AEW kicked off the new year with the January 4 episode of AEW Dynamite.
Chris Jericho faced Ricky Starks in a buzzworthy match on the show, and Tony Nese took on Bryan Danielson. Plus, The Acclaimed defended the AEW World Tag Team Championship against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Ricky Starks vs. Chris Jericho
Starks takes the fight to Jericho early on, forcing Jericho to leave ring. The former FTW Champion follows him out and keeps up the attack. Jericho briefly takes control, but Starks counters his signature springboard dropkick. Jericho suplexes Starks from the apron and down to the floor. Both men are down, but Jericho gets Starks back in the ring. The former world champion grounds Starks, but the fan-favorite rallies and gets a two count with a Liger Bomb. Starks counters the Lionsault. He and Jericho trade counnters, and Starks winds up in the Walls of Jericho. Angelo Parker distracts the referee, and Menard nails Starks with the bat. Starks continues to persevere, and he pins Jericho with a Spear.
Winner: Ricky Starks
The JAS attacks Starks after the match. Action Andretti tries to make the save, but the numbers overwhelm him. Jake Hager powerbombs Starks through a table.
In-Ring Segment: Hangman Page
Page is asked whether he is cleared to compete. He says he’s not cleared today, but if he goes home and gets another brain scan, he could get cleared in time for next week, so he will be able to face Jon Moxley next week. Hangman vows to knock Moxley’s dick in the dirt. Moxley comes to the ring and says he’s tired of all the sympathy for Page. He says he has had to eat plates of crap, so he doesn’t have any sympathy for Hangman. In fact, he tells Page his complaining makes him sick.
Hangman counters by stating that he’s been knocked out plenty of times, so he’s not mad about that. Page says he’s angry that Moxley nearly nearly took his career from him, and he then made a joke about it. Hangman makes it clear that he’s here for revenge, and he’s going to get it next week. Moxley calls Page a punk-ass and says he’s going to make sure Page stays down next week.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) (c) (with Billy Gunn) vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal (with Sonjay Duttt & Satnam Singh)
Caster raps on his way to the ring and references TNA and Dixie Carter. Jarrett slaps Caster in the mouth. Bowens controls the match early pm and maintains the advantage when Lethal tags in. Caster tags in and uses the ankle lock. The Acclaimed hit Scissor Me Timbers on Jarrett and scissor on Gunn. Lethal punches Gunn at ringside, and when Gunn tries to get revenge, the referee ejects him from the ring. Lethal and Jarrett isolate Bowens and keep him grounded. Jarrett struts and continues to control the action along with Lethal. Bowens dodges an elbow drop, but Jarrett prevents the hot tag. Bowens perseveres and tags Caster, who clears house with a flurry of offense.
Caster takes the fight to Jarrett and continues to gain momentum. Jarrett breaks up a double-team move and shoves Caster off the top rope. Jarrett and Lethal plan Bowens with a double-team move. Singh slams Caster into the steel steps. Singh and Dutt get ejected from a ring, and a number of referees come out to escort him. Bowens counters the Lethal Injection, but Jarrett hits The Stroke. He gets the three count, as Dutt shoves Bowens’ foot off the ropes. Aubrey Edwards reverses he decision, and the match continues. Bowens rolls up Lethal for the win.
Winners and AEW World Tag Team Champions: The Acclaimed
In an interview, Britt Baker says Saraya has never understood what AEW means. Jamie Hayter says Saraya doesn’t get what AEW means to her and vice versa. Baker discusses their road to success. Baker points out that there are some great options within AEW’s women’s division, so she doesn’t understand why Saraya hasn’t picked a partner yet. She calls herself “The Pillar” and Hayter “the killer.”
In an interview, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry discusses his feud with Big Bill and Lee Moriarty and challenges them to a tag team match where he’d join forces with HOOK.
