Excalibur welcomes us to the show, Taz is on commentary this week along with Tony. The opening match will be Kevin Knight defending the TNT Championship against MJF. There is a video package from last week showing how this match came about. 

TNT Championship: “The Jet” Kevin Knight © vs. MJF. MJF comes out first as challenger and gets a mixed reaction from the fans, commentary point out how it’s weird to see MJF as a challenger without any gold. Knight comes out with Mike Bailey on the stage, Bailey goes to the back. Commentary says Knight is a special athlete, he gets a very good reaction. Excalibur says Knight is the first person to win 3 titles in a single year and we’re still in April. MJF starts hot and throws Knight around ringside into the steps and powerbombed him on the guard rail, MJF takes the camera from the cameraman and calls Knight a bum. MJF went for a heatseeker early, but Knight threw him off and came back with a leaping DDT. This was the start of a Knight comeback and the crowd were firmly behind him, Dropkick and a running splash for a 2 count. Knight went up for the UFO Splash but MJF rolled to the outside and Knight hit a plancha instead. Knight rolled MJF in, and MJF rolled to the opposite side so Knight hit a suicide dive, he rolled MJF back in, and MJF rolled out again so Knight did a running flip dive to wipe him out and then climbed up on the commentary table as the crowd cheered. Loud “Jet” chants for Knight. He rolls MJF back in, and again MJF rolls to the outside. Knight then leaped up with a springboard clothesline. Wow are they putting Knight over, I love it. MJF threw Knight to the apron and tried for a Heatseeker but again Knight throws him off, sunset flip by Knight for a near fall, they trade near falls, Knight goes for the leaping DDT again, but MJF turns it into a cutter for a double down. This has been an excellent match which the fans are totally into. Knight hurt his knee on a back flip but still managed to hit a Rana off the top, he missed a UFO splash because he couldn’t get up to the top quickly enough because of the hurt knee. MJF with a Panama Sunrise for a 2 count. MJF worked over Knight’s leg and put a single leg crab on him, but  Knight got out, MJF came off the top but ate a superkick, Knight scrambled to the top for the UFO Splash and hit it. Slow cover though and MJF kicks out at 2. “This is Awesome” chants from the fans. MJF with a dragon screw in the ropes and then multiple DDTs to Knight’s bad leg, MJF hits an Alabama Slam and pins Knight three times but he kicks out each time. MJF is mad so goes to the outside and grabs the TNT title. The ref takes the title from him, which allows MJF to take the Dynamite Diamond Ring from out of his tights and put it on his hand, with the ref still distracted, Knight hits a low blow and a small package for the three count. Winner: Kevin Knight © 

MJF was in shock after the match, he then chop blocked Knight from behind and signalled he was going to hit Knight with the diamond ring, begging him to get back up to his feet. Darby Allin drops down from the roof of the arena on the outside and MJF doesn’t realise it. Darby hits him with a Scorpion Death Drop and the crowd chant for Darby. MJF has a microphone and says the people suck, he says Darby and Knight are two low-life cheaters. He says the match against Knight doesn’t matter, he was barely trying. He says the only thing he cares about is the World Title, he says for Darby to give him his rematch. Darby says No, he says MJF needs to put something on the line, he says if he gets through Brody King tonight then he knows who he will defend the World Title against next week…. Kevin Knight. Brody King then comes out, goes face to face with MJF, then gets in the ring with Darby. He says he’s got bad news for Darby, he’s not surviving tonight and he says he’s got bad news for Kevin Knight, because next week he won’t be facing Darby he’ll be facing him for the World Title and barks at him. 

Darby/Brody King video package. Up next The Brawling Birds are going to be in action innit.

Backstage, Renee is with Cope and Cage and asks them if they accept FTR’s “I Quit” stipulation, Christian takes the mic and immediately accepts. Cope says that was a quick acceptance based on how he’s fared in “I Quit” matches in AEW. Christian says he never said “I Quit” and walks off, Cope says to Renee that he totally said it, but he won’t say it again. 

The Brawling Birds won a squash match against two jobbers.  

Backstage Thekla and Sky Blue cut a promo, Thekla talks about the dumb bitches in AEW. Blue said what happened to Persepone is The Brawling Birds fault, Thekla says they should stick to tag team wrestling because as singles competitors they are nothing and she is everything. 

