AEW Dynamite Live Coverage - January 25th, 2023
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AEW Dynamite
This week, to celebrate the life and legacy of the late great Jay Briscoe on his 39th birthday, Mark Briscoe goes one-on-one with Jay Lethal. Darby Allin defends the TNT Championship against Buddy Matthews. Bryan Danielson faces Brian Cage. Plus, Ricky Starks and Action Andretti take on Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara.
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– This week's show kicks off inside the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. where Excalibur welcomes us to the show.
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara vs. Action Andretti & Ricky Starks
Sammy Guevara looks for a superkick straight away but Action Andretti has it scouted, and the two men then go back and forth as they can reverse each other into a standoff. Guevara offers to shake hands, and that tease allows him to nail his opponent with a superkick, but he fires back with head scissors which take Guevara out of the ring as he then mocks Sammy's pose.
As he tries to get back in, Andretti springboards into a dropkick to knock him back to the floor, but Guevara responds with a corkscrew dropkick of his own. He then teases diving out of the ring but slows down and doesn't, instead rolling out to then chop Andretti. However, Guevara then talks trash and that allows Andretti to dive out of the ring, and he ends up hitting Daniel Garcia, which allows Guevara to fire back by diving over the top rope to take Andretti out.
Andretti then lands on his feet after a top rope hurricarna, and he then hits a Spanish Fly as both men tag out and Chris Jericho and Ricky Starks begin trading blows back and forth. Starks comes out on top as he catapults Jericho into the top turnbuckle before pushing Guevara off the side, and he then walks the top rope but he is too cocky, and that allows Guevara to dive in with a cutter.
The JAS members then make frequent tags as they isolate Starks, with Guevara heading to the top turnbuckle only to be kicked in the face as he comes back down. Andretti springs in with an elbow and he hits a backbreaker/neck breaker combo to each of his opponents, and he then dives out of the ring with back-to-back suicide dives. Starks then DDT's him while Andreti hits another impressive top rope move, which gets a near fall.
Both men tag out, but Jericho attacks Andretti in the corner only to eat a Spear from Starks. Guevara tries to break the pinfall, but Starks moves and he lands on him, yet as he throws Guevara out, Jericho almost steals it with a roll-up. Stark responds with a Liger Bomb as Andretti nails a kick to Jericho's face off a springboard, but his split-legged moonsault doesn't work as Jericho gets his knees up.
Guevara aims for a GTH, but Andretti fights back with a series of kicks only for Jericho to pull him. Starks deals with him and throws the veteran into the ring post, allowing Andretty to his a hanging neck breaker, but it's not enough! Meanwhile, outside the ring, Starks hits the Roshambo to Jericho, and as he dives off the top turnbuckle he gets caught. Yet when Aubrey Edwards doesn't see, Garcia nails Andretti with the bat as he stumbles into a GTH.
Winner: Sammy Guevara & Chris Jericho
– AEW then airs a video package, honoring the legacy and career of Jay Briscoe.
TNT Championship: Darby Allin (C) vs. Buddy Matthews
Buddy Matthews instantly nails Darby Allin with a knee strike after Julia Hart distracts the champion, and that is followed up by Murphy launching him into the barricade repeatedly. However, as Matthews looks for a kick to the face from the ring apron, Allin catches it and then flips him to the apron, but as he dives out Murphy catches him in mid-air and drives him into the apron and then the barricade repeatedly.
Yet as Matthews tries to powerbomb him into it, Allin reverses with a hurricanrana, and he then slams Matthews into it again. However, Allin's foot is stuck in the ring apron and Matthews yanks it to regain the advantage, following with a meteora onto the ring apron, but Allin responds with a stunner and he then heads to the top turnbuckle to hit a Coffin Drop to the floor.
The lights then go off and when they return Brody King and Malakai Black appear, but Ortiz turns up with a kendo stick and he and Sting begin brawling with them. Meanwhile, inside the ring, Matthews nails a Liger Bomb which almost gets him a victory, but Allin manages to kick out. The champion then manages to get a choke on his opponent, but Matthews sprints and cannonballs into the turnbuckles while Allin is on his back to break the hold!
Matthews locks in a Texas Cloverleaf but Allin reaches the rope to break that. They end up brawling on the top turnbuckle as Allin bites Matthews' head, the House Of Black star slips under him and sets Allin on his shoudlers, but he gets out of that by spiking him head-first to the mat. Allin sends Matthews into the barricade and he slams his head into that repeatedly.
