Kenny Omega defended the All Elite Wrestling World Championship Jan. 6 on Dynamite, but whose side are they on?!
By: Gavin Axelrod
(Photo via @YoungBucks on Twitter)
The stars of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) returned to action Wednesday one week removed from a moving tribute, which celebrated the life of the late Brodie Lee.
This week’s show was dubbed ‘New Year’s Smash’ and there’s no better way to ring in 2021 than with another loaded card. Jake Hager and Wardlow engaged in a battle of two behemoths, Hikaru Shida defended the AEW Women’s World Championship against Abadon and Rey Fenix challenged Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship.
Elsewhere on the card, Sting made an appearance and Darby Allin and Brian Cage had a weigh-in for their TNT Championship match next week. Snoop Dogg also made an appearance to promote The Go Big Show, which AEW EVP Cody Rhodes will be a judge on.
The Young Bucks and SCU defeated The Acclaimed and The Hybrid Two. As always Gavin Axelrod and Joseph Cascairo have covered everything that happened on another edition of Dynamite.
Jon Moxley is back
(AEW)
Jon Moxley returned to AEW Wednesday for the first time since losing the World Championship to Kenny Omega at Winter Is Coming.
Moxley put Rey Fenix over, but he has a no-tolerance policy for people like the cleaner. The former champion didn’t give us a clear picture of his intentions, but it was almost certain there would be hell for Omega to pay in the near future.
Hager vs Wardlow deliver the beef
(AEW)
Jake Hager and Wardlow haven’t been able to keep their eyes off each other for months, literally. The tension between the two came to a head Wednesday night.
The match itself was fine, but it was Wardlow who impressed the most. He connected on a top rope senton and even leapfrogged Hager during the match.
In an impressive feat of strength, ‘Mr. Mayhem’ hoisted Hager over his shoulders and hit the F10 to win the match.
This year could be Wardlow’s if he can escape the shadow of The Inner Circle. The 32-year-old has all the tools to be a singles star.
Abadon and Shida settle their rivalry
(AEW)
We’ve been critical of AEW’s handling of its women’s division, but tonight was a great starting point for the year.
Hikaru Shida and Abadon have been feuding for quite some time and tonight they finally settled things. The match was short and sweet and even had some fun spots, which included the two duking it out under the ring.
The champion Shida retained her title in a fun match and it’ll be interesting to see who she faces next.
Fenix and Omega ring in the new year with a five-star match
(AEW)
In case you didn’t know, Kenny Omega and Rey Fenix are two of the best wrestlers in the world. The two put out an amazing match to start 2021.
This contest had everything from high spots to crazy counters. If you didn’t catch this match live, it’s essential viewing moving forward.
However, while the match was superb, the wrestling world is going to be buzzing after the finish of the show.
Bullet Club is f-f-f-for lyfe
(AEW via Twitter)
Kenny Omega and Don Callis ended the show attempting to beat down Rey Fenix and just before they did, a video played over the titantron. Fenix's Death Triangle stablemates PAC and Penta El Zero M were being beatdown by Eddie Kingston and his family.
Just as it looked like Omega was going to end the career of Fenix, Jon Moxley defiantly stormed his way to the ring. Moxley brought a barbed wire baseball bat with him and swung for the fences, connecting flush with Omega’s stomach.
Don Callis fled the ring and it looked as though the show was going to end with Jon Moxley standing tall. Suddenly, two men emerged from the crowd, with silver championship belts around their waist.
IMPACT! Wrestling Tag Team Champions Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, better known as The Good Brothers, had arrived in AEW. The two beat down Moxley and laid waste to a caveat of AEW wrestlers who tried to make the save.
Anderson, Gallows and Omega have a long history with each other. Omega was personally recruited to join Bullet Club in New Japan by Anderson and it appears the AEW Champion has repaid the favour to The Good Brothers.
If that reunion wasn’t enough, The Young Bucks also made an appearance, but whose side were they on? The AEW Tag Team Champions tried to make peace, but then Matt Jackson superkicked Griff Garrison.
Luke Gallows then threw up the signature “Too Sweet” hand gesture, a gang sign of sorts commonly used by the Bullet Club, which signifies a common bond. Omega joined his friends, but The Young Bucks hesitated.
As the show went off the air Nick and Matt Jackson reluctantly joined the trio in throwing up the “Too Sweet.” Five years and one day to the date that Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks took over Bullet Club in Japan, the band is back together and it’s just too sweet.
Next week: It's New Year's Smash Night Two and Darby Allin Defends the TNT Championship against Brian Cage, Chuck Taylor takes on Miro and The Elite will be in action.