It may be January, but things are heating up on this week’s AEW Dynamite. As a “Bash at the Beach” edition of All Elite Wrestling’s flagship program, there will be a different look but feature the same high-octane action. Included in said action will be a match to determine the number one contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. This, and more, will be covered in the Diatribe!
Following a brief tribute to wrestling legends that have recently passed, we kick things off with the opener.
Match 1: Hangman Page and Kenny Omega vs. Proud-N-Powerful (Santana and Ortiz) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent) (w/Orange Cassidy) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) (Number One Contender’s Match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship)
Trent and Nick begin, the former gaining the early advantage. They exchange and evade one another’s strikes. Taylor and Page tag in, with the Hangman executing a fallaway slam. Omega and Nick tag in, the Elite members standing off. Proud-N-Powerful rush the ring to attack. Santana is brought into the match as he takes control of Omega. However, Omega and Nick execute tandem offense on Santana. This teamwork continues against Ortiz as all three Elite members work together. Trent and Nick become the legal men as The Young Bucks hit stereo basement dropkicks. Matt tags in and hits a series of northern lights suplex. Trent counters the last with a tornado DDT!
Taylor tags in as he takes the fight to The Young Bucks. He hits a sit-out powerbomb on Matt for a near-fall. Trent tags in as Best Friends hit a half-and-half combination on Matt. Proud-N-Powerful corner Trent before ganging up on Matt with double team moves. Santana and Ortiz hit stereo dives on opposite chants in front of a raucous crowd. Ortiz tags Santana as they continue the attack on Matt. Santana lands the three amigos on Matt, holding him up for the last as Ortiz makes the tag. Ortiz takes Matt, landing the final suplex. Santana is tagged back in, but Matt starts to fight back. Matt lands a top rope stunner on Santana before tagging Omega, hesitantly deciding between him and Page.
Off the hot tag, Omega lands a series of moves on competitors that rush toward him.
Trent tags himself in, only to be met with a snap dragon suplex from Omega. Page and Omega work together, hitting a series of moves on Trent. Page hits a moonsault to the outside. Omega attempts to follow up with a dive, but Ortiz pulls him out. Santana lands a big dive to the outside on Omega and Pae. Nick and Taylor hit their own maneuvers to the outside. Back in the ring, Trent catches Nick on the top rope. Trent superplexes Nick to the outside, causing them to crash onto all bodies on the outside!
In the ring, Trent lands a running knee strike on Omega. The referee is struck before all wrestlers join in the ring. They attempt to suplex one another as Cassidy makes his way into the ring, casually observing. Cassidy joins in, assisting Best Friends and Proud-N-Powerful in winning the suplex game! Best Friends hit Omega and Page with stereo piledrivers. Strong Zero on Omega! 1… 2… The pin is broken up! Matt and Taylor tag themselves in before exchanging punches. After getting the better of the exchange, Taylor eats a clothesline by Page. Proud-N-Powerful attack Trent in the corner. They are then met with superkicks by The Young Bucks, who continue the attack on others.
Dissension continues to rise within The Elite as Page makes the blind tag. Page and Omega hit the Buckshot Lariat/V-Trigger combination on Taylor for the 1… 2… 3!
Winners: Hangman Page and Kenny Omega
Post-match, The Young Bucks express displeasure toward Omega and Page. Perhaps the aforementioned dissension grows stronger.
https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1217622047720792064
After commercial, Cody makes his way to the ring.
He agrees with Arn Anderson in that the crowd wants him to face MJF. Cody addresses MJF’s demands for a match: Cody can’t touch MJF until Revolution, must take 10 lashes on live TV, and face Wardlow in a steel cage match. Cody wonders if Wardlow may think MJF should carry his bags and not the other way around. Regarding the lashes, Cody declares they won’t break him. He also shows no worry about not touching MJF until Revolution, as he believes MJF to be stalling. Cody accuses MJF of being “lazy,” not “old-school,” as many have claimed. He agrees on all of MJF’s demands. Cody says he may have failed as a mentor, but will give MJF his own “goddamn scar.”
