AEW Dynamite Results 1/24: Adam Copeland Faces Minoru Suzuki, Swerve Strickland In Action, Sting Speaks

This is Wrestling INC.'s live coverage of "AEW Dynamite" for January 24, 2023!

Both Swerve Strickland and Adam "Hangman" Page have been making their cases for an AEW World Championship match recently, and tonight each man will get to prove himself in singles action.

Strickland will face Jeff Hardy, while Page will compete against Penta El Zero Miedo, as both men try to earn themselves a shot at Samoa Joe's title.

Elsewhere, Adam Copeland will continue with his 'Cope Open,' and someone will be stepping through the Forbidden Door to answer the challenge this time as he will face Minoru Suzuki for the first time ever.

The AEW World Trios Championships will be on the line this evening as The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn defend their gold against The Gates Of Agony & Brian Cage. The latter are fresh from losing their ROH World Six-Man Championships to Bullet Club Gold and will be out for revenge against their newly formed friends.

Toni Storm's issues with Deonna Purrazzo will hit a new level as they come face-to-face tonight, while Thunder Rosa will be back in action as she faces Red Velvet.

Undisputed Kingdom's Wardlow is also set for in-ring action tonight. He has made it clear that he's on the hunt for the AEW World Championship, and with rankings making their return it will be important for him to try and register a win as he faced Trent Beretta.

Finally, as the road to AEW Revolution continues to heat up, fans will hear from Sting and Darby Allin, who will likely be out to respond to The Young Bucks.

Samoa Joe kicks things off, saying tonight is all about celebration as title shots must now be earned, which is why everyone will come out and battle tooth and nail for an opportunity at his gold. Joe can appreciate the ambition, but he warns that they're not gaining an opportunity for a title, it's a chance for the worst night of their life. He will beat down anyone and take everything from them, but he is interrupted by HOOK. 

HOOK shakes his hand, but whispers that he doesn't know when or where but he will see Joe again. Joe tells security to get him out of the ring, but he takes them down.

Adam Page vs. Penta El Zero Miedo

Penta starts the match out impressively with consecutive slingblades, but as he tries to bounce off the ropes back to Page he gets caught into a fallaway slam and then a standing moonsault. Page turns things around with a leg drop, and then a huge chop in the corner of the ring, and while Page responds with one of his own it doesn't have as much impact. The two men trade clothesline attempts until they both go down.

The fight then spills to the floor as Page sends Penta head-first into the ring post, and that is followed up with a big boot inside the ring. However, as things head back outside the ring, Penta gets the best of things by avoiding Page and then diving over the top rope to wipe out the cowboy. Despite that, Page immediately responds with a Death Valley Driver, and that forces Penta to kick out of a pinfall attempt afterward. 

Penta manages to hit a thrust kick and then plants Page down to the mat, which gets him a near fall this time around. They take the fight to the ring apron and trade shots, but Page puts him back into the ring and aims for the Buckshot Lariat only for Penta to counter with Made In Japan which almost gets him the win. They head to the apron again, and this time Page nails a Deadeye and then a moonsault to the outside. He then misses his finisher again, but turns around and hits a normal lariat before finally delivering the Buckshot Lariat. 

Winer: Adam Page

Orange Cassidy is backstage with Renee Paquette and agrees to defend his title at AEW Revolution against Roderick Strong. But, he will keep defending the title and he told Tony Khan to put people in a match on Rampage and the winner will challenge him for the title on Collision. 

The Young Bucks are then shown the format backstage and then get asked what their first plan of action is as executives, they want more respect by being told their passport names. They say that they fixed the catering problem, and they're here to make sure the show is run smoothly. They bump into Top Flight and accuse them of just turning up, saying they'll fine them next time.

Wardlow vs. Trent Beretta

Wardlow immediately charges into Trent Beretta with a big shoulder tackle which he follows up with an uppercut in the corner. He then just launches Beretta across the ring, spinning him in mid-air. Beretta almost catches Wardlow out with a small package and then pulls down the top rope for the big man to charge over. Beretta then nails several kicks to keep him outside the ring, but as Beretta throws himself over the top rope he gets caught with an uppercut in mid-air.

