Date: 02/16	7:00 PM
Views: 288

Tonight is the first Dynamite since the news broke yesterday that Cody has left AEW. While he will be missed, it won't be for lack of fresh intrigue, as Sammy Guevara defends his TNT Championship against Darby Allin, while Thunder Rosa looks for revenge against Mercedes Martinez in a no-DQ match. Bryan Danielson puts Lee Moriarty to the test, and CM Punk names his match against MJF!

CM Punk is in the ring, cross-legged with a box in front of him. "If you don't know by now, you should. My name is CM Punk, and what I am is straight-edge. I'm drug free, I'm alcohol free, and that means I'm better than you. Does that sound familiar? Those words I spoke for the first time over 20 years ago, and they became the foundation of my career. And I could sit here, in Nashville, Tennessee, and feel pride that I have managed to inspire the next generation of wrestlers. Some of them are backstage. Some of them became wrestlers because of me, some of them are straight-edge because of me. Some of them even sit like me. And then there's MJF. MJF tries to talk like me, tries to act like me, but he can't think like me. And when he beat me in my hometown, twice, you would think that I'd be mad. But to tell you the truth, Max, I'm proud of you. But where you stray from the path is that you fail to retain the knowledge from the lessons you have learned. He thinks he's Piper in Portland, Bret in Calgary, Punk in Chicago, but in reality, he's just shitty little Max from shitty little Long Island. His weapon is a ring that he won with help from other people. But after last week, thanks to Jon Moxley for the assist, I get to choose the time, place, date, and stipulation for our match. The time is probably some time after sundown, the place is Orlando, Florida, the date is March 6th at AEW Revolution. So that leaves the match. Now, you might look at my history and think, let's put us in a cage. But I've seen Wardlow, he can climb a cage. MJF can still run  from the lessons he so needs to learn. Piper in Portland. I went back into the vault, and I needed something hard. The cage matches were easy. Believe it or not, I've won more than I lost. So I needed something I've lost. Because the matches you lose are the matches you learn the most. So I had to think about the hardest matches I've lost, the ones where I've literally left pieces of myself in the ring. The legends I've been in the ring with. You want to be tethered to Piper in Portland, how about you're tethered to me. Two days removed from the Hallmark Holiday, I don't have one. Piper had his, and now I have mine. (Punk pulls a dog collar from the box) MJF, will you be my Valentine? I know, no one wants to be in a dog collar match, they take years off your career, but that's the lesson you need to learn. So come out here, because I want to look you in the eye."

MJF comes out.

Punk: "I want to leave you with this picture. (holds up a picture of a young MJF with Punk) I bet you remember. It was the greatest day of your life, and to me it was just Friday. When you face me at Revolution, it's going to be the worst night of your life, and for me it's just Sunday. The canvas we fight on won't be stained with your shitty spray tan. It'll be stained with your blood."

MJF tries to think of a retort, but walks off instead.

Backstage, Tony Schiavone announces that there will be a tag team battle royale next week, and the following week a Casino Battle Royale, with the winners of both going on to challenge Jurassic Express in a 3-way. Jurassic Express unanimously report to be looking forward to the challenge.

