This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite emanates from the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana! The 2024 Continental Classic continues. 12 men vie for a shot at facing MJF in the Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal. Anna Jay takes on Penelope Ford. Hook calls out Christian Cage and more!
We break it all down in this week’s AEW Dynamite recap!
Continental Classic Blue League Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Kyle Fletcher (w/ Don Callis on Commentary)
Benjamin and Fletcher lock up, with the former pushing the latter into the corner. They lock up again, with Benjamin now pushing Fletcher to the ground. Fletcher applies a head lock, but Benjamin escapes and connects with a shoulder tackle. Fletcher retreats to the apron to recompose himself before returning with a flurry of right hands. Benjamin explodes out of the corner with a clothesline.
Fletcher again retreats to the outside and circles the ring before returning. Benjamin lands a chop to Fletcher’s back, then follows up with a knee to his midsection. Benjamin attempts a German Suplex, but Fletcher fights out of it with elbow strikes. Benjamin hits a side slam. Fletcher sends both of them flying over the top rope.
Back from break, Benjamin and Fletcher trade strikes. Benjamin rams Fletcher into the barricade, the ring apron, then the steel steps. Benjamin charges toward Fletcher, but Fletcher sidesteps, causing Benjamin to collide with the ring post. Benjamin barely beats the referee’s count and is planted by Fletcher for a near fall. The two trade strikes once again, until Fletcher connects with a jumping kick. Fletcher drives Benjamin into the mat for another near fall.
Fletcher kicks Benjamin in the corner, to Benjamin responds with a kick of his own. Benjamin delivers a powerbomb then follows up with a submission. Fletcher breaks the hold by reaching the nearby bottom rope. Fletcher rocks Benjamin with a pair of kicks before ascending the top rope. Fletcher comes down with an elbow drop for a near fall. Fletcher charges toward Benjamin, only to meet a thrust kick.
Benjamin hits a trio of German Suplexes, then follows up with a step-up knee strike in the corner. Fletcher rolls to the apron and hits a sunset flip. He then rolls up Benjamin, with his hand on the rope for added leverage. The referee doesn’t notice and counts three.
Winner: Kyle Fletcher
Hook Calls Out The Patriarchy
Hook says he heard what Nick Wayne said last weekend, but he’d rather fight his “father,” Christian Cage. Cage and Mama Wayne emerge on the stage. Meanwhile, Kip Sabian and Nick Wayne ambush Hook in the ring. Hook fights them off and puts Wayne in the Redrum. Cage enters the ring to make it a 3-on-1 attack on Hook. Sabian and Wayne introduce a pair of chairs into the ring. While Sabian holds down Hook’s hand on one chair, Wayne slams the other onto it.
Backstage, Mercedes Mone is asked about Kamille’s attack last week. Mone says she is not liable for Kamille anymore nor is she concerned for her anymore. She is however concerned with Anna Jay. Mone confirms that she’ll be watching Jay’s match tonight against Penelope Ford.
Backstage, Shelton Benjamin attacks a crew member. When security try to intervene, Bobby Lashley and MVP beat them down as well.
Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal
Adam Cole and Evil Uno trade strikes, with Uno taking down Cole. Mark Davis hoists Uno over the top rope and eliminates him. The Butcher swoops in to try and eliminate Davis, but Davis fends him off. Meanwhile, Brian Cage slams Action Andretti. Darius Martin DDTs Lance Archer. Lio Rush and Action Andretti eliminate Top Flight with a pair of kicks.
Davis piledrives The Butcher. Davis then tees off on Cage and Archer. Cage and Archer, however, overpower him and eventually send him over the top rope for an elimination.
Back from break, Andretti and Rush double-team Rocky Romero on the apron. Romero fends off Rush. Kyle O’Reilly kicks Andretti off the apron. O’Reilly then sends Rush over the top rope for another elimination. Archer and Cage chokeslam Romero over the top rope and out of the ring. Meanwhile, Cole eliminates The Butcher with an enziguri.
O’Reilly dumps Archer over the top rope, but Archer holds on. Cole sends Cage over the top, but Cage drags him over as well. Cole returns to the ring and superkicks Cage. Cole and O’Reilly kick Cage and Archer to the floor on either side of the ring for the final eliminations.
Winner: Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly
A vignette plays of Julia Hart calling out Jamie Hayter and warning her to watch her back.
Backstage, Billy Gunn says everything is not alright tonight as he and Anthony Bowens have tried talking Max Caster out of wrestling Swerve Strickland. Bowens then tells Caster to go out there and prove himself to be the best wrestler alive. Gunn, however, appears to still be concerned.
Swerve Strickland vs. Max Caster
Strickland kicks Caster off the apron before he can finish his rap. He then whips Caster into the ringside barricades before rolling him into the ring. The bell rings, with Strickland evading a Famouser attempt from Caster. Strickland sends Caster to the outside and kicks him to the floor. Caster fires off right hands and rolls Strickland back into the ring. He lands a springboard dropkick, to which Strickland responds with a trio of House Calls. Strickland covers Caster for the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
After the match, Strickland looks back at Caster and ascends to the top rope. He comes down with a double stomp to Caster’s face. Strickland then proclaims that his business with Bobby Lashley is not yet over.
MVP cuts a promo, stating that his run with Adam Cole was record-breaking, but then Cole turned on him. MJF blames Cole’s actions for Roderick Strong being injured, and him now facing his own friend, Kyle O’Reilly. MJF also blames the rise of The Death Riders on Cole. MJF says he’s sick of Cole pretending to be the hero, when really he’s the villain. MJF believes Cole cannot beat O’Reilly, and next week will prove that.
