AEW Dynamite Results 1/10: Sting In Action, Samoa Joe Speaks, Castagnoli Vs. Page
This is Wrestling INC.'s live coverage of "AEW Dynamite" for January 10, 2023!
As part of his road to retirement, Sting is set to compete in tag team action this evening as he will be teaming up with Darby Allin while Ric Flair is set to join them in their corner. Don Callis has promised that his men will give Sting his first-ever loss in AEW, with Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs having the chance to do just that.
Tonight will mark Samoa Joe's first live appearance since winning the AEW World Championship back at AEW's Worlds End, and he is expected to speak to the crow this evening.
Eddie Kingston is another champion expected to appear tonight, with the "Mad King" having promised to be a fighting champion since claiming the Triple Crown after the Continental Classic.
Adam "Hangman" Page confronted and brawled with Swerve Strickland to close the show last week, and tonight the former AEW World Champion will be in singles action against Claudio Castagnoli.
Elsewhere, there will be an eight-man tag team match in honor of Brodie Lee as The Gates Of Agony, Brian Cage, and Lance Archer team up to face Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, Orange Cassidy, and Preston Vance.
Ahead of their upcoming AEW World Tag Team Championship match this weekend, Ricky Starks and Sammy Guevara will compete against each other in singles action as they look to gain momentum for their specific teams.
Finally, there will be an eight-woman tag team match featuring many of the top stars in the division. Thunder Rosa will partner with Kris Statlander, Anna Jay, and Willow Nightingale as they face Julia Hart, Skye Blue, Saraya, and Ruby Soho.
Adam Page vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Adam Page jumps Claudio Castagnoli from the moment he gets into the ring, and the two take the fight outside of the ring straight away. Page gets sent into the barricade as Castagnoli follows up with an uppercut, but the "Hangman" responds with a lariat as he sends Castagnoli back into the ring. The Blackpool Combat Club star immediately regains control though, stomping down on Page in the corner, but Page walks through some of the shots and the two then go back and forth with uppercuts.
Castagnoli drags Page down to the mat by his hair and immediately puts Page into the Giant Swing. Page manages to get back into the match as they go back and forth with forearm strikes, but Page reverses an uppercut attempt into a backslide. While Castagnoli kicks out, he then gets launched across the ring for his troubles. Page launches himself out of the ring onto Castagnoli, as he then takes a beer from a fan.
Page then runs at Castagnoli inside the ring, but he uses that momentum to throw Page over the top rope and onto the hard ramp. Castagnoli then runs down the ramp and stomps on Page again to add further damage. "Hangman" fights back and attempts to set up the Buckshot Lariat, but Castagnoli catches him with a big boot to deny it as they then fight up the ramp.
Page then runs down the ramp and clotheslines Castagnoli back into the ring, but his Buckshot Lariat attempt is denied. The two men then slap each other repeatedly until both men end up on the outside once again. Page then climbs up to the cement wall and moonsaults off it to wipe out Castagnoli below. Inside the ring, Page hits a Tombstone, but Castagnoli kicks out.
Castagnoli then reverses the Dead Eye by launching Page headfirst into the turnbuckle pad. Castagnoli then nails down his elbow strikes, but Page reverses the Neutralizer attempt with a Dead Eye, but Castagnoli kicks out. Page manages to reverse a Ricola Bomb attempt from the top turnbuckle with a hurricanrana, following up with two Buckshot Lariats to get the win.
Winner: Adam Page
The Gates Of Agony, Brian Cage, & Lance Archer vs. Adam Copeland, Dustin Rhodes, Orange Cassidy, & Preston Vance.
Dustin Rhodes kicks things off against Toa Liona, and the veteran gets the best of the early exchanges until the Gates Of Agony star drops him with a headbutt. Preston Vance then tags in, but Brian Cage comes in only to eat a big boot before Adam Copeland comes in with a splash in the corner before bringing in Orange Cassidy. The International Champion gets caught by Cage, but Copeland dropkicks him which allows Cassidy to remain on top.
