Live from The XL Center | Hartford, CT | Crowd Size: 16,299
SEGMENT ONE
We open with an exterior shot of a dark sedan traveling a barren stretch of highway. The headlights cut through the fog like a knife. Inside the car, the air is thick with silence.
In the passenger seat, Sami Zayn sits, his eyes looking forward. His fingers tap the armrest restlessly. In the driver’s seat, the Executioner, cloaked in his signature black attire, stares unflinchingly at the road. The tension between them simmers like a pot on the verge of boiling over.
Sami Zayn: [quietly, but sharp] You ever stop to think what we’re doing here? Two men who would’ve killed each other six months ago… off to find a ghost.
Sami glances over to Executioner, who never takes his eyes off the road.
Sami Zayn: Why are you even doing this? Benny Mouse isn’t your enemy. Danhausen is. You and me, we both want him gone. But Benny? He’s just… a senile old man who ran away.
Executioner: There are debts you don’t walk away from, Zayn.
Sami Zayn: I get that, but Mickey Mouse? He never treated you like a human being. He used you. He kept you in shadows, let you run his errands while he played benevolent king on television. So why the hell are you loyal to him?
The Executioner’s jaw tightens. For a moment, he says nothing.
Executioner: Because there’s two sides to every person. The one the world sees… and the one you see when it’s just the two of you, behind closed doors.
Sami looks towards Executioner, listening intently.
Executioner: What nobody knows, Sami, is that when I first started out in MMouse Enterprises, my sister was dying. ALS. No insurance. We had nothing. Mickey found out—without me asking, without telling anyone—he covered the treatments. Every experimental drug, every late-night ambulance ride. And when she passed… he paid for her funeral. Quietly. No press release. Just showed up. Handed me the check. And that was before I became his enforcer.
The Executioner’s eyes are still fixed on the road, unwavering.
Executioner: That’s the moment I knew. I’d spend the rest of my life paying him back.
Sami Zayn: [sincerely] I get it.
Executioner: I’m not blind, and I’m not stupid. Mickey had… flaws. God, did he have flaws. But in the ‘90s? He was a good man. He still had hope. It wasn’t until Benny Mouse started trying to put us out of business that Mickey changed. That paranoia, that viciousness… that wasn’t who he was. Not at first. Even though his father and Dr. Evil tried to make it so. He resisted, for as long as he could.
He pauses.
Executioner: The way I see it, Benny’s had this coming since the day he started trying to bury Mickey’s legacy.
Sami Zayn: [skeptical] Benny wasn’t always a good person, but you know he didn’t kill Mickey, right?
Executioner: Not with his hands. But he lit the fuse. Bought the North Division. Turned our veterans against each other. Manipulated the numbers. He set off the chain reaction that killed him… just slowly. Over two decades.
Sami Zayn: [sighs] And what are you gonna do if we find him?
Executioner: [stern] I’m going to make him answer for his sins.
Sami Zayn: Even if he doesn’t remember?
Executioner: I’ll make him remember.
A long silence falls between them again. Outside, the road stretches endlessly into the night as the scene fades.
As the opening video package concludes, pyro explodes and the fans are on their feet as Kevin Kelly and Arn Anderson welcome us to Dynamite!
Arn Anderson: We are live, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Dynamite! It’s the second to last stop before the season finale, Exodus, live Memorial Day weekend! I’m Arn Anderson, alongside my partner, Kevin Kelly!
Kevin Kelly: We’ve got a massive night ahead of us, with a huge main event! The Forgotten Brandon Lee goes one-on-one with The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar! If Lesnar wins, he takes Brandon Lee’s spot in the AEW World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat at Exodus! If Lee wins? Lesnar’s name is removed from the BWM Inc. 2025 Draft Exemptions!
Arn Anderson: This all goes back to Genesis: Chapter 2, Kevin. That’s when Paul Heyman stunned the world by turning his back on Brock Lesnar and backing Brandon Lee. And now, Lesnar wants payback—and a shot at the world title!
Kevin Kelly: But that’s not all! In just two weeks at Exodus, we’ll witness the first-ever Aerial Assault Match in BWM Inc. history—Will Ospreay vs. Dragon Lee—and tonight, we get a preview, as Dragon Lee makes his AEW in-ring debut against Darby Allin!
