AEW Dynamite Live Coverage - May 24th, 2023

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AEW Dynamite

This week, it's the last DYNAMITE before The Double or Nothing PPV! The House of Black defend the Trios Championship. Orange Cassidy defends his International Championship. Also, Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castaganoli challenge ROH Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros.


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– The regular "Light the fuse ..." theme and accompanying intro video airs to get us started for what will be the final episode of AEW Dynamite leading into the highly-anticipated AEW Double or Nothing 2023 pay-per-view this coming Sunday night.

– We shoot inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena where Excalibur does his "It's Wednesday night, and you know what that means ..." catchphrase. We then hear the theme for Orange Cassidy.

AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Kyle Fletcher

Kyle Fletcher immediately catches Orange Cassidy with a huge kick to the face which he follows up with a brainbuster, almost catching the champion out early on. Cassidy aims for the Orange Punch but misses and then gets dropkicked outside the ring as Fletcher dives out and sends him into the barricade. Cassidy responds by pushing Fletcher from the turnbuckles onto the ring apron which he follows by DDT'ing him onto it from the top turnbuckle.

The champion then connects with Beach Break outside the ring but he breaks the count. Inside the ring, Cassidy hits a dropkick but is immediately dropped with a thrust kick and he then lifts Cassidy to hit a delayed superplex but the champion kicks out. Cassidy responds by playing some mind games, rolling in and out of the ring as Fletcher chases after him. However, once Fletcher finally gets hold of him he takes control with a half-and-half suplex only to be rocked with a Stundog Millionaire and then a DDT.

Cassidy then aims for a diving crossbody, but he is just caught in mid-air and driven to the mat by a Michinoku Driver, but he then kicks out. Fletcher manages to hit a big running boot, but Cassidy manages to fight back once again and he starts hitting his slow-motion punches and then a Michinoku Driver of his own which Fletcher kicks out from. The NJPW star then nails a piledriver and a spinning Tombstone, but Cassidy manages to kick out.

The challenger takes to the second rope with the champion to hit an avalanche Michinoku Driver, but Cassidy kicks out once more. He then counters Fletcher and spikes him onto the mat, but his Orange Punch attempt is met with a thrust kick. Fletcher then aims for another move, but he gets countered by Cassidy who rolls him up which allows him to retain.

Winner and still AEW International Champion: Orange Cassidy

– Ricky Starks is then shown backstage who says he is a hot head and people think he acted out of emotion last week, but he acted in control. He's sick and tired of hearing about it as he has nothing to lose. However, Juice Robinson and Jay White then jump him from behind and leave him laying.

– Jack Perry is shown backstage saying he drove to Las Vegas a lot and each time he's a little bit different. One thing is always the same, which is the feeling of standing inside the ring, as that has given him a purpose. It lets him be the man he wants to be and on Monday he will drive that road as AEW World Champion.

– FTR hits the ring and Cash Wheeler says it would be easy to say Jeff Jarrett is trash, but he's outsmarted them every step of the way. However, he's been lucky, and on Sunday that runs out. Dax Harwood says a few guitars won't stop them, and to stay relevant he attaches his name to the best team in the world today. If he thinks the head of the tag team division will be rejects from TNA, it's not going to happen. He thinks they should call Dixie Carter and make sure they have job security.

Open House AEW Trios Championship: The House Of Black (C) vs. Blake Christian, AR Fox & Metalik

The wrestlers display the rule implemented for this one early with each wrestler being sent out one at a time as the other gets involved until Brody King catches Blake Christian and plants him on the mat. Malakai Black then tags in and boots him in the face and he follows that with a sharp knee but he then gets out with a tag to Metalik but he springboards into a knee strike.

However, Metalik then runs the ropes and hits a double dropkick to Matthews and Black as they then dive out of the ring to take out each man. AR Fox aims to join them but King is waiting for him in the ring and he gets dropped with a big chop, but after his partners pull his leg Fox manages to kick out of the ring. They all brawl outside while Fox hits an explosion senton to wipe out everyone.

