AEW Dynamite: MJF defeats CM Punk in main event
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite is headlined by four matches. Nyla Rose will face Ruby Soho, Pac and Penta El Zero Miedo take on Malakai Black and Brody King, Jon Moxley faces Wheeler Yuta, and the main event will be CM Punk finally taking on MJF. Tonight’s Dynamite also comes to us live from Chicago, IL.
Jon Moxley vs Wheeler Yuta
The show kicks off with Jon Moxley making his entrance through the crowd. Mox was originally supposed to face Brian Kendrick tonight, but that match got scrapped due to insensitive comments Kendrick made. Wheeler Yuta made his entrance next accompanied by Orange Cassidy and Danhausen.
Yuta used some of his quick offense to try and get the upper hand right away, but Mox moved out of the way as the two had a stare-down. Mox and Yuta then displayed a lot of chain wrestling early on in their match. Yuta hit a dropkick which made Mox roll to the outside of the ring.
Yuta then hits a shotgun dropkick on Mox on the floor before sending him back in the ring. He went for another high-flying move but Mox reversed it and became in firm control of this match. Mox targeted the mid-section of Yuta, before hitting the piledriver on Yuta for a two count.
Mox then locked in the STF but Yuta was able to make his way to the bottom rope. Yuta tried to fight back but that seemed to have no impact on Mox. Yuta finally was able to use his quick offense to get back into this match.
Yuta made his way to the top of the turnbuckle but Mox rolled out to the apron. Mox hit a DDT on Yuta on the apron and had a stare-down with Orange Cassidy and Danhausen before Danhausen cursed him. Due to that distraction, Yuta was able to hit a crossbody on Mox on the floor from the turnbuckle.
Mox went for a paradigm shift but Yuta countered and hit him with a move of his own followed by a splash from the top rope for a two count. Mox hit Yuta with his famous elbows before hitting the paradigm shift on Yuta for the pinfall.
Winner: Jon Moxley
After the match, Mox celebrated in the ring but was confronted by Bryan Danielson. Danielson stared down Moxley once again teasing their impending, upcoming match. Danielson grabbed the mic and asked the fans if they wanted to see them fight, to which the crowd went nuts.
Danielson said for a long time he wanted to fight too because Mox was different. However, since Mox has come back, we have seen a new Moxley and he was the AEW Champion, but he’s not anymore. Danielson says that’s when he realized they shouldn’t be fighting, but they should be fighting together.
Danielson says that there is no reason why some “millennial cowboy” should be the AEW World Champion and that somebody dressed as a dinosaur should be the AEW Tag Team Champion. He says that together, Mox and he could run this place. Danielson also says that they should take guys like Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, or Lee Moriarty and train them together.
Danielson says Mox doesn’t have to answer right now but he wants him to think about the greatness that they can create together and the legacy that he wants to leave. Danielson extends his hand for a handshake but then pulls it away and says think about it. We also see a hype video for CM Punk and MJF.
After the commercial break, we see Brandi Rhodes standing in the middle of the ring. She is talking about how much she loves Cleveland or Chicago, it’s the same thing she says. Dan Lambert interrupts and says that her job title was given to her to stroke her massive ego.
Lambert once again makes his famous lewd and crude jokes. Brandi says that the only reason they hired him was to get to Josh Alexander. The crowd starts chanting “shut the f**k up” to both Brandi and Dan Lambert. Which is how I feel writing this down right now.
Brandi says that Lambert’s best fighter got knocked out by Jake Paul and Amanda Nunes. Brandi says Lambert should spend less time at AEW and more time with American Top Team. Lambert says that it’s time the whole Rhodes family turns heel and continues with the insults.
Brandi then smacks Lambert in the face and Lambert says he has a better idea for Brandi tonight. Paige Van Zant comes out and goes right after Brandi Rhodes. The women’s locker room empties and pulls apart PVZ and Brandi. Disclaimer: PVZ is the highlight of this whole thing.
Matt Hardy cuts a promo backstage being disappointed in Private Party for failing last week on Rampage. He also says that he wants Sammy Guevara’s TNT Championship. He also announces Isaiah Kassidy is taking on Sammy on Rampage for the TNT Championship.
Andrade interrupts and says money talks. He then tells Isaiah Kassidy not to fail him.
Pac and Penta El Zero Miedo vs Kings of the Black Throne
Kings of the Black Throne make their way to the ring first. Malakai Black and Brody King have the best entrance in AEW. Penta and Pac make their entrances next. Pac comes out with his eyes covered with a bandage, still selling that black mist from Malakai Black.
Malakai Black and Pac start out the match for each other’s teams. Pac is still wearing his eye covering and standing there motionless in the ring. Black goes for the hit but Pac ducks and counters everything Black throws at him.
