1/18/23 AEW Dynamite Recap
The show opens with an “In Memory” image for Jay Briscoe, and then the opening credits roll. Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone are on commentary from Fresno, California.
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Match #1 – AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jay Lethal
Everyone in Cassidy and Lethal’s groups are banned from ringside, but Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt come out and sit in the front row to watch. Lethal drops Cassidy down, but Cassidy comes back and gets a back-slide for a two count. Lethal comes back and drops Cassidy to the floor with a right hand, and then Dutt has to stop Jarrett and Singh from interfering. Danhausen appears and asks for their tickets, and then Best Friends also show up in the front row. Lethal is distracted, and Cassidy takes him out with a dive. Cassidy gets Lethal back into the ring and goes for a DDT, but Lethal counters and guillotines Cassidy on the top rope. Lethal delivers right hands and chokes Cassidy with his boot. Danhausen hops the barricade and walks around the ring as Lethal tosses Cassidy to the floor. Lethal slams Cassidy into the ring apron and the ring post and gets back into the ring. Cassidy comes back in the ring, but Lethal drops him with a suplex. Lethal goes for the cover, but Cassidy kicks out. Lethal applies a rear chin-lock, and then drops Cassidy with a scoop slam. Lethal goes up top for the elbow drop, but Cassidy rolls away from him each time he goes up.
Cassidy kicks Lethal into the corner and slams his head into the turnbuckle repeatedly. Cassidy connects with a cross-body and hits a Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy drops Lethal with a DDT and goes for the cover, but Lethal kicks out. Cassidy goes up top, but Lethal catches him and drops him with the Lethal Combination. Lethal goes for the Lethal Injection, but Cassidy steps out of the way and goes for the Orange Punch. Lethal counters and slams Cassidy down, and then hits the Lethal Injection but Cassidy rolls to the floor. The referee gets in Dutt’s face and Danhausen steals Jarrett’s guitar. Lethal chases Danhausen through the ring, and then Cassidy gets Lethal in a roll-up for two. Cassidy delivers the Orange Punch and gets the pin fall.
Winner and still AEW All-Atlantic Champion: Orange Cassidy
-After the match, Best Friends get into the ring to celebrate with Cassidy, but Singh gets in the ring and goes after them. Dutt calms Singh down, and then Jarrett goes to hit Cassidy with the guitar. Dutt stops him because he doesn’t want to be fired, and then Cassidy kicks Dutt in the shins. Lethal and Jarrett pull Dutt back, and they all leave the ring as Cassidy, Best Friends, and Danhausen celebrate in the ring.
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The video package for tonight’s main event between Darby Allin and Kushida airs.
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Match #2 – Tag Team Match: The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (w/Brandon Cutler) vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin)
Nick and Dante start the match. They lock up and Nick applies a wrist-lock. Dante turns it around into one of his own, but Nick counters right back. Dante counters again and takes Nick down. Nick comes back with a kick to the midsection and a side-headlock. Nick drops Dante with a shoulder tackle, but then they go for simultaneous dropkicks and get in each other’s face. Dante delivers an enzuigiri and Matt tags in. Matt delivers a shot to Dante, and Darius tags in. Top Flight double-team Matt for a bit in the corner before Dante tags back in. Dante connects with a senton and then Top Flight double-team Nick as well. The Bucks come back and double-team Darius, and then double kick Dante in the corner. The Bucks double-team Darius in the opposite corner, and then Nick hits a Backstabber on Dante. Nick tags back in as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Dante kicks Matt in the face and goes for the tag, but Nick pulls Darius to the floor. Nick delivers a knee strike to Dante, and then The Bucks double-team Dante with a bulldog/dropkick combination. Nick tags back in and The Bucks hit Risky Business. Nick goes for the cover, but Dante kicks out. Matt tags back in, but Dante drops The Bucks with a double arm-drag. Dante drops Matt again and tags in Darius. Darius delivers shots to Matt and follows with a clothesline. Nick gets sent to the floor and drops Matt with a Spanish Fly. Darius dives onto Nick on the outside and then drops Matt with a diving cross-body. Darius goes for the cover, but Matt kicks out. Darius delivers forearm shots to Matt, but Nick tags in and delivers a superkick. Dante tags in, as does Matt, and then The Bucks go for the Meltzer Driver. Darius trips Nick and Top Flight double-team Matt. Dante dives onto Nick on the floor as Darius tags in. Top Flight drop Matt with a Nosedive/power bomb combination and Darius goes for the cover, but Nick breaks it up. Nick tags in and sends Dante to the floor.
