
Britt Baker is out first, and here comes Mercedes Mone with Kamille. Say hello to your CEO, Cardiff. Mone says that Baker is the past and she will forever be the future. Baker reminds Mone of her role at All In last year. Mone says she inspired Baker to become a wrestler but she had to get a little degree to fall back on, so is Baker really “all in”? Mone says she doesn’t have the guts to go all in, and she will never beat her.
The guts? Baker says she had the guts, the hard, and the balls, and she never had a plan B… she had two plan bs. Baker says Mone was one of four, but Baker is one of one and she’s the baddest bitch on the block. Baker says the person that Mone used to be is gone, and she cares more about money than the product, and the legacy that inspired future stars like Britt Baker. Baker doesn’t know where that girl went… but Baker hopes she finds her fast. Baker wants to beat that version of Mone, not the one we see now. Baker says she’s going to follow the rules they agreed to, but this other bitch is getting on her nerves! Baker cracks Kamille in the head with the mic and dives off the table on both women.
The Learning Tree are in the back with Renee. Jericho wants to know what right Tommy Billington has to call himself the Dynamite Kid? Are you as good as the original? Jericho doesn’t think so, and he hopes Hook is watching.
Match #1. Chris Jericho w/ Bryan Keith & Big Bill vs. Tommy Billington
Billington comes out to The British Bulldogs music and here we go. Arm drags by Billington to start. Crowd is super lively tonight, by the way. Billington breaks a wrist lock by going over the top and tries a few shoulder blocks to no avail, until the third one, which drops Jericho. Body slam by Billington and a shotgun dropkick off the top. Both guys roll to the outside and Jericho distracts the referee, allowing Bill to post Billington as we go to PIP. Jericho in control now throughout the commercial. Double crossbody in the middle of the ring and both guys are down. Clotheslines by Billington and a scoop slam. Billington misses a dropkick and Jericho takes advantage with a Lionsault. Two count. German suplex by Jericho and now the Walls of Jericho are locked in. Snap suplex by Billington and a tombstone piledriver! Billington heads up top for the headbutt but changes course and takes out Bryan Keith are ringside. Billington sidesteps Big Bill and goes back up top. Jericho meets Billington in mid-air with a Code Breaker! One, two, three.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: **1/2. Technically sound match here that didn’t overstay it’s welcome. Billington got a chance to showcase some of what he can do, but Jericho wasn’t in much trouble here and he shouldn’t have been.
Jericho takes the mic. Hook is a stupid bastard, and Jericho hopes he’s watching.
Here’s Hook. Both guys stand face-to-face and Big Bill blasts Jericho from behind. Huge chokeslam by Bill.
Match #2. AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Saraya
Headlock takeover by Storm and a roll up for two. A World of Sport style back and forth here as Saraya bails to the outside and we reset. Saraya pulls Storm through the ropes and knees her in the face a bunch. Cameron throws Storm into the guardrail and Saraya comes off the apron with a cannonball… as we go to PIP. Saraya was in control until Storm dropped her with a headbutt and now a big DDT by Storm. Fisherman’s suplex by Storm, with a bridge, gets a two count, Storm wants Storm Zero but Saraya blocks it and counters with the Knightcap. Two count. Both women head up top now as Saraya connects with a Sunset Flip powerbomb. Elevated spike DDT by Saraya! Storm grabs the bottom rope at 2.99. Sky High by Storm for two. Harley Cameron gets on the ropes but Storm kisses her on the mouth and Saraya catches her with an elbow by accident. Storm gets the roll up for two. Storm Zero! That’ll do it.
Winner and STILL AEW Women’s World Champion: Toni Storm
Rating: **3/4. Strong win for Storm, five days before she defends her title against May this weekend. Glad Saraya got a chance to wrestle in the UK, as well.
Mariah May is here and she blasts Toni Storm from behind with a shoe, before coddling her and then mocking her pose.
Renee is here with The Conglomeration. Mark Briscoe does Mark Briscoe things and runs down The Conglomeration’s participation at All In and then challenges The Undisputed Kingdom to a match on Collision.
Here’s Will Ospreay, and now, MJF. Ospreay talks about some British television show that goes over my head, and then there’s a Barry Scott reference which I also don’t get… but the crowd does, and that’s what’s important. MJF doesn’t look impressed. MJF says jampacked arenas have chanted his name louder than Ospreay’s. MJF calls Ospreay a flip merchant and then puts over the kangaroo kick. Great stuff. MJF says top brass in AEW and Warner Brothers begged him to come back early from injury, and he calls Ospreay arrogant. Ospreay refutes the statement and puts over AEW. Fans and wrestlers giggled when they saw MJF was champion, and the joke went on too long, and everyone forgot what AEW was about.
