AEW Dynamite

The AEW Continental Challenge Cup determines its finalists tonight, as Kyle O'Reilly meets Nigel McGuinness and Jon Moxley runs it back with fellow Death Rider Claudio Castagnoli in a rematch from Castagnoli’s win in last year’s Continental Classic. Just days before the Casino Gauntlet Match at All In: London, MJF will appear in Glasgow tonight, and the man with the #2 spot won’t be the only one to speak. The #1 entrant, AEW National Champion Andrade El Ídolo, will also be in The Hydro tonight with something to say before these two get a chance to fight it out to begin the Casino Gauntlet on Sunday. Plus, "Jungle" Jack Perry will face Swerve Strickland in singles action for the first time after the two had a tense conversation about Perry’s ascension to AEW World Title status.




— The show opens with Excalibur's catchphrase as always. "It's Wednesday, and you know what that means!" We then hear Will Ospreay's music. "The Aerial Assassin" comes down to the ring to kick things off on the final Dynamite-stop on the road to All In.

Will Ospreay asks Glasgow how they're doing and gets serenaded by the crowd in return. He thanks them and says in the last year he has had a lot of ups, downs, and doubt he would get back to this position after his neck surgery.

He says to understand the importance of this weekend you have to understand what it's like to be a British wrestler. He talks touring the different countries and regions in Britain, throwing yourself on beams and boards every day and working on building sites to make a living. All to fly the flag for the UK, all to show people that the UK is where the best wrestle.

He says he loved it, he loved being in the foxhole with boys and girls with the same dream as him, learning from Brit-Wrestling icons, paying tribute to those who are no longer with us.

He says it's really hard to look past Kenny Omega, drawing a brief "Kenny" chant from the crowd. He says Omega isn't here tonight, drawing a boo from the crowd. He says that there has been no better wrestler of this past decade than Omega, but all that respect went out the window the moment he mentioned his son.

Ospreay promises that this Sunday he will give Omega the match of his life, and that he doesn't want to "f*** with the man who's looking after a boy."

The crowd responds with a "f*** him up, Ospreay" chant.

"It's time to bring it home," Ospreay declares. "You Kenny, are going to help me show my boy that heroes are just ordinary people that can do extraordinary things."

AEW Continental Challenge Cup Semifinals Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli

The bell rings and they stare each other down for a moment. Castagnoli looks to close the space between them and they tie up for the first time in a Greco-Roman knucklelock.

Castagnoli gets the better of Moxley and pushes his shoulders onto the mat for three one-counts. Moxley uses his boot to break the hold but Castagnoli adjusts and forces him into the corner. Moxley returns fire with a chop, but then Castagnoli throws three more with a much louder slap.

Castagnoli continues with European uppercuts before agreeing to an exchange in the middle of the ring, broken when Castagnoli shoots for the double-leg and cinches in a headlock. Moxley rolls him over the shoulder and goes for a quick cover to no avail.

Moxley now retreats from the ring rather than surrendering the advantage to Castagnoli. He drops Castagnoli and locks in a figure-four leglock, but Castagnoli fights out of it and swings Moxley into the barricade.

Castagnoli throws Moxley back into the barricade and then again once more, snapping his shoulder across it before they both return to the ring. Castagnoli continues to work the same arm in the middle of the ring.

Moxley tries for a rear choke but gets driven into the corner and lit up with uppercuts. Castagnoli now looking for the Neutralizer, Moxley backdrops him but he lands on his feet. Moxley takes flight with a suicide dive to meet Castagnoli on the outside and dispenses him back in the ring.

Moxley mounts Castagnoli in the corner and lays in right hands, but Castagnoli powers out of it. Both look for a running lariat, both connect, and both wind up on the mat.

They each return to their feet and thus ensues a striking exchange, won by Castagnoli as he sends Moxley to the mat. Castagnoli looks for another uppercut but Moxley hits a cutter, looking for the Death Rider to no avail.

Castagnoli swings Moxley whilst holding him in a rear choke, taking him to ground with the hold still in. Moxley rolls out of it and cinches in his own, adjusting it into an armbar attempt. Castagnoli wrestles out of it and gets another giant swing going in the middle of the ring.