Nick slams Darius down and moonsaults onto Dante on the floor. Nick drops Darius with a destroyer and goes for the cover, but Darius kicks out. Matt tags in and The Bucks hit the Doomsday Device on Darius. Dante breaks up the cover say two and tosses Matt to the floor. Dante sends Nick out as well and goes for a springboard dive, but The Bucks double superkick him. The Bucks go for a BTE Trigger on Darius, but he ducks under and rolls up Matt for the pin fall.
Winners: Top Flight
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The Gunns make their way to the ring. Austin says The Acclaimed embarrassed them last week, but they were the ones who made The Acclaimed popular and champions. Austin says they even gave The Acclaimed their dad. He says The Acclaimed will not embarrass them again, and then The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn come to the stage. Austin cuts them off before Max Caster can rap, but Caster says to shut Austin’s mic off and hit his music. Caster raps about the Gunns, and then The Acclaimed and The Gunns brawl in the ring. Billy pulls them all apart and says he is sick of it. Billy says he is tired of his sons asking like spoiled brats, and The Acclaimed needs to act like the Tag Champions. He says they are all going to sit down at family therapy next week and hash it out.
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Renee Paquette interviews Adam Page. She asks him how he feels, and he says he feels fine. Page says he felt like Jon Moxley took his word from him when he suffered his concussion, but he feels like he got that back last week. Page says they have knocked each other out and if Moxley has any more to say he can say it to his face. Page says there are some fences that have needed mending for a long time, but he isn’t going to get into it right now. Page asks how Moxley is doing, and Paquette says he’s been hurt every day for ten years, but he’ll dust himself off and be back. Page goes to ask Renee to tells something to someone, but then says never mind and walks away.
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Match #3 – Singles Match: Jake Hager (w/Angelo Parker, Chris Jericho, and Matt Menard) vs. Ricky Starks
Hager backs Starks in the corners as they lock up. Hager delivers body shots and then one more to the face. Starks comes back with a kick to the face and then steals his hat. Starks walks the ropes, but Hager catches him. Starks escapes and shoves Hager to the floor. Hager comes back with a knee to the midsection and then kicks Starks in the face. Hager slams Starks in the barricade as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Hager tries to power bomb Starks through a table that was set up on the floor during the commercial. Starks gets free and delivers shots to Hager, Parker, and Menard. Starks drops Hager with a kick and a clothesline, but Hager comes back with a kick to the face. Hager goes for the Hager Bomb, but Starks counters and drops Hager with a DDT. Starks goes for the cover, but Hager kicks out. Starks knocks Menard off the apron and causes Hager to knock Parker off the apron. Starks drops Hager with a Spear and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Ricky Starks
-After the match, Daniel Garcia and Sammy Guevara rush the ring, but Starks escapes through the crowd before they get to him.
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A video package for Adam Cole’s return to AEW airs, where he says AEW will belong to him and he will run over anyone who stands in his way.
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Schiavone interviews Jericho, Garcia, and Guevara backstage. Jericho says Starks has been getting on their nerves and next week he and Sammy Guevara will take on Starks and Action Andretti. Garcia interrupts and says he wants to team with Jericho instead since he is already facing Andretti on Rampage this Friday. Guevara says if Garcia can beat Andretti this Friday, he can be in the tag team match. Garcia then hands Garcia new gear and Jericho says it doesn’t matter if it’s Le Sex Gods or Garciacho, they will win next week.
