Posted on 6/25/126 by Bob Magee
AEW Dynamite was LIVE from the Rio Rancho Events Center in
Rio Rancho, New Mexico, on TBS and HBO Max! We were just
four days from AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door with a stacked card
full of implications for Sunday in San Jose, and the tension
couldn’t be any higher!
The night came to a close with Team Briscoe and Team DCMJF
coming to blows after MJF tried to sneak-attack Mark
Briscoe. That set off a brawl that saw each team briefly
gain the advantage until MJF mistakenly hit Andrade El Ídolo
with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Briscoe took advantage and
dropped MJF with a Jay Driller as Dynamite came to a close!
In the main event, AEW International Champion Konosuke
Takeshita took everything Ricochet could throw at him, but
he ultimately prevailed before he will step in the steel
cage as part of Team Briscoe on Sunday! We’ll also see AEW
Continental Champion Jon Moxley defend against ROH World
Champion Bandido at Forbidden Door. Still, tonight, it was
the Death Riders who beat Brodido and Místico in Trios
action!
However, Daniel Garcia wasn’t as successful in a loss to
Swerve Strickland. When Strickland tried to inflict further
damage, Will Ospreay ran out for the save, only for
Strickland to drop Garcia with a Vertebreaker. Ospreay had
just beaten ELP in the previous match, so both he and Swerve
will take victorious momentum into the Owen Hart Foundation
Men’s Tournament Finals at Forbidden Door.
An up-and-down night for the Death Riders also saw Marina
Shafir get upset by Harley Cameron in a TBS Championship
Survival of the Fittest qualifying match. Queen Aminata beat
ROH Women’s World TV Champion also to qualify, leaving only
one of the six spots remaining before the match goes down
next Wednesday on Dynamite.
All that and so much more went down on a huge night in Rio
Rancho for Dynamite! Here are your complete results!
Death Riders (AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley, Wheeler
Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli) w/ Marina Shafir def. CMLL
World Light Heavyweight & Trios Champion Místico & Brodido
(Brody King and ROH World Champion Bandido)
Our night began with AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley
giving a pep talk to the Death Riders and Will Ospreay, and
reminding them to have each other’s backs tonight. As they
huddled up, Garcia invited Ospreay to join them, which
seemed like quite the rite of passage. Ospreay got so fired
up in the huddle that he fell! Dare we say a moment of
levity before an intense week of battles?
After the Death Riders made their way through the crowd,
Brodido and Místico got massive reactions ahead of our
opening contest. Bandido and Yuta got things going with Yuta
trying to ground the ROH World Champion by targeting his
leg. Bandido fought back to his feet, and the two came to a
stalemate until Bandido took Yuta down with a headscissors
and called for Moxley to tag in, so he did! It was time for
a preview of their Forbidden Door AEW Continental
Championship match!
Moxley controlled Bandido’s arm and broke cleanly at the
ropes until he decided to boot Bandido in the gut.
Castagnoli tagged in and stomped Bandido to the mat. Bandido
turned things around with a hurricanrana and tagged in
Místico, who nailed Castagnoli with a back elbow and a step-
up kick from the apron. Castagnoli stopped Místico with a
backbreaker, only for Místico to take Castagnoli down with a
tijeras. Brody King tagged in, and we were taken back to
their Owen Cup and Continental Classic matches with a clash
in the middle of the ring. The Death Riders ran in to knock
Místico and Bandido to the mat. King chopped Yuta down, and
in an unreal feat of athleticism, he took down Moxley and
Castagnoli by running up the ropes and coming down with a
double armdrag. That brought the Rio Rancho crowd to their
feet! Lucha Brody! Místico, Bandido and King dove through
the ropes for a stereo tope suicidas!
Castagnoli was able to shut Bandido’s offense down, and the
Death Riders took over from there for the next few minutes
on Bandido. He suffered a triple-team attack in the corner
until Yuta dropped him with a suplex and Moxley covered for
a two-count. Moxley stayed focused on Bandido’s hands to
weaken his grip to avoid the 21 Plex. Moxley threw heavy
strikes at Bandido, but he called for more and followed
Moxley to the ropes with a big dropkick!
