Backstage Details Behind Botched Match Finish On AEW Dynamite

In T-minus eight hours, AEW will crown its first-ever National Champion in the company's traditional Casino Gauntlet at Full Gear. This past Wednesday, on "AEW Dynamite," The Hurt Syndicate's Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin secured their places in the event with the first and second spots, respectively. However, new reports are coming in ahead of tonight's show regarding the finish in the second match between Benjamin and "Speedball" Mike Bailey this past Wednesday.

As mentioned by Bryan Alvarez on "Wrestling Observer Live," and additionally confirmed by Fightful Select, the finish to Benjamin and Bailey's match wasn't the actual planned finish. It was noted that Benjamin tried to call an audible in the ring, and the referee of the match didn't hear him, which led toward an awkward connection. Before his eventual victory, Benjamin had Bailey pinned on the mat, but Bailey's shoulder was up and the referee stopped the count at two. For safe measure, Benjamin connected another superkick, which secured his position in the gauntlet.

Heading into tonight's event, "The Almighty" and "The Gold Standard" are two of the confirmed names participating in this Casino Gauntlet, as of this writing. In a recent media call, AEW President and CEO, Tony Khan, announced that the newly crowned champion will defend the AEW National Championship at Ring of Honor Final Battle, slated for Friday, December 5, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.