AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 9
It was Moxtober Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite as Jon Moxley made his in-ring debut on TNT, squaring off with "The Chairman" Shawn Spears in the night's advertised main event.
Would Spears spoil his first match back, making up for his own defeat at the hands of Cody back at All Out? More importantly, would Moxley experience any repercussions just one week after attacking Kenny Omega during a massive Six-Man Tag Team match?
That same tag match ended in chaos as Jake Hager made his AEW debut, joining world champion Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz in a massive beatdown of Cody, Dustin Rhodes and The Young Bucks.
Wednesday, Jericho and Guevara sought to continue their newly formed faction's path of destruction in a tag team war with Rhodes and "Hangman" Adam Page.
Who emerged victoriously from those showdowns and what implications did the full results from this week's broadcast have on AEW's immediate future?
Find out with this recap of the October 9 episode.
Tune in to TNT on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET to catch all the action of All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.
Tag Team Championship Tournament Match: The Young Bucks vs. Private Party
The tournament to crown the first AEW world tag team champions kicked off this week as Private Party's Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy battled The Young Bucks' Nick and Matt Jackson in an explosive opener.
The commentary team put the Bucks over as the overwhelming favorites in the tournament as SCU's Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky watched from ringside.
The Bucks frustrated their less-experienced competition, dropping Kassidy with a neckbreaker and knocking Quen from the apron. They used their tag team chemistry and double-team arsenal to continue their isolation of Kassidy.
Kassidy recovered and delivered an Asai moonsault that wiped out Matt at ringside. Quen entered the match and fired off a series of topes that fired up the crowd and put the Bucks on the defensive. A 450 splash by Quen to Nick nearly scored the underdogs the victory.
A well-timed superkick party slowed Private Party's momentum, and Matt halted it completely with a powerbomb on the entrance ramp. A Sliced Bread No. 2/powerbomb combination that gave way to a sharpshooter from Nick to Quen sustained the Bucks' control of the bout as chants of "this is awesome" spilled from the stands.
The Bucks worked over Quen until Kassidy made his way back to the apron. Just as the hot tag was about to happen, Nick rushed around the squared circle and pulled the latter to the floor, preventing the babyface comeback.
Kassidy finally exploded into the match but was clearly nursing his back following the powerbomb from earlier in the bout. Still, he dropped Nick with a headscissors and fired off a flurry of forearms to the face of Matt.
Private Party tried for the Silly String, but Matt countered into a trifecta of suplexes for a near-fall.
Matt applied the sharpshooter to Kassidy while Nick dropped Quen with a kick on the outside. With Kassidy still in the grasp of his opponent, Nick springboarded in and delivered a facebuster.
Private Party fought back into the match, again, with Gin and Juice for a near-fall. Quen delivered a Shooting Star Press for another count of two. Moments later, Quen stunned Matt with a roll-up to score a massive upset win and eliminate the Bucks from the tournament.
Result
Private Party defeated The Young Bucks
Grade
A
Analysis
The Bucks did everything in their power to put Private Party over, working as heels and forcing them to fight from underneath. The attitude and relative ease with which the Bucks dominated at times created sympathetic babyfaces out of the energetic Quen and Kassidy to the point that their roll-up win came just at the right time and popped the crowd appropriately.
The Bucks very easily could have won here and given the fans the second round they were expecting. Instead, they put over the future of the tag team division in grand fashion, sacrificing another title reign on a resume chock-full of them.
The result? A new, credible team that could believably win the tournament because, after all, they defeated the measuring stick for tag team wrestling.
Chris Jericho Addresses Last Week's Events
AEW champion Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz made their way to the ring, one week after leaving Dustin Rhodes, Cody and The Young Bucks lying in a heap.
Jericho touted the ratings success of AEW's debut episode of Dynamite and took credit for it. He then called the men in the ring with him his closest confidants before putting over each one.
"'We the People' sucks and it's dead and buried," he said in reference to chants for Hager. He continued: "It was a stupid idea from bad creative." Jericho put him over strong, essentially erasing the previous notions about Hager, verbally building him into the most badass person in the company.
"We are the Inner Circle, baby," the champion officially labeled his newly formed faction.
Jericho ran down Cody and his father Dusty. He vowed to "kick the living s--t" out of The American Nightmare at Full Gear before hitting up the city of Baltimore for a little of the bubbly.