*There’s a remake Dino Crissi sign in the crowd and by the way, I’m all for it*
Ospreay says Tony Khan called him to remind people what professionalism looked like and asked him to put on a good match because he can’t rely on MJF to do it. Woof. Ospreay says AEW is meant to be the alternative and to cater to the fans. It’s not about restoring the International Championship, it’s about restoring the feeling, and bruv… OSPREAY IS THE FEELING.
MJF says he actually believed TK when he said the company would be safe in Ospreay’s hands when he was out injured. MJF says the fans here only know who Ospreay is because they’re redcoat terrorists Everyone knows who MJF is, and everyone agrees MJF is the best wrestler on God’s green earth. Who told Ospreay he was the best in the world? Ospreay says the fans did. MJF says the fans don’t know anything, and facts are more important than feelings. Ospreay has the only move that may be able to beat MJF, the Tiger Driver, but he’s too much of a coward to use it. Ospreay says to go any country and they’ll tell you who the best is. Ospreay says it took MJF four years to get the fans love, and it took him four beats of his music.
MJF loses his cool and says the fans loved him until Ospreay got there! Whoops. MJF says in every way he fell short being the face of AEW, Ospreay excelled. MJF says he got a chance to meet Will’s wife and so-called kid, and he says so-called because the child is his wife’s from a previous marriage. MJF says the next kid that Ospreay’s wife has won’t be his either. Ospreay asks Tony Schiavone how much the fine is for hitting him, and it’s 100 pounds. Ospreay is fine with it and blasts MJF, as security tires to intervene. The security distraction allows MJF to put on the Dynamite Diamond Ring and blast Ospreay with it. MJF destroys the rest of the security and hits the brainbuster on Ospreay. MJF teases the Tiger Driver but the security, including Christopher Daniels, make the save.
Renee is in the back with Hangman Page. Page is in the Casino Gauntlet at All In and he will run over anyone who gets in his way. Like his old pal Evil Uno, who he proceeds to blast with a chair and drag his bag over.
Match #3. AEW Continental Crown: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio ducks a Rainmaker and connects with a European uppercut. Back body drop by Okada but Claudio lands on his feet… and we reset. Running back elbow by Okada, followed by a body slam and a senton from the apron. The fight quickly moves to the outside, where Claudio gets thrown into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Okada locks in a figure-four but Claudio fights out. Claudio muscles up Okada with a very delayed vertical suplex and a series of European uppercuts in the corner. Claudio thinks about the Giant Swing but Okada boots him in the face and rolls to the outside. Big running European uppercut on the outside before Claudio rolls Okada back inside and gets a two count. Okada asks Claudio to hit him and he does, as both guys trade big elbows to the face. DDT by Okada and a running back elbow in the corner. Neckbreaker by Okada gets two. Claudio blocks a tombstone and hits a big European uppercut. Claudio clotheslines Okada over the top and to the floor! Okada ducks a clothesline and posts Claudio on the floor. Okada rolls Claudio back in the ring but takes too long, as Claudio is able to turn the tables and synch in the Sharpshooter. Okada tries to fight his way out and Claudio transitions to a crossface. Okada shifts his hips and breaks the grip. Two count. Deadlift gut wrench by Claudio and a running double stomp! Two count. Claudio tries to go up top but Okada is there with a dropkick, sending Claudio crashing to the floor. Body slam by Okada, who gets caught going up to the top rope, as Claudio delivers a bunch of European uppercuts. Claudio wants a deadlift superplex but Okada fights him off, lands on his feet, and sends Claudio crashing into the corner with a shotgun dropkick. Body slam by Okada and NOW he drops the elbow. Okada decides against the pin, feigns the Rainmaker, and flips everyone off before walking over Claudio’s body. Claudio sits up a la Undertaker… Giant Swing! 14 revolutions. Claudio calls for a running European uppercut but Okada is there with a dropkick. Springboard European uppercut by Claudio. Claudio wants the Neutralizer but Okada counters with the Air Raid Crash Neckbreaker. Two count. One minute left in the time limit! Uppercuts by Okada and more by Claudio. Claudio ducks a Rainmaker and pops Okada up into a European uppercut! Okada tries to roll to the outside but Claudio catches him, rolls him back in the ring, and Claudio stomps him. Claudio thinks Neutralizer but the bell rings… the time limit has expired!