Místico tagged in with a crossbody from the ropes to
Castagnoli and a pendulum kick around the ropes to Yuta!
Místico took Yuta to the outside with a headscissors
takeover and floated through Castagnoli with a Code Red!
Moxley made the save! King tagged back in and rocked
Castagnoli with an elbow that knocked him to the corner.
Moxley tagged back in and jumped on King’s back with a
sleeper. King broke it up by backing Moxley into the corner.
He stomped Moxley down and went to the opposite side for a
massive cannonball that connected! Castagnoli stopped King
from trying a Gonzo Bomb, but Bandido came in and deadlifted
Castagnoli into a vertical suplex! Yuta crushed Bandido with
a Busaiku Knee! Místico dropkicked Yuta to the floor. Moxley
through Místico to the floor! King clotheslined Moxley hard
to the mat. He picked up Moxley for another Gonzo Bomb
attempt, so Shafir tried to come through the ropes to cause
a distraction. It worked because Castagnoli was able to come
in and crack King across the back of the neck and head with
the AEW Continental Championship! Moxley pinned King for the
win!
Team Briscoe Knows What’s On the Line at Forbidden Door
Renee Paquette was backstage with Team Briscoe, minus Mark
Briscoe and asked if they were ready for the steel cage
match at Forbidden Door. Darby Allin spoke up and said he
doesn’t feel ready, but they don’t have time to waste
because this was Briscoe’s chance to become AEW World
Champion. Allin said he’d do anything possible to help
Briscoe win and hopes his teammates do the same. Roderick
Strong said he hates the Don Callis Family, but not as much
as he hates MJF, so he’ll never forgive him for what he did
to his best friend, ADAM! Orange Cassidy said he’ll make
sure they all have backpacks for the match and that they can
put whatever they want in them. He’s pretty sure Konosuke
Takeshita will put the AEW International Title in his
backpack after he beats Ricochet tonight. Cassidy thought
that covered everyone, but Kyle O’Reilly wondered where
Briscoe was, as the man leading them to war this Sunday.
“Don’t you worry, sickos. Mark will be in the middle of that
ring tonight to give a piece of his mind.”
Renee asked if Cassidy was OK, and he said, “It’s fine.”
They both looked around for Lio Rush and decided to leave
the scene.
TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:
Harley Cameron def. "The Problem" Marina Shafir of the Death
Riders
Shafir remained at ringside for her match, as Harley Cameron
made her way to the ring with some Supergirl-inspired gear
after attending the red carpet premiere last night. However,
Shafir had no interest in Cameron showing off her attire and
blasted her with a kick to the gut. The bell rang, and
Shafir immediately threw Cameron to the ropes for another
big kick to the chest. Shafir tried to ground Cameron and
mounted her, but Shafir rolled it into a half crab. Shafir
kicked loose, and Cameron went to the apron. Shafir tried to
follow, but Cameron cracked her with a running knee. Cameron
followed with a dropkick through the ropes! She took a look
at the TBS Title and ran up the steel steps to dive onto
Shafir! Cameron threw Shafir back in and was clearly in
control!
Cameron went to the top rope, but Shafir was ready and
kicked her down. Shafir grabbed Cameron and just threw her
to the mat with reckless abandon. Shafir continued to
brutalize Cameron and ragdolled her to the mat multiple
times with judo throws. Finally, Cameron just collapsed to
the mat, so Shafir grabbed her arm and kicked Cameron in the
chest. Cameron hit a belly-to-back suplex out of nowhere and
followed with a roundhouse kick. She splashed Shafir in the
corner and mounted her for a barrage of punches. Cameron
came off the ropes with a leaping clothesline, but Shafir
stopped her with repeated knees to the midsection. Once
again, Cameron was crumpled on the mat, so Shafir picked her
up again and tried to throw her down, but Cameron was ready
and rolled into a half crab! Shafir switched it into a rear-
naked sleeper, so Cameron rolled over the top of Shafir and
trapped her for the surprise three-count! What a win for
Cameron! Shafir could only smile in disappointment, knowing
she had been bested.
