AEW Dynamite Results 2/21: Swerve Strickland & Samoa Joe Team Up, FTR Faces Blackpool Combat Club
This is Wrestling INC.'s live coverage of "AEW Dynamite" for February 21, 2024!
Tonight's episode will see the build toward "AEW Revolution" continue, with the company pushing for the first PPV of the year. The main event of the show will see Samoa Joe defend the AEW World Championship against Adam Page and Swerve Strickland, and all three men will be involved in tonight's main event.
Joe will be forced to team up with Strickland and his fellow Mogul Embassy member Brian Cage as the three of them face Page, RVD, and HOOK, who also has issues with Joe after coming close to defeating him several weeks ago. While RVD and Strickland also collided recently, which is a result the ECW legend will be hoping to get revenge on.
The build toward the AEW Women's World Championship match will also continue this evening. There will be a chance for fans to see Timeless Toni Storm in action, as the champion is set for singles competition against an unknown opponent, and the same can be said for the current number one contender, Deonna Purrazzo.
A major tag team match is also confirmed for the show as the issues between FTR and the Blackpool Combat Club will continue. The former AEW World Tag Team Champions will team up to face Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli. However, with the BCC currently having major issues with several CMLL stars, it remains to be seen if they will make their presence known during the show.
FTR vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley
Cash Wheeler takes down Jon Moxley immediately which fires him up as he begins driving his knee into the FTR star with Claudio Castagnoli tagging in as he connects with several uppercuts. Wheeler responds by targeting the knee of the BCC star and Dax Harwood then tags in and showcases his chopping abilities. Moxley tags back in, but Harwood hits a backbody drop and then hits a leg drop before tagging his partner back in as they showcase strong double teamwork.
Moxley attempts to get a sleeper hold connected on Wheeler, but he manages to send Moxley out of the ring and the two men then begin headbutting each other before delivering huge forearm strikes. FTR then hit double dropkicks to their opponents, sending both BCC members to the floor as FTR stand tall. The brawl continues outside the ring, and Moxley then hits a suicide dive to Harwood, only to be driven head-first into the steel stairs by Wheeler.
FTR continues to isolate Moxley with frequent tags to remain fresh as they hit a double catapult that sends Moxley into the bottom rope. Castagnoli then makes the tag and begins dominating Harwood with his uppercuts, and he then manages to lift both opponents to drop them down with authority. BCC then works together to hit a spiked piledriver outside the ring as Castagnoli jumps from the barricade to drive Harwood down.
Harwood and Moxley then begin exchanging strikes with the latter coming out on top after some help from his partner. Castagnoli then stops Harwood from tagging out, but he then gets driven into the ring post following a right hand from the FTR star and both men tag out. Wheeler nails Moxley with an uppercut as he takes out Castagnoli as well. Wheeler hits a brainbuster, but Moxley kicks out and Harwood then comes in but Castagnoli stops the Shatter Machine.
Moxley then begins brawling with both FTR stars, but his focus is on the wrong one and FTR hits a Doomsday Device but Moxley kicks out. Castagnoli then comes in to help out, but he takes too long and Harwood sends Castagnoli out. He then hits a superplex to Moxley, but as Wheeler comes in with the Frog Splash his knees are up. Castagnoli hits the Giant Swing which Moxley ends with a dropkick, but Harwood kicks out.
Moxley locks a submission into Harwood, and Castagnoli cuts off Wheeler with his own, but he drives them into Moxley to break both of them up. Harwood then locks in the Sharpshooter, and Castagnoli tries to break it up, but Wheeler then suplexes him. Despite that, Castagnoli puts a Sharpshooter on Wheeler and he and Harwood start slapping each other and break their submissions.
Moxley then hits a piledriver, but Harwood kicks out. FTR fights back and almost hits a Shatter Machine, but the bell rings for a draw.
Result: Time-limit draw
The match ends and all four men continue to brawl until the locker room spills out to break it up.
Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Mike Bennett (AEW International Championship Match)
Renee Paquette is backstage with Orange Cassidy as the doctor says he is barely cleared to compete. However, Cassidy says he will wrestle later tonight.
FTR are then shown backstage as Harwood suggests that they have a rematch at AEW Revolution. The BCC stars then turn up and the arguing continues.
