Frustrated 47-year-old AEW star returns to Dynamite after three months; suffers upset loss

A 47-year-old AEW star made his return to Dynamite after nearly three months and amidst supposed booking frustrations, only to suffer an upset loss. The talent in question is Lance Archer.

The July 31, 2024 edition of AEW Dynamite emanated from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. The episode opened with a promo from reigning American Champion MJF, who spoke about his International Title victory over Will Ospreay a couple of weeks ago.

The Aerial Assassin interrupted Friedman's address, acknowledging the past lineage of the re-christened International Championship and vowing to win the belt back at AEW All In 2024. This prompted The Wolf of Wrestling to respond by claiming that he would defeat Ospreay at Wembley Stadium before bringing out the latter's opponent for the night, Lance Archer.

The Murderhawk Monster made his return to the Wednesday night show for the first time since April and swiftly assumed a dominant position in the match against The Commonwealth Kingpin with a devastating chokeslam. The 47-year-old star, who recently expressed his frustrations over his booking on social media, received a massive opportunity to take out one of the top stars of AEW ahead of the company's biggest annual pay-per-view.

The bout between Ospreay and Archer was a hard-hitting affair. The latter—a 27-time champion across various promotions—grounded the English star's signature acrobatic offense with his overwhelming power and agility. However, Ospreay managed to defeat The Ticked Off Texan in around 11 minutes with a Hidden Blade.

After the match, the former Don Callis Family member was blindsided by MJF, who delivered a brainbuster to Ospreay and laid him out. However, the 31-year-old star would be rescued by his friend and former stablemate Kyle Fletcher, who challenged Friedman to a fight. The Salt of the Earth accepted Fletcher's challenge for a bout next week on Dynamite.