Welcome to Indy Pro Wrestling's results for "AEW Dynamite" Maximum Carnage on January 15, 2025, coming to you live from the Andrew J Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio!
Jon Moxley will be putting the AEW World Championship on the line for the first time since retaining in a Four-Way Match at AEW Worlds End on December 28, 2024 as he defends against Powerhouse Hobbs. Hobbs emerged victorious over several other competitors in a Number One Contenders Casino Gauntlet Match during last week's edition of "Dynamite", hitting a spinebuster on Kyle O'Reilly in the closing moments to secure his spot in tonight's match. Later that night, Hobbs came to the aid of Cope after he was attacked at the hands of Moxley and his Death Riders stablemates.
Kenny Omega will be competing on AEW programming for the first time since he emerged victorious over Ethan Page on the December 9, 2023 episode of "AEW Collision" as he goes one-on-one with Brian Cage. Omega and Cage came face-to-face last week when he and his fellow Don Callis Family stablemates Kyle Fletcher and Lance Archer blindsided him while he was speaking until longtime rival Will Ospreay provided him with a helping hand.
The inaugural Women's Casino Gauntlet Match will be held tonight, with the winner receiving a shot at Mariah May's AEW Women's World Championship at AEW Grand Slam: Australia on February 15. Kris Statlander will be the first entrant in the match, having defeated Willow Nightingale and Toni Storm in a Three-Way Match last week to maximize her chances of earning a pinfall or submission victory quicker while there are less entrants inside the ring.
HOOK looks to finally settle his issues with longtime rival Christian Cage when the two square off with each other. HOOK has been looking to exact his revenge on Cage and his Patriarchy stablemates after they took out HOOK's father Taz with an attack a number of weeks ago, leading to a handful of messages, physical, and verbal exchanges between the two parties.
Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP of The Hurt Syndicate will be colliding with AEW World Tag Team Champions Private Party and Mark Briscoe in a trios match. Lashley and Benjamin made it clear that they were coming for Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy's title last week before Lashley defeated Mark in singles competition and Private Party confronted The Hurt Syndicate following the match.
Additionally, Ricochet will be making an appearance on tonight's show after coming up short in the aforementioned Number One Contenders Casino Gauntlet Match last week.
We are live! Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and the returning Taz greet audiences at home as Brian Cage, Don Callis, and Lance Archer make their way out to the ring. Kenny Omega follows.
Kenny Omega vs. Brian Cage (w/ Don Callis and Lance Archer)
The bell rings and the two lock up. Omega connects with a back elbow on Cage, then follows it up with a kick to his face. Cage lands a back body drop on Omega, then fires off shoulders on his midsection in the corner and delivers a second back body drop to him. Omega hits a Frakensteiner on Cage, but Cage turns Omega inside out with a clothesline after Archer momentarily distracts him.
Cage whips Omega into one of the barricades on the outside, then sends his face bouncing off the ring apron and sends him crashing into the commentary desk face first. Cage distracts the referee as Archer and Callis both take shots at Omega.
Back from the break, Cage delivers a suplex to Omega off the bottom rope. They then brawl on the ramp, but Cage powerbombs Omega over the top and back into the ring. He follows it up with an F5 and goes for a pin, but Omega kicks out. Omega levels Cage and looks to land a moonsault on Cage, but Cage gets his knees up.
Cage sits Omega on the top rope, but Omega pulls Cage off and follows it up with a V-Trigger. He goes for a pin, but Cage kicks out. Omega sets up for a Snap Dragon suplex, but Cage escapes. Omega then lands two more V-Triggers and the One Winged Angel for the win.
Winner: Kenny Omega
After the match, Kyle Fletcher makes his way down to the ring and beats down Omega with Archer. Will Ospreay appears and sends Fletcher crashing out of the ring, then lands a Hidden Blade on Archer and hits a knee on Fletcher. He delivers a crossbody to Fletcher over the top, but Konosuke Takeshita gets into the ring and exchanges right hands with Omega. Fletcher looks to help Takeshita, but Ospreay slides back inside the ring to help Omega. Fletcher and Takeshita then both send Omega and Ospreay crashing into the mat.
