This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite aired live from the Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, featuring the return of MJF, the full Blackpool Combat Club reuniting and a world championship match on the main event.

fallout from Double Or Nothing and the start of the build to Forbidden Door with the return of the Casino Gauntlet.

MJF RETURNS

– The show opened with MJF making his way to the ring to address the people with bold claims. MJF mocked Kazuchika Okada for calling himself the Rainmaker and Swerve Strickland for calling himself a business mogul. MJF said that Will Ospreay called himself the best in the world when he hadn’t beaten the names he had. He put over how he became the face of AEW in 5 years of TV exposure, becoming the most hated and most beloved name in wrestling. MJF called out the people who tried to smear his name while he was injured.

– Rush interrupted to tell MJF that he talked too much and that he was coming for his spot. MJF put over how Rush was an international superstar that bludgeoned some of the best ever. MJF said that the problem was that he wasn’t one of the best, but the best. He told Rush: “Chinga tu madre”, before saying his catchphrase in Spanish. Rush ran down to the ring to get into a brawl with MJF, forcing numerous agents and security guards to separate them.

– A video package was shown showcasing Roderick Strong climbing a mountain alongside The Kingdom. Strong spoke about putting an end to Swerve Strickland’s title reign.

(1) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. KYLE O’REILLY vs. JAY LETHAL vs. REY FENIX – AEW International Championship Contender’s Match

Lethal threw Cassidy out of the ring and hip-tossed Fenix before nailing Kyle with a kick. Lethal did the strut, only for Cassidy to crush him with a high crossbody. Kyle swept Lethal off the apron and tried to put Cassidy in a hammerlock, but he put his hand in his pocket. Cassidy withstood a kick to the chest and knocked Kyle down with a dropkick.

Fenix nailed Cassidy with a thrust kick and a basement dropkick, only for Lethal to attack him from behind. Kyle blocked the Lethal Injection before receiving a thrust kick from Fenix. Kyle and Fenix caught Lethal and Cassidy with the spinning hook kick and the rebound lariat. Kyle and Fenix knocked each other down with stereo roundhouse kicks, as AEW Dynamite went to commercials.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Cassidy caught Lethal with Stundog Millionaire. Kyle countered Stundog Millionaire with a cross armbreaker, but Fenixt immediately crushed him with a diving splash. Lethal broke Fenix’s pinfall with a diving elbow drop to the back and trapped Cassidy in a Figure 4. Kyle put Fenix in a Guillotine Lock, until Lethal broke the hold. Lethal nailed Fenix with a chop block before Kyle countered a dragon screw with an armbar.

Fenix broke Kyle’s lock with a double stomp and sent Cassidy out of the ring. Fenix kicked Lethal out of the ring, only for Cassidy to spike him with a Satellite DDT. Cassidy caught Kyle with an Orange Punch while Lethal hit Fenix with a dragon screw. Lethal dropped Cassidy with the Lethal Combination and took Kyle out with the Lethal Injection. Fenix countered the Figure 4 with an inside cradle on Lethal for the three count.

WINNER: Rey Fenix at 9:28 (***1/2)

– After the match, Trent Beretta and Don Callis made their way to the ring with a chair in hand. Cassidy picked up a chain and wrapped it around his feet, until Kris Statlander got in the way. Stokely Hathaway showed up on the ramp to tell Cassidy that Statlander would kick his ass. Statlander punched Cassidy on the face, until Willow Nightingale ran down to chase her away.

– Chris Jericho was shown arriving at the arena while giving advice to his driver and the cameraman. Jericho asked the cameraman to follow him and his crew around to learn from him.

[Commercial Break]

– Backstage, Renee Paquette interviewed Willow Nightingale about what happened at Double Or Nothing. Willow congratulated Mercedes Mone for her win, but told her that there was now a score to settle. Willow said that after being stabbed in the back, Kris Statlander didn’t know how dangerous she could be. Orange Cassidy passed by to fist bump Willow.

– Christopher Daniels showed up on stage to announce that the next qualifier match for the TNT title ladder match would take place right now.