Match One: Bryan Danielson vs. Lee Moriarty

Both men trade grips, Bryan with an arm wrench, roll-through, front facelock, break, Bryan with a slap, break, Lee with a single-leg, pair of knee drops to the leg, Bryan wrenches a leg, surfboard stretch, transitions to a dragon sleeper, Lee escapes, Border City Stretch, blocked, rope break, Bryan with a slap in the ropes, boot to the gut, whip, Lee floats over, leg sweep, knee to the elbow, chinlock, straightjacket hold, Bryan reverses, Lee forces a rope break, tees off on Bryan in the corner, whip, Bryan floats over, Lee with a European uppercut, goes for a suicide dive, stops short as Bryan ducks, Bryan with kicks in the ropes, hangman's knee to the face, Lee goes for an arm breaker, reversed into an elbow to the back, toss to the corner, Bryan with roundhouse kicks, Lee reverses position, European uppercuts, Bryan knocks him down, headbutt, whip, clothesline, wrenches the neck, Lee punches his way out, Bryan with a knee, snap suplex, cover for two, another cover for two, a third cover for two, Lee bridges out, Bryan with knees to the gut, covers for two, repeat for two, another cover for two, leg trap tangle, both men with slaps to the gut, trading mounted elbows, Bryan locks in the LaBell Lock, Lee gets to the bottom rope, Bryan with a boot to the face, another, a third, Lee with a back suplex, trading European uppercuts, Bryan gets the better of it, Lee with a backslide for two, goes for another, Bryan with a slap, Lee responds with a volley of mixed strikes, misses a clothesline, Bryan hits a rolling elbow, kick to the face, blocked, Lee with a clothesline, blocked, Lee hits a belly to belly for two, punches to the back, elbows to the back, Border City Stretch, reversed into a rollup for two, Lee does not release the hold, Bryan back suplexes his way out, running knee lift, arm trap stomps, triangle choke, Lee passes out.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Danielson grabs a mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, I came out here to teach Lee Moriarty a thing or two about violence. And I want to know, did he pass? Or did he fail? And that's why I don't trust the American public with anything. That said, that's not the reason I grabbed the microphone. I asked Jon Moxley to team up with me, to create a whole new AEW, to teach young wrestlers like Lee Moriarty about violence. And Jon Moxley, I want an answer."

Moxley comes out. "Close to a decade ago, I was a lot like that Lee Moriarty kid. I was like a lot of those kids back there, young, poor, hungry, and I took a shot at the great American Dragon. You were running a little late, so they sent out Tracey Smothers to vamp the crowd. You showed up, wrestling gear already on, and I came face to face with the man they called the greatest wrestler in the world. So I fought tooth and nail, and I came up short. But getting that close just made me want it more. And over the years, I've had a bunch of shots at Bryan Danielson, and I've always come up short. As a matter of fact, I've never beaten Bryan Danielson. So when you showed up in AEW, everyone was scared of the greatest wrestler who ever lived, but I wasn't, because I knew that I could finally hang the one hat I've never hung. I could finally slay the one dragon I never slayed, pun not intended, the American Dragon. But then it turned out you didn't want to fight me. You wanted to join with me. And I won't lie, a lot of it sounded pretty good. All the arms we could snap, all the carnage we could create, but not just all we could destroy, all we could build. Give something back to this business. And I couldn't think of one reason to say no. But then I got to thinking, do you want to stand by my side because you were afraid of standing the one place no one wants to stand in AEW, across the ring from me. Because I would do what I've done to everyone else they've put in front of me the last three years. And if that's the case, I've already beaten Bryan Danielson. So does Bryan Danielson want to partner with me for all we can create, or because he's afraid to be destroyed? So I'll leave it up to you. I'm not saying yes, and I'm not saying no. But I'm not the same guy you met ten years ago. So since we are, for all intents and purposes, meeting for the first time here in AEW, I'll tell you one thing: I don't stand side by side with anyone until I bleed with them first."

Moxley walks off.

Keith Lee introduces himself in a video package.

Match Two: Wardlow vs. Max Caster

Max Caster does his usual thing.

Lockup, Caster with a rear waistlock, slap to the back, boot to the face, forearms in the corner, misses an avalanche, Wardlow with a belly to belly, clothesline on the floor, toss into the apron, roll into the ring, both men back to the floor, Bowens with a distraction, Caster tosses Wardlow into the steps, ring post, back suplex onto the apron, both men back in the ring, Caster covers for one, trading punches, Wardlow with a spinebuster, powerbomb, blocked by Bowens, Wardlow takes out Bowens, powerbomb to Caster, blocked with punches, Caster hits the Mic Drop for two, Caster goes for a powerbomb, reversed into a back body drop, boot to Bowens, Wardlow finally hits the powerbomb, another, third for three.

Winner: Wardlow

Bowens attacks Wardlow after the bell, Wardlow powerbombs him too.

Mercedes Martinez promises devastation in the next match. Britt Baker says it's mandatory. She then introduces her sensei, and I get the feeling I'm supposed to know who the middle-aged guy who walks in is.

