This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite emanates from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri! Mariah May defends the AEW Women’s Championship against Mina Shirakawa. The 2024 Continental Classic continues with two Gold League matches. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly battle for the right to face MJF at AEW Worlds End, and much more!
We break it all down in this week’s AEW Dynamite recap!
Jon Moxley & Pac vs. Orange Cassidy and Jay White
White and Cassidy send Pac and Moxley to the outside. Cassidy dives onto Pac through the ropes, while White slams Moxley on top of the announce desk. White and Cassidy ram Moxley and Pac into the ringside barricades. Cassidy fires off strikes on Moxley before following up with a kick. Moxley responds by sending Cassidy into the steel steps. Meanwhile, White rolls Pac back into the ring as the referee finally calls for the bell to ring. White connects with a backbreaker and goes for a cover on Pac, but Moxley breaks it up with a kick. Moxley tags in and trades chops with White.
White goes for a Bladerunner, but Moxley blocks it. Cassidy tags in and looks for an Orange Punch. Moxley evades it. Pac tosses Cassidy out of the ring, paving the way for Moxley to slam him on the announce desk. Pac stomps away at Cassidy at ringside. Pac then stomps on Cassidy’s throat in the ring. The camera pans to reveal Christian Cage sitting up in the rafters, watching on.
Back in the ring, Cassidy rocks Moxley with a thrust kick. Pac and White tag in, with the latter hitting a back body drop on the former. White chops Pac in the corner, then DDTs both Pac and Moxley.
Back from break, Moxley rains downs with right hands on White in the corner. Moxley drags White in the corner and tags in Pac. Pac covers White for a two count. White fires back with a pair of chops, but Pac takes him back down. Up in the rafters, Christian Cage waves off Nick Wayne, Mama Wayne, and Kip Sabian.
Pac tags Moxley back in. White tries to fight back with chops, but Moxley levels him with a headbutt and shortarm lariat. Moxley applies a leg lock, then tags his partner back in. White catches Pac’s leg as he goes for a kick. White rags in Cassidy, while Pac tags in Moxley.
Cassidy and Moxley trade elbow strikes. Cassidy knocks Moxley down with a big knee, then spikes Pac with a Tornado DDT. Moxley meets Cassidy on the top turnbuckle. Cassidy surprises him with a bite to the head. Cassidy lands a Tornado DDT on Moxley. He then wipes out Pac with a Slum Dog Millionaire. White suplexes Pac out of the ring. Cassidy hits the Beach Break on Moxley, but he kicks out.
Marina Shafir attempts to interfere, as does Wheeler Yuta, but Cassidy hits the latter with an Orange Punch. Cassidy looks to hit Moxley with another Orange Punch as well, but “Hangman” Adam Page runs in and attacks Moxley. As the referee calls for the bell, Cassidy rips Page off of Moxley. The two trade punches. White runs in and punches Page. Cassidy accidently strikes White with an Orange Punch, then delivers a purposeful one to Page. White lays out Cassidy with a Bladerunner.
Winners (via disqualification): Jon Moxley & Pac
As Page yells at White and Cassidy, the Death Riders returns to the ring and stomp away at the three men.
Another vignette plays teasing the return of Bandido.
Backstage, Jon Moxley says everyone’s egos ruins their lives and All Elite Wrestling. Moxley then grants “Hangman” Adam Page, Jay White, and Orange Cassidy a fatal-four-way AEW World Championship at AEW Worlds End.
We Hear From Christian Cage
Up in the rafters, Christian Cage says he has a problem with every person in the four-way world title match. Cage says his biggest problem is with Jon Moxley, though, as he has what Cage wants. Cage vows to send Moxley back to rock bottom while Cage rehabs the AEW World Championship. Cage reiterates that he is the undisputed next AEW World Champion.
Hook emerges from behind and fires off right hands on Cage. Hook traps Cage in the Redrum. Cage breaks out of it, but Hook slams him against a nearby counter. Hook fights off Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian before retreating.
Continental Classic Gold League Match: Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Ospreay charges in and plants Claudio for a pinfall attempt. Claudio kicks out and rolls to the outside. Ospreay hits a Sasuke Special and follows with a springboard forearm strike. Ospreay looks for an Os-cutter, but Claudio nails him with a mid-air uppercut. Claudio whips Ospreay into the corner, then follows him to the outside. Ospreay connects with a pair of chops, then dropkicks the ringside steps into Claudio. Ospreay leaps off the steps, but Claudio catches him. He drops him onto the barricade. Claudio rocks Ospreay with an uppercut, then swings him into the steel steps.
Claudio traps Ospreay’s arm inside the steel steps and stomps on it. Ospreay ascends the turnbuckle looking to dive onto Claudio. Claudio, however, knocks him out with another mid-air uppercut.
Back from break, Ospreay grounds Claudio with a hurricanrana and a spinning kick. Ospreay looks for a suplex, but Claudio blocks it. Ospreay successful hits it on his second attempt. He follows up with a Standing Skytwister Press for a near fall. Ospreay looks for a Hidden Blade, but Claudio sees it coming. Ospreay cinches in an Octopus, prompting Claudio to lean into the ropes to break it. Claudio then double stomps Ospreay.