(2) MARK BRISCOE vs. BRIAN CAGE – AEW TNT Championship Qualifier Match

Cage immediately cornered Briscoe with a load of lariats in the corner. Briscoe caught Cage with a pair of forearm strikes and boots to the face, setting him up for a dropkick through the ropes. The referee stopped Briscoe from using a chair, allowing Cage to lay him out with a lariat. Cage threw Briscoe’s body into the barricade and laid him out with a mid-rope superplex, as AEW Dynamite went to an ad break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Briscoe avoided a powerbomb and clobbered Cage with a series of forearms. Briscoe attacked Cage with a series of chops and a running elbow strike. Briscoe countered a lariat with a Xploder, but he kicked out at two. Cage caught Briscoe with a boot to the face, only for Briscoe to send him out of the ring with an uppercut. Briscoe set up a chair in the ring and used it to nail Cage with a Tope con Hilo.

Back in the ring, Briscoe blasted Cage with a missile dropkick for a close two count. Cage blocked the J-Driller and floored Cage with a modified facebuster for a nearfall. Cage planted Briscoe with a Liger Bomb and a thrust kick, only for Briscoe to take him down with a dropkick. Briscoe flattened Cage with a Death Valley Driver, setting him up for the Froggy Bow and the win.

WINNER: Mark Briscoe at 10:16 (***1/4)

– Backstage, Jack Perry congratulated Mark Briscoe for his win, but claimed that it didn’t matter because the universe had already chosen him.

– Backstage, Renee Paquette interviewed Samoa Joe and Hook about their partnership. Joe claimed that this wasn’t a mentorship before being interrupted by the Premier Athletes. Tony Nese mocked Hook for still eating his chips while Hook pointed out that Nese still lost his matches. Nese mocked Hook for hiding behind Joe, but Joe stopped Hook from getting into a fight.

[Commercial Break]

– Backstage, Chris Jericho led the camera, so he could speak with Matt Menard and Angelo Parker. Jericho tried to take credit for their recent career and life accomplishments.

– The Acclaimed started making their way to the ring with a rap against the Young Bucks. Matthew and Nicholas immediately interrupted from the screen to tell The Acclaimed that they were banned from disparaging their EVPs and their segment was now cut.

– Backstage, Renee Paquette interviewed Swerve Strickland about his upcoming matches. Swerve told MJF that he would get back at him, told Will Ospreay that he would send him the contract for their match at Forbidden Door and focused on tonight’s title defense. Swerve mentioned the EVPs and how he was rooting for them

– A video package was shown featuring Mercedes Mone talking about her inspiration in Japanese wrestling. Mone recapped her story with Stephanie Vaquer from last year, as a title vs. title match was made official.

(3) BLACKPOOL COMBAT CLUB (Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) vs. MAGNUS, VOLADOR JR, RUGIDO & ESFINGE

They immediately started brawling in and out of the ring. Moxley choked Rugido down while Danielson and Magnus exchanged kicks. Back in the ring, Danielson and Rugido traded chops to the chest, until Rugido took Danielson down with a hurracarrana. Yuta knocked Rugido down with a big boot, only for Mangus to lay him out with a lariat. Castagnoli blasted Magnus with a lariat of his own and blocked a handspring back elbow from Volador. Esfinge caught Moxley and Castagnoli with a double missile dropkick, followed by a suicide dive. 

Volador took Castagnoli down with a slingshot hurracarrana on the floor while Magnus clocked Danielson with a Tiger Feint kick. Magnus knocked Yuta down with a headlock takeover, followed by a corner clothesline. Moxley, Danielson and Castagnoli crushed Magnus with a corner lariat, dropkick and an uppercut. Castagnoli dropped Yuta on top of Magnus, as AEW Dynamite went to a commercial break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Mangus cracked Moxley with an enzuigiri, reaching Esfinge for the hot tag. Esfinge caught Castagnoli and Moxley with thrust kicks before putting Yuta and Danielson down with tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Esfinge launched Castagnoli across the ring with a pair of monkey flips, nearly getting the win with an O’Connor Roll. Castagnoli missed a high crossbody, allowing Moxley to put him down with a cutter. Rugido shocked Moxley with a German suplex, only for Yuta to respond with a back suplex. Magnus crushed Yuta with a corner double knee strike, but Castagnoli shut him down with the Giant Swing. Volador hit Castagnoli with a hurracarrana and Moxley with a thrust kick.

Volador floroed Castagnoli with a snap sunset bomb, but Danielson broke the pinfall. Danielson beat Volador down with a series of kicks to the chest before receiving a dropkick from Rugido. Rugido took Yuta down with a snap powerslam and a modified hip toss for a two count. Yuta blocked a German suplex, allowing Moxley to take him out with a lariat. Castagnoli caught Esfinge with an uppercut while Moxley took Magnus down. Volador sent Castagnoli out of the ring with a headscissors takeover, only for Danielson to knock him out with a Busaiku Knee. Yuta floored Rugido with an Olympic Slam and scored the win with the Seatbelt Clutch.