Tony Schiavone introduces Hangman Page. Adam Cole interrupts. "Hangman Page! If you could please give a round of applause for this man. The battles you've been through. The wars against Bryan Danielson. The fight against Kenny Omega to win the title. And the brutal battle last week against Lance Archer. Tony, get the hell out of my ring. Hangman, like you, I've been a champion everywhere I've gone. You just happen to be the champion now. It's too bad that championship reign will come to an end soon."

"I've always wondered what it was like leaving and watching your friends build a wrestling empire. Coming back and seeing your old Bullet Club buddy, your old Ring of Honor compatriot, and knowing this is the only world title you'll never hold."

"You want to talk about friends. How about Nick and Matt? They haven't said your name in weeks. And Dark Order, they're supposed to be your friends, but you haven't been associated with them in months."

"I'm not perfect, but the way I see it, you have a problem with friendships too. I've made some mistakes, and so have you, but I think that getting in the same ring as me tonight might be one of your biggest."

"I'm just coming out here to congratulate you. But any time we've been in the same promotion, you've just been known as the other Adam. I have nothing but love and respect for you, you've turned into a great world champion. Some day, we're going to fight for that AEW World Championship. Man to man. Filled with respect. And when that day comes, may the best man win."

Cole offers a handshake, and Page takes it. Cole leaves, and reDRagon attack Page. Cole runs back into the ring and joins the beatdown. Security comes and pulls them apart. Finally, Dark Order chases the former UE off. 10 starts beating down security guards until the rest of Dark Order pulls him off.

Darby Allin says that he and Sammy wrestle a similar style because it fills their void. Sammy says they've traded victories, but none of it matters, because they weren't in the place they are now.

Match Three: Chris Jericho and Jake Hager vs. Santana and Ortiz

Eddie Kingston comes out before the bell.

Santana and Jericho start, trading shots, Jericho with a whip, Santana with a clothesline, running forearm in the corner, whip, Jericho with a boot, Santana with forearms, chops in the corner, snapmare, missile dropkick to the back, cover for one, arm wrench, Ortiz in, double team whip, Manhattan drop into a kidney punch into a DDT, aided standing moonsault, cover for two, suplex for two, forearms, Jericho with a flapjack for one, Hager in, double team whip, double shoulder tackle, trading forearms, Hager with a boot, blocked, Ortiz with forearms, Hager with a belly to belly, Hager Bomb for two, punches to the gut in the corner, toss to the adjacent corner, Jericho in, Ortiz with forearms, Jericho with a dropkick, back suplex, toss to the corner, Hager in, punches in the corner, Ortiz lands a couple, Hager lands quite a few more, Jericho on, whip, to the corner, clothesline, clotheslines in the corner, Ortiz with chops, crumples, Jericho with a big boot, shoves him around the ring, suplex, blocked, knees, suplex, punches to the back, throw down, Ortiz with a clothesline, Santana in, Hager in, Santana cleans house, whip, reversed, double axe handle to the back, dropkick to the face, Jericho with a punch to the back, Hager rains down blows, Jericho in, double team punches in the corner, whip, Santana presses Hager to the floor, tees off on Jericho, Jericho with a boot, bulldog, Lionsault, blocked by Ortiz, Santana with a Russian Leg Sweep, Ortiz with a suicide dive to Hager, Santana covers for two, Ortiz in, Street Sweeper for two, Santana in, punches in the corner, aided cannonball, reversed into the Walls of Jericho, Santana slowly makes the ropes, Jericho with a springboard dropkick to Eddie Kingston who was offering encouragement from the apron, misses a Judas Effect, Ortiz with a punch, Santana hits a Discus Lariat for three.

Winners: Santana and Ortiz

Backstage, reDRagon ask where the Bucks were. Cole promises to beat 10 on Friday, and promises that Jay White will beat Trent Baretta. He proposes reDRagon win one battle royale and the Bucks win the other, and they argue over who will enter which one. Cole urges unity. He does not get it. They will both be in the match next week.