He nails a Stundog Millionaire, but Gates Of Agony then come in (swatting Lance Archer's attempt at a tag away), and they send Cassidy flying across the ring. Outside the ring, Bishop Kaun continues the attack on Cassidy, but he once again ignores Archer's attempt to tag in, opting to bring Cage back in as he lifts Cassidy into the air and then tags in Liona who does the same. They continue passing Cassidy around while keeping him in the air, with Cage eventually suplexing him down.
Archer finally tags himself in and he delivers a major knee strike to Cassidy before hitting several running elbow shots. Jose The Assistant stops him from doing it again, but he gets dropped by Jake Roberts. Meanwhile, Cassidy attempts the slow kicks and then hits a DDT as Vance and Kaun tag in, with Vance dominating and cleaning house. He connects with a cutter, but Liona makes the save from the pinfall. The match then breaks down with everyone hitting the ring to nail their individual moves.
The heels take over but Archer and Cage then argue amongst themselves which creates an opening for Vance to hit the Discus Clothesline.
Winners: Preston Vance, Dustin Rhodes, Orange Cassidy, & Adam Copeland
Samoa Joe Speaks
Bullet Club Gold is shown backstage as they tease the idea of going for trios gold. The Acclaimed then turn up, and they say they have the same goal with all of them holding gold. They suggest hanging out and becoming the Bang Bang Scissor Gang. Jay White says they need a little more time to think it over.
Samoa Joe then hits the ring and says they're making changes to the championship-challenging protocol. He heard even a devil who made a bad deal is looking for him, but he's not worrying about that tonight. Joe reveals no more do you have to come and whine on the microphone or go on social media and make hoe-ass comments. No, you bring a record and reputation, take it to the championship committee and you get an express pass to face him. He says he will be waiting.
Swerve Strickland then makes his way out, and he says before he told Adam Page it wasn't personal but he just wanted his spot, and he took it. Now he's saying the same thing to Joe, it isn't personal, he just wants the title, and he's going to take it. Strickland says after he takes the title and Joe makes it personal, he would be more than happy to. Page's music then hits as he says if we are out calling shots he will make his own. He claims he'll make the AEW World Championship his in 2024.
Page tells Joe he hasn't forgotten what he had done to him, and he will take the title from him for it. HOOK then makes his presence known after the other potential challengers head to the back. He immediately goes face to face with Joe, points at the title, and says, "One week."
Toni Storm is shown backstage as Mariah May if she watched the match, but Storm says not and asks if May did an arm drag. She gives May a chocolate for getting kicked in the face last week. She feels like the prettiest girl at the dance with everyone wanting a title shot, and she tells Luther to set a meeting with Deonna Purrazzo.
Samy Guevara vs. Ricky Starks
Sammy Guevara picks up the pace early on, sending Ricky Strks outside the ring as he then hits a moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the floor. The two men then fight on the ring apron where Guevara connects with some huge chops, but Starks attacks his windpipe and then drops Guevara face-first onto the ring apron. Starks then walks the ropes before dropping down onto Guevara's arm as he follows up by stomping away on that area.
Guevara looks to go to the top rope, but Starks just nails several big blows to stop it, only for Guevara to knock him down to the floor with a back elbow. However, Guevara's high-flying move is met with boots to the face as Starks then powerbombs Guevara, only to get a near fall. Starks then looks for a Spear, but Guevara avoids it as he hits the turnbuckle, but Starks then reverses Guevara's finisher with a backslide. Guevara then rocks Starks with a huge kick and he catches the AEW World Tag Team Champion out with a pinfall attempt.
Winner: Sammy Guevara
The two men shake hands after the match, but it's just a ploy as Big Bill then appears from behind and attacks Guevara. Chris Jericho then hits the ring with Floyd and attacks both of them. The four men then brawl all around ringside with Jericho's music playing the entire time, fighting into the fans with Jericho and Guevara getting the best of it.
