4/8/20 AEW Dynamite Recap

The show opens with a promo from Jake Roberts. He says his past is not his destiny. He asks Cody if he would jump out of a plane without a parachute or stand in the ring with Lance Archer. He says the answer is no to both. He says Marko Stunt proved himself to be a man last week, but he was an idiot for getting into the ring with Archer. Roberts says Cody just might get beat by Shawn Spears tonight so that he doesn’t have to face Archer. He asks Cody if he is a man or a mouse.

Tony Schiavone and Chris Jericho are on commentary, and various wrestlers watch from ringside.

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Match #1 – Singles Match: Lance Archer vs. Alan Angels
Archer attacks Angels before the bell and continues the beat down. Angels fights back, but Archer catches him and throws him across the ring. Archer picks Angels up and slams him to the mat with the Black Out and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Lance Archer

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Schiavone and Jericho run down the card for the rest of the show.

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Match #2 – Singles Match: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. vs. Hikaru Shida
Baker connects with a kick, but Shida drops her to the mat. They shove each other and Baker slams Shida into the corner a few times. Shida comes back with a few forearm shots and sends Baker to the floor. Shida follows, but Baker rolls back into the ring. Baker attacks Shida as she gets back into the ring and stomps on her back. Baker kicks Shida in the back, but Shida backs her into the corner. Baker comes back with a kick and a knee lift and then drops Shida with a leg lariat. Baker goes for the cover, but Shida kicks out. Baker delivers a series of shots to the face and chokes her in the corner. Baker kicks Shida in the face and goes for the cover, but Shida kicks out. Baker chokes Shida over the ropes and kicks her in the head. Baker tells Schiavone to tell everyone it’s her division, but Shida kicks her in the midsection. Bake sends Shida into the barricade and charges, but Shida counters and drapes Baker over the barricade. A group of wrestlers hold Baker place and Shida connects with a knee strike. Shida brings Baker back to ringside and slams her to the floor as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Shida suplexes Baker in the ring and goes for the cover, but Baker kicks out. Shida goes for a knee strike, but Baker ducks and rolls her up for a two count. Shida goes for an arm-bar/head scissors combination, but Baker makes it to the ropes. Baker comes back with a Slingblade and takes Baker with a suplex. Baker goes for the cover, but Shida kicks out. Baker kicks Shida in the head a few times and stomps on her back. Baker drops Shida with a side-Russian leg-sweep and goes for the Lockjaw, but Shida makes it to the ropes. They exchange forearm shots and Shida delivers an enzuigiri. Baker comes back with a superkick, but Baker has been busted open. Baker goes for another Slingblade, but Shida counters and drops Baker with a Michinoku Driver. Shida goes for the cover, but Baker rolls through and rolls Shida up for two. Baker grabs a glove from the referee and goes for the Lockjaw, but Shida counters and rolls Baker up for two. Shida kicks Baker in the face, but Baker comes back with a swinging neck-breaker. Baker goes for the cover, but Shida kicks out.
Baker delivers another superkick and puts Shida’s mouth on the ropes. Baker goes for a stomp, but Shida sends her to the apron. They exchange shots and Shida pulls Baker to the corner. Baker counters with a rake to the eyes and kicks Shida in the leg. Baker goes up top, but Shida cuts her off. Shida slams Baker across the top turnbuckle and delivers a running knee strike and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Hikaru Shida

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Footage of Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa talking earlier today is shown. Omega says they need a team name for tonight, and Nakazawa says Best Friends. Omega says there is already a team named Best Friends in AEW, but Nakazawa says they really are best friends and tells Omega to think about it. Orange Cassidy walks in and then out. Chuck Taylor and Trent walk in and say they heard everything they were talking about. They ask Omega and Nakazawa if they think they are the better Best Friends and they all argue.

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Excalibur runs down the AEW rankings.

Tag Team:
1. Evil Uno and Stu Grayson
2. The Young Bucks
3. Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
4. Lucha Brothers
5. Best Friends

Women:
1. Hikaru Shida
2. Kris Statlander
3. Yuka Sakazaki
4. Dr. Britt Baker
5. Riho

Men:
1. Jake Hager
2. Chris Jericho
3. Cody
4. Kenny Omega
5. Darby Allin

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Next week, Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against Hager in an Empty Arena No Holds Barred Match next week. A special look at the title match then airs.

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A video hyping the TNT Championship Tournament airs. Cody says he is lucky to be in the tournament, just like everyone else who is in it. Shawn Spears says he is going to pick them off one by one and put himself on the mat.