Wardlow then launches Beretta around the ringside area, just throwing him repeatedly into the barricade. While they get back into the ring, Wardlow whips Beretta over the top turnbuckle and out to the floor, and then he throws him through the ropes and out again as he toys with him. Beretta then slaps Wardlow, but he eats an uppercut for his troubles. Inside the ring, Beretta once again tries to fight back but meets a headbutt for his troubles, yet he picks up the pace with several knee strikes as Beretta then dives outside the ring to nail Wardlow again. 

The official then gets distracted so Beretta uses a chair and then suplexes Wardlow inside the ring. He follows it with a DDT after running up the turnbuckles before planting him to the mat, but Wardlow kicks out. Beretta takes to the skies with a crossbody but gets caught and slammed to the mat. Wardlow then hits the Powerbomb for the win.

Winner: Wardlow

Toni Storm says it is ridiculous that Deonna Purrazzo was recently body-shamed, because there's far more to shame about her. She says Purrazzo can't just waltz in here and use their friendship to get a title shot. She says she's had lots of friends less talented than her, and while Purrazzo might be the best technical wrestler if she gets in the ring with her she will twist her lips so hard she will need an epidural. 

Purrazzo says she came here to be champion, and it just so happens the champion used to be her friend, but she's no problem earning a shot and winning it arm by arm. She doesn't want to wrestle this delusional sham, she wants the Storm who lived in her house when she moved to America, as she was one of the best in the world, and that's the one she wants to beat for the title. 

Purrazzo begs Storm to find the past version of herself, and she tells her to look at her ankle as she's sure it looks like hers. It is then shown they have identical tattoos. Storm says she can take her tattoo and blow it out of her bumhole. Storm throws a shoe at Purrazzo ad she launches one back at her and then tries to attack the arm, but Mariah May saves her. However, Purrazzo goes back to hit a running knee strike to Storm, yet Luther makes the save and he takes the bullet for her.

Jon Moxley is shown backstage saying there's always a bigger mountain to climb for Blackpool Combat Club, that's what it means to be elite. Some people think that word is all about a party, but he says the party is over and whenever he gets in the ring he's going to show that. He will give his heart and soul for the people, including this Friday.

Taya Valkyrie and Johnny TV are shown backstage as they reintroduce themselves. She says some things are starting to p*ss her off, including the girl trying to skip the line. She knows Deonna Purrazzo very well, and she challenges her to a match. 

Jeff Hardy tries to catch Swerve Strickland out with a roll-up early on, and he even grabs the tights to try to take advantage. That fires Strickland up, but it leads to Hardy slapping him in the face only for the veteran to crash and burn with a splash. Strickland instantly drops Hardy with a backbreaker, but Matt Hardy then provides a distraction and Jeff takes advantage, attacking Strickland's midsection. 

Hardy drops Strickland with a shoulder tackle and then a splash to the lower back before dropkicking Strickland's lower back. That is followed by a Russian leg sweep, but Strickland then sweeps the leg of Hardy when he's on the apron and hits a thrust kick. It leads to Hardy dangling to the floor as Swerve hits a neckbreaker. He places Hardy onto a chair, but as he tries to dive off the apron onto him, Hardy manages to turn it around. 

He sends Strickland into the barricade and then runs and leaps off the stairs before landing on Strickland, bending him in half on the barricade. However, back inside the ring, Strickland turns it around with a neckbreaker and he then just drives Hardy's face into the mat. Strickland dives from the turnbuckles into the back of Hardy, but the veteran responds with a Whisper in the Wind. 

Strickland hits a kick but avoids the Twist Of Fate only to eat a Manhattan Drop and then a leg drop and dropkick. The fight then spills out of the ring and they stand on the steel stairs as Hardy nails a Twist Of Fate onto it. However, back inside the ring Hardy misses the Swanton Bomb and gets hit with a House Call, but Hardy kicks out! Hardy hits several jawbreakers but gets caught with a Flatliner as Strickland then hits a delayed vertical suplex. The Swerve Stomp follows, and that's enough for a win.