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Match #4 – Singles Match: Bandido vs. Bryan Danielson
They lock up, but neither man gains the advantage. Danielson applies a side-headlock and takes Bandido down. Bandido counters with a leg-scissors, but Danielson rolls through. Bandido gets free and takes Danielson down. Bandido applies the Romero Special, but Danielson gets free and goes for the hold himself. Bandido fights him off, but Danielson stomps on the back of Bandido’s knees. Danielson applies a side-headlock and drops Bandido with a shoulder tackle. Bandido comes back and pins Danielson’s arms for a few pin attempts, but Danielson crunches up and delivers a headbutt. Bandido sends Danielson away, but they lock up again. Danielson delivers a few knee strikes, but Bandido comes back and drops Danielson with a hip toss. Bandido applies a submission, but Danielson gets free and goes to the floor. Bandido takes Danielson out with a few dives and gets him back into the ring as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Bandido gets a roll-up for two. Bandido slams Danielson’s face into the mat, and then they exchange chops. Danielson delivers uppercuts and kicks in the corner, but Bandido comes back with a thrust kick. Bandido takes Danielson down with a cross-body, and then delivers a round kick. Bandido drops Danielson with a delayed vertical suplex and goes for the cover, but Danielson kicks out. Bandido goes for a frog splash, but Danielson gets his knees up. Danielson locks in the LeBell Lock, but Bandido makes it to the ropes. Danielson kicks Bandido in the chest repeatedly, but Bandido blocks the last one and takes Danielson down. Bandido delivers a knee strike to the face and goes for the 21 Plex, but Danielson lands on his feet. Danielson trips Bandido up and gets a roll-up for a two count. Bandido rolls Danielson up for a two count and sends Danielson to the corner. Bandido charges, but Danielson sends him to the floor and drops him with a kick to the chest. Danielson delivers a flying knee strike and gets Bandido back into the ring. Danielson goes up top, but Bandido cuts him off with a right hand.
Bandido climbs up as well and they exchange shots. Bandido slams Danielson to the mat and then hits the 21 Plex, but only gets a two count. Bandido picks Danielson up, but they exchange elbow strikes and slaps to the face. They exchange kicks and Bandido goes for a brain buster, but Danielson counters and goes for the LeBell Lock. Bandido counters, but Danielson gets free again and delivers the running knee strike for the pin fall.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
-After the match, Danielson checks on Bandido, but then MJF appears on the screen. MJF says he hear and sees what Danielson and all the fans are saying about him, and he takes it all personally. MJF says the farther Danielson goes on his journey and gets closer to Revolution, the more MJF’s mask will begin to slip off. MJF says Danielson doesn’t want that, because not even a dragon is any match for the monster behind the mask.
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Saraya, Toni Storm, and Hikaru Shida have a pre-recorded segment. Saraya asks Shida how she could be so stupid as to throw her kendo stick in the ring last week, and Storm says it wasn’t Shida’s fault. Storm says they need to worry about the AEW home-grown girls and says she has Willow Nightingale tonight. Saraya says she is right and tells Shida to stay in the back.
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Renee Paquette interviews Brian Cage and Prince Nana. Cage will take on Danielson next week. Before they can talk, MJF walks up and says he needs a machine. MJF brings out an envelope and says it is more money than Cage and nana have seen in their lives. MJF says he doesn’t care of Cage wins or loses, but he does care if Cage breaks Danielson’s arm. Cage says he can work that out, and MJF slaps him across the face. Cage grabs MJF and Nana tells him about the money. MJF tells Cage to use all of his hate next week and hands the money to Nana.