Arn Anderson: And you can bet your ass that Will Ospreay will be watching that one closely! We’ve also learned that he AEW World Tag Team Champions, Austin & Colten Gunn, have issued an open challenge tonight—not for the titles, but what they’re calling a “warm-up” before Exodus. Let’s see if that cocky attitude bites ‘em in the backside.
Kevin Kelly: But first, we’re kicking things off with another battle for exemption, as the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes is set to take on Drew McIntyre!
Arn Anderson: This one got personal last week at BWM Inc. headquarters. Word is, McIntyre made some disparaging remarks about Cody’s wife, Brandi, and Cody didn’t take too kindly to that.
Commentary is interrupted as “Still Humble” blasts through the speakers, the camera shifting to the ramp. The crowd erupts into boos as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion Logan Paul storms through the curtain. No flare, just fury.
Arn Anderson: Wait a minute, we were set to go to our opening contest, but here comes the AEW World Heavyweight Champion, Logan Paul, and he does NOT look happy!
Paul power-walks down the ramp, title slung over one shoulder, jaw clenched. He slides into the ring and immediately calls for a mic. The music cuts. No posing. No theatrics. Just intensity.
Logan Paul: [low, cold] Before last week, this little thing between me and MJF? It wasn’t personal.
The crowd continues to boo Paul, with an MJF chant catching on. Paul ignores it and powers through.
Logan Paul: Max has spent a year crying to anyone who’ll listen about how Sami Zayn screwed him at Retribution. I listened. I stood by him. I was his friend. But then Elite Warfare happened. And I had a choice: sit on the sidelines and watch someone else claim what I’ve busted my ass to earn… or step in the ring and take my shot. So I did. Sixty men. Three rings. One winner. That’s what the match was. Every man for himself. It wasn’t betrayal—it was the same thing Max would’ve done to me a year ago!
He paces now, gripping the mic tighter.
Logan Paul: You wanna tell me I “stabbed you in the back,” Max? That I “crossed the line”? You had half a season to settle the score with Sami. You had chances. You had time. But you spent it sulking, whining, reliving last May over and over again while the world passed you by.
He takes a beat, pointing to himself.
Logan Paul: I didn’t pass you by. I earned this. Like everybody else in that locker room wants to. That’s why they show up every week. For this… [Paul holds up the AEW World Championship] The top prize in professional wrestling! But last week? Last week, you made it personal, Max. You destroyed my La Rose Noire Droptail!
The crowd pops at the reminder of last week, when MJF broke Paul through the windshield of his custom sports car.
Logan Paul: A $30 million car. Not just a car—my car. The first real thing I bought when I hit one million subscribers on YouTube. When I went from some broke kid in Cincinnati with a dream… to a global name. That car wasn’t about the price tag. It was proof. Proof that I made it. That the hustle worked.
He lowers his voice, looking into the camera as if he’s talking directly to MJF.
Logan Paul: And you knew that. You knew what it meant to me, because we were best friends. You sat in that passenger seat, talked about our future as we traveled the continent together. So now, Max… I’m done pretending this is just business. I’m done treating you like you’re still my friend. In thirteen days at Exodus, I’m not just going to beat you. I’m going to end you.
Paul stares into the hardcam, chest heaving, rage barely contained.
Suddenly, the fans in the front rows begin turning their attention towards the stage, as the mechanical sounds of a roaring engine intensify, and a Zamboni rolls down the ramp, the horn blaring, as MJF, clad in a leather jacket with a psychotic grin on his face, sits in the driver’s seat!
Arn Anderson: What in the hell? Is that a damn Zamboni!
Kevin Kelly: That’s MJF! Logan Paul looks like he’s seen a ghost!
The Zamboni skids to a stop as it crashes into the ring with enough force to knock Paul off balance. MJF leaps off the top, crashing into Logan mid-ring with a flying tackle! The two explode into a furious, out of control brawl!
Arn Anderson: MJF says he’s not waiting 13 days! He wants Paul NOW!
Fists fly, as MJF yanks Logan up by the hair, screaming in his face. He drags him under the ropes and slams him face first into the Zamboni!
MJF: [yelling off mic] You wanna talk about friendship?!?
Logan slumps, blood pouring from a gash above his eyebrow. That doesn’t stop him from fighting back, as he reaches over the barricade and grabs a steel chair from the front row. Logan cracks it over MJF’s head!