Mercedes Moné & Athena vs. Hyan & Maya World Announced for
Collision
We took a look at Maya World’s huge upset over Athena last
week on Collision to clinch her spot in the Owen Hart
Foundation Women’s Tournament finals against Mercedes Moné.
World called it her dream match, but Moné said this is no
Cinderella story.
“Dreams don’t win championships. I do.”
Will Ospreay def. ELP
Ospreay was fired up for this match, as he’s just four days
away from the Owen Cup Finals against Swerve Strickland, who
was in action against Daniel Garcia later tonight. ELP and
Ospreay slapped hands at the bell, as they are longtime
rivals from their time together in NJPW.
ELP and Ospreay exchanged some reversals until Ospreay
barely avoided a thrust kick from ELP. ELP tried to pose
after seemingly avoiding Ospreay, so Ospreay chopped him
hard in the chest. ELP came back with one of his own and
controlled Ospreay’s arm with some nifty footwork on the
ropes to take Ospreay down with an armdrag, but Ospreay
landed on his feet! ELP didn’t expect it and walked into a
dropkick that knocked him to the floor. Ospreay fired up the
crowd and clobbered ELP with a big crossbody to the floor.
Ospreay was clearly enjoying himself, as he even took time
to mock his fall from the beginning of the night.
ELP reversed Ospreay on the apron into a rough backdrop. ELP
took to the skies with a picturesque moonsault from the top
rope to the floor! ELP took advantage of his big offense by
staying on Ospreay for the next few minutes. Ospreay finally
came back to life with some strikes, and when ELP tried to
throw Ospreay to the mat, Ospreay sprang right back up and
nailed ELP with an enziguri. Ospreay unloaded on ELP and
came off the ropes with a spinning corkscrew kick. He
covered ELP for a two-count. Ospreay missed a charge in the
corner and immediately ate a kick to the chest. ELP came off
the ropes with a tornado DDT and hung on to lift Ospreay for
a suplex, but Ospreay reversed it into a Stundog
Millionaire. ELP picked Ospreay up and flipped him over for
a stunner of his own!
The two fought up from their knees with Ospreay asking for
more from ELP until he threw what looked like a knockout
forearm, but Ospreay didn’t go for the pin. He continued to
strike ELP, as ELP got back to his feet and the two traded
strikes and kicks. Ospreay knocked ELP into the ropes and
tried for another corkscrew kick, which ELP caught. Ospreay
slipped out of it and the two traded reversals until Ospreay
put ELP on the mat with a Spanish Fly. That got a two-count!
Ospreay tried a Hidden Blade, but ELP countered into a
hurricanrana for a near-fall! ELP hit a thrust kick for
another two-count! ELP showed frustration and then tried to
fire up the crowd. Ospreay rolled out of ELP’s grasp and
yanked him up for a Styles Clash! Ospreay finished ELP with
a brutal Hidden Blade to the back of the head and pinned him
for the win! As Ospreay celebrated with the crowd, Swerve
Strickland and Prince Nana made their entrance for the next
match. They stopped at the Owen Cup and smiled at Ospreay.
Strickland and Ospreay had a distant staredown, as Ospreay
exited through the crowd while Strickland continued into the
ring.
Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana) def. Death Riders' Daniel
Garcia
Garcia made his way from the outside to the ring by himself,
but was clearly fired up and threw a chair as he entered the
ringside area. Garcia got right in Swerve’s face at the
bell, but Swerve just smiled back at him. Swerve stuffed a
double-leg attempt and took Garcia down with a shoulder
tackle. Garcia got right back up and shoved Swerve. They
pie-faced and then chopped each other, which set Swerve off,
as he took Garcia down for some ground-and-pound. He whipped
Garcia hard into the corner and followed up with a big body
shot around the ring. Garcia tried to get away, so Swerve
followed after him with a deep back rake. Swerve dropped
Garcia on the top rope and followed with a high boot to
Garcia’s jaw. Garcia rolled to the floor, but Swerve tried
to follow with a running kick from the apron. Garcia caught
it and pulled Strickland into the ring skirt. Garcia yanked
Swerve down with a dragon screw and knocked him into a chair
against the barricade. Garcia blasted Strickland with some
elbow strikes and got some distance to run at Swerve with a
big dropkick. Garcia took his time to load up for another,
but this time, Swerve exploded out of the chair with a House
Call! That completely changed the complexion of the match!
