AEW Dynamite live results: Chris Jericho-Matt Hardy confrontation
AEW Dynamite airs live tonight from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. The show will be produced on a closed set.
A face-to-face confrontation between Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy has been advertised. Hardy made his AEW debut last week on Dynamite as The Elite announced that Hardy would replace Matt Jackson in the upcoming Blood & Guts match. That match was originally set for this week, but has been postponed to a later date.
After being revealed as The Exalted One last week, Brodie Lee will make his AEW in-ring debut tonight.
Kenny Omega will defend the AAA Mega Championship against The Inner Circle’s Sammy Guevara. This will be the second time that the title has been defended on AEW programming. Omega retained the title in a win over Jack Evans on an episode of AEW Dark in November. Since then, Omega has defended the title once in AAA in a December win over Dragon Lee.
Also announced for tonight is a Cody vs. Jimmy Havoc singles match. Cody will also join the commentary team during tonight’s broadcast.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Tony Schiavone, Cody and Kenny Omega welcomed us to the show from the commentary desk. They previewed the card for the evening.
Rather than sitting ringside, the wrestlers providing the ambiance were sequestered in a trailer. This may be the best practice for public health, but it did not work nearly as well for television.
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Cody defeated Jimmy Havoc
This was a solid opener. Havoc got more offense than he would have in a standard squash, but Cody was in control most of the way.
They had a fundamentally sound opening sequence, trading tackles and an intricate series of cradles. Cody used a Cody Cutter and applied a figure four. Havoc raked the face to escape the hold.
Cody hit a suplex on the ramp and a running lariat that knocked Havoc back inside. Cody used an x-plex. He tried for another cutter but Havoc caught him in a flying armbar.
Havoc used small joint manipulation in applying a second hold but Cody escaped.
Cody hit two Cross Rhodes and pinned Havoc.
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After the opening match, a pre-taped Jake Roberts promo played.
His motivation for going after Cody was explained. He said he’s the best mind in wrestling and didn’t get so much as a phone call when AEW started.
He said Cody was afraid to bring Lance Archer into the fold because he saw him wrecking people all over the globe and was afraid.
Roberts called Cody “Caesar” and referred to Brandi Rhodes as a Jezebel, Delilah and Monica to Cody’s Bill. He said Cody can bring whoever he wants along, be it Brandi or Arn Anderson, so long as Jake and Archer get a shot. Jake said Cody should trust him. LOL.
This was a super promo.
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After a commercial break, Cody joined the commentary desk and said Jake’s promo was bitter and not where wrestling should be going. He said Archer can debut next week.
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A Darby Allin promo played. He said tonight, Sabian is a sacrifice for the sins of The Inner Circle, then set fire to a table covered with photos of Inner Circle members.
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Darby Allin defeated Kip Sabian (w/Penelope Ford)
Allin hit a nice springboard armdrag. Sabian rolled outside to collect himself. Allin missed a charge into the barricade when Ford pulled Sabian out of the way.
There was a production snafu here where Tony and Cody threw to a commercial break on TNT, continued to call the action for Fite TV, but were still live on TNT. Then TNT cut to a commercial mid-sentence.
After the break, Allin made his comeback. He hit slaps to the face and a jawbreaker. Sabian cut Allin off a second time and used an abdominal stretch around the ring post.
Sabian used a distraction from Ford to hit a hangman’s neckbreaker. Allin kicked out at two.
Sabian was still in control when Allin picked his ankle and used a modified figure four with a bridge called The Last Supper for the pinfall victory.
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Jake Hager defeated Chico Adams
Hager posted Chico’s shoulder. He hit a Vader Bomb and a uranage, then applied the head and arm triangle. Chico passed out. A total squash.
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Jon Moxley appeared after the match and confronted Hager. They traded strikes. Moxley hit a double-arm DDT. Hager picked Moxley’s ankle and applied an ankle lock. Moxley kicked him off, then Hager retreated.
They put over on commentary that these two are on a collision course.
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Moxley cut a promo and said he’s cleared for action. He said Hager walked away from a fight tonight but he won’t walk away next time. He said Hager will be carted away on a stretcher or Moxley will die trying.