AEW Dynamite cuts to a backstage promo with Joey Janela. He addresses Penelope Ford, who hit in the groin, saying she can only create buzz is on his name. Janela tells Kip Sabian, her new boyfriend, to confront him. Janela says he has something to prove in AEW. He faces Rey Fenix next week.
Match 2: The Nightmare Collective (Mel and Brandi Rhodes) (w/Luther) vs. Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida
As Luther blocks Shida’s entrance, Mel and Rhodes attack Statlander. Shida uses her kendo stick to ward off Luther before the match officially begins. Mel overpowers Shida, tossing her across the ring. Shida fights back with a hurricanrana, sending Mel to the outside. Statlander lands a standing moonsault from the apron on Mel. Meanwhile, Shida grabs a chair, using it a launchpad to hit a running knee on Mel. Back in the ring, Shida and Statlander hit stereo dropkicks on Mel. Rhodes distracts Shida, giving Mel the opportunity to land a big boot. Mel hits a leg drop before tagging Rhodes, who stomps away on Shida.
Rhodes and Mel double team Shida behind the official’s back. Mel is tagged back in as she chokes Shida in the corner with her boot. AEW Dynamite goes to commercial before returning to Shida fighting back against Mel, landing a running knee. Rhodes tags herself in while Shida tags Statlander. Rhodes starts to back off from Statlander, who lands a roundhouse kick followed by a discus clothesline. Statlander plants Rhodes, only to be attacked by Mel. Shida hits a missile dropkick on Mel as they brawl on the outside.
Back in the ring, Rhodes hits the spear on Statlander. 1… 2… Statlander kicks out! Rhodes tags Mel, who slams Statlander to the mat for another two-count. Mel goes to the middle rope, but Shida comes in to land a superplex! Statlander follows up with a knee strike and a standing moonsault. Shida dumps Rhodes to the outside. Statlander executes the Big Bang Theory on Mel for the pinfall victory!
Winners: Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida
AEW Dynamite cuts to a Dark Order promo. They focus on Michael Nakazawa; perhaps through him, they could reach Omega. They also focus on Brandon Cutler and Hangman Page, two other connections to The Elite.
Match 3: Sammy Guevara vs. Jon Moxley
Moxley makes his entrance via the Ford GT The Inner Circle “gifted” to him before he turned on them. Guevara starts the match quick, attacking Moxley in the corner. Moxley fights back, nailing a cocky Guevara with a big clothesline. Guevara fights back with a springboard cutter. With Moxley on the outside, Guevara lands a corkscrew plancha. Back in the ring, Moxley slaps a cocky Guevara across the face and follows up with a running knee. Moxley goes for a Paradigm Shift on the apron, which Guevara fights out of with a double stomp from the middle rope! Guevara stays on Moxley, tossing him around ringside.
Guevara poses in the ring before continuing the action in the ring. AEW Dynamite cuts to commercial, returning to Guevara landing a shooting star press on Moxley. Dodging a kick, Moxley hits a headlock bulldog for a two-count. Guevara catches Moxley on the top rope with a Spanish Fly! He then hits a double underhook knee to the face, Moxley kicking out at two! A shocked Guevara goes for a top rope moonsault, but Moxley catches him with a rear naked choke out of nowhere! Guevara has no choice but to tap out!
Winner: Jon Moxley
The lights go out and the rest of The Inner Circle appear in the ring. They pile on Moxley, stomping and beating away on him. Hager chokes out Moxley with a standing submission while Jericho whips him with the AEW World Championship. Hager hits Moxley with a running knee to the groin. Guevara slaps Moxley across the face. Jericho removes one of the spikes from his jacket. With the spike in hand, Jericho strikes Moxley in the eye! Several officials make their way to the ring to check on Moxley as The Inner Circle leave the ring.
AEW Dynamite cuts backstage, where Jericho is interviewed. Jericho says what happened to Moxley was his fault. Jericho says that next week, on his cruise, they will do the same thing to the Jurassic Express.
