By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite “Holiday Bash” (Episode 272)
Washington, D.C. at Entertainment & Sports Arena
Aired live December 18, 2024 on TBS
[Hour One] Excalibur checked in on commentary and was joined by Tony Schiavone and Matt Menard. A shot aired of The Death Riders walking outside the building while Excalibur hyped the trios match…
Renee Paquette interviewed Orange Cassidy and Jay White in a backstage area and asked if there focus was on The Death Riders or the title match at Worlds End. White said his focus is on the AEW World Championship, but he knows that he needs to make it to the pay-per-view so he has to rely on Cassidy. White said he’s not stupid enough to rely on Hangman Page, who entered the room and said the champion is his…
Excalibur hyped the Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin match. Allin stood backstage and said it’s showtime. In another part of the backstage area, Ospreay spoke about warfare and how he would show that he’s on another level…
The Continental Classic leaderboards were shown…
MJF was shown walking through the backstage area while Excalibur said MJF would speak later in the show…
Excalibur hyped the tag team match and then said the TBS Championship match would open the show. Entrances for the TBS Championship match took place. Mercedes Mone came out first. The stage was decked out with Christmas items. Anna Jay’s entrance followed…
1. Mercedes Mone vs. Anna Jay for the TBS Championship. Ring announcer Justin Roberts delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Mone offered a left handed handshake and then slapped Jay with her right hand. Mone was in offensive control until Jay avoided a frog splash a couple minutes in.
There were some CEO chants and then Mone hit a Backstabber. Dueling chants started with “CEO” and “Let’s Go, Anna” while Mone maintained control. Mone hit a meteora from the middle rope for a near fall heading into the first picture-in-picture break. [C]
Jay hit a Gory Bomb and had the pin, but Mone grabbed the bottom rope at the last moment. Jay caught Mone in the Queen Slayer, but Mone bit her arm to free herself. Mone applied the Statement Maker, but Jay reached the ropes with her foot.
Mone set up for the Moneymaker, but Jay backed her into the corner to avoid it. Mone hit a sunset bomb in the corner and followed up with double knees. Mone hit the Moneymaker and scored the pin.
Mercedes Mone beat Anna Jay in 10:30 to retain the TBS Championship.
After the match, Kris Statlander was shown watching a backstage television…
Powell’s POV: A nice opening match. I’m surprised that they seem to be going right back to Kris Statlander as a challenger for Mone.
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler spoke from one of their homes in Asheville, North Carolina. Wheeler said everyone saw what happened to them and it was over nothing. He said that while they disagree with the methods of The Death Riders, they agree that AEW needs a change and some people need to be forced into it.
Wheeler said they stopped the Death Riders from pouring cleaner down Orange Cassidy’s throat. Wheeler spoke about how they were dragged out of the building and left for dead in the freezing cold.
Harwood, who had his elbow wrapped, said Doc Sampson wouldn’t clear them through the remainder of the year. Harwood said they will be cleared for the Fight For The Fallen show and he added that they won’t be coming alone…
Powell’s POV: Adam Copeland also lives in Asheville and is expected to return to television soon, so I’m guessing he’s the person that Harwood was talking about when he said they won’t be coming alone.
MJF made his entrance wearing a Hanukkah themed suit. MJF brought up Hanukkah and said that if you don’t celebrate the holiday, he regrets to inform you that Santa Claus isn’t real and he doesn’t feel sorry for you. A “Santa” chant broke out. MJF said Santa didn’t get you a lump of coal. Rather, your parents are too poor to get you a gift.
MJF spoke about starting a charity. Somber piano music played while he spoke about a starving child sitting across from you. MJF said picture that small child as “this Bay Bay.” A comical photo of Adam Cole’s head over a scrawny body appeared on the big screen.
MJF said that if you buy the pay-per-view, part of your money will go to his foundation to put “this small yellow child out of his misery.” Excalibur actually felt the need to tell viewers the photo was doctored. MJF closed out his promo.
Adam Cole appeared on the big screen and said he had a meeting with Tony Khan. Cole said he would make sure that MJF can’t use the Dynamite Diamond Ring before he earns it. Cole said Matt Taven and Mike Bennett would be there to make sure that doesn’t happen. Taven and Bennett joined Cole, who asked if he was kicking MJF’s ass yet.
Cole stood in the ring behind MJF. When MJF turned around, Cole punched him. MJF tried to escape, but Cole put him down with a superkick. Cole set up for a Panama Sunrise, but MJF fled the ring before he could execute the move…
Powell’s POV: Don’t listen to that mean MJF, kids. Santa is real and I know this because he goes to Clark Griswold’s house every year.
Footage aired from AEW Collision of Julia Hart attackin Jamie Hayter from behind…
Jamie Hayter delivered a backstage promo and said Hart is a coward for attacking her from behind. Hayter called it a sneaky and classless move. Hayter said she would drop Hart on her head at Fight For The Fallen…
Excalibur said Kenny Omega will compete at the Wrestle Dynasty event on January 5 in Tokyo. Excalibur said they hope to see him back in AEW very soon. A Kenny Omega video package aired. There was a light “Kenny” chant in the arena…
Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, Mother Wayne, and Kip Sabian made their entrance…
An ad aired for AEW’s shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom… [C] Hook and Katsuyori Shibata made their entrance coming out of the break…
2. Christian Cage and Nick Wayne (w/Mother Wayne, Kip Sabian) vs. Hook and Katsuyori Shibata. Menard gave a shoutout to Taz, who is still recovering from total knee replacement surgery. Hook wore a cast on his left hand to sell a previous attack. Wayne was working over Hook heading into a PIP break. [C]
Shibata and Wayne went face-to-face. Shibata got the better of it and then stuffed Christian’s attempt to hit him with the Killswitch. Shibata set up for a running kick on Nick, but Christian grabbed his foot.
Hook took out Sabian with a punch and then suplexed Christian on the floor. In the ring, Nick went for Wayne’s World, but Shibata caught him in a sleeper. Shibata released the hold to knock Sabian off the apron.
Mother Wayne distracted the referee. Christian hit Shibata with the Killswitch and then put Nick on top of Shibata and left the ring, The referee turned around and made the three count…
Christian Cage and Nick Wayne defeated Hook and Katsuyori Shibata in 11:50.
Excalibur hyped Ospreay vs. Allin for later in the show and said the trios match would be the main event…
Excalibur announced the following matches and events for Saturday’s Christmas Collision: MJF and Adam Cole meet face-to-face, Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli in a gold league match, Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet in a gold league match, Mark Briscoe vs. The Beast Mortos in a blue league match, and Daniel Garcia vs. Shelton Benjamin in a blue league match. Excalibur said the show will start at 7CT/8ET coast-to-coast or after a college football playoff game…
A video showed Chris Jericho in New York with the ROH Championship belt over his shoulder. Jericho narrated the video and gushed over New York before saying he’d been anointed King of New York. Excalibur hyped Jericho vs. Matt Cardona for the ROH Championship on Friday’s Final Battle…
A Bandido video package aired… Harley Cameron played guitar and sang during a Shop AEW commercial… [C]
Powell’s POV: Harley Cameron is a rising star in AEW. Here’s hoping they can find a way to take advantage of her unique skills.
Mariah May stood backstage and asked if Thunder Rosa became a wrestler to make her family proud. May said she’s eclipsed everyone in AEW just by being herself. May said Rosa can bring her father because she’d like to end two generations in one night…
Tony Schiavone stood in the ring and introduced Ricochet, who made his entrance while Excalibur hyped Ricochet vs. Ospreay for Collision.
[Hour Two] Ricochet joined Schiavone in the ring. Schiavone asked him about his change in demeanor the last time he was in the ring. “The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin made their entrance while Schiavone exited the ring.
Ricochet said The Hurt Syndicate members looked good. He asked if they saw his recent matches. MVP said they did. Ricochet said maybe Benjamin could have six points in the Continental Classic like he does if he wins his match later in the show.
Ricochet said Will Ospreay will see a different side of him on Saturday. MVP asked to see the business card that he gave him. Lashley grabbed Ricochet by the throat. MVP took the card and tore it up, saying the offer was off the table because nobody likes a kiss ass.
Lashley released Ricochet, who exited the ring and headed backstage. Lashley and MVP wished Benjamin good luck in his Continental Classic match and then made their exit before The Beast Mortos made his entrance…
3. Shelton Benjamin vs. The Beast Mortos in a Continental Classic blue league match. MVP sat in on commentary. Mortos had a run of offense and then tried to walk the ropes. Benjamin crotched Mortos on the top rope. Benjamin hit Mortos with a knee strike that sent him to the floor going into a PIP break. [C]
Mortos powerslammed Benjamin for a two count. Benjamin came right back with a spinning heel kick. MVP reiterated that nobody likes a kiss ass. He said Ricochet should go hurt somebody and then they would be impressed.
