AEW Dynamite (8-31-2022)

Undisputed AEW World Champion Jon Moxley kicked off the show!

Moxley got in the ring and grabbed a microphone.

Moxley: “Chicago, I know you love your boy, but I think they’re still mopping him off the mat in Cleveland. You want to talk about it? Let’s talk about it. I once heard CM Punk described as the ‘modern 60-minute man.’ What a load of crap that turned out to be.

“When guys get in the ring with me, the heart and soul of AEW, we find out what they’re really made of. Last week we learned exactly what CM Punk is made of. He gave me his best shot and he realized I didn’t care and I’d keep coming forward all night. At that moment he began to look for a way out. He folded and he curled up in a little ball to die.

“Champions never fold. Look, you have no idea how genuinely sorry that I am that CM Punk didn’t turn out to be what you wanted him to be. He didn’t turn out to be what any of us wanted him to be when we welcomed him back and gave him a second chance.

“I have zero sympathy for CM Punk. And that is because CM Punk, fragile ego, fragile body, weak mind, weak spirit. It’s a tough business, dude. Sorry, it is what it is.

“And we move on. I have here in my pocket an open contract for a title match this Sunday. I already signed it. And I’m just gonna leave it right here because when I say anyone, any time, I mean it. So who knows who’s going to sign that contract. Maybe it’s someone from AEW. Maybe it’s someone from New Japan. I run that show too.

“Whoever signs that contract, just remember this: Before you step in the ring with Jon Moxley, just remember I am the fire breathing, blood spitting, living spirit of this sport of professional wrestling. Wrestling Jon Moxley may be hazardous to your health. Whoever you are, you’ve been warned!”

“Who’s going to claim that contract?” wondered Jim Ross.

AEW backstage producer Ace Steel walked out to the ring, grabbed the contract and walked away with it.

“He’s friends with Punk,” said Jim Ross.

Backstage, Tony Schiavone interviewed Chris Jericho ahead of his match this Sunday against Bryan Danielson!

Daniel Garcia interrupted the interview and pledged his allegiance to Jericho.

Jericho Appreciation Society’s Jake Hager vs. Blackpool Combat Club’s “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson!

“The Wizard” Chris Jericho was a guest commentator for this match.

William Regal also joined the booth.

Danielson and Hager sized each other up. Bryan connected with a low kick on Hager.

Jake Hager pummeled Danielson in the corner with jabs and uppercuts. Bryan applied a guillotine to Hager but Hager muscled him off. Bryan wasted no time and nailed Hager with a tope suicida!

Hager grabbed Bryan and muscled him right through the time keeper’s table! Hager rammed Bryan’s back into the steel ring post and then blasted Bryan with a suplex on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Hager mounted Bryan and began to ground and pound him.

Bryan locked on an arm bar but Hager rolled free. Hager lifted up Danielson and powerbombed him!

“That just went splat!” said Jericho.

Bryan grabbed for the Le Bell Lock but Hager managed to grab the bottom rope. Bryan kicked and chopped at Hager in the corner. Danielson clobbered Hager with the running knee and then pinned Hager!

“That was an awesome match right there,” said Taz.

Angelo Parker and Matt Menard sprinted to the ring and attacked Danielson! Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli came out to even up the odds!

Jericho ran to the ring with a steel chair but Daniel Garcia came out and pulled the chair away from Jericho! When Jericho turned around, Danielson nailed “The Wizard” with the running knee!

The Wingmen were in the ring after a commercial break!

Ryan Nemeth said he was tired of his group not being booked when out came W. Morrissey!

Morrissey wiped out all four Wingmen with ease! Stokely Hathaway walked out to the ring in awe! Morrissey drove down “Pretty” Peter Avalon with a chokeslam! Stokely handed W. Morrissey a business card and then left the ring.

“Morrissey and Stokely Hathaway leaving together,” said Taz.

Tony Schiavone was outside the ring and asked Stokely what all the business cards were about. Stokely was volatile and shoved Tony but Tony pushed right back!

Toni Storm & Hikaru Shida

vs.

Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. & Jamie Hayter (with Rebel)!

Hayter hit Shida with a shoulder tackle. Shida spiked Hayter with a hurracanrana. Toni Storm tagged in and she and Shida used tandem offense on Hayter!

Baker tagged in and then from the outside Hayter tripped up Storm. Baker and Hayter double teamed Storm with clubbing forearms and boots.

Shida tagged in and hit Hayter with haymakers! Shida connected with a delayed vertical suplex and followed up with a meteora for a near fall! Hayter fired back with a double suplex on Shida and Storm!

Baker tagged in and nailed Shida with a corkscrew neck breaker for a near fall. Baker blasted Shida with a thrust kick. Shida dodged the curb stomp but ate the rip cord from Baker. Storm used the hip attack on Baker and then Shida finished off Baker with a katana kick and the pin!

Backstage “The Redeemer” Miro was met by Darby Allin and Sting!

Miro challenged the House Of Black and found some unlikely allies in Darby and Sting.

A very stoic CM Punk walked out to the ring!

CM Punk: “June 1st, I broke my foot and that would have been bad enough but then I wrestled an entire match on it. On June 8th I got surgery for my shattered foot. Last week I got beat up in Cleveland and I had to drive home with just my thoughts.

“Something about this time just didn’t sit well with me. Is my foot 100 percent? Yes, but it’s a new 100 percent, and I don’t know if that 100 percent is good enough. I came back to professional wrestling a year ago because I love this business. And because I love you fans. And you do love me back. And that’s why it hurts to feel like I let you down.

