AEW Dynamite Live Coverage - August 9th, 2023

[Kemo]

AEW Dynamite

This week, Rob Van Dam challenges FTW Champion Jack Perry. Fresh off winning the parking lot fight, Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley wrestle against the Lucha Bros.

– The usual "Light the fuse ..." theme song plays to get this week's show officially off-and-running. We then shoot inside the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. where Excalibur welcomes us to the show on commentary.

Chris Jericho comes down to the ring with the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society already waiting for him, and he says he is doing it as their friend. However, Daniel Garcia cuts him off and tells him to listen for once. He says he turned on his friends and mentor to be with Jericho, but since he can't be there for him he can't do it anymore. He dances in Jericho's face and walks out.

Jake Hager then says Jericho has made him a lot of money, but if they have to cut ties tonight then it's okay because everyone knows they have a lot of options, and people know he liked the hat. Now he wants people to know he doesn't appreciate Jericho, and he walks out as well. Jericho says their careers are much bigger and better since they joined him, he points out Anna Jay has a title match tonight and Tay Melo is a bigger star now.

Melo says she used to be proud to be in a group with him, but not anymore, she feels sick and she isn't talking about the baby. She is going to leave to have a baby, come back and become a champion and do it without Jericho's help. Jay then says he has helped them, but he has helped himself more than anyone and tonight is about her. She's being selfish tonight and she learned from the best. Jay says tonight is about winning the AEW Women's World Championship and not about appreciating Jericho.

Angelo Parker then says he doesn't want to do this now as he loves being a sports entertainer, he says he gave Jericho everything including his blood inside a cage. However, he questions what Jericho has given him. He doesn't want to do this, but he's got nothing left to give, and he walks out as well. Matt Menard points out Jericho was his hero, he bought a t-shirt with his first job, and then Jericho brought him in when his wife was pregnant and this has been nothing but a dream. However, it hasn't sat right why guys like Eddie Kingston and Kevin Steen hate his guts, and he walks out as well.

Guevara then slaps the microphone out of Jericho's hand and says he has fought Jericho's battles because he is loyal. He says he won't walk out on him because Jericho is his friend and he always felt Jericho would do those things for him, but maybe he was wrong. He says Jericho has a lot to work out, and if he does then maybe he will be there for him, and he leaves with Jericho in the ring by himself. We got to a commercial.

– Jericho is then shown backstage as Don Callis comforts him and apologizes, and Jericho says it's fine and he has an answer for him next week.

The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks

Jeff Hardy and Matt Jackson kickstart things with the veteran getting the best of things with a neckbreaker as Matt Hardy then tags in and the legends hit some double team offense. Nick Jackson then tries to get involved but they plant him onto his brother Matt, and The Hardys then work together to lift and slam Matt Jackson down to the mat.

The Hardys work together again and go for a double team cover but Nick Jackson breaks it up as Jeff Hardy tags in briefly to attack the back of Matt Jackson. The duo then aim for the classic run and leap off Matt's back but Matt Jackson dodges it as Nick kicks Jeff in the face. He then tags in and picks up the pace planting Matt face-first to the mat before moonsaulting out of the ring onto Jeff.

Nick then doublestomps Matt Hardy while he is laying across Matt Jackson's knees, adding extra damage. However, Nick accidentally kicks his brother in the face and that allows Hardy to aim for a Razor's Edge but Nick tags in and tries to stop it, yet he sends Matt into him and then DDT's Nick. Matt Jackson then pulls Jeff off the ring apron to stop a tag as The Young Bucks regain control inside the ring.

The two Matt's then both have the same idea with clotheslines, but Hardy comes out on top with a Side Effect and both men tag out. Jeff comes in hot with a flurry of moves, but Matt breaks up the pinfall attempt. He then nails a double Whisper In The Wind, but it isn't enough to get the win, and The Hardys then get nailed with superkicks as they hit a version of the 3D on Jeff, but he kicks out.

The Hardys regain control though and Jeff nails the Swanton Bomb, but Matt Jackson breaks up the pinfall attempt. Matt nails Nick with a Twist Of Fate but then eats a superkick, but Matt then hits a superkick to the back of Jeff's ankle to end a top rope attempt. The Young Bucks then nail the BTE Trigger on Matt and take the victory.

Winners: The Young Bucks

– After the match the two teams share respect and shake hands. The Young Bucks then get the microphones and FTR appear. They face off as The Young Bucks simply say, "All In," and FTR raise the titles.