Grade
A+
Analysis
This was a phenomenal segment.
After the end of last week's show, we needed an explanation and name for Jericho's group to keep it from being a random mass of talent with no focus or purpose. We got it here, but in a way that allowed the ultra-credible Jericho to put over the men who will join him.
Everyone from Guevara to Hager and in between is better off for having Jericho mention his name. Those unfamiliar with Santana and Ortiz, The Best Ever and the undefeated MMA badass now know what makes them special and why all-timer Jericho would choose to align with them.
The Inner Circle is a cool name, will undoubtedly sell a ton of shirts and sets up a faction for AEW's top babyfaces to combat in the weeks and months to come.
No. 1 Contender's Match: Darby Allin vs. Jimmy Havoc
Looking to shed the label of "hardcore wrestlers" and focus on a shot at the AEW Championship on next week's show, Darby Allin squared off with Jimmy Havoc in a high-stakes singles bout.
Allin started hot, keeping Havoc off guard with his fast-paced and unorthodox offense. Havoc, though, slowed the pace, overwhelming Allin with his ferocity and strength advantage. A sleeper suplex sent Allin to the arena floor heading into the break.
Back from the commercial, Allin showed a little fire, but Havoc grounded him again. A Death Valley Driver into the corner earned Havoc a near-fall, as did a Tiger Driver '98. An alert Allin scored a quick crucifix roll-up for a two of his own.
Allin delivered an over-the-top stunner and followed with the Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory.
Result
Allin defeated Havoc
Grade
B
Analysis
By way of his victory, Allin will now challenge Jericho for the AEW title on next week's show in Philadelphia.
It was interesting to see Havoc essentially dominate, only to lose to a handful of maneuvers strung together out of desperation late in the match. The commentary team sold it as Allin's perseverance, a common theme to this point in his AEW run.
He will need that perseverance if he stands a chance at pulling off the biggest upset of his career by dethroning Jericho next week.
If anything, his win sets up a match of different styles that is fresh, exciting and should be damn fun to watch.
Riho and Britt Baker vs. Emi Sakura and Bea Priestley
Emi Sakura has not been seen in AEW since Double or Nothing in May, but she returned this week to team with Bea Priestley for a match against new AEW women's champion Riho and her partner, Dr. Britt Baker.
Baker and Priestley had been embroiled in an intense rivalry dating back to Fight for the Fallen and a concussion suffered by the dentist, caused by the latter. It was Sakura and Riho who started the match, though.
Sakura slammed her opponent to the mat and used her hair to toss her across the ring before taunting Baker. The strength of Sakura was on full display as she picked up the champion and tossed her to the mat with relative ease. A painful surfboard submission followed as the punishment of AEW's first women's champion continued.
No longer content to stand on the ring apron, Priestley and Baker unloaded on each other. Sakura joined her partner in a double suplex to Baker on the floor. Riho launched herself off the top rope with a crossbody that left both heels reeling.
The babyfaces controlled during the break, Baker dropping Priestley with a draping DDT for a near-fall. Sakura broke up the pin, sensing the end was nigh.
The action broke down and Baker was able to tap out Sakura for the win.
After the match, Priestley looked to pick a fight with Baker, but the babyfaces cleared her out.
Result
Riho and Baker defeated Priestley and Sakura
Grade
C+
Analysis
Riho and Sakura were almost secondary to the ongoing rivalry between Baker and Priestley, which appears poised to continue beyond Wednesday's show.
Baker, after being a huge part of AEW's initial marketing push, found herself lost in the shuffle as Riho, Nyla Rose, Brandi Rhodes and Awesome Kong took center stage. Her rivalry with Priestley has been a low-key intense war between two women seeking to gain ground in the women's title hunt, so it was nice to see it spotlighted so prominently here.
Hopefully, they get the opportunity to have a high-profile singles match sometime in the near future to blow things off.
Jon Moxley vs. Shawn Spears
Jon Moxley returned to the squared circle for the first time since Fyter Fest, squaring off with "The Chairman" Shawn Spears, who was accompanied to the squared circle by the great Tully Blanchard.
Moxley took the fight right to Spears, beating him around and outside the ring until well-timed interference by Blanchard momentarily halted his momentum. Moxley shook it off and fought off Spears until the heel shoved him into the ring steps and seized control.
