AEW Dynamite Live Coverage - March 6th, 2024

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AEW Dynamite

This week, feel the fallout as DYNAMITE debuts a brand new look! Following their incredible championship matches, what is in store next for AEW EVPs Matthew & Nicholas Jackson, AEW World Champion Samoa Joe, and AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm?


:aew:

– The season premiere of AEW Dynamite kicks off with a brand new theme song and cold open video package. After it wraps up, we shoot inside the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA. where Excalibur welcomes us to the show alongside Taz and Tony Schiavone.

– Fireworks go off as we see the new stage and set design, including the return of the entrance tunnels. Excalibur welcomes us to the season premiere and the start of a new era for AEW.

– Tony Schiavone is in the ring and we hear the familiar sounds of Swerve Strickland's theme. Out he comes with Prince Nana doing his usual goofy-assed dance. He settles in the ring, which also looks a bit different with the new set design for the weekly AEW on TBS show.

We hear the fans loudly chanting for Swerve and doing the "Who's House?!" call-and-response routine. Swerve says he doesn't deserve that. He talks about coming up short in his attempt to capture the AEW World Championship from Samoa Joe in the match that included Hangman Page at AEW Revolution 2024.

He says he has some doubt in his mind. Maybe he's not supposed to be the AEW World Champion. Maybe he's the guy who will get close but never grab it. The fans cut him off with a loud "You deserve it!" chant. He says something felt different about this past Sunday.

Strickland says it felt very different and like people were truly rooting for him for the first time. He says he heard people flew across the country from his home state of Washington in hopes of seeing him make history. He says for that, he will not let us down. The fact remains, nothing changes from this point on.

He tells Samoa Joe he's coming for him and vows he's going to beat him for the title. The theme for Samoa Joe hits and out comes the reigning AEW World Champion. He heads to the ring and settles inside as Schiavone re-joins Excalibur and Taz at the commentary desk.

Samoa Joe says Swerve sure is talking funny for someone who just got beat the other day. He says he's out here to give him a bit of a reality check. He says we're here in Swerve's house. He says unfortunately for him, his house exists in his world. As he continues to talk, the theme for The Undisputed Kingdom hits.

Out comes the entire group, with Adam Cole representing them on the microphone. He calls out Swerve Strickland for being a failure and claims he's just a flash in the pan that people will forget about six months from now. After some more back-and-forth, including Swerve claiming to have Britt Baker's other number in his pocket, a match is made.

Swerve Strickland & Samoa Joe vs. The Undisputed Kingdom

Adam Cole tells Swerve that he and Samoa Joe can team up next week and take on the best damn ROH World Tag-Team Champions there's ever been, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett. Swerve suggests they do it right now. Cole says next week. Tony Khan announces it will happen -- right now.

The Undisputed Kingdom duo head to the ring, where Swerve and Samoa Joe are waiting for them. The fight is on. The bell sounds and we're officially off-and-running with our opening match of the evening. Samoa Joe ends up getting beat down by Taven and Bennett, who are in a comfortable offensive lead as we head into a mid-match commercial break.

When we return from the break, we see some more back-and-forth action, which ultimately culminates with Samoa Joe getting the win for his team. After the match, Wardlow comes out. Wardlow vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship is announced for next week's AEW Big Business special event from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Winners: Samoa Joe & Swerve Strickland

– Backstage, Chris Jericho talks to HOOK about how he respected his father Taz, but never really respected HOOK until he stood up for himself recently. HOOK says, "Bet," and walks off as we head to another commercial break. When we return, The Young Bucks tease their "Huge Announcement" for later in the show.

FTW Championship Match: HOOK (C) vs. Brian Cage

We hear the sounds of Action Bronson back inside the arena and out to the HOOK bat-symbol comes the reigning and defending FTW Champion. He settles in the ring and his music dies down. "The Machine" Brian Cage's theme hits next and out comes the former FTW Champion from The Mogul Embassy for this one-on-one title tilt.

The bell sounds and we're officially off-and-running with this one. We see HOOK jump right on "The Machine" out of the gate, but it isn't long before the bigger, stronger challenger takes over. The fight spills out to the floor, where HOOK sprays a fire extinguisher in Cage's face. As Cage goes for a spear, HOOK moves and Cage goes through the barricade.

On that note, we head to a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. When we return, we see weapons all over the ring and it is Cage dominating the action. HOOK fights back and ends up suplexing Cage on a sack full of thumbtacks before locking in his Red Rum submission finisher for the win. After the match, The Gates of Agony hit the ring, but Chris Jericho makes the save.