MJF stumbles, now also busted open. Blood pours down his face and into his mouth, his teeth red as he smiles and laughs like a lunatic and the fight continues. They spill into the timekeeper’s area before toppling over the barricade into the crowd! Fans scatter and finally, a flood of security storms the ring.
Kevin Kelly: This is complete and utter chaos to kick off Dynamite!
Arn Anderson: We’re gonna need the damn National Guard to pull these two apart! They want to kill each other!
It takes over a dozen men to pull them apart, both Logan and MJF swinging wildly, arms flailing, screaming profanity as they claw to get back to each other.
MJF breaks free and dives for Logan, but he’s tackled by three guards. Logan hurls a guard off of him, and launches over a group of security in a desperate bid to get back to MJF! The crowd breaks out into a loud, “Let them fight!” chant as the chaos continues.
Kevin Kelly: This is beyond personal now. This is war!
Arn Anderson: There’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube, Kevin! This ends in blood!
As security struggles to contain the war zone at ringside, the camera slowly tilts upward.
Perched in the shadows of the rafters, in a long black coat that billows in the arena breeze is the Forgotten Brandon Lee! His eyes fixed on the carnage below, unmoving.
Kevin Kelly: Wait a minute… is that…?
Arn Anderson: That’s Brandon Lee! He is just watching these two beat the hell out of each other like an executioner standing over two men who don’t realize their heads are already on the chopping block!
Lee doesn’t speak, he doesn’t even blink. He simply watches, as if he’s just studying the two, as the chaos plays out below.
In the ringside area, just as the brawl is finally contained, Splinter emerges on the ramp!
Master Splinter: Enough! You two want blood? You want destruction? Fine!
Both men, still being held back by security, turn their heads to the ramp.
Master Splinter: At Exodus, Logan Paul, MJF, and the winner of Lee and Lesnar tonight… the main event, for the World Heavyweight Championship in the only match that can settle this once and for all! A Crimson Car Match!
The crowd erupts in approval. MJF’s eyes grow wide with bloodlust, and Logan Paul smirks through his bloody face. Kelly and Anderson say we’re going to clean this mess up and get on with the show!
Match # 1 | Battle for Exemption
Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes
Kevin Kelly: It’s been no secret that the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes has been a guaranteed top-tier presence in BWM Inc. for a decade now, with management keeping him exempt from every single draft. But tonight, that protection is on the chopping block.
Arn Anderson: Yeah, and look at who’s standing across from him. Drew McIntyre didn’t come here to shake hands and kiss babies—he came to dominate. But ever since he walked through the door, he’s been benched by chaos. Tonight, he’s looking to secure a top spot heading into season four.
As the bell sounds, McIntyre wastes no time, charging at Rhodes with hard strikes.
Kevin Kelly: Nobody knows for sure what transpired between these two last week at headquarters, but it’s clear to me that McIntyre is angry. He’s angry that he came to AEW with a promise of an opportunity to get back into the main event, and that frustration is now boiling over. He’s been waiting months to unleash this aggression!
Cody responds with a kick to the gut, then nails Drew with a right hand to the jaw. But Drew absorbs it, snarling—and fires back with a thunderous kick that drops Cody to the mat. McIntyre methodically stomps on Cody’s left hand while it’s splayed out on the canvas.
Arn Anderson: It’s hard to watch, but it’s great strategy from Drew. You take away a man’s hand, you take away his grip strength—his ability to lift.
Drew charges again, but Cody catches him and sends him flipping over the top rope to the floor! Cody bounces off the ropes, looking for a dive—but Drew meets him on the apron with a stiff punch to the face that halts him cold. Drew climbs back inside, but Cody catches him with a chop block that cuts the big man down. The crowd comes to life as Rhodes locks on the Figure Four!
Kevin Kelly: Rhodes digging into the family playbook with that one! A Figure Four Leglock, deep in the center of the ring!
Drew grimaces, writhing—but he turns it over! Now the pressure’s on Cody, who grabs the bottom rope to break the hold. Both men reset, limping.
Drew regains control with a backbreaker, then presses his boot against Cody’s skull against the ring post. He drags him back in and fires off hard chops, but Cody fires back with fists. Drew cuts him off with a shot to the knee and continues his brutal striking game.
Drew charges again, but Cody fires back with a boot to the face! Drew staggers as Cody bounces off the rope, taking him down with a bulldog! He follows up with a powerslam. Reeling, Drew gets back to his feet as Cody bounces off the second rope and nails him in the face with the Disaster Kick!