However, back inside it is Matthews who comes out on top with a stomp to Fox and then the inverted Texas Cloverleaf. Metalik tries to stop it but Black gets in the ring and locks in a knee bar, and King then cuts off Christian with his submission on the ropes as Fox is forced to submit.

Winners and still AEW World Trios Champions: House Of Black

– Blackpool Combat Club are shown backstage saying tonight they're claiming the tag titles, and objective two is ending The Elite this Sunday. Jon Moxley says they're the best in the world and his hand doesn't shake when he says that. That's the standard they set for themselves.

MJF then makes his way down to the ring and starts it out by throwing Tony Schiavone's drink all over him. He takes shots at all of his opponents and then says he is aware of how important Sunday's match is. People like to throw around the word homegrown and it doesn't get more homegrown than them, and unlike some of people's faves, they didn't need to be on national television first.

They have beaten the best, given the best matches, and the best moments in the history of AEW. They're not just part of AEW, they are AEW. However, he doesn't want to be anymore, he's bored and sick of this place. He's sick of the lack of competition and the fans who don't show him the respect he deserves. He says Tony Khan knows that, and he knows his contract is coming up, he points out it isn't a coincidence he's fighting three other men where he doesn't even have to be pinned.

MJF claims he might take his ball and go home because this is his ball that he earned. This Sunday people will find out his opponents are talented, but like the rest of the roster, none of them are on the level of the devil. Darby Allin then heads down and says he knows exactly who he is but that wasn't always the case as he used to clean toilets, but then he lived in his career and said he didn't deserve to leave it until he became a wrestler and then AEW saved his sanity.

He says no other company lets him skateboard with Tony Hawk, and next year he is climbing Mount Everest. He wants to be the face of AEW and to do that he needs to be World Champion and this Sunday he is doing it, and he might do it with a headlock takeover. MJF responds with a low blow and he aims to use the diamond ring until Sammy Guevara chases him away. However, Jungle Boy then turns up and he drops MJF on the ramp as he poses with the title.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Lady Frost

Taya Valkyrie uses her strength advantage early on by slamming Lady Frost to the mat, but Frost responds by sending her across the mat. The pendulum swings again with a sliding lariat from Valkyrie and she then connects with a huge overhand chop, but Frost then avoids as Valkyrie dives into the corner, allowing her to hit a high kick. However, Frost aims to use gymnastics to reach the corner only to be clotheslined.

Jade Cargill then turns up on the ramp to take a closer look at her Double Or Nothing opponent. Valkyrie continues to remain in control with a running knee strike as she then slams her opponent onto the ring apron before delivering another overhand chop. Frost responds with one of her own and then several knee strikes and a kick to the face back inside the ring.

That only frustrates Valkyrie who unleashes a series of chops, yet Frost nails another kick and then a huge cannonball in the corner. She heads to the top rope who nails a tornado only to be planted with a Spear straight after. Valkyrie then slams Frost down and follows it with a stomp down to the mat, but she spends too long talking to Cargill and that opens up the chance for Frost to nail a kick to the face. However, Valkyrie gets back control with a knee strike and then Road To Valhalla.

Winner: Taya Valkyrie

– Tony Khan is then shown backstage and he reveals that the first episode of "AEW Collision" will be taking place from the United Center in Chicago.

– Adam Page is then shown backstage and he doesn't know if he and Kenny Omega were ever really friends, but they were something more important...family. Family sticks together and this Sunday it leads to Anarchy in the Arena, and BCC will pay in blood.

Adam Cole signs the contract immediately without hesitation. He says for weeks he wondered why Chris Jericho did what he did, why he thought it was a good idea to make him watch Britt Baker being beaten with a kendo stick as he directed traffic. Maybe it's because he's a scumbag, maybe it's because he's a disgusting human. No, he did it because he beleives he is invincible because he is Chris Jericho and AEW should be thankful to have him.