Winner and STILL FTW Champion: HOOK

– We shoot to a video package narrated by Tony Khan, which reveals that after Sting retired with the AEW World Tag-Team Championships along with Darby Allin, the titles are now vacant. New champions will be crowned at the end of a tournament.

– Backstage, Renee Paquette talks to Orange Cassidy about losing the AEW International Championship to Roderick Strong at AEW Revolution 2024. Cassidy says his goal is to fill his back pack with gold again. She asks if Best Friends are going to enter the tournament. A match is announced for Friday's Rampage.

Killswitch vs. "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard

Back inside the arena, the theme for Christian Cage hits and out comes Killswitch (Luchasaurus) from The Patriarchy. He settles in the ring as TNT Champion Christian Cage takes his place on special guest commentary for this one. The theme for "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard hits and out he comes.

The bell sounds and off we go with our next match of the evening. We see Menard hanging in there early on, but within seconds Killswitch is beating him down in one-sided fashion. He hits a big lariat and finishes this one super quick.

Winner: Killswitch

– We see The Patriarchy beat down Menard some more after the match and then head to the back together. When they reach the top of the ramp, Adam Copeland hits the scene and starts brawling with them. They end up running off in a car.

Copeland turns to the camera and says he knows Cage will see this. He calls him out for "running like a little b*tch" and challenges him to "Cage-Cope 3" in an I Quit match for the TNT Championship to end their beef where it all started, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on AEW Dynamite in two weeks. Tony Khan confirms this seconds later.

– Kyle O'Reilly is interviewed by Renee Paquette about his surprise return after Roderick Strong won the AEW International Championship from Orange Cassidy at Sunday's AEW Revolution 2024 pay-per-view.

O'Reilly talks about how he feels like he has fallen so far down the mountain after being gone for so long. He thought it might be over. He's just happy to be back. We head to another commercial break after this brief interview wraps up.

– Tony Schiavone is in the ring again and he introduces his guests at this time, the AEW EVPs, The Young Bucks. Out comes Matthew and Nicholas Jackson to their new theme song to make their "huge announcements."

Schiavone congratulates them on their excellent entrance just now, especially after their got their asses kicked this past Sunday. They yell at Schiavone to get out of the ring and say they're past that. They also complain about how Sting had his two sons, who are giants, help him and cheat to win.

They boast ending Sting's career forever and then announces that they are entering themselves in the new tournament announced earlier tonight to determine the new AEW World Tag-Team Championships. They then mention how they have two "huge announcements."

They mention that after Hangman Page put his hands on two officials this past Sunday, he is suspended indefinitely from The Elite without pay. They say that Kenny Omega disappeared off the face of the Earth. They say "you haven't made any of your dates for no good reason."

They say as far as their association with Kenny Omega in The Elite goes, "Ken, you're fired." They say they're sorry and they apologize if they just found out about this on live television. They then tease their second "huge announcement," but are cut off by the theme for Eddie Kingston.

Out comes the AEW Continental Crown Champion to chants of "Eddie! Eddie!" He says, "Yeah, by the way, I'm wearing sweatpants and Timberlands." He tells the hot-head brother of the two that he can do something now if he wants, calls him a b*tch and gets in his face.

Matthew holds Nicholas back, but he and Kingston end up brawling anyways. The Young Bucks team up together and beat Kingston down. When they go for the EVP Trigger, they are cut off by the theme music of "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada.

Out comes the Japanese legend to a huge pop to kick off his run in AEW. Okada heads to the ring in a suit to huge chants from the crowd in attendance. He confronts The Young Bucks in the ring. He and Kingston stand together but then he pulls a swerve and takes Kingston out with a clothesline.

Kazuchika Okada lays out Eddie Kingston and hard-stares the crowd. The Young Bucks get back on the mic and make their second "huge announcement," which is that Kazuchika Okada is the newest member of The Elite.

– We shoot to a video package looking back at Will Ospreay's memorable performance in a victory over Konosuke Takeshita at AEW Revolution. The commentators then promote his main event tonight against ROH TV Champion Kyle Fletcher.

Riho vs. Kris Statlander

Back inside the arena, Riho's theme hits and the former AEW Women's World Champion makes her way down to the ring for our next match of the evening. Her music dies down and then former AEW TBS Women's Champion Kris Statlander makes her way out.

The bell sounds and we're officially off-and-running with this one. After a couple minutes of back-and-forth action, we head into a mid-match commercial break. When we return, we see the match still in progress, with Statlander and Riho trading chops and forearms back-and-forth in the middle of the ring.

Stokely Hathaway is shown at ringside cheering Statlander on as Riho takes back over on offense. She comes off the top-rope with a big move but then walks into a big shot from Statlander that drops her.