Allin then looks for the Crucifix Bomb, but Matthews is able to kick out. Matthews then throws several strikes but Allin responds with some of his own, but the challenger comes out on top with a buckle bomb and then a stomp, but the champion kicks out this time! Matthews then takes too long to hit a move and Allin responds with a Code Red, but that only gets a near fall. Matthews stops the Coffin Drop again by heading to the top turnbuckle, but as he tries to suplex him Allin turns in mid-air with a Scorpion Death Drop, but Matthews kicks out again. Matthews is then hanging on the second rope and Allin nails the Coffin Drop to retain.
Winner and still TNT Champion: Darby Allin
– Tony Schiavone hits the ring after to interview the champion, but Samoa Joe appears on the screen. He says in his kingdom, he is coming to take everything from Allin as he stole the title from him. He warns him that he's coming back for what is his.
– A video page for Adam Cole is shown.
Matt Hardy & Ethan Page vs. Jungle Boy & HOOK
Matt Hardy's music hits, but Ethan Page cuts it off. He says he has given Matt the Twist Of Fate back, but they have agreed he is the star, while Stokely Hathaway makes Isaiah Kennedy put his chain on him.
The match begins with the two teams having a standoff, and Ethan Page attacks HOOK outside and looks for the Ego's Edge outside the ring, but Jungle Boy dives out to stop it. However, as Jungle Boy attacks Hardy, Page grabs the leg and stops it, allowing him and Hardy to hit a delayed double suplex to him. Hardy then hits the 'delete' move to the turnbuckles in the corner and he follows it by slingshotting him into the second rope.
Hardy focuses on the arm for a while, isolating the area to remain in control, and he brings in Page who continues to focus on that with a double wrist lock. Hardy comes back in by diving down to the arm of Jungle Boy, but Page wants to return and do the same, but it doesn't go to plan. Jungle Boy fights out, and throws Hardy to the floor and HOOK comes in and levels Page with a clothesline before smashing Hardy off the apron.
He then hits a T-Bone suplex to Page and Jungle Boy comes back in. He tries to help his partner but Hardy pulls HOOK down and drives him into the ring apron, and inside the ring, he then hits Jungle Boy with a Side Effect. However, before he can his the Twist Of Fate Page demands to be tagged in and he teases the move, but Jungle Boy reverses it into the Snare Trap. Hardy stretches for a tag but HOOK stops it and Page taps.
Winners: Jungle Boy & HOOK
– Backstage, Adam Page is with Renee Paquette, and he says the more he tries to look forward he sees back to Ohio where this started with Jon Moxley. He says next he'd like to knock out Moxley in Ohio. However, Wheeler Yuta appears and says he's not cleared tonight, but Moxley accepts it and he challenges him to a match on Friday.
Bryan Danielson vs. Brian Cage
Bryan Danielson looks for a test of strength with the bigger man, but he uses this to get hold of his arms and kick the inside of Brian Cage's leg, but he responds with some big chops in the corner of the ring, and Danielson then gives back some kicks of his own. He follows it with elbow strikes and while Cage tries to power him up, Danielson immediately brings him back down with the LeBell Lock, but Cage gets his foot on the rope.
Danielson then dives out of the ring to send the bigger man into the barricade, following it with a crossbody as he then stars unloading his kicks once again outside the ring. However, back inside the ROH star just press slams the "American Dragon" into the top turnbuckle for an awkward looking bump, following with a combination attack in the corner and then a huge German suplex that launches Danielson across the ring.
Cage then drives Danielson onto the ring apron to continue the damage, and outside the ring he drives Danielson into the barricade repeatedly as he focuses on injuring the arm. Back inside the ring, Cage continues to work the arm of Danielson, and he then transitions that into a bear hug as he tries to squeeze the air out of his opponent, but Danielson headbutts his way out.
Despite that Cage drops him back to the mat immediately with a shoulder breaker, and he then slams him back down to the mat from the apron to showcase his strength with a big suplex. He then German suplexes him back into the ring, but Danielson continues to kick out. The two then head to the top turnbuckle, and while Danielson drops down he springs back and dropkicks him. Danielson then goes back up to the top and superplexes the bigger man.
