Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2021/12/15/aew-winter-is-coming-report-hangman-and-danielson-go-sixty-minutes/
AEW Dynamite – “Winter is Coming”
December 15th, 2021
Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX
Commentary: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Taz
AEW World Championship: Adam Page (c) vs. Bryan Danielson
The crowd gives this match a great reaction before they even lock up, but they do with a collar and elbow tie-up as the crowd has dueled ‘Let’s Go Bryan/Cowboy Shit’ chants. Danielson early on escapes out of the corner and does jumping jacks. Page can hold Danielson down with a wristlock, but Danielson reverses out with a suplex as he is still taunting the crowd. They go back and forth with takedown and chop attempts, just for Danielson to go back into the corner and do more jumping jacks as Page show’s a bit of frustration. They start having a shoving match before Danielson goes and puts his head out the ropes for the second time today while having a snarky smile on. They go back to takedown and pin attempts until Page knocks Danielson down with a boot to the chest. Danielson mockingly claps and extends his hand out, before shoving Page and putting his head out under the ropes again. They run the ropes before Page catches and slams Danielson followed by a chop before Danielson takes Page down for a leg lock submission. Danielson starts driving knees to the back of Page, transitioning right into the Romero Special and then the Dragon Sleeper. They start trading chops along with a headbutt from Danielson until Danielson gets rocked into the corner as the crowd erupts into ‘Cowboy Shit’ as Page hits ten punches to Danielson. Danielson goes back to work on the ankle of Page, by dropping knees down on it and pulling it back. Excalibur mentions the crowd being 60/40 in favor of Page, but Taz says he thinks it’s more 59/39. Page gets knocked to the apron and punched to the outside by Danielson, with a Buckshot Lariat attempt. Danielson attempts a suicide dive, but Page goes back in and knocks him down with a boot followed by a clothesline off the rope, knocking Danielson to the outside where Page hits him with a crossbody. Page jumps off the top rope back inside, but Danielson knocks him out of the air with a kick to the chest. Danielson hits the Kitchen Sink followed by more kicks and chops to the chest while Page is trapped in the ropes. Danielson hits a diving knee to the back of the head but only gets a two count as they go to the commercial.
When we come back, Page reverses Danielson with a back body drop. Danielson flips out of an Irish Whip but gets caught and hit with a fall-away slam by Page. Page catches Danielson and drops him on the ropes where he knocks him down and out the ring with a lariat off the ropes. As Danielson gets up outside, he gets hit with a suicide dive from Page, followed by a top rope moonsault. Back inside, Danielson counters Page’s clothesline attempt, but Page picks him up and hits a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Page keeps Danielson in the corner with chops as the crowd duel chants again, before placing him on the top rope. Page goes for a superplex attempt, but Danielson escapes before getting knocked back down with a back elbow. Page tries a top rope moonsault, but Danielson moves out of the way and applies a Magistral cradle for a two count. Page goes for another pin attempt, but Danielson reverses it, as they trade off a couple of pin attempts, followed by an ankle lock by Danielson. Page elevates himself to try and get out but gets hit in the mid-section by Danielson. Danielson hits two dropkicks in the corner, but on the third one gets stopped and hits with a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. Page sets up for the Buckshot Lariat, but Danielson rolls out of the ring. Instead, Page hits a sliding dropkick, goes right back up for another top rope moonsault but gets pushed off and lands back first into the apron. Danielson picks him right up and shoves Page into the ring post and continues to drive his arm first into it before going back inside and taunting the crowd as they shower him down with boos. We go to Page who is busted wide open in the head as they go back to commercials.
During picture-in-picture, we can see them attending to Page ringside as Danielson is inside the ring flipping off the crowd. When we come back, Danielson knocks Page back down with a sliding dropkick followed by a flying knee off the apron, as Danielson goes right to punching the open wound of Page. Danielson places Page on the apron and hits him with another knee drop before attacking Page’s arm against the ring post again. Danielson keeps Page’s head against the turnbuckle as he pushes down with his boot, making his blood pour down his face. Danielson continues working on the arm of Page, until Page catches a running Danielson, only for Danielson to hit a German suplex for a two count right into the Cattle Mutilation. They head over to the apron, where Danielson lands a bunch of kicks before missing the last one and hitting the ring post, falling back to the outside. Page picks Danielson up and drives him knee first into the ring post, as Tony Schiavone mentions John Silver weakening that knee last week. Page exposes the barricade, traps Danielson’s leg in it, and kicks the barricade before tossing him back inside. Danielson escapes out but Page quickly puts on a figure four, before Danielson rolls it into the ropes for the escape, as they go to the commercial yet again, this time with no picture in picture.
