AEW Dynamite live results: MJF vs. Takeshita
MJF faces Konosuke Takeshita on tonight’s AEW Dynamite Championship Fight Night.
MJF, AEW’s World Champion, faces Takeshita in a World title eliminator bout, where if Takeshita wins, he receives a future World title shot.
Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter also has a World title eliminator bout on her hands tonight, facing The Bunny.
The Elite are set to make their first defense of the World Trios Championships, as Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks defend against Top Flight and AR Fox.
The AEW World Tag Team titles will be on the line as well, as The Acclaimed defend against The Gunns.
Bryan Danielson will take on Rush in singles competition.
Ricky Starks is also set to run the Garcia-Guevara gauntlet. If Starks defeats Matt Menard and Angelo Parker in singles matches, he will then face either Daniel Garcia or Sammy Guevara. If he defeats Garcia or Guevara, he receives a singles match against Chris Jericho, who he already defeated in their only prior singles meeting on January 4.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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AEW Dynamite comes on the air with Excalibur welcoming us and is joined by Taz & Tony Schiavone as the music for the AEW World Champion hits and we’re starting with our first Title Eliminator of the evening.
AEW World Champion MJF defeated Konosuke Takeshita in a Title Eliminator Match
(An excellent, action packed opener with the crowd loudly behind Takeshita. Had Takeshita won this, he would’ve gotten a title match next week, but it was not meant to be, as MJF was victorious in only his second match in about two months.)
MJF suckered Takeshita into a handshake, but Takeshita quickly turned the tables with ten corner punches and jumping knee. MJF pulled the ref in front of him to attack the arm of Takeshita before trash talking the crowd. MJF hammerlocked the arm and hit a cradle DDT off of it for a near fall. Takeshita reversed a whip into a corner Exploder, as that was followed by two corner boots. Takeshita hit a perfect brainbuster, but MJF kicked out at two. A perfect tribute to Eddie Guerrero in El Paso by Takeshita who did the Eddie shimmy before connecting with a Frog Splash to get another two count. Takeshita connected with a driver into a wheelbarrow German, as MJF was sent to the floor to regroup.
MJF tried to post Takeshita, but the tables were turned and MJF ate the steel to You Deserve It chants. Back inside, Takeshita tried a moonsault, was crotched, as MJF went for a back suplex, but Takeshita tried his home run lariat, only for MJF to land on his feet. MJF tried to throw a shot, but Takeshita turned him inside out with a lariat. Takeshita draped his bad arm over MJF, who immediately sank in Salt of the Earth, but Takeshita escaped. MJF was sent outside and Takeshita wiped him out with a somersault dive. As MJF got back in the ring, he shoved the ref and got a low blow to take over and zone in on the bad arm.
Both men traded strikes until Takeshita tried a hurricanrana, but MJF countered into a powerbomb on his knee. MJF clutched his own knee and ran right into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two, as Takeshita followed with his pump knee, but MJF got the rope break. Takeshita missed the senton atomico, as MJF sank in Salt of the Earth again, repositioned and cranked back at the arm until Takeshita tapped.
Post match, MJF got his Dynamite Diamond ring from the ref; pie faced him down and clocked Takeshita with it, busting him open. Bryan Danielson sprinted out, but the damage was done, as Takeshita was left lying.
-A video package is shown of Samoa Joe talking about regaining the TNT title last week. He mentions Wardlow wanting to take his TNT title from him, but he’ll take everything from Wardlow in return.
AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter (w/Britt Baker & Rebel) defeated The Bunny (w/Penelope Ford) in a Title Eliminator Match
(Not sure if this was supposed to go longer, but Bunny landed really rough on a second Exploder by Hayter. We came back from commercial and got about 30 seconds before the finish. I hope she’s ok after taking that rough bump, as she was helped to the back while Hayter was celebrating her win on the ramp.)
An early series of shoulder blocks by Hayter was quickly thwarted as The Bunny did her corner leg choke. Hayter responded with a suplex back into the ring, as Bunny suckered her in on the other side of the ring with a neck breaker through the ropes and snap suplex into the ring steps. Bunny controlled the action during break, as we came back to Penelope Ford ripping away a sign from Britt Baker, tearing it up. Hayter hit one Exploder, but the second dropped Bunny right on her head awkwardly. Hayter just pulled Bunny up and hit Hayter-ade for the win.
-Renee Paquette is backstage with Toni Storm & Saraya, who call Hayter a loser before calling in Leva Bates. Saraya & Storm attack Bates; spray painting an L on her like they did the Renegade Twins on Rampage this past week. They said they aren’t here to make friends.
