Credit: WINC
– We are kicking off tonight’s show with Adam Cole, bay bay. He is flanked by Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. He says 2021 was a great year for the three of them, but 2022 will be better. Cole reminds everyone that he hasn’t been pinned or made to submit in AEW. He also says the boys are back together and they are the baddest team on God’s green.
Cole says it is a new era here in AEW. However, he is interrupted by The Young Bucks. Matt says he kicked COVID’s ass in two days and says he would come and join them and he thanks them for the invite. Kyle O’Reilly says nobody invited them before either, and they didn’t need help beating the ‘Super Friends.’
Matt tells them that this is their company, and they are the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in history. Kyle says that is funny as they have the same resolution. Bobby Fish claims there isn’t a single team that will stop them from getting the titles and that includes The Bucks.
Adam Cole says this is what we need, friendly competition. He says that is what makes them the greatest faction in AEW history. Best Friends then make their way down to the ring. Orange Cassidy doesn’t have anything to say, instead he jumps Cole and all the members begin brawling. However, a low blow from Cole takes advantage for his team.
Cole looks for the Superkick, but Kris Statlander gets in the way…that is until Britt Baker appears and she takes out Statlander with a Curb Stomp, while she sets up Cassidy for the Boom by Adam Cole. He poses for the Young Bucks kick spot, but Baker stops them and she kisses her boyfriend instead.
CM Punk vs. Wardlow
Wardlow gets him up again and nails a sixth powerbomb. However, MJF demands more. He goes along with the order and nails a seventh. He rolls out of the ring and Wardlow goes around, but MJF clears the timekeeper’s table and demands he puts Punk through it. Wardlow is visibly not happy about it, but he powerbombs Punk through the table.
Despite the beatdown, Punk somehow manages to get in the ring before the 10 count. MJF then demands another powerbomb happens. Wardlow slowly goes for another, but Punk gets the inside cradle and he defeats Wardlow!
Winner: CM Punk
– After the match, MJF goes crazy with Wardlow, but he grabs his hand and seems to be losing his cool until Shwan Spears hits the ring. He comes between them and calms things down as they all head to the back.
Powerhouse Hobbs w/Ricky Starks vs. Dante Martin
Martin then ens up back in the torture rack, but once again Martin gets out of it and several strikes help him. This is followed up by a missile dropkick. With Hobbs on the outside, Dante hits the tornado. When Hobbs tries to get in the ring, Martin attacks him. However, Hobbs responds by simply charging into him.
Starks then tries to cheat again, but Jay Lethal appears and pulls him away. Martin then connects with the Nose Dive and secures the win.
Winner: Dante Martin
– Chris Jericho is shown backstage and says it is an honor that The Inner Circle got named faction of the year. He says since day one they promised to dominate the country and company. He says Sammy Guevara will win tonight. Eddie Kingston then appears and he says he doesn’t care about that. He’s bothered about his injured knee.
Eddie tells Santana and Ortiz the reason they’ve not been champions is Jericho. He tells them that they’re a family. The rest of the group walk away and leave them two together. Jericho says he will be ringside tonight and if 2point0 get involved he will fight them. He says if Eddie gets involved, he might fight him too.
– MJF then storms out and congratulates CM Punk, but says he is in a world of pain and got powerbombed to oblivion. He says Punk got a fluke victory over an oaf tonight. MJF says next week he will personally make sure Punk gets his first L. He says next week it is the match everyone wants…CM Punk vs. Shawn Spears.
– Adam Cole’s group are backstage as he says it has gotten silly with Best Friends. He tells Kris if she thought they were safe, they should think again. Britt Baker appears and challenges her and Orange to a mixed-tag next week.
– Adam Page then appears and says over the past two months he’s spent 90 minutes into the ring against one of the best in the world. He’s poured sweat and bled, all for the title. However, Page says 90 minutes isn’t enough. He needs a new challenger. This leads to Dan Lambert appearing and Page says, ‘oh god, shoot me.’
He didn’t come here to hear from a walking Facebook profile like Lambert. However, he says the matches Page and Danielson are some of the best he’s ever seen. He says he respects him for not taking the Cody Rhodes path with backstage politics. He says Page has earned everything other than the persona he’s using as his gimmick.
Lambert says the guy in the Village People can say he’s a cowboy but it doesn’t make it true. He tells him to stop disrespecting the legacies of people like Blackjack Mulligan. He says people doing that come across as full of cowboy sh*t. Page says living with cattle isn’t cowboy sh*t? Turning down a six-figure contract to start a new company isn’t cowboy sh*t?
However, as Lambert tries to leave, Lance Archer returns! He looks like he’s going to attack Lambert, but he then takes out the champion. Lambert scurries away as Archer uses a chair to attack him, with Archer hitting the Blackout on the chair, leaving the champion laying.
– Arn Anderson is then shown with his son and Lee Moriarty, he tells them it is horseman country. But then Tully Blanchard arrives and says if he wants to feel it again, he needs to ditch the deadwood. FTR suggests a ta team match, and Anderson’s men agree.
Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb
Deeb locks in a submission focusing on the knee, and the referee ends the match.
Winner: Serena Deeb
After the match, Shida is mad at the official for finishing the match as the doctor comes in to check on her. However, Deeb gets the kendo stick and beats down on Shida’s injured area until officials pull her back.
– Jurrasic Express are shown backstage and they say that they’re ready to defend the titles against any team in the top five. The Dark Order then appear and they challenge them to a match, which becomes official for Rampage.
– Matt Hardy is in the ring and says he is sorry that Rey Fenix got injured. But tonight in his hometown and in front of his beautiful family, he is going to delete Penta to send him to the hospital to be with his brother.
Matt Hardy vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
The two men then exchange punches on the ring apron, but Matt Hardy comes out on top with a Side Effect. This time it is Penta kicking out! On the top rope, Matt goes for the moonsault press but Penta moves and follows up with the Fear Factor.
Winner: Penta El Zero Miedo
After the match, Pentagon and Alex Abrahantes send Malakai Black. He says he will teach Black some respect. But then the lights go out and Black appears. He takes down Alex and then hits Penta with some superkicks. He tries to rip his mask off, but the Varsity Blondes then appear and help out. Julia Hart tells them to stop. The lights go out again and Brody King is here!
