This week’s special 300th episode of AEW Dynamite emanates from Ontario, California! Mercedes Mone defends the TBS Championship against Mina Shirakawa. The Young Bucks and Konosuke Takeshita team up to take on Bandido, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong. Adam Page throws out a challenge to Jon Moxley, and more.
Let’s break it all down in this week’s AEW Dynamite recap!
We Hear From Adam Page
Page says he will ride through death for the AEW World Championship. Page promises to free the title from the briefcase and hold it over his head for the entire world to see. Page says the Death Riders could hang him from the sky, but they’d have to kill him before he lets this chance pass him by. Page says he will not let The Death Riders or The Elite cost him the title. Page says he knows they all will be coming at All In, so he will welcome them. Page tells Jon Moxley to give him everything, then demands they make it a Texas Death Match.
Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir approach Page. Moxley declines Page’s challenge. Moxley says Page doesn’t want that. He then warns that Page will lose at All In because Page doesn’t want to win. Moxley says he is much more than the AEW World Champion and he will show the world that at All In. Moxley says Page doesn’t have what it takes to be world champion again or to be in a Texas Death Match. Page slaps Moxley. Moxley rains down with right hands on Page. Page turns it around and reveals a fork. Before he can use it, Wheeler Yuta breaks them up. Page strikes him with a fist. As Moxley rolls out of the ring, Shafir slaps Page. Claudio Castagnoli attacks Page from behind. He and Yuta then double team Page.
Claudio plants Page with the Neutralizer. Page grabs a mic and asks if that’s the best they got. Claudio grabs a chair. Samoa Joe approaches him. Claudio and Yuta retreat through the crowd. Shafir tries to hit Page with the briefcase, but Page catches it. Page tells Moxley to give him a Texas Death Match. Moxley agrees. Page wipes out Shafir with a Buckshot Lariat.
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm comes down to the ring to watch the TBS Championship match, which will see her All In opponent, Mercedes Mone, defending.
TBS Title: Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
Shirakawa fires off forearms on Mone in the corner. Mone responds with a series of stomps. Shirakawa rolls up Mone for a one count, then sends Mone crashing face first into the mat. Shirakawa rolls up Mone again, but she kicks out. Mone trash talks Storm. Shirakawa delivers a Thesz Press with right hands following. Shirakawa throws Mone across the ring, then dances in celebration. Mone hip checks Shirakawa. She then leaps off the top with a meteora. Mone rains down with right hands of her own. Shirakawa rolls to the outside.
Back from break, Mone locks Shirakawa in a crossface. Shirakawa counters into a Figure Four. They both roll to the outside. Shirakawa spikes Mone with a tornado DDT. Mone responds with a kick and a meteora off the apron. The action spills back into the ring, with Mone and Shirakawa trading strikes. Mone lands a pair of knees, then a sunset bomb in the corner. Mone goes up top. Shirakawa catches her on the descent and transitions by driving her knee into the mat. Shirakawa returns to the Figure Four.
Shirakawa goes up top and descends with a sling blade. Shirakawa follows up with a rolling elbow and a kick to Mone’s head. Shirakawa hits a back fist, then a Glamorous Driver for a near fall. Mone delivers a backstabber. Shirakawa responds with a running knee. Mone hits a lung blower. Shirakawa tries to lock in another Figure Four, but Mone counters into a roll up for the win.
Winner (And Still): Mercedes Mone
After the match, Storms tends to Shirakawa. Mone clocks her with the TBS Championship from behind. Mone then throws champagne into the face of Luther before heading up the ramp. She says Storm’s time is up, and her time is now.
Outside, Matt Jackson says he went on a shopping spree. He reveals a custom limo and several boxes of shoes in it. He encourages Nick Jackson to hop in the limo. It takes them to their hometown in California where they make the rounds, including their elementary school.