When we come back, both men are down as Page slowly gets up, just to get hit with an Enziguri by Danielson. They start trading forearms until Danielson counters a pop-up powerbomb into a hurricanrana for a two-count, followed by an arm breaker, before transitioning into a triangle choke, but Page drops him down with a powerbomb. Danielson keeps the lock on and drops down elbows, but Page rolls over into the ropes. Danielson hits a couple of kicks, but Page quickly hits a Tombstone Piledriver for a two-count. Page places Danielson on the top rope, hitting him with chops before heading to the top himself and trying a superplex. Danielson pushes Page off and hits a knee drop to the right arm followed by a shoulder capture suplex for a two count. Danielson places Page back on the top rope and starts dropping elbow drops followed by a back body drop, slowly crawling over for a two count. Danielson goes back to dropping elbows, into an armbar attempt but Page grabs the bottom rope. They head back over to the apron, as Danielson tries a Gotch Style Piledriver, only for Page to turn it into the Dead Eye on the apron, knocking Danielson to the outside. As Danielson is resting on the timekeeper’s table, Page jumps off the top rope, only to miss Danielson and going face-first into the table, not breaking it as they go to yet another commercial in which we see Danielson exposing the floor and hitting Page with a DDT on the concrete, followed by jumping jacks while hopping on one leg.
When we come back, Danielson has Page down with a sleeper hold, but Page gets out and hits a German suplex. Danielson hits a couple of kicks, but Page blocks the third kick and hits a couple of lariats, which Danielson says aren’t too effective. Danielson counters with a couple of kicks, before placing Page back on the top rope, where he’s dropping elbows back to where Page was bleeding before, trying a back body drop, but Page lands on his feet and now hits a full lariat. As they slowly get back up at the 6 count, they start trading forearms until Danielson hits three headbutts, into a couple pin attempts, followed by Page escaping out of a suplex attempt hitting a rolling elbow strike, followed by another one that Danielson stops with a roundhouse kick, followed by another kick for a two count. Danielson screams out that it’s time to kick his fucking head in, as he goes right to the kicks to the face while pulling Page’s arms back. Danielson goes to the corner and waits for Page to get up to hit the flying knee, but Page stops him and hits the Dead Eye for a two count. Page now screams that it’s time for him to kick Danielson’s fucking head in, before grabbing Danielson’s arms and delivering his own stomps to the face. Page throws his elbow pad to the crowd and sets up for the Buckshot Lariat, but Danielson counters it and puts on the LeBell Lock as Justin Roberts says they are down to one minute. They fight back and forth as Danielson tries to keep the LeBell Lock on. Danielson gets slingshot into the ropes and hits with a lariat, Page gets up and hits the Buckshot Lariat finally, but as he crawls over for the pin the bell rings ending the match, as the crowd boos a bit in disappointment.
Winner: The match ends in a draw at 60:00, for Adam Page to retain
The crowd chants ‘five more minutes’ as they head to commercials.
Cole in Your Stocking
We go to The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, and Bobby Fish where they ask the Best Friends when they are going to stop messing with them, as we hear wacky Christmas music in the background. Bobby Fish says every time they fight them, they divide and conquer, and Trent’s return didn’t end up good as they recommend an 8-man tag at Rampage, then say they will destroy Sue’s 1993 minivan before super kicking her and ending her career. Adam Cole mentions no coal in their stocking as they promise a big surprise for next week.
Wardlow (w/ Shawn Spears) vs. Matt Sydal
Sydal runs to Wardlow, but Wardlow stops a hurricanrana attempt, but Sydal gets out and delivers a couple of kicks, before getting caught and hit with a powerbomb by Wardlow. Wardlow hits a second powerbomb, as Spears gets on the mic and tells Wardlow to stop and just pin him. Wardlow ignores him and hits a third powerbomb before finally ending the match.
Winner: Wardlow by pinfall at 1:29
Spears gets in the ring and tells Wardlow that we don’t get paid for the hour, has Wardlow hold his mic, and delivers a couple chair shots to Sydal before picking up a phone call from MJF telling Wardlow that he needs him to go pick up some post-match champagne for after his victory tonight, as Wardlow doesn’t seem so happy about it.
Submission Set-up
We see a video package for Tay Conti and Penelope Ford, where Conti says she’s not too happy with Ford and the Bunny using the brass knuckles to win their matches, so she challenges her to a Submission Match. Ford agrees as she says she has the Muta Lock, so they make the match official for Rampage. Conti ends the promo calling Ford a bitch.
Much More Than a ‘King’
We see a video for Malakai Black where he talks about mortars and bricks, and the foundation needing ideals. Ideals such as understanding that human nature is violence. And mentions ‘violence’ and ‘king’ and says to not question the House of Black and says not everyone can grasp the teachings and that the House of is bigger than you and that the House always wins and the person in front of him is ‘much more than a king’, as he sprays black mist into his direction. With the ‘violence’ and ‘king’ mentions, all signs point to this being the introduction of Brody King.
Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida
They start brawling before the bell even rings with the kendo stick being tossed in before the match officially starts, as Deeb corners Shida with kicks only for Shida to reverse it quickly. They continue going at it, with Deeb putting on a figure four to Shida while on the ring post as they go to commercial. During picture-in-picture, Deeb hits a neckbreaker to Shida on the ropes for a two count, before putting on another figure four in the middle of the ring, only for Shida to crawl for a rope break.
