AEW Dynamite preview: Malakai Black introduces first members of his faction, ex-WWE star surprises MJF, title reign to end after two months? (January 5, 2022)

After wrapping up a successful 2021, AEW will be aiming for bigger things in 2022, starting with a new era on the TBS network.

Welcome to this week's preview of AEW Dynamite, which will emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The flagship show has been somewhat languishing to garner a consistent one million viewership.

That said, Tony Khan has lined up a significant match card this week, which will prompt even casual viewers to tune into their show. As many as three high-profile championship matches will go down on Wednesday night. Aside from these title bouts, Malakai Black and MJF will compete against their respective opponents.

Now, without further ado, let's get straight down to what AEW has in store for us tonight.

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#5 Malakai Black vs. Brian Pillman Jr. on AEW Dynamite

Malakai Black and Brian Pillman Jr. will collide in a first-time-ever match on AEW Dynamite. Black and The Varsity Blonds have been on a collision course since the former terrorized Julia Hart by spitting black mist into her eyes.

Since then, Griff Garrison has stepped up against Malakai Black but failed to put him down. With payback in mind, Pillman Jr. will be coming up with all the guns blazing to try to score an upset victory over The House of Black.

Speaking of which, the former NXT Champion posted a cryptic Instagram post a few days ago, thus hinting at multiple additions to his faction. Previous reports have suggested that Brody King, one-half of the current PWG World Tag Team Champions alongside Malakai Black, has signed with AEW.

King's arrival could be inevitable and may happen as soon as this week. If The Varsity Blonds dare to play a numbers game with Black, one can expect King to even the odds.

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#4 MJF vs. TBA on AEW Dynamite

MJF is scheduled to compete on tonight's Dynamite against an opponent yet to be announced by management. The Salt of the Earth usually wrestles against a string of enhancement talents when AEW promotes his matches on infrequent occasions.

So wrestling fans shouldn't hold high hopes since it will likely be nothing short of a squash match. Moreover, Friedman has decided not to renew his rivalry against CM Punk, which most likely means that the company is prolonging their feud.

But what if Punk comes out as an anonymous wrestler, possibly covered in a Lucha mask tonight to defeat MJF? It will generate a massive buzz to their ongoing feud. But this is merely speculation at the moment, yet it will be interesting to see what's next for MJF.

#3 Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus vs. The Lucha Brothers (c) (AEW World Tag Team Championship match)

Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo will put their AEW World Tag Team Titles on the line against the #1 contenders Jungle Boy and Luchasuarus.

Both teams engaged in a heated argument last week after suffering a surprise defeat at the hands of FTR and Hardy Family Office in a 10-man tag team match.

This isn't the first time Lucha Bros and Jurassic Express will be going up against each other. Not too long ago, the two teams fought on an episode of Rampage to determine the next challengers for the-then champions, The Young Bucks, at All Out.

As witnessed, Fenix and Penta defeated Jurassic Express and then dethroned The Young Bucks in arguably one of the best matches in 2021 to become the tag team champions. Jungle Boy and Luchasuarus will be eyeing revenge, and it will be interesting to see whether they remain successful in capturing the tag team gold or not. Either way, the AEW universe will be in for a treat to watch these incredible technicians put on a stellar contest.

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#2 Jade Cargill vs. Ruby Soho (TBS Championship)

Jade Cargill and Ruby Soho will collide tonight to determine the first-ever AEW TBS Champion. The two women have been on a hot streak throughout the tournament, defeating top-notch names to advance into the finals.

It's worth noting that Cargill is still undefeated in the singles women's division. She's most likely a favorite heading into her match against Soho. Though the latter has tons of experience in high-stakes bouts, it will be an uphill task for her to put down Jade Cargill, who clearly has the size advantage in this bout.

With the odds in Cargill's favor, a victory over a well-established name like Soho would be no less than a career-changing moment.

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#1 'Hangman' Adam Page (c) vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW World Championship)

Hangman Page will put his AEW World Championship on the line tonight against Bryan Danielson. This will be a highly-anticipated rematch from last month's Winter is Coming show, which saw both men take their fight to a 60-minute time-limit draw.

As noted, three judges will be present during the bout in case the match reaches another time-limit draw. Danielson and Page showed impressive resiliency in their previous clash. There's no doubt that the two men will tear the house down again if given considerable time in the ring,

The AEW universe will surely be at the edge of their seats to see whether The American Dragon ends the fairytale run of Hangman Page or not.

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Since you've read the full preview, click here to check the bold predictions for the show as well.