Orange Cassidy charges up the ramp as Mike Bennett makes his entrance and nails Matt Taven with an Orange Punch. He then brawls with Bennett back to the ring and then delivers his slow kicks in the corner before speeding up and stomping a mudhole into him. The official pulls him off, and that leads to Bennett hitting a big forearm strike which he follows up with several chops.
Cassidy responds with a Stundog Millionaire, but Roderick Trong then makes his way down to the ring, but the officials come out and send him to the back. However, that allows Bennett to hit a low blow and then a Piledriver, but Cassidy kicks out and then stumbles out of the ring. Bennett keeps the attack going there, sending the champion into the barricade, but Cassidy responds by sending Bennett into the stairs, only for the Undisputed Kingdom star to hit a thrust kick.
Back in the ring Bennett hits an Irish whip, and that sends Cassidy over the top turnbuckle and to the floor. Bennett talks trash to commentary and then hits a Death Valley Driver, but as they get back into the squared circle, Cassidy nails an Orange Punch. Bennett then hits a Piledriver, and follows it with several rollowing elbow strikes, but Cassidy then hits Beach Break and get sthe win.
Winner: Orange Cassidy
As soon as the match ends, Taven and Strong hit the ring and attack the champion until Jake Hager hits the ring and cleans house.
Backstage Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho are shown heading out on their date as Ric Flair then arrives.
Let's Hear From Daniel Garcia
Ric Flair is shown backstage and he says he's disappointed, he thought he would be a bigger part of the project and be more involved. He thinks he should be in the middle of everything so he's just going to explore some options. He's then shown knocking on The Young Bucks' door as he goes into their room.
Tony Schiavone then welcomes Daniel Garcia to the ring as Schiavone confirms Adam Copeland is unable to compete but Garcia will face Christian Cage at AEW Revolution. Garcia thanks the fans for chanting, 'You deserve it.' He felt like he was destined for great things, but a few months ago when he was at his lowest point he started to lose that feeling. But he knew going through that he just needed three seconds, and at the end of the Continental Classic he got that and they changed his life.
Whenever he got down, the fans picked him up or danced with him, and he thanks them for restoring that feeling. Garcia is confident he'd have made Copeland tap out last week, but it isn't over between them, and the next time he sees him he will be holding the TNT title.
Christian Cage and his crew arrive and he says Copeland will never get another shot at his title. He praises Garcia for his latest run, but he doesn't think their title match should happen at Revolution as he doesn't think Garcia is ready. He says Garcia just wants to make the fans smile, and Cage then claims that Garcia had a dark upbringing and an unhappy one. He reveals that Garcia's father is dead, and he adds that Garcia's father was a piece of crap who lost his life to the bottle.
Cage doesn't want to be his opponent at Revolution, he wants to be his father. Garcia tells him to never mention his mother again, but if he wants to talk about his father so much he can come to the ring and he'll put him in the ground next to him. Nick Wayne hits the ring but gets taken out, and then Daddy Magic attacks Killswitch with a chair.
Renee is then shown backstage with Adam Page and his partners. He says tonight is full of opportunities, for his partners to get revenge for their losses.
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Madison Rayne
Toni Storm vs. Sydni Winnell
Toni Storm immediately attacks Sydni Winnell, as she then connects with a running bulldog. Winnell gets tripped into the corner as a hip attack is hit and then Storm plants her with a piledriver and she then locks in an Ankle Lock, but stops and instead uses Deonna Purrazzo's finisher to gain a submission win.
Winner: Toni Storm
Deonna Purrazzo then comes out for her match and briefly stares at Storm. She then shakes hands with Madison Rayne to start their match, as the two of them go back and forth early on with some mat wrestling. Rayne then takes control briefly in the corner, but Purrazzo then avoids an attack and eats a big boot instead as Purrazzo follows it with a sliding dropkick. The two women then fight outside the ring, with Rayne slamming Purrazzo into the steel stairs.
Back inside the ring, Rayne locks in a submission hold to slow the pace as she then changes with a pinfall attempt. Rayne then nails an enziguri, but both women then have the same idea and collide in the ring. They then exchange forearms and elbow strikes as Purrazzo then drops Rayne down, and she lands awkwardly on her head. The official and doctor have to step in and check her, and Purrazzo then quickly gets a submission victory.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Post-match, Storm returns to try to attack Purrazzo but gets dropped. Mariah May provides a distraction, and that allows Storm to lock in the Break A Leg submission on her rival.