1…
2…
Drew kicks out!
Arn Anderson: Cody’s stringing it together now. This is the fire people have been begging to see from him all year.
Kevin Kelly: Cody’s had a rough year. There’s been so much pressure on him from the pundits, asking when he’ll finally break out. This might be his moment.
As Drew gets back to his feet, Cody springs off the ropes and connects with the Cody Cutter! He covers Drew once again.
1…
2…
Drew kicks out!
Cody tries to scoop Drew up, but Drew catches him with a thumb to his eye. He follows it up with a sitout powerbomb!
Kevin Kelly: Both men are digging deep to pull off the win tonight.
Drew lifts Cody up and Cody fires back with some jabs, trying to halt McIntyre’s momentum. Drew counters with a headbutt, followed by the Future Shock DDT!
1…
2…
2.999!
Rhodes kicks out!
Drew goes up top, looking for a high risk, high reward maneuver. Instead, Cody gets to his feet, and jumps to the top rope! The crowd rises as Cody hooks him, dropping him hard with a superplex off the top rope! He stalks Drew, waiting for him to rise. As he does, Cody jumps to the top rope, and flies backwards, connecting with the top rope Cutter!
Kevin Kelly: That’s it! That’s the exclamation mark!
1…
2…
2.999!
Arn Anderson: Drew kicks out! He’s still in this one, Kevin!
Exhausted, both men reset. Drew hits a big boot and backs himself into the corner, waiting for Cody to rise. As he does, he charges at him, still wobbly, with the Claymore!
Cody ducks it! He lifts Drew up and drills him with force as the Cross Rhodes connects! The crowd explodes! Cody scoops him up…. a second Cross Rhodes!
1…
2…
3!!!
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Match Time: 14:07
Arn Anderson: Cody Rhodes survives Drew McIntyre! What a match!
Kevin Kelly: He needed this, Arn. A devastating setback for Drew McIntyre, who came to AEW on a mission. However, once again, the chaos has pulled the rug out from under him. You have to believe he’ll be a top draft prospect for the competition! Don’t go anywhere, folks, we’ll be right back!
SEGMENT TWO
The screen is black and white as we open on a dimly lit soundstage from a bygone era. We see a dusty camera crane, vintage lighting rigs, and a director’s chair marked “Timeless Toni Storm,” its gold lettering the only color in the scene.
The chair spins slowly reveling Storm, draped in fur, with dark sunglasses despite the lack of sun. In one hand she holds a martini glass. She leans forward, removing her sunglasses with flair.
Timeless Toni Storm: Last week, I buried the career of Miss Athena Star, with grace, dignity, and a camera-ready scowl. Star’s story ended not with a bang, but a whimper. And now that the curtain is closed on Athena, I bring you tonight’s feature presentation. A cautionary tale wrapped in denim shorts and desperation!
Timeless Toni Storm: Without further adieu, I present the world premiere of my latest film, “Watch Me: The Liv Morgan Story.”
Storm raises a remote and clicks it, a screen behind her flickering to life.
The following presentation has been rated “T” for Timeless:
Soft piano music plays as grainy footage shows a young blonde girl wrestling in a cluttered backyard.
Timeless Toni Storm: [voiceover] Once upon a time in New Jersey — the land of toll booths and bad decisions — a girl named Liv Morgan was born, one of six siblings. They say poverty builds character… but in Liv’s case, it built delusion.
We see images of a young actress portraying Liv Morgan, watching old wrestling tapes.
Timeless Toni Storm: [voiceover] When her father passed, little Liv sought solace in the noble sport of professional wrestling. The LWF. UWA. UWF. The good stuff. But like all tragic heroines, her story took a turn.
The video cuts to show another actress portraying Liv, this one about 18 years old. She is dressed in the orange and white signature outfit of a Hooters waitress.
Timeless Toni Storm: [voiceover] She chased a modeling career. Well… “modeling” is a generous word. Chicken wings and tank tops. But Liv learned early what sold tickets — and it wasn’t headlocks.
We see shots of Liv rising through the ranks in PWI, recreated at a massive scale with actors and actresses, a now slightly older actress portraying Morgan.
Timeless Toni Storm: [voiceover] Somehow, she parlayed cleavage into credibility. She won the 2023 Premier Athlete Tournament, beat Mickie James, and even held the Immunity and Women’s Championships. Impressive… if you enjoy fast food title reigns and dollar-menu prestige. It was here that I met Miss Morgan for the first time.
