AEW Dynamite live results: CM Punk vs. MJF
AEW returns to Chicago tonight for Dynamite.
After months of back-and-forth and MJF throwing members of The Pinnace in CM Punk’s path, Punk finally gets MJF one-on-one in the ring in Punk’s hometown on tonight’s show. It will be the first singles meeting between the two.
Jon Moxley will be in singles competition on the show, facing Wheeler Yuta. Yuta is a late replacement for Brian Kendrick, after past comments made by Kendrick that downplayed the severity of the Holocaust and suggested that Jewish people are reptilian and part of a global conspiracy surfaced today.
Ruby Soho will face Nyla Rose in a rematch from the TBS Championship tournament. Rose and Vickie Guerrero have been insulting Soho in promo segments over the last two weeks of AEW programming.
Malakai Black and Brody King will be in tag team action, taking on the returning PAC and Penta El Zero Miedo.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Show Report —
The opener was originally supposed to be Jon Moxley vs. a debuting Brian Kendrick, but the latter was pulled due to conspiracy theory comments that resurfaced today. Of note, Kendrick apologized on Twitter during the show. YUTA was his replacement.
Jon Moxley defeated Wheeler YUTA (w/ Orange Cassidy & Danhausen)
– (Note from your reviewer: Last week, I described Danhausen’s debut as a “red flag,” as I’m personally just not a fan of the act or gimmick. In hindsight, that was a ridiculous thing to say, and that term should be reserved for people who actually deserve it — see comments made by Moxley’s original opponent. I’m sorry, and I appreciate those who reached out to let me know my mistake.)
Moxley took YUTA down right away. The younger opponent showed some fire and stood up to Moxley, but Moxley beat him down on the floor and then peppered him with chops inside the ring. Moxley raked YUTA’s back and went for a superplex, but YUTA pushed him off and downed him with a dropkick. On the apron, Moxley returned fire with a front-facing DDT.
At ringside, Moxley exchanged looks with Orange and Danhausen, and YUTA used the distraction to land a crossbody on the floor. He followed it up with a German suplex bridge for two. A top-rope splash got two more.
Moxley countered a cazadora into a sleeper, laid in ground and pound, and hit the Paradigm Shift for the win.
– After the match, Bryan Danielson appeared in the ring. He asked if the crowd wanted to see them fight, and the crowd said they did. Danielson said that for a long time, he wanted to see them fight too, because he was different. He said he was watching Moxley when he was AEW world champion, and that he was the best.
Danielson realized that when Moxley lost the title, he and Moxley shouldn’t be fighting – they should be together. “There’s no reason why some millennial cowboy should be AEW champion. There’s no reason why somebody dressed as a dinosaur should be AEW tag team champion. There’s no reason why somebody whose main contribution to society has been a vlog should be TNT champion. Together, you and me could run this place.”
He proposed taking young guns like YUTA, Daniel Garcia, and Lee Moriarty under their wing. “Even if [the fans] don’t like me, they like what I’m talking about.” Danielson closed by asking Moxley just to think about the greatness they could create, and the legacy that Moxley wants to leave.
**********
A video package aired for CM Punk vs. MJF.
**********
Brandi Rhodes was in the ring, and she insulted Chicago. She was interrupted by Dan Lambert and the Men of the Year, who said Brandi needed a reality check. Lambert called Brandi “fake” in more than one way. He said he almost feels like a decent human being standing next to Brandi.
She came back by saying the only reason AEW hired Ethan Page was to get close to Josh Alexander before insulting American Top Team. Lambert insinuated Brandi was a prostitute, and she slapped him.
Lambert brought out Paige Van Zant, who attacked brandi. The women’s locker room emptied and separated the two women.
**********
Matt Hardy and A.H.F.O. were backstage. Hardy said he was disappointed in Private Party last week before challenging Sammy Guevara for a TNT Championship against Isiah Kassidy, as he wasn’t the one who lost. Andrade El Idolo walked up and was asked about why they haven’t brought Darby Allin into the fold, but Andrade didn’t have a good answer. Hardy hyped Kassidy up to close things.
**********
Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black & Brody King) defeated Death Triangle (PAC & Penta El Zero Miedo) (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
PAC was blindfolded and had to use Abrahantes to assist him down the ramp and into the ring. He started off with Black, but used a sixth sense to avoid a strike. PAC followed it up with a trip and a running dropkick before tearing off the blindfold. He and Penta then took out the Kings with simultaneous flip dives.
Back in the ring, PAC held Black down, allowing Penta to land a dropkick to the posterior. Death Triangle continued to beat down PAC until King entered the ring and took down PAC with and overhand clubbing blow, allowing the Kings to take control through a commercial break.
Once back, PAC reached Penta for the hot tag. He hit Sling Blades on both opponents to take them both out. A backstabber followed for two. PAC got a blind tag and traded strikes with Black, who gained the upper hand with a running dropkick. PAC came back with a German suplex and a brainbuster for two.
Penta took out King with a plancha and a step-up flip dive. He and PAC both landed thrust kicks on Black. They wanted the Fear Factor stomp combo, but King pushed PAC off the top, Black used the black mist, and the Kings hit Dante’s Inferno for the win.
**********
Adam Cole was backstage. He said he was still undefeated because the Orange Cassidy match doesn’t count, and he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. On Rampage, he will face Evil Uno, and after that, the world will know what Cole wants.
**********
Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Ruby Soho
Soho attacked before the bell but was flattened with a lariat. She came back with a trip and a soccer kick. Rose caught a corner escape and turned it into a Samoan drop for two. She continued to dominate for a long time, including through a commercial.
