CONTAINS SPOILERS

We are on the road to AEW Grand Slam 2024! AEW DYNAMITE was broadcast live on TBS from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY!

Excalibur, “The Human Suplex Machine” Taz, and Tony Schiavone were the broadcast team for tonight’s event. It’s Wednesday night and you know what that means!

Tony Schiavone was in the ring to interview The Patriarchy—Christian Cage—who was accompanied by Mother Wayne, Killswitch, and Nick Wayne!

Christian Cage: “Everyone sit down while I conduct my business. First things first: my son Nick told me that the word on the street is that Christian Cage has infinite aura. Considering the fact I’ve carried this company on my back for the past year and a half, I’d say it’s true, but now that I carry this contract, I’d say it’s undeniable. 

“Something interesting happened in that Gauntlet Match. When Killswitch grabbed me by the throat, I saw into his eyes and the light bulb finally went off. In that moment he realized what he is and what I need him to be. He is a monster and the most complete big man in this industry, and he is mine!”

The fans chanted “Luchasaurus! Luchasaurus!”

Christian Cage: “His name is Killswitch. I was on my way to the ring toward Bryan Danielson, but it was not the time or the place. His days are numbered. And being suffocated is nothing compared to what I’ll do to him to win that AEW World Championship.

“Not only am I the face of TBS now and forever, I am the undisputed next AEW World Champion!”

Excalibur: “Christian Cage can execute that contract and challenge for the AEW World Championship anytime he sees fit.”

Kip Sabian was shown watching the Patriarchy in the crowd.

Renee Paquette was backstage with the Don Callis Family!

Callis: “Thanks for coming, Will. I’ve got this idea. We’ve got a Casino Gauntlet Match tonight for the tag titles, so why don’t you team with Kyle Fletcher, win and challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championships?

“And since I did you a favor, I’m asking you for a favor in return.”

Kyle Fletcher: “I’m so tired of coming so close but yet not getting it done. No one knows me better than you. So what do you say?”

Will Ospreay: “I can’t say no to you.”

Takeshita snarled at Will Ospreay as the rest of the Family celebrated.

TNT Championship Match!

“The Scapegoat” Jack Perry (c.) vs. Lio Rush (with Action Andretti)!

Jack Perry started the match very aggressively, keeping Lio on his toes. Jack Perry walked out of the ring and shoved Action Andretti. Rush countered a DDT from Perry and shoved Perry back against the edge of the ring. Perry planted Rush face first on the edge of the ring.

Ref Aubrey Edwards ejected Action from ringside, even though it was Jack Perry who antagonized Andretti the entire time.

Rush rocked Perry with a big elbow strike. Rush wiped out Jack with a Spanish Fly for a near fall. Perry regained momentum driving Rush face first into the second turnbuckle with the snake eyes move. Perry used a snap dragon, perhaps sending a mocking message to Kenny Omega. Lio landed a reverse rana, but Perry fired back with a blind side knee strike. Perry caught Lio Rush flush with a knee shot and pinned Lio Rush!

“Perfectly placed with that knee strike by Jack,” said Taz.

“Jack Perry makes his third consecutive defense of the TNT Championship here tonight,” added Excalibur.

Renee Paquette interviewed “Hangman” Adam Page!

Page: “If I had found 1000 houses that Swerve called home, then I would have burnt all of them to ash. And now I speak to the entire roster. If you got in my way and tried to protect him from me, then I will find you and I will hurt you.”

Hangman walked past Top Flight and glared at them. He approached the Dark Order, and they said they didn’t even recognize what he’s become. Jeff Jarrett stopped Page and said, “Page, you’re going to regret the day you put hands on my wife. The toughest, most ruthless SOB is the man in the mirror.”

Page swung at Jeff Jarrett. They began to brawl until Page got the upper hand, throwing Jeff Jarrett onto a pile of chairs!

Trios Match!

Jon Cruz & Two Partners!

Before the match began, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, and Marina Shafir ambushed everyone in the ring and assaulted them!

PAC: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have been very patient but ultimately enough is enough. This company is broken. What happened Saturday at All Out, that was inevitable. We are inevitable, a product of this festering environment.

“And as for me, I have been very lost for very long, but not anymore. I have a purpose. Diplomacy has failed ladies and gentlemen. This company is ours!”

“The Learning Tree” Chris Jericho pulled up to the arena with “The Red Wood” Big Bill and “The Bad Apple” Bryan Keith!

Jericho: “Hi, guys. Today is a glorious day to be the Learning Tree. I have the $7000 jacket that Orange Cassidy ruined on me. I’ve also got your backpack. The cash wasn’t in there, but I found something else that was very interesting and I’m going to show it to the rest of the world later tonight.”

ROH World Tag Team Champion “Spanish God” Sammy Guevara

Ricochet!

Both men went move for move and reached a stale mate at the start of the match. Ricochet connected with a dropkick, sending Sammy spilling to the outside. Ricochet flipped over the top rope with a somersault and wiped out Sammy and then landed on his feet!