It cuts to footage of Liv Morgan’s arrival in AEW; this time actual footage, not elaborate recreations. We see clips of her flirting with Sami Zayn in his office, and Megan Mouse’s anger as she does so.
Timeless Toni Storm: [voiceover] Then, like every aspiring starlet, she headed west — to AEW. There, she found herself entangled with the married chairman of the company and made a mortal enemy of his wife. A classic tale, really: flirt, feud, profit.
The film cuts to clips of Morgan winning the AEW Knockouts Championship from Athena Star last fall.
Timeless Toni Storm: [voiceover] And yes, she captured gold. Bravo, darling. But when the curtain falls, all that glitters is rarely gold. Sometimes it’s just… glitter.
The video ends and we cut back to Storm, sipping from her martini, her smirk never fading.
Timeless Toni Storm: At Exodus, the Liv Morgan story concludes. Again, not with a bang, but a whimper. Because while Liv may sell sex, I… sell cinema!
Storm stands up and exits dramatically, her fur coat flowing as the scene fades.
We open on a familiar office, lit only by the flickers of dozens of candles. The iconic skyline window behind the desk glows faintly from the city lights beyond it, a jagged horizon of industry and ambition. Dust floats in the air like ash.
The chair behind the massive desk creaks as it turns, revealing Danhausen. He is still, composed, his face painted and lit by the candles that surround him. They cast long, theatrical shadows over his cheekbones. His voice is quiet and calm, but his eyes burn with something indescribable.
Danhausen: They wander now, do they not? An Executioner and a King who lost his crown. Strange allies, on a stranger path.
He leans back, tapping his gloved fingers on the wood of the desk. Benny Mouse’s old desk, now cluttered with candles, trinkets, and a miniature porcelain mouse that resembles Benny, cracked from the foot to the neck, it’s head in pristine condition.
Danhausen: Yes, I’ve seen them. Two men dragging chains of history behind them like wedding veils… searching, always searching. They wish to find him, do they not? The one who fell between the cracks of memory. Yes, they will find who they’re looking for.
He picks up Benny Mouse’s name plate on the desk, that read “Benjamin Wade Mouse, BWM Inc.” He twirls it in his hand as he glares at it, as if he’s expecting it to do something.
Danhausen: They took this place from him, the girl and her husband. A princess and a false king. They smiled as they did it — smiled while the old man’s mind melted like candlewax. They said it was love. They called it mercy. It was theft.
He sets it down, his eyes fixed on the camera.
Danhausen: And the Executioner, the man who swore himself to the ghost of a tyrant. He who built his empire on the broken backs of his own flesh and blood. A monster.
Danhausen rises from the desk and walks to the window, the skyline behind him glimmering. He runs a hand along the glass. A faint outline of Benny Mouse’s reflection appears beside his own.
Danhausen: The mind is a precious thing. So many try to preserve it. Lock it away. Bury the worst bits. But Danhausen believes the past should never be buried. It should be exhumed. Even if it screams when it breathes again.
He turns from the window and smiles a twisted smirk, something that resembles a grimace more than a grin.
Danhausen: Let them come. Let them knock on every door, dig up every grave. I am not their enemy, I am consequence. You know where to find me.
Match #2 | Exhibition Match
Dragon Lee vs. Darby Allin
As the introductions are made, Arn Anderson and Kevin Kelly discuss the circumstances that brought Dragon Lee to AEW, including his vicious attack on Will Ospreay.
Kevin Kelly: We’re about to get our first look at Dragon Lee in singles action in an American ring. It was two weeks ago when Lee took Will Ospreay out of the Massacre 6 match at Genesis, costing him the opportunity to main event Exodus.
Arn Anderson: It wasn’t just a brutal attack, Kevin, it was a message. Lee wants revenge for an injury he suffered at the hands of Ospreay in 2019, from the dangerous Tiger Driver ’91. Lee was on the shelf, and lost a year of his career due to that match, and now he’s here looking for vengeance.
Kevin Kelly: In just 13 days, they’ll meet in the first-ever Aerial Assault match in BWM Inc. history, tonight Lee’s looking to show the world what he’s capable of before that encounter.
Arn Anderson: But Darby Allin isn’t just going to roll over and play dead, he’s got tremendous heart, and we’ve seen him show that in some brutal wars in the past, including last year when he stood his ground against Brock Lesnar.
