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This week's episode of AEW Dynamite saw two semi-finals of the TNT Championship tournament take place. The final will be held at Double or Nothing. We also had a special message from AEW World Champion Jon Moxley as well as another epic episode of the Bubbly Bunch.
We also got the first AEW Dynamite appearance of former IMPACT wrestling star Rebel as well as an injury update from MJF.
Cody Rhodes vs Darby Allin (TNT Championship Tournament semi-final)
Cody and Allin started the match going back and forth and it was pretty even till Cody tweaked his knee. With Cody distracted at ringside, Allin went to take him out with a dive and got Brandi instead. Billy Gunn helped Brandi up as Cody unloaded on Allin.
Cody went to hit Darby Allin with a suplex but he countered it by landing on his feet and then hit Cody with a chop block to the knee. Allin followed it with a kneebar but Cody reached the ropes.
Allin continued to work on Cody's knee, smashing it into the mat. He kept going after the knee relentlessly. Cody replied with a Diaster Kick before Allin hit him with his own finisher.
Allin locked in a Figure 4 as Brandi Rhodes came back out with a bottle of water. Allin hit Cody with the bottle before going for a springboard coffin drop. Cody blocked it before Allin went for his version of a Stundog. Allin went for a second Stundog but Cody caught him and hit him with a Cross Rhodes for a nearfall.
Cody headed to the top rope and went for a Coffin Drop but Darby got his knees up. Allin went for a Coffin Drop of his own but Cody smartly rolled him up for the win.
Cody def. Darby Allin
MJF provides injury update
MJF said that he had recovered from the nail issues thanks to his nail doctor who had rescued him from "death's door". He then drew attention to the neck brace around his neck. He revealed that he had nicked himself while shaving and this was holding back his return to the ring. MJF revealed that this fresh injury would, unfortunately, keep him out of action from AEW for a little while longer.
Wardlow vs Musa
'Mr. Mayehem' Wardlow was in action against Musa. Musa charged at Wardlow as soon as the bell rang and Wardlow planted him in the middle of the ring, Wardlow then unloaded on Musa in the corner. Musa replied with a punch to the jaw and then followed it up with a handspring enzuigiri.
Wardlow picked Musa up and drove him into the turnbuckles. Wardlow then placed Musa on the top rope and hit him with his patented knee strike. The big man followed it up with the release Airplane Spin to pick up another easy win. Another impressive performance from Wardlow.
Wardlow def. Musa
The Bubbly Bunch
We got a number of special appearances on this episode of the Bubbly Bunch including Vickie Guerrero, Fluffy, and Duff McKagan:
Best Friends vs Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian
All four men went right at it and wasted no time as Orange Cassidy and Penelope Ford looked on from outside. Best Friends dumped Havoc and Sabian out of the ring before Trent wiped them out with a dive.
Jimmy Havoc was back on his feet soon. He took a chair and threw it at Orange Cassidy's face, taking him out. Jimmy Havoc suplexed Chuckie T onto a laid out chair. He then went to smash Chuckie with the chair but Trent took him out with a spear.
Sabian and Trent were in the ring as the legal man as Havoc smashed Chuckie T with a chair at ringside. Havoc took out a ladder and tagged in. He then threw the ladder at Trent before setting it up in the corner.
Sabian and Havoc double-teamed Trent as Chuckie T was laid out at ringside. Sabian went to pin Trent but Taylor finally came in and broke up the pin, only to get thrown out again.
With Sabian down, Taylor came back in and hit Havoc with a rising knee strike into the chair he was holding. Best Friends then simultaneously tosses chairs at Havoc's head before picking up a nearfall.
Trent was on the top rope, ready to leap off, but Havoc pulled his legs out from under him, sending him crashing into the ladder that had been set up earlier. Trent then took a double stomp through a chair only for Chuckie T to break it up.
Taylor then hit Saban with a Piledriver onto a steel chair. He went for the pin but Penelope Ford broke it up from ringside.
Orange Cassidy was back at this point. He tossed a chair at Havoc. Sabian tried to hold Cassidy as Ford charged, only for Cassidy to move out of the way. Chuck Taylor took advantage and finished Havoc off to pick up a massive win.
Best Friends def. Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian
Dr. Britt Baker gives a tour of her dental practice
We got the first AEW appearance from former Impact Wrestling star Rebel in this segment:
Shawn Spears vs Barron Black
Shawn Spears was all over Black as the match began. Black briefly hit back with a knife-edged chop but it was all Spears soon after. He hit Black with a suplex before trying a classic Jericho-style cocky pin for a one-count.
Spears went for another suplex but Black hit back with an uppercut. Spears hit Black with a C4 before locking in a Sharpshooter for the win.
Shawn Spears def. Barron Black
Brodie Lee vs Marko Stunt
Marko Stunt tried to throw a couple of punches at Brodie Lee early in the match but they barely had any effect. Lee replied by slapping Stunt across the back and then stepped on his throat.
Stunt leapt off the top rope and at Brodie Lee and this turned out a big mistake. Lee caught Marko Stunt in midair and hit him with a Blackhole Slam in the middle of the ring for another quick win.
Brodie Lee def. Marko Stunt
Jon Moxley's message for AEW fans
Lance Archer vs Dustin Rhodes (TNT Championship Tournament semi-final)
The Murderhawk was all over Dustin Rhodes in the early stages of the match. Archer went under the ring to take out a steel chair. Dustin saw the danger early and smacked the chair out of Archer's hands. Rhodes then grabbed the chair himself but Archer booted him through it. We saw that Dustin Rhodes was busted open by this point.
Back from the ad break, Rhodes threw right hands in desperation only to get wiped out by a clothesline. Rhodes replied with the Shattered Dreams soon after.
Rhodes still had fight left in him as he threw more right hands at Archer. He followed it up with a Code Red but couldn't cover Archer. Both men made it back to their feet at the same time and traded strikes. Rhodes won the exchange and took Archer down with a clothesline. He followed it up with a Powerslam.
Archer caught Rhodes by the throat but Rhodes broke free and hit the Cross Rhodes. Archer kicked out at 1. Rhodes headed to the top rope and leapt off. Archer caught him by the throat and hit a chokeslam, with Rhodes kicking out at 2
Archer caught Rhodes arm, headed to the top turnbuckle and walked the ropes. He then hit a moonsault from there for a nearfall.
Archer followed it up with a second chokeslam and went for the cover. Rhodes almost reversed the pin but the Murderhawk kicked out at the last second.
Archer ripped off one of the turnbuckle paddings and sent Rhodes face-first into it, repeatedly.
QT Marshall came out at this point to throw in the towel but Cody stopped him. None of this distracted Archer who hit Rhodes with a knee to the face to finish him off.
Lance Archer def. Dustin Rhodes
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