Originally published at AEW Dynamite Report: Sting returns to Greensboro, Kyle O'Reilly debuts
AEW Dynamite – “Holiday Bash”
December 22nd, 2021
Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
Commentary: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Taz
Adam Cole vs. Orange Cassidy
The crowd gives both of these men tremendous reactions as tonight’s audience seems really amped up. Cole starts the match, making a ‘line’, that Orange steps over and kicks. Cole does his ‘Adam Cole, Bay Bay’ pose, but Orange takes his hands and puts it in his own pockets before taking him down with a side headlock. They trade a couple more headlocks, arm drags, and pin attempts with Orange ending in control. Cole keeps trying to reverse and get out of the hold, but Orange keeps ending up on top. Cole controls the wrist of Orange, who slowly tries to reach for the ropes before rolling through and applying a wrist lock himself. Tony Schiavone takes a cheap dig at Cole, saying he needs to wash his hair and that he wasn’t invited to the Christmas Party later one between himself and Britt Baker. Cole is able to stop Orange on the ropes with a backstabber. Commentary mentions that Jim Ross will be on next week’s Dynamite, as Cole takes Orange to the top rope, but Orange pushes him off and hits a cross-body followed by a spinning DDT for a two count. As Orange goes to the top rope, the Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler make their way ringside, so Orange takes out Cutler with a crossbody. Trent Beretta, Chuck Taylor, and Wheeler Yuta make their way ringside to even out the sides, but Cole takes advantage by tossing Orange into the steel steps a couple of times. Cole goes for the Boom, but Orange moves and Cole hits the steel steps as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Cole and Orange are on their knees trading punches. Orange hits a pair of superkicks, but Cole stops him by hitting the brainbuster on his knee. Cole hits a pump kick, tries another brainbuster, but Orange counters with the Stun Dog Millionaire goes to the top, and hits a diving DDT for a two count. Cole hits a reverse Ushigoroshi, another pump kick, and yells at Orange to stay down. Orange counters with a couple of pin attempts and the Michinoku Driver. Orange puts his shades on, goes to the top rope, hands in the pocket but falls down right into a superkick, followed by the Panama Sunrise. Cole puts his hands in his trunks and a nonchalant pin for a two count, as the crowd erupts. Cole goes for the Boom, but Orange counters it and hits the Beach Break for a two. Orange sets up for the Orange Punch, but Cole escapes to the outside as Bobby Fish makes his way ringside. Fish gets on the apron as Kyle O’Reilly makes his way into the ring, taking out Orange. Cole comes back in and hits the Boom for the pin and the win.
Winner: Adam Cole by pinfall at 17:06
O’Reilly jumps on top of Orange, but Cole pulls him off. Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor make their way into the ring, but Bobby Fish comes in as they outnumber them, taking out Beretta and Taylor with kicks, chokehold, and the High-Low from O’Reilly and Fish. The Young Bucks slowly make their way into the ring looking a bit confused by this. Cole seems a bit torn between the Young Bucks and O’Reilly/Fish as commentary mentions Cole has to choose sides. Cole ends up leaving to the back with O’Reilly and Fish.
The Answer is ‘Yes’
They announced that in two weeks on the January 5th Dynamite on TBS debut, we will get ‘Hangman’ Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson II in Newark, New Jersey for the AEW World Championship.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars Christmas sweater as he introduces Hangman to the ring. Schiavone starts by saying if Page had a couple more minutes during last week’s match with Danielson, he most likely would have won. Page says after 60 minutes, he was handed back the championship and as they went to commercial, he managed to walk his way up the ramp and he saw his face in the title and thought it was funny that last week for the first time in three years, he felt less of a champion. The only feeling that he has from last week is a disappointment. Bryan Danielson makes his way out and says Page still has the Championship around his shoulder and is disappointed, before calling him a ‘poor cowboy’. He continues that Page is showing how disappointed he is, but the fans should be disappointed because Danielson kicked Page’s ass for 60 minutes and he should be the champion. Danielson says on the rematch on January 5th, he will kick his ass again and the only reason he didn’t win last week was that he hurt his leg a little bit during his match with John Silver and he won’t make the same mistake by wrestling tonight or anytime before January 5th. Danielson says Page will just do the same thing on January 5th by letting the time go and Page will just hold the title again, so he has a solution. Danielson proposes that they have judges just in case, so Danielson can stay champion. Page thought of a whole bunch of match ideas as well and says if he had just three more seconds last week, he would have drowned Danielson, but he’s fine with the judge idea to give some ‘old guys some pay days’ and tells them to pay them well in advance as they won’t earn it. Page has come way too far for the title, spilled far too much blood, and given way too much of himself to have some old prick sitting in a suit at ringside to tell him he’s not good enough and a B plus player. Page says in two weeks they will find out if he can beat Danielson in less than an hour, and the answer is ‘yes’.