As Swerve continued to punish Garcia, he went for a Swerve
Stomp to Garcia on the apron, but Garcia moved. Swerve came
up limping, and Garcia quickly grabbed the leg for another
dragon screw in the ropes. Garcia tried to piledrive Swerve
on the apron, but Swerve escaped and hit a Death Valley
Driver on the apron instead! Strickland brought Garcia back
in the ring and connected on a brainbuster for a two-count.
Strickland toyed with Garcia by shoving him in the face with
his boot. Garcia got back to his feet, so Strickland dropped
him multiple times with big forearms. Garcia finally bounced
off the ropes for a clothesline, but Swerve didn’t go down.
Garcia tried again, and once again, Strickland stood tall.
Garcia goaded Strickland into thinking he was going for it
again, but dropkicked Swerve in the bad leg. Garcia finally
took Swerve down with a running clothesline!
Swerve blocked Garcia with a boot in the corner and knocked
him away with a back elbow. Strickland came out of the
corner, but Garcia was ready and snatched him in an ankle
lock. Swerve got loose and blasted Garcia with a back elbow.
He missed two wild strikes, and Garcia chop-blocked Swerve.
Garcia tried another piledriver, but Swerve turned it into a
backbreaker. He lifted Garcia for a powerbomb and turned it
into a powerslam! Garcia kicked out at two! Swerve lined up
for a House Call, but his bad leg gave out, and he collapsed
in front of Garcia. Garcia picked Swerve up and nailed a
Styles Clash! It looks like Will Ospreay is influencing
Garcia! Swerve was able to kick out at two! Garcia tried for
the Dragon Tamer, so Swerve kicked free. Swerve hit a
Flatliner and a House Call, but Garcia kicked out! Swerve
came up angry and went through the ropes to go up top, but
decided to come back in and hit Garcia with his own version
of the Hidden Blade! That was enough to beat Garcia, just
like Ospreay won his match with ELP!
After the match, Swerve tried to snap the arm of Garcia, but
Ospreay intervened, and he brawled with Swerve! Ospreay hit
Swerve with a hook kick and tried for a Hidden Blade, but
was tripped by Prince Nana! That allowed Swerve to drop
Ospreay with a House Call! He picked up Ospreay and tried
for a Vertebreaker, but Garcia pulled Ospreay down. Swerve
hit the Vertebreaker on Garcia instead! Ospreay came in with
a chair, but Swerve got away up the ramp and posed with the
Owen Cup and Championship.
Team DCMJF is Trying to Operate … Like a Family?
We took a look at the timeline that led to Team DCMJF vs.
Team Briscoe at Forbidden Door, then went backstage to hear
from MJF, Don Callis and the Don Callis Family. Callis
introduced the Family members who are part of MJF’s squad,
including Jake Doyle and TNT Champion “The Jet” Kevin
Knight, who told Darby Allin that if he skates down to
Forbidden Door, Knight will put him back in the ER. He told
MJF that after this is over, he wants his AEW World Title
shot. MJF dismissed him by saying, “Sure, kid. Whatever you
want.” Callis continued and called Kazuchika Okada, “the
best wrestler of the last 5,000 years!” Kyle Fletcher said
the second the door is locked, he’s coming right for
Konosuke Takeshita to show why the Family never needed him
and why Fletcher is the new “Alpha.”
Before Callis could introduce Andrade El Ídolo, MJF cut him
off and began to address Mark Briscoe. MJF said that
wherever he goes, he’s treated well because he was born with
a white collar, and a white collar always wins. He called
Briscoe a “blue collar bitch,” but admitted he’s never
kicked out of the Jay Driller. But that’s because he’s never
had to because Jay’s never hit the Jay Driller with the
Triple B on the line, and he never will. MJF tried to talk
up his team, but when he noticed RPG Vice was there, they
were forced to leave. MJF noted that they weren’t all on the
same page last week and brought up Andrade while coughing,
but Callis calmed Andrade down, and MJF said he wants to
operate not just as a team but as a family. Callis called
for someone off camera, who brought in a new shirt. It was a
Team DCMJF shirt with an artist’s rendering of Callis and
MJF coming together, wearing nothing but trunks. MJF said
they will all wear one, and when everyone else saw the
shirt, they cringed. MJF and Callis smiled with their newest
merch.
