AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming Live Coverage - December 11th, 2024
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AEW Dynamite:
Winter is Coming
This week, AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May defends against former friend and partner Mina Shirakawa. The Continental Classic continues with Claudio Castagnoli vs. Will Ospreay and Ricochet vs Brody King. Jon Moxley & PAC battle Jay White & Orange Cassidy. Plus, Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly face off to determine who will face MJF at WORLDS END!
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– We shoot inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO., as Excalibur welcomes us to this week's special "Winter Is Coming" themed episode of AEW Dynamite.
Jon Moxley & PAC vs. Jay White & Orange Cassidy
The Death Riders theme hits and out comes Jon Moxley and his partner PAC, accompanied by Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir, as they make their way through the crowd for our scheduled opening tag-team contest. They settle into the ring to a bunch of boos and their music dies down.
Now the theme for the first of their two opponents plays, and out comes Jay White of the Bang Bang Gang. After The Bullet Club Gold member heads to the ring, the music shifts to the catchy-ass entrance tune for Orange Cassidy. "The Freshly Squeezed" one hits the ring hot, starting the action off with a bang.
Cassidy and PAC fight it out inside the ring, while White and Moxley duke it out on the floor. A minute later, Cassidy takes over on Mox, beating on him against the barricade, as "Switchblade" works over "The Bastard" in the ring. Mox takes over and rams Cassidy into the steel steps.
After that, White and PAC finally enter the ring, and when they do, the bell sounds to officially get this one off-and-running. PAC works over White and then Mox tags in and takes over. After some more back-and-forth action, we head into a mid-match commercial break with The Death Rider duo in a comfortable offensive lead.
When the show returns, we see much of the same, until finally White shows signs of life. Cassidy eventually gets the much-needed hot tag and he and Mox begin wildly trading shots back-and-forth. Cassidy hits Beach Beak, but his follow-up pin attempt is broken up. Cassidy lands an Orange Punch, and has it won, but looks for a second one.
Before he can connect with a second one, Hangman Page hits the ring out of nowhere and attacks Mox. Cassidy isn't happy. Cassidy and Hangman end up brawling. White heads over and starts brawling with Hangman. Cassidy accidentally hits White with an Orange Punch while trying to hit Hangman with one. He hits Hangman with one next and then walks into a Bladerunner from White.
All three are down. Excalibur and Tony Schiavone stress that Hangman cost Cassidy and White the win. The Death Riders are shown pointing and laughing as all three are down. They head to the ring and all begin a brutal post-match attack on each of their top three foes. Fans boo loudly as they all exit the ring and head through the crowd to end the post-match scene. We head to another commercial break.
Winners via DQ: Jon Moxley & PAC
– After the match, Page continues raining down right hands on Moxley, but Cassidy pulls him off Moxley. Page then begins brawling with Cassidy, and White becomes involved until the three men are left laying in the ring. The Death Riders then get involved and beat down Cassidy, Page, and White.
– Another old-school Western movie style video package airs when we return to continue the build-up to the long-awaited AEW return of Bandido. This time, we see Bandido, in his ring gear and mask, beating up a bunch of random cowboys as triumphant Western music plays. "The Most Wanted Bandido" text flashes on the screen as he rides off on a horse to end the segment.
– From there, we shoot to Jon Moxley and The Death Riders backstage. Mox rants about egos running AEW. He says at AEW Worlds End 2024 in Orlando, FL., it will be a Fatal-4-Way with him defending his title. He never says the three names, but afterwards, Excalibur mentions Jay White, Hangman Page and Orange Cassidy as the expected opponents.
– Christian Cage is in the nosebleed seats in the crowd inside T-Mobile Center when we return inside the arena. He holds his contract in-hand and reacts to Mox's fatal-4-way challenge for his title defense at AEW Worlds End 2024. He taunts Mox and mentions how he'll send him back to rehab after he's forced to have his first drink again.
He talks some more trash and teases cashing in his contract to become the AEW World Champion whenever he pleases. He tries to exit on one final line, but while saying it, he sees HOOK standing behind a door in the background. HOOK blasts through the glass of the door and starts to beat the living crap out of Cage.
He brawls with Cage all over the place. Cage's fellow members of The Patriarchy try to help, but HOOK beats them down and runs off. The intense segment wraps up on that note, and then Excalibur runs down the lineup still to come tonight as the official match graphics flash across the screen.
– Will Ospreay then makes his way down to the ring. Claudio Castagnoli follows.