He tries for a sharpshooter but Moxley rolls him up for the two. Castagnoli fires back with an uppercut and goes for the cover for two, following that up with a running uppercut that sends Moxley outside of the ring.

Moxley glances at the cup sat at ringside as the count reaches five, and finally breaks the count at nine. Only then Castagnoli hits a curbstomp and lands the Neutralizer for a close near-fall.

Castagnoli removes the elbow pad as he looks for another running uppercut, but Moxley flops back to the mat to avoid it. Castagnoli looks for a Riccola Bomb but Moxley reverses it into a Paradigm Shift for a one-count. Moxley follows that up with a stomp and hits the Death Rider. He goes for the cover but Castagnoli kicks out at two.

Moxley looks for the rear choke, Castagnoli collapses to the mat and Moxley turns it into a bulldog choke. Castagnoli passes out and Moxley has the win.

Winner and ADVANCING: Jon Moxley

— Inside the arena, we head back down to ringside. Adam Copeland makes his entrance as commentary talks about Christian Cage refusing to team with the Young Bucks after what happened at Grand Slam Mexico. Out next are the Young Bucks, and the Don Callis Family.

Adam Copeland & The Young Bucks vs. Rocky Romero, Jake Doyle & Brian Cage

Copeland starts the bout opposite Jake Doyle. The former tries for a shoulder tackle but it does nothing to Doyle. They tie up, Copeland tries the tackle again and again but it does nothing, but Matt Jackson sneaks a tag in while he rebounds from the ropes.

The Bucks now work together to take out Doyle and Brian Cage. Rocky Romero tags himself in but he gets double teamed much in the same way.

Nick Jackson kicks Doyle on the outside and continues to take out Romero back in the ring, trying an inside-out moonsault to Cage but is caught and momentum shifts the other way.

The DCF now continues to take turns working over Nick on their side of the ring. Nick tries to fight back against Cage but gets sat back down with a jumping knee lift. Cage now takes some time to remind the crowd he has muscles upon muscles.

Cage holds Nick in a very delayed vertical suplex position, but Nick counters it into a roll-up for the two-count. Nick returns fire with a spinning roundhouse to create space. But Cage takes out Matt Jackson and Copeland on the apron.

Cage looks for an avalanche F-10 but Nick counters it into a hurricanrana, tagging out to Copeland who then rallies against Cage and then Doyle. Copeland is now fighting all three members of the opposing team, allowing Doyle to run down both of his teammates before turning his attention to the big man.

Copeland goes for a spear but Doyle halts him with a big boot, but then the Bucks come in the ring to throw a quick superkick party.

Doyle rolls up Copeland for a two-count and that marks another shift in momentum, the DCF once again taking turns to wear down their opponent in the ring. Cage lands F-10 and Romero lands sliced bread for a near-fall.

The Bucks pull Doyle and Romero out of the ring and band together to take out Cage, using superkicks to stop anyone from returning to the squared circle.

Copeland hits Romero with a spear when the bodies clear, getting the winning pinfall for his team.

Winners: Adam Copeland & The Young Bucks

— After the match, Christian Cage makes his way down to the ring with a microphone.

He tells the Bucks to sit down and shut their mouths while he conducts his business, and he doesn't associate with people that are beneath him.

He recognizes their achievements but says there's a key difference between what they have done and what makes legends like him and Copeland. He says this weekend's dream match is just another day in the office for him.

Matt asks, considering they've named pay-per-views and matches after Cope and Cage, whether they have ever had an entire company named after them.

The talking is done as Cage delivers a low blow to Matt, prompting Nick to superkick him, and Copeland to spear Nick in return.

— Up next is our other semifinal match for the C3 as Kyle O’Reilly takes on Nigel McGuinness. We head back to ringside as Willow Nightingale’s music hits, only to find out that she’s been attacked again backstage by Mercedes Moné.

She mocks the champ, telling her that this is her last Dynamite with the title before she takes it all away. She walks off. On that note, the show shifts gears and heads into another commercial break.