Winner: NA
Rating: ***3/4. Excellent match between two of the best wrestlers ever at this point. Their styles matched up well and the wrestling was off the chart. The finish was fine and neither guy suffers.
The Bucks hit the ramp and say the match was phenomenal… however, the match is over. No extra time. The EVPs don’t want to have to physically remove Claudio, but they will if they have to…
Here’s Darby Allin and FTR!
Match #4. Darby Allin & FTR vs. The Elite
Brawl to start, as expected. Low tope suicida by Darby takes out Jack Perry. Coffin splash off the top takes out The Elite. Matthew makes the save and puts Darby on his shoulders, allowing Nicholas to PK him off the apron in a Doomsday Device-like maneuver. Darby is in trouble but manages to dive over Perry and make the tag to Dax, who fires in a ton of right hands to everyone before mounting Perry in the corner with punches and diving onto Matthew. Double Germans by Dax to Perry and a sheer drop brainbuster gets two. FTR wants Shatter Machine on Perry but Perry punts Dax. Cash is in with a back suplex to Perry and a pair of clotheslines to the Bucks. Cash wants Noshigami but The Bucks superkick him and Perry rolls him up for two. Cash ducks an EVP Trigger and powerslams Nicholas. Superkick by Perry. Shotgun dropkick by Darby. DDT by Matthew. Double Sharpshooters by FTR to The Bucks… add a Scorpion to Jack Perry, too, The Elite escape and roll to the outside, and say they’re out of here and try to leave. Suicide dive by Cash takes out everyone! Dax sends Matthew up and over and he lands on the top rope. Nicholas is here with superkicks to everyone. Running Code Red by Darby to Nicholas. Scorpion Death Drop by Perry to Darby. Perry ducks the running knee but it’s a Shatter Machine to Perry. Powerplex to Matthew and a Coffin Drop! One, two, three!
Winners: Darby Allin & FTR
Rating: ***1/2. Just an action-packed sprint from start to finish. Everyone got a chance to look good here and Darby gains momentum, ahead of his coffin match. The Bucks can probably lose every match for the rest of their career and it not hurt them, like we saw here.
But wait, The Acclaimed are here. Max Caster says the king’s will get crowned and the gold will come home. Bowens says they’ve got nothing left to prove because neither the Bucks or FTR can beat them, and they’ll fight until they’re champions.
A bloody Will Ospreay is approached by Renee. Wait, here’s Bryan Danielson. Danielson wants Ospreay to look at him, and he says.. “do it.” Goosebump moment here, as Danielson is telling Ospreay to bring back the Tiger Driver.
Nigel McGuinness is here, and he wants to welcome the franchise player to the ring… Swerve Strickland. Swerve is out to a raucous reaction with Prince Nana. Nigel then runs down Bryan Danielson to Swerve, saying Swerve is in the best shape of his life. Nigel wants to know how Swerve feels being the overwhelming favorite this weekend. Swerve then lists the people he’s defeated to become champion. Swerve says he’s going to dissect Danielson, and he still can’t help but feel disrespected by Danielson. Danielson says he’s ready for retirement and Swerve takes that as a slap in the face and he’s going to take that moment from him. Swerve is going to make sure that Danielson isn’t capable of getting back in the ring after All In, but just in case he finds that fire again, Swerve is going to find him no matter where he is. He’s gonna find him and beat him down. When Danielson is talking to his wife, Swerve is going to…
Danielson has heard enough and he sprints to the ring! Busaiku Knee! Maybe Swerve is confused… maybe a lot of people are confused. Danielson doesn’t come out here for twenty minutes every week, but he knows who he is. This is the truth… “I’m the best f-ing wrestler in the world! And I have been for the last twenty years!” For the fans that have come to see him for the last 25 years, the peers who have traveled the road, and for his family, Danielson will leave his soul in this ring this weekend. “Can Bryan Danielson, The American f’ing Dragon, beat Swerve Strickland? YES! YES! YES!”
Final Thoughts: Just an excellent go-home show for All In this weekend. AEW has three EXCELLENT storylines going into Wembley, Danielson’s career vs. Swerve, Ospreay and the Tiger Driver vs. MJF, and Mariah May betraying Toni Storm. We got some good wrestling on tonight’s show, but it was more about driving the point home and giving the fans a reason to spend their money this weekend, and I feel like that was accomplished. Kudos to the Wales crowd, too, as it felt like a huge show the entire night. 8.5/10.Â
