Jon Molxey will be putting the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line for the first time since winning it as he defends against Powerhouse Hobbs. Moxley dethroned Tetsuya Naito on April 12 at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Windy City Riot event to become the new titleholder.
Although that has been the only match announced for tonight's show as of writing, AEW Dynasty saw the crowning of several new champions this past Sunday. Swerve Strickland dethroned Samoa Joe as AEW World Champion in the main event of the show, Willow Nightingale won the TBS Championship from Julia Hart before her AEW Double or Nothing Challenger Mercedes Mone confronted her post-match, Chris Jericho won the FTW Championship from HOOK in an FTW Rules match, and The Young Bucks emerged victorious over FTR in the AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament to become AEW World Tag Team Champions with a helping hand from Jack Perry.
We are live! Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone greet audiences at home as we see The Elite and Jack Perry arrive to the Daily's Place. Security looks to stop Perry, but The Young Bucks tell them to keep their hands off.
Chuck Taylor Makes A Decision
Back at ringside, Orange Cassidy's music hits. He is tossed through the entrance ramp by Trent Beretta, and he continues beating him down all the way to the ring. Beretta then grabs a mic and calls Chuck Taylor down to the ring.
Taylor appears, and Beretta apologizes to him. He tells Taylor he's sorry for not turning on Cassidy earlier, and says the two of them did everything for Cassidy while he did nothing for them. He tells Taylor that Cassidy is not his friend, then says that he loves him. He tells him to do the right thing and give the people what they want.
Taylor and Beretta are about to hug, but Taylor stops before they do. He calls Beretta a "piece of s***", then says he doesn't want to fight him in the ring. He says he wants to fight him in the parking lot.
Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana then make their way down to the ring. Kyle Fletcher and Don Callis follow.
Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher (w/ Don Callis) in an AEW World Championship Eliminator Match
The bell rings and the two lock up. Fletcher pins Strickland, but Strickland kicks out. Strickland then wears down Fletcher with a submission, and Fletcher responds with a forearm to Strickland. Strickland lands a kick on Fletcher's face, then ascends to the middle rope and delivers an elbow to the back of the neck. Fletcher connects with a running kick to Strickland on the apron that sends him crashing to the outside, but Strickland delivers a back body drop to him on the outside.
Back from the break, Strickland delivers a backbreaker to Fletcher. Fletcher responds with a superkick as we see The Elite enter the office of Tony Khan. Strickland delivers a neckbreaker to Fletcher on the apron, then lands a double stomp off the top rope. Strickland then delivers a kick back in the ring to Fletcher, but Fletcher cinches in a modified Ankle Lock. Strickland escapes the hold, but Fletcher lands a series of kicks on his chest. Strickland catches one, then lands some strikes and connects with an arm drag.
Strickland delivers a flatliner and a brainbuster before the two take turns trying to send one another crashing into the mat. Fletcher then does so to Strickland, and the two teeter on the top rope. Strickland delivers a double stomp to Fletcher as he's draped by his knees, then delivers a House Call for the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
We then head backstage and see Thunder Rosa get into a verbal and physical exchange with Deonna Purrazzo.
Back from the break, Mina Shirakawa and Mariah May make their way down to the ring. Anna Jay follows.
Anna Jay vs. Mina Shirakawa (w/ Mariah May)
The bell rings and Jay delivers a boot to the side of Shirakawa's head. Shirakawa connects with a dropkick on Jay's spine, then drives her ankle into the mat. Shirakawa drives Jay crashing into the mat, then continues wearing down her ankle. Jay rakes Shirakawa's eye, then delivers a neckbreaker to her using the middle rope and mocks May on the outside.
Back to the break, Shirakawa and Jay exchange forearms in the center of the ring. Jay fires off forearms on Shirakawa, but Shirakawa levels her and connects with a back elbow. She delivers a knee off the top rope, but Jay lands a kick on Shirakawa's head. Jay then delivers a Gory Buster to Shirakawa, and Shirakawa connects with a Dragon Screw to Jay. Shirakawa ascends to the top and delivers a missile dropkick, then hits an enzuigiri on Jay. Jay locks in a Queenslayer on Shirakawa, but Shirakawa escapes and transitions into a pin for the win.
Winner: Mina Shirakawa
After the match, May looks to celebrate Shirakawa's win with champagne, but Jay blindsides her and locks in a Queenslayer. Toni Storm's music hits and she runs down to the ring to even the odds, but Serena Deeb's music hits and she appears, sitting on the steps next to Storm's AEW Women's World Championship.
Back from the break, Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander are waiting in the ring.
We Hear From Willow Nightingale
Hathaway and Statlander give a grand introduction to the new TBS Champion Willow Nightingale, and she makes her way down to the ring.
Hathaway admits that he didn't like Nightingale at first, but they've come a long way since then. Nightingale says she's proud, and happy to be back in Jacksonville. She recalls being in the front row of Spring 2020 trying to catch her big break. She says she became All Elite in 2022 as a rookie, but she can proudly say tonight that it's no longer the case.
Mercedes Mone's music hits, and she makes her way down to the ring. Mone tells Jacksonville to say hello to their CEO. Nightingale tells Mone that this is the fourth time she's interrupted her. She tells Mone that it's her moment, so if she has something to say, it's the time to say it. Mone says she's here to congratulate Nightingale, and tells her to enjoy the celebration because at AEW Double Or Nothing, she will become the new face of TBS.
