AEW WrestleDream 2024

AEW WrestleDream 2024 takes place at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Featured matches on the card include Bryan Danielson facing off with Jon Moxley, a heated battle between Hangman Page and Jay White, and six other big title matches.

ROH World TV Title: Atlantis Jr. (c) vs. Brian Cage
Cage won after hitting a Drill Claw. This was a fun opener on the Zero Hour portion of the broadcast. Quick match that featured a clash of styles, but Cage used strength to win in the end.
Winner and NEW ROH World Television Champion: Brian Cage
Grade: B –

Anna Jay vs. Harley Cameron
Anna Jay won after hitting her finisher, a reverse backpack facebuster-like move. The match itself was pretty slow with Harley playing the heel. Anna Jay’s finisher is pretty cool and it really popped the crowd at the end. What didn’t work, however, was the referee very obviously putting Harley’s left shoulder down before making the cover.
Winner – Anna Jay
Grade: B –

MxM Collection (w/ Rico) vs. The Acclaimed (with Billy Gunn)
The Acclaimed picks up the win after a top rope elbow drop. The humor in the feud is juvenile, but the ways they used it in the match itself worked. If there’s one complaint, this match went on a little too long. It would have been much better with a shorter time and/or a couple of the final stall spots eliminated. Rico was a real highlight here, seeing him share some screen time with Billy Gunn was great.
Winners – The Acclaimed
Grade: B –

Mercedes Moné and Kamille are walking through the backstage area and Mercedes is complaining about the amenities. They run into Queen Aminata, and they bicker a bit before parting ways.

Tony Khan then comes to the stage with some of Antonio Inoki’s family. He puts over Inoki and him being a dreamer. Tony then asked to lead the crowd in a chant of Inoki’s catchphrase. It came off awkwardly on TV, as it sounded like the crowd didn’t follow along with them.

The Conglomeration and The Outrunners vs. The Dark Order and Premier Athletes
The Outrunners are really over. The heels spent most of the match trying to keep Orange grounded. The Outrunners finally got the hot tag and cleared house. Josh Woods got involved, but Rocky Romero laid him out. After a bit of a melee, Turbo Floyd “hulked up” and beat up Daivari and set him up for Orange Cassidy. Orange had a pin after an Orange Punch, but Mark Sterling breaks up the pin. Sterling gets attacked, we see a dive to the floor as The Outrunners hit their finisher for the win.
Winners – The Conglomeration and The Outrunners
This was definitely a crowd participation match. Uno throwing the papers at Orange after he’d been worked over by three of his opponents was hilarious. This match was an interesting choice considering it followed another comedy tag team match. If anything, this match did a better job of keeping the crowd into it.
Grade: B

Kyle O’Reilly approaches Kazuchika Okada and says it’s good to see him, and points out that they’ve never wrestled before. O’Reilly asks for a match, and Okada thinks about. Okada says hell no … bitch! O’Reilly says that’s ok, he should have tried a different approach. He decks Okada, and they scrap before security runs in. Christopher Daniels throws them both out of the building.

Hangman Page vs. Jay White
White tries to use Hangman’s temper against him. They start off slow before things pick up after a suplex by White. They head up top, but Hangman shoves his thumbs into White’s eyes. White gets Hangman in a tree of woe and chops the heck out of him before poking Hangman’s eyes. White turned for a moment, and Hangman hit a Death Valley Driver on the apron.
Hangman powerbombed White on the steps, and it looked brutal. Hangman brought a belt out and went to whip White, but the referee stopped him. White got up on the ramp and dared Hangman to hit him, but ducked an attack and viciously slammed Hangman’s knee off the side of the stage.
Hangman teased Buckshot throughout the match. His injured knee slowed his final attempt. Hangman leaped in, but White countered with Blade Runner for the win.
Winner – Jay White
Grade: A
This was violent and made great use of its time. It started off slow and built quickly. I love how White hurting Hangman’s knee on the stage came into play as it cost Hangman the match. This, and Hangman’s temper, really added to the story they told here.

AEW Women’s World Championship: Mariah May (c) vs. Willow Nightingale
Willow overcame Mariah’s early offense and put her in a nasty-looking variation of a Figure Four. Willow slammed Mariah head and hit a cannonball, but came up empty on a moonsault. Mariah connected with a double dropkick and follows with MayDay for two! Mariah couldn’t believe Willow kicked out. They reverse each other a few times before Willow drops Mariah with a stiff kick. Willow hits a Death Valley Driver in the corner, but Mariah somehow kicks out.
Mariah goes for a headscissors on the ropes, but Willow blocks it and nearly hits a super powerbomb. Mariah blocks and hits a hurricanrana, then follows with a knee strike and Storm Zero to retain.
Winner – Mariah May
Grade: B+
Just like they said on commentary, Mariah earned this one. Willow was a great opponent for her. I’m a little surprised we didn’t advance on the Toni Storm end of things, but it didn’t take away from the match, either.

