Tonight on AEW Dynamite, Samoa Joe makes his AEW debut as he fights Max Caster in the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Qualifier.
AEW DYNAMITE
April 6, 2022, Boston, MA
Commentary: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone & Excalibuer
MATCH 1
Adam Cole vs. Christian Cage
The two start this off methodically and eventually lock up. Cage has Cole trapped in a side sleeper before grounding Cole down. Cole kicks Cage in the gut and corners Cage to a chorus of boos Cage chops at the chest of Cole on the outside before the action goes back into the ring. Cage props Cole up top but Adam escapes and kicks Cage in the Achilles tendon. Tree of woe to Christian sets him up for stomps. Cole sends Cage into the steel steps and we cut to our first commercial break.
Back from it, Cage tosses Cole out. Christian jumps to the outside from all the way up top and crashes down on Cole. Cole answers at five while Christian makes it back in at seven. Hard shots are traded and Cole gets the better of the exchange with an enziguri. Cage gets his boots up to stop Cole from a top rope attack. Christian soon hits his tornado DDT for a near fall. Cole knees Cage in the gut and soon manages to hit a backstabber in the corner for a two count.
Cage is down as Boston claps on. Cage catches Cole with a small package but a reverse DDT to Cole keeps Adam down. Cage misses a diving headbutt but misses. Cole lands the Boom, but it was Adam who didn’t take the knee pad off. Two count. Punches are traded between both men. A superkick is hit, but it’s Christian who gets a near fall from up top. Chritian counters a Panama Sunrise, but Cage escapes free. Cage nails a spear and gets a near three count. Crowd shows his appreciation, but Cole pokes Cage in the eye to lower the Boom. 1-2-3,
WINNER: Christian Cage
Post match, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish attack Cage. Out comes Jurrassic Express to even the outs. Cole finds himself standing in the ring as Hangman Page’s music hits. Cole says he’s not fighting him until he’s good and ready. Hangman is fuming and slaps Adam Cole. He’s going to give him another shot at the AEW Title. Next week’s live Rampage in Texas. It’s going to be a Texas Deathmatch. “Cowboy shit” chants. Hangman warns Cole to get his affairs in order.
MATCH 2
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier
Samoa Joe vs. Max Caster (with Anthony Bowens)
Joe jabs Max down after a staredown and disparaging rap. He nails Caster with an enziguri. Snapmare to chop and stomp. Joe is in control. Caster powders. Suicida elbow to Caster. Joe pursues Bowens and it allows Caster to attack from behind. Caster tries backhanding Joe, but Joe nails a charging elbow. Muscle buster. 1-2-3.
WINNER: Samoa Joe
We cut to Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt on the big screen. Lethal said for months he tried contacting Joe, but apparently Joe only answers the phone for billionaires. Lethal aays him and Dutt is going to give his teacher a present he’s never going to forget.
William Regal, Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson. Regal talks about Bryan taking on Trent Berreta and Jon Moxley will take on Wheeler Yuta.
MATCH 3
Shawn Spears vs. Shawn Dean
MJF joins commentary. Shawn Spears is handling Dean pretty easily before we cut to the back and see Wardlow rampaging his way through the backstage area as he takes out security one by one. Shawn Dean suddenly rolls up a distracted Spears for the 1-2-3.
WINNER: Shawn Dean
MJF comes down to the ring and Spears is ticked off.
Backstage there is conflict between the Best Friends.
We see footage of Kingston, Santana and Ortiz attacking the Jericho Appreciation Society. Eddie comes out live and in person to call out them against. He’s going to attack them on-site. Santana calls JAS damn scrubs. Ortiz challenges them to a good ol’ fashion six-man next week. Kingston says he’s going to beat their asses JYD and Butch Reed style…bitch.
Jade Cargill comes out to introduce her baddies section in Boston. She runs down Marina Shafir’s previous MMA background and says it’s only a matter of time that she’s #30 in 30-0.
MJF challenges Shawn Dean to a match next week.
MATCH 4
Tables Match
Butcher & Blade vs. The Hardys
Butcher splits off with Matt while Jeff eludes Blade who crashes into the table. Butcher gets nailed with a double DDT by the Hardys. They put Butcher on a leaning table. Matt holds Butcher down for Jeff to attempt a Swanton, but Blade holds the leg and Jeff trips. Butch and Blade crushes Jeff with a double team through the table to score one for the bad guys. We go to break.
