AEW Dynamite Report: Jericho & Garcia team, CM Punk returns, MJF speaks

AEW Dynamite from Texas featuring Chris Jericho & Daniel Garcia teaming, CM Punk returns against Dax Harwood, MJF speaks, Jay Lethal takes on Adam Cole & more.

Photo Courtesy: AEW

AEW Dynamite

March 23rd, 202

By: John Siino

HEB Center in Cedar Park, TX

Commentary: Jim Ross, Excalibur & Tony Schiavone

CM Punk vs. Dax Harwood (w/ Cash Wheeler)

This is CM Punk’s first match since his Dog Collar Match at AEW Revolution against MJF. Cash Wheeler came out with Dax Harwood but went to the back before the match. They start the match slow with lock-ups and wrist locks as the crowd is chanting ‘Ass Boys’ at Austin & Colten Gunn who are sitting at ringside. Harwood takes control working on the nose of Punk and hitting a backbreaker before getting a one-count and going into a rest hold. Jim Ross mentions that Punk is having back spasms after his Dog Collar Match. Harwood keeps Punk in the corners with chops as the Gunn Club starts distracting Harwood. Harwood tries a diving headbutt, but Punk rolls out of the way. They trade off forearms before Punk hits a leg lariat for a two count. Punk goes to the top rope, but Harwood chops him until Punk knocks him off and teases a flying elbow. Harwood gets right back up and knocks Punk down and hits a superplex. Harwood hits a flying headbutt for a two-count. They get on the apron and end up both spilling to the outside with a suplex attempt, as Cash Wheeler comes out to check on Harwood and stay in his corner. Back inside, Punk hits a cross body off the top rope for a two count and goes right into the Anaconda Vice, but Harwood gets out and attempts a Sharpshooter. Punk kicks him off and they go into a roll-up pin attempt for a two. Harwood catches Punk off the corner and hits a springboard powerbomb for a two. Punk hits a rising knee strike in the corner and goes for the GTS, but Harwood reverses it and puts on the Sharpshooter. Punk uses the ropes to reverse it into the Anaconda Vice as Harwood taps out.

Winner: CM Punk by submission at 12:50

After the match, Punk does a ‘Hangman’ noose-like gesture as well as the belt around his waist. FTR has a little stare-down with Gunn Club before going to the back.

That’s Entertainment

We see a picture of a 12-year-old John Silver with Chris Jericho, before cutting to The Jericho Appreciation Society. Jericho says Silver isn’t on his level and he’s going to take him to school, and it won’t be pretty. Daniel Garcia the JAS beats up pro wrestlers, and tonight he will show that a professional wrestler can’t hang with sports entertainers. Jericho says they will future endeavor them and then they start looking for Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, and Santana behind the curtains as Jake Hager says they aren’t here, and they are never coming back.

Tornado Tag Team Rules: Sting, Darby Allin & The Hardys (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) vs. A.F.O.’s Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen), The Butcher & The Blade

They all start brawling before the bell rings with Sting jumping off the top rope onto everybody as they all continue to brawl on the outside, with Jeff Hardy and The Blade spilling into the crowd. Sting follows that by hitting Kassidy with a splash on the barricade. The Butcher, The Blade, Jeff, and Allin start brawling up the stairs. Andrade El Idolo joins them up there and starts whipping Allin with a belt before The Butcher grabs Allin and throws him down the stairs as they go to picture-in-picture.

When we come back, Kassidy is begging for mercy from Matt Hardy on the stage as Marq Quen hits Matt from behind with a low blow. Private Party takes Matt Hardy off the stage, as we go to the concourse where Jeff Hardy grabs a giant ladder. Sting and Allin put The Butcher & The Blade on tables, as Jeff Hardy uses the ladder to go on the edge of a wall and hit a Swanton Bomb onto Blade and Butcher on the tables. We go to the Private Party who toss Matt Hardy inside and gets a two-count. Sting comes back in the ring and tries to help Matt up, as Kassidy hits Sting with a chair shot that Sting no-sells. Sting hits splashes in the corner but misses one as Private Party tries the Gin and Juice. Sting tries to catch them but it’s a bit of a mess, but Sting ends up holding onto Kassidy and hits the Scorpion Death Drop as Matt Hardy hits the Twist of Fate on Quen for the pin and the win.

Winners: Sting, Darby Allin & The Hardys (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) by pinfall at 9:27

Spoiled Brats

Tony Schiavone is backstage with FTR and asks them about their problems with the Gunn Club. Cash Wheeler says the ‘Ass Boys’ are still puppies in the business as Dax Harwood says there is nothing that their audience can’t say, and that they aren’t spoiled brats. They call Gunn Club spoiled brats by taking their spot, as they are the best tag team on this planet on every night of the week. Harwood refuses to call them Ass Boys but calls them Billy’s Sons as they say they will fight them next week.

Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley vs. The Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) (w/ Julia Hart)

William Regal came out with Danielson and joined commentary for this match. Julia Hart is sitting on the steps with her head down looking upset. Garrison keeps Moxley in the corner with a splash to start the match, before Moxley takes him down with a German Suplex and tags in Danielson as they go to picture-in-picture.

When we come back, Pillman tries a springboard clothesline on Danielson but gets kicked in the stomach, before Moxley hits a German suplex followed by a piledriver from Moxley for a two. Garrison tosses Danielson to the outside, before having a forearm battle with Moxley just to get knocked down. Garrison comes back with a boot before Pillman dropkicks Moxley off of Garrison. Danielson runs in and takes Garrison down with a running knee before Moxley hits the Paradigm Shift on Pillman. Danielson stomps out Pillman, while Moxley puts on the rear-naked chokehold on Garrison until he submits.

Winners: Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley by submission at 6:02

The Blackpool Combat Club

Jon Moxley gets on the mic after and says he only respects Regal and earned his respect through blood, sweat, and torture and now he wears that Blackpool Badge of Honor, just like Danielson does, before saying they were Forged in Combat. Moxley says this message is for anybody who thinks they can stand beside them, and they have what it takes to ride with the three most sadistic individuals in this business. They aren’t giving out any free passes and if they think they have what it takes, they have to dig deep and love pain. If they want the badge of honor from the Blackpool Combat Club, the only way to get it is the hard way.

Greedy Little Pig

MJF comes to the ring with Shawn Spears and his chair as security guards are guarding them when they go inside the ring. MJF says it’s a shame that Wardlow couldn’t get the job done last week, especially because unlike him, he’s a man of his word and honors his business agreements. MJF said it was so sad that Wardlow couldn’t beat Scorpio Sky and he would have let him keep the TNT title if he won it. MJF calls out CM Punk and says they both know that he had him beat at Revolution, just like he had him beat twice in Chicago, and says Punk had to cheat to win. He says he doesn’t know when or when but there will be another match and he will give Punk the most embarrassing loss of his career and it won’t be over until he attends Punk’s funeral and pisses on his grave. Back to Wardlow, as the fans cheer for Wardlow and MJF call them inbreeds. MJF calls Wardlow a ‘greedy little pig’, as the crowd chants for Wardlow, and if it wasn’t for the contract Wardlow signed nearly three years ago with him, the crowd wouldn’t know who he was and he was nobody before that, and thanks to him, Wardlow has a beautiful roof over his and his mom’s head. How did Wardlow repay him, by costing him the most important match of his life and then having the audacity to ask MJF to release him from his contract. MJF says Wardlow didn’t sign with a schmuck but signed a deal with the devil, and all the devil’s deals are ironclad. He thought Wardlow had it bad before, he’s going to make Wardlow’s life a living hell and strap Wardlow to a cross just like Jesus, which prompts Wardlow to come to the ring and take out the security. MJF says Wardlow works for him and he’s trespassing right now, he will continue to pay him but to stay home year after year until everybody forgets he ever existed until he winds up the same thing he was when he signed with him, a nobody. MJF says The Pinnacle is not over and next week with FTR is in action and will move up as Shawn Spears ends it by saying when you’re in The Pinnacle, you’re always on top.

Best Friend to Best Wrestler

Tony Schiavone is backstage with the Best Friends, Orange Cassidy, and Wheeler Yuta. Trent Beretta takes the mic and says he never liked Yuta and he’s done with him for wanting to join the Regal crew. Yuta said he never really liked Beretta either and he’s not trying to be the best friend he can be but the best wrestler he can be.

Adam Cole vs. Jay Lethal

The crowd is behind both of these men as Lethal starts in control chopping Cole in the corners. Lethal hits a dropkick for a two count, before putting on a waist lock. Cole dodges a splash from Lethal but gets knocked to the outside as Lethal hits him with two suicide dives. Lethal tries a third but Cole moves out of the way as Lethal hits him with it on the other side. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly come out to stare down Lethal as they go to picture-in-picture.

When we come back, Lethal is in control and attempts a figure four but gets pushed off as Cole tries a pin for a two. They trade back a couple more pin attempts until Lethal finally puts on the figure four. reDRagon gets closer to the ring, as Lethal blocks The Boom with a cutter. Lethal tries Lethal Injection, but Cole stops him with a superkick and hits Panama Sunrise as Lethal kicks out at two. Lethal is able to duck The Boom into a roll-up, but reDRagon distracts the referee. Cole blocks Lethal Injection with a low blow as the referee isn’t looking and hits The Boom for the win.