Benjamin powerslammed Mortos, who sat up. Benjamin acted surprised by Mortos, who then drilled him with a headbutt and a rolling elbow strike. Benjamin superkicked Mortos. A short time later, Benjamin executed his finisher and scored the pin. MVP said the move is called The Hurt Fall.
Shelton Benjamin defeated The Beast Mortos in 8:10 to earn three points in a Continental Classic blue league match.
After the match, Lashley and MVP entered the ring. Lashley worked over Benjamin. MVP told Benjamin to show Mortos what they do. Benjamin put Mortos down with a German Suplex. MVP said this is what Daniel Garcia has to look forward to on Saturday.
Daniel Garcia came out and said he’s not stupid, he knows it would be three-on-one if he went to the ring. Garcia said he didn’t care and would give the fans what they want. Garcia headed to ringside and then Mark Briscoe came out and joined him for a brawl with the Hurt Syndicate.
MVP hit Garcia and Briscoe from behind with his cane. Lashley and Benjamin worked over Garcia and Briscoe. MVP handed Benjamin the TNT Championship and then Benjamin posed with it before dropping it on Garcia…
The updated leaderboards were shown and then a video package recapped the weekend Continental Classic matches…
An ad aired for All In Texas tickets… [C]
Powell’s POV: I’m happy they ran a video package on the C2 matches from the weekend, but they really should have aired it before the first C2 match on this show. The Benjamin vs. Mortos match was fine. Benjamin’s finisher has a name, but it still doesn’t stand out from his other moves. Why didn’t Menard help his buddy Garcia?
Renee Paquette interviewed Ricochet, who said he didn’t know if business was finished with The Hurt Syndicate. He said he wasn’t going to worry about that. Ricochet spoke about facing Will Ospreay on Saturday. Ricochet said he didn’t come to AEW just to be in the ring with Ospreay, he came to AEW to beat him. Ricochet did that weird laugh he’s been going at the end of his promos.
Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana were waiting when Ricochet turned around. Swerve said Ricochet is still a follower. Ricochet said Swerve didn’t win the Continental Classic last year so it will eat him up when he wins this year’s tournament. Ricochet did his weird laugh again. Swerve told Nana that Ricochet is still bald and then Nana laughed…
Highlights aired of Toni Storm making her return at the end of last week’s Dynamite…
RJ City interviewed Toni Storm in what appeared to be a hotel. Storm acted like she’d never met him before. City asked where she’d been. Storm spoke about grinding it out on the independent scene.
City asked Storm about her history in AEW. Storm said she’s watched every show since it started. He asked her about being a three-time AEW Women’s Champion, which Storm had no memory of. City asked about Timeless Toni Storm. City said he had it wrong. She said the phrase is that it’s Toni Time…
Powell’s POV: I’m getting a kick out Storm’s apparent amnesia. If you liked the Timeless character, then you can’t really bitch about this going too far.
Will Ospreay and Darby Allin made their entrances…
4. Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin in a Continental Classic gold league match. Allin sat in the corner while Ospreay was on one knee in the opposite corner. A “holy shit” chant broke out before they stood up and locked up to start the match.
Allin hit Ospreay with an early suicide dive and then rolled him back inside the ring. Allin went to the ropes, but Ospreay rolled under the bottom rope. Allin decided to go for a Coffin Drop anyway. Ospreay rolled out of the way while Allin’s spine crashed on the corner of the apron before a PIP break. [C]
Ospreay went for a corkscrew dive that Allin avoided. Allin went for a Code Red, but Ospreay stuffed it and flipped Allin to his feet and hit him with a standing elbow strike. Ospreay went for a Stormbreaker, but Allin countered into Code Red for a near fall. This was a great sequence.
Ospreay and Allin traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Ospreay got the better of it by knocking Allin down with a couple of chops. Ospreay held Allin’s arm and then hit him with two more chops. Allin stuffed a chop and then rolled Ospreay into a pin for a two count.
Allin avoided an OsCutter. Allin hit a springboard version of the Coffin Drop for a near fall. Allin went to the ropes and Ospreay joined him in a fight for positioning. Allin knocked Ospreay to the apron, but Ospreay kicked him and then performed a Styles Clash from the apron to the floor. Ospreay sold right knee pain.
Back in the ring, Ospreay hit an OsCutter for near fall. Ospreay picked up Allin for a Storm Breaker, but Allin countered into a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin went to the ropes and hit a Coffin Drop on the back of Ospreay. Allin followed up with another Coffin Drop and scored the pin…
Darby Allin defeated Will Ospreay in 14:45 to earn three points in a Continental Classic blue league match.