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A video recapped Brodie Lee being revealed as The Exalted One last week.
Another video played showing Lee eating a steak dinner with Alex Reynolds and John Silver. Lee kicked Silver out for trying to take a bite of his dinner before Lee was finished eating. Lee told Reynolds to smarten his boy up.
Reynolds sneezed and Lee threw him out of the room as well.
You see, Vince McMahon likes steak and hates sneezing. If you get off on all things anti-WWE, this was for you. If you think that inside baseball references like this are counterproductive, this was not for you.
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Brodie Lee defeated QT Marshall
Lee used a variety of power moves to dominate the first part of the match.
Marshal made a brief comeback with a step-up enziguri and a second enziguri.
Lee hit a boss man slam, then used a discus lariat to pin Marshall.
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After the match, a masked Dark Order follower entered the ring and dropped a mask on the fallen Marshall, presumably offering him the chance to join.
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Vanguard 1 v2.0 provided a medical update on Nick Jackson, who is 61 percent recovered from the Inner Circle attack two weeks ago.
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AAA Mega Championship match: Kenny Omega defeated Sammy Guevara to retain the title
This was a super match and pretty easily the best empty arena match of the last few weeks.
They began with some nice chain wrestling. Guevara used an eye rake to gain the advantage. The match spilled outside where Guevara posted Omega and worked on his broken hand.
Guevara kissed a paper caricature of Brandi Rhodes as Omega sold before a break.
Guevara approached the real Brandi after the ad break and got slapped in the face. Not a DQ. Omega ran Guevara into the steel steps repeatedly.
Guevara used an armbar but Omega escaped. Guevara missed a standing moonsault and Omega fired off elbow strikes, a headbutt and some shots with his cast. Guevara escaped You Can’t Escape by biting Omega’s hand.
Guevara went back to working on Omega’s injured hand with stomps and strikes. Guevara used a chinlock into a commercial break.
They traded strikes after the commercial break. Guevara fought out of a snap dragon attempt and rolled through into a double stomp. Guevara hit a springboard cutter and a tope.
Omega caught Guevara off a springboard attack and hit a powerbomb, followed by a V-Trigger. Guevara blocked a Liger bomb and scored a two count.
Guevara missed a shooting star press. Omega hit two V-Triggers. Guevara escaped a snap dragon and hit a burning hammer. Omega hit another V-Trigger and a jay driller.
Omega then hit another V-Trigger and the One-Winged Angel for the finish.
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Chris Jericho entered for the main event promo segment. He called out Vanguard 1 and offered the drone a spot in the Inner Circle. He cut a promo on the drone and said he hated his beliefs and everything he stood for. That was hilarious. Vanguard flew away.
Matt Hardy appeared in the middle of the arena, then teleported to various places in the crowd before making it to ringside.
Jericho offered Hardy a spot in Inner Circle. Hardy said he is Damascus and more than 3,000 years old. Hardy said AEW is paradise and freedom and he can’t allow Inner Circle to ruin paradise. Hardy promised to delete Jericho.
The two did a nice mix of comedy and staying on point with the promo.
Jericho slapped Hardy. Hardy responded by dropping Jericho with a punch. Guevara hit the ring and attacked Hardy. Omega and Cody jumped up from commentary and made the save for Hardy.
Hardy, Cody and Omega stood tall in the ring. Hardy set off flames on the stage as Jericho and Guevara retreated to the back to close the show.
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This was not as strong of an outing as last week but still a good show. Clearly there were some more challenges and hurdles to overcome this week with a skeleton crew.
Cody did a great job on commentary and Schiavone was good on play-by-play. The two have an easy chemistry that played well. Omega was not as strong in the commentator role.
I may be in the minority, but the Broken Matt Hardy stuff feels dated to me. Hardy is great at reinvention and I can see him coming up with a tweak to make the act fresh again. It’s something of a strange fit at the top of the card here too.
It’s also worth noting that nothing was announced for next week beyond a hint that Lance Archer will make his in-ring debut. Another sign of the times in that from week to week, circumstances, available talent and best practices are changing and who knows what they’ll have to work with?