AEW TNT Championship: Jack Perry (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Shibata was calm as a cucumber, no matter what Perry through at him. Shibata used chops to his advantage early on, which popped the crowd. Perry spit in his face, and Shibata remained calm. It got a little more heated after this, with Shibata laying it in a little harder with kicks and punches.
Shibata took control towards the end, hitting a Death Valley Driver and a fireman’s carry into a kneebreaker. Shibata applied a sleeper and grapevined it, but Perry leaned back and pins him!
Winner – Jack Perry
Perry attacked Shibata after the bell and lays him out with the TNT Championship. Daniel Garcia comes out and makes the save, getting in Perry’s face. Perry leaves, and MJF returns! He talks trash to Garcia, and Perry sneaks back in a decks Garcia with the title. MJF gloats at having the upper hand, then pummels Garcia with punches. MJF cuts a promo as he keeps attacking Garcia, and he says he got his Dynamite Diamond back. He says he’s going to make Garcia kiss it, but Adam Cole cuts him off! MJF mocks Cole and asks what he’s going to do about it, then Cole runs to the ring and MJF runs, realizing Cole is healthy now.
Grade: B+
I like the ending a lot! (The pin and the run-ins!) The match itself was decent, and the pinfall was smart. Shibata looked dominant, but Perry gets a lucky, but clean win. He keeps his heat after the match by hitting Garcia with the title, then gets out of the way. Garcia didn’t really get that beat up here, so the way MJF delivered his promo over him made him look a bit weak. Despite that, I like how they linked MJF and Cole’s return. We never resolved the devil storyline, and now they have switched it to Cole as the face and MJF as the heel.

AEW International Title: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Ricochet vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Things got interesting when Ricochet and Ospreay teamed up for a bit. Takeshita used his power to hold his own and stay in it. There was an insane sequence in the middle of the bout where Ospreay took a lariat from Takeshita, did a flip and landed on his feet, He rebounded off the ropes and took out Takeshita, but Ricochet hit him with a 450º. Takeshita popped the crowd after hitting a German suplex on both opponents.
Takeshita sends Ricochet through a table with a cradle driver. Ospreay goes to pin Takeshita but Don Callis pulls the ref outside. Ospreay drives to attack him, but a guy in a hood runs in an attacks him. It’s Kyle Fletcher! Ospreay can’t believe it, then turns to look at Callis as he holds him head. Takeshita pulls his elbow pad down and knees Ospreay and makes the cover as Fletcher looks on at ringside.
Winner AND NEW International Champion – Konosuke Takeshita
Grade: B+
“What have you done, Kyle Fletcher?” The match itself was really good, although it’s slightly disappointing that hijinks interrupt another match involving Ospreay and Ricochet. It will be interesting to see where they go from here. Props to Excalibur for using the word “compunction.”

Jerry Lynn and Orange Cassidy are shown backstage. Jerry says if he wanted to, he could be the man in AEW. HOOK walks over and tells Orange to listen to Jerry, because Orange is the man.

Swerve Strickland is in the house
Swerve thanks the fans for the reception, but he will cut to the chase. Regarding his health, he says he is still feeling it a bit, and he’s got some tingling. He says it seems like the things he said about Bryan Danielson are following him now… but he is cleared. Swerve wants to talk about his future, but MVP and Shelton Benjamin cut him off.
MVP says Swerve hasn’t gotten back to him, so he must be deep in thought about his offer. He says Swerve is floundering a bit, but he can help out. MVP wants to talk business, but Swerve brings up their past together. Swerve says he learned a lot from MVP, and Shelton was a big inspiration to him. He weighs the pros and cons of siding with Nana and MVP, but calls Nana family and says he doesn’t turn on family.
Shelton threatens Swerve and says they weren’t giving him an offer, he’s either with them or against them. Nana and MVP try to get in their way, and Christopher Daniels runs out with a group of security before it goes any further.
We didn’t get Lashley here. However, it was more surprising that this basically ended without physicality. Swerve took a great dig at Nana and said he “still sells weed to high school kids in hotel parking lots,” which got a pop from the crowd. This could’ve been a TV segment, but it worked here.

2 Out Of 3 Falls: Hologram vs. The Beast Mortos
Hologram wins the match. Hologram won the first fall before Mortos evened things up. Commentary pointed out how this was technically the first time Hologram has been pinned in an AEW ring.
There was a really close call where Hologram hit a reverse hurricanrana on the apron, but landed on his head. He was fine and connected with a dive off of the turnbuckles. Hologram finally got the pinfall after hitting an airplane spin into a seated powerbomb.
Winner – Hologram
Grade: B-
This was a nice showcase for Hologram, but it really didn’t need to be on this show. I’m sure there’s a reason why, but this felt like there weren’t any stakes to the match other than bragging rights. It was nothing bad, but I wasn’t too invested in it overall.