Stokely likes the new mean streak Statlander is showing in the ring tonight. He tries sneaking a chain to her and distracting the ref, but Statlander decides against using it and Riho ends up getting the win. Stokely doesn't look happy.

Winner: Riho

– Backstage, we see "Timeless" Toni Storm announce that this week on AEW Collision she will present the first-ever Toni Award. She then presents Mariah May with her very own t-shirt. We head to another commercial break.

– When we return, we see Willow Nightingale get informed backstage that she will be going one-on-one against Riho next week at AEW Big Business. She vows to win the match and then go after Julia Hart to win the TBS Women's Championship.

– Back inside the arena, Tony Schiavone is in the ring. He introduces his guest at this time, Darby Allin. Allin comes out and talks about the memorable performance he and Sting had in their Tornado tag-title defense at AEW Revolution.

He gets choked up talking about how he's cut up from the glass spot but will still go to AEW Big Business next week to battle Jay White. He says after that, he's gonna climb Mount Everest.

Once again he gets choked up when he says if next week is his last match, he's going out fighting. He vows he won't be replacing Sting as a partner and leaves his tag title in the ring. Jay White's theme hits and out he comes with The Gunns.

"Switchblade" taunts Darby Allin over his glass spot and the aftermath of it, and calls him a little lost puppy without Sting by his side. He says he's got a new nickname for him. "Darby Scissorhands."

Darby says White did a lot outside of AEW but since he's been here all he's done is play with cardboard cut-outs. Darby whispers something into White's ear after telling him if he's a man, he'll come alone. He turns and turns back quick, but Darby raises Sting's bat to his throat. He says he'll see him at Big Business and walks off.

– Backstage, Julia Hart is standing with Skye Blue. She issues an Open House challenge for her TBS Women's Championship for this Friday's episode of AEW Rampage on TNT. We then head to another commercial break.

– When we return, we see The House of Black trio of Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews and Brody King addressing Mark Briscoe. They talk about how this Saturday on AEW Collision, history will repeat itself when Briscoe is beaten down again. Briscoe responds in an interview with Renee Paquette, and isn't scared. Atlanta Street Fight is on.

Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher

When we return inside the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA., "The Dapper Yapper" Justin Roberts handles the formal ring introduction for "The Aerial Assassin" Will Ospreay. Out he comes for our final match of the evening, as he prepares to do battle against a fellow Don Callis Family member once again.

After he settles inside the ring, his music dies down. The theme for Kyle Fletcher hits next and out comes the ROH TV Champion and Ospreay's former Aussie Open / United Empire member, and current fellow Don Callis Family member.

Don Callis settles in on special guest commentary alongside Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz. The bell sounds and we're officially off-and-running with this one, which features a hot crowd strongly behind Will Ospreay. Ospreay starts off strong, but Fletcher takes over after a couple of minutes.

Fletcher works over the weakened back of Ospreay from this past Sunday night's AEW Revolution 2024 match, and we see Ospreay in pain selling his back as Fletcher enjoys a comfortable offensive lead as we head into a mid-match commercial break.

As we settle back in from the break, we see Fletcher is still in control of the action. Ospreay starts to fight back into competitive form as the fans rally behind him. They stand in the center of the ring and trade shots, in shot-for-shot style.

Ospreay takes over and starts hitting his trademark unique offensive spots. He looks for a big finishing move out of the corner, but Fletcher has him well-scouted and avoids it. The fans chant "This is Awesome" as the two get back to their feet.

Now we see Ospreay leap from the ring apron to the middle rope and then connects with a backwards Os-Cutter on the ring apron. The two crash out to the floor as the crowd roars. We head into our final mid-match commercial break at just two minutes before the top of the 10 o'clock hour. Looks like we're going long tonight.

We return to some more back-and-forth action. Ospreay goes for a Storm Breaker, but Fletcher counters and hits a big move for a close near fall. He follows that up with a Last Ride style power bomb for a super close two count. Fans chant "AEW! AEW!"

Ospreay hits a poison-rana off the top and another big spot for a close near fall of his own. Don Callis says Ospreay has to be thinking to himself, "What do I have to do to beat this kid?!" Ospreay calls for the finish and he picks Fletcher up. The two trade shots and then Ospreay hits an Os-Cutter.

Fletcher somehow kicks out again. Ospreay then finishes this one off for the win with one more big move. Amazing match. Don Callis joins the two in the ring after the match and then Bryan Danielson's theme hits. Ospreay stares him down from the ring. The two stare each other down. That's how this week's show goes off the air.

Winner: Will Ospreay