Spears delivered a chop that dropped Moxley to his knees heading into the break. Back from the commercial, Spears delivered a tope suicida to continue his onslaught.
Pac joined the commentary team as The Chairman grounded Moxley, expressing his frustration over his lack of championship opportunities despite a sparkling win-loss record.
Moxley fought back, survived a near-fall and finished off Spears with the Paradigm Shift to move to 2-0 in singles competition.
After the match, Kenny Omega appeared, weapons in hand. He tossed a barbed wire baseball bat to Moxley and dared him to combat him and his barbed-wire broom. Pac came from out of nowhere with a steel chair, blasting Omega in the back of the head.
Moxley stood tall over Omega as the commentary team wondered aloud if we have seen a new alliance formed.
Result
Moxley defeated Spears
Grade
B
Analysis
This was less about Spears and re-establishing him and more about reintroducing Moxley, his rivalry with Omega and adding the wild card of Pac to the equation.
In that regard, it worked wonders.
Moxley is arguably the most recognizable member of the AEW roster regarding today's fanbase. Add to that the intensity he brings to his performances and the attitude he approaches each bout with, and you have an engaging competitor who should be front and center.
Teasing interaction with Omega and then pulling that out from underneath the audience via the sneak attack with Pac accomplishes two things: keeps fans wanting more from Moxley and Omega, and creates intrigue as to The Bastard's role.
This worked because of what it accomplished, even if the flow of the match felt somewhat disjointed because of the commercial break.
Dustin Rhodes and Hangman Page vs. Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho
Two of the pillars of AEW, Dustin Rhodes and "Hangman" Adam Page, looked to halt the roll The Inner Circle built for itself last week as they battled Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara in this week's main event.
Rhodes, vengeance on his agenda following a beating that left him and his brother lying to close out last week's show, took the fight to both Jericho and Guevara in the match's opening minutes. Page continued the babyface onslaught, wiping out the AEW champion and suplexing the self-proclaimed Best Ever.
A standing shooting star press by Page continued Guevara's suffering. A brief distraction by Jericho allowed Guevara to cut off Page and drop Hangman sternum-first on the top turnbuckle.
The heels controlled the bout coming out of the commercial, but an ill-advised Lionsault from Jericho saw Page get his knees up. The discus lariat obliterated Guevara, and Page made the hot tag to his veteran partner.
Rhodes exploded into the match, delivering a series of rights and a big clothesline to his opponent. On the arena floor, Page found himself on the receiving end of a wicked clothesline from an interfering Jake Hager. Meanwhile, inside, Rhodes nearly scored the upset on Jericho with a sunset flip. He set up the AEW champion for Shattered Dreams, but Hager interfered and blasted Rhodes as Guevara had the referee's attention.
Jericho delivered the Judas Effect, and the heels scored the win.
After the match, the heels pummeled the babyfaces until the fight between Hager and Page spilled to the floor. Hangman blasted the former world champion with a steel chair and fought him up the ramp. The numbers disadvantage continued until the lights dimmed and Cody appeared in the ring.
He downed Guevara with Cross Rhodes and stared down Jericho. Santana and Ortiz hit the ring as Inner Circle continued its dominance. MJF hit the ring, making the save for his best friend. He fired up and blasted the heels with a steel chair to a thunderous ovation.
The heels again regained control until The Young Bucks made the save. They launched themselves at Ortiz and Santana, much to the delight of the crowd. Darby Allin eventually appeared, laying into Jericho. Finally, The Inner Circle retreated as the announcers put over next week's title bout.
Result
The Inner Circle defeated Rhodes and Page
Grade
A
Analysis
This was utter chaos that further established the numbers advantage of The Inner Circle but, more importantly, proved that a united AEW locker room could prevent dominance by the heels.
The match itself was fun, energetic and provided the heels with a momentum-building win. There was enough chicanery that neither Rhodes nor Page loses anything in defeat. If anything, Hangman benefits from what looks like a ready-made feud with Hager, if that is the direction creative is heading.
If there is one tiny complaint, it is that the segment went a little long, but the crowd was so red-hot for it that it is difficult to find fault with it.
The product remains so fresh and energetic that everything AEW is doing right now is working, as evidenced by the response from the Bostonians tonight.