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Match #5 – Singles Match: Toni Storm (w/Saraya) vs. Willow Nightingale
Storm drops Nightingale and applies a side-headlock. Nightingale comes back and sends Storm off the ropes, but Storm goes for a shoulder tackle. Nightingale delivers one of her own and takes Storm down with a hip toss and a cover for a two count. Nightingale slams Storm down and connects with a low cross-body. Nightingale goes for the cover, but Storm quickly kicks out. Storm slaps Nightingale in the face and kicks her to the apron. Storm sends Nightingale to the floor with a hip attack and comes off with a double ax handle. Shida comes to ringside and Storm slams Nightingale into the barricade as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Nightingale delivers a back elbow and splashes Storm in the corners. Nightingale delivers a clothesline and a kick to the chest, and then follows with a spine-buster. Nightingale goes for the cover, but Storm kicks out at two. Nightingale delivers a missile dropkick and goes for a cannonball senton, but Storm dodges it and hits a hip attack. Storm delivers a low DDT and goes for the cover, but Nightingale kicks out. Nightingale comes back with a roll-up for two, and then hits the Pounce. Nightingale hits the cannonball senton and goes for the cover, but Storm kicks out. Saraya gets on the apron and Nightingale gets in her face, but Storm rolls Nightingale up with a handful of tights and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Toni Storm
-After the match, Saraya and Storm attack Nightingale, but Shida gets on the apron and Ruby Soho rushes the ring to make the save.
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Announced for this Friday’s Rampage:
-Action Andretti vs. Daniel Garcia
-Brian Cage vs. Willie Mack
-Ethan Page vs. Jack Perry
-Jade Cargill and Leili Grey will be in action
-We will hear from Eddie Kingston
Announced for next Wednesday’s Dynamite:
-Brian Cage vs. Bryan Danielson
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Renee Paquette interviews Konosuke Takeshita. Takeshita says Danielson is his hero and he learned so much from him, but he doesn’t like MJF and calls him an asshole in Japanese.
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Match #6 – AEW TNT Championship Match: Darby Allin (c) (w/Sting) vs. Kushida (w/DKC and Kevin Knight)
They go back and forth, and then Kushida applies a hammer-lock on the mat. Allin counters and applies a rear choke, but Kushida sends him off the ropes. Allin drops Kushida with a shoulder tackle and goes for an arm-bar, but Kushida counters. Kushida goes for one of his own, but Allin makes it to the ropes. Kushida trips Allin and works over his ankle, but Allin comes back with a side-headlock. Kushida sends him off the ropes and drops him with a hip toss. Kushida follows with a dropkick that sends Allin to the floor. Kushida follows him out, but Allin slams him into the barricade. They get back into the ring and Kushida kicks Allin’s arm and works it over in the corner. Kushida applies a hammer-lock and then wrenches Allin’s arm with a jump spin. Kushida sends Allin across the ring, but Allin counters with the Coffin Splash. Kushida comes back with a back elbow, but Allin delivers a few rights and lefts. Allin drops Kushida with Code Red and goes for the cover, but Kushida kicks out. Kushida goes to the floor, but Allin dives into DKC and Knight on the floor. Kushida drives Allin to the floor with a cross arm-breaker as the show heads to a commercial.
Back from the break, Allin and Kushida exchange shots in the ring. Allin delivers quick fire forearm strikes, but Kushida comes back with a cross-body. Kushida delivers a Pele Kick, but Allin comes back with the Scorpion Death Drop. Allin slaps Kushida in the face a few times, but Kushida kicks Allin in the back of the head to send him to the floor. Kushida drops a knee on Allin’s injured arm and they exchange shots on the apron. Allin hits a stunner on the apron and they both fall to the floor. Allin sets Kushida in a chair and delivers shots to him, and then goes up top. Allin goes for a shutgun dropkick, but Kushida counters and locks in an arm-bar on the floor. Kushida lets go of the hold and gets back into the ring, and then Allin gets back into the ring at the eight count. Kushida pulls Allin in from the apron and they go up top. Kushida slams Allin to the mat with a key-lock slam and goes for the Hoverboard Lock. Allin locks his fingers together and then DKC and Knight throw a towel to Sting and tells him to throw it in. Sting wipes his face with it and throws it into the crowd. Allin counters out of the hold and gets Kushida in the Last Supper pinning combination for the pin fall.
Winner and still AEW TNT Champion: Darby Allin
-After the match, Kushida tells Allin he wants another shot sometime and then raises his arm in the air as the show comes to a close.