Zack Sabre Jr. (w/ TMDK's Mikey Nicholls & Bad Dude Tito)
def. "Jungle" Jack Perry
Perry entered alone, but Sabre had Mikey Nicholls and Bad
Dude Tito with him as his seconds. ZSJ kept Perry controlled
on the mat, as Perry did everything he could to escape, but
Sabre kept taking the advantage back and even got a pin
attempt for a near-fall. ZSJ controlled Perry’s arm, and
Perry broke the hold by biting the top rope. Perry rolled up
ZSJ for a pair of near-falls and stopped ZSJ off the ropes
to capture ZSJ in a very close near-fall! That was enough
for Sabre to roll out of the ring to collect himself, as
Perry had clearly frustrated him.
Perry chopped ZSJ and tried to bounce off the ropes for an
armdrag, but Sabre was ready and sat into a cross
armbreaker. Perry got an immediate rope break, so ZSJ
stomped the arm. Perry rolled to the outside, so Sabre
followed and tried to send Perry into the ringpost, but
Perry reversed it, and ZSJ hit the post instead. Perry swung
around the post with a pair of knees and pulled Sabre up to
the apron. ZSJ blocked a suplex and wrenched Perry’s arm
across the top rope. He hit a pump kick to Perry’s shoulder,
and ZSJ had full control.
ZSJ continued to work on Perry’s injured left arm in the
ring by dissecting it with submissions and strikes. Perry
fought back with strikes out of the corner and a desperation
Sliced Bread. ZSJ rolled to the floor, so Perry came out
with a slide, which Sabre turned into a cross armbreaker on
the floor! He was forced to break the hold, but held on long
enough to do maximum damage. Sabre tried to stomp Perry’s
arm on the apron, so Perry moved and used the distance to
grab ZSJ for another Sliced Bread on the apron! Perry went
to the top and connected on a beautiful moonsault to the
floor.
Perry threw ZSJ back in and tried for a lariat, but Sabre
captured Perry in a vicious arm submission. ZSJ transitioned
into a triangle sleeper, and Perry deadlifted ZSJ into a
sitout powerbomb to escape and get a two-count! Sabre
escaped a package piledriver with a sleeper, so Perry rolled
over it for a near-fall. ZSJ rolled through for a near-fall
of his own, so Perry pulled him into the Snare Trap in the
middle of the ring! Perry’s injured arm kept him from
locking in the Snare Trap fully, which allowed ZSJ to grab a
double-wrist lock. Perry escaped and dropped ZSJ with a
lariat. Perry pulled ZSJ into a double underhook powerbomb,
but Perry’s arm limited how much he could get on the pin
attempt. ZSJ kicked out and quickly reversed a Glass Jaw
knee into a heel hook. He rolled it over into a half crab
and grabbed the left arm into a grotesque position, so Perry
was forced to give up. ZSJ was victorious just days before
facing Kenny Omega at Forbidden Door. As Perry was attended
to on the floor, the Young Bucks made their way to the ring
for the next match.
Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) def. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito
and Mikey Nicholls)
Nicholls and Matt started things, but Tito quickly nailed
Matt from behind, and Nicholls knocked Nick into the ring.
They brought the Bucks to opposite corners, but the Bucks
reversed the whip into a pair of dropkicks and then
clotheslines in the corner. They high-fived each other as
they met in the middle with stereo bulldogs. Tito was
knocked from the ring by an assisted dropkick, and Nicholls
was dumped to the floor. The Bucks came over the top with a
pair of crossbodies to the floor! The Bucks flipped over
TMDK on the apron and dropped both with back elbows. Nick
and Matt each hit body slams and went to the top, but
Nicholls knocked Matt off the top, and Tito caught Nick and
tossed him to the floor.