ELIMINATED: Jeff Hardy
Matt is nailing Butcher with a chair and gets him up on the table. Matt nails his patented leg drop through the wood and Butch is out.
ELIMINATED: Butcher
Matt evades the attempts of Blade and Butcher who still stays in the bout despite being eliminated. Jeff just in time saves Matt from being put through a table on the outside by pulling it out of the way. Hardy sweeps Butch down for his leg drop to the groin. Blade and Matt get to their feet and Matt nails the Twist of Fate. Jeff pulls out a ladder and jabs Butch with it. Matt hits a Twist of Fate on him. Jeff sets up a ladder as Matt puts two tables together. Matt flattens Blade on the table as Jeff climbs. He Swantons Blade through the table.
WINNERS: The Hardys
Out comes Andrade with the rest of his Family Office. Out comes Sting to even the odds.
We go backstage to see an angry Christian Cage walk off before Jurassic Express cut a promo on ReDRagon. Next week on Dynamite they challenge RD to a Tag Team Title match.
MATCH 5
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Qualifier
Julia Hart vs. Hikaru Shida
Hart attacks Shida from behind and then demands Brian Pillman Jr, and Griff Garrisson to the back. We go to picture in picture following Hart’s attitude change. Back from it, Shida gets back in control and hits a stump suplex. Shida picks Hart up over the apron and nails a suplex. Hart later nails a bulldog for a near fall. Shida nails a falcon arrow for the 1-2-3 finish.
WINNER and ADVANCING: Hikaru Shida
Post-match, Serena Deeb comes out with a steel chair and Shida has a stand off with her Kendo stick.
Swerve Strickland notes he had a great weekend at the Grammys but not such a great week with Hobbs and Starks putting them through tables. Swerve says he has business to handle, but gets ambushed by Hobbs and Starks. It’s Swerve and Keith Lee getting the better of the exchange as Lee puts Hobbs through a wall.
MAIN EVENT
AAA Tag Team Championship & ROH World Tag Team Championship
Young Bucks vs. FTR
Bobby Cruise makes the official ring introductions for the fight. “FTR” chants start as Cash and Matt begin the bout. Cash locks it up and then shoves Matt down. Cash grounds him for a headlock. Dueling chants that sends Matt to the outside as Cash steals Matt’s headband. Cash catches Matt with a drop toe hold to tag in Dax and Matt makes a tag to Nick. Headlock tackdown to Nick. Nick escapes an arm wrench courtesy of the ropes. Nick throws his feathered headband at Dax who shoves it down his own trunks and throws it at Matt. Dax betters Nick with a series of arm drags. Blind tag from Matt and the four find themselves in a staredown. “FTR” chants. A hockey fight breaks out between them all. Cash nails the YBs with a double lariat. Cash cinches in a Sharpshooter and so does Dax for stereo Excellence of Execution.
Cannonball kick to the corner to Cash. Matt begins a controlled attack to Cash and hits a diving forearm elbow up top. Lots of hat tips to Bret Hart. Nick chokes Cash on the ropes as we head to pic-in-pic.
Back from break, Dax gets a big time babyface hot tag. Pins are exchanged between him and Matt. Big piledriver to Matt and Dax gets a very near fall. Round of applause from Boston. Cash cracks Nick with a belly-to-back on the apron. Dax nails a superplex, but Cash gets nailed with a Frankensteiner in the adjacent corner. Dax tags in Cash and Matt tags in Nick. Bulldog dropkick combo to Cash. Nick punts Dax. Springboard facebuster to Cash. Dax nails a brainbuster on the outside to Nick as Cash hits a Gory special. 1-2-kickout!
Crowd is getting into a fever pitch as Cash and Dax go for a Big Rig, but Matt escapes and low blows to hit a Big Rig on Cash. 1-2-kickout by FTR.
Bucks hit The More Bang For Your Buck on Cash but he kicks out once again.
Nick grabs an ROH belt and manages to crack Cash with it as Matt rolls him up with a handful of tights, but Dax saves him. Bucks hit a superkick to Dax and that leaves Cash alone for the BTE Trigger. They nail it. Cover, but Cash get his foot on the ropes and the match continues. Big “FTR” chants. They catch the Bucks with a powerbomb tombstone piledriver. They nail a BTE Trigger on Matt, give him a smooch and hit a Big Rig on him to get the 1-2-3.
WINNERS and STILL AAA & ROH Tag Team Champions: FTR