Winner: Adam Cole by pinfall at 10:03

Adam Cole grabs the mic and says there is nobody on the planet who deserves to be AEW Champion more than him and last week when he was pinning Jungle Boy and stared at Adam Page he saw fear, as Cole is the one who’s going to take the title from. Page caught lighting in a bottle at Revolution, and next time they face each other he’s going to put that bottle in his ass. Cole says your world champion is a coward and doesn’t have the guts to face the three of them man-to-man. This prompts Page to come out by himself and get in the ring and start whipping all three with a leather belt, but Cole stops him with a low blow as Cole and reDRagon start stomping Page out. Jurassic Express and Christian Cage run out and save Page, but Cole walks out with the belt.

We see a promo for Lance Archer vs. Dustin Rhodes this Friday on AEW Rampage.

Lucha Whore-Us

We go to Tony Schiavone in the ring with Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti and ask them how they are doing after their attack from American Top Team and Men of the Year. Guevara says he doesn’t have the TNT Title, but he has this ring, and he will do something so crazy that everybody who paid for a ticket will stand up from their chair and chant holy shit. He says he heard it his entire career that he will pay for this when he’s older, but screw it because it’s worth it. What the fans give to him is what he truly wanted in this business, until now. Conti gets on the mic and calls Paige VanZant a bitch and says she’ll get her ass career like her entire career as they call out ATT. Dan Lambert and Men of the Year come out and says Paige is too good to be here and makes a joke about OnlyFans and Orange Cassidy and Tony Khan reaching puberty. Lambert continues and calls Conti ‘Lucha Whore-us’ and says they won’t get a match. Guevara makes a sexual joke about the title and Lambert kissing it. Terrible segment.

We see a promo video for Shane Strickland vs. Ricky Starks this Friday on AEW Rampage.

Leyla Hirsch vs. Red Velvet

Hirsch attacks Velvet before the bell rings as they start brawling on the outside. Kris Statlander is banned from ringside for this match. Red Velvet hits a hurricanrana off the steel steps to Hirsch, before throwing her in the ring and the match officially starts. Hirsch hits a gut wrench suplex on Velvet for a one-count as they go to picture-in-picture.

When we come back, Velvet is in control taking Hirsch down with clotheslines, an arm drag, and double knees to the back. Hirsch comes back with a German Suplex for a two count. Velvet hits The Mix, but Hirsch rolls out to the ring and gets the turnbuckle, as the referee takes it away, she reveals a second one she hits Hirsch with to get the pin.

Winner: Leyla Hirsch by pinfall at 6:31

Hirsch continues to attack Velvet after the match until Kris Statlander runs out with a different look and takes Hirsch out of the ring.

A Celebration Fit for a Queen

Tony Schiavone is backstage with Jade Cargill and Mark Sterling and asks them who her 30th opponent will be. Jade avoids it and starts talking about her big celebration after with green confetti and green cars and wants fine exotic dancers and a section for her baddies. Jade asks what she should wear and tells Sterling to take care of it.

Rampage Line-Up

·       Dustin Rhodes vs. Lance Archer

·       Alan ‘5’ Angels & 10 vs. reDRagon

·       Nyla Rose in action

·       QT Marshall certificate of accomplishment to Hook

·       Ricky Starks vs. Swerve Strickland

Dynamite Line-Up

·       Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo

·       FTR vs. Gunn Club

A Rose for Rosa

Tony Schiavone is trying to get a word with the new AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa, but Vickie Guerrero interrupts her and excuses herself. Vickie and Rosa start bickering until Nyla Rose attacks Rosa from behind.

Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho & Daniel Garcia) (w/ Jake Hager, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker) vs. The Dark Order (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) (w/ 10 & Alan ‘5’ Angels)

Menard and Parker get on the mic before the match about this crowd not deserving to sing along to Judas. Silver and Jericho start the match until Reynolds comes in and they double team Jericho who escapes to the outside where Silver quickly meets him and kicks him down and gives him a brainbuster. The JAS makes it seem to Aubrey Edwards that 10 and Angels knocked Jericho into the ring steps, and Aubrey ejects them as they go to picture-in-picture.

When we come back, Jericho and Reynolds are going at it before Reynolds makes the hot tag to Silver who takes out Jericho and tosses Garcia to the outside. Silver goes on a rampage and takes out the entire JAS ending with a cross body on Jericho for a two count. Jericho is able to stop Silver with the Code Breaker but only gets a two count. Silver tosses Jericho to the outside before they take out Garcia and get a two-count. The JAS get on the apron, but Silver takes them all out including a suicide dive attempt on Hager but Hager grabs him and slams him down. The finish came with Garcia distracting Aubrey, and Jericho hitting Reynolds in the back with the bat. Garcia puts on his Sharpshooter for the submission win.

Winners: Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho & Daniel Garcia) by submission at 10:00

About John Siino 359 Articles
New York native and reporter at POST Wrestling. He is also Associate Producer at POISONRANA, co-host of 'Collision Course' and the host of the 'Shot in the Dark' podcast.