Match 4: The Butcher and The Blade (w/The Bunny) and MJF (w/Wardlow) vs. QT Marshall, Dustin Rhodes, and Diamond Dallas Page
Wearing a tank top reading “I Banged DDP’s Daughter,” MJF starts off with the man in question. MJF quickly tags in The Butcher before retreating to the outside. Marshall is tagged in before MJF tags himself back in. MJF taunts Marshall, who flips him off in response. MJF thumbs Marshall’s eyes before tagging The Blade, who unloads with chops. Marshall lands a springboard cross body and tags Rhodes, getting the better of The Butcher. Rhodes is caught with a punch by MJF, ring on his finger, giving The Butcher the advantage. On the outside, The Bunny slaps Rhodes, Wardlow proceeding to floor him as we go to commercial.
AEW Dynamite returns to MJF in control of Rhodes, wrenching back with a chinlock. Rhodes catches MJF in the groin, building some steam. Rhodes sends MJF to the outside before crawling to his corner. The Blade tags himself in, only to be caught with a powerslam by Rhodes. DDP is finally tagged in as he takes the fight to MJF, slamming his head into the turnbuckle several times. DDP hits a discus clothesline on The Butcher and does the same to The Blade. He plants The Butcher with the Diamond Cutter! DDP proceeds to backslide MJF, only to be nailed with a low blow. Rhodes tags himself in and catches MJF with a big Canadian Destroyer!
DDP nails MJF with the Diamond Cutter! Marshall tags himself in before landing a cartwheel plancha to the outside. DDP goes to the top rope and hits a dive on a pile of bodies on the outside! Back in the ring, MJF rolls up Marshall for the surprise pinfall victory!
Winners: The Butcher, The Blade, and MJF
Backstage, SCU are interviewed regarding Page and Omega as their new challengers. Page interrupts, causing a scene that prompts Omega and Christopher Daniels to get involved. Omega apologies for Page’s behavior, wishing the champions the best of luck.
Match 5: Pac vs. Darby Allin
Pac takes control early on with a headlock followed by a shoulder tackle. Allin fires back with his agility, nailing Pac with a dropkick. Pac catches Allin with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Allin shotgun dropkicks Pac into the corner. The action spills to the outside, where Allin hits Pac with a series of dives. Pac catches Allin the powerbomb position before swinging him into the nearby steel steps! AEW Dynamite cuts to commercial once again, returning to Pac in control of Allin. During the break, Pac powerbombed Allin on the aforementioned steps.
In the ring, Pac ascends the turnbuckle and hits Allin with a missile dropkick. Pac corners a weary Allin, climbing to the top rope with him on his shoulders. Allin counters with a crucifix bomb off the middle rope! He follows up with a Coffin Drop on Pac on the outside! Allin rolls back into the ring as Pac lays outside. The official starts the count, getting to 7 before Pac rolls back in. Allin catches Pac with a stunner followed by a Code Red! 1… 2… Pac kicks out!
Allin goes for a baseball slide, but Pac catches him in the ring skirt, kicking him in the head after. In the ring, Pac executes a big clothesline for a two-count. Allin fights back, attempting multiple pins. Pac catches Allin with a German suplex followed by a sit-out powerbomb! 1… 2… Allin gets the shoulder up! On the top rope, Pac knocks Allin to the mat. Pac hits the Black Arrow for the 1… 2… 3!
Winner: Pac
With this match, Pac faces Moxley next week to determine the number one contender for the AEW World Championship. Tony Schiavone interviews Pac, who believes Moxley’s injury results in a forfeit. Pac already considers himself the number one contender. We cut to the backstage area, where Moxley emerges from the back of an ambulance, bandaged eye and all. Mic in hand, Moxley tells Pac he doesn’t care if he’s half-blind or half-dead; he will kick Pac’s ass. Officials keep Moxley from moving down the ramp as the Bash at the Beach edition of AEW Dynamite comes to a close.