Darby Allin vs. Brody King
King had the upper hand for a good portion of the match, but Darby came through when it mattered. This was a hard-hitting David-meets-Goliath battle, a match that Darby made his name on. The ring steps were the most prominent weapon used here.
Darby waved goodbye and shoved King backfirst onto the ring steps, then hit a Coffin Drop on top of them. King ran in to beat the count, but Darby hit him with another Coffin Drop. King ended up shaking Darby’s hand as a sign of respect, as commentary noted it was the first time Darby pinned King in 8 matches against each other.
Winner – Darby Allin
Grade: B-

AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Private Party
Nick runs down Private Party and says they haven’t accomplished anything since scoring an upset win over them 5 years ago. The Bucks put the titles in Zay and Quen’s faces and say that’s the closest they’ll get to the titles. They brawl up the stage and Quen hits a senton dive off of the set before the bell even rings.
Things slowed down a bit once they got back in the ring. The Bucks kept Quen grounded and connected with a superkick. They go for a TK Driver but Quen shoved Matt into the ropes. Private Party hits Gin And Juice for two. Zay and Quen throw some superkicks and hit More Bang For Your Buck for two, but Matt breaks it up. The Bucks hit a few tandem moves including the EVP Trigger, but Zay kicks out and the crowd begins to stir.
The Bucks go for a second EVP Trigger, but Zay ducks and rolls Matt up for a near fall. Zay goes to somersault, but Matt grabs his arms and spins him into a powerbomb position. TK Driver from the Bucks, and it’s over. Zay is clearly upset as he made a miscue at the end, but the crowd cheers Private Party for their efforts.
Winners – Young Bucks
Grade: B+

ROH World Championship: Mark Briscoe (c) vs. Chris Jericho (with Big Bill)
Briscoe has to fight Jericho and Big Bill early on. Briscoe attacks Bill, but Jericho gets the upper hand and Bill gets a table. Orange Cassidy runs out and chases Bill backstage, and Briscoe finally gets a fair shot. Jericho quickly goes on offense, suplexing Briscoe on the floor.
Briscoe goes on offense, but Bryan Keith comes out and attacks him. Rocky Romero runs out to even things up, then Briscoe dove off a chair and hits a somersault dive through a table. Briscoe was feeling Froggy, but Jericho counters with a Codebreaker on the way down. Jericho gets angry about the count, so he decides to hit a Jay Driller. Briscoe powers out at two, and Jericho looks beside himself. Briscoe fires himself up with some redneck kung fu, then he hits a rolling Death Valley Driver. Briscoe hits Froggy Bow and points to the sky, then hits a Jay Driller for the win.
Winner – Mark Briscoe
Grade: B-
Chris Jericho is not The Nueve. This was just about what I expected here. Briscoe was over and Jericho got some good heat. I like how they got The Conglomeration to even things up and it wasn’t just heel hijinks. The story/emotional aspect was expected, but they didn’t overdo it and Mark got a nice tribute to his brother.

AEW World Championship: Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Jon Moxley (with Marina Shafir)
Mox attacks Danielson before the bell and they brawl at ringside as “The Final Countdown” continues to blare in the arena. They keep fighting (while the music plays, New Jack in ECW style). Things finally settle down and the music stops before the bell rings. Danielson connects with an early knee and a dive to the floor. Moxley hits a piledriver on the announcer’s table and the crowd chants “f*ck you Moxley” in response.
Moxley continues to target Danielson’s neck. Marina gets involved behind the ref’s back, then Moxley slowly picks apart Danielson. Marina rips up the mats on the floor and Moxley drags him over. A fan gets into it with Moxley, and Danielson uses the distraction to backdrop Moxley on the concrete. Danielson connects with some kicks and heads up top, but Moxley rolls away from a diving headbutt. Moxley hits a Curb Stomp and goes right into a bulldog choke.
Marina finally gets caught cheating and the referee throws her out. Moxley gets some early strikes, but Danielson fires back with a running knee for two. Moxley ends up countering a dive by Danielson and he hits the Death Rider on the concrete. Moxley whispers something to Danielson and repeatedly elbows him in the neck. Moxley hits a Gotch-style piledriver and applies a rear choke. Danielson is fading… Moxley chokes him out!
Winner and NEW AEW World Champion – Jon Moxley
Moxley gets a plastic bag as PAC, Claudio Castagnoli and Marina come back to the ring. Wheeler Yuta and Darby Allin run out for the save. Yuta ends up turning on Darby, and they tape him to the ringposts. Moxley makes Yuta choke Danielson with the bag, then the Private Party and Jeff Jarrett run out to try and help. They get cut off by Moxley’s group, and they put Danielson’s head through a chair. Claudio stomps on the chair, then the locker room spills out into the ring. Moxley heads through the crowd with the title as the ring crew checks on Danielson and frees Darby. The EMTs stretcher Danielson out as a distraught Darby and Orange Cassidy look on.
Grade: B
All signs pointed to Danielson possibly losing, but I didn’t expect it to this degree. This was a hell of a way to go out. The music playing during the match was a humourous callback too.

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— JJA Sport Studio (@jjasportstudio) October 13, 2024