Tito and Nicholls crushed Matt in the corner, and Tito threw
Matt into a big spinebuster, but Matt kicked out at two.
Tito tagged back in, and TMDK dropped Matt with a flapjack
for a two-count. Nicholls tagged back in, but Matt fought
his way free with a DDT on Nicholls. Nick tagged in and came
off the top with a crossbody to TDMK. Nick put them together
with a meeting of the minds and then got another two-for-one
with an armdrag/headscissors combo from the top! The Bucks
began a Superkick Party on TDMK, knocking Tito to the floor.
The Bucks hit Nicholls with a Meltzer Driver for the pinfall
victory! Sabre and Tito hit the ring to attack the Bucks
after the match until Kenny Omega and Jack Perry hit the
ring! After clearing the ring, Omega and Sabre came face-to-
face and started hauling off on each other in the middle of
the ring! Omega dropped ZSJ with a Snap Dragon and lined up
a V-Trigger, but Tito pulled Sabre to safety.
Omega got on the mic and said it was nothing personal. He
said at Forbidden Door: "May the best man win." And when
Omega does win, he’s out for redemption. He told Sabre to
enjoy the next few days because after Forbidden Door,
everyone will forget about him, just like last year. Sabre
got the mic for a simple response,
“Kenny, try to stay out of the hospital, alright darling?”
AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla Invaded STARDOM
Before AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla faces Starlight Kid
at Forbidden Door, she made a surprise appearance in STARDOM
over the weekend in Japan. She attacked President Taro Okada
until Starlight Kid came in to take Thekla out. As Thekla
was pulled away by security in the back, she said STARDOM
doesn’t care about Starlight Kid because they are putting
her in the ring with Thekla!
TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:
Queen Aminata def. ROH Women's World TV Champion Red Velvet
These two know each other well and exchanged reversals at
the start, although the bigger Aminata seemed to use her
size to her advantage. Velvet took Aminata down with an
armdrag, but couldn’t do anything to follow up as Aminata
threw her across the ring with a release German Suplex.
Aminata followed with a running knee to a down Velvet to get
a near-fall. Aminata connected with a snap suplex, but only
got a one-count with a cocky cover. Velvet avoided a huge
headbutt, and Aminata offered to pull her up, but Velvet
turned it into a near-fall. Aminata tried to mount Velvet in
the corner, but Velvet pulled her down with an ugly
powerbomb that seemed to bother Aminata’s previously injured
neck. Velvet hit an axe kick for another near-fall.
Aminata was doing whatever she could to stay in the match,
although she took a lot of damage along the way. Velvet hit
a bulldog for a near-fall and screamed out in frustration.
Velvet ate a back elbow and a boot on a pair of corner
charges. Aminata pulled Velvet up and bounced her off the
top rope to pull Velvet over for a front-face suplex.
Aminata dropped Velvet with a pair of clotheslines and a
hairmare. Aminata hit a sliding boot in the corner and went
to the second rope for a diving foot stomp to Velvet’s
midsection. Aminata covered and got a two-count.
Aminata went up top, but Velvet went up to meet her and
pulled Aminata down with a Cazadora. Velvet hit a frog
splash to Aminata’s back, but it only got a two-count.
Velvet once again showed frustration and tried to go back to
work, but Aminata blasted her with a forearm. Velvet came
back with a shot of her own, so Aminata nailed multiple
unblocked shots. Velvet knocked Aminata down to her knees
and appeared to apologize before trying a roundhouse kick,
which Aminata ducked and shoved Velvet into the ropes for a
nasty headbutt. With Velvet crumpled in the ropes, Aminata
ran across and hit Off With Her Head to get the pinfall
victory! Queen Aminata is the fifth wrestler to qualify for
next Wednesday’s Survival of the Fittest TBS Championship
match.
Young Bucks are Ready for Forbidden Door, but The Dogs Get
the Better of Cage and Cope!
