It’s time to lay out the cookies and milk for Papa Gedo this week, as the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois welcomes the talents of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s roster on this week’s episode of Dynamite! The card tonight is stacked with all sorts of professional wrestling action.
Blind Eliminator Tournament for an AEW World Tag Team Title shot
So, I don’t know too much of what’s going on in this match. Perhaps the most logical explanation is that someone is handed a new tag team member at random, like when your junior high school gym teacher would pair you with a partner of their choosing on Square Dancing Day and your partner really doesn’t like you so they point out all of your visual imperfections because this is middle school and middle school doesn’t care about your feelings.
Adam Cole speaks
Left with an understandably bitter taste in his mouth following the time-limit draw finish to his eliminator match for the AEW World Championship last week, Adam Cole (baybay) likely has some bitter words to say towards champ MJF. Cole nearly had MJF in the death rattle of the match’s lifespan, but time itself snatched victory from his literal fingertips at the very last second. Will he call out MJF for an actual title match, or is something else on the horizon for the undisputedly talented wrestler?
Jeff Jarrett vs. Mark Briscoe (Concession Stand Brawl)
This one has a lot of history to it despite it being the fist time meeting between Jeff Jarrett and Mark Briscoe. Concession Stand Brawls has the Jarrett name imprinted on it, and Jeff is no stranger to it, when he and Jerry Lawler took on the Moondogs long, long ago under the same stipulation. For Jeff, it was as hardcore as hardcore gets – and Mark Briscoe has seen his own share of hardcore and bloodfests. Both of these men are pissed when they should have just Live, Laugh, Left things alone. Will Mark reach for the sky in victory, or will Double J bwee-woo the Briscoe Brother all over the Dipping Dots? Tune in!
Kris Statlander (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie for the TBS Championship
Validly irate over having her moment in loss trounced by the return and quick coronation of Kris Statlander at Double or Nothing, Taya Valkyrie demanded another chance. After all, she came in with much fanfare and had the opportunity to win the title out of the gate rejected – TWICE. This has got to end in one of two ways – Taya accepting she is not the one for the title yet, or that Statlander’s time back sees this win taken from her. Neither woman is wrong in what they want here – but might will win out, one way or another.
The Hardys vs. The Gunns
The legendary Matt and Jeff Hardy take on Austin and Colton Gunn, last seen assisting Bullet Club Gold. Brothers against brothers. The Hardys seek to prove they aren’t old dogs in need of putting down, but the Gunns wish to stake their claim as a team who can take out one of the greatest to ever do it.
Bryan Danielson calls out Kazuchika Okada
I’ve already written about this upcoming match in my article: Ain’t Gonna Be No Rain, but man, if we get that epic stare down betwixt The American Dragon and The Rainmaker, I might soil my undergarments. I’m already getting goosebumps.
We’ll Hear From Eddie Kingston
The Mad King’s reappearance on AEW television last week was a pulse-pounding one, and he has some colleagues and enemies to address. Is he on the same side as The Elite? Who knows for certain, but I do know that his inevitable encounters with Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and dear friend Jon Moxley is going to be compelling wrestling programming.
Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia and Zack Sabre, Jr.
Isaiah Kassidy’s moans would probably be my best description of this match, but I will attempt it with my own original words because I am pretentious like that. So, the ROH Pure Champion Shibata and the AEW International Champion Cassidy have an established friendship, but can the sports entertainer Daniel Garcia coexist with NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr.? As a sucker for great technical wrestling, this match is going to have even me tapping out in ecstasy. Okay, I’ll stop being weird as hell now.
Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki vs. Action Andretti, Darius Martin, and AR Fox
Why in the world Jericho found brotherhood and union with Minoru Suzuki is beyond me, but perhaps we’ll see the latter’s Strong Style stablemates, El Desperado and/or Ren Narita. While the team of high-flying independent darlings (compliment) is exciting enough, I feel there might be something beyond the horizon for Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Suzuki. Maybe it’ll involve Sting and Darby Allin, maybe more. Or maybe nothing will happen and I’ll look like an idiot.
There you have it, folks. A heavy night ahead of us, with surprises, twists, and turns ahead of Forbidden Door likely to transpire. What else could happen? With The Elite reportedly not in the arena tonight and CM Punk rumored to show up, anything is possible.
Catch AEW: Dynamite tonight at 8ᴘᴍ ET/ 7ᴘᴍ CT on TBS.