The updated gold league leaderboard showed that Allin, Ospreay, Ricochet, and Claudio Castagnoli all have six points, Brody King has three points, and Komander has none. All six men have two matches remaining…
Powell’s POV: This was a blast and it was great to see a clean finish, especially since I thought they might be going with a draw or a weak finish because the match didn’t close the show.
Allin was still in the ring when The Death Riders started to make their entrance for the main event… An ad aired for AEW Worlds End… [C] Orange Cassidy, Hangman Page, and Jay White made separate entrances for the main event…
5. Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Pac (w/Marina Shafir, Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Hangman Page, Orange Cassidy, and Jay White. Page and White bickered before the opening bell. Page was going to start the match, but he walked backed to his corner and messed with White by tagging in Cassidy, who then got the better of Yuta. Moxley hit Cassidy with a shot to the throat when Cassidy was at ringside.
Cassidy crawled toward his corner. White and Page held their hands out, but White pulled his away. Page went face-to-face with Shafir at ringside. Yuta hit Page from behind. Back in the ring, Page drilled Yuta with a lariat.
Page tossed Yuta into the corner and then called for Moxley to tag in. White tagged Page’s back. Page was pissed and then headed to the back shortly before the final PIP break. [C]
[Overrun] White was isolated by the heels while Cassidy was down at ringside. White put Moxley down and then Cassidy returned to the apron and took the tag. Cassidy threw hard kicks at Moxley.
Cassidy put Moxley down with a tornado DDT. Yuta checked in and blocked a Stundog Millionaire. White put Yuta down. Pac took out White. Cassidy caught Pac on the ropes and superplexed him.
Moxley returned to the ring and kicked Cassidy, who ducked a clothesline. Cassidy went for an Orange Punch, but Moxley caught him with a cutter.
Page returned to the ring and went after Moxley. Cassidy hit Moxley with an Orange Punch and then accidentally hit Page on the apron. Page went for a Buckshot Lariat that Cassidy avoided and the move took out Yuta. The broadcast team wondered who Page meant to hit. White hit a Bladerunner on Pac. Page and White bickered and then Moxley rolled up Cassidy and pinned him..
Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Pac beat Hangman Page, Orange Cassidy, and Jay White in 12:05.
After the match, Page, Cassidy, and White bickered until Moxley, Pac, and Castagnoli surrounded them on the apron. A brawl broke out between the teams. Moxley escaped with Shafir while Page, Cassidy, and White got the better of the brawl. Excalibur said there would be no escape for Moxley in the four-way match at AEW Worlds End…
Powell’s POV: I don’t get the strategy. Moxley is the heavy favorite going into the four-way match. If they want to play up the idea that he’s at a disadvantage in this match, then he shouldn’t have been the one to issue the challenge for it. Furthermore, he pinned Cassidy in this six-man tag match while Page and White bickered, which sends the message that he can do something similar at Worlds End. And if that doesn’t get it done, there are no disqualifications in a four-way, so there’s nothing stopping the other Death Riders from interfering.
Overall, I liked the majority of this show, but the build to the four-way title match is a mess. Just a quick note that I won’t be doing a live review of the Christmas night edition of Dynamite because, well, it’s Christmas. Family first, folks. My review will be available either late night or on Thursday. That said, I will be back later tonight with my same night audio review of this episode for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Dynamite by grading the show below.
That’s a very small crowd and a very small arena. Those tunnels are super close to the ring
Wrestletix numbers below
Available Tickets: 159
Current Setup: 2,968
Tickets Distributed: 2,809
That’s the WNBA/G-League arena in DC. It’s basically 3 sided as far as seating goes so AEW just puts their stage on the empty side. Holds about 4200 if you really pack people in there.
Perfect sized building for Dick the Boozer and his loyal Dick Riders to continue driving down ratings.
Wow that is a small place. Good on AEW for booking a smaller arena. Maybe they can do away with those tunnels now.
Also thanks for pulling up those numbers so quickly Jason!!
They’ve run that building the last few times in DC. There’s a sudden increase in smaller buildings like that over the last few years, but still not enough to truly use them exclusively for national touring.
I Checked out early but… “Darby Allin defeated Will Ospreay in 14:45 to earn three points in a Continental Classic blue league match.” CLEAN???
What the actual F&$@. I don’t care if it was an 11* match with a finish never seen before in wrestling. In what world does the future top guy (and someone you spent a lot of money on and built up as amazing) loses to the 130lb skateboarder. Honestly this is why Shad needs to step in, take the book away from his clueless child and hire someone who knows what they are doing before what’s left of this promotion is burned to the ground!!!!