Ricochet then makes his way down to the ring.
We Hear From Ricochet
Fans make their frustrations with Ricochet known as Ricochet says a picture is worth a thousand words. Swerve Strickland's music then hits, and Prince Nana appears hitting Ricochet with a chair from behind. Strickland slowly makes his way down to the ring with a chain around his neck, and Ricochet retreats when Strickland looks to hit him with it.
The Hurt Syndicate then make their way out to the ring. Private Party and Mark Briscoe follow.
The Hurt Syndicate vs. Private Party and Mark Briscoe
The Hurt Syndicate wastes no time going after Private Party and Mark. The bell rings and MVP goes after Mark in the corner, but Mark connects with a dropkick on him off the ropes and goes for a pin. MVP kicks out, then levels Mark with a boot before Bobby Lashley sends Mark crashing between one of the barricades and the ring apron. He then delivers a bodyslam to him onto the floor.
Back from the break, MVP connects with an elbow drop on Mark. Isaiah Kassidy and Shelton Benjamin tag in, and Kassidy levels Benjamin. Marq Quen tags in and delivers a double dropkick to an interfering MVP with Kassidy. The pair then land double dropkicks on Benjamin and Lashley, then hold open the ropes for Mark to fly to level Lashley on the outside.
Quen sends Benjamin crashing into the mat face first, and Kassidy flies off Quen's spine to continue wearing down Benjamin in the corner. Benjamin delivers a German suplex to Kassidy, and Lashley follows it up with a spear. Benjamin then delivers a German suplex and a superkick to Quen for the win.
Winners: The Hurt Syndicate
Back from the break, Jeff Jarrett makes his way down to the ring.
We Hear From Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett says the last few weeks have been humbling for him. MJF's music cuts off Jarrett, and he makes his way down to the ring.
MJF says he gave Jarrett the opportunity of a lifetime last week, but Jarrett cuts him off and says MJF came up with a scheme because he was too lazy to enter the Casino Gauntlet Match last week. MJF warns Jarrett against interrupting him and says he's a living legend while Jarrett is "the definition of a pro wrestling grim reaper". He takes a few shots at Jarrett's previous demons and his wife.
Jarrett says he knows the best years of his career are behind hi, but AEW fans woke up a passion in him he didn't know he still had when he entered the Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament last year. He says he's done everything MJF can say or do and did it better than him, then says there are days where he feels sorry for MJF. He takes shots at MJF's parents and says he's scared that his best years are behind him and being a one hit wonder.
MJF says he's nothing like Jarrett and says he made himself unlike Jarrett. He says he got screwed out of the AEW World Championship and his legacy, then says the same people who put him on a pedestal took it out from under him and treated him like he was nothing. He then brings up Jarrett's friendship with Owen Hart, prompting Jarrett to rain down right hands on MJF. Officials run down to the ring to try and pull Jarrett off MJF, but are unsuccessful until Karen Jarrett runs down to the ring to pull Jarrett away.
HOOK vs. Christian Cage (w/ Mother Wayne)
Christian Cage and Mother Wayne then make their way down to the ring. HOOK blindsides him from behind and fires off right hands on him, then sends his face bouncing off the ring apron face first. Cage looks to retreat to the back, but HOOK pulls him back into the ringside area. HOOK dumps Cage back into the ring, and Cage looks to hug HOOK. HOOK sees right through the ruse and continues beating down Cage.
Back from the break, Cage rains down right hands on HOOK in the corner. HOOK dumps Cage out of the ring and lands a right hand on him off the ring apron, then looks to stomp on his hand. Cage sees him coming and trips him to send him crashing into the ring steps, then delivers a pair of splashes to him off the top as Kip Sabian joins Mother Wayne at ringside.
