This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite emanates from the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. Jamie Hayter returns to action after 15 months. Tomohiro Ishii goes one-on-one with “Hangman” Adam Page. A returning Jon Moxley calls out Darby Allin. Daniel Garcia gets more revenge on MJF. Ricochet makes his Dynamite debut. Bryan Danielson addresses his future in professional wrestling, and much more.
We break it all down in this week’s AEW Dynamite recap!
Jon Moxley Returns
Jon Moxley is back and says he’s done a lot of thinking lately, specifically about things that need to get done. Moxley says he came back to have a conversation with Darby Allin. Moxley promises that he won’t be hard to find. Moxley says it will take some time for everyone to wrap their brains around his new, quieter, more intense demeanor. Moxley warns that AEW isn’t Tony Schiavone’s company anymore.
Tomohiro Ishii vs. “Hangman” Adam Page
Page and Ishii trade strikes off the jump, with Page gaining the upper hand. Ishii then takes down Page with a shoulder tackle. Page and Ishii exchange chops. Back from break, Page delivers a leaping lariat and a back breaker to Ishii. Page locks Ishii into a leg submission, which Ishii escapes via rope break.
Ishii lands a superplex. Page ducks a sliding knee and connects with a Death Valley Driver. Ishii hits a German Suplex. Page and Ishii exchange elbows and both men are down. In the match’s closing moments, Page lands a German Suplex on Ishii and looks for a Buckshot Lariat, but instead finds himself hit with a slam. Ishii connects with a lariat. Page hits a discus lariat of his own and a Dead Dye. Page lands a Buckshot Lariat for the win.
Winner: Adam Page
Post-match, Swerve Strickland emerges with a mic in his hand alongside Prince Nana. Strickland goes nose-to-nose with Page in the ring. Strickland says he feels sorry for Page, whom he calls a petulant little child. Strickland says Page is further from success while Strickland is closer to it. Strickland says he may not have gold around his waist right now, but he will always be referred to as a world champion, and AEW will always be Swerve’s House. Stickland says Page failed.
Page calls Strickland a piece of s***. Page points out that Strickland could never beat him on his own, and claims that he isn’t as good as Page. Page says he wants Strickland one-on-one, on his knees.
Strickland challenges Page to a Steel Cage match at All Out and recalls driving to Page’s house while he was about to drive his pregnant wife to the hospital. Strickland says he was focused on the AEW World Championship, but Page was fixated on Strickland. Strickland asks Page what kind of man he will be in the steel cage and also what kind of man his kids will see. Instead of answering Strickland’s challenge, Page slides out the ring and heads toward the backstage area.
Jamie Hayter vs. Harley Cameron
Cameron unloads on Hayter in the corner, but Hayter turns the tables and hits a series of stomps. Hayter whips Cameron into the other corner and takes her down with a shoulder tackle. Hayter drops Cameron butt-first onto the mat and stares down with Saraya at ringside. Back in the ring, Hayter delivers three backbreakers and a Haterade for the win.
Winner: Jamie Hayter
We Hear From MJF
MJF says he is in a tremendous amount of pain right now and warns the crowd to pipe down. MJF says he has lost his ring and his American Championship, and now has two herniated discs in his spine. MJF denounces his American citizenship and will no longer be associated with the country, except for Plainview, Long Island, New York.
MJF says his feud with Will Ospreay is far from over, and vows to cut Ospreay out at the knees. MJF then shits his attention to Daniel Garcia, and warns that he will end Garcia’s life if he sees him again. Garcia attacks MJF from behind and locks him a guillotine choke. MJF fades. Garcia thinks about hitting MJF with a Tombstone Piledriver in the middle of the ring, but sets him up on the top rope instead. Security rushes down to break it up, allowing MJF to take control. Garcia quickly shifts momentum back into his favor and again sets up for a piledriver. AEW officials and security stop him again before he can hit it.