— Back from the break, Don Callis is shown backstage with Mark Davis, who he says will be in the Casino Gauntlet match should his number be called.

— Inside the arena, Andrade El Idolo's music plays, he does not enter. MJF comes out instead, having worked the crowd.

He says it's nice to be in Ireland, drawing a boo, and says he does not know the difference between Scotland and Ireland since both are filled with drunks.

He says Andrade is not here tonight, but he is. He says he can do what he does, even down to taking a picture with a hot chick, but considering they're in Scotland he might struggle to find someone. He does find someone, although, in his words, she would be a four in the States.

He says he has one question, but then Andrade emerges behind him to finish it: "How you know?"

Andrade then launches at MJF and looks to land DM in the ring, but MJF retreats before it can happen.

— Chris Jericho is shown backstage and says he will be in the Casino Gauntlet match at All In. He adds that he will be in tag team action on "AEW Collision" on Saturday.

— We head back to ringside as Kyle O’Reilly makes his entrance for our other semifinal match. Out next is Nigel McGuinness.

AEW Continental Challenge Cup Semifinals Match: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Nigel McGuinness

The bell rings and they tie up, each shooting for drop-toe holds to no avail.

They keep exchanging take overs and McGuinness uses Aubrey Edwards to confuse O'Reilly, going for a roll-up which she refused to count as a result. O'Reilly fires a kick to the hamstring of McGuinness and now opts to work the injured ankle, forcing his opponent into a hobble at ringside.

O'Reilly leaps off the apron to take out his limping opponent. Back in the ring, he now begins to work the left arm, following that up with knees to the ribs of his grounded foe. McGuinness fights to his feet but O'Reilly lands another leg kick before going for the ankle lock.

McGuinness fights out of the attempt and now it's his turn to work O'Reilly's shoulder, but then he gets taken back down for another ankle lock. McGuinness fights out of it by attacking O'Reilly's own ankle, and they both return to their feet in the middle of the ring.

McGuinness takes O'Reilly down, working the shoulder and stomping his head. O'Reilly lands an upkick and rises to meet McGuinness with a knee to the mid-section, going for a PK that McGuinness blocks with the injured ankle.

O'Reilly latches onto the ankle but McGuinness reaches for the bottom rope. McGuinness slingshots the top rope into O'Reilly's face to create some space. O'Reilly hits a chop block to the injured leg and cinches in a rear choke. McGuinness rolls him for a two-count. O'Reilly then rolls him up for a two-count.

Thus ensues a striking exchange in the middle of the ring. O'Reilly goes for a rebound lariat, McGuinness ducks it and O'Reilly goes instead for the waist control but can't make anything of it.

McGuinness manages to maneuver O'Reilly into a crossface. O'Reilly fights out of it and locks in a hybridized single-leg Boston crab/ankle lock. McGuinness breaks the hold with the ropes and another striking exchange begins. McGuinness gets the better of it with a lariat and goes for the cover but only for a near-fall.

McGuinness cinches in the London Dungeon, and O'Reilly is forced to tap out.

Winner and ADVANCING: Nigel McGuinness

— Backstage, we hear from Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher. Kyle says he’s willing to “run the play” at All In, but wants to know if Okada is as well. Okada says the most important thing is family, and to trust him.

Fletcher addresses being jumped backstage by Takeshita last week, with Okada not being around to help him. Okada says Kyle is always thinking about himself, and needs to remember family first. He walks off.

— We head to ringside where Persephone and Divine Dominion make their entrances. Out next are Maya World followed by the Brawling Birds.

Persephone & Divine Dominion vs. Brawling Birds & Maya World

The match starts with Megan Bayne and Maya World in the ring, tying up with World quickly discarded.

Bayne drops World again with a shoulder tackle, going for another one as World tries for a guillotine. Bayne casts her off and drives her into the corner, tagging out to Lena Kross to work her over in the corner. Kross then tags out to Persephone.