Cage sends HOOK crashing into the ring post shoulder first as Katsuyori Shibata appears to provide HOOK with back-up. Cage takes down Shibata, but HOOK locks in Redrum on Cage. Sabian and Nick Wayne then slide into the ring to break the hold, causing the disqualification.
Winner: HOOK (via disqualification)
After the match, The Patriarchy continue to beat down HOOK. Taz gets in their faces from the commentary desk, but Samoa Joe's music hits and he makes his way down to the ring to make his return to AEW! Joe takes down The Patriarchy, then stands tall alongside HOOK and Shibata.
Mariah May then makes her way out to the ring to watch the following match. Kris Statlander and Jamie Hayter follow.
Number One Contenders Women's Casino Gauntlet Match
The bell rings and the two lock up. Statlander runs over Hayter with a shoulder tackle, and the two look to level one another. Both stay on their feet until Statlander levels Hayter with a Falcon Arrow.
Megan Bayne is next in the match, and she fires off shoulders on Statlander's midsection in the corner. She lands a splash on her, then levels her with a clothesline and sets up for a delayed vertical suplex on Hayter. Julia Hart is the next entrant, and Hayter delivers a suplex to her on the entrance ramp.
Back from the break, Willow Nightingale is next up in the match, and Nightingale looks to land a kick on Bayne. Bayne avoids it and delivers a boot to Nightingale, but Statlander rains down right hands on her as Hayter sends Hart crashing into the barricade. Nightingale and Statlander level Bayne with a double suplex, then fire off chops on one another. Nightingale then levels Statlander with a shoulder pounce.
Toni Storm is the next entrant, and Nightingale gets her up on her shoulders. Nightingale escapes and pins Storm, but Storm kicks out and levels Statlander with a shoulder. Everyone then begins brawling with one another, and Hart sends both Statlander and Storm crashing onto the floor. She then exchanges right hands with Hayter.
Harley Cameron is the next competitor in the match, and Hayter lands a backbreaker on Hart. Cameron rolls up Hayter, but Hayter kicks out. Hart spits black mist into Cameron's eyes and delivers a basement clothesline to her spine, but Storm rolls up Hart for the win.
Winner (and new Number One Contender): Toni Storm
Powerhouse Hobbs then makes his way out to the ring. Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir follow.
Jon Moxley (w/ Marina Shafir) (c) vs. Powerhobbs Hobbs for the AEW World Championship
Claudio Castagnoli and PAC surround the ring. Moxley blindsides Hobbs from behind, and the bell sounds. Moxley fires off right hands on Moxley in the corner, but Hobbs lands a suplex on him and returns the favor. Moxley lands a kick on Hobbs' face and fires off more strikes on him, but Hobbs levels Moxley with a shoulder tackle. Moxley dumps Hobbs out of the ring and lands a tope suicida on him, and the two brawl through the crowd before returning to the ring. Hobbs then sends Moxley crashing into the corner and continues beating him down.
Back from the break, Hobbs levels Moxley with a clothesline. Moxley cinches in an Armbar on Hobbs, but Wheeler Yuta lands a Busaiku Knee on Hobbs on the entrance ramp while the referee is distracted. Moxley looks to take advantage, but Hobbs catches him with a spinebuster. Shafir hits Hobbs with Moxley's briefcase and Moxley follows it up with a Death Rider, then goes for a pin but Hobbs kicks out. Moxley then cinches in a Bulldog Choke on Hobbs, and Hobbs fades.
Winner (and still): Jon Moxley
After the match, The Death Riders continue beating down Hobbs. Castagnoli removes Hobbs' knee brace off his previously injured knee, and Moxley hits it with a chair. Castagnoli places the chair around his knee and Castagnoli stomps on it, but Cope's music and he runs down to the ring alongside FTR to even the odds. Dax Harwood and medical officials then check on Hobbs as the show goes off the air.