– We shoot to video footage showing the announcement of MJF vs. Adam Cole for the AEW World Championship at ALL IN. From there, we shoot to footage from last week unseen thus far, which shows the latest bro-down session between the two.

Footage is shown of the two at a trampoline place with Cole acting like a goofy kid telling MJF to look how high he can jump. MJF is playing the bah-humbug role, upset that they aren't partying with chicks at a bar instead.

They play dodge ball and MJF takes his anger out on the kids with hard shots. Cole tells him he can't do that. A little girl gets mouthy. Cole tries to talk nicely but she flips him off. He gives MJF permission to pelt her with a dodge ball. We head to another commercial break.

– The Blackpool Combat Club are then shown backstage and say that Best Friends don't belond in the ring with them. They specialize in picking the bones of their kills, and they tell the Lucha Brothers to ask PAC about that. Wheeler Yuta says it must sting that PAC is missing Wembley, while Moxley points out they don't fear death.

FTW Championship: Jack Perry (c) vs. Rob Van Dam

Perry attacks RVD before the bell, and then he tries to shake his hand but RVD doesn't oblige and instead, he nails him with a stiff spinning kick in the corner. Perry then runs away from RVD, but as the ECW legend follows him Perry attacks and slams him into the steel stairs. However, RVD regains control and then hits a huge spinning leg drop to Perry while he is laying over the barricade.

The champion fights back and then sets up a table outside the ring, but RVD connects with a knee strike as he then sends Perry into the turnbuckle. RVD then throws several chairs into the ring, but he takes too long and Perry uses a chair to attack him. He sets up a chair in the top turnbuckles as he then aims to hit Rolling Thunder, but RVD avoids it and then monkey flips Perry across the ring.

He then runs and drives the chair into Perry's face with a dropkick in the corner. RVD places a chair onto Perry and then connects with Rolling Thunder, but Perry kicks out. He misses with a moonsault attempt but then as Perry tries to throw a chair at him, RVD ducks and it nails the official in the face. RVD then hits a spin kick and then looks for the Frog Splash but Perry stops it and joins him at the top, but RVD sends him through the table outside the ring. RVD then nails the Five-Star Frog Splash and covers Perry, but there's no official.

Aubrey Edwards sprints in, but Perry kicks out just in time! Perry then nails a low blow and drives RVD head-first into the chair in the corner before rolling him up while using the trunks.

Winner and still FTW Champion: Jack Perry

– We shoot backstage where Renee Paquette is standing by with The Lucha Bros and Alex Abrahantes. Abrahantes shows the symbol for the group and explains the significance of it. He talks about the dastardly acts of the Blackpool Combat Club and hypes tonight's bout against The Lucha Bros.

– From there, we head back inside Nationwide Arena of MJF and Adam Cole make their way out and head down to the ring to a huge pop.

MJF says there is footage of him saying everyone in the Mid West is "Mid," but he says that is heavily edited and fake. He says his favorite place in the United States is the Mid West. Adam Cole then says he's going to beat MJF at All In, and MJF says if he wants a promo battle he can. He says Cole is so pale and skinny that if it was the 1980's Hulk Hogan would've snorted him.

However, Cole then says he doesn't want a promo battle as he says they're going to make history at Wembley Stadium and he wants to go all in on that. He knows that fans would love them to be AEW World Tag Team Champions, but he's had his eyes on another set of titles. They mean just as much to him, and that's the ROH World Tag Team Championships, as he owes his entire career to ROH.

Cole points out he's never held those titles, yet many of the best teams of all time have held them. Cole says that he thinks they should challenge for the ROH World Tag Team Championships on the Zero-Hour. MJF then questions Cole that he wants him to wrestle twice, if he a sick pervert? MJF then gets behind the idea and he challenges Aussie Open to the match on the pre-show at Wembley Stadium.

Roderick Strong then appears and says he can't believe Cole doesn't want to win the titles with him. MJF says he's sick of his ex-girlfriend vibes and he wants Strong to go home, cry into his Hello Kitty pillow, put his headphones on, listen to some Taylor Swift and, "Shake it off you bland b*tch." Strong says The Kingdom was right about Cole, he was never really his friend and Srong then cuddles The Kingdom. Cole then turns around and shoves MJF and says he's Strong's friend as well. MJF gets angry but they hug it out as MJF tells him to go check on his boy.