WINNERS: Blackpool Combat Club at 11:58 (***3/4)

– Backstage, Chris Jericho kept on giving unwanted advice to random people he encountered on catering.

– A video package was shown, featuring Daniel Garcia talking about how he made it into the business. Garcia talked about the car accident that broke both of his legs and how he was able to come back from it. Garcia said that he was coming for Will Ospreay’s International title

– Backstage, The Acclaimed threatened The Elite who were hiding behind their security team.

[Commercial Break]

– Backstage, the Patriarchy confronted the Young Bucks, claiming that he was screwed off the world title. Christian Cage asked for another title shot and the Bucks told them that they couldn’t give him that, but they would give him something that makes him happy.

(4) MARIAH MAY (w/Toni Storm) vs. SARAYA (w/Harley Cameron & Zak Knight)

Saraya attacked May from behind, only for May to take her down with a forearm strike and a Samoan Drop. May blasted Saraya away with a basement dropkick and planted her with a spinning side slam. May avoided a lariat from Cameron before receiving a lariat from Saraya. Saraya threw May into the barricade, as AEW Dynamite went to commercials.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, they got into a forearm strike exchange, until May caught Saraya with a headbutt. May attacked Saraya with a running forearm strike and a cross chop, followed by an avalanche hurracarrana. May knocked Saraya off her feet with a missile dropkick for a close two count. Before Saraya could react, May crushed her with a running hip attack, but she kicked out at two. Saraya avoided the May Day and spiked May with a cradle DDT for a shocking nearfall. Saraya quickly trapped May in a Scorpion Cross lock, forcing her to submit.

WINNER: Saraya at 9:06 (***)

– After the match, Saraya and Harley Cameron assaulted Mariah May and Toni Storm, until Mina Shirakawa showed up to make the save. Shirakawa and Storm had a face-off while May tried to get in-between them to make peace.

– Backstage, Chris Jericho tried to convince Private Party to change their name to Public Party. Isiah Kassidy ignored Jericho’s advice, angering Bryan Keith in the process. Jericho offered them a spot in next week’s TV Time because they needed it.

[Commercial Break]

– Backstage, Bryan Danielson put over Wheeler Yuta’s performance in his return match. Danielson talked about losing all of his biggest matches as part of his final year as a full-time wrestler. Danielson said that the straw that broke the camel’s back was losing Anarchy in the Arena. He said that he wasn’t done yet and would be entering the Owen Hart Cup to go to the main event of All In.

Announced for this week’s AEW Rampage:

• Serena Deeb vs Mina Shirakawa

(5) SWERVE STRICKLAND (w/Prince Nana) vs. RODERICK STRONG (w/Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) – AEW World Championship

Swerve knocked Strong off his feet with a shoulder tackle, only for Strong to put him in a headlock. Swerve dropped Strong with a hip toss, forcing him to roll out of the ring. Back in the ring, Swerve blasted Strong with a dropkick to the leg into the ropes, followed by a corner Irish-whip. Taven distracted Swerve, allowing Strong to drop Swerve with a backbreaker on the turnbuckle. Swerve blocked a dropkick through the ropes and catapulted Strong face-first into the ring post, as AEW Dynamite went to its final commercial break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Swerve countered a backbreaker with a Swerve Stomp. Swerve clocked Strong with an uppercut and a diving uppercut to the back, followed by a rolling flatliner and a brainbuster for a nearfall. Bennett distracted Swerve, allowing to get a nearfall with a roll-up. Swerve flattened Strong with a powerbomb into a powerslam for a close two count. Strong evaded the House Call kick and rammed him into the ring post with the Kingdom’s help. Strong nailed Swerve with an Xplex into the apron’s edge for a close two count.

They got into a strike exchange, until Strong countered the rolling flatliner with a lung blower. Strong clobbered Swerve with a series of forearm strikes, setting him up for an Olympic Slam, a bodyslam and a Sick Kick for a close nearfall. Swerve swept Strong off the apron and hit him with a thrust kick before crushing him with a slingshot German suplex. Strong avoided the House Call, only for Swerve to block a jumping knee and knock him out with the House Call.

WINNER: Swerve Strickland at 14:09 (Still AEW World Champion) (***3/4)

Announced got next week’s AEW Dynamite:

• Will Ospreay vs Rey Fenix – AEW International Championship