Pac hits a kick to the midsection and hits a diving dropkick sending Malakai to the outside. Penta then comes and takes out Brody King. Pac and Penta do high-flying moves and take out Black and King on the outside. Penta makes his way into the match after tagging Pac.
Penta is taking the fight to Black and the two are in firm control of the match. Brody comes in and takes out Pac though before Black makes the tag. King uses his power and strength to ground Pac and switch the momentum of the match back in the Kings of the Black Throne’s favor.
We then see quick tags from Black and King and they continue to take out Pac. Pac uses his quickness to tag in Penta. Penta takes out both Black and King and is a one-man wrecking crew when he enters the match off the hot tag. Penta hits a backstabber on Black for a two-count.
Pac tags in, unknowingly to Black, and the two start throwing punches and kicks at each other. Black gets the upper hand though and uses his sliding knee strikes twice for a two-count only. Pac hits a brainbuster on Black which gets broken up by King. Penta comes in and the two start to tee off on each other.
Penta takes out Brody King on the outside. Pac measures up Black but Black was able to reverse it. Pac tags in Penta and the two attempt their finisher but Brody makes the save. Black hits Penta with the black mist. They then hit their finisher on Penta and Brody, who is the legal man, pins Penta for the win.
Winner: Kings of the Black Throne
After the match, we see an unhappy Adam Cole with the Cutler cam. Cole says he will slap anyone in the mouth who says that Orange Cassidy beat him. Cole says he doesn’t get the respect he deserves in AEW and that everyone will see a new side to Adam Cole.
Cole says that in two nights on Rampage on Friday, he will beat Evil Uno. Cole says after that match the entire world will know what he wants and then he yells at Cutler to shut it off. We get to see a new side to Adam Cole which is going to be good.
Nyla Rose vs Ruby Soho
Nyla Rose makes her entrance first, as always accompanied by Vickie Guerrero. Ruby Soho makes her entrance after Nyla and she poses with Lars Fredrickson who’s in the crowd. Soho throws her jacket at Rose and takes the fight to her right away.
Nyla uses her size to quickly take over after hitting Ruby with a shoulder block. Nyla goes for a leg drop but Soho reverses it and gets back into the match. Soho tries to send Nyla into the corner but Nyla reverses it and hits a Samoan drop on Soho.
Nyla is in firm control of this match now, grounding Soho. Nyla targets the shoulder of Ruby throughout this match and remains in control for the majority of the rest of the match. Every time Ruby starts to gain some momentum, Nyla stops her in her tracks.
Ruby is able to get back into this match using her quickness. She hits Nyla with a bunch of corner kicks as well. The two then start to fight on the apron, this ends with Ruby Soho hitting a facebuster on the apron. Nyla hit a spinebuster on Ruby on the outside of the ring.
Nyla attempts her finishing move in the ring by Ruby Soho counters and hits Nyla with her own. Vickie gets involved and moves Nyla’s foot under the bottom rope. Nyla drags Ruby back in the ring as Ruby tries to go after Vickie. Nyla makes her way to the top rope but Ruby does also.
Ruby goes for a hurricanrana but Nyla reverses it. Nyla hits a swanton bomb on Ruby and then hits her finishing move on Ruby for the pinfall.
Winner: Nyla Rose
After the match, we see Gunn Club backstage. They jump Jungle Boy and throw him out of the arena. Billy Gunn throws Jungle Boy onto the snow outside the arena. Luchasaurus and Christian Cage then run out to make the save but the Gunn Club escapes down the street.
We also hear from Hangman Adam Page as well. Page makes his way out to the ring to be interviewed by Tony Schiavone. Hangman Page says he has gotten two defend his AEW World Championship only twice in 81 days. Page says he doesn’t care what match he has next week.
He says he wants to fight tonight. He doesn’t want to wait until next week and calls out Lance Archer. Dan Lambert (UGHHH) comes out and says that he’s surprised Page even showed up. Lambert comes out and cuts his whole promo schtick. Jake Roberts also comes out and tells him he fears Archer.
Archer finally makes his way out and the two start brawling on the outside of the ring. Lambert goes to hit Page with a chair and Page goes to hit Lambert but Archer makes the save and hits the chokeslam on the side of the steel steps. Archer hits Hangman with the blackout through the table at ringside.
Archer says next week everything changes. Next week we get Hangman Adam Page defending his AEW World Champion against Lance Archer. We also see Jericho cutting a promo backstage. He says Santana and Ortiz disrespected him last week. Jericho says that they started AEW together.
Jericho says when it comes to AEW, he is more of an influencer than Kylie Jenner is on Instagram. Jericho announces that next week in the middle of the ring we will have an Inner Circle team meeting. We also see a hype video for Ricky Starks and Jay Lethal’s FTW Championship match on AEW Rampage.
