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For an entire generation, pro wrestling and Thanksgiving went hand-in-hand and Wednesday night on TNT, All Elite Wrestling celebrated that relationship with a special episode of Dynamite.
Headlined by a blockbuster eight-man tag team match intersecting three intensely personal rivalries, the show continued the Full Gear fallout while setting the table for several top feuds and stars for the remainder of the year.
Was Bryan Danielson able to make good on his promise to kick the head in of Colt Cabana in front of his hometown fans in Chicago? Speaking of the Second City, how did its favorite son, CM Punk, fare when he battled QT Marshall?
Find out the answer to those questions and more with this recap of the Thanksgiving Eve broadcast.
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CM Punk hit the ring to a monstrous ovation from his hometown fans in Chicago to kick off the show. MJF interrupted, though, making his way to the ring to address the man who blatantly disrespected him a week ago.
The young heel took a shot at the pipebomb promo and said Punk looked like a "crack addict" despite being straight edge. He took exception to Punk ignoring him, refusing to bring him when he spoke of dream matches, and vowed to "drop nukes" instead of pipebombs.
"I'm in your head. Probably has something to do with the fact that you've got a poster of me on your wall," Punk said of his disappointment in MJF. "I shut up the great MJF without saying a word." He continued, "you think you're someone when in reality, he's just a less-famous Miz."
MJF called Punk "nostalgia," accused him of kissing ass and asked, "what happened to the guy I grew up on because you might as well come out here preaching 'hustle, loyalty and respect.'"
The heel cut a scathing promo, dropping references to John Cena and Triple H while insisting that Punk was always second place.
Punk responded, saying him choosing to face Darby Allin ate MJF up. In fact, he's no longer the most powerful of the four pillars. MJF has been replaced by Britt Baker and he doesn't even know it. "The only way you're going to be No. 1 is if we all wait around long enough for Tony to have a daughter for you to marry," he said.
Before things could turn physical, MJF baled out of the ring, choosing to fight another day.
Grade
A+
Analysis
Take two of the most engaging talkers in recent wrestling history, give them microphones and let them captivate for 20 minutes. It was a recipe that worked extremely well here in the opening segment, thanks to two polar opposite performers.
Every time MJF thought he had a zinger to wound Punk with, the babyface answered with something equally or more cutting. It was a great back-and-forth promo battle. The minute it threatened to turn violent, MJF baled. Conveniently enough, thanks to the lack of backup, something Punk criticized him for over the course of the promo battle.
Their eventual match is going to be absolute money and segments like these are the reason.
An absolutely fire way to kick off the show and the best promo we have heard out of Punk thus far in his AEW run.
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CM Punk looked to make it 2-0 as he battled QT Marshall, moments after a verbal evisceration of MJF. He dominated early and often, even outsmarting his opponent enough to get The Factory's Aaron Solow and Nick Comoroto ejected from ringside.
During the break, Marshall turned the tide in his favor, delivering a Liger Bomb for a close near-fall. Back from the timeout, he taunted the Chicago fans, drawing a chorus of boos but also taking his eye off his opponent.
Punk answered with a kick that flattened Marshall. The corner knee, top-rope elbow and Go To Sleep followed as the hometown hero rolled to victory.
Result
Punk defeated Marshall
Grade
C+
Analysis
The match was solid, is unspectacular, but continued Punk's win streak in AEW.
Marshall is great at inciting a reaction, which we saw with his antics here. The crowd got even more behind Punk and fueled him to victory.
It was interesting to hear the commentary team, on more than one occasion, sum up Punk's run thus far with "yeah but...he's undefeated." It will be interesting to see if it becomes part of the narrative that Punk has lost a step. Might we be seeing the tale of Old Man Punk playing out before our very eyes?
And if so, how will MJF play into it? Might he deal him his first loss in AEW?
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The undefeated Gunn Club (Billy and Colton Gunn) looked to enhance their win-loss record as they battled Bear Country’s.
The Gunns attacked the opposition prior to the bell and sent Bear Boulder into the ring steps, aggravating an arm injury that previously kept him out of action. With Bear Bronson left to go it alone, he succumbed to Austin Gunn tripping him up and Colton putting him away with the Colt 45.
After the match, Sting and Darby Allin made their presence felt after enduring a beatdown at the hands of the victors Friday night on Rampage. The babyfaces cleared their new rivals from the squared circle and stood tall to close out the segment.
Result
Gunn Club defeated Allin and Sting
Grade
C-
Analysis
Maybe it is because Gunn Club had been relegated primarily to Dark and Dark Elevation but this feels like a step back for Allin and Sting.
Sure, the argument could be made that AEW is hoping to elevate Austin and Colton Gunn by way of this program and that would be a perfectly valid response. Still, one cannot help but think there are better options available than taking two second-generation stars from zero to 60 when they are still in the midst of learning their craft.
If there is a positive, it is that the inevitable blow-off match between the teams will not ask Sting and Billy Gunn to take too many risks or stress their bodies.
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Earlier today, Dante Martin stunned the world by signing to join Team Taz, leaving Lio Rush speechless and dismayed.
The TBS Championship Tournament continued with Jamie Hayter (accompanied by Rebel and AEW women’s champion Dr. Britt Baker DMD) battling Thunder Rosa.
Intense physicality dominated the opening moments of the match as the competitors relentlessly unloaded on each other, holding nothing back even as the fight spilled to the floor. Back inside, Hayer unloaded on her opponent, only to find herself on the receiving end of a barrage of strikes.
The face-painted phenomenon dominated the action on the floor until diving off the apron, directly into the arms of her opponent. Hayter drove her into the ring post heading into the commercial break.