PAC vs. Jay White
Wheeler Yuta appears behind White as Pac charges toward him. White, however, sees it coming and takes control over Pac. White looks for a Blade Runner, but Pac evades and rolls out of the ring. Pac shoves Yuta in frustration.
White rolls Pac back into the ring and uppercuts him. White follows up with a back body drop. Pac goes for a kick, but White catches his foot. Pac then catches White’s boot and is sent over the top rope and onto the floor. White slams Pac onto the apron. Back in the ring, White covers Pac for a near fall. White charges toward Pac, but is instead send up and over the rope. White collides with Yuta. Yuta strikes him as the referee isn’t looking. Pac sends White crashing into the barricade.
Back from break, White DDTs Pac for a near fall. Pac hits a German Suplex. White responds with a uranage. Both men are laid out onto the mat when the referee begins to count. They both reach their feet. White runs into a boot from Pac in the corner. Pac goes up top and looks for a Shooting Star Press. White sees it coming and rolls out of the way. Pac kicks White in the midsection. White counters with a half-and-half suplex. Pac traps White in the Brutalizer submission. White eventually reaches the bottom rope, forcing Pac to break the hold.
As the referee argues with Pac, Yuta delivers a running knee to White on the outside. White recovers and executes the Bladerunner for the win.
Winner: Jay White
Post-match, White delivers a Blade Runner to Yuta. Marina Shafir enters the ring as a distraction, allowing Jon Moxley to ambush White from behind. Moxley plants White with a Paradigm Shift and looks to leave through the crowd. “Hangman” Adam Page walks out onto the stage and stares down Moxley and Shafir. From behind, Orange Cassidy chokes out Moxley. Page then looks to fend off The Death Riders, but is thrown to the outside. Cassidy levels Pac and Yuta before turning his attention to Moxley. Cassidy and White take down Moxley. As Moxley struggles to his feet, Page charges in with a Buckshot Lariat. Meanwhile, Christian Cage appears on the stage with his title shot contract in his hands.
Backstage, Jamie Hayter says she’s determined to go all the way in the International Women’s Cup. She then vows to come find Julia Hart and knock her down on the mat.
A vignette plays, teasing the comeback of Bandido.
Penelope Ford vs. Anna Jay
Jay extends her hand for Ford to shake, but Ford kicks it away. Ford and Jay trade forearm strikes. Jay looks for a side kick in the corner, but Ford escapes and levels Jay instead. Jay connects with an elbow, then chokes Ford against the ropes. Ford responds with a double knee drop onto the apron. Jay looks to whip Ford into the barricade, but Ford keeps her grasp intact and kicks her. Ford then sends Jay crashing into the steel steps.
Back from break, Ford nails a handspring back-elbow combo in the corner. Jay sweeps Ford off her legs as she sits atop the top turnbuckle. Jay then throws Ford to the mat and hits a neckbreaker. Jay gets hyped up , only to meet a big boot to the face. Jay responds with a thrust kick and her Queenslayer submission. Ford, however, breaks the hold and rocks Jay with a stunner for a near fall. Ford climbs to the top looking for a moonsault, but misses. Jay dropkicks her.
Ford trips Jay and dropkicks her back. Ford locks in her submission, but Jay reaches the bottom rope to break it. Ford argues with the referee, allowing Jay to push her into the ropes and transition into the Widow’s Peak for the win.
Winner: Anna Jay
After the match, Jay calls out Mercedes Mone. Mone appears with a mic in hand, confirming that she watched Jay’s match. Mone questions if Kris Statlander, the biggest and the strongest couldn’t beat her, then how could Jay. Mone says she admires Jay’s confidence, but tells her to come back in 10 years for her title shot. Jay slaps Mone. Mone takes off her coat, teasing a fight with Jay. She looks at her watch and retreats, saying they’ll fight on her time.
AEW Women’s Champion Mariah May speaks with Renee Paquette. May says giving a title shot to her “best friend” is a generous gesture. May further states that she’ll make Mina Shirakawa work in the ring, because she believes in her, and when they’re done, they’ll sip champagne together. Shirakawa appears with a champagne bottle in hand and challenges May to indeed make her work during their match at Winter is Coming.
Continental Classic Gold League Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brody King
Cladio and King lock up. King chops Claudio in the corner. Claudio evades the third one and hits a series of uppercuts. King responds with a scoop slam and a senton. King charges in looking for an uppercut, but Claudio dodges it. King fires off with more chops. He then rushes toward Claudio, but crashes into the corner via a basement dropkick. As King lands shoulder first in the corner, Claudio slams his arm against the ring post.
Back from break, Claudio and King exchange strikes. King plants Claudio with a Death Valley Driver. King then looks for a lariat, but instead eats an uppercut. Claudio slams King to the mat for a near fall, then hammers down a series of elbows. King grounds him with a lariat for a near fall of his own. King and Claudio eventually reach their feet, trading strikes once again.
King chops Claudio in the corner then charges toward him. King follows up with a cannonball for another pinfall attempt, but Claudio kicks out. Claudio looks for a springboard cutter, but King clocks him mid-air. Claudio ascends to the top, where King meets him and lands a superplex. King follows up with a piledriver. Claudio kicks out of his pinfall attempt yet again.
King rushes toward Claudio. Claudio sees it coming and exits the ring. King chops him on the outside. King sets Claudio up in a chair and charges, but Claudio dodges it and hits an uppercut. King barely beats the referee’s count back to the ring, but rocks Claudio with a lariat. Claudio hits a low blow behind the referee’s back before nailing the Neutralizer for the win.
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli