Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara
The two teams start fighting right away. Jericho and Castagnoli brawl on the outside, leaving Guevara and Danielson in the ring. Castagnoli and Danielson gain the upper hand. They overpower Guevara, who catches Castagnoli with a dropkick. Claudio hits a delayed vertical suplex. Danielson and Castagnoli double-team Guevara. “The American Dragon” chops Guevara in the corner. Guevara rakes his eye and drives him into the opposing corner. Jericho tags in and chops Danielson. Danielson stomps Jericho’s elbow. Castagnoli tags in and rocks Jericho with a European uppercut. Danielson tags back in, but Jericho double-teams him with Guevara. Danielson drills Guevara with a series of strikes. Guevara trips him face-first into the turnbuckle, and Jericho sneakily hits him with a bat. The J.A.S. duo maintains the advantage and isolates Danielson.
Danielson rallies and tags Castagnoli, who clears house with a flurry of offense. He nails Jericho with a barrage of strikes. Castagnoli gets a two count with a springboard uppercut. Guevara stops him from doing the Swing. Jericho locks in the Walls of Jericho, but Danielson breaks it up. Danielson rocks Guevara with some kicks. He reverses the GTH and traps Guevara in the LeBell Lock, but “The Spanish God” reaches the ropes. Guevara hits an avalanche cutter. Jericho gets a two count with a Lionsault. Danielson and Jericho are both down after they knock heads. Danielson dives onto Guevara on the outside. Castagnoli swings Jericho and makes him tap to the Scorpion Death Lock.
Winners: Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli
A video package hypes up the world title match between MJF and Jon Moxley at AEW Full Gear.
A vignette from Darby Allin hypes up his match at AEW Full Gear, where he and Sting will face Jeff Jarrett and Sting, and Sting says it’s showtime. Backstage, Sonjay Dutt tells them to show up at Full Gear. Jeff Jarrett says it will be Sting’s last time on Saturday.
Anthony Bowens (with Max Caster and Billy Gunn) vs. Swerve Strickland (with Keith Lee)
Before the match, The Acclaimed reveal their new music video, and Captain Insano appears in it. He, Caster, and Bowens laugh when stand-ins for Strickland and Lee ask what their odds are at Full Gear. Gunn drops Strickland with a Spear before the match. Bowens gains the upper hand and controls the action early on. Strickland snaps his arm over the ropes. Swerve targets the arm and dives onto Bowens on the outside. He rocks him with a pump kick and slams his arm into the barricade. Strickland wrenches Bowens’ arm round the ring post. In the ring, he continues to ground Bowens. The fan-favorite star rallies and takes control. Strickland drops him with a brainbuster and hits a kick for a two count. Strickland hones in on the hurt arm and hits the Swerve Stomp for a two count. He slams Bowens and pins him for the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
In a video package, Jade Cargill and Nyla Rose discuss their match at AEW Full Gear. Rose says she’s Cargill’s wake-up call, and Jade vows to get her belt back.
In-Ring Segment: Samoa Joe
Tony Schiavone asks Joe why he turned on Samoa Joe last week. Joe wondered if it was shocking for a man to refuse to be a victim. He asked if it was shocking that Wardlow ran his mouth and failed to recognize the most dangerous man in the room. Joe says that anyone that has a problem can take it up with him. Powerhouse Hobbs interrupts and notes he’s been the one who has been attacking Wardlow. He offers to beat up Joe, too. Joe dares him to fight him, but Wardlow runs to the ring and attacks Joe. Hobbs joins the brawl, and the locker room empties out to separate them. Wardlow stands tall after he overpowers security. He dives onto a pile of bodies.
Britt Baker discusses her match with Saraya and recalls Saraya’s heated message last week. She pointed to her growth over the past three years. Baker said she became her own role model, as she became undeniable by making the most of her opportunity. She notes that she and AEW kept going during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s something Saraya can never understand. Baker says the business doesn’t owe Saraya anything. She tells Saraya she can get out if she thinks she’s above AEW.
