This week's edition of AEW Dynamite was absolutely stacked. The show was main-evented by the AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega. We also had a number of other big matches on the card but the biggest talking point had to be Sting's AEW Debut.
Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale kicks off AEW Dynam
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The action came thick and fast early in this match. We saw The Dark Order and Hangman Page working together as they eliminated Serpentico. Shawn Spears and Matt Sydal also went back and forth before Spears eliminated Sydal.
Shawn Spears, who was already eliminated, was handed the steel spike by Tully Blanchard at ringside. Spears clocked Scorpio Sky with the spike from out at ringside. Scorpio Sky was eliminated after this.
John Silver was eliminated from the match by Hardy and Quen.
Hangman Page was also thrown over the top rope but The Dark Order caught him before he hit the floor and tossed him back into the ring. Page hit Marc Quen with the Last Call.
Miro got a number of eliminations including taking out Marc Quen and Matt Hardy.
After the Inner Circle members eliminated Miro, it was MJF, Sammy Guevara, and Wardlow left along with Jungle Boy. Jungly Boy had Sammy Guevara on the top turnbuckle when MJF pushed them both out and eliminated. It looked like MJF and Wardlow would be the last two men left standing but Orange Cassidy was still in it. Wardlow dragged him back into the ring but Cassidy caught MJF with the Orange Punch before eliminating Wardlow.
MJF and Orange Cassidy win
GRADE - B+
MJF and Orange Cassidy will face off one on one next week for the Dynamite Dianmon ring.
Chris Jericho vs Frankie Kazarian
Kazarian was on top early, catching Chris Jericho in a side headlock before hitting a drop toe hold that sent Jericho into the middle rope. Jericho replied with a poke to the eye before he followed it up with knife-edged chops.
Chris Jericho went to hit his patented springboard dropkick but Kazarian dodged it and sent Jericho crashing out to ringside. Jake Hager tried to get involved without too much success. The distraction was enough for Jericho to get back on top and he hung up Kazarian against the top rope before knocking him out to ringside as we headed to a commercial break.
Back in the ring, Kazarian and Jericho traded right hands before Jericho hit a vertical suplex. The Painmaker went to hit a Lionsault but Kazarian got the knees up. Kazarian had Jericho on the top rope with him and hit a top rope Spanish Fly to Le Champion for a two-count.
Kazarian locked in a Boston Crab on Chris Jericho and it looked like MJF would throw in a towel on Jericho's behalf. Guevara came out and took the towel just as Jericho reached the bottom rope. Jericho took advantage of the confusion out at ringside to nail Kazarian with a Judas Effect to pick up the win.
Chris Jericho def. Frankie Kazarian
GRADE - B
Sammy Guevara and MJF started shoving each other after the match and Chris Jericho was not happy. He said the Inner Circle had seven days to learn how to co-exist or they were done as a faction.
The Young Bucks were backstage with Alex Marvez when The Acclaimed interrupted with a message for Matt and Nick Jackson. The Bucks were then assaulted by Jack Evans and Angelico.
Dr. Britt Baker vs Leyla Hirsch
Leyla Hirsch did not back down on AEW and went right after Britt Baker, catching her in an early headlock. Hirsch went for a cross-armbreaker early on but Baker broke free and caught Hirsch with a Superkick to the jaw.
Baker continued her dominance during the ad break, hitting Hirsch with a vertical suplex before driving her neck into the bottom rope. Baker then had Leyla Hirsch's shoulder against the ring post as she tried to do as much damage as possible.
Back in the ring, Baker had Hirsch in a submission. The doctor followed it up with a running neckbreaker. Hirsch hit back with a number of right hands followed by a release German Suplex which forced the doctor to roll out of the ring. Hirsch went for a suicide dive and ended up taking out Rebel instead of Britt Baker. Baker then blindsided Leyla Hirsch and hit a slingblade.
Back in the ring, Hirsch caught Baker with a knee strike before locking in the cross-armbreaker again. Baker tried to reverse into a Lockjaw but Hirsch caught her with a knee strike to the head. Hirsch tried to go to the top rope but Rebel created the distraction.
This gave Britt Baker the opening and she hit a neckbreaker before locking in the Lockjaw and forcing Leyla Hirsch to tap out.
