AEW Dynamite
Holiday Bash
Episode 116
#AEWDynamite
Original Air Date: December 22, 2021
Event Date: December 22, 2021
(aired live on TNT)
City: Greensboro, NC
Venue: Greensboro Coliseum
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Intro Video
“Dynamite” by No One Hero
Match 1
Adam Cole vs “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy
(referee: Bryce Remsburg)
Result: Adam Cole wins via pinfall after The Boom (and an attack of Axe & Smash from Kyle O’Reilly)
Time: 17:06
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Cole was frustrated by Cassidy’s usual antics at first, but Cole was mostly able to fuel that frustration into offense (mostly). Overall this was a very good, high-paced back-and-forth fight. The Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler tried to interfere early in the match, but Best Friends and Wheeler Yuta came out and chased them away before the match could be spoiled. Ultimately though, this match was a way to introduce the arrival of Kyle O’Reilly. As you might expect, that meant a shenanigan-filled finish, but it was still a fun moment.
Ring Area
After the match, Kyle O’Reilly attacks Orange Cassidy. Cole pulls O’Reilly off Cassidy. As Cole and O’Reilly stare at each other, Best Friends and Wheeler Yuta run out. Cole, O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish quickly send Best Friends out of the ring. The Young Bucks come out, and they don’t look happy about Cole standing with Fish and O’Reilly.
Video
Clips of the time-limit draw between Hangman Page versus Bryan Danielson from last week. They will have a rematch for th AEW World Championship in two weeks on Dynamite.
Ring Area
In the ring, Tony Schiavone welcomes the AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page. Schiavone says he thinks Page would’ve beaten Bryan Danielson if their match had gone on for a few more minutes. Page says he only felt disappointment after his match with Danielson. Danielson comes out to the stage and mocks the “entitled millennial cowboy.” He says the fans should be the ones who are diappointed, because Danielson should be champion right now. But, Danielson won’t come out here and cry about his feelings. He’s just going to kick Page’s ass again in two weeks.
Danielson goes on to say that if Page “stalls” in their rematch just so he can escape with the title, then we’ll still be in this same situation. So, Danielson suggests that their World Title rematch has judges, so if it does go to another time-limit draw, the judges will decide who the better man (and the champion) is. Page responds by saying he would’ve won last week if he’d only had three more seconds. Page is fine with judges though, because he plans to beat Danielson within the time limit.
Backstage
MJF talks with The Pinnacle. MJF gets on Wardlow’s case before talking about CM Punk, saying Punk always tries to turn people against each other. The Pinnacle is a family though, and Punk won’t get in-between them. Also, MJF is angry about Punk choosing to not shake his hand. Dax Harwood says he had no problem with Punk, but he has a problem with him now.
Match 2
Wardlow w/ Shawn Spears vs “Captain” Shawn Dean
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Wardlow wins via pinfall after four powerbombs
Time: 1:13
Match Thoughts
Powerbombs. That’s all the match consisted of. Four powerbombs. They’re building Wardlow as a monster, but the build is quite boring.
Ring Area
After the match, Shawn Spears hits Shawn Dean with a chair.
Video
A look at the upcoming TNT Title match between champion Sammy Guevara and Cody Rhodes on a special Saturday, Christmas night edition of Rampage.
Ring Area
Dan Lambert is in the balcony with the Men of the Year, and he has a microphone. Lambert talks about how fair he is as a leader, and how Tony Khan is the exact opposite of a fair leader. Lambert talks about the accolades of Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, but they’ll be sitting in the locker room on Christmas night while Khan’s buddy Cody Rhodes is in the main event. Lambert doesn’t care who carries the TNT title out of Rampage this week, either Sky or Page will absolutely take the title from whoever it is.
Backstage
Tony Schiavone is with Britt Baker, Rebel, and Jamie Hayter. Schiavone asks Baker about facing Riho at Battle of the Belts, saying Baker has never beaten Riho one-on-one. Baker says that doesn’t matter since she is bigger and stronger than Riho, and she has Hayter on her side. Tony points out that Hayter also lost to Riho. Baker responds by saying 2021 is the era of D.M.D. Will 2022 start with Riho becoming champ? Nope.
Video
A look at Owen Hart and the upcoming Owen Hart Cup Tournament.
Match 3
TBS Championship Tournament Semifinal Match
“The Native Beast” Nyla Rose w/ Vickie Guerrero vs Ruby Soho
(referee: Aubrey Edwards)
Result: Ruby Soho wins via pinfall after an avalanche No Future, Ruby Soho advances to the finals of the TBS Championship Tournament
Time: 10:39
Match Thoughts
Good match. Nyla Rose attacked Ruby Soho as soon as Soho entered the ring. Soho’s jacket got stuck on her hands, giving Nyla an early advantage that shaped the rest of the match. Soho was fighting from behind the whole time. Soho’s strikes didn’t do much, and Vickie Guerrero’s involvement from ringside was a further hinderance. Soho had to look for huge moves to have a chance in this one, and that led to a really nice finish.
Video
A look at the rivalry between Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb. Deeb says Shida cheated last week, and that Shida has never cleanly beaten her. Deeb isn’t done with Shida yet.
Match 4
Malakai Black vs Griff Garrison w/ Brian Pillman Jr.
(referee: Rick Knox)
Result: Malakai Black wins via submission with a single-leg Boston crab
Time: 3:15
Match Thoughts
There was never really a question about who would win this, especially with Griff Garrison so angry and impulsive that he walked directly into a kick from Malakai Black as soon as the bell rang. Even so, Garrison put up a gutsy performance. This was a good part of this ongoing story line.
Ring Area
After the match, Brian Pillman Jr. gets into the ring to pull Malakai Black off of Garrison. Pillman gets a Black Mass kick to the face for his efforts.
Backstage
Matt Hardy (with Private Party) congratulates Jurassic Express on becoming number one contenders for the tag titles. For Christmas, all Hardy wants is for Private Party to be the number one contenders, so this week on Rampage Isiah Kassidy will injure Jungle Boy in their one-on-one match.
Backstage
Jungle Boy (with Luchasaurus and Christian) doesn’t think Isiah Kassidy will pound his ass on Christmas. Instead, Jungle Boy will shove a big piece of coal up Kassidy’s ass. Christian then promotes his and Jurassic Express’s limited edition holiday t-shirt.
Match 5
MJF & FTR (AAA Tag Champs) vs Sting & Darby Allin & CM Punk
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: CM Punk pins Dax Harwood after GTS (Punk), a Scorpion Death Drop (Sting), and a Coffin Drop (Allin)
Time: 25:56
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The ending was a little weird though. Punk was setting MJF up for GTS, so Harwood shoves MJF out of the ring and basically offers himself up for Punk’s attack. I understand what they were doing (as the announcer’s said, Harwood “took the bullet” for MJF), but with the way it was set up, Harwood could have just as easily simply attacked Punk from behind to save MJF. But other than that, this trios match was a lot of fun. Punk and MJF became the big focus of the match, but the best parts were probably when Punk was fighting off FTR. Everyone looked good though.
Show Impressions
This was a fun show. The middle matches weren’t always superb, but they worked for story purposes.
Match of the Night
MJF & FTR vs Sting & Allin & Punk
Cole versus Orange Cassidy was fun too, and that match had a better finish, but the main event felt like a big deal. The trios match wins on its intangible factors of seeing Punk, Allin, and Sting teaming together.
