Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2022/01/12/aew-dynamite-report-guevara-retains-lance-archer-returns-punk-beats-wardlow/
AEW Dynamite
January 12th, 2022
PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC
Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur & Tony Schiavone
Adam Cole’s Bae Bae
Adam Cole comes out to start the show, along with Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. Cole starts saying that 2021 was a great year for the three of them, but 2022 will be better as he hasn’t been pinned since being there in AEW and undefeated in singles competition. On top of that, the boys are back together, the baddest team on God’s green, and it’s a new ‘era’ in AEW. They quickly get interrupted by the Young Bucks who come out with Brandon Cutler. Matt Jackson says he just kicked COVID’s ass in two days so they thought they would join them, and thanked them for the invite. O’Reilly said nobody invited them as they didn’t need their help beating the ‘super friends’. Matt calls reDRagon one of the best tag teams ever and says they will play nice, but they have to make something clear. This is their company, and they are the longest reigning AEW Tag Team Champions in company history, and their New Year’s Resolution is to get their belts back, which reDRagon say is theirs as well. Fish says there is no team that can take that away from them, including the Young Bucks. Cole says this is what makes them the best faction in AEW, which prompts the Best Friends to come out; as Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, Wheeler Yuta, Chuck Taylor, and Kris Statlander make their way to the ring.
Cole tells them to cut their stupid music off and asks what Cassidy has to say that’s any important whatsoever as Cassidy attacks Cole, prompting everybody else to start fighting. As it ends up being just Cole and Cassidy in the ring, Cole takes him out with a low blow. As he’s about to take out Cassidy, Statlander stands in his way, only for Dr. Britt Baker to come out and take out Statlander. Cole takes out Cassidy with a superkick and the boom, and as the Young Bucks go to kiss Cole, Baker stops them and kisses him instead.
We see a video package on Wardlow and his ‘powerbomb symphony’ done over classical music.
Wardlow (w/ MJF) vs. CM Punk
The crowd is really behind CM Punk as we finally get the match that was on Tony Khan’s clipboard for Full Gear. As the bell rings, Punk goes outside to go to MJF, but Wardlow gets in between them. When they lock up inside, Wardlow uses his strength to easily push Punk into the corner, but Punk comes back with a headlock before getting shoulder tackled easily. Punk escapes out of the corner and tries to chop his way but Wardlow quickly knocks him down. Wardlow whips Punk, but misses him in the corner, as Punk tries the GTS, only for Wardlow to get up and try the powerbomb, but Punk escapes and out of the ring as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Punk is in the corner showing fatigue, but is able to stop Wardlow with a boot, tries a tornado DDT, but gets tossed right off. Wardlow goes for the powerbomb again, but Punk escapes and hits a roundhouse kick which gets Wardlow upset. Punk comes back with clotheslines before hitting a springboard clothesline that finally knocks Wardlow down. Punk hits a knee strike in the corner, but Wardlow catches him and hits a powerbomb. Wardlow hits another powerbomb, as the crowd chants for more. Wardlow hits a third, fourth and fifth and puts his foot on Punk’s chest for the pin, but MJF tells him to get off and tells Wardlow he wants more. Wardlow hits the sixth one, as MJF tells him to do it again, in which Wardlow hits the seventh one. As Wardlow goes to pick Punk up, MJF stops him and tells him to powerbomb him through the timekeeper’s table as ‘that’s his job’. Wardlow hits the eighth powerbomb through the table as Aubrey Edwards starts counting CM Punk out. Punk gets right in at the nine-count, as MJF gets right back on the apron and tells Wardlow to powerbomb him again. As Wardlow goes to pick him up, CM Punk rolls up Wardlow for the surprise pin.
Winner: CM Punk by pinfall at 14:05
MJF gets in the ring and starts yelling at Wardlow and says he will never win the big match and starts pushing him and putting his hands on him. Wardlow grabs MJF’s hand, but Shawn Spears runs in and gets in between them. Wardlow gets upset and storms to the back, as Aubrey is checking on CM Punk who’s on the outside.
Powerhouse Hobbs (w/ Ricky Starks) vs. Dante Martin
Taz jumped on commentary for this match, as Martin comes out without Lio Rush, and runs to the ring attacking Hobbs on the outside before the bell rings. Hobbs rushes to Martin with them both spilling out to the outside. Martin dropkicks Hobbs to the outside and dives onto him, just for Hobbs to catch him and hit a spine buster on the outside. Back inside, Hobbs hits a suplex as Taz on commentary says they won’t stop until Martin retires. Hobbs hits another suplex, until Martin tries to fight him off only to get clotheslined down, hard. Martin kicks his way out, but Hobbs clubs him right back down again. Hobbs goes for the torture rack, but Martin is able to fight out until Hobbs whips Martin up and out of the ring where Starks stomps him until they go to the commercial.