Sammy rocked Ricochet with a thrust kick on the ramp. Sammy moonsaulted off the top of the tunnel and took out Ricochet! Sammy flew over the top rope with a tornillo, making it look easy.

The fans chanted “Flip forever! Flip forever!”

Ricochet nailed a double jump senton off the barricade and landed onto Sammy! Ricochet rocked Sammy with round kicks. Sammy absorbed the kicks and rolled up Ricochet for a near fall. Sammy countered Ricochet with a Destroyer! Sammy blasted Ricochet with a cutter from the top rope for a near fall!

Sammy scored with a knee strike. Ricochet countered a GTH with a knee strike and then an ax kick. Ricochet hit the Vertigo and pinned Sammy!

“Hell of a match by both men that could have gone either way, but Ricochet got the win!” said Taz.

The Beast Mortos speared Ricochet out of nowhere. Sammy jumped into the ring with a steel chair, protecting Ricochet until the Beast Mortos retreated!

Sammy and Ricochet shook hands after the match.

Renee Paquette interviewed the Continental Champion “The Rainmaker” Okada!

Okada: “Defending my title at All Out was the hardest night of my life. That’s a lie. It was so easy.”

Don Callis interrupted, and he had Takeshita with him. Callis: “It looked easy, but you didn’t pin Takeshita.”

Okada: “He will be a champion but not the Continental Champion…bitch.”

Takeshita got into Okada’s face before Okada walked off.

Up next: Darby Allin skated down to the ring, making his presence known to Jon Moxley, wherever Moxley was

Darby: “Somebody’s been looking for me. I’m right here.”

Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley walked to the ring. He showed his hands to Darby, showing he had no weapons with him and that he was unarmed. 

Moxley: “I don’t know what you think you saw or what you think you heard, but nothing has changed between me and you. Nothing at all.”

Darby: “That’s enough, Jon. There’s a lot I want to talk to you about. We came from nothing. I don’t take any of these fans for granted. AEW gave me everything.

“I want to tell you a story that I’ve never told. My first year in wrestling, I looked for a hero. Every time I found that person, they showed me how fake they were. They showed me that their dignity could be bought, but not you, Jon, and that’s when I knew I wanted to be just like you. 

“You love this industry. Where did we first meet, Jon? It was in a high school gym on the independents. I lost that match, but I gained the confidence that I belonged in a ring with a person like you. I could never do what you did to Bryan Danielson. So what do you want? Why are you calling me out?”

Moxley: “You have a world title shot at Grand Slam, but that’s not going to happen now because he’s disposed. That’s a good thing because you’re not ready. I don’t have time to explain but I’m going to need you to hand over that title shot to me.”

Darby: “Did you not hear what I said? Have you been drinking again? You didn’t earn this, Jon, I earned it. And I’m not going to give it to you. If you want it so bad, do something about it.”

Mox: “You want me to earn it? Darby, my man, I will earn it. Me and you, New York City, Grand Slam, your World Title shot on the line. I will teach you another lesson. I will show you where you are on the food chain, very far below me. You will never be AEW World Champion. I don’t have time to explain everything to you right now. Trust me. And that title shot is going to be mine and this time I’m going to teach you that lesson the hard way.”

Darby: “Grand Slam? I accept. I don’t know what you’re trying to do around here but if you’re trying to burn AEW to the ground, don’t be surprised when I pull you into the fire.”

Alex Marvez was backstage with Christopher Daniels!

Nigel McGuinness interrupted them and told Daniels they needed to talk to Tony Khan right now.

“Trust me, he’ll want to hear this,” said Nigel. 

AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match!

“The Glamour” Mariah May (c.)

versus

Queen Aminata!

Queen Aminata shoved Mariah and Mariah fired back with a forearm. Aminata put her whole body into a lariat and then a running PK and the champion was in trouble. 

Mariah moved out of the way of a running hip attack. Mariah May dropkicked Queen Aminata as she was tied up in the ropes. Mariah cracked Queen Aminata with a running knee as Aminata was draped over the edge of the ring. 

Aminata connected with a pump kick and a snap suplex. Queen Aminata followed up with a German Suplex. Mariah May drilled Queen Aminata with a draping DDT out of nowhere. 

Queen Aminata scoop slammed the champion and covered her, but Mariah kicked out at the two-count. Mariah moved out of the way of a diving foot stomp and connected with a dropkick and then the Glamour knee strike. Mariah smashed Queen Aminata with the Storm Zero and picked up the pinfall victory.

“She cleaned out the clock of the Queen with that knee,” said Tony Schiavone.

Mariah May: “I still haven’t had my AEW Women’s World Championship celebration! Something is missing! Someone is missing! Mina Shirakawa, please come back.”

The EVPs—AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks—Matthew and Nicholas Jackson were backstage!

Matthew: “We are the tag team division. We’re still here doing all the heavy lifting. We hear the whispers from the fans who want new champions. Be mad at the teams who can’t beat us.”

Nicholas: “It’s the reason why we booked this gauntlet match tonight. Is there anyone that can get a shot at the greatest tag team of this generation? Good luck because we’ll be out there watching live.”