As the bell sounds, Allin and Lee lock up mid-ring. The crowd is heavily behind Allin, chanting his name as he takes control with a tight side headlock, wrenching Lee down to the mat. Lee fights to roll through, but Darby holds on, shifting into a quick cradle pin — one, two, no!
Darby hangs onto the headlock, grinding it in.
Kevin Kelly: An interesting strategy by Darby here in the early goings. He’s keeping Dragon grounded. Not something you expect from either man.
Lee finally breaks free with a slick roll through, but Darby scrambles and slaps the headlock back on. Lee scowls and jabs Darby in the ribs, breaking the grip. He whips Allin into the corner, Darby crashes in hard, and instinctively rolls to the floor.
Darby climbs back onto the apron, but Lee grabs him by the ankle from the outside. He pulls, tripping Allin on the apron. He bounces off the ropes and dives through the second rope, taking Allin off the apron and sending both to the outside with a suicide dive.
Lee doesn’t let up, lifting Darby to his feet and whipping him spine-first into the barricade! They brawl around the ring for a moment before Darby breaks free, getting back into the ring. From the apron, Lee launches himself off the top rope, connecting with a springboard clothesline!
Without hesitation, Lee goes to the top rope and launches with a 450 splash! Darby moves, but Lee telegraphs it, rolling through to his feet. He follows up with the crucifix roll-up for a two count, but Darby manages to kick out. They trade roll-ups, but Lee creates separation with a dropkick that’s right on the money.
As Allin gets back to his feet, Lee charges him. Darby counters with a back body drop that sends Lee over the ropes and crashing hard to the floor outside. Darby sprints full speed, looking for the tope con hilo, but Lee counters with a knee to the skull!
Arn Anderson: That’s the danger with Allin’s offense. He’s willing to use his body as a weapon, but occasionally he throws it straight into a wall.
Kevin Kelly: Or a knee, in this case!
Dragon Lee reaches under the ring and pulls out a table, drawing a mixed reaction from the crowd that’s otherwise booed him this entire time. Referee Lance Storm admonishes him, but Lee ignores him.
Lee lays Allin onto the table. Allin tries to fight free, but Lee hits him with rapid fire forearms, laying him out flat on his back on the table.
Lee climbs to the top ropes and looks down to the table on the floor.
Kevin Kelly: What’s this? No way!
From the top rope, Lee dives, connecting with a 630 senton that sends both men crashing through the table! Wood shatters in every direction, as the crowd instantly breaks into a “Holy Shit!” chant.
Arn Anderson: Is he a lunatic? Is he an artist? Is he both?!
Storm tends to both men, but eventually has to start the 10-count. At seven, Lee stirs and picks up Allin’s mangled body, getting them both back into the ring at nine.
Storm again tries to check on Allin, but Lee has another idea. He goes to the apron and launches himself once more – this time right over Lance Storm! He connects with a double stomp right to the spine of Darby Allin!
He drags Darby up the ropes. Darby fights back, wild-eyed and twisted, raking Lee across the back and knocking him down — but Lee clings on and fires back.
Darby claws back again, hitting an avalanche Code Red from the top! The two flip from the top rope and Lee lands hard in the center of the ring. Allin scoops him up once more and connects with another Code Red clean in the center of the ring, this time he covers!
1…
2…
2.999!
Kevin Kelly: That should’ve been it! How did Dragon Lee kick out of that?
Lee is barely moving following the kick out, so Allin goes for broke and ascends to the top ropes. He launches himself backwards with reckless abandon, looking to connect with the Coffin Drop!
Lee rolls out of the way onto the apron in the nick of time! He measures Allin, looking for another springboard. This time, Allin is the one who telegraphs it, and he reaches for Lee across the ropes. Lee grabs Allin by the neck and pulls him down, his throat hitting the ropes hard. He does it again, and then again!
Darby stumbles and Lee springs in, but he misses the splash! Darby locks on the Fujiwara armbar! Lee scream in agony, just barely managing to get to the ropes and force the break.
Allin heads to the top once more…
Coffin Drop!
But again, Lee rolls away! Allin hits the mat hard, and Lee scoops him up. He hits the Dragon Driver in the center of the ring, much to the displeasure of the audience.
1…
2…
3!!!
