Tonight on AEW Dynamite, we witness the fallout from Full Gear as Hangman Adam Page celebrates his World Heavyweight Title win in his homestate of Norfolk, Virginia. Plus, Jay Lethal makes his AEW debut as he challenges Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship.
AEW DYNAMITE
November 17, 2021, Norfolk, VA
Commentary: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone & Excalibur
Kenny & The Elite are backstage. Kenny says fans are asking him when he’s going to get his rematch? He feels there’s things he’s gotta fix and change and credits Hangman with the win. He wants The Elite to hold down the fort as he’s gone. Cole assures Kenny he’s got this. He clarifies he was referring to The Bucks. Nick Jackson tells Brandon Cutler to stop recording (“hit the red button.”)
The Dark Order are in the ring as John Silver introduces Adam Page to his Virginia crowd. Page comes out with the belt on and a “Virginia Is For Lovers” tee. He grabs the mic. “You deserve it” chants. He stops the crowd and says he didn’t deserve it he F’n earned it. “You earned it” chants. He’s usually a little shy and more reserved, but now that he’s AEW Champ he thinks he’ll do whatever the hell he wants. He’s still just a man with a boss and a job. He told them since day one his boss was the fans. So he’d love to celebrate “National Cowboy Shit Day” with them all. He knows the title carries a lot of weight and responsibility and that next responsibility is the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. Sure enough, out comes Danielson. He came out to essentially say one thing: “Congratulations Hangman Adam Page.” He shakes the champ’s hand. He’s super excited for the match, but he’s a little surprised and disappointed that it’s not Kenny Omega. Hangman said he isn’t and he happened to beat Kenny in less than 30 minutes. He says he’s not going to be wearing a Ghostbuster suit on Halloween and if he recalls, the day after he won at WrestleMania, he defended the belt the next day. Cowboy shit must involve flapping his gums. Hangman is ready to do so if Danielson wants it. Danielson says normally he would accept, but Adam isn’t dressed for the part. He doesn’t want Hangman to have an excuse that “he wasn’t ready.” Hangman says well if they don’t want to have a match tonight, he’s still ready for a fight. The Dark Order separate the two and Danielson grabs the mic and says Hangman has his little friends stop them from fighting. Danielson says “they all know he’d kick his ass that’s why they won’t let him go.” Hangman tackles Danielson and the two get parted again. Next up is Bryan vs. Evil Uno after the commercial break.
MATCH 1
Bryan Danielson vs. Evil Uno
Danielson trips up Uno and stands up to boos. Bryan downs Uno once more until Uno fires back with a shoulder tackle. Manhattan Drop and some kicks lead to a roll up and kick out by Danielson. Bryan slaps Uno. BD attacks in the corner and a front chancery suplex by Danielson. He celebrates to boos. Chops ae traded. Danielson kicks Uno into the corner that prompts him to indicate to Aubrey Edwards to “I have til five.”
Uno allows Danielson to pieface him three times untill Uno fires back with strikes and chops in the corner. Uno gets a pop from Norfolk. Uno nails a huricanrana. Uno catches Danielson with a neckbreaker for two. “Uno” chants. Boots to the face of Bryan so Bryan strikes back. Moe hard strikes in the corner. He backs up to deliver two leaping calf kicks in the corner, but when he goes for a third Uno knocks him down. He climbs up for senton, but Bryan gets the knees up. Danielson hits his finishing running knee. He stomps the face of Uno to “No” chants. Triangle sleeper and Uno immediately passes out.
WINNER: Bryan Danielson
After the match, Schiavone gets in the ring to note that the fans are letting Bryan have it. Danielson notes because of Page’s behavior, he ended up kicking Uno’s head in. So until he gets his title shot against Hangman, he’s going to kick all of the Dark Order’s heads in one by one. Next week they’re in Chicago so he challenges Colt Cabana to a match next week (where he’ll kick his head in).
MJF is shown after his match with Darby Allin. He’s covered in red marks and says that’s Darby Allin’s shame. He made the fans look like idiots. He’s got the effort bell-to-bell. He says he doesn’t know what’s going on with his knee but he knows what’s going on in his head. They have no choice but to admit just how darn good he is. He just beat Darby Allin with a headlock takedown and who knows what’s next for Maxwell Jacob Friedman. He’s better than you and now you have no choice but to admit it.
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Eddie, but before he can say anything he’s interrupted 2point0 and Daniel Garcia. They talk trash, saying Garcia hung better against Punk than Eddie did. He gets face to face with Garcia and tells him he doesn’t respect him because he lets the two blockheads call them their son. Eddie said Punk wanted to wrestle, well he’s going to fight Garcia. 2point0 pull Garcia away and Eddie is begging to just have one promo. He’s going to catering.