Men’s Casino Gauntlet #2 Spot: AR Fox vs. Anthony Bowens vs. MJF (w/ The Hurt Syndicate) vs. Brody King
MJF slides out of the ring. His three opponents follow him, but The Hurt Syndicate act as human shields. King runs over Fox and Bowens with lariats. He tosses Fox against the barricade, then Bowens. King chops Bowen. He delivers crossbodies to both Fox and Bowens. MJF sits at the commentary desk now. Fox delivers a lariat through the ropes on King. Bowens takes down Fox with a sling blade, then drives King into the mat. Fox stomps Bowens on the apron. He then wipes out King with a springboard senton. Bowens spikes Fox on the apron. King dives through the ropes, wiping both of them out. MJF strikes King in the back with a chair. He then rolls Bowens and King back into the ring.
Back from break, Fox rocks Bowens with an enziguiri. Bowens kicks MJF Iin the jaw. They then work together to try taking down King. King levels them both with a lariat. Bowens rocks MJF and King with a DDT. Bowens spikes Fox as well. Fox sends Bowens to the floor. He levels MJF with a corkscrew brainbuster for a near fall. King fires off elbows on Fox. King delivers a side slam to Bowens as well. He follows up with cannonballs to Bowens and Fox in the corners. MJF evades his attempt at a third one. MJF strikes Bowens and Fox, then rolls up King for a two count. MJF grabs a chair.
King punches the chair into MJF. MJF, Fox, and Bowens are stacked up in the corner, where King charges in with a cannonball. MJF hits a cutter on King. Bowens then hits MJF with one. Fox and King follow with their own. Fox trips up King and lands a 450 Splash. MJF spikes Bowens with a DDT. King hits a rolling elbow on MJF. He locks in a sleeper hold. Bowens breaks it up with a thrust kick. Bowens slams Fox. King drives Bowens into the mat. Fox breaks up with a dive. MJF locks in an armbar on Fox. Fox taps out.
Winner: MJF
After the match, Mark Briscoe says MJF will now be the number two entrant in the Men’s Casino Gauntlet. Briscoe says he will get an uninterrupted ass whooping in Texas. Briscoe proposes that MJF meet him in the ring next week with a microphone, with The Hurt Syndicate in the back.
Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight run out and brawl with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. Bailey and Knight wipes them out with dives to the floor. Lashley strikes Bailey from behind. Benjamin then tosses Knight into the turnbuckle. Lashley drives a knee into Bailey’s ribs. Benjamin does the same to Knight. MVP encourages Benjamin and Lashley to continue their beatdown. Benjamin and Lashley slam Knight and Bailey to the mat. Knight says they won’t back down as they reach their feet again. Benjamin and Lashley return to the ring. Benjamin shoulder checks Bailey in the corner, then rocks Knight with a knee in the corner. Benjamin stacks them on top of each other. Knight grabs a mic and says The Hurt Syndicate might know how to hurt people, but they will have to kill him and Bailey. Knight says Benjamin hits like a b*tch. Knight then challenges Benjamin to a one-on-one match on Collision.
Heroes vs Villains: Bandido & Paragon (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) & Konosuke Takeshita
Takeshita and Bandido lock up. Bandido takes down Takeshita with an arm drag. Takeshita twists his arm, then tags in Nick. Nick hits a dropkick on Bandido. He and Matt then lands chops and a backbreaker on Bandido. O’Reilly comes in and eats a pair of back elbows from Matt and Nick. Nick dropkicks Strong. Bandido backs Matt into the corner. Strong and O’Reilly lands a knee drop-backbreaker combo. O’Reilly and Strong follow up with a backbreaker to Nick. Strong tosses Matt to the outside. Matt superkicks Strong. O’Reilly connects with a knee to Matt. Nick kicks O’Reilly. Bandido dropkicks Nick, then wipes out both Matt and Nick with a dive. Takeshita dives onto Bandido.
Back from break, Strong hits a back suplex on Takeshita, then Matt. Strong elbows Matt in the face. Nick tags in and knocks O’Reilly off the apron. Nick corkscrew kick Strong, then drives Bandido into the apron. O’Reilly fires off kicks on Nick. O’Reilly locks in a Guillotine on Matt. Matt counters with a suplex. He then suplexes both Strong and O’Reilly. Bandido drops Matt on his back. Takeshita suplexes Bandido, then follows up with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Takeshita delivers a pop-up ligerbomb to Bandido. O’Reilly nails Nick with a dragonscrew, then knees him into the mat. Bandido lands a superplex on Takeshita. Matt hits O’Reilly with a facebuster. Bandido knees Nick. Nick counters a suplex and lands on his feet. Matt and Nick superkick Bandido. Takeshita follows up with a German suplex. Strong and Oreilly break up the pin. All six men trade moves. O’Reilly runs over Matt and Nick with a lariat, then locks in a Guillotine on Takeshita. Matt superkicks O’Reilly. Takeshita follows with an elbow strike. Matt and Nick hit O’Reilly with an EVP Trigger. Takeshita finishes him off with a Raging Fire.