International Championship: Kazuchika Okada © vs. Ace Austin. Okada comes out to a strong reaction, Don Callis and Mark Davis accompany him. Austin has Juice Robinson with him. Taz says that he’s good friends with Okada. Don Callis joins commentary. Don compliments Austin’s legs. Both Juice and Davis have gone to the back. Austin starts quick and gets the better of Okada. Okada applauded Austin on the outside, then hit a DDT on the floor. Loud “Okada” chants, Okada sends Austin into the guard rail and then high fives a kid in the front row to cheers. Commentary says that Don is going to invoice the kid, Okada then gives Don a high five too. Back in the ring, Austin tries to make a comeback but eats a DDT.  Okada looks at the fans who cheer him. He mocks Austin, hits an Air Raid Crash across the knee. Scoop slam and an elbow off the top, he goes for a rainmaker but Austin blocks and runs to the ropes, ducks down and Okada goes through and to the outside. Austin with a crazy dive to the outside, back in the ring Austin hit a Russian Leg Sweep and a Leg Drop, then followed it up with a twisting leg drop off the top to a standing Okada for a 2 count. Okada gets a roll-up for a 2 count, but misses a dropkick. Austin with a sunset flip for a 2 count. Austin went for something off the top but ate a Dropkick. Okada went for a rainmaker but Austin countered into a backslide for a 2 count and Don left commentary as he thought it was over. Okada hit another dropkick, a tombstone piledriver and the rainmaker for the three. Winner: Kazuchika Okada © Post-match, Davis comes out to celebrate with Okada and Don gouges Austin’s eye, so Juice comes out to run Don off. Takeshita comes out on the stage to a strong reaction and he signals that he’s coming for Okada’s title at Double or Nothing. 

Cinematic Video Package in an old Western town with people running out of a saloon with Wanted posters for Bandido strewn across the floor. A bleeding man runs away from someone with blood on their hands, the person with the blood on their hands picks up one of the wanted posters off the floor and it’s revealed that it’s Swerve Strickland who then sets fire to the Wanted poster. Well that’s a unique way to start a feud, it will be interesting how they explain that one. 

Back ringside, we see the commentators and Excalibur says Taz forgot his sunglasses. Taz says the flight attendant stole them. Excalibur brings up Will Ospreay’s match last week, and that Jon Moxley made him an offer on Collision last week to make him the most dangerous weapon in pro wrestling. We then cut to presumably the Death Riders Dojo, Daniel Garcia says before you can be the best in the ring you have to be the best here first, Marina Shafir is submission wrestling with Wheeler Yuta on the floor. Ospreay shows up and Garcia says “Look who showed up”. Moxley excitedly gets to his feet and exclaims “He has arrived”. Mox asks him if he’s been cleared, Ospreay says no, but he’s still going to Japan to wrestle a title match with his boys, he’s not going to let them down. Mox says “Loyalty, you are too good to be true”. He says he wants Ospreay to drop everything, everything in his head that clouds his vision, everything in his chest that pulls at his heart strings, the anger that burns a hole in his stomach. He says drop it all, including his feelings about him, he says drop it. “We don’t need excess baggage”. He doesn’t make any promises, he doesn’t perform miracles but when he makes a commitment he follows it through to the end. All he asks for is the same in return. Ospreay says okay, Moxley says beautiful. Ospreay walks past PAC, then asks where the ring is, Mox says there isn’t one as Claudio takes his shirt off “we’re starting from the ground up” he says “The rest is proprietary, sorry”  and he stops the camera filming. 