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-Lexy Nair is at MJF’s dressing room, as he says Takeshita wasn’t a match for a generational talent like himself. MJF doesn’t know if they people hate him because he’s twisted or if he’s twisted because they hate him. He tells a story about how in high school he got in a car accident with a girl he liked. She cracked her head on his windshield and when met with adversity and the cops came, he switched seats with her to make it look like she was driving. In this life, there are winners and losers; tonight he’ll expose Bryan Danielson for the loser that he is. MJF said he’s proud of being a scumbag.
Ricky Starks defeated Angelo Parker to advance in the Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet
Parker got a quick eye rake and snap suplex, as. Starks tried a Roshambo, but Parker raked the eyes. Starks ducked a shot and hit a Spear for the quick win.
Ricky Starks defeated Matt Menard to advance in the Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet
Menard tried a sneak attack, but was quickly rolled up and pinned in near record time.
Daniel Garcia defeated Ricky Starks
(Had Starks defeated Garcia, he would’ve faced Chris Jericho immediately after, as this appears to be the direction they’re going for Revolution I would assume.)
Garcia & Sammy Guevara both came out and didn’t let Starks know who he’d face next until the last second. Garcia got the quick attack and controlled nearly the entire break. Garcia had a guillotine choke applied off a Spear counter, but Starks powered up into a powerbomb. Starks went up top, Garcia cut him off with a superplex, held on, but Starks turned it into a Northern Lights Bomb for two. Both men found each other battling on the apron with forearms and slaps until Starks hit a Spear on the apron. As Starks got up, he was clocked with a Judas Effect by a masked fan in the crowd. Garcia rolled Starks back in the ring and pinned immediately. The masked man unmasked to be Chris Jericho, as Guevara & Garcia acted shocked.
-The Acclaimed are backstage with Renee Paquette. Daddy Ass said he’s going to stay in the back for the Tag Team title match, as Caster approved, but Bowens was a little hesitant before asking Daddy Ass to scissor him.
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-Renee Paquette is back in the trainer’s room with Konosuke Takeshita & Bryan Danielson before they hear the door lock and Rush’s music hit. Rush made his entrance, as MJF walked out soon after. MJF tells “sweet cheeks” Aubrey Edwards that since Bryan Danielson is scheduled for a match, she needs to ring the bell to start the match. Edwards just does this, as Danielson bursts through the locked door, while Preston Vance & Jose the Assistant try to attack, but Takeshita fends them off. Ref Aubrey counts as slow as possible, as Danielson sprints to the ring and the match is on.
Bryan Danielson defeated Rush
(Danielson officially stamps his ticket to Revolution and the Ironman Match against MJF is set. This match was arguably the best hoop Danielson has had to jump through yet, as this was an absolute war, which is something I’ve said multiple times during this run of matches from Danielson. The crowd was phenomenal for this match also.)
MJF joined commentary, as Rush quickly hit a corner splash and snap dropkick to the back. Danielson started a chop battle, which turned into headbutts, only for Rush to hit a comeback German and chucking Danielson into the railing outside. Danielson is bleeding and Rush went to lick his hand clean of the blood, which is just downright gross, but thankfully ref Aubrey stopped that from happening. Rush is just battering Danielson on the floor, but Danielson fought back on the apron with a violent slap battle. Danielson charged at Rush, who hit an overhead throw to the floor and the blood from Danielson’s hair flew right onto the camera in a pretty cool moment.
Rush controlled the entire commercial and could’ve ended things presumably at one point, but pulled back on the Bulls Horns and opted for the LIJ pose. Danielson tried to battle back and nearly got the LeBell Lock, but Rush got the ropes. Rush tried to side step a dive from Danielson, who put on the brakes and hit one out of the corner to the floor. Danielson hit a charging dropkick against the railing and a perfect top rope dropkick back inside. Another brutal chop battle ensued, as Rush tried Bulls Horns, but Danielson hit his corner dropkick. Rush cut him off with a straightjacket piledriver, but Danielson kicked out. Rush relentlessly threw forearms, went for Bulls Horns again, but Danielson popped up and hit a Busaiku Knee for a close two.
Forearm battle turned led to nearly twenty back and forth headbutts, as Rush tried another comeback German, but Danielson landed on his feet and hit another Busaiku Knee to win an absolute classic. MJF quickly hit the ring, clocked Danielson with his Dynamite Diamond ring and locked on Salt of the Earth before he attacked security guards. Three of these guards couldn’t get MJF off Danielson.
