AEW Dynamite Results (9/27): MJF And Adam Cole Address Fans, Page & Strickland Contract Signing
This is Wrestling INC.'s live coverage of "AEW Dynamite" for September 27, 2023!
Tonight will be the go-home episode of the Wednesday night show ahead of this weekend's first-ever AEW WrestleDream event and is set to feature a fatal four-way match between participants in the upcoming tag team bout this weekend.
Orange Cassidy, Penta El Zero Miedo, Austin Gunn, and Matt Jackson will all compete against each other in a bid to build some momentum ahead of the PPV where they will battle again, this team with their partners to earn a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championships
Fans will also get to hear from the ROH World Tag Team Champions tonight as well, with Adam Cole and MJF set to address the fans. This comes after Cole seemingly got injured last week on his way to the ring, with his future expected to be spoken about, including whether or not he can compete this Sunday.
Julia Hart faces Willow Nightingale tonight as the House Of Black star attempts to keep her recent undefeated streak going before challenging Kris Statlander for the TBS Championship this weekend.
Another match that will be getting built up tonight is the upcoming TNT Championship encounter between Christian Cage and Darby Allin. They're set to finally bring their rivalry to an end at WrestleDream, but first, they will have a sit-down interview with Jim Ross.
Finally, Adam "Hangman" Page and Swerve Strickland will make their match official as they are going to be doing a contract signing this evening.
Rey Fenix (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett (AEW International Championship Match)
Rey Fenix jumps Jeff Jarrett before the match starts with a crossbody out of the ring which leads to the two men brawling ouside the ring. Fenix manages to send Jay Lethal into Satnam Singh as Sonjay Dutt then eats a superkick. The match officially begins and Fenix hits a moonsault inside the ring, almost catching out Jarrett early on, but the veteran turns things around by focusing on the back of the champion.
Fenix picks up the pace with a flurry of kicks which eventually leads to Singh distracting him so Jarrett can hit a DDT as Karen Jarrett then yanks Fenix onto the bottom rope when the official isn't looking.The numbers advantage continues to be tapped into by Jarrett's crew as Fenix gets launched over the barricade as Jarrett then suplexes him back in. The distractions continue until Aubrey Edwards confronts Karen, which allows Fenix springboard back into the ring which he rolls through with a stomp.
Fenix then runs the ropes and boots Lethal, but as the distractions continue Jarrett connects with a low blow. Fenix almost gets caught with a roll-up afterward but kicks out only for Jarrett to hit The Stroke, but the champion gets his foot on the ropes to stay in the match. Jarrett then attempts a Figure Four but Fenix reverses, rolling him up to retain his title.
Winner (and still AEW International Champion): Rey Fenix
MJF and Adam Cole are shown hanging out on a boat in Long Island. Cole thanks his partner for bringing him out there, however MJF points out he was on the phone with Roderick Strong for a long time but Cole points out he loves them both. MJF then gets another beer but puts on his Dynamite Diamond ring as Cole then questions if MJF brought him out here to knock him out with it. Cole says it's normal to have more than one friend and MJF then jokes that he almost got caught last time he tried to throw someone overboard. They then catch a fish...but it's Captain Insano!
The Don Callis Family Introduce Their New Member
Renee Paquette welcomes out Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita as she asks if Sammy Guevera has joined them. Callis says he is happy that Guevara is free of the toxic of Chris Jericho, and he brings out the newest member of the Don Callis Family. Callis then shows footage of him and Takeshita in Tokyo, Japan recently where they head to Kota Ibushi's gym where he eventually knocks Ibushi out with a kettlebell and then choks him out.
He says the family has never been stronger than heading to WrestleDream. Guevara then says he is being painted out to be a bad guy, but in reality he is the hero. He claims Jericho is the villain, as for four years he held him back. Guevara says whenever he was flying high Jericho would clip his wings. He thought one day Jericho would pass him the torch, but Jericho is selfish so he had to take the torch and now it is time to be the champion and the star he was born to be. Callis says at WrestleDream they'll take everything from Jericho, Ibushi, and Omega until there is nothing left but the tears.
A backstage clip from AEW Collision is shown as Ricky Starks saying he survived the match against Bryan Danielson. Wheeler Yuta then appears and says Starks couldn't get up, yet he gets up every day when they beat his ass. He doesn't think Starks has the balls to do that, and if he disagrees they can find out at WrestleDream as it is then revealed that the match has been made official for this Sunday.