When we come back, Martin escapes out of the Torture Rack again, hits a dropkick, goes to the top rope, and takes Hobbs down with a missile dropkick, but Hobbs powers his way out of the pin attempt. Hobbs goes to regroup with Starks outside, but Martin takes out Hobbs with a dive. Starks pushes Hobbs to go back into the ring, where Martin dropkicks him when he was trying to come in, but Hobbs comes right back knocking Martin down. Starks gets on the apron, but Jay Lethal runs out and takes him out. Martin hits the Nosedive on Hobbs for the pin and the win.
Winner: Dante Martin by pinfall at 10:07
GFY
Alex Marvez is backstage with Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz where Jericho says it’s no surprise that Inner Circle got PWI Faction of the Year and tonight they will have Sammy Guevara’s back. Eddie Kingston comes into the picture and tells Jericho to mind his own business, and nobody cares about Guevara, he wants Daniel Garcia. Kingston asks Santana and Ortiz why they aren’t tag team champions and points to Jericho. Jericho says this is the big leagues and Kingston needs to get out of their business. Santana stops them and tells them to get their shit together, and Ortiz walks away from them, surprising Kingston. Jericho says if 2point0 gets involved tonight he’ll kick their ass, and if Kingston does, he’ll kick his ass too and tells Kingston ‘GFY’.
Fluke Victory
MJF comes out and congratulates Punk on winning but knows that it was a fluke victory over an oaf and says that next week he will personally guarantee CM Punk’s first loss and make it CM Punk vs. Shawn Spears.
Bay & Bae
Adam Cole, reDRagon, and The Young Bucks are backstage and say the Best Friends and even Kris Statlander isn’t safe anymore, as Britt Baker steps in the picture and officially challenges Orange Cassidy and Kris Statlander to a mixed match next week.
Lance Archer Returns
AEW World Champion ‘Hangman’ Adam Page makes his way to the ring with a Smokey the Bear shirt on and says he has gone 90 minutes with Bryan Danielson and spilled enough blood to sink a Battleship for the ultimate prize, the AEW World Championship and it’s still his. Page says that 90 minutes isn’t enough, since it’s a new year and the records have reset, but he quickly gets interrupted by Dan Lambert. Lambert starts naming all the Texas wrestling legends but says Page is just an Eastern Urban Cowboy. Page says he isn’t there to talk to a walking Facebook Profile and if Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page want a match, they can ask themselves. Lambert said he actually respects Page and loved his matches, and he didn’t have to use backstage politics like Cody Rhodes. He is right that Page earned everything, except the gimmick that he’s doing. The guy from YMCA can dress up but that doesn’t make him a cowboy and tells Page to stop disrespecting legends such as Dick Murdoch and Blackjack Mulligan, and Page is full of ‘cowboy shit’. Page lists his accolades and questions how that isn’t cowboy shit, and challenges Lambert to come in. As Lambert goes to leave, Lance Archer makes his return chasing Lambert back into the ring. Lambert screams at Archer to not waste this opportunity and ‘what would Jake think’, which prompts Archer to attack Page including hitting the Blackout to Page onto a chair.
Horsemen Country
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Arn Anderson, Brock Anderson, and Lee Johnson where Arn tells them this is Horsemen country. FTR and Tully Blanchard come in and agree but Arn needs to dump the dead weight and join them. Arn says he can’t do that, it’s his son, so FTR challenges Brock and Lee to a match next week. Which they agree to.
That Bitch Show Champion
We see a video package where Jade Cargill says she did everything she said she would as they show highlights of the TB Title Tournament and her winning it.
Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb
As Hikaru Shida is making her way to the ring, Serena Deeb runs out and takes her out from behind and looks to have injured her knee. As the referee checks on Shida, Shida says she’s good to go but obviously shows signs of not being 100%. Shida finally makes her way into the ring as the bell rings, and Deeb goes right after her and attacks her knee with kicks and dragon screws. Deeb continues to attack the knee and puts on a submission as Paul Turner stops the match.
Winner: Serena Deeb by referee stoppage at 1:58
As Dr. Sampson is checking on Shida after the match, Deeb comes back in with a kendo stick and hits Shida over and over with it until more referees come out to push her off. Tay Conti, Anna Jay, and Skye Blue run out to attend to Shida.
Top 5 Tag Team
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Christian Cage and the new AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express. Cage sends well wishes to Rey Fenix and Jungle Boy puts out a challenge to any top-five team. John Silver and Alex Reynolds come in and challenge them for a match on Rampage this Friday in which Jurassic Express accepts.
Matt Hardy (w/ Private Party) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
Matt Hardy is in the ring with Private Party, gets on the mic, and tells Penta El Zero Miedo that he will delete him and send him to the hospital to be with his brother, as Reby Sky and their family is sitting ringside for Matt. Penta and Hardy start the match doing their ‘zero miedo’ and ‘delete’ chants back and forth for a minute, with this North Carolina crowd being fully behind Hardy. They start exchanging chops before they go to commercials.
When we come back Hardy is in complete control, but Penta comes back with a sling blade and a rib breaker for a two count. Penta goes for the Fear Factor, but Hardy reverses into a DDT for a two count. Penta comes back with a stomp off the ropes to Hardy for a two-count, which sounds Hardy to the apron. Penta and Hardy start fighting on the apron, until Hardy hits a side effect on it, for a two count. Penta sets up Hardy on the top rope, but Hardy pushes him off and misses a moonsault. Penta hits a superkick and the Fear Factor for the pin.