Winner: Dragon Lee
Match Time: 13:12
Arn Anderson: Lee isn’t just riding a wave of momentum heading into Exodus, he’s shaping it. Ospreay better not blink, because the dragon is coming with everything he’s got! And he’s already proved at Genesis he’s not afraid to draw first blood!
SEGMENT THREE
We open with an establishing shot of an old barn, gates open, at sunset. The camera pushes in through the open gate to reveal Hangman Adam Page inside, on an old bench, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. There’s a bottle in his hand — un-sipped, and unopened. His eyes are hollow, and his face looks worn. He doesn’t look up as he begins to speak.
Hangman Adam Page: When you ride long enough, you stop expecting to see a home at the end of the trail.
He pauses a beat, and continues.
Hangman Adam Page: I used to think this was about redemption. About proving something to myself. To you. To them. Win or lose, I thought maybe, if I just kept riding, I’d find my way back to something worth holding onto.
He finally looks up and into the camera, his eyes glassy.
Hangman Adam Page: But every time I get close, I get thrown. And you—you—you cheer! You sing my name like it means something. Like it heals something. Like it makes the loss taste better going down.
He stands now, the sunset from outside the barn casting shadows inside, his face is half lit, half darkened by the shadow.
Hangman Adam Page: Did you ever stop to think that maybe your cheers were hurtful? That your hope in me was a sickness? Maybe I keep losing because I keep trying to make you all proud of me. And all I got for it was blood in my mouth and ghosts on my back.
Hangman Adam Page: Last week, AJ Styles came back. He said my name like he still believed in it. But he’s not here to help me find myself. He’s here to bury me. Just like Omega and Danielson tried to do when they turned their backs on me. Just like you all will when I finally stop getting up.
He scoffs, shaking his head.
Hangman Adam Page: I’m done looking for redemption. I’m done dragging myself to hell to make you all feel better about yourselves. You don’t get to have me anymore.
He steps closer to the camera lens, his voice almost at a whisper.
Hangman Adam Page: At Exodus, AJ Styles isn’t facing the Cowboy you remember. He’s facing the Cowboy you all made. A man with nothing left to lose, and no country left to come home to. Don’t expect this ride to end in glory. You don’t get to mourn what’s coming, not when you helped build it.
Hangman exits the barn. The camera tries to follow behind him, but its met with the gates closing shot as the scene fades.
The shot opens inside Hulk Hogan’s Hangout, Hulk Hogan’s restaurant in Clearwater, Florida. “Real American” and “Voodoo Child” are playing on an alternating loop, and the walls are decorated in Hogan-inspired memorabilia.
In a booth shaped like a wrestling ring, Midget Hogan sits across from his stepson, Young Crock, who’s dressed ridiculously, like a vapid influencer. He’s wearing oversized sunglasses, and hits a vape pen as he scrolls through his phone.
Midget Hogan: This place is iconic, yeah? Real American cuisine, with turkey legs the size of Nash’s quads! And the best part? It’s all free, because me and Hulk are High Minded OGs!
Young Crock doesn’t look impressed, he continues to scroll through Instagrapm.
Young Crock: Big deal. I get comped all the time, bro. I did a mukbang with Guy Fieri’s niece. Went viral. Eight million views. They named a shrimp cocktail after me.
Midget Hogan: Hey now, this place is sacred ground. Hulk once body slammed a man through a jukebox here in ’07. That’s a real legacy!
Young Crock: Yeah, a real sad one.
Midget Hogan twitches slightly. A waitress drops off a Mega Powers Burger and a 24-inch Python Nacho Platter.
Midget Hogan: Look, I brought you here because…. I know we’ve not always seen eye to eye. Literally, and metaphorically. But it’d mean a lot to your mother if we got along. You’re creative and bold, and I’d be proud to be your stepdad, if you let me.
Young Crock: [interrupting] Hol’ up, I gotta go live.
He turns his phone around and hits record, as Midget Hogan’s jaw drops, completely stunned.
Young Crock: [to his phone] What up, fam! It’s ya boy, and today I’m doing some charity work, having dinner with my mom’s loser husband. Say hi to the people, discount Danny DeVito.
Midget Hogan: …you know that I can hear you, right?
Young Crock: And yet you stay seated. Courageous.
Midget Hogan: [trying to calm himself and starting again] Look, kid. Life isn’t all about likes and swipes. I’ve had a lot of experience, and I can share some of it with you. I’ve been to the top of the mountain and I got a lot on my way up. Money… fortune… fame…. that joke about the 10-inch pianist, can’t believe I didn’t get that one sooner. The point is, I can teach you a few things, if you’re open to learning.