MATCH 2
The Butcher & The Blade vs. Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii (with Rocky Romero)
Blade takes some deliberate strikes to Ishii but it’s Ishii who knocks him down with one shot. Lateral press splash by Orange for a two count. “Freshly Squeezed” chants. Orange pockets and shin kicks Blade. OC gives him a frog leap and dropkick, but Blade gets blind tagged by Butcher. Big shoulder tackle to Orange by Butch. Orange gets dumped to the outside as we head to commerical pic-in-pic.
Orange is still isolated until he casually walks over to tag in Ishii. He shoulder bumps Blade down. Ishii chants. Hard chops in the corner. Back drop suplex for two count. Butcher and Ishii slug it out. Butcher gets the better of the battle and lariats Ishii in the corner. Chops to the chest of Ishii. Ishii thousand mile stares as Butcher continues to strike. He advances on the Butch to the opposite corner. Suplerplex to Butcher. Ishii tags in Oange and gets caught by B&B after a cross body, but he hits a Stundog Millionaire on Butcher and his patented spinning DDT to Blade for two. OC goes for the Orange Punch but Butcher and Blade hits a suplex neckbreaker. They get the near win but Ishii saves it. He drags over Orange and tags himself in. He knocks Blade out of the ring and strikes away at Ishii. He downs Butcher in the corner with elbows. Bunny gets on the apron. Blade gets the brass knuckles. Rocky Romero pulls him out of the ring. Matt Hardy attacks Rocky and Orange leaps to the outside onto Blade and Hardy. Ishii hits Blade with a brainbuster for the 1-2-3.
WINNERS: Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii
Schiavone is with Andrade and FTR. El Idolo says to Cody and PAC he’s prepared to show them his bad side. FTR wants to partner with Malakai Black and Andrade for an eight-man tag. Tully calls out Arn.
There’s a video showing Tay Conti remaining confident after a loss. Britt Baker is then with Tony Schiavone. She doesn’t know what else she has to prove as champion so she wants to spotlight the future TBS Women’s Champion in Jamie Hayter. Schiavone notes that Hayter has tough competition in Thunder Rosa next week. Britt doesn’t like that and calls out Thunder Rosa.
MATCH 3
AEW TBS Women’s Championship Tournament Quarterfinals
Nyla Rose (with Vickie Guerrero) vs. Hikaru Shida
Shida starts off hot with missile dropkick to the knees of Rose for a two count. Rolling elbow strike by Shida, but Rose nails a vert suplex. Kicks from Shida. Rose goes to the outside and Shida chases her back in the ring. When Hikaru goes to get back in the ring Nyla drops an elbow on her. Nyla sends Shida into the corner for shoulder thrusts. Snapmare and kick by Rose. Rose steps on the bad knee of Shida. Rose utilizes the ropes to wear down Shida and so does Vickie as she chokes Shida with the kendo stick of Hikaru.
Rose grabs Shida up and throws her knee first into the corner. They go to the outside as Norfolk chants “Shut up Vickie.” Shida sets up a chair to launch off of and Rose hits her from behind. She sets Shida in the chair and gets on the apron. She leaps off with a senton but Shida moves and obliterates the chair. Shida grabs the kendo from Vickie. Vickie falls and Shida strikes her in the back with a kendo to a big reaction.
We’re back from break to see Serena Deeb chop block Shida on the outside. Rose knees Shida on the apron, hanging her over the top rope. She nails her knee from the top and covers Shida: 1-2-kickout.
Shida fights on but Rose goes for a Beast Bomb. Shida reverses and gets the triangle hold on Rose. Shida rolls her into the center of the ring. Rose picks her up for a powerbomb and nails a senton drop on the knee of Hikaru. Nyla leaps off top for a front senton but misses. Shida goes for her Kitana kick finisher but Rose catches her with a standing stretch muffler to Shida’s bad knee and Hikaru submits.
WINNER and ADVANCING: Nyla Rose
Malakai Black is ready for next week’s eight-man tag. “Deep breath my friends, while oxygen is still on your side.”
MJF comes out with Shawn Spears and Wardlow. Max hands the mic to Spears. Shawn says he would appreciate absolute silence at this time. MJF grabs the mic to mock Norfolk. They’re looking at the guy who checks all the boxes. He’s easily the most complete pro wrestler on the planet. He’s the past, the present and the future of professional wrestling. He says he could take a big “cowboy shit” right on their hometown boy’s title reign. He says he deserves to be the next AEW World Champion. Nobody in that locker room is as good as him and nobody in that locker room is on his level. CM Punk’s music hits.