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Match #3 – Tag Team Match: Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent) (w/Orange Cassidy) vs. Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa
Omega and Taylor start the match with a lock up. They lock up again after a clean break, and Omega applies a wrist-lock. Taylor counters with a waist-lock, but Omega counters into a headlock. Taylor sends him off the ropes, but Omega takes him down with a shoulder tackle. Omega runs the ropes, but Taylor takes him down with an arm drag. Trent tags in and connects with a double ax handle. Trent works over Omega’s injured hand, but Omega gets free and Nakazawa tags in. They lock up and Trent backs Nakazawa into the ropes. Nakazawa counters and chops Trent. Trent comes back with a chop and then Nakazawa pours his baby oil all over him. Trent goes for chops, but his hands slide off of Nakazawa’s chest. Nakazawa takes Trent down and tags in Omega. Nakazawa slams Trent and he and Omega stomp Trent. They double team Taylor as well and toss him to the floor. Nakazawa pulls Trent into the ring post as the show heads to a break.
Back from the break, Nakazawa sends Taylor to the floor and drapes Trent over the ropes. He slides Trent along the ropes and drops him to the mat. Nakazawa goes for the cover, but Trent kicks out. Omega tags in and delivers an elbow to Trent. Omega takes Trent to the mat and applies a headlock. Trent fights back and drops Omega with a clothesline. Taylor and Nakazawa tag in and Taylor takes control. Omega gets involved, but Taylor sends Nakazawa into Omega. Trent clotheslines Nakazawa to the floor and then Taylor and Trent take out Nakazawa and Omega with dives. Cassidy rolls into the ring and Best Friends go for the hug, but Omega and Nakazawa trip them. Nakazawa and Omega go for the hug, but Cassidy ducks them. Trent and Taylor get back into the ring and send Omega to the floor. They take Nakazawa to the mat, but Nakazawa comes back. He throws Cassidy’s sunglasses down, but Cassidy puts on another pair and drops Omega with a dive. Trent drops Nakazawa with a DDT and goes for the cover, but Nakazawa kicks out.
Trent takes Nakazawa to the corner, but Nakazawa comes back and takes Trent down. Taylor and Omega tag in and Omega takes Taylor down. Omega takes Trent to the corner, but Taylor gets to him. Omega takes Trent down with a backstabber and delivers the snap dragon suplex. Taylor delivers a knee strike to Omega and then Trent kicks Omega in the face. Taylor delivers a power bomb and goes for the cover, but Nakazawa breaks it up. Trent tags in , but Omega throws him into Taylor. Nakazawa drops Taylor with a fall-away slam and then tags in. Nakazawa takes Trent to the mat and goes for the cover, but Taylor breaks it up. Nakazawa takes off his undergarments and goes for the Venom Arm on Trent. Nakazawa takes Trent to the mat and goes for the cover, but Taylor breaks it up. Nakazawa goes for Venom Claw again, but Trent ducks and Nakazawa puts it on Omega. Trent takes Nakazawa down and goes for the cover, but Omega breaks it up. Trent delivers a pile driver to Nakazawa and goes for the cover, but Nakazawa kicks out. Trent comes off the ropes and slams Nakazawa to the mat and gets the pin fall.
Winners: Best Friends
-After the match, Best Friends, Cassidy, Omega, and Nakazawa all share a hug.

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A vignette for Dark Order airs. Brodie Lee says perception is reality and asks two members without ties why they look different than their peer in a tie. He says he is here to make every life he touches extraordinary. He tells them to get their act together and show him that he wants it. He tells the one in the tie that he has an opportunity for him and leaves with him.

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Baker is interviewed backstage. She says Shida is not a role model like she is. She calls Shida a dirty wrestler better be thankful that she didn’t touch her teeth.

A vignette for the Moxley/Hager match for next week is shown.

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A promo from Matt Hardy airs. He responds to Jericho’s promo from last week. He runs down the members of The Inner Circle. He challenges Jericho to meet him in the Elite Deletion.

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Match #4 – Singles Match: Brodie Lee vs. Lee Johnson
Lee drops Johnson to the mat immediately and then comes into the ring with a senton. Lee delivers shots to Johnson in the corner an then follows up with a running elbow. Lee tosses Johnson across the ring and then slams him to the mat again. Lee hits the discus clothesline and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Brodie Lee

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A video package highlighting the feud between Cody and Spears is shown.

Match #5 – AEW TNT Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Cody (w/Brandi Rhodes) vs. Shawn Spears
They lock up and Cody backs Spears into the corner. Cody takes him down with a side headlock take down, but Spears rolls over for a one count. Spears goes behind for a waist-lock and then chops Cody into the corner. Cody comes back with a roll-up for two and then trips Spears up. Cody sets up for a submission, but Spears rolls to the floor. Spears grabs a chair and tosses it into the ring. Cody comes off the ropes and hits the Cody Cutter and goes for the cover, but Spears kicks out. Cody slams Spears to the mat and goes for the cover again, but Spears kicks out again. Spears comes back with a roll-up for two and then dodges a kick from Cody. Spears gets another roll-up for two, but Cody backs him into the corner. Cody kicks Spears in the face and goes for the cover, but Spears kicks out. Cody stomps on Spears and goes up top. Cody goes for a moonsault, but Spears dodges and Cody hits the mat. Spears delivers a pile driver and goes for the cover, but Cody kicks out. Spears takes Cody to the floor and drops him with a neck-breaker as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Spears and Cody are battling on the floor. Spears leans a piece of guardrail on the ring apron and suplexes Cody onto it. Spears tosses Cody back into the ring and goes for the cover, but Cody kicks out. Spears slams Cody to the mat and goes up top. Cody counters him and takes him down with a knee lift. Cody drops Spears with a power slam and goes for the cover, but Spears kicks out. Cody goes for the Beautiful Disaster, but Spears ducks and takes Cody to the mat. Spears goes for the cover, but Cody kicks out as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Spears grabs a table from under the ring. Cody takes him out with a dive and sets up the table. Spears tries to go around the ring, but a local wrestler at ringside grabs him and Cody delivers a few chops. Cody gets Spears back into the ring and goes up top, but Spears suplexes him to the mat. Brandi gets on the apron and Cody goes for Cross Rhodes. Spears gets free and almost sends Cody into Brandi. Spears grabs Cody and slams him through the table on the floor. Cody gets into the ring at the nine count and Spears grabs him. They slap each other and then Spears goes for the C-4. Cody counters and hits the Cross Rhodes. Cody delivers another Cross Rhodes and goes for the cover, but Spears kicks out. Cody applies the Figure Four and Spears’s shoulders get counted down on the mat.
Winner: Cody