“The Learning Tree” Chris Jericho, “The Red Wood” Big Bill

The Iron Savages—Boulder and Bronson, & Jacked Jameson!

Boulder slapped Jericho and dropped him with a thunderous right hand. Big Bill tagged in, and he splashed Boulder in the corner. Big Bill blasted Boulder with a big boot to the face!

Bryan Keith tagged in and headbutted Jacked Jameson, following up with the Diamond Dust! Jericho tagged in, put his boot on Jameson while flexing, and scored the pin for his team.

Jericho: “Hi, guys. And here I stand, in my custom made designer jacket that I paid $7000 for that Orange Cassidy ruined four years ago by pouring orange juice all over it. I’m going to keep taking your things because I don’t think you’re going to give me back my money.

“There was no money in your backpack, but this is what I found. A picture of you with your former best friends. This is your problem. You’re still obsessed with friendship. There are no friends in pro wrestling. If you think you have a friend, you’re probably being used. So forget about your friendships and pay me my money. I want my cash Orange Cassidy. You’re going to give me that cash…”

Orange Cassidy interrupted, appearing on the big screen.

“My boys are bringing you the rest of your cash.”

ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe pulled up in a front loader backstage with Kyle O’Reilly. Briscoe dumped $7000 worth of coins into Jericho’s brand new Bentley!

Fans chanted “Keep the change! Keep the change!”

Nigel McGuinness was in the ring with a microphone!

Nigel: “There is something I need to address. With Darby putting his title shot on the line at Grand Slam, that means there won’t be an AEW World Championship Match. It’s good for Bryan Danielson but not good for AEW.

“I believe an event like Grand Slam should have the AEW World Champion compete. Which leads me to this.”

Nigel pulled out a rolled up contract.

Nigel: “How long I’ve had to wait and watch Bryan Danielson enjoy the success that should have been mine. Danielson is afraid of me! He is afraid of the one match that everyone wants to see. But Tony Khan isn’t afraid. Tony Khan knows a money match when he sees one.

“So at Grand Slam, it will be Bryan Danielson against Nigel McGuinness! I can guarantee you at Grand Slam, Oasis will play me to the ring, but will Bryan Danielson join me to the Final Countdown or have we seen the final match of the American Coward. The ball is in your court, Bryan!”

FTW Champion HOOK was in an alley with words for Roderick Strong!

HOOK: “I respect you, Roddy. However, you went on whining about how your foot was under the rope when we squared off. I just regained my championship by beating a legend. And I’m challenging you now, Roddy, any time, any place. I want to see you try to take this championship away from me!”

The EVPs—AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks—Matthew and Nicholas Jackson onto the ramp to observe the main event.

Tag Team Casino Gauntlet Match!

The winners of the inaugural Tag Team Casino Gauntlet Match will wrestle The Young Bucks for the World Tag Team Title at AEW Grand Slam.

FTR—Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler were the first team out to the ring. Kyle Fletcher and AEW International Champion the “Aerial Assassin” Will Ospreay were the second team to enter.

Fletcher knocked Dax over the top rope with a lariat. Ospreay tried for an Os-Cutter, but Cash countered, throwing Will into Dax’s arms. Dax hit a slingshot power bomb on Will for a two-count. 

Ospreay moonsaulted off Kyle’s back and landed on Dax. FTR connected with the power plex on Will for a near fall. Vincent and Dutch—the Righteous, entered the fray. Vincent landed on Cash with a senton atomico for a two-count. 

The Undisputed Kingdom—Matt Taven and Mike Bennett, were the next competitors. The Undisputed Kingdom cleaned house on Fletcher and Ospreay. The Acclaimed—Max Caster and Anthony Bowens, came out next with a chip on their shoulders. Stokely Hathaway was watching the match from the front row.

FTR smashed Dax with two fame assers! MxM Collection—Masen Madden and Mansoor, confronted the Acclaimed in the ring. The Undisputed Kingdom ambushed them but MxM showed off effective combination offense on the Kingdom. Top Flight—Dante and Darius Martin were the next entrants.

Darius spiked Dutch with a DDT. Ospreay and Dante squared off, going move for move, until Taven poked Dante in the eyes. Bowens smashed Fletcher with a knee strike. FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Bowens, but all the other teams ran in to make the save! The Outrunners—Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd, came out to a huge ovation from the fans! The Outrunners cleaned house with body slams for everyone!

The fans chanted “Tag team wrestling! Tag team wrestling!”

The Grizzled Young Veterans came out, but FTR sprinted up the ring! Both teams brawled up the ramp and backstage!

Bennett spiked Darius with a piledriver. Fletcher grabbed Bennett and blasted him with a brain buster. Dante and Kyle paired off. Dante went for the cross over splash, but Fletcher raised his knee and Ospreay cracked Dante with the Hidden Blade! Fletcher covered Dante and pinned him!

Ospreay and Fletcher will be facing the Young Bucks in two weeks for the titles at AEW Grand Slam!

“What a night for Kyle Fletcher and the Aerial Assassin!” said Excalibur.