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Nese (with Mark Sterling and Josh Woods)
Danielson gets a big pop from the Seattle crowd. An early distraction from Woods helps Nese take control early on. Danielson fires up with some chops and kicks. He takes Nese down with an elbow strike. Danielson drills Nese with his signature running knee strike. He stomps on Nese’s head and makes him tap out to the Regal Stretch.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
Danielson gets a microphone and says it’s great to be home. He says he’s ready for another fight. Danielson calls out MJF, who comes out and calls him “Brain Damage Bryan.” The AEW World Champion says he doesn’t get his rocks off by wrestling, as he doesn’t care about the fans. MJF says he gets paid whether he wrestles or not. He then says Danielson is less charismatic than the hypothetical offspring of Lance Storm and Dean Malenko. He says Danielson looks like a goat, but that doesn’t mean he’s the greatest of all time. MJF implies Danielson’s mom slept with a goat. Danielson responds by saying that MJF’s mom had enough human suitors to fill the whole arena. MJF counters by saying that fans who had never been in the business made him, whereas MJF himself has been put him over by Disco Inferno, Jim Cornette, and Eric Bischoff. Danielson says he hates MJF and challenges him to a fight. MJF pumps the brakes and tells Danielson he needs to become the top contender to earn a title shot. MJF says he talked to Tony Khan, and Danielson will have to wrestle and win every week until February 8 in order to get a title shot.
Danielson initially turns him down, but he then changes his mind when MJF says he runs the company. Danielson names the stipulation of the title match, assuming he earns one: he says he’s going to face MJF in an 60-Iron Man Match. MJF accepts, and Danielson says he’s going to expose MJF. He then says he’s going to kick MJF’s head in.
A video package recapped the feud between Kip Sabian and Orange Cassidy ahead of their match at AEW Battle of the Belts V.
Swerve Strickland (with Mogul Affiliates) vs. AR Fox
Strickland and Fox feel each other out. They trade fast-paced offense, and the two stars match each other step for step. Fox takes control with a diving moonsault. He gets a two count with a corkscrew brainbuster. The Mogul Affiliates powerhouses intefere, and Swerve capitalizes with a stiff kick. Strickland gains the upper hand and grounds Fox. Swerve gets a two count with a Flatliner. Fox catches Strickland with a cutter and hits another one. He nails a 450 Splash for a two count. Strickland slams Fox onto the apron with an avalanche Death Valley Driver and gets the three count with the Swerve Stomp.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
In an interview, Saraya was sitting with Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida, and she was asked about her mystery partner for next week. She says AEW has the best female roster in the world, and she then says her partner will be Storm. Shida is clearly unhappy about it.
The Gunns come to the ring, and a tombstone reading “FT-RIP” on it. They “honor” their careers and look back on their downfall. They then claim that FTR can work in any promotion, but they will never work in AEW again.
Kiera Hogan and Skye Blue vs. Jade Cargill & Red Velvet
Skye takes the fight to Velvet early on. Cargill tags in and overpowers Blue. The TBS Champion continues to maintain the advantage. Cargill forcibly tags Velvet in, as it’s clear that they’re not on the same page. Jade drills Hogan and Blue with big boots. Cargill lays Hogan out with a chokeslam. Hogan rolls Cargill up for a two count, as Velvet walks out on her partner. Jade gets the win with a pump kick as Velvet walks away.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Backstage, Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal were frustrated after their loss, and they vowed to beat The Acclaimed on AEW Battle of the Belts V.
TNT Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Darby Allin
Allin hugs Nick Wayne at ringside. Joe grabs Wayne by the throat during his entrance, prompting Allin to take the fight to the champion. They brawl up to the stage. Allin dives off a ladder onto Joe and seemingly hurts his knee. The match briefly winds up in the ring before Joe and Allin head back outside. Joe slams Allin onto the steel steps. The champion grounds Allin, who can barely walk once he gets some breathing room. Allin briefly rallies, but Joe continues to viciously target Allin’s leg. Joe hits a double knee breaker, and Allin is clearly in agony. Allin counters a Muscle Buster and gets a two count with a pin attempt. The champion goes for the Coquina Clutch. Allin escapes, but Joe traps him in a chokehold. Allin hits a Code Red and nails the Coffin Drop. He hits another Coffin Drop for the win.
Winner: Darby Allin
Sting comes to the ring and celebrates with Allin to conclude the show.
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