Back ringside, FTR and Stokely come out. Commentary are perplexed by the Ospreay/Death Riders situation. Taz says Stokely is his friend, Stoke takes a seat and a headset next to Taz. FTR shakes hands with Taz and Excalibur but flip Tony off. Cope’s music plays and gets a strong reaction. Cope has massive pyro and the on-screen graphic says he’s a 12-time Tag Team Champion. Stokely says FTR beat Cope & Cage in their home country and he still has Christian’s watch.Cage comes out, and his graphic says he’s a 9-time Tag Team Champion. Stokely says Cope & Cage can’t touch FTR tonight. Cope & Cage vs. Roppongi Vice. They show the history between Cope & Cage and RPG Vice over the last four weeks, to be fair they’ve put this together well. They say Christian has a fractured forearm from an FTR attack. Rocky and Christian start, Rocky celebrates in the corner and Christian hits him with a Reverse DDT. Tag to Cope and they double team Rocky with  a Russian Leg Sweep/Big Boot combo. Trent gets a tag and lands a jumping double knee on Cope. Cope with a drop toe hold into the ropes, tags Christian who chokes him in the ropes, goes to the outside, Cope with a crossbody to Trent’s back and Christian punches him, then throws him around ringside. Christian went to grab Cash Wheeler and Rocky wrapped his bad arm around the ring post. FTR and Stokely laugh at Christian, then behind Stokely in the front row, The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) appear and Orange & Kyle are eating Popcorn. Stokely takes a wild swing at Cassidy but misses, Cassidy then hits Stokely with the box of popcorn and The Conglomeration jump the guard rail and start fighting with FTR around ringside and then out through the crowd. There’s popcorn all over the floor as RPG Vice work Christian over on the outside. Cope runs Rocky off temporarily but Rocky sends Christian into the guard rail and works over his arm some more. In the ring, RPG Vice double team Christian, Christian tries to fight back but Trent DDT’s his bad arm. Rocky tags in and taunts Cope allowing Trent to cheap shot Christian, Rocky puts a Kimura on Christian, but Christian manages a back suplex. Trent takes Cope off the apron. RPG Vice with a double team on Christian but Cope breaks up the pin. Rocky hits a flying arm bar off the top and Christian manages to get to the ropes. Tony puts over Rocky being trained by Antonio Inoki. Christian lands a Tornado DDT on Rocky for a double down. Tags on both sides and Cope gets the better of Trent. Cope with an Impaler DDT, Rocky went to break it up but ended up hitting Trent. RPG Vice hit a couple of double jumping knees and went for their Dude Buster/Stomp Finish on Cope but Christian launched Rocky off the top rope and Cope hit a Code Red on Trent but Rocky broke up the pin. Cope went for a Spear on Trent but he side stepped him, rolled him up and put his feet on the ropes but the ref caught him using the ropes. Cope elevated Trent and Christian hit a spear, Cope got the pin for the win. Winners: Cope & Cage. Post-match, Christian grabs a steel chair and breaks a piece off of it and hands it to Cope, Cope then puts a Crossface on Trent with the piece of metal in Trent’s mouth, Christian gets on the mic and tells Trent to say it, Trent says “I quit” and Christian says he would never say “I quit, you little bitch”. Cope and Cage pose on the turnbuckles, then Cope stares at the Tag Team Titles. Christian grabs one of the belts and parades around ringside with it while referee Rick Knox chases him trying to get the belt back, Cope has the empty bucket of popcorn on his head, and he too grabs the other title belt and runs around ringside with it. Rick Knox manages to get the title belts off them and Cope still has the popcorn bucket on his head. 

Jericho is backstage saying he’s pissed off with Ricochet and The Demand immediately jump him. Ricochet tells him he should have left or he would have got hurt, Jericho tells him to eat shit and they throw him into a wooden box, Ricochet teases hitting a Ricosault but lands on his feet and says Jericho isn’t worth it. 

Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida came out for the Women’s World Tag Team Championship match. AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship: Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne & Lena Kross) © vs. Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida Shida started strong or tried to, as she was unsuccessful and Shida is dwarfed in size by Kross & Bayne. Sloppy spot where Bayne had Shida up for a Fall Away Slam presumably but ended up dropping her. Shida hits a running knee in the corner on Bayne, went for punches but Bayne overpowered her. Shida went for a running knee but Bayne caught her in mid air and I thought she was going to do an overhead belly to belly throw but instead she just dropped her, which again looked sloppy. Shida went to the outside, then came in and raked Bayne’s eyes, she grabbed her kendo stick but Statlander grabbed it too and stopped her from using it. Tug of war results in Bayne missing a charge in the corner and Shida tags Statlander in by touching the top of her head. Statlander comes in and Shida kicks her in the stomach and Suplexes her into Bayne. Statlander quickly gets overpowered and taken to the champions’ corner. Tag to Kross they attempt to double team Statlander who manages to fight them both off. Kross gets Statlander up on her shoulders and drops her face first across the top rope. Wow these two have some really ugly offense. The champs work over Statlander in their corner. Statlander did manage a near fall with a crucifix on Kross but Kross kicked out at 2 and immediately took her down. The crowd got behind Statlander who started to make a comeback, she ended up fighting both women and hit a double rana on them and a discus lariat on Bayne then got a hot tag to Shida. Kross is tagged in too. Shida tries to strike Kross but Kross is too strong. Shida with a Dropkick off the second ropes, a jumping knee to Bayne on the apron, drop toe holds Kross into Bayne and hits a shining wizard to both champs. The heels end up on the outside and Shida hits a Dropkick off the apron to both women. The crowd chanted “Holy Shida”. Back in the ring, Shida can’t get Kross up for a Falcon Arrow, Statlander gets a tag and she gets worked over by Bayne who gets a German Suplex for a near fall. All women end up hitting moves, and Statlander hits a Blue Thunder on Bayne and a Roundhouse Kick on Kross the champs end up on top of each other and Statlander hits a 450 splash on both of them, she pins Kross but only gets a 2 count. Statlander starts setting up something but Shida tags herself in, hits a Meteora on Kross and a Falcon Arrow but Kross kicked out at 2. Bayne came in and hit a belly to belly overhead throw on Shida, Statlander superkicked Bayne, the champs then hit a double team German Suplex/Running Boot on Statlander. They hit a double team chokeslam on Shida for the 3 count. Winners: Divine Dominion © 