AEW Continental Classic Match (Gold League): Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli
The bell rings and Ospreay sends Castagnoli crashing out of the ring. Ospreay flies out of the ring to level Castagnoli, then dumps him back inside of the ring and goes for a pin. Castagnoli kicks out, then looks to connect with an Os-Cutter. Castagnoli catches him with a strike mid-air, then lands an uppercut. Ospreay and Castagnoli then exchange right hands, but Castagnoli sends Ospreay crashing into the corner and connects with an uppercut on him on the outside. Castagnoli sends Ospreay crashing into the ring steps with The Swing, then sends his face bouncing off them and traps him in them. He delivers a stomp on his arm and looks to fly off the top, but Castagnoli catches him with an uppercut.
Back from the break, Ospreay connects with a springboard hurricanrana to Castagnoli and follows it up with a vertical suplex. He follows it up with a standing Phoenix Splash and goes for a pin, but Castagnoli kicks out. Castagnoli lands a double stomp on the spine of Ospreay, then sends him crashing into the mat and charges at him. Ospreay catches him with a boot and looks to land a Phoenix Splash, but Castagnoli sees him coming.
Castagnoli fires off stomps on Ospreay's head, but Ospreay responds with the Os-Cutter. Castagnoli then delivers the pop-up uppercut and sets up for the Neutralizer. Ospreay rolls up Castagnoli for the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay
– After the match, Castagnoli blindsides Ospreay from behind and connects with the Neutralizer. He grabs a chair, but Darby Allin runs down to the ring to even the odds.
– Following a quick look at the updated standings in the AEW Continental Classic Tournament, we shoot backstage to Renee Paquette, who talks briefly with Ricochet about his showdown against Brody King.
– After this wraps up, we shoot to the parking lot where we see a car pull up. All we see at first is a hand with a Dynamite Diamond ring on it closing the car door. The camera pans and we see it is MJF, live and in person on the show for the first time in weeks.
– As he begins walking into the building, we shift gears and head into another commercial break.
– We return to footage of Matt Cardona being attacked by Chris Jericho and Bryan Keith on last week's episode of AEW Rampage. We then shoot live to Renee Paquette backstage. She introduces her guest at this time, "Alwayz Ready" Matt Cardona.
He says it feels great to be back in AEW. He says he belongs here. He talks about being "The Indy God" and "The Death Match King" and vows to take out Jericho for the ROH World Championship at ROH Final Battle 2024. He calls out Keith for a match on AEW Rampage: Winter Is Coming.
Winner Faces MJF At AEW Worlds End 2024: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly
Cole offers his hand to O'Reilly, but O'Reilly pushes it away. The bell rings and the two lock up. O'Reilly connects with a shoulder tackle, but Cole connects with a kick on his head and the two lock up again. O'Reilly locks in an Armbar on Cole, then rolls him up. Cole kick out and slides out of the ring, but O'Reilly follows him out there and sends him crashing onto the floor.
Back from the break, Cole intercepts O'Reilly with a superkick and sets up for the Panama City Sunrise. O'Reilly catches him with a knee to her midsection, then follows it up with a second knee off the apron and dumps him back inside the ring. He ascends to the top and looks to land a flying knee, but Cole avoids it and delivers a sliding knee.
O'Reilly cinches in a Knee Bar on Cole, but Cole grabs onto the bottom rope to escape and connects with the Panama City Sunrise. He sets up for a running knee, but O'Reilly cinches in an Ankle Lock on him. Cole escapes by sending O'Reilly crashing out of the ring, then connects with a superkick on her head. MJF appears on the apron and looks to hit Cole with his "Dynamite" Diamond Ring, but Cole levels him. O'Reilly looks to take advantage and rolls up Cole, but Cole kicks out and rolls up O'Reilly for the win.
Winner: Adam Cole
– We shoot to a backstage segment with FTR, who request an in-ring "little chat" with The Death Riders on AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming. Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe in Continental Classic action is also announced for AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming.
– Chris Jericho is then featured in another New York Minute segment. He confirms Bryan Keith vs. Matt Cardona for AEW Rampage: Winter Is Coming, and a ROH Final Battle 2024 contract signing for their ROH World Championship showdown on this week's episode of ROH On HonorClub.
– From there, Tony Schiavone sits down with Darby Allin, who channels his inner-Mick Foley, punching himself in the face and drawing a ton of blood from his own mouth to emphasize his point that he doesn't mind violence, as long as it's for a reason.
– Ricochet then makes his way down to the ring. Brody King follows.
AEW Continental Classic Match: Ricochet vs. Brody King
The bell rings and the two lock up. King dumps Ricochet into the corner, then dumps him out of the ring and powerbombs him onto the apron spine first. King sits Ricochet in a chair and connects with a crossbody.