Britt Baker def. Leyla Hirsch
GRADE - C+
Thunder Rosa ran into the ring as soon as the bell rang and attack Britt Baker. A number of referees came out to separate the two. Leyla Hirsch hit Rebel with a suplex during the commotion.
Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin vs Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs
Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin went right after Hobbs and Starks on AEW Dynamite as they were getting into the ring. Cody tossed Hobbs out of the ring so that Darby and Ricky Starks started the match. Cody and Darby traded tags and worked on Ricky Starks.
The babyfaces continued to dominate Ricky Starks. Starks slapped Darby Allin right in the face before rolling out of the ring. Starks then rolled out of the ring and Allin chased him out. Hobbs then caught Darby Allin with a clothesline out at ringside, almost beheading the AEW TNT Champion.
Starks finally tagged Will Hobbs in and he dominated Darby Allin. Starks and Hobbs now traded tags as they worked on Darby Allin. Powerhouse Hobbs had Darby Allin in a massive bear hug.
Darby Allin managed to avoid double team offense from Starks and Hobbs and finally tagged Cody in. Rhodes was all over Hobbs and Starks. Cody hit Starks with a Cody Cutter before taking out Powerhouse Hobbs at ringside. Darby Allin took Ricky Starks out with a Coffin Drop and pinned him for the win.
Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin def. Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs
GRADE - B+
Sting debuts on AEW Dynamite
Team Taz continued to take out Cody and Darby after the match. Arn Anderson tried to get involved but got taken out by Hobbs and Starks. Dustin Rhodes came out to try and even the odds but Brian Cage followed.
As Hobbs was about to nail Cody with the FTW title belt, the lights went out on AEW Dynamite and Sting made his AEW debut, back on TNT after almost two decades. The heels scattered as Sting came down to the ring and stared down each of the babyfaces, before leaving the AEW ring.
Jon Moxley (C) vs Kenny Omega (for the AEW World Championship)
Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega locked up as soon as the AEW bell rang and Mox almost got in a chokehold in early. They tried locking up again and this time Omega took the champ down. Moxley locked in a headlock but Omega maneuvered out and got in one of his own.
Omega hit Moxley with chops in the corner before the match headed out to ringside. Moxley was in his element here and punished Omega. He sent Omega into the barricade and then tossed him into the seating beyond it.
Moxley was dominating at this stage as the AEW match headed match into the ring. Omega hit a springboard dropkick to the champion's left knee and worked on the left leg. Moxley was in trouble and hit Omega with a lariat buying himself some time. Omega locked in a legbar, forcing Moxley to reach the bottom rope for the break. The challenger followed it up with more chops but Moxley replied with a nasty looking German suplex. The champ followed it up with a second German Suplex before going for a third. Omega blocked this one and Moxley ended up hitting a pumphandle exploder suplex instead.
Both men traded right hands before Omega dumped Mox out to the AEW ringside. Omega then hit a dive over the top ropes and followed it up by quickly rolling Moxley back into the ring. Moxley hit a Paradigm Shift out of nowhere but refused to go for the cover. Moxley then went out to ringside and took out a couple of steel chairs.
Moxley set up the chairs and both men sat down and traded strikes. Moxley seemed to have gotten the better of the back and forth when Omega hit a V-Trigger. He followed it up with his patented Snap Dragon Suplex. However, Omega could not capitalize as Moxley hit back with a German suplex followed by the Paradigm Shift. Omega managed to kick out at the last second.
Moxley tossed Omega out of the ring once again and went to hit a suicide dive but the challenger caught him with a V-Trigger in midair. Back in the ring, Omega tried to pin Moxley but only got a nearfall. The challenger followed it up with a V-Trigger before going for a One-Winged Angel. Omega ended up hitting a German Suplex instead but it wasn't enough to put Moxley away.
The match spilled out to ringside once again as Moxley hit Omega with a Paradigm Shift. Omega looked hurt as AEW referees came out to check on him.
Don Callis tried to have the match stopped but the AEW Champion Jon Moxley took him out. In the confusion, Omega caught Moxley in the head with a microphone. The AEW Champion was busted open and Omega followed it up with a series of V-Triggers. Omega then hit the One-Winged Angel to pin Jon Moxley and win the AEW World Championship.
Kenny Omega def. Jon Moxley
GRADE - A
Don Callis and Kenny Omega left the arena as soon as the match ended. On the way out, Callis said that Omega would explain his actions on IMPACT Wrestling on Tuesday night.