Punnk gets in the ring and crosses his arms without mic in hand. “Holy shit” chants. “Shut the fuck up” chants for MJF. He offers a hand to Punk. Punk smiles and walks off.
Tony Schiavone is with Darby Allin. Darby says MJF did not break him mentally. He begins to talk further but is interrupted by the Gunn Club. Billy Gunn challenges him while Colten and Austin mock Darby. “Screw it. Let’s do it,” says Darby.
Adam Cole is tired of Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Christian Cage. The Young Bucks are not medically cleared, but this Friday on Rampage it will be Adam Cole & Bobby Fish battling Jurassic Express. Bobby Fish goes to use the Undisputed Era catchphrase, but Matt Jackson tells Cutler to cut the tape.
MATCH 4
Lio Rush & Dante Martin vs. The Acclaimed
Lio and Dante dive onto The Acclaimed after Max does his insult rap. Rush and Martin do an impressive evasive double team drop-toe hold to Anthony Bowens. Diving stomp to the elbow by Martin to Bowens.
Soon, The Acclaimed double suplex Dante on the outside and cut off the ring. Caster stomps Dante in the ribs. Back elbow by Caster to Dante, followed by mounted punches. Leg lock and elbow to Martin. “Let’s go Dante” chants. Textbook neckbreaker by Caster. We go to break via pic-in-pic.
Back from break, Martin walks on the back of The Acclaimed to tag in Lio who unleashes a flurry of offense. Axe kick to Anthony for a two count. “Lio” chants. Lio goes for a frog splash but rolls through after Bowens moves. Caster avoid a nose dive by Martin. Combo shot kick by Bowens to Rush and Dante hits a springboard dropkick to Bowens. All men are down. “A-E-Dub” chants.
Caster and Bowens hit a Claim to Fame combo for a near fall on Rush, but Dante makes the save. “This is awesome” chants. Dante Martin delivers a shotgun dropkick to Caster. Dante hits a Nose Dive to Bowens. Frog splash from Lio Rush and it’s good for the W.
WINNERS: Lio Rush & Dante Martin
Post-match, Team Taz comes out. Taz offers his condolences to Lio after the loss of his grandma. Taz says they’ll be patient. They were patient with Hobbs. Ricky Starks tells Dante here’s the deal: if he goes with Team Taz, he’s on his way to a Hall of Fame career, but if he doesn’t, he’s off to a mediocre one. “The choice is yours,” says Starks.
Christian Cage is with Jurassic Express. They’ll see Cole and Bobby Fish on Friday night.
We see a video package of the rivarly between Red Velvet and Jade Cargill. Their TBS quarterfinals match is this Friday on Rampage as well.
The Lucha Brothers are ready for next week’s eight-man tag as well and say so with a quick promo.
MAIN EVENT
AEW TNT Championship
Jay Lethal vs. Sammy Guevara (c)
Lethal nearly gets caught with a GTH, but the two men exchange pin attempts afterwards before going nose-to-nose. Dropkick by Lethal gets a one count. Backbreaker to the taped ribs of Sammy. Two count. Lethal punches Sammy ribs and gives him a kitchen sink. Dueling chants. Sammy catches Lethal for a rising knee strike that sets Lethal up for a tope ont he outside. Sammy favors his ribs. “A-E-Dub” chants. Sammy comes leaping off with a shooting star press but Lethal gets his knees up and we head to our final break of the evening via pic-in-pic.
Back from it, Lethal and Sammy go back and forth. Sammy catches Jay for a standing Spanish Fly after a Lethal Injection attempt. Soon after, Lethal goes for a tope, but Sammy crisply catches him for a brainbuster on the floor. Sammy goes for a long swanton on Lethal against the medical table, but goes crashing through it instead. Lethal goes for a Machismo elbow up top, but Sammy rolls him up for a two count. Figure four by Lethal in the center of the ring. He gets a two count on Sammy while the champ is still locked in the hold. Guevara makes it to the ropes.
Sammy keeps struggling to get Lethal up for the GTH, but manages to hit him with two big knee strikes (one running). Sammy signals for the end. Sammy tries once more for the GTH and nails it. 1-2-3.
WINNER and STILL TNT Champion: Sammy Guevara
As Sammy’s music plays, they show Tony Nese at ringside. Inner Circle come out to celebrate with Sammy to end the show as Lethal and Guevara shake hands. Inner Circle raise the hand of Jay to end the show.