Winner: Swerve Strickland

Adam Page and Swerve Strickland meet backstage as Strickland points out he was the last person to beat him. Page says it's a new year, new him. However, Renee Paquette says next week they will get to choose each other's match.

Thunder Rosa starts out by tripping Red Velvet to the ring before locking in a gator roll. She remains on top with a series of hip tosses, but Velvet turns things around with a series of chops outside the ring until she overcommits, allowing Rosa to nail some of her own. Velvet fights back again though and drives Rosa's arm into the ring post before yanking at it for further damage.

Inside the ring, Velvet continues targetting the arm of Rosa, but she gets out of a submission with a pinfall attempt. Rosa manages to plant Velvet down to the ring, and the two then trade huge shots back and forth, but Rosa picks up the pace with some shoulder tackles. She charges into Velvet in the corner of the ring and then drives the knees into her for further damage. Rosa hits a dropkick as Velvet is laying on the bottom rope, and then nails a Northern Lights Suplex which gets a near fall. 

Velvet fires back with some body shots and then a stomp. She dives into the back of Rosa which drives her into the ropes, but the former AEW Women's World Champion gets back in control with a dropkick. She then drops Velvet down to the mat again.

Winner: Thunder Rosa

Darby Allin says people ask him what it's like to team with Sting, and he says he's impacted him since 2015 when he saw Sting's career end. Allin admits he thought what if that was him, and then he heard Sting was coming to AEW and he wondered why as he was retired. Allin flew to Sting's house and they rolled around in the ring and he told Sting that he still had it. 

The Young Bucks are shown watching it backstage on a headset. Back in the ring, Allin points out the rankings are back and they're in the top spot due to being undefeated. He says they'd be dumbasses not to take that opportunity, and he tells Sting that he's still got it again, and this time he's not alone as the fans agree with him. Sting then admits he's all in, and they hug it out in the ring. 

Backstage, Big Bill thanks them for having the respect to address them by name. They accept the challenge. 

The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn (c) vs Mogul Embassy (AEW World Trios Championship Match)

The champions strat out in control, with Anthony Bowens dominating with forearm strikes, but Brian Cage manages to take over when Bowens takes his eye off the situation. This allows the Gates Of Agony to make frequent tags as they isolate Bowens. He manages to fight out of the situation with a Blockbuster, and that allows the hot tag to take place. 

Billy Gunn enters the fray and starts unleashing his offense, but he ends up being cut off. Despite being hit by a Pedigree, Gunn kicks out and then while the heels attempt to cheat, Jay White appears and helps out his new Bang Bang Scissor Gang members. It allows a Famouser to be hit, followed by the Mic Drop for the champions to retain.

Winners (And still champions): The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn

Adam Copeland and Minoru Suzuki immediately get into the fight with a series of forearm strikes and chops being exchanged which gets the crowd going. It's the NJPW star that gets the best of that, but the AEW veteran does come out of it attempting an early Spear, but that's something Suzuki manages to avoid. Instead, the fight spills to the floor and Copeland sends them both charging through the barricade.

They return to the forearm exchange, with Suzuki then dishing out his trademark slaps as he builds up the intensity before being caught by a DDT. Once again, Copeland aims for a Spear but instead Suzuki counters into an Arm Bar, forcing Copeland to get a rope break in order to stay in the match. Suzuki then goes for another submission, but the "Rated-R Superstar" breaks out and finally nails the Spear, only for Suzuki to kick out!

Suzuki then immediately goes back for the choke, and this time he locks it in! Copeland begins to fade out as his rams drop with the official, but he manages to drive Suzuki into the corner as he then busts out Christian Cage's Killswitch finisher, which gets him the win.

Winner: Adam Copeland

The TNT Champion himself is shown backstage watching on, as Copeland praiss his opponent and puts him over as the hardest-hitter he's ever faced. Suzuki opts to just walk off rather than shaking his hand, while Copeland makes it clear to Cage that he's still coming for him, and their rivalry is not over.