On the mic, Garcia says he pawned off MJF’s diamond ring in Buffalo in order to pay for a roundtrip ticket to London for All In. Garcia says his obsession is ruining MJF’s life. Garica announces him versus MJF at AEW All Out, but feels he won’t be fulfilled until he drops MJF on his neck.
Hook, Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong, Chris Jericho, Big Bill, & Bryan Keith
In the match’s closing moments, Big Bill whips O’Reilly into the corner and looks to elbow him, but O’Reilly ducks. Bill tags in Strong while O’Reilly tags in Hook. Hook flattens Bill on his back, then delivers a bridging suplex to Strong. Jericho breaks up the subsequent pinfall attempt. All eight men trade strikes in the ring. Hook takes down Jericho with a right hand, then eats a lung-blower from Stong. O’Reilly takes down Jericho with a running knee while Briscoe and Cassidy take out Keith and Big Bill with dives to the outside.
Back in the ring, Hook locks Strong into the Redrum for the win as the referee fails to see Strong’s leg on the rope
Winners: Hook, Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly
After the match, The Undisputed Kingdom attack Hook, while the Conglomeration and Learning Tree brawl on the entrance ramp.
Backstage, TBS Champion Mercedes Mone celebrates her win at AEW All In. Private Party enter the frame and mention Mone’s upcoming match at NJPW Capital Collision. Isiah Kassidy tries to flirt with Mone. Kazuchika Okada then joins the party, and Mone asks him how to say “Bye b*tch” in Japanese. Okada whispers in her ear, to which Mone replies “Sayonara, b*tches” to Private Party,
New AEW Women’s Champion Mariah May joins Tony Schiavone on stage to inform viewers that her championship celebration has been postponed. May says the people of Champaign need glamor, which she can give to them. May then de-robes herself to reveal the AEW Women’s World Championship and a black dress.
The Grizzled Young Veterans look ahead to their upcoming match on AEW Rampage and warns their opponents to grit their teeth.
Ricochet vs. Kyle Fletcher
Fletchers takes down Ricochet with a shoulder tackle. Ricochet responds with a dropkick and looks to dive onto Fletcher on the outside, but Fletcher moves out of the way. Fletcher then takes out Ricochet with a suicida and kicks him over the barricade, and into the audience. Ricochet springs off the barricade and onto Fletcher.
In the match’s closing moments, Fletcher delivers a running knee to Ricochet and looks for a piledriver, but Ricochet jumps out the hold and lands on his feet. Ricochet pump kicks Fletcher, and hits a Death Valley Driver for a pinfall attempt. Fletcher kicks out. Ricochet then lands a Vertigo (Lifting Reverse DDT) for the win.
Winner: Ricochet
After the match, Will Ospreay emerges with a microphone, but is attacked from behind by PAC. PAC warns Ospreay not to forget about him and their upcoming match at All Out. PAC then welcomes Ricochet to AEW and tells him to get to the back of the line.
Bryan Danielson Speaks
Bryan Danielson reflects on his AEW World Championship win at AEW All In, which his daughter said was the best day of her life. Danielson agrees, calling it his favorite moment of his entire career. Danielson addresses what’s next for him. Danielson confirms that his AEW contract expired on August 1 and that he’ll need neck surgery soon. Danielson also says his family is expecting him to be home soon, so he has a lot to weigh now.
Danielson issues a thank you to AEW, and says the company makes pro wrestling and his life better. In assessing the AEW locker room, Danielson realized it’s probably time for him to go home, but says it’s not yet time. Danielson promises to be a fighting champion, but notes that once he loses the AEW World Championship, he will step away from full-time competition.
Danielson lays out an open challenge for AEW All Out, which TNT Champion Jack Perry responds to. Perry plans to retire “The American Dragon” and become world champion. Perry says his future is ahead of him, while Danielson’s future is behind him. Perry then attacks Danielson from behind. Perry lands a running knee on Danielson and poses with both the TNT and AEW World Championship.