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-Tony Schiavone is backstage with Brian Quinn & James Murray from Impractical Jokers, as Murr has Floyd the bat from Chris Jericho, who has been on their show. They’re on to plug the new season of their show. Jericho isn’t getting Floyd back until he responds to them during their show tomorrow night.
The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) w/Don Callis, Michael Nakazawa & Brandon Cutler) defeated AR Fox & Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin) to retain the AEW Trios Titles
(Wow, not a lot happened prior to the commercial break, but once they returned, this picked up in a huge way and turned into exactly what you’d expect from these six men.)
Fast start from Top Flight & Fox on all of The Elite to get them in control early, as Nick made a blind tag to Matt, as The Bucks hit their somersault neck breaker combo. Fox tried to charge in, but Omega quickly dunked him to the mat. Omega made the tag; he lit up Darius with strikes as The Elite remained in control over the whole break. Darius managed to block a superkick and hit a Spanish Fly on Matt to make the tag to Fox, who rolled through a dive to Omega and hit a senton on Nick. Fox fought off all The Elite with various cutters before wiping out The Bucks with a dive, then Omega with one on the opposite side. One more for good measure, he took out The Bucks with a somersault dive.
Back inside, Omega was dropped with a senton atomico and Lo Mein Pain by Fox, who tagged Dante. To the shock of no one, Dante showed off his amazing athleticism until Matt cut him off with the locomotion Northern Lights. Dante avoided the third, made the blind tag to his brother as Matt hit a Northern Lights on both Top Flight, while stacking Fox at the same time. 15% by the Bucks caused a miscommunication as Dante spiked Nick with a DDT for a close two. Fox hit an inverted 450 to the floor onto everyone not named Nick Jackson, as he was hit with the Nose Dive by Top Flight, while Fox hit a 450 for two, as Omega broke it up at the last second.
Fox went for another Lo Mein Pain on Nick in the corner, but Omega cut him off with a Snap Dragon off the ropes. Dante wiped out Omega with a flying lariat, as Matt ran wild with superkicks and standing sliced bread. Fox charged but was dropped with the assisted More Bang for your Buck. Nick, with help from his brother, hit a moonsault to the floor to wipe out Top Flight, as Omega hit Fox with a V-Trigger and Doctor Bomb for two. Another V-Trigger and One Winged Angel attempt, which Fox rolled through for two. Fox & Omega traded pin attempts before Omega ultimately got the pin.
-Lexy Nair is backstage with Stokely Hathaway, who said there are no cracks in The Firm. All the problems stem from HOOK, who walked up behind Hathaway and put him in an arm bar. Nair pleaded for him to let go, as he told him to be cautious of his words.
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The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) defeated The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) to win the AEW Tag Team titles
(I didn’t care for this match at all; it was way too much nonsense to lead to the finish. It is what it is, as the hot crowd most of the night seemed more stunned than angry. The final shot of the show of The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn just standing there was awkward too. After such an entertaining episode of Dynamite, this was a very questionable finish to the show to say the least.)
Both Colten & Austin were picked apart early until Austin was hit with Scissor Me Timbers which allowed Bowens & Caster to scissor for the crowd. After a dive by Caster, the Gunns took control during commercial and kept Caster isolated. Caster was able to get free to make the Bowens hot tag, as he ran wild with a series of strikes. A reverse Rough Ryder by Bowens got two, but miscommunication by The Acclaimed allowed The Gunns to regain control.
Bowens tried a discus forearm on Austin, who pulled the ref in front of him and the ref bumped outside. Austin hit a Quick Draw on Bowens, grabbed the title, but Billy Gunn hit the ring. He shoved Bowens out of the way and Colten hit his father with the AEW Tag Title belt. Bowens hit The Arrival on Austin, Caster hit The Mic Drop, but there was no ref. Colten sent Caster into the railing, as Colten also broke up the pin attempt by the groggy ref. Bowens tried a roll up, but was sent into the ropes where he was clocked by Colten with the title belt. Austin got the pin and the ref slowly counted three.
Post match, The Gunns stared down The Acclaimed & their father from the ramp as the new champs music just awkwardly stopped and Caster, Bowens & Gunn just stood there until The Acclaimed music played to end the show, which was really weird.
AEW Rampage 2/10/23
· Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnol & Wheeler Yuta take on The Butcher, The Blade & Kip Sabian
· Jungle Boy Jack Perry will be in action
· Ruby Soho faces Marina Shafir
· We hear from ROH Tag Team Champion Mark Briscoe
AEW Dynamite 2/15/23
· Matches to be announced Friday on Rampage