Thunder Rosa, Kris Statlander, Anna Jay, * Willow Nightingale vs. Julia Hart, Skye Blue, Saraya, & Ruby Soho
Anna Jay starts out dominating Ruby Soho with a running leg attack in the corner as she then makes fast tags between her partners as they all come in and get a shot on Soho. Thunder Rosa is the last to do so with a big dropkick, but Soho manages to escape and tag in Julia Hart, with a swipe by Skye Blue distracting her so the heels can take charge as they isolate Rosa in the corner.
Soho comes back in but she eats a back elbow from Rosa, who follows it with a dropkick. Willow Nightingale then introduces herself with a running splash, but Harley Cameron swips the leg of Nightingale on the top turnbuckle which allows Blue to come in and attack her opponent. Hart then comes in and starts brawling with Nightingale as they exchange chops until the TBS Champion gets in control with a kick to the spine.
Saraya then introduces herself with knee strikes on the ring apron. Blue comes back in, but Nightingale finally manages to tag in Kris Statlander and she is on fire taking out everyone in sight. Saraya gets planted to the mat which gets a near fall. All eight women then hit the ring as the babyfaces nail a quadruple suplex. The women then go back and forth nailing big moves on each other to clean house. It eventually leads to Jay locking in the Queen Slayer to pick up a submission victory.
Winners: Anna Jay, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa
A video package then airs for Wheeler Yuta, as he points out that Eddie Kingston might've beaten his stablemates, but he didn't beat him, therefore he challenges him to a match on Friday.
Bryan Keith vs. Roderick Strong
Strong starts with a shoulder tackle, but Keith fights back with the two exchanging chops on the ring apron until Strong drops Keith on the ring apron back-first. Strong drives Keith down inside the ring, but Keith fights Strong back while he's on the top turnbuckle and he comes over the top to hit a stunner. However, Strong pulls out End Of Heartache, immediately cutting off his momentum.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Post-match, Adam Cole labels Strong the best wrestler alive today, and the International Championship has his name on it, he then claims Taven & Bennett will go down as one of the greatest teams that have ever lived. He says Wardlow is one of the most physical men in AEW history, he tells fans to say hello to their new kingdom and they should get comfortable as they'll be here for a longtime.
Sting & Darby Allin vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs
Sting and Powerhouse Hobbs immediately begin brawling into the rafters around the fans while Darby Allin and Konosuke Takeshita fight lower down around ringside. Sting puts Hobbs onto a roadcase, pushing him as he crashes into some bins. Takeshita takes control of Allin though with some big chops, while Sting and Hobbs fight back toward the ringside area. Allin hits a dropkick and looks for a Coffin Drop on the floor, but he gets caught as Takeshita hits a rolling German suplex outside the ring.
Allin nails Takeshita with a drink after The Don Callis Family members set up some tables outside the ring. They bring their opponents inside the ring and remain in control as they hit a double team to Allin, tossing him across the ring, but that leads to Sting firing up as he hits a Stinger Splash to Hobbs. However, he eats a running knee from Takeshita which leads to Ric Flair getting into the ring to chop Hobbs as Sting then clotheslines Takeshita out of the ring as Allin follows it with a suicide dive.
Sting connects with a spinebuster to Hobbs and the four men then brawl up the ramp onto the stage area. Takeshita misses with a knee strike as he hits the fence, and Allin then climbs up the stairs toward the top of the entrance and launches himself backward to wipe out Takeshita. Hobbs then carries Sting over to the other side of the stage as Sting hits a Scorpion Death Drop through the tables below.
Winners: Sting & Darby Allin
Post-match, Tony Schiavone asks Sting who his final opponents will be, and he doesn't get the chance to answer but The Young Bucks make their return and stare them down.