World slips Persephone and tags out to Alex Windsor, who then works with Jamie Hayter to isolate the CMLL Women's Champion. Windsor takes out Bayne and Kross on the apron as Hayter works Persephone, Windsor joining in followed then by World. Windsor and Hayter lay out Persephone so World can deliver a moonsault, Hayter then going for the cover but only for a two-count.

Persephone returns fire and lands a basement dropkick before going for the cover, only for a two-count. Persephone tags out to Bayne, who continues to rush Hayter in the corner with Kross. Kross goes for a cover for a two-count.

Hayter reaches for a tag but gets ripped back by her hair to the mat. Kross tags back out to Bayne to continue burrowing kicks into the mid-section. Bayne goads World and Windsor, thus distracting the referee, so that Kross can garrote Hayter with the ropes in the other corner.

Kross tags back in and takes out Windsor and World on the apron. Bayne throws Hayter across the ring with a release German suplex and goes for the cover. Windsor breaks it up and the match devolves into a melee between each competitor.

Hayter and Bayne drop one another in the middle of the ring. World is calling for the tag while Persephone stands on the other side doing the same. They each get the tag they want.

World meets Persephone and drops her with a second-rope leg drop, going for the cover for two. World hoists Persephone up for her finisher but Bayne comes in to stop it, thus devolving the match into another melee.

When the bodies clear it's just Persephone and World in the ring again, the former taking the latter out with a lariat. World returns fire with a springboard cutter and goes for the cover but Bayne and Kross yank her from the ring.

Brawling Birds and Divine Dominion begin to fight at ringside while inside the ring Persephone clatters World with a belt-shot. Persephone follows up with a frog splash and makes the cover, getting the winning pinfall on the TBS Champion. The Brawling Birds and Divine Dominion continue to fight up the ramp.

Winners: Persephone & Divine Dominion

Swerve Strickland vs. Jack Perry

The bell rings and Strickland mocks Perry for his entrance while jawing at him. He offers his chin but Perry tries instead for a headlock, getting thrown against the ropes and tackled to the mat. Perry pokes Strickland in his eyes and drops him with a tackle, following up with a hurricanrana before getting halted with a lariat.

Strickland lights Perry up with chops in the corner. Perry returns fire but it only beckons more pointed offense from Strickland to send him back down to the mat in the corner. Strickland goes to the apron, Perry looks for a leaping sunset-flip powerbomb to the outside, but Strickland stomps him in the chest for his troubles. Perry tries for a hurricanrana off the top rope to send Strickland off the apron, but Strickland catches him and flings him into the ringpost.

Strickland takes time to stand on the top rope and once again mock Perry's entrance while he tries to recover outside of the ring. Strickland follows him, reprimanding the referee for not counting him out. He continues to stalk Perry at ringside, going for a hammer throw into the barricade but getting reversed. Perry gets Strickland back in the ring.

Perry chops at the chest of Strickland and rebounds from the ropes, but Strickland catches him in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Strickland stands on Perry's head against the ropes, taking him to the corner and burrowing forearms and kicks into him.

Strickland goes to the second rope and delivers a diving uppercut to the back of Perry's head from the seated position. Strickland holds Perry in a variation of the torture rack, but Perry rolls through to send Strickland outside of the ring.

Perry delivers sliced bread off the apron to drive Strickland to the floor, following that up with two tope suicidas. He follows them up with a flipping senton and throws Strickland back into the ring. Perry now goes to the top rope, looking for a moonsault. Strickland meets him at the top rope, gets knocked off, and Perry flips back for a moonsault caught by Strickland, but he manages to turn it into a DDT instead.

Strickland and Perry exchange chops in the middle of the ring. Strickland goes for the House Call, misses. Perry goes for the running knee, Strickland catches him with House Call. Strickland looks for the Swerve Stomp but Perry catches him and turns it into a Snare Trap.

Strickland fights out of it and Perry tries for two roll-ups for close near-falls. Perry looks for a poisonrana but Strickland stops it, turning it into a Big Pressure for the winning pinfall.

Winner: Swerve Strickland

— Swerve leaves the ring as we go to a video package focused on the All In main event and the rivalry between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay ahead of their World Championship clash at Wembley Stadium this Sunday.