Back from the break, Ricochet fires off right hands on King but King intercepts him with a German suplex. Ricochet rocks King with an enzuigiri, then follows it up with a second one that sends King crashing off the apron and flies to level him. He dumps him back inside and delivers a 450 Splash to him over the top rope from the apron, then goes for a pin but King kicks out.
Ricochet connects with a boot on the side of King's jaw, but King turns him inside out with a clothesline and goes for a pin. Ricochet kicks out and rolls up King, but King kicks out and Ricochet rocks him with a jumping knee. King delivers a chop to Ricochet, then hits a splash on him in the corner and follows it up with a cannonball in the corner. He goes for a pin, but Ricochet kicks out. King and Ricochet then teeter on the ropes, but Ricochet powerbombs King off the middle rope and lands a Shooting Star Press. King cinches in a Sleeper on Ricochet, but Ricochet escapes and connects with the Spirit Gun for the win.
Winner: Ricochet
– Excalibur tells us it's time to head backstage for a word from Lio Rush and Action Andretti. Instead, we shoot to Private Party standing in front of their AEW World Tag-Team Championships.
Rush and Andretti walk up and the four men bicker back-and-forth. Top Flight duo Dante and Darius Martin come up and take issue with Rush and Andretti thinking they deserve a tag title shot with zero wins as a team.
Kassidy and Quen suggests the two teams battle on AEW Collision: Winter is Coming later this week, and the winning team will earn the right to challenge them for their tag titles at AEW Worlds End 2024. That appears to be set. Excalibur plugs the AEW Women's title main event still to come as we head to another commercial break.
– Back from the break, Mercedes Mone vs. Anna Jay is promoted for the TBS title on AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash when we return. Renee Paquette welcomes in Jay and Mone for a backstage interview to promote their title tilt on next week's show. Paquette mentions Mone has reached 200 days as TBS Champion.
She mentions her NJPW STRONG Women's title defense coming up. Mone gloats about her success in NJPW and AEW, and how Jay is cute for trying to do the same. She tells her she'll make her pay next week. Jay stops Mone from walking off. She says they agreed to no physicality, but they also agreed to talk face-to-face, so Mone is gonna stay and listen.
Jay says Mone is a living legend but when she makes her first mistake, she's gonna capitalize, because all she needs is three seconds to become the new TBS Champion. She pokes Mone in the chest and walks off. The backstage segment wraps up on that note, and then an extended video package plays to show the history of Mariah May and Mina Shirakawa.
AEW Women's World Championship Match: "The Glamour" Mariah May (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
We return inside the arena where Mina Shirakawa's Steve Urkel-style accordion dance polka music plays to bring out the Japanese star for her big title opportunity against her longtime friend turned bitter rival. Tony Schiavone calls her gorgeous as she settles in the ring. Important attribute in a big title match.
May's theme hits and out comes "The Glamour" for her big title defense. Her ring entrance and ring attire isn't anything special from what I can tell, despite her teasing as much in media interviews heading into tonight's big show. The bell sounds after May settles in the ring, and off we go with our final bout of the evening.
Shirakawa and May rush to the center of the ring and grab each other by the scruff of their necks and start hockey-punching the hell out of each other, ala Don Frye and Yoshihiro Akayama in the glory days of PRIDE FC in Japan. Shirakawa hits a dropkick to May's knee as she comes off the ropes to take the early offensive lead.
She stomps and kicks on the same leg, focusing her attack there in the early goings. The two end up in a figure-four, where they roll under the ropes and crash and burn on the floor at ringside. May fights back and takes over, slamming Mina into the steel ring steps and the barricade. Thunder Rosa is shown with a sign screaming in the front row.
May hits a big dropkick to Mina on the barricade. Mina takes over on the floor, putting May in a figure-four leg lock with her bad leg wrapped around the ring post. She lets go and wraps May's knee around the ring post one more time for good measure as we head into a mid-match commercial break.
This time when we return, we work our way to the finish. Shirakawa hits her Mina-Driver finisher for a super close two-count, but May recovers and takes back over. May hits Storm Zero for the win to retain her AEW Women's World Championship. Thunder Rosa is shown reacting with a "She's not my champion!" sign in the front row.
Winner and STILL AEW Women's World Champion: "The Glamour" Mariah May
– After the match, Toni Storm's music hits and she makes her way out in her return to AEW with her old gimmick. She stares down May from the entrance ramp as a shocked Rosa watches on and the show goes off the air.