“I wasn’t able to walk Larry for two months. And it hurts because I rushed back and I feel like I let you all down. Maybe that love just isn’t enough anymore.”

Ace Steel came down to the ring with a microphone.

Ace: “This isn’t you. I apologize for interrupting this promo but my name is Ace Steele and I trained this man since day one. I’ve got a career I’m proud of but I’m most proud that I coached you.

“We’re not just friends. We are family. You don’t let family down. You didn’t let Chicago down! I’m not letting you leave now! You lost in Cleveland, so what?! You get up! You’re gonna fight this Sunday and you’re gonna sign this contract and fight Jon Moxley!”

Punk: “Before I was ever CM Punk, I was just a punk rock kid from Chicago. Jon Moxley let’s go! This is Chicago, where the weak are killed and eaten! One pulse running through the streets of Chicago! Jon Moxley, at ALL OUT, you can’t break my bones, you can’t drink my blood, because we are Chicago!”

Punk put pen to paper surrounded by the fans in Chicago!

Earlier in the day, Jim Ross had a sit-down interview with Christian Cage and Jungle Boy!

Christian Cage: “On Sunday, Jack, I’m going to destroy you at ALL OUT.”

Jungle Boy: “As much as I want to stare you in the face and say I hate you, it’s a little more complicated than that. I loved you. But this is probably the real you all along.”

Christian Cage: “I’m not here to be a father figure. I’m here to make money.”

Jungle Boy: “My father taught me to be a man. And this Sunday you are not going to wrestle Jungle Boy, you are going to fight Jack Perry!”

FTR—Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler and TNT Champion Wardlow

vs.

Silas Young, Red Jones, and Icepick Vic Capri!

Wardlow blasted Red with a head butt and then tagged in Cash.

Cash used a snap suplex and tagged in Dax Harwood! They smashed Vic with the Big Rig and then tagged Wardlow who finished things off with the Powerbomb Symphony!

After a commercial break, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley walked out to the ring!

Moxley: “If that’s what your boy wants, that’s exactly what he’s going to get. If CM Punk wants to go out on his shield in front of his hometown fans, then Chicago we owe you that much. So it’ll be Jon Moxley against CM Punk one more time this Sunday for the AEW World Championship!

“I am going to put on a display of brutality and pro wrestling that CM Punk has never experienced! A legend being made right before your very eyes!”

Tony Schiavone was backstage with Dark Order!

10 injured his knee, so Evil Uno said he would be taking 10’s place in the AEW World Trios Tournament AEW Rampage Finals. Andrade El Idolo and Jose the Assistant interrupted the interview and handed Evil Uno a wad of money. Evil Uno told Andrade to get lost instead. Andrade then smashed a crutch over Evil Uno! Andrade El Idolo seems to have his own plans for 10!

4-Way Match!

ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. Dante Martin vs. Rey Fenix vs. Rush!

This is a preview of this Sunday’s ALL OUT event as these are four of the eight wrestlers who will be competing in the Casino Ladder Match.

Yuta applied the flying octopus on Rush but Rush countered with a back drop and then a powerslam! Dante smashed Fenix with a destroyer! Fenix fired back with a tope con hilo on Rush!

Yuta rocketed out with a tope suicida on Fenix. Dante leaped with a tornillo to the outside! Rush headbutted Dante and then went over the top on the other wrestlers!

Dante nailed Rey Fenix with a poison rana! Wheeler shoved Dante off the top turnbuckle. Rey Fenix stopped Yuta with an uppercut! Rey Fenix jumped out of the ring with a splash onto Rush! Wheeler Yuta trapped Dante Martin with the seatbelt and pinned him!

Tony Schiavone was backstage with Alex Reynolds and John Silver!

Hangman Page showed up and said if 10 and Evil Uno was out due to injury, Page would be there partner on Friday against Orange Cassidy and Best Friends!

AEW Trios Tournament Dynamite Final!

Will Ospreay & Aussie Open—Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis!

vs.

The Elite—Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks—Nick & Matt Jackson!

Don Callis joined the commentary team for this match.

Will nailed Kenny with a kick, wasting no time. Kenny shoved Will back and rammed him with a shoulder tackle. They began to brawl with forearms and chops.

The Bucks and Aussie Open entered the ring and things broke down as both teams slugged it out! Will used a sky twister press to the Elite on the outside of the ring!

“This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome!” the fans chanted.

Davis hit a double lariat on the Bucks! He bodyslammed both Bucks at once! Fletcher tagged in with a cutter on Matt Jackson! Omega broke up the pin attempt. Matt Jackson flattened Ospreay and then tagged in Kenny Omega!

Omega dropkicked Davis’ knee. Omega smashed Aussie Open with snap dragon suplexes! Kenny and Will traded offensive strikes! Will went for a Space Flying Tiger Drop but Omega set up Will and then caught him with a snap dragon suplex on the arena floor!

Aussie Open used a delayed double vertical suplex to bring Omega back into the ring! Will ripped Kenny’s compression shirt off and dropped him with a back breaker for a near fall!

Will and Kenny went toe-to-toe with forearms and chops in the center of the ring. Will hit a Liger Bomb on Kenny! Aussie Open held up Nick but Nick countered on Will with a cutter! The Elite clocked Fletcher with a superkick party!

Omega went for the V-Trigger but Will caught Omega off at the pass! The Elite spiked Will with the indie-taker! Kenny finished off Fletcher with the One-Winged Angel and pinned him!

“No one, and I mean no one, kicks out of the One-Winged Angel,” said Callis.

“The Elite are your winners and move on to Sunday,” added Excalibur.