Danielson connects with his traditional roundhouse kicks, and he then aims to stomp down on Cage, but he powers Danielson out. Despite that, Danielson then suplexes Cage only for him to bounce back with a kick. However, Danielson fires back with a rolling forearm and aims for his finisher which Cage blocks. He then hits a buckle bomb and aims for a powerbomb but Danielson reverses and then gets a roll-up win.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
– After the match, Cage attacks Danielson and focuses on the bounty as MJF makes his way down to the ring and attacks someone in the timekeeper's area. He gets a chair and gives it to Cage who puts it inside and he then sends him crashing into the ring post while his arm is stuck. MJF throws some punches of his own as he then traps the arm in the chair again, holding Danielson as MJF looks to jump down on him, but Konosuke Takeshita hits the ring and makes the save!
– Backstage a doctor then says he can't wrestle, but Danielson says he doesn't care. He did 60 minutes before with a separated shoulder, so he will fight, and he's not just going to expose MJF, he will show that he is a fraud, as he is the person that should be the AEW World Champion.
Toni Sorm vs. Ruby Soho
The two women lock up early until Toni Storm gets out of the ring and when she returns they up the aggression by shoving each other as they then start throwing forearm strikes until Storm stamps on Ruby Soho's foot, following it with a big boot. She looks for a DDT but Soho blocks it and throws several elbow strikes in which she follows with a couple of chops, but Storm regains control quickly with a big Hip Attack, sending Soho to the floor.
Outside the ring, Storm continues the attack by launching her opponent into the barricade repeatedly. When Soho returns to the ring Storm continues to control things, wrenching the arms of Soho to keep her grounded to the mat. However, she responds by driving Storm into the second turnbuckle before slamming her down to the mat, but as she goes for her finisher Storm aims for a roll-up and pulls the tights at the same time.
Soho kicks out of that and slams her foot directly into the face of Storm which gets her a near fall, but her high-risk move fails as Storm moves. However, Soho then connects with a knee strike directly to the nose of Storm, and the official forces a break in the action so she can be checked out, but she just goads her in and yanks Soho down to the bottom rope which she follows with a huge German suplex and then another big Hip Attack.
Storm hits a DDT coming off the second turnbuckle, yet Soho kicks out, and then Britt Baker's music hits, despite the fact she claimed to be hurt. The distraction allows Soho to nail the Destination Unknown, and she picks up the win.
Winner: Ruby Soho
– MJF is then shown backstage and says some people can't hide their emotions. He says he has taste, and he thinks Takeshita is very talented, but up top, he's not. He tells him he can't match his tempo, and he warns Takeshita to stay out of his business. He then asks Danielson how his arm is doing. He claims Danielson is obsessed with the title just like him, as the belt does make him better than others. He questions if Danielson doesn't have enough, but no, he has to try and take it from him. He suggests Danielson has a hole in his soul that he's trying to fill.
He says bad things happen to people who mess with him, and he warns Danielson he doesn't want to get involved in the mental game with him. MJF says he is getting in contact with someone who loves inflicting pain to face Danielson next ... Timothy Thatcher!
Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal comes out for this one with Sonjay Dutt, but he shakes his hand and sends him to the back as he heads to the ring with a Briscoes shirt on. Mark Briscoe then hits the ring with a ton of passion as he receives a brilliant pop. The two men shake hands as the emotion is evident, and Mark gets the best of things early on with a hip toss and he then scoop slams Lethal as the two men then end up facing off.
The two men then start unloading with chops agains each other as Mark then launches in with a lariat and a running kick to the face of Lethal afterward. Briscoe quickly cuts off Lethal's next attack with a forearm, and he brings Lethal down and slams him to the mat to follow up. Lethal nails several elbow strikes on the ring apron and he then asks for him to hit back, which Lethal obliges with. The two then exchange strikes, but Lethal sends Mark to the floor and then connects with a tope suicida.
Briscoe responds with some karata strikes though as he then dives off the top rope and drops down before hitting an enziguri to Lethal, following up with a splash in the corner as he then throws him from the top rope. He wants the J-Driller but Lethal blocks it and he instead slaps him in the face, but Jay fires back with combination offense. He then throws Briscoe face-first onto the mat and connects with the Lethal Injection, but Mark rolls out of the ring to avoid being pinned.
Lethal opts to lay him onto the timekeeer's table, but Mark gets back into the ring, and he dives out with a dropkick through the ropes. Mark then launches off the ring apron with a blockbuster, and he heads to the top turnbuckle, hitting the Froggy Bow to drive Lethal through the table, but back inside the ring Lethal kicks out. Once again Lethal goes for his finisher, but that gets avoided and Mark hits a big lariat which he follows with the J-Driller!
Winner: Mark Briscoe
– After the match, Mark talks to the camera and tells his brother that he loves him. The AEW roster then heads out to the ramp as they showcase their respect and love for Jay Briscoe.