Match Four: No Disqualification: Mercedes Martinez vs. Thunder Rosa

Martinez comes out with a pipe, Rosa comes out with a chair, they meet on the ramp, Rosa knocks the pipe out of Martinez' hands, clubs her a couple times with the chair, bell rings, Martinez with punches, Rosa with mixed strikes, Martinez bails, Rosa tosses her into the ring post, Martinez tosses Rosa into the steps, whip into the barricade, reversed, Martinez crashes through the barricade, Rosa with a stomp, toss into the seats, punches, toss into the arena barricade, stomp, climbs the barricade, crossbody, elbow to the back of the head, punch, smack to the back of the head, Martinez with a punch, snap suplex on the floor, toss into the apron, roll into the ring, tosses some weapons into the ring, rolls a chair into the ring, powerslam, blocked, Rosa with a Stunner for two, rolls to the floor, grabs a table, the table gives her some trouble, she tries to set it up but ends up having to grab a second table, sets it up against the apron, fireman's carry, Martinez with elbows, suplex through the table, punches, roll into the ring, sets Rosa up top, powerbomb, reversed into a hurricanrana, Rosa throws a trash can at Martinez, then sets it up over her head, running dropkick for two as Martinez gets the ropes, Rosa goes up top, Martinez beats her with a trash can lid, follows, spider German superplex, climbs down, climbs back up, elbow drop for two, sets up a pile of chairs in the middle of the ring, powerbomb, blocked, Rosa with a crucifix bomb, Fire Thunder Driver on the pile of chairs for three.

Winner: Thunder Rosa

Rosa offers a handshake to Martinez, who accepts. Britt Baker and entourage come out, the sensei from earlier, who I'm told is someone from Cobra Kai, gives the command to finish her. Rebel and Hayter hit the ring and start beating down Rosa, Baker grabs the pipe, offers it to Martinez, who takes it, pauses, Hayter attacks Martinez, Baker and Rebel continue to beat down Rosa.

House of Black cut a biblical and cryptic promo teasing a third member.

Jay White takes credit for the founding of AEW because he beat Kenny Omega for the IWGP US Championship.

Main Event: TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Darby Allin

Lockup, break, lockup, break, lockup, tussle, Sammy eventually gets Darby in the ropes, forces a break, Darby with a side headlock, takeover, Sammy with a cover for one, Darby keeps the hold locked in, Sammy finesses out, Darby with a hammerlock, cover for two, keeps the hold locked in, Sammy whips his way out, Darby with a dropkick, monkey flip, blocked, Sammy sets Darby up top, follows, Darby shoves him down, Sammy with a dropkick, folows, Darby with elbows, Sammy with a fireman's carry, drops him across the top rope, rolls Darby into the ring, covers for two, sets him across the ropes, elbow drop from the top, punches to the back, toss into the barricade, punches to the back, rolls Darby into the ring, sets him up splayed across the second turnbuckle, stands on his chest, chops in the corner, whip, Darby sells hard, Sammy with a whip, Darby again crumples, whip, reversed, Sammy hits the turnbuckle face-first, Darby with a pair of splashes, standing Coffin Drop, leg breaker, punch to the back, sets Sammy up in a tree of woe, wrenches the leg, goes up top, Sammy follows, headbutts, Spanish Fly, hurts his knee on the process, jockeying for position, Darby locks Sammy in a Figure Four, Sammy reverses pressure, Darby reverses it back, Sammy with a slap, trading slaps, Darby misses a running knee, Sammy goes for GTH, reversed into the Last Supper pin for two, Stundog Millionaire, Sammy rolls to the floor, Darby goes for a suicide dive, reversed into a Cutter, Sammy lays Darby across the apron, goes up top, senton, Darby rolls out of the way, Sammy hits the apron, Darby rolls him into the ring, mulls going for the Coffin Drop, sees that Sammy isn't in ideal position, starts to go for it anyway, Andrade's assistant with a distraction, Sting starts beating him down, Andrade clubs Darby with a tablet, Sammy slowly starts to stir, GTH for 3.

Winner and STILL TNT Champion: Sammy Guevara

Matt Hardy runs in after the bell and starts beating down Darby until Sammy Guevara makes the save. Andrade clubs Sammy with the tablet and poses with the TNT Championship belts until Sting chases him off. Andrade still has the belts, though.

Dynamite goes off the air.