Nick Jackson vs. Brian Cage vs. Claudio Castagnoli (AEW International Championship Number One Contender's Match)
Brian Cage immediately wastes no time in dumping Nick Jackson to the floor as he and Claudio Castagnoli then lock up inside the ring in a battle of power. However, Jackson comes back in and utilizes his speed by sending his opponents outside the ring as he then leaps from the top rope to take them out once again. Jackson catches Cage with a couple of boots and then heads to the top turnbuckle but Castagnoli pushes him into the arms of Cage who slams him down to the mat.
Castagnoli looks for a gutwrench but Cage nails him with a lariat to stop it, yet he ends up being launched across the ring for his troubles. Castagnoli misses with an uppercut, but Cage connects with one of his own only for Jackson to charge in with a knee to the face and then a bulldog to Cage. He plants Cage face-first before launching Castagnoli across the floor outside the ring. He then heads back into the ring to hit a 450 to Cage, but he kicks out of the following pinfall attempt.
Castagnoli connects with the Giant Swing to Cage, but then Jackson sends him over the top turnbuckle only for Cage to catch Jackson from his top rope move, planting him to the mat with authority. Cage then nails a suplex that pulls Castagnoli back into the ring. He looks for a powerbomb after but Jackson breaks it up with a superkick and then he and Castagnoli go back and forth with superkicks and uppercuts to Cage.
Castagnoli then hits an uppercut to Jackson as he reigns down elbow strikes to Cage. He hits a Ricola Bomb but Jackson springboards into the ring and sends Castagnoli out of the ring, pinning Cage in the process.
Winner: Nick Jackson
MJF & Adam Cole Address The Fans
Adam Cole admits this is a sad chapter of the story as he got hurt really bad last week as his ankle has broken in three different places and tore ligaments. He has to go and get surgery. There's nothing more soul crushing than this and he will do whatever it takes to get back, as soon as possible. Cole points out that because they can't defend their ROH World Tag Team Championships they have to relinquish them.
However, MJF cuts him off. He asks the fans if they want to see them relinquish the titles to The Righteous, they say no. MJF says it was his fault Cole got hurt as he needed him last week. He knows how much the ROH World Tag Team titles mean to Cole, so he wants them to be waiting for him when they do. MJFsays he will slide into Seattle and he will defend the titles in a handicap match and they'll win.
Roderick Strong then appears in a wheelchair screaming for Adam. He says he needs Adam more than ever right now as it is an emergency. MJF says Strong is a simp, but he's Cole's boy and he respects that so he can go do what he needs to do, but he will be waiting for him when he comes back.
Bullet Club Gold then appear as Jay White sends the rest of the group to the back and he heads to the ring alone. MJF immediately mocks White's facial hair, and he then points out he was compared to lots of people and the names got bigger. It never bothered him until he read, "MJF is good, but he's no Jay White." He then compares himselt to a filet mignon, as he's good enough in the ring on his own, but White is tofu as it takes on the flavor of anything but you need to add something to it to make it have taste.
MJF says White was given all the tools, but if he plucks it all away he is left with bland tofu. He tells White to leave the ring or it people will say that White was good, but he's no MJF. White says he was a little let down by the MJF experience, but he thinks MJF is distracted by his bromance and the fans don't love him like they do Cole. He says he is here to ruin MJF's life in the flesh now as he is going to take what means the most to MJF, the AEW World Championship.
MJF says White doesn't have a clue what he's capable of so why doesn't he show him, but White decides to run away.
JR Sits Down With Christian Cage & Darby Allin
Jim Ross is shown backstage with both Darby Allin and Christian Cage, revealing there is a no-contact clause. Cage claims he has been TNT Champion for months now. Cage says his losses to Allin were flukes and they were non-title matches, but he will win on Sunday as he knows that Allin is nowhere near the man he is. Allin uses his body as a weapon, but he asked for his match to see what Allin could do when he had to wrestle.
Cage then asks if Allin's uncle will be in attendance as he reveals that Allin's uncle is dead. However, Allin says that doesn't impact who he is today. Cage can't beat him in Seattle, he's won the title there before so he will do it again. Cage then tells Allin to bring all his family, but Allin says he is doing it on his own, and if Cage had the balls he would do it on his own. Cage then says Nick Wayne needs a real mentor and not someone who hides behind face paint and he will always be the TNT Champion and Allin can get used to it.
Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Jackson vs. Austin Gunn vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
Austin Gunn poses early so Orange Cassidy throws him out, but the Bullet Club Gold star sends him into the barricade. Matt Jackson and Penta El Zero Miedo go back and forth until Gunn comes back looking for a roll up. Penta then takes the fight to Cassidy and sends him outside the ring, but as he looks to launch out of the ring Gunn pops up and cuts him off as they then trade chops.
Penta drops Cassidy with a superkick but Gunn returns and throws him out and then Jackson as he drops Cassidy with a right hand. However, the pace picks up as others step into the ring and they go back and forth with suplexes as each man takes each other out until Penta stands tall. Gunn takes Cassidy out of play and then attacks Jackson's back while he's on the top turnbuckle but Jackson fights back and then dives over the post onto Penta outside the ring.
Cassidy then looks like he will dive onto Gunn but instead he slowly falls onto Penta and Jackson. He does then go back to Gunn but the Bullet Club Gold member takes advantage by planting Cassidy. Penta then attacks Gunn and hits a Canadian Destroyer to Cassidy but Jackson does the same to him, with Cassidy then hitting one to Jackson and then one for Gunn. Jackson then nails his Northern Lights suplexes to Cassidy and he then hits both Penta and Gunn with one at the same time while pinning Cassidy, but they all kick out.
Penta then gets nailed with an Orange Punch as Jackson eats a Beach Break with Gunn hitting a Famouser to Cassidy. He goes around each man trying to pin them, but they all kick out. Jackson and Penta then go back and forth, but as they hit the ropes Gunn pulls Penta away. However, Jackson gets hit with an Orange Punch and he takes the win.
Winner: Orange Cassidy
Julia Hart vs. Willow Nightingale
Willow Nightingale heads to the ring with her eye covered after the mist, not smiling or clapping like normal. However, Nightingale immediately attacks Julia Hart with a lot of aggression in the corner, but Hart then leaps on her back and exposes the eye as she then attacks Nightingale herself, but she then cartwheels away and begins throwing big chops to Hart.
Nightingale connects with a snap suplex as she hammers down blows onto Hart, but the House Of Black star escapes the ring and then hides underneath as Brody King distracts Nightingale who gives chase. Hart crawls out the otherside and then attacks Nightingale from behind several times in a row and back in the ring she drives her into the second rope while also driving her fingers into Nightingale's eyes.
Hart chops Nightingale several times before connecting with a kick to the back, but Nightingale the begins turning things around by using her power, slamming Hart down to the mat as she follows with a short-armed lariat, but Nightingale goes to the well too many times and Hart reverses it and locks in Heartless, yet Nightingale is able to grab the ropes. Nightingale fires back with a pounce which sends Hart across the ring as she then charges her into the corner.
Nightingale mocks King's bark, but Hart avoids the stampede by pulling herself up and she follows it with a moonsault.
Winner: Julia Hart
Swerve Strickland & Adam Page Contract Signing
Swerve Strickland is impressed with Adam Page's fire, bu he says it's too late for that. Page is walking into the lions den. It's unlike anything Page has ever dealt with, and they couldn't be more opposite each other. Strickland says he never wants to be the wrestler that Page is. Page says it's good Strickland is fired up. What he said previously stung him, but he's glad that Strickland said what he did.
He knew that something was up with him deep down inside, because for a year-and-a-half he felt there was a black cloud over his head. Sure, the sun would shine, he beat Jon Moxley in a Texas Deathmatch, he reunited with The Elite and it felt like he should've been the happiest man in the world, but that cloud would come back. He knew for as long as God let it rain on him he didn't dare open the umbrella, but he's still here.
The downpour washed something out of him, whether that was passion, determination, or hope. He has come to realize the fans deserve more from him and they deserve the best of him. He deserves it for himself too, and that's what Swerve will get at WrestleDream.
Strickland says that was the most pathetic thing he's ever seen. He says it isn't personal, it's just Page is in the position he wants and truth be told, he might have mental health problems because he makes an enemy every day as that fuels him. He is going to take this position from him, and he points out it rains a lot in Seattle. Page says he has knocked every opportunity he has ever had out of the part, and Swerve doesn't have what it takes to fill his boots.
Swerve then slaps Page and as he signs the contract "Hangman" fires back by stabbing his hand with the pen.
Backstage Jay White is then shown being jumped by a group of men as a masked man (the previous MJF devil mask) is shown grabbing the camera.