The Pinnacle is Family
We go backstage where we see MJF, FTR, Wardlow, and Shawn Spears and MJF is talking down to Wardlow about how he pays him a lot of money to get protected and turns around and starts saying this is just CM Punk’s fault as he does this, but they aren’t worried about tonight as they aren’t a team, a family. MJF calls Darby Allin, Sting, and Punk all loners who can’t co-exist. When everything isn’t about Punk, that’s when the real CM Punk comes out to play. MJF insults Punk calling him rustier than the knife Darby uses to skin small animals and Sting having Krusty the Clown makeup. Dax Harwood ends it by saying they didn’t have a problem with Punk before and when you’re Pinnacle, you’re always on top.
Wardlow (w/ Shawn Spears) vs. Shawn Dean
Wardlow knocks Dean down right away and hits the powerbomb. Crowd chants one more time, in which Wardlow hits a second one, followed by the third and fourth for the pin and the win.
Winner: Wardlow by pinfall at 1:13
Shawn Spears goes inside and hits Dean a couple of times with the chair.
Men of the (New) Year
We see a video package for Sammy Guevara vs. Cody Rhodes on Friday, but it quickly cuts to Dan Lambert and the Men of the Year who are in the crowd. Lambert talks down to the audience here and says they don’t know if they should update their phone or turn off the lights in their mom’s basement. Lambert continues on about his fighters and his gym, and how the successful are the most deserving. He says Tony Khan is the opposite and makes his buddies the EVP, and if you aren’t his friend, it’s opening matches and backstage segments for them. Lambert talks up Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page and their accomplishments, but yet they will have to sit on the sidelines on Christmas while Sammy and Cody will wrestle. Lambert mentions how Khan is treating him how he wants him to get the fans to cheer for Cody Rhodes and says how in the hell can he do that when Cody is a bigger dick than he is. He doesn’t give a damn on who the fans cheer or boo if it’s Cody or Sammy standing tall on Christmas. His only concern is the Men of the Year getting a title shot, and they won’t need the owner’s help bringing the title back to American Top Team.
A Britt-Mas Story
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Dr. Britt Baker DMD, Rebel, and Jamie Hayter as part of their Holiday Party but mentions to Baker how she’s never defeated Riho. Baker says she’s the champion and has Hayter on her side, but Schiavone mentions how Riho beat Hayter. Baker calls 2021 the Era of the DMD and how she built her own kingdom and this division from the ground up, and she’s a pillar of this company. Baker says all Riho wants for Christmas is an AEW Women’s Title match, but she’s out of her league, and ‘she’ll shoot her eye out, kid’, referencing the quote from ‘A Christmas Story’.
The Owen Hart Cup
We get a segment on Owen Hart with words from Mark Henry, Adam Cole, Matt Hardy, 2point0, Eddie Kingston, Dustin Rhodes, and Shawn Spears talking about what Owen meant to them and this business and what kind of human being he was for his family and wrestling.
AEW TBS Title Tournament Semi-Final Match: Nyla Rose (w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. Ruby Soho
Nyla attacks Ruby before the bell rings, as Ruby is struggling to get out of her jacket before Nyla finally pulls it off. Ruby comes back with kicks and a cross-body attempt but gets tossed down. Nyla tosses Ruby to the corner, before tossing her over to the other side. Ruby is able to counter Nyla into an arm lock, before hitting elbows. Nyla stops her and takes her down with a chokeslam. Nyla goes for the Beast Bomb, but Ruby escapes out before getting clotheslined down. Nyla tosses Ruby to the outside, where she continues to attack her. Ruby tries to chop her way out until Vickie helps Nyla move out of the way, with Ruby slamming into the steel steps as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Ruby is in control, sling shooting off the ropes for a DDT and a two count. Nyla escapes to the outside, where she grabs a chair from under the ring, but Ruby takes her out with a dropkick with the chair to Nyla’s face. As Aubrey Edwards is attending to Nyla, Vickie Guerrero pushes Ruby off the top rope, followed by a flying knee drop by Nyla for a two count. Nyla continues working on the previously injured shoulder of Ruby, but Ruby escapes out and puts on a Dragon Sleeper. Vickie gets back on the apron but gets kicked in the head by Ruby. Nyla hits her Beast Bomb, but Ruby kicks out at two. Nyla gets on the rope, but Ruby pulls her off into the No Future Kick for the pin and the win.
Winner: Ruby Soho by pinfall at 10:38, to advance
We get a video package with Serena Deeb talking about her match last week with Hikaru Shida and says this feud is far from over and next time they are in the ring together, Shida will beg Tony Khan to keep Deeb away from her.