MJF vs CM Punk
It is time for what is probably one of the biggest matches AEW has ever had, MJF and CM Punk. MJF makes his entrance first. CM Punk makes his entrance next to probably the loudest pop of the night, in his hometown of Chicago. The bell rings and the crowd is firmly behind CM Punk.
MJF hits a cheap shot on CM Punk to start things off. Punk hits a flurry of punches on MJF in the corner. Punk hits MJF in the ropes while MJF sells it as only MJF can. The two then brawl on the outside of the ring for a little bit.
MJF escapes into the crowd and runs up the steps. However, Punk follows, and the two fight out in the crowd. Punk uses the start railing to hit MJF in the groin. Punk finally throws MJF over the guardrail and back into the ring. Punk hits a lot of scoop slams on MJF and plays to the crowd.
MJF rolls to the corner and Punk charges at him but MJF moves out of the way and Punk hits his shoulder into the ring post. MJF then takes control of this match targeting the shoulder of Punk. MJF takes control of the match and continues to subdue Punk. Every time Punk tries to get back into it, MJF counters and gets the better of him.
Punk is able to fight back into it and hit MJF with a crossbody on MJF from the top rope. Punk hits MJF with a neckbreaker as well, followed by a knee and running bulldog from the corner.MJF rolls out to the apron but Punk follows and body slams MJF on the apron. Punk then allows fans to hit MJF in the chest before throwing MJF back in the ring.
Punk went for the elbow from the top but MJF hits the ropes which causes Punk to fall. MJF throws Punk off the top of the turnbuckle and pins him for a two-count. MJF goes to continue to attack the arm, but Punk hits him with a clothesline to stop him.
MJF pulls the ref in front of him to protect him. Punk then moves the ref and MJF uses his ring tape to choke Punk out, unknowingly to the ref. MJF locks in the sleeper with the body scissors to try and choke him out. MJF still has the tape around Punk’s neck as well.
The ref raises Punk’s hand three times and it drops and MJF is ruled the winner.
Winner: MJF
After the match, the ref finds the tape on the ground and orders, Justin Roberts, to continue the match. MJF pushes the ref but the ref pushes him back into Punk who attacks him. Punk completely takes over the match at this point.
Punk goes for a submission move but MJF reverses and sends Punk out of the ring to a loud thud. MJF gets Punk back in the ring and MJF takes over the match now. MJF continues to choke out Punk and is in firm control of this match.
Punk is able to get back into the match and goes for the GTS but MJF counters and gets out of it. Punk hits MJF with a dropkick off the apron and hits him with a suicide dive outside the ring. Punk throws MJF back into the ring and goes to hit him but MJF kicks Punk to the leg and Punk falls down.
MJF locks in a submission hold on Punk and attempts to get him to tap. Punk is able to counter though and lock in an STF on MJF. Punk goes to lift MJF but he falls because his left knee gives out. MJF hits a roll-up on Punk but Punk somehow kicks out at two.
MJF locks in an ankle lock but CM Punk counters and sends MJF into the turnbuckle. The two then start throwing bombs at each other and trying to get the upper hand. MJF goes to kick Punk to the gut but Punk catches it.
Punk hits a reverse hurricanrana and takes a scary fall. Punk goes to pin MJF but MJF somehow kicks out. Punk tries to get MJF up but both men collapse in the middle of the ring. MJF hits a chop block on CM Punk’s knee which he targeted all match. Punk tries to kick him and MJF hits another chop block.
MJF hits a pump handle slam on Punk and attempts a pinfall but Punk kicks out at two. MJF hits a low-blow on CM Punk and goes for a dirty pin but CM Punk still manages to kick out. MJF still remains in control as he continues to target Punk’s lower body.
MJF places Punk on the top rope and goes to throw him off of it. Punk bites him and punches him and hits a Pepsi plunge from the top rope for the first time in over a decade. MJF rolls out of the ring as Punk goes to pin him.
Punk gets MJF and rolls him back in the ring. MJF goes for the tombstone piledriver but Punk reverses it and hits MJF with a kick. Punk hits his famous elbow drop from the top rope. Punk goes for the pinfall but MJF kicks out.
The crowd is going nuts right now, “AEW” chants fill the arena. Wardlow makes his way out and gets in the face of CM Punk. He then steps aside and lets Punk throw MJF back in the ring. MJF hits Punk with the diamond ring and pins him for the pinfall.
Winner: MJF
After the match, both men lay in the ring. MJF finally makes it up to his feet and raises his hand. We see in replay, Wardlow passes the diamond ring to MJF to help him defeat CM Punk. Punk sits down in the ring accompanied by Wardlow and poses to end Dynamite.