Winners: The Young Bucks & Konosuke Takeshita
After the match, Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay attack Nick and Matt. Nick and Matt retreat up the ramp. Strickland says they never got an answer about their tag match at AEW All In, specifically about Nick and Matt putting their EVP titles on the line. Strickland wants to put the power on the fans and Tony Khan. Ospreay demands an answer as well. Matt says they are the boss, not them. Matt says hell no to their stipulation. He then asks what do they get out of it. Ospreay says if Matt and Nick beat them, then Ospreay and Strickland can’t challenge for the world title for a year. Matt says they have a deal, but Ospreay needs to get Strickland on the same page as him. Strickland says they have a deal.
Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay vs. La Faccion Ingobernable (Dralistico & The Beast Mortos)
Dralistico and Mortos charge into the ring, then fires off chops. Strickland and Ospreay boot them to the outside. Strickland and Ospreay dive onto them. Dralistico kicks Ospreay, then takes him down with a hurricanrana. Mortos tags in and fires off an enziguiri. Ospreay sends Mortos flying. Strickland tags in and delivers a Flatliner to Mortos. Dralistico distracts Strickland, allowing Mortos to dropkick Strickland. Mortos dives onto Strickland and Ospreay through the ropes.
Back from break, Strickland knocks Dralistico off his feet, then kicks Mortos. Ospreay tags in and fires off strikes on Mortos. Ospreay wipes out Dralistico and Mortos with a double kicks. Ospreay hits a Sasuke Special on them next. Ospreay hits a springboard elbow on Mortos for a near fall. Dralistico dropkicks Ospreay. Dralistico spikes Strickland with a DDT. Mortos nails Ospreay with a spear. Strickland pushes Dralistico to the floor. Ospreay gets Mortos on his shoulders. Strickland hits a Swerve Stomp on Mortos. Opsreay follows with a Storm Breaker. Ospreay lays out Dralistico with a Styles Clash. Strickland finishes him off with a House Call.
Winners: Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay
Kazuchika Okada (w/ Lance Archer) vs. Kota Ibushi
Ibushi and Okada lock up. Okada slaps Ibushi, then rolls out of the ring. He returns to another lock up. Ibushi swings a kick, which Okada dodges it. Okada takes down Ibushi with an axe handle. Ibushi lands a series of chops, then a running knee. Ibushi rams Okada into the side of the apron. Okada sends Ibushi crashing into the steel steps.
Back from break, Ibushi rocks Okada with a flurry of kicks. He follows up with a standing moonsault for a two count. Ibushi connects with a running knee. Okada applies a wrist lock. Ibushi breaks out of it with an arm drag. Okada hits a neckbreaker. Okada slams Ibushi to the mat, then follows up with an elbow drop. Okada dropkicks Ibushi across the ring. He follows up with elbow strikes in the corner.
Ibushi connects with a series of punches. Ibushi wipes out Okada with a lariat. Ibushi goes up top. Okada rips him off the turnbuckle with a suplex. Ibushi responds with a roundhouse kick. They return to the top, with Ibushi descending with a facebuster. Ibushi rolls up Okada for a two count. Okada hits the Rainmaker and a dropkick. He follows up with another Rainmaker for the win.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
After the match, Don Callis stomps Ibushi. Lance Archer and Rocky Romero surround Ibushi as well. Kenny Omega runs down with a chair to run off Archer, Romero, and Okada. Trent Beretta arrives with a baton. Ibushi rips it from his hand. Omega and Ibushi level him with a powerbomb.
Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay vs. La Faccion Ingobernable (Dralistico & The Beast Mortos)