Up on top, Ospreay headbutts Claudio to the mat. Ospreay looks for another Skytwister Press, but Claudio rolls out of the way and rocks him with a European uppercut. Claudio taunts Ospreay with light kicks to the head. Ospreay chops him. Claudio retaliates with a series of uppercuts. Ospreay hits a cutter, then sets up for Hidden Blade. As Ospreay charges in, Claudio slams him to the mat for a near fall. Claudio nails him with a lariat for another near fall. Ospreay rolls up Claudio for the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay
After the match, Claudio drives Ospreay into the mat. He then retrieves a chair. Darby Allin runs down with a baseball bat, causing Claudio to backpedal.
Backstage, Ricochet says he holds all the cards tonight when he faces Brody King in the Continental Classic.
Backstage, Matt Cardona says he belongs in AEW. Furthermore, he’s always ready. Cardona calls out Bryan Keith for a match on AEW Rampage this week.
Dynamite Dozen Finals Match: Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly
Cole and O’Reilly lock up, with the latter laying out the former with a shoulder tackle. Cole responds by covering O’Reilly for a one count. They lock back up. O’Reilly rolls Cole up, then looks for a roundhouse kick, but Cole ducks. On the outside, O’Reilly sweeps Cole off his feet.
Back from break, Cole looks for Panama Sunrise, but O’Reilly counters it. Cole lays him out with a Brainbuster. O’Reilly knees Cole in the chest, then plants him with a knee to the face. O’Reilly goes up top. Cole rolls out of the way upon his descent and rocks him with The Boom. Cole kicks O’Reilly. O’Reilly bounces off the ropes with a lariat. O’Reilly follows up with an ankle lock, but Cole reaches the bottom rope to break it.
Cole and O’Reilly meet up top. Cole headbutts O’Reilly, then hits a Panama Sunrise. Cole drops his knee pad. O’Reilly cinches in another ankle lock. Cole fights out of it and connects with a thrust kick on the outside. Back in the ring, MJF sneaks up from behind, but Cole clocks him off the apron. O’Reilly looks to capitalize on the distraction. Cole, however, rolls him up for the win.
Winner: Adam Cole
After the match, Cole extends his hand to O’Reilly, but O’Reilly rolls out of the ring.
Backstage, FTR hype up AEW’s return to Asheville on January 1. They also call out the Death Riders for a meeting on AEW Collision this weekend.
Elsewhere, Darby Allin sits down with Tony Schiavone. He says the quest is to topple Jon Moxley and the Death Riders is never over. Allin says if the locker room doesn’t do anything, the Death Riders will continue to run AEW. Nevertheless, Allin is focused on winning the Continental Classic.
Continental Classic Gold League Match: Brody King vs. Ricochet
King tosses Ricochet across the ring. Ricochet responds with a chop, but King is unfazed. Ricochet takes down King with a hurricanrana and an enziguri. King sends Ricochet flying to the outside, where he then lands a series of chops. Ricochet leaps off the barricade and connects with a thrust kick. Ricochet looks for another hurricanrana, but King blocks it, instead slamming Ricochet onto the apron. King crossbodys Ricochet against the barricade.
Back from break, King rocks Ricochet with a German Suplex. King and Ricochet trade chops. Ricochet stuns the taller man with a pair of enziguris. Ricochet dives onto King before returning him to the ring. Ricochet lands a springboard 450 Splash and goes for a cover. King kicks out at one. King wipes out Ricochet with a lariat. Ricochet rolls him up for a two count. King chops him again and splashes him in the corner. King follows up with a cannonball for a near fall.
King sets Ricochet up on the top turnbuckle and chops him. Ricochet batters King with a punches then plants him to the mat. Ricochet goes back up top, delivering a Shooting Star Press. King grabs Ricochet’s throat, then transitions to a sleeper hold. Ricochet climbs over the top rope to break it. King connects with a big chop. Ricochet kicks King off the ropes and finally puts him away after two Spirit Guns.
Winner: Ricochet
Backstage, Top Flight as well as Action Andretti and Lio Rush raise interest in vying for Private Party’s AEW Tag Team Championships
Backstage, Anna Jay and Mercedes Mone hype up their TBS Championship match slated for next week. Jay calls Mone a living legend, but is prepared to prove her wrong and shock the world.
AEW Women’s Championship: Mariah May (c) vs Mina Shirakawa
Shirakawa and May trade punches. Shirakawa slaps May and corners her against the ropes. Shirakawa takes May off her feet with a dropkick. Shirakawa then traps May in a Figure Four leg lock as the two roll to the outside. May rams Shirakawa into the steel steps face-first before tossing her into the barricade. May drives Shirakawa into the barricade again, this time with a dropkick. Meanwhile, Thunder Rosa yells that May is not her champion while sitting in the front row. Shirakawa wraps May’s legs around the ring post and locks in another Figure Four.
Back from break, Shirakawa and May exchange forearm strikes. Shirakawa rocks May with a back fist that sends both of them falling to the mat. Shirakawa delivers a drop suplex for a near fall. May responds with a hurricanrana. Shirakawa drives May to the mat for another near fall. Shirakawa follows up with a hanging DDT. May reaches the bottom rope to break Shirakawa’s pinfall attempt. May rocks Shirakawa with a big knee and May Day. May goes to pin Shirakawa, but she kicks out at two. Shirakawa rolls May up with a crucifix pin for a two count.
Shirakawa descends the top rope with a sling blade and plants May. May lands a headbutt and Storm Zero for the win.
Winner (And Still): Mariah May
Post-match, Toni Storm returns as her original self, prompting Thunder Rosa to reveal her “WTF” sign and Mariah May to stare down as her in surprise.