(Photo via Twitter @DarbyAllin)
The Jan. 14 edition of AEW Dynamite was highlighted by Darby Allin defending the TNT Championship against Brian Cage
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) presented New Year’s Smash Night Two on this week’s edition of Dynamite. It was a loaded card and we would see the culmination of many feuds.
The card included PAC vs Eddie Kingston, Serena Deeb successfully defending the NWA Women’s title against Tay Conti, Miro vs Chuck Taylor, FTR defeating Jurassic Express and we would hear The Inner Circle’s New Year’s resolutions. Higher on the card was The Elite in six-man tag team action and Darby Allin defending his TNT Championship against Brian Cage.
As always Joseph Casciaro and Gavin Axelrod have full coverage on this episode of Dynamite here on The Intermission!
PAC finally silences Kingston, but more problems ahead
(Twitter via @AEW)
To open this episode of Dynamite was the highly anticipated grudge match between PAC and Eddie Kingston. This feud has been in the works for a very long time, ever since PAC was stuck in England during the early days of the pandemic.
Kingston tried to steal all of PAC’s friends, but that clearly did not work and tonight PAC got his revenge. In a very heated and entertaining bout, it would be PAC hitting the Black Arrow to overcome his worst enemy.
He attempted to continue his attack post-match, but The Lucha Bros and The Butcher and The Blade quickly jumped in the ring. It seemed like that was the end of it, but then Lance Archer’s music hit.
Archer made his way to the ring to let PAC know they needed to get on the same page and he then got right in PAC’s face. Are we seeing a potential PAC-Archer feud in the near future?
Chuck is Miro’s young boy
(Photo via AEW)
Last week Miro challenged Chuck Taylor to a match, but Miro’s condition was that if Chuck lost he would have to become his young boy for a month. Tonight in this match Miro absolutely picked Taylor apart and was able to make him submit to the Game Over.
Now for the next month, Taylor will have to be Miro’s right-hand man and do whatever he says. I am sure this will not sit well with Orange Cassidy and he will find his way to get his friend Chuck Taylor back.
More issues in The Inner Circle
(Twitter via @AEW)
When The Inner Circle came out tonight to announce their New Year’s resolutions we saw some problems arise when Chris Jericho said his resolution was to win the AEW Tag Team Championships with MJF. This got a reaction from Santana & Ortiz who said Jericho handpicked them to be the tag team of The Inner Circle, and then Sammy Guevara was outraged and called Jericho a “tag team slut!”
This led to a full war between all the members and they all had their arguments to be the lead tag team of The Inner Circle. This led to Jericho making an announcement for next week, a triple threat tag team match to crown the official team of The Inner Circle.
The match will be Jericho and MJF vs Santana & Ortiz vs Guevara and Jake Hager, with the winner being the official tag team. Even after this battle of words, MJF made it clear that this match cannot split them up and they are still a family. However, this family seems to be closer and closer to its breaking point.
Hangman in the Dark Order?!
(Twitter via @AEW)
Tonight Dark Order made their first TV appearance since the tribute show to the late Mr. Brodie Lee. Evil Uno spoke on behalf of the faction and said everything they will do from here on out is in Brodie’s name and that they need to be better.
He then said they will start being better when they team up with ‘Hangman’ Adam Page next week. This is huge news and it looks like Page is getting very close to the Dark Order.
John Silver and Alex Reynolds then asked Page if he would be joining Dark Order, and Page agreed to answer this question next week after their match. Could Dark Order be getting a brand new member in AEW’s cowboy? The wrestling world will be awaiting his answer next week!
Maybe Bullet Club isn’t fully back?
(Twitter via @AEW)
It was advertised all week leading up to this episode of Dynamite that we would see The Elite make their return to six-man tag action, but that clearly did not mean what everyone thought. All the fans took The Elite to mean Kenny Omega alongside The Young Bucks, but that was not the plan.
Prior to the match, The Elite was about to make their way to the ring, but Don Callis cut in and said The Bucks deserved their own separate entrance and to wait in the back. Then when Omega reached the ring Callis grabbed the microphone and announced the rest of The Elite. However, it was another set of tag team champions, the Impact Tag Team Champions, The Good Brothers, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows.
We then saw The Young Bucks and Tony Khan looking absolutely disgusted in the back at what Kenny is becoming. Even though last week’s Dynamite ended with the entire band back together, maybe The Bucks are actually on the outside looking in.
Omega, Callus and The Good Brothers seem to have their own agenda and they are going to do things their own way. They ended up winning their six-man tag team match, but now we wonder what is next involving The Young Bucks.
The Bucks were clearly lied to by their “friends” and I am sure they will have something to say to Kenny and The Good Brothers very soon.
Mox ignites a brawl
(Twitter via @AEW)
After The Elite was able to win their tag match, Jon Moxley’s music hit and he was looking for some revenge on Kenny and The Good Brothers after they laid him out last week. Moxley was outnumbered but he then got some help from The Lucha Bros., the other guys Omega and company laid out last week.
This led to an all-out three-on-three brawl and it took the entire locker room to separate everyone. Eventually, The Young Bucks came out to the ring to create some peace, but The Lucha Bros superkicked them both.
Then the brawl continued until the locker room got them apart, but one thing to note is that in the middle of the mess Callis dragged Omega to the back separating him from his friends even though it seemed Kenny wanted to help. This whole feud is really heating up and there are now so many people involved, I expect more to happen when Omega competes on Impact pay-per-view Hard to Kill this Saturday!
Rosa vs Baker rescheduled
(Twitter via @AEW)
Following the conclusion of Britt Baker’s Waiting Room show, Thunder Rosa appeared on the screen who is currently in quarantine. She was scheduled to face Baker tonight, but the match was called off and it has now been rescheduled for AEW Beach Break on Feb. 3.
Darby remains the face of TNT
(Photo via AEW)
The main event of night two of New Year’s Smash Darby Allin defending his TNT Championship against ‘The Machine’ Brian Cage. This was an absolute slugfest and I believe Darby lost a piece of himself in this match.
The majority of the match saw Cage destroying Allin by hitting multiple powerbombs, superplexes and even launching him from the ring through the timekeeper’s table. However, Darby was eventually able to turn it around using his crazy offence he managed to drop Cage on some steps and then land a coffin drop onto him on the steps.
Then back in the ring, it looked like Darby was nearing the finish, but Cage’s tag partner Ricky Starks pulled Allin off the top rope. This led to a blackout in the arena and Sting appeared behind Starks and he hit him with his signature bat.
Allin then hit a crucifix bomb from the top rope to Cage to land the pinfall and retain his TNT Championship. Allin definitely needs to thank Sting for the assist, but for now, he will remain the face of TNT.
Next Week: Inner Circle Tag Team Challenge, Matt Sydal & Top Flight vs Matt Hardy & Private Party, -1’s Birthday celebration match, Nyla Rose vs Leyla Hirsch and Jon Moxley's return to action!