They jockeyed for position on the apron upon return. Soho picked her opponent up in the fireman’s carry and then dropped her on the apron. She exchanged words with Vickie, allowing Rose to hit a spinebuster on the floor.
In the ring, Soho hit No Future, but Vickie pulled Rose’s leg under the ropes to break the cover. Soho went after Vickie, allowing Rose to hit a backbreaker. Soho went for a top-rope hurricanrana, but Rose caught it. Soho completely missed a kick and Rose landed a senton bomb followed by the Beast Bomb for the win.
**********
The Gunn Club cornered Jungle Boy backstage. Jungle Boy tried to fight them off, but they pushed him outside in the snow. Luchasaurus and Christian Cage ran out and chased them off.
**********
Hangman Page promo
Page was introduced by Tony Schiavone and asked about the upcoming Texas Deathmatch vs. Lance Archer for the AEW World Championship. Page said he needs something, anything, and he needs it tonight, so he challenged Archer to come out. Dan Lambert made his second appearance on the show, flanked by Jake Roberts.
Jake told Page to shut up and said he sensed fear. Archer came out and said “let’s do this.” Page immediately hit a tope suicida and sent Archer into the stairs. Lambert tried to hit Page with a chair, but Page had it scouted — but then the distraction allowed Archer to hit Page with a chair and chokeslam him onto the steps. The Blackout through the timekeeper’s table followed.
Archer said he’d be the new AEW world champion, and he doesn’t give a damn what anybody thinks.
**********
Chris Jericho addressed Santana and Ortiz last week. He said them ignoring him during their match last week was embarrassing and disrespectful. He doesn’t get their relationship with Eddie Kingston, and he wants to hear an explanation from their mouths. Jericho demanded an Inner Circle team meeting next week.
**********
AEW Rampage (2/4) lineup:
- Adam Cole vs. Evil Uno
- FTW Championship: Ricky Starks vs. Jay Lethal
- Thunder Rosa vs. Mercedes Martinez
- TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Isiah Kassidy
AEW Dynamite (2/9) lineup:
- Inner Circle team meeting
- AEW World Championship: Hangman Page (c) vs. Lance Archer in a Texas Deathmatch
**********
MJF defeated CM Punk
This match was absolutely fantastic, one of the best main events in Dynamite history. With that being said, this Wardlow thing needs to end soon. They’ve been teasing it for almost two years(!) and the crowd is begging for the turn. It’s never going to get hotter than this.
The bell rang with 40 minutes left in the show and the match used about 39 of those minutes.
MJF used underhanded tactics to get the first shot, but Punk came back with chops and kicks. Punk tangled MJF in the ropes for more strikes. They fought on the floor, where MJF fled up into the audience. Punk engaged in hot pursuit and crotched MJF over a railing.
Punk dragged MJF back to the ring and continued to beat him down. He eventually went for the top-rope elbow drop, but MJF rolled out of the way. Punk pursued and went for a spear, but MJF avoided it and Punk was sent into the ring post. MJF dropped a knee on Punk’s wrist before a commercial break.
Once back, Punk started a comeback with strikes and a swinging neckbreaker. He followed it up with his signature corner knee into a running bulldog. Punk called for the GTS, but MJF rolled out onto the apron, where Punk slammed him. Punk let a fan strike MJF and climbed the ropes, but MJF tripped him up and hit a top-rope takeover for two.
MJF stopped Punk’s offense by pulling the official in the way. With the referee’s back turned, he used tape to choke Punk but then hid it with a sleeper. MJF locked on the body scissors and Punk faded, leading to the stoppage at about the 15-minute mark.
As MJF celebrated, the tape fell out from under MJF’s arm, and the official restarted the match.
Punk immediately rolled MJF up for a great near fall. He fired up with a fast flurry of offense including twenty punches in the corner. MJF sent Punk crashing to the floor ahead of another commercial. Upon return, Punk countered a Heatseeker and landed a springboard clothesline.
A springboard dropkick sent MJF to the floor, where Punk landed a tope suicida. Punk tweaked his knee on the dive, allowing MJF to regain control. MJF locked on an arm-trap deathlock, targeting both Punk’s injured arm and leg. Punk turned it into an STF, but couldn’t hold onto the grip.
Punk got MJF in the fireman’s carry, but his knee gave out and MJF rolled him up for two. They traded cradles and then strikes until Punk hit a reverse hurricanrana. Both men were down for a long time until MJF chop-blocked Punk’s knee repeatedly. Punk fought out of a Salt of the Earth attempt, but MJF hit a pumphandle slam for two.
MJF got the official out of position again and hit a low blow followed by a rope-assisted pinning predicament for a near fall. We then got the third commercial break of the match. Once back, MJF continued to target Punk’s leg, but Punk came back with a cradle and a dropkick. Punk hit his corner knee, but MJF bit at Punk’s hand and forehead.
With both men perched on the top, Punk returned the favor with a bite of his own. He then hit a big-time Pepsi Plunge from the top. However, he landed hard and couldn’t follow up. Both men went for tombstone piledrivers before Punk landed a roundhouse kick followed by a top-rope elbow drop for a good near fall.
Punk called for the GTS, but MJF fell out of the ring. Wardlow emerged onto the ramp. He stepped over MJF’s lifeless body outside the ring and faced off with Punk, but ended up backing off. Punk rolled MJF into the ring and Wardlow exchanged words with the official as MJF struck Punk with the Dynamite Diamond Ring for the win.