Winner: Penta El Zero Miedo by pinfall at 8:46
Brody King & The House of Black
Penta and Alex get on the mic and call out Malakai Black and say they will show him some respect, as the lights go out. When they come back, Malakai Black is in the ring, and he takes out Alex. Penta and Malakai go at it and try to tear Penta’s mask off until Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison run out for the save and they attack him until Julia Hart says that’s not enough. The lights go out again and when they come back, Brody King is in the ring and takes out Pillman, Garrison, and Penta with the help of Malakai as commentary questions if this is the House of Black.
Selfish Statlander
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Kris Statlander, Red Velvet, and Leyla Hirsch and asks Statlander about the mixed match against Britt Baker and Adam Cole. Hirsch says that’s selfish, as she and Statlander have a match coming up on Rampage. Statlander says selfish, is Hirsch as she’s always trying to get the pin before Red Velvet tells them they have to get it together if they want to win on Friday.
The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) vs. Bear Country (Bear Bronson & Bear Boulder)
Max Caster’s freestyle mentions Novak Djokovic, erectile dysfunction, and the 10-Year Challenge before taking a shot at Darby Allin and Sting. All four men start the match as the bell rings with Bear Country in full control until Max Caster gets the upper hand as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Bowens and Bronson are going at it, with Bronson sitting on Bowens before tagging out to Boulder. Caster comes in as well, but Boulder takes them both down. Boulder goes for the double chokeslam but instead hits a double flatliner before tagging in Bronson. They go for the Bear Bomb, but Bowens drags Caster out of the way. Caster and Bronson go at it, with Caster distracting the referee as Bowens attacks Bronson. Caster hits the Mic Drop on Bronson for the pin and the win as the crowd barely reacts to this.
Winners: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) by pinfall at 6:15
As The Acclaimed are heading their way back up the ramp, Sting and his bat make their way out. As Caster is making his way back to the ring, Darby Allin hits him with a suicide dive with the skateboard from inside the ring. Sting starts attacking Bowens and attacks his boombox with the bat. Allin sends Caster into the ring and splashes him before Sting comes in and hits him with the Scorpion Death Drop. We didn’t seem to get the music video that The Acclaimed promised last week.
Pac Optics
We go to a video of Pac where he has a blindfold on and says he appreciates this, and his perspective is different, and his vision has never been so clear.
Upcoming Shows
· Rampage: Trent Beretta vs. Adam Cole
· Rampage: Kris Statlander, Red Velvet & Leyla Hirsch vs. Nyla Rose, Penelope Ford & The Bunny
· Rampage: Shawn Spears vs. Andrew Everett
· Rampage: A special look at Thunder Rosa & Mercedes Martinez
· Rampage: AEW World Tag Team Championship: Jurassic Express (c) vs. John Silver & Alex Reynolds
· Dynamite: Orange Cassidy & Kris Statlander vs. Adam Cole & Dr. Britt Baker DMD
· Dynamite: CM Punk vs. Shawn Spears
· Dynamite: Serena Deeb vs. Skye Blue
· Dynamite: The Return of Cody Rhodes
· Dynamite: Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Acclaimed
I Like Money
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Matt Hardy and Private Party, where Hardy says he’s been focusing too much on the future and something has to change, but Andrade El Idolo interrupts them as Jose the Assistant gives them drinks. Andrade tells Hardy to focus as he’s a businessman and asks Hardy if he likes money and wants to negotiate a deal with him. Hardy says he’s intrigued but not in front of these people and says to go to the office, but Hardy leaves the Private Party behind.
AEW Interim TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Daniel Garcia
David Crockett is ringside and said he will present the winner with the title, as we see Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston are ringside as well. Guevara and Garcia start brawling right away until Garcia knocks Guevara down with a big smack. Guevara knocks Garcia to the outside where he dives onto him with his leg smacking to the back of Garcia’s head. Back inside, Guevara hits a snap suplex, followed by a GTH attempt, but Garcia gets out. Garcia stops Guevara with a backbreaker as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Guevara hits a big springboard dive onto Garcia on the outside that wakes up the crowd. Garcia trips Guevara off the ropes and hits him with a lariat and backdrop driver for a two count. Guevara goes for the GTH, but Garcia counters it right into the Scorpion Death Lock by wrenching back. Guevara inches away and grabs the rope for the break. Guevara hits Cross Rhodes, but Garcia kicks out as commentary mentions staying with this match until the 20-minute time limit. Guevara tries a double jump off the ropes, but Garcia catches him in a sleeper, transitioning into a side choke. Garcia turns that into a piledriver but only gets a two-count. 2point0 make their way ringside and attack Jericho before trying to distract Guevara, but it backfires as Guevara hits the Go to Hell on Garcia for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sammy Guevara by pinfall at 12:34, to retain
David Crockett comes in to give Guevara the title, but 2point0 runs in to attack him. Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston come in to help Guevara, but Kingston and Jericho end the show pushing each other and arguing.