AEW World Trios Championship: Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo) vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) and AR Fox
Rey Fenix and Darius Martin start the bout and feel each other out. They’re evenly matched early on. Dante and Penta tag in, and Dante drops him with a DDT. AR Fox tags in, as does PAC. They go back and forth with fast-paced offense. Fox drops PAC with a kick to the head and plants him with a cutter. He hits an acrobatic moonsault and hits a Swanton for a two count. Darius takes Fenix down. The challengers triple-team PAC. Death Triangle takes control and triple-team Fox for a two count. They continue to isolate Fox. Darius Martin tags in and stuns PAC with some quick offense. Dante slams Fenix to the mat. Darius dives onto Penta, and Dante dives onto Fenix and PAC. Fox follows suit with a dive of his own. Fox hits a 450 Splash for a two count. In the end, Penta and Fenix hit Fox with the Fear Factor, and PAC pins him with the Black Arrow.
Winners and still AEW World Trios Champions: Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo)
After the match, PAC grabs a microphone and says they know what’s going on. He says they’ve seen the videos and heard the rumors. PAC says that if there are “certain individuals in this company who think they can make their triumphant return” at Full Gear, that’s ridiculous. He says they know who they are and tells them to bring the heat if they want some. He says Death Triangle runs from no one. On the video screen, a graphic confirms that Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks will challenge for the gold at Full Gear. PAC says they’ve been waiting for the trio.
Backstage, Ricky Starks notes that Lance Archer took him out last week, but they’ll clash on Friday. He vows to beat Archer on Rampage.
AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament Semifinal: Bandido vs. Ethan Page (with Stokely Hathaway)
Page and Bandido go back and forth early on. A distraction from Hathaway helps Page gain the upper hand, as he overpowers Bandido. He grounds the former ROH World Champion, but Bandido rallies with a dive to the outside. He gets a two count with a corkscrew dive. Page evades the 21-Plex and floors Bandido with a cutter. Bandido counters the avalanche Ego’s Edge into a hurricanrana. He presses Page and hits a Frog Splash for a two count. Page throws Bandido off the top rope and hits a shoulder block. Page hits the Ego’s Edge for the win.
Winner: Ethan Page
A video package hypes up the Steel Cage Match between Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus at AEW Full Gear.
In an interview, Saraya discusses her upcoming match with Britt Baker and says she feels fantastic. She says she’s very fortunate to be able to return to the ring. Saraya responds to Baker by saying she chose to be here, and she’s done talking, so she’ll see Baker at AEW Full Gear.
In a video package, Eddie Kingston shares his thoughts on finally facing Jun Akiyama and says he’s been waiting for this his whole life. Konosuke Takeshita says he and Akiyama will show Kingston and Ortiz DDT’s style.
AEW Interim Women’s World Title Eliminator: Toni Storm vs. Anna Jay A.S.
Jay takes the fight to Storm and controls the action. Storm rallies with a Lou Thesz press and punches Jay. She clubs her opponent with blows to the back and drops her with a lariat. Storm gets a two count with a Fisherman suplex. Storm sends Jay to the outside with a hip attack. Jay sends Storm crashing into the steel steps. Jay slams her on the floor and hits another slam in the ring for a two count. Storm evades the Queen-Slayer and hits a Hip Attack. She locks in the Texas Cloverleaf and makes her tap out.
Winner: Toni Storm
Jamie Hayter confronts Storm after the match.
In-Ring Segment: Jon Moxley
Moxley says he’s the baddest wrestler on the planet, and he has defined the AEW World Championship. He says he’s sick in the head, as he’s addicted to the rush of adrenaline, the pain, and the feeling of being in a fight. Moxley says no one can hurt him. He repeats his question about who MJF is. Moxley says he’s been scouting MJF. He looks back on MJF’s road to the title match and says he sees a man filled with the fear that he won’t live up to the hype. Moxley says he’ll do what he does best at AEW Full Gear. He dares MJF to show him something at AEW Full Gear. Stokely Hathaway distracts Mox, and The Firm attacks the champion.
MJF comes to the ring and makes the save by dishing out some low blows. MJF says he saved Moxley so that he won’t have any excuses on Saturday. He knows he’ll be in the fight of his life on Saturday. MJF says he’s not the same kid Moxley faced in 2020, as he won’t stop no matter how much he bleeds. MJF says he needs the belt more than he needs oxygen. He says it’s his time. MJF tells Moxley that the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist, and he will show Moxley that he is the devil on Saturday. Moxley takes the microphone from MJF and says he never saw what the big deal about MJF was. He says they’ll find out this weekend, and the training wheels will be off.
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