Backstage Renee is with Don Callis and Detective Andrade, Renee says Andrade has been on such an incredible tear lately when MJF interrupts and says “no, no, no” he says Andrade has ruined this company, he says Darby is on a reign of terror. Andrade asks him “how do you know?” MJF says because Darby is World Champion. Andrade again asks “how do you know?” MJF says because Don told him Andrade lost the match to Darby at Dynasty. Andrade asks again “how do you know?” MJF says “because I saw it with my own two eyes”. Andrade takes his sunglasses off and asks again “how do you know?” and laughs. MJF shoves him and Andrade shoves him back. Don gets in between them. Don says Andrade is his money man, and MJF is money. He says they need to focus on business. Both men leave. Don says to Renee “Wild horses what are you going to do?”.

RUSH comes out for a squash match, they show highlights of him winning a match on Collision. The jobber offers his hand to RUSH who drops him with a forearm strike, he then launches him all around the ringside area, back in the ring he drops him with a chop, strikes in the corner and finishes him off with the horns dropkick. Post-match RUSH takes the mic and speaks Spanish, then says “Remember when you mess with the bull, you get the horns”.

Backstage Renee is with The Opps, including Shibata. Samoa Joe says The Opps intend to reinstate their dominance, he puts over Shibata, he says Anthony Bowens has been overlooked but you will see the best version of him now he’s in The Opps, then he says Hook will be the new TNT Champion this weekend when he challenges for the title at Collision. Joe then talks about Will Ospreay, he asks if he’s suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, because the situation The Death Riders saved Ospreay from is one they put him in before, and who saved him in the past? It was The Opps. He says what kind of relationship does Ospreay want, one of convenience or one of confidence because The Opps are here and the choice is yours. Wait, do they want Ospreay in The Opps? I'm confused… 

Backstage we see FTR and Stoke. Stoke says he’s been in Tony Khan’s office and says he has a proposition for Orange Cassidy next week on Dynamite, if he can beat Dax Harwood one on one, then he and a partner of his choosing can challenge FTR for the Tag Team Titles, but if Dax wins, then they get a shot at the Trios titles but it won’t be Stokely in the match instead it will be Tomasso Ciampa. Ciampa walks in and says the last time they teamed up together he took out Mark Briscoe indefinitely and looks forward to taking the Trios titles from The Conglomeration, he takes a piece of popcorn out of Stoke’s beard, eats it, says “Delicious” then says “Top Guys Out”. 

AEW World Championship: Darby Allin © vs. Brody King. Brody comes out first. Darby makes a quick entrance. They go face to face and shake hands, Brody dwarfed him in size, Darby went for a fast start but Brody chopped his back. Release German Suplex and a Cannon Ball in the corner. Brody went for the Gonzo Bomb but Darby got out, he goes up top and managed an Avalanche Code Red for a 2 count. Wow they seem to be rushing this one. Darby does his crazy suicide dive and he bounces off Brody King’s chest. Brody sits Darby on a chair ringside and chopped him, he went for a charge but Darby dodged it. Darby moves the chair and sits Brody in it. The crowd chanted for Brody. Darby did his crazy shotgun dropkick off the top turnbuckle to Brody. Taz called Darby a maniac, and Tony puts over how that move hurts Darby too, which I keep saying every week. Darby tries to exchange strikes with Brody who drops him with one forearm. One chop drops Darby again. Taz calls Darby wacky. Brody with a scoop slam for a 2 count. And another, and a third. Brody smiles at Darby kicking out. Darby is on his knees and tries to strike at Brody’s knees, Brody hits a chop which sends Darby backwards and he’s folded up, Brody then hits a Senton onto Darby’s lower body while he’s folded up and that looked nasty. Darby is clutching his right knee. Taz says he’s never seen that before and could have blown his knee out. Taz says that was nasty and Darby is struggling as Brody is smiling at his handiwork. Darby gets chopped off the top rope to the outside and Darby bounces off the apron as he spills to the outside that was brutal. King hits a chokeslam on the apron. He then clears the monitors from the commentary desk and takes the top of the desk and leans it up against a guard rail. Meanwhile Darby is on his feet on the apron and Brody doesn’t realise it, Darby leaps onto his back for a sleeper, Brody spins around and launches himself into the top of the commentary desk back first and they both crash through it. They show Kevin Knight watching in the crowd and MJF watching backstage. “Holy Shit” and “AEW” chants from the fans. Brody gets up and lifts Darby up on his shoulders, Darby slips out and pushes Brody stomach first into the corner of the commentary desk. Brody chokes Darby on the top of the commentary table, but Darby comes back with a Code Red on the commentary table but it doesn’t break. Darby rolls into the ring and is holding his right knee from earlier.  