Renee Paquette asked Matt and Nick Jackson about their
three-way tag team match against Sky Team and Unbound Co. at
Forbidden Door. Matt said the momentum is on their side and
they’re on their way back to the top of the tag team
division. Nick said they are going to superkick that
Forbidden Door down on Sunday. Before they could say
anymore, a commotion was heard off camera, and AEW World Tag
Team Champions Adam Copeland and Christian Cage were
fighting Clark Connors and David Finlay of The Dogs before
they meet on Sunday! Cage and Cope stopped to talk to the
Bucks, who asked if they were good. Cope said they got this
and followed Cage to continue their brawl with The Dogs.
They fought near the makeup area and put Finlay in a
wheelchair before running him into a wall. When Cage and
Cope turned their attention back towards Connors, he grabbed
a makeup artist and held her as a shield! Cope moved her to
safety as Cage advanced on Connors, but Finlay came back and
used hairspray in Cope’s face! He did the same to Cage, and
Connors kicked Cage low. The Dogs ran Cope into the wall and
choked him and Cage with electrical wires until trash talked
them the entire time. They finally let go as Cage and Cope
gasped for air, but returned for a mock five-second pose.
AEW International Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) def.
The Demand's Ricochet
Our main event was a highly anticipated matchup between two
of the world's best athletes. Ricochet came out with Toa
Liona and Bishop Kaun, but because Tony Khan barred everyone
from ringside, they had to make their way to the back
shortly thereafter. Ricochet threw his jacket at Takeshita
and nailed him with a pump knee at the bell to knock him to
the floor. Ricochet came flying over the top with a Spaceman
Plancha! Ricochet went up top and nailed a missile dropkick
to Takeshita back in the ring. With Takeshita back on the
floor, Ricochet connected with a beautiful Sasuke Special!
He threw Takeshita back in and flattened him with a 450
Splash! Takeshita kicked out at two! Ricochet has unloaded
his arsenal in the opening minutes of this match, and
Takeshita was in big trouble!
Ricochet worked over Takeshita in the corner until Takeshita
turned things around with a big boot and flying clothesline.
Takeshita charged Ricochet in the corner, but Ricochet sent
him into the second turnbuckle. Ricochet pulled himself into
a kick around the turnbuckle and connected with a
springboard flying elbow, followed by a running shooting
star press for another two-count! Ricochet has been all over
Takeshita for nearly the entire match and continued to stay
on the champion. Takeshita tried to turn things around, but
missed a running knee to the corner and fell all the way to
the floor as he tried to pull himself back to the apron.
Ricochet knocked him right back down with a springboard
dropkick. Ricochet went to the apron and stomped Takeshita,
but when he tried a shooting star press to the floor,
Takeshita caught him and tossed him over his head with an
Exploder Suplex!
Takeshita threw Ricochet back in, but Ricochet blocked a
pair of shots and bounced off the ropes right into Blue
Thunder Bomb! 1-2-Ricochet kicked out! Takeshita pulled
Ricochet back up, but it was Ricochet who got the early
advantage with strikes. However, Takeshita fired himself up
by punching himself in the face. He hauled off on Ricochet,
but Ricochet tried to stop his momentum with quick feet.
Ricochet tried for Vertigo, so Takeshita countered into a
near-fall. Takeshita grabbed Ricochet and captured his legs
for a Hitodenshi Driver into a Wheelbarrow Suplex! Ricochet
avoided Takeshita in the corner and kicked him in the back
of the head. Ricochet flipped over Takeshita from the second
rope into another Vertigo position, and this time he nailed
it! Takeshita kicked out at the last possible moment! As
close as it gets!
Ricochet was frustrated and started to trash-talk Takeshita,
so Takeshita slapped him in the face. Ricochet dropped his
kneepad and hit Takeshita with his own version of a Power
Drive Knee! Ricochet went up top and got all of a Shooting
Star Press. Takeshita kicked out with authority, and
Ricochet was beside himself! Ricochet went back up top, so
Takeshita tripped him up and went to meet him. Takeshita
tried a release German Suplex from the top, but Ricochet
landed on his feet! Ricochet missed a Spirit Gun! Takeshita
hit an elbow strike! Takeshita tried for the Power Drive
Knee, so Ricochet tried to reverse it into a hurricanrana,
only for Takeshita to turn it into a high-angle powerbomb!