The Brit dominated throughout the commercial but the fiery Rosa mounted a comeback and appeared to be on her way to victory. Hayter halted her momentum. When Rosa recovered and applied the Peruvian Necktie, Baker interfered. A superkick backfired, though, as the good doctor rocked Hayter, allowing Rosa to out-wrestle her moments later for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Baker and Rebel tried to console Hayter, only for her to brush them off and leave the ring on her own.
Result
Rosa defeated Hayter
Grade
B+
Analysis
Rosa and Hayter wrestled a hell of a match that had the fans in Chicago splitting their allegiances between the two competitors. While the finish was necessary to create the dissension we saw after the bell, it was the only negative of the entire bout as the disjointedness of it threatened the overall quality.
The aforementioned dissension is interesting in that it sets Hayter up to be a potential challenger to Baker down the line. The British-born competitor has grown and evolved as a wrestler every time she has been in the ring, culminating with the performance we saw here tonight.
If she can continue winning fans over based on the in-ring intensity she brings to her performances, Hayter may be the best option to dethrone Baker as champion that AEW has. As history tells us, sometimes it is the performer you least expect that comes from out of nowhere to leave a lasting impression.
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During a special backstage Friendsgiving segment, Tony Schiavone revealed to Britt Baker that Riho was never really eliminated from the Casino Battle Royale at All Out and as a result, Tony Khan has awarded her a Black Friday Deal match. A win by the inaugural women’s champion will get her a shot at the doctor’s title.
Back in the arena, Chicago’s own Colt Cabana battled No. 1 contender Bryan Danielson in singles competition.
Determined and pissed off, Danielson overwhelmed Cabana in a stiff, hard-hitting wrestling match that culminated with him stomping Cabana’s face in, then applying the LeBell Lock for the submission win. Danielson pointed out a tooth lying on the mat before celebrating. Schiavone said he would be heading to the ring during the break to talk to the victor.
Back from the commercial, Danielson questioned if the reaction he got tonight from the Chicago fans is different because of him or because of the fans. He vowed to kick another Dark Order member’s head in on next week’s show from Atlanta before bringing up Hangman Page.
The AEW world champion entered the arena to a big pop, confronting his top contender. Page offered to defend the title right here, right now.
“Of course you would offer after I’ve already wrestled.”
Page offered Danielson the first shot in a fight between them. “Don’t you insult me like that,” Danielson said before slapping the champion. A tense exchange gave way to an attempted Buckshot by the champ but Bryan escaped to the floor.
Result
Danielson defeated Cabana
Grade
A
Analysis
Heel Danielson is the best.
He was unabashedly joyful as he punished Cabana before defeating him in a decisive, undisputed fashion. He bullied Cabana, then talked a big game but backed down when Page offered to fight him for the second week in a row. Like any great heel, he begged off when faced with a fight he didn’t have the upper-hand in.
Bringing back “fickle” after using it so extensively during his run as The Planet’s Champion in WWE was great and absolutely fit the situation given how quickly the fans turned on him when he began showing the slightest bit of attitude.
Danielson’s work as a heel has been nothing short of extraordinary. He will make the perfect first opponent for a guy in Page that is still very early in his title reign and looking to define what that run is going to look like. The match(es) will be awesome and Danielson will do everything in his power to solidify Hangman as the star of the company.
Whether Tony Khan can resist the urge to put the title on The American Dragon as his heel persona evolves is the real question.
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The unlikely team of Cody Rhodes and Death Triangle’s Lucha Bros and Pac battled Malakai Black, FTR and Andrade El Idolo in a blockbuster eight-man tag team match at the top of Wednesday’s card.
Early on, Rhodes threw his weight belt into the audience, only to have the Chicago faithful toss it back in clear defiance of his pandering. Death Triangle dominated the opposition early until Rhodes tagged himself in. It immediately backfired as the heels isolated him and beat the hell out of him in their corner.
A desperation tag to Fenix allowed the fan-favorites to regain the upper hand. The heels dominated throughout the commercial break but overconfidence on the part of FTR’s Cash Wheeler allowed Fenix to create separation and make the tag to Penta El Zero Miedo.
Pac followed, laying waste to all four members of the opposing team, then wiped them out with a plancha. The action broke down, each competitor delivering signature offense in search of victory. An errant superkick from Rhodes to Pac allowed El Idolo to drop the hammer on The American Nightmare.
With all eight competitors down, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard came face-to-face in the center of the ring. El Idolo’s second, Jose, attempted to get involved but was taken down by Anderson. FTR joined Blanchard but Fenix wiped the AAA tag champs out. Lucha Bros ridded the squared circle of their rivals, Black sprayed mist in the face of Pac and El Idolo scored the pinfall victory.
Result
El Idolo, FTR and Black defeated Rhodes and Death Triangle
Grade
A
Analysis
All AEW had to do with this one was let the eight men involved go to the ring and tear it up. That is exactly what happened. There was no feeling-out process or attempt at chain-wrestling. This was a balls-to-the-wall, high-energy multi-man tag team match that had the fans on the edge of their seats throughout.
Or, in one instance, throwing a weightlifting belt back into the ring.
The heels winning was the right call, especially as Black and El Idolo recover from a puzzling loss at Full Gear. Black spraying mist in the eyes of Pac essentially sets them up for a match at some point in the near-future and fans should absolutely be excited about the prospects of that showdown based on the talent involved.
One thing this match did really well was not put Rhodes in a position to have the overwhelmingly negative reaction that greeted him adversely affect the quality of the match. He was used sparingly, entering and exiting in bursts. It was absolutely the right call as fans continue to reject the character, even as the performer himself refuses to turn heel.
That decision will, and should, be revisited as things continue to snowball.
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AEW Dynamite Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 24 - Bleacher Report
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