Blackpool Combat Club vs. The Lucha Bros

The Lucha Brothers sneak into the ring and attack Blackpool Combat Club from behind, launching them out of the ring and hitting stereo dives outside the ring. Back inside, Penta stomps on Claudio Castagnoli from the top turnbuckle while Rey Fenix once again dives out to Jon Moxley. Castagnoli turns things around with an uppercut and lariat though as he then tags in Moxley.

Wheeler Yuta nails Fenix with the ROH World Championship belt yt he still manages to kick out afterward. Castagnoli returns and slams Fenix down before dropping an elbow on the masked man, but it's still not enough to keep him down. Moxley then returns and grinds Fenix down with a straight jacket submission and then drives him back to his corner so Castagnoli can return with a huge lariat.

Moxley then sets in the Texas Cloverleaf and he then hits a spiked piledriver with Castagnoli, but Fenix kicks out once more. He then fights back and stomps on Castagnoli and Penta tags in and nails a DDT to Moxley as Castagnoli eats a backstabber. Fenix tagged back in but misses with a Frog Splash and eats a big boot from Moxley and then all four men go back and fourth with moves until they're all down.

Fenix and Castagnoli then trade chops and forearm strikes and the BCC star then catches Penta with an uppercut. Moxley comes in and he and Penta exchange chops, ad with Lucha Bros coming out on top, Yuta tries to cheat again but Fenix moonsaults out to him. However, the distraction works as Moxley then pins Pentagon with a roll up as Penta is distracted after having his mask pulled off, spending his time covering his identity.

Winners: Blackpool Combat Club

– After the match tthe BCC jump the Lucha Bros and leave them laying.

– Kenny Omega is shown backstage and is asked about Wembley Stadium. He is sitting down next week to talk about his future and what he plans for Wembley. We then head to a commercial break.

– When we return from the break, we hear the familiar sounds of Shane "Swerve" Strickland's theme. Out he comes with all of The Mogul Embassy. They settle in the ring and gloat about what they did to Nick Wayne last week. They then call out Darby Allin.

Darby Allin comes out without any music playing. He tells AR Fox to tell these people the whole story. He says he tried to call Fox but he never answered. He says he tried to help him, more so than anybody else.

He says there's only one person who could save AR Fox, and that was himself. He says he had to go. He says then look what happened. AR Fox got to AEW all by himself. He asks if all of this is about Darby putting in a good word for a 16-year old Nick Wayne.

Allin says it looks like Fox has some new friends. He tells Fox to remember that he's got some friends, too. The lights in the building go out. When they come back on, Sting is standing in the ring with his baseball bat. Tony Schiavone does his "IT'S STING!" routine.

Darby runs down to join Sting in the ring and the two clean house of all of The Mogul Embassy members except for Swerve. Sting then has Swerve at the end of his bat. The fans chant "Sting! Sting! Sting!" Swerve puts his hands up.

Sting then points the bat to the AEW ALL IN sign hanging in the rafters. Swerve ducks down and escapes out of the ring and The Mogul Embassy flee to the back as Sting's theme hits to end the segment.

AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Anna Jay

Anna Jay starts out confidently, immediately going for her finisher, but Shida rocks the challenger with a knee strike and follows it with another. Jay taks advantage of Cool Hand Ange and Matt Menard distracting the champion as she hits a spin kick to send Shida out of the ring. Jay stomps Shida down to the mat and then nails a forearm to the back as she stays in control.

Jay connects with a neckbreaker, but that isn't something that gets the job done as Shida kicks out once more. However, the champion charges back with a running elbow strike, and this time it is Jay having to kick out. Shida is then nailed with another spinning kick as they spill to the ring apron, but Shida responds with an enziguri which dazes Jay. She then pulls out a chair to use as a launch pad, but Parker gets in the way to stop it.

Jay takes advantage and drives Shida into the stairs, but the champion kicks out back in the ring. The challenger then locks in the Queenslayer, but Shida heads up the turnbuckles with her on and falls back, which breaks the submission. Shida then hits the Falcoln Arrow and the Katana to retain.

Winner and still AEW World Champion: Hikaru Shida

– Shida celebrates her win and the most flat ending to a Dynamite show in recent memory finishes up on that note. That's how this week's show goes off the air.

[LionDen]

Not a bad show.

I would have likd to see RVD win lol. For old times sak but he is scheduled to appear for WWE during Wrestlemania week next year anyway.

Very cool, Darby Allin and Sting would facing AR Fox and Swerve Strickland in a tag team coffin match. Should be ok.

Thanks for LC.

Sting & Darby Allin confront The Mogul Embassy about last week’s assault