Ricochet kicked out!
Takeshita called for the Power Drive Knee again, but
Ricochet pulled the referee in front of him, so Takeshita
stopped. Ricochet took advantage with a headbutt and dropped
Takeshita with a Kickback! Ricochet connected on the
Ricosault, but Takeshita kicked out again! Ricochet took too
long to try for a Spirit Gun and was met by a lariat from
Takeshita. Takeshita finally connected with the Power Drive
Knee and finished Ricochet with Raging Fire to successfully
defend the AEW International Title!
As Takeshita got to the top of the ramp, he was met by his
teammate at Forbidden Door, Mark Briscoe. Takeshita
continued to the back while Briscoe went to the ring and got
a microphone!
Mark Briscoe Drops MJF with a Jay Driller After a Huge
Brawl!
Briscoe said Sunday will be steel-cage warfare with 12 men
in one cage, and he’s ready to have fun with his buddies.
Briscoe said his crew has a reputation in this type of
match, as he reminded everyone of The Conglomeration beating
the Death Riders in last year’s Blood and Guts! That night
was about the thrill of the fight. Forbidden Door has
implications that are a little more consequential. When
Briscoe’s team emerges victorious at Forbidden Door, he gets
a shot at the AEW World Title, a championship held by “the
scum of the world” Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
Briscoe said he agrees with MJF that they are nothing alike.
And thank God Briscoe is nothing like MJF. MJF is a
privileged, soft, baby boy, and Briscoe is a grown-ass man.
Briscoe will earn his title shot on Sunday, and MJF is
stupid for saying Briscoe isn’t world championship material.
MJF has the right to say that, but the last time they faced
off one-on-one, he beat MJF’s ass, and MJF knows Briscoe can
do it again! Briscoe said his squad will die for him, but
who does MJF have? The Don Callis Family has some mighty
talented individuals, but they don’t care about MJF. If MJF
caught fire, Briscoe doubts the Don Callis Family would piss
on him to put the fire out.
Don Callis appeared on the ramp, and Briscoe told him he'd
gotten his boy into a lot of trouble. Briscoe said he hopes
MJF can hear him, but MJF attacked from behind! Briscoe
turned it around and tried for the Jay Driller, only for
Kyle Fletcher to break it up and drop Briscoe with a half-
and-half suplex. He dropped Briscoe with a sheer drop
brainbuster! Takeshita returned and blasted Fletcher with a
huge forearm and then a Raging Fire! Okada ran in and
dropped Takeshita with a Rainmaker! Kyle O’Reilly ran in and
put Okada in an ankle lock! TNT Champion “The Jet” Kevin
Knight flew off the top rope to take out O’Reilly with a
clothesline. Darby Allin entered and dropped Knight with a
Scorpion Death Drop! Allin went up for Coffin Drop, but was
caught by Jake Doyle, who destroyed Allin with Into the
Void! Roderick Strong lit up Doyle with strikes until Doyle
shut him down with a clothesline. Orange Cassidy ran out and
delivered an Orange Punch to Doyle. OC hit a second Orange
Punch right into Strong, dropping Doyle with a fireman’s
carry slam! Cassidy went to put on his sunglasses, but MJF
kicked him low from behind. MJF posed, but Briscoe came back
in and had him step up for another Jay Driller attempt, only
this time it was Andrade El Ídolo who clotheslined Briscoe
to save MJF!
Callis came in to calm down Andrade, who got into a shoving
match with MJF. MJF then pulled out the Dynamite Diamond
Ring as Andrade held Briscoe, but Briscoe moved, and MJF
knocked out Andrade with the ring! MJF berated Andrade and
turned around into a Jay Driller from Briscoe! Team Briscoe
celebrated in the ring to end Dynamite with Briscoe holding
the AEW World Title!
Catch AEW Collision this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on
TNT and HBO Max from right back here at Rio Rancho Events
Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico!
Catch AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door LIVE this Sunday, June 28,
at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on HBO Max and pay-per-view! The Buy-
In begins at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on HBO Max and AEW digital
platforms!
And remember… We are AEW—Where The Best Wrestle!