Tonight on AEW Dynamite, the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament continues as we determine who the two “jokers” are in the men and women’s bracket.
AEW DYNAMITE
May 18, 2022, Houston, TX
Commentary: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, & Excalibur
MATCH 1
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
Samoa Joe vs. Johnny Elite (aka John Morrison)
Dueling chants. It’s a back and forth battle before Johnny leads us to break with a dive to the outside on Joe. Back from the break, Joe was in control and hit a sitting senton onto Elite. Ekute gets out of a muscle buster, and it gives him an opp to nail a 450. Johnny lands on his legs and gets a two count. Joe gets his knees up for another top rope attack and palm strikes Johnny into the corner. Muscle buster. 1-2-3.
WINNER and ADVANCES: Samoa Joe
Immediately, out comes Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh. They hit Joe with a lead pipe. Out comes Trent Baretta to save him, but the damage may be done.
The Bucks confront the Hardys backstage who just got the news that Jeff Hardy is medically cleared to wrestle. Bucks warn Jeff that he should take the night off cause Cole will hurt him. Both he and Matt take exception, with Matt calling them whiny little bitches.
MATCH 2
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Hangman Page
CM Punk joins commentary.Takeshita shows viability, but Hangman shows why he’s champ. He back drops Konosuke on the apron before hitting his patented moonsault to the outside. We go to break. Back from it, both mean are trying to one-up each other. Blue Thunder Bomb from Takeshita. Two count. Hangman goes to the outside and Takeshita dives over the top to the champ. “This is awesome” chants. Both men hit suplexes, both men lariat one another down. Hangman hits a tombstone, but Konosuke gets a two count. The finish comes when Hangman hits a GTS.
WINNER: Hangman Page
Post-fight, CM Punk stands on the entryway and he shares a tense moment with Hangman.
We see a promo by Fuego Del Sol and Dark Order who will be challenging House of Black on Rampage.
MATCH 3
Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee vs. The Workhorsemen
Workhorsemen do live up to their name but Lee nails his Spirit Bomb for the 1-2-3!
WINNERS: Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee
Keith Lee grabs the mic and says that they became a top five ranked tag team. Out comes Starks and Hobbs. Ricky gets called a bar of soap by Swerve. Out comes Jurrasic Express. Christian tells Ricky to shut the hell up. He reveals that they challenge both teams to the World Tag Team Championships at Double or Nothing.
Red Velvet is backstage with Tony Schiavone whom Jade Cargill tells him to cut the shit.
Out comes MJF and he nearly vomits saying Houston. He expresses his enthusiam for give Wardlow ten lashes who gets escorted out by security and no music. The lashes begin and Wardlow barely reacts. MJF flips out before being held back by Spears. Spears gets a couple in. He has one more left. “Wardlow” chants. MJF kicks him the balls. MJF punches him with his Dynamite Diamond.
Trent Berreta & Rocky Romero are backstage. Roppongi Vice is back together. They challenge FTR.
MATCH 4
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rey Fenix
Both men showcase their wrestling specialties and Fenix executes a beautiful tope senton. Back in the ring, KOR gets him in a triangle hold. We go to break with KOR in control.
Back from it, both men are slugging it out. Rey is favoring his arm, but Rey hammers through with some strikes. Fenix favors his arm. Later, KOR hits several double underhook suplexes, but Fenix catches him in the corner for a beautiful kick. Fenix nails a hook kick and KOR hits a lariat to down Rey. Both men several times knock one another down. These two continue to knock each other back hard.
The match gets even more wild as Rey hits a beauty of a hurricanrana to the outside. KOR catches him in an armbreaker and impressive hooks a leg to finally get the submission win in the ring.
WINNER and ADVANCES: Kyle O’Reilly
It’s Jericho and Regal confrontation time. JAS cuts off the Judas music early. Jericho verbally attacks Regal for being an addict before he goes down the gauntlet. He wants Eddie to call his girl for him, he calls Danielson a nerd and tells him sooner or later he’ll enter a program like Mox had to. Regal gets on the mic and says he hit a few home truths about his past. There’s something that kept going through since he met Jericho in 1997. He says he’s regularly took Jericho’s toothbrush and stuck it up his bum. Same goes for Garcia. Jericho gets ready to challenge the BCC to a Stadium Stampede match, but Mox cuts him off. He ain’t doing that bullshit. He wants anarchy.
Instead, a rift gets caused between Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson.
MATCH 5
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
Britt Baker vs. Maki Itoh
Maki acts like she’s going to give Britt the pinfall, but she catches her with a near pin fall. Maki literally uses her head a couple times and nails her patented diving headbutt, but Britt gets in a lockjaw. Maki immediately submits.
WINNER and ADVANCES: Britt Baker
Tony Schiavone goes center of the ring to hype AEW Double Or Nothing, but out comes Serena Deeb. She heard what he said last week. Why doesn’t he think she can’t beat Thunder Rosa? She’s sick of that and she also heard what Dustin had to say. The Natural comes out and he soon gets slapped which prompts Thunder Rosa to come out. Rosa charges at Deeb but Dustin holds her back. Rosa inadvertantly elbows Rhodes in her aggression, and as she checks on Dustin, Deeb hits her with the belt before leaving.
MAIN EVENT
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semi-Finals
Jeff Hardy (with Matt Hardy) vs. Adam Cole
Cole attacks Hardy from behind to start the fight. He maintains control through the break. Jeff fights back from it for his patented offense, but Cole superkicks him down. Jeff nails a twisted stunner and goes for his Swanton Bomb, but Cole avoids it and lowers the Boom. 1-2-3!
WINNER and ADVANCING to the finals: Adam Cole
Post-match, the Young Bucks come out, but the Hardys see it coming. Cole attacks from behind. They hit a BTE Trigger on Matt Hardy. Out come Darby and Sting. Darby gets beat down by ReDRagon after some offense, but Sting really takes it to the Elite and no sells a chair shot. The Bucks catch him with a double superkick. They put a chair on Sting’s leg and crash down on it and that’s ho