Malakai Black vs. Griff Garrison (w/ Brian Pillman Jr.)
As soon as the bell rings, Garrison runs right into a kick by Black. Black sets up for another kick, but instead goes to the outside to confront Pillman, ending up getting a tope suicida by Garrison. They head back inside, but Black hits a bunch of kicks, right into a heel hook, but Garrison quickly grabs the rope. Black keeps Garrison in the corner with strikes and kicks, before chopping him down to the mat. Garrison fights back, but his knee seems to be troubling him, before hitting a rolling elbow for a two. Black reverses out and hits a jumping knee strike, sets up for the Black Mass but instead takes Garrison down and puts on a half Crab as Garrison submits
Winner: Malakai Black by submission at 3:14
Pillman jumps in to help but gets taken out with the Black Mass kick from Black.
Pounding Ass on Christmas
We go to Matt Hardy backstage with Private Party, who congratulates Jurassic Express for being #1 contenders for the Tag Team Championship but says if Isiah Kassidy takes out Jungle Boy on Rampage, they will take that title shot instead. Jurassic Express and Christian Cage respond back, as Cage plugs their new t-shirt.
Upcoming Shows
Rampage – “Holiday Bash”
· Jungle Boy vs. Isiah Kassidy
· Hook vs. Bear Bronson
· Kris Statlander vs. Leyla Hirsch
· TNT Championship: Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
Dynamite – “New Year’s Smash”
· Eddie Kingston/Santana/Ortiz vs. Daniel Garcia/2point0
· TBS Title Tournament Semi-Final: Thunder Rosa vs. Jade Cargill
· The Return of Jim Ross
· Orange Cassidy/Trent Beretta/Chuck Taylor vs. Adam Cole/Bobby Fish/Kyle O’Reilly
MJF & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. Sting, Darby Allin & CM Punk
Sting comes out with CM Punk-inspired face paint and a Punk shirt, Darby with Crow Sting-inspired paint, and CM Punk has old-school Sting face paint and tights on. MJF and FTR have matching yellow tights. CM Punk and MJF start the match, but MJF quickly tags out as Dax Harwood comes in. Darby and Wheeler have a nice exchange before Sting tags in and gets a huge reaction, but Cash bails to the outside. MJF comes in as he and Sting have a tug of war before MJF gets clotheslined down. Sting tags in Punk, but MJF quickly escapes again. MJF escapes through the crowd, as Punk chases him up the concourse and then right back down all the way back into the ring as MJF tags out to Dax Harwood. They all start facing off until Darby takes FTR and MJF out with a dive as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Darby is fighting off MJF and FTR but gets tossed to the outside by Wheeler, where FTR quickly starts attacking and tossing Darby by the barricade. FTR and MJF keep Darby choked out in their corner, as Sting and Punk try to help out. Sting finally tags in and is able to clean house on the heels including hitting Stinger Splashes to FTR, followed by a Coffin Splash by Darby and a rising knee strike by Punk. Sting hits one more Stinger Splash on Harwood, before putting on the Scorpion Death Lock on Harwood, but MJF comes in to break it up as they go to commercial again.
When we come back, Sting and Wheeler are laid out before Wheeler tags out to Harwood. Harwood taunts Sting and goes for the Stinger Splash but gets stopped and slammed down. MJF comes in, but Sting quickly stops him before falling headfirst right in between MJF’s legs. Sting makes the hot tag to Punk, who takes down FTR with a bulldog clothesline combo before hitting a suicide dive on Harwood. Punk goes right back in hitting a top rope crossbody on Wheeler for a two count before calling for the GTS. Punk lifts Wheeler up, but Harwood tags himself in. Punk takes him down, climbs the top rope, but gets stopped by Wheeler and Harwood. Harwood and Punk start fighting on the top rope, ending with a superplex by Harwood followed by a splash from Wheeler for a two count. The crowd seems distracted by something that happened at the timekeeper’s table until we end up seeing Darby and MJF crawling out of there. Punk and Harwood start exchanging strikes on their knees. FTR ends up hitting the Big Rig on Punk, but Sting breaks up the pin. MJF crawls back in and hits a DDT on Sting. Sting no-sells it and gets right back up, tossing MJF on top of FTR before taking all three out with a top rope crossbody to the outside. Back inside, Harwood sacrifices himself, by pushing MJF out of the way and receiving the GTS, Scorpion Death Drop, and Coffin Drop, before getting pinned by Punk for the win.
Winners: Sting, Darby Allin & CM Punk by pinfall at 25:56
MJF jumps on commentary after the match and says Punk was running away from him like a little bitch as the babyfaces celebrate to end the show.