Darby Allin is then in a video package showing some photographs of Sting and his sons. He points out it is Sting's flesh and blood and family is all that matters. Sting says that is all that matters and it strikes a nerve because nobody has ever messed with his flesh and blood until now. There's been lots going on in his family lately, as Sting reveals his father passed away a week ago, adding that he's a hero to him.
It makes him think of his own mortality as he used to feel invincible, but time catches up with everyone and it caught him. He knows he's not invincible, but he's bringing everything he has left in him to Revolution and The Young Bucks have a fight on their hands.
Wardlow Speaks
Wardlow hits the ring and admits he's pissed. Two years ago he had thousands of people chanting his name in a manner that hasn't been heard or seen in decades. He was the next big thing, but apparently, the rocket that was strapped to his back was put on upside down as he's been screwed over and over again since then. He says you'd think the true homegrown AEW star would've been champion ages ago, yet he's never had a shot at it.
He says people backstage need to be fired and thrown in jail for that fact. He says he beat the Best In The World's ass so bad his body is still falling apart (CM Punk), he squashed MJF like an insect and beat him too. That brings him to the current champion, Samoa Joe. Wardlow says he choked his ass out and beat him too, so he asks what that makes him? It sounds like he is the best in the world, it sounds like he's better than you and you know it, it sounds like he's the most dangerous man in the room. Wardlow says he's the uncrowned king of AEW and it is time he eats like one.
He is done being fed scraps as he is everything a World Champion is supposed to be, and there's nobody bigger, stronger, faster than him and nobody that can stop him. He says if anyone wants to get in his way, this is no longer wrestling, it is war.
It is confirmed that Will Ospreay will be on AEW Dynamite next week.
Don Callis is then shown backstage, he says after Revolution, Konosuke Takeshita and Will Ospreay will still be in the family. Callis is so excited he's got the meat madness, Will Hobbs, and he will hurt a lot of people.
Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, & Brian Cage vs. Adam Page, RVD, & HOOK
HOOK starts with Samoa Joe, but the AEW World Champion dominates with his power by slamming him face-first to the mat straight away. HOOK manages to unload several punches in the corner of the ring and then takes him off his feet, but Joe fires back with several body shots. Brian Cage tags in and isolates HOOK with several lariats, but HOOK escapes and tags in RVD who instantly brings Cage down with his kicks.
He looks for a monkey flip but Cage blocks it and tags in Swerve Strickland who works with Cage as a unit for some double-team action. Adam Page makes a blind tag and then goes face-to-face with Strickland as they start brawling until HOOK and Cage break it up and then they both tagin. HOOK unloads with elbow strikes on Cage, but the bigger man turns it around and brings Strickland back in.
He quickly brings Joe in, and he unloads a massive chop to the back of HOOK before following it with a flashing elbow. Cage tags in and hits a delayed vertical suplex, but RVD manages to tag in and he starts unloading his striking ability on all of his opponents, hitting Strickland with Rolling Thunder. RVD then nails a Five Star Frog Splash to Cage, but Joe breaks up the pinfall attempt.
Strickland then connects with a high boot to Page as he then attacks RVD once more. Joe comes in and charges RVD in the corner, following it with a kick but RVD kicks out. RVD tries to fight away, but Joe drags him back down to the mat as Strickland then comes in and starts attacking RVD in the corner. Cage launches RVD with a release German suplex and Joe then comes back in, but RVD responds by catching him with a kick.
Page then tags in and immediately takes the fight to everyone in sight. However, Cage catches his attempt to hit a diving crossbody as he then lifts Page for a Death Valley Driver. Everyone then hits the ring and takes each other out with a chain of finishing moves until Page is ready for the Buckshot Lariat. Rather than going for the win, he focuses on Strickland, and he and Cage head to the top rope as Cage suplexes him while HOOK attacks Cage at the same time.
HOOK has Red Rum locked in, but it's not enough. The three Revolution opponents then end up in the ring as they all go back and forth. Then outside the ring, Page powerbombs Strickland through the announce table, but he misses with his Buckshot Lariat to Joe who responds with a scoop slam. Joe then finds himself with HOOK and RVD, as Hook suplexes Joe, but Cage pushes RVD before he can attack the champion. Joe then sets up the Coquina Clutch and RVD fades out.
Winners: Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, & Brian Cage
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