Cole says this Sunday he will beat the living hell out of Jericho, and AEW can be thankful it is unsanctioned as the blood will be on his hands and that's how he likes it. He hopes Jericho knows it is taking all the power inside him to not beat him within an inch of his life right now. He can't do that, so instead he explains what will happen on Sunday. He's going to break Jericho's legs, we will shatter his jaw, he will break his hands so he should hurry up and sign the paper.

Jericho says before he signs perhaps Cole's head injury has impacted him. He decides to remind Cole of what happened as he shows Saraya attacking Baker while questioning what kind of a man Cole is. He then goads Cole to touch him as there's a no-contact rule in place. Jericho claims Cole is a coward and he will knock Cole's teeth down his throat this Sunday as he Cole can't beat the Ocho. He says Cole is outsmarted as there is five of them and only two of them. However, that's why Cole decided to make a phonecall and he is crazier than the JAS combined ... SABU! He catches a chair that Cole throws o him and he just launches it into the face of Daddy Magic as JAS run away.

Roderick Strong vs. Daniel Garcia

The two men lock up immediately as Roderick Strong takes Daniel Garcia down to the mat. The encounter then picks up as the two exchange chops and forearm strikes until Strong gains full control with a backbreaker. He then follows up with a series of chops around the ring as Garcia scrambles outside the ring and as Strong dives out Garcia side-steps him and launches Strong face-first into the steel stairs.

Garcia starts dancing on the ropes which allows Strong to dump him back into the ring, but he gets back into it by throwing Strong into the ring post. Garcia then pulls Strong back and stomps him face-first to the mat as he then starts dancing again. He follows that up by stomping away on Roddy, but he responds by throwing Garcia across the ring as he then hits a dropkick, and a running knee strike before flattening out Garcia.

Strong aims for a knee strike in the corner but misses and as he bounces back Garcia goes for a roll-up but it doesn't work. He follows it with a series of slaps and he then plants Strong down to the mat but he's able to kick out. He then locks in the Dragon Tamer but Strong gets out of it and hits a Gut Buster and then End Of Heartache.

Winner: Roderick Strong

– A special video package airs with new comments from Willow Nightingale. We see video footage playing of her impressive victory over Mercedes Mone (formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE) to capture the NJPW Strong Women's Championship.

ROH Tag-Team Championships: The Lucha Bros (C) vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta

Straight away all four men begin brawling inside the ring but it is the champions who come out on top as they send the BCC members outside the ring as they follow it by diving outside to take them down once more. Back inside the ring Claudio Castagnoli regains control for his team briefly before being hit with a sling blade by Penta as Rey Fenix then runs the top rope and kicks him in the face.

However, as Fenix then tries to springboard back to Castagnoli he ends up eating an uppercut in mid-air. He launches Fenix into his corner and Wheeler Yuta then tags in and continues the attack as Castagnoli then comes back in to hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Fenix kicks out of the following pinfall attempt. Yuta tags back in and starts working the legs of his opponent who fires back with several chops but Yuta remains in control.

He runs and boots Penta off the apron only to be hit with a backdrop by Fenix straight after. Yuta makes the tag though as Castagnoli stops Fenix from doing the same as he hits the Giant Swing. Penta manages to make the tag though and he starts lighting up his opponents by sending Castagnoli out as he drops Yuta onto his knees. Penta then runs over Fenix to hit a Canadian Destroyer to Castagnoli on the other side.

Fenix drives Yuta down to the mat, but he is still able to kick out. BCC responds with a Fastball Special, but Fenix kicks out this time around. Castagnoli takes a cheap shot and Alex Abrehantes then distracts the official which allows Lucha Bros to hit the Fear Factor. However, as Castagnoli tries to break it up The Young Bucks turn up and stop him.

Winners and still ROH World Tag Team Champions: Lucha Brothers

– Post-match Jon Moxley promises this Sunday will be the most violent match in the history of AEW. He says if you've been offended then buckle your seat belts you've not seen anything yet.