He does his crazy dive to Brody on the outside and they both collide with the commentary table. Tony says they knew it would be crazy but not this wild. Both men get back in the ring and Darby goes up top, Brody with a chop to his back and Darby ends up upside down in the Tree of Woe, and Brody hits a Cannonball to an upside down Darby. Brody with a lariat, commentary thinks this is over but Darby kicks out at 2. Running lariat for another 2 count, and commentary put over Darby’s heart and determination. Duelling “Let’s Go Darby, Let’s Go Brody” chants from the fans. Darby comes back with chops in the corner, and Brody throws Darby with a Beale from the inside to the outside and Darby wipes out the cameraman! Wow that was insane! Brody grabs Darby by the legs and Darby grabs onto the floor mat and as Brody pulls at Darby’s legs, Darby is pulling up the ringside mat, exposing concrete, the cameraman’s cable is tied up too and he’s getting dragged as well. Darby manages to kick Brody away, but Brody drops him with a chop and Brody went for a Cannonball but Darby dodged it and Brody went straight through the guard rail. “Holy Shit” chants from the fans. Brody is back up through on the apron and went to suplex Darby from the inside to the outside, but Darby got out and hit a Powerbomb to King on the concrete floor. Darby comes off the top with a Coffin Drop to King on the outside. The crowd chanted “AEW”. King rolls back into the ring at the referee’s count of 9. Darby immediately hits a coffin drop, and follows it up with another to get the 3 count and retain his title. Winner: Darby Allin © Excalibur calls it an electrifying victory, they show Kevin Knight in the crowd. After the match both men get up and shake hands. Taz says the physicality was insane, and shows how important the AEW World Championship is. 

Darby Allin makes the Cameraman's acquaintance during his World Title defense

A lovely wrestling show, certainly Wonderful indeed. Wow what a main event, Brody King is an absolute monster and I always feel sorry for Darby, he gets absolutely battered consistently. I don't think I've ever felt sympathy for a World Champion before. Is that good or bad? I don't know. They did a good job with the booking of the finish though, but they do give them a lot of leeway in terms of the "hardcore" stuff they do.

I still think MJF will get the big pay-per-view World Title shot with Darby and probably win the belt back in his home state. I think they are trying to give Darby's inevitably short title reign more substance by giving him a load of successful title defenses. 

Kevin Knight is a future star for sure, he is money.

MJF seems to have his fingers in many pies right now, he was all over this show which isn't a bad thing. They are planting seeds for lots of things down the line.

I'm interested to see what happens with Swerve Strickland, and how they explain why is he bounty hunting Bandido.

Jon Moxley was fantastic in his backstage promo, the small interaction with PAC made me laugh and was way too memorable than it should have been. I'm fascinated by the Will Ospreay and Death Riders dynamic. I was very confused though about Samoa Joe and The Opps' promo... are they wanting to recruit Ospreay? I genuinely don't get it.

Cope & Cage vs RPG Vice was totally fine, I wanted to use a picture of Cope with the popcorn bucket on his head but sadly it was not on the YouTube highlights (yes that's where I get my thumbnails from).

Divine Dominion I'm not interested in, give me Thekla and the Triangle People or those British Brawling Birds, they could be the new Triple B. I want to see more of Shida insulting people in Japanese though.

Detective Andrade needs to find a new case.

Tomasso Ciampa is a fantastic promo and I think him and FTR are a good dynamic.

Again this was an excellent show, very well put together with good wrestling, good crowds and good commentary. I was watching this week and felt like a homely dynamic, like a comfortable feeling like I used to feel when watching shows as a teenager during the Attitude Era. It was a simply Wonderful feeling.