As we come back from the commercial, Shida is raining down strikes on Deeb, followed by a step-up Enziguri for a two count. Shida follows with a vertical suplex for another two count. Shida heads to the top rope, but Deeb runs and stops her, putting her in a tree of Woe position, as Deeb applies an ankle lock with the upside-down Shida. Deeb goes and exposes the steel turnbuckle piece and drops Shida down with a neckbreaker onto it, followed by a powerbomb for a two count. Deeb transitions into dropping knees and into a bridged neck submission, as Shida crawls over for the rope break. Deeb hits a couple rolling neck breakers, but Shida counters the third one into a Falcon Arrow. Shida hits an ax kick, tries a powerbomb, but they counter back and forth into a couple pin attempts, until Deeb puts on a single leg crab, that Shida punches her way out of. Deeb rips off the top turnbuckle pad, tries to send Shida into it, but Shida elbows her way out as they trade pin attempts again. They duck and dodge a bit until Deeb goes face-first into the exposed turnbuckle, just for Shida to roll her up for the pin.
Winner: Hikaru Shida by pinfall at 12:25
Black & Blond
Tony Schiavone is backstage with The Varsity Blonds, as Tony asks how Julia Hart is doing. Griff Garrison says last week Malakai Black attacked Julia leaving her screaming and crying and disappeared like a ‘real man’, before calling Black a coward. Garrison says he is going to bring the fight to him, but Brian Pillman Jr. tells him to calm down, but Garrison pushes Pillman off and asks him whose side he is on and says next week he will break Black’s jaw.
Don’t Be Scared
Eddie Kingston is backstage and talks about being tired of 2point0 and Daniel Garcia, and says he challenges them to go and pick two more partners to face himself, Santana, Ortiz, and the Lucha Brothers on Rampage and says he is specifically going after Garcia and tells him not to be scared.
The New Ryback
On the way to the ring, MJF grabs a mic, tells them to cut his music, and calls this place a dump. He tells Texas, that their daughter swallows and says he should be more like them, anti-education and pro incest, and tells them to keep their redneck mouths shut. MJF mentions CM Punk, as the crowd chants for Punk, but says the second Punk got nervous last week he mentioned the local team sucking for ten straight minutes. MJF says he loved the part about Punk moving on to try and become a world champion, and he’s surprised that having underwhelming matches against underwhelming opponents made him a contender, he thought that only made him the new Ryback. MJF moves on to Dante Martin and says he doesn’t give a damn about the young talent and mentions being the only top talent that’s young that matters, being born in 1996. MJF mentions being a three-time Dynamite Diamond champion and mentions Martin being Helen Keller on Quaaludes and he could beat him with a headlock takeover. He doesn’t claim to be the best in the world, he just is.
Dynamite Diamond Ring Final: MJF vs. Dante Martin
MJF takes Martin down right away with a headlock takeover, before strutting to boos, but Martin hits him with a couple punches before putting on a headlock himself. Martin leapfrogs a bit and knocks MJF back down with a dropkick followed by a standing 450 knee drop. Martin tries the Nosedive, but MJF escapes to the outside. Martin starts to go for a dive, but MJF just walks to the other side of the ring. Martin tries to go for the Nosedive again but gets pushed off and goes face-first into the barricade. MJF follows him outside and pushes him into the barricade as they go to commercial.
When we come back, MJF hits a powerbomb on Martin, goes for the pin with his feet on the ropes, but Bryce Remsburg catches him. Martin comes back with a dropkick but both men stay on the mat laid out. Martin goes to the apron, knocks MJF to the outside where he flies onto him. Martin goes back on the apron and hits a tope con hilo, followed by yet another dive as MJF keeps trying to escape out of the way. MJF goes to the entranceway, where Martin hits a springboard shooting star press, with his knee getting most of MJF. Back inside, Martin goes for the Nosedive again, but MJF walks out of the way. Martin meets him in the corner and hits the ten punches in the corner, gets pushed back, but comes back with a leg lariat. They go back and forth with a couple pin attempts until MJF puts on a headlock takedown. They trade a bunch more pin attempts until MJF hits a Liger Bomb for another two. Martin rolls to the outside, where MJF joins him, tossing him back inside. MJF gets whipped back inside, as Martin hits the Nosedive. As Martin goes for the pin, Ricky Starks appears and puts MJF’s foot on the rope. As Martin turns around, MJF applies the Salt of the Earth as Martin submits
Winner: MJF by submission at 12:33, to win the Dynamite Diamond Ring
It’s Sting… Again
FTR comes to the ring and raises MJF on their shoulders, as he is now a three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring Champion. The lights go out, and as they come back on Sting and Darby Allin are in the ring and start attacking FTR. MJF comes back in and hits a low blow on Sting as the heels take the advantage. CM Punk’s music hits as he runs to the ring with a bat to run FTR and MJF out of the ring, before handing the bat to Sting. CM Punk gets on the mic and says since MJF doesn’t want to do one-on-one, then next week at AEW Dynamite “Holiday Bash”, they can have a trios match with FTR and MJF vs. Sting, Darby Allin, and CM Punk with it being the first time in 27 years that Sting wrestles in Greensboro, North Carolina.