Statlander, Mone, and Nightingale begin arguing over who attacked Nightingale a couple weeks ago, but Hathawal interrupts all of them. She asks Mone if she thinks she intentionally injured her when they wrestled each other in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and Mone asks Nightingale if she blames her for almost ending her career. She says Nightingale doesn't want to here the truth and she wants to make herself feel better. Nightingale explains that she doubted herself after what happened in their match, and recalls looking at the title she won doubting herself. She says there was an asterisk next to that title reign, but not this one. She says she will show Mone why she's TBS Champion, but Mone says she'll show her a fight. Mone then slaps Nightingale.
The Bang Bang Gang and Dante Martin then make their way down to the ring.
Casino Gauntlet Match
The bell rings and the two lock up. White connects with a chop on Martin, and the two begin brawling on the outside. White then suplexes Martin out of the ring.
Penta El Zero Miedo is next up in the match, and Penta delivers a splash off the top to White. He connects with a Sling Blade and begins going after Martin.
Back from the break, Kyle O'Reilly enters the match and delivers kicks to White, Martin, and Penta. O'Reilly then sends Penta and Martin's arm off his shoulder, and slaps White. O'Reilly trips White and locks in an Arm Bar on Martin, but White breaks the hold.
Will Ospreay's music hits, and he's next in the match. Ospreay stares down O'Reilly, and the two exchange forearms with one another. He lands a forearm off the top rope, then lands a pair of springboard kicks on Martin and Penta. Ospreay and White then come face-to-face, and White fires off chops on Ospreay. Ospreay lands a Spanish Fly to White before Lance Archer is next in the match. Ospreay fires off forearm shots on Archer, then levels everyone inside the ring. Penta then goes after Archer, but Archer levels him with a shoulder tackle. O'Reilly locks in a Sleeper on Archer, but Archer levels him with a suplex. He gets Ospreay up above his head and dumps him out of the ring on top of everyone.
Back from another break, Komander is next up and lands a hurricanrana to Archer through the table set up on the outside. Komander hits a DDT on Ospreay and goes for a pin, but White kicks out.
Jay Lethal is next up, and he lands a dropkick on Ospreay. He hits a flatliner on Martin, then connects with the Lethal Injection on Penta. White hits a Snap Dragon Suplex, but Martin lands a dropkick off the top. Ospreay levels him, but O'Reilly catches him with an Arm Bar. Komander breaks the hold with a Shooting Star Press and pins O'Reilly, but Ospreay breaks the fall by catching Komander with the Hidden Blade and pins him for the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay
After the match, The Undisputed Kingdom makes their way down to the ring. Roderick Strong then stares down Ospreay, and holds up his International Championship with Ospreay having secured the right to challenge him at Double Or Nothing with his win.
Back from the break, Chris Jericho makes his way down to the ring.
We Hear From Chris Jericho
Jericho says he's the new FTW Champion, and says there's been a lot of negative connotations with the letters FTW. He says he's changing the meaning of those three letters, and says it's For The World. He says the wrestling world is buzzing over him dethroning HOOK at AEW Dynasty, and recalls Terry Funk telling him to teach the next generation to take the wrestling world to the next level. He "shouts out" HOOK, and says his only flaw was not getting rid of the dead weight around him in Taz and Katsuyori Shibata. He tells HOOK he should've listened to him when he told him to stay down, and he forced him to hit him with the baseball bat. Jericho then says all the men and women who have entered the Jericho Vortex have come out the other side better for it.
Big Bill's music hits, and he makes his way down to the ring. Bill says he's been listening to him from the back, and he has one thing to say. He says he needs the guidance of "The Learning Tree". He sings Jericho's praises, and says there is no one bigger than him and more fit for "The Learning Tree" than him. Jericho says he's been watching Bill for a long time and has been a big fan, and he's going to be keeping an eye on him from now on.
We then head backstage to Renee Paquette standing by with The Don Callis Family. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher then find themselves involved in an argument, and Don Callis attempts to diffuse things.
Back from the break, Jon Moxley makes his way down to the ring. Powerhouse Hobbs and Don Callis follow.
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs (w/ Don Callis) for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
The bell rings and the two lock up. Hobbs delivers an elbow to Moxley, but Moxley responds with a chop. Moxley delivers a German suplex to Hobbs, but Hobbs responds with a suplex of his own that sends Moxley out of the ring. He sends him crashing into the barricade face first, and the two begin brawling through the crowd. The pair exchange forearms with one another, and Moxley lands a chop on Hobbs before they get back inside the ring.
Back from the break, Hobbs has a Bear Hug cinched in on Jon Moxley. Moxley connects with a boot on Hobbs, then sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle. Moxley then fires off right and left hands on Hobbs in the corner, and locks in a Sleeper. Hobbs passes out.
Winner (and still): Jon Moxley
After the match, Konosuke Takeshita appears on the ramp and stares down Moxley, warning them that he's coming for his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
We then head over to Renee Paquette and Katsuyori Shibata, where Shibata challenges Chris Jericho to an FTW Championship match next week.
Back at ringside, Tony Schiavone introduces Jack Perry and he makes his way down to the ring.
Jack Perry and Tony Khan Meet
Perry says he's had some of the best nights of his entire life in Jacksonville, but tonight, there's business to handle. He says he wants to handle it now face-to-face with Tony Khan.
Khan makes his way down to the ring, and Perry says it's been a long road. He says the very first Double Or Nothing was five years ago, and AEW has gone on to change the world. He says it's no secret that he and Khan have had their ups and downs, and the only thing he's wanted is what's best for AEW. He asks Khan to shake his hand and reinstate him so they can change the world.
Khan shakes Perry's hand, and the two embrace. Perry smiles at the camera and holds up Khan's hand, then clocks him. The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada then appear and ask Perry what he's doing. The Bucks help up Khan, but they then deliver the TK Driver to Khan. Perry heads to the back with the rest of The Elite gloating about what they just did as several members of the AEW roster come down to the ring to check on Khan.
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