Young Crock: [dismissively] Are we about done here? This place smells like divorce.
Midget Hogan: [getting angry] Look, kid. I’ve survived three divorces and an accidental friendship with Dennis Rodman in the 90s, I can survive you. So let’s figure this out, okay? For your mother’s sake. I just want to be there for you in a way that your real father—
Young Crock stands up, immediately angered.
Young Crock: You don’t get to talk about him! I’m out of here.
Young Crock exits dramatically, leaving Midget Hogan with two platters full of food, and a Real American beer.
Midget Hogan: [sighing] Lady Love, you better be worth this!
Back at ringside, Arn Anderson says that we were set to hear from the AEW Knockouts Champion Liv Morgan tonight, but Liv has not yet fully recovered from the mist attack from Julia Hart at Genesis: Chapter 2. That said, Splinter has announced that Morgan will defend her AEW Knockouts Championship next week against Tiffany Stratton, the woman who battled Morgan to a draw in her debut match! Kelly says that’s not all, he’s also learned that it’s been made official – Swerve Strickland will challenge Shelton Benjamin for the AEW Television Championship at Exodus!
Match #3 | The Gunns Open Challenge
The Gunns (Austin & Colten) vs. ???
The Gunns make their way to the ring, standing smugly in the center with their AEW World Tag Titles wrapped around their waists. Colten is chewing gum like it owes him money; Austin twirls a mic in his fingers like it’s a six-shooter.
Kevin Kelly: We learned earlier tonight that the tag champs, Austin and Colten Gunn have issued an Open Challenge for any tag team who thinks they’re worthy of stepping into the rings with the champs.
Arn Anderson: They’re cocky little punks. They’ve made sure to specify that the belts are not on the line tonight. Last week, they sat right next to us on commentary while the Acclaimed put down FTR. And the whole time, they were yappin’ about how no team in AEW is on their level.
Austin Gunn: There’s not a team in All Elite Wrestling worthy of challenging us. FTR? Washed up! The Acclaimed? A gimmick that got over briefly and is no longer entertaining. A-Town Down Under? Two pretty boys who can’t even carry our bags. The Street Sharks? Well, we put them back in the sewers where they belong. Point is… the Gunns are the greatest tag team in AEW history!
Colten Gunn: That said, we’re still willing to bless this crowd full of yuppies with a one and a lifetime chance of seeing the Greatest Tag Team Ever in action! So, this is it… who wants it?
The arena holds its breath for a second. Lights dim. Nothing happens. The Gunns smirk.
Kevin Kelly: It pains me to say it, but maybe the Gunns are right? Maybe no one wants to accept this challenge?
Arn Anderson: Wait a minute, Kev! What’s that? In the crowd!
A rumble erupts through the crowd as two hooded figures leap over the barricade from opposite ends of the floor, peeling off their sweatshirts.
Kevin Kelly: No way!
Arn Anderson: I’ll be damned!
Kevin Kelly: It’s the Usos! They’re back! And Jimmy and Jey look like they mean business!
Jimmy and Jey Uso storm the ring, and the bell rings in a panic as the Gunns get ambushed to an explosion of cheers.
Jey takes over early, rocking Colten with a running forearm that sends him tumbling to the outside. Austin tries to sneak in with a blindside attack, but Jimmy clocks him with a right hand.
Kevin Kelly: The Gunns were NOT ready for this!
Arn Anderson: It’s been over a year since we’ve seen the former tag champs, the Usos, in All Elite Wrestling. Tonight, after a memorable singles run in WWE, the Usos are home and they’re back in tag action!
Austin scrambles to the apron as Colten slides back in, tagging his brother with a desperate slap to the chest. Jimmy steps up, circling like a wolf, and unloads with knife-edge chops. The crowd “WOOO!”s as Austin reels back into the corner.
Jimmy charges—big hip attack in the corner! He smirks, throws up the ones, but Colten yanks him out to the floor and drops him spine-first on the edge of the apron
Colten rolls Jimmy back in, and Austin rains down fists before tagging back out. The Gunns hit a double spinebuster and pose with obnoxious finger guns. They isolate Jimmy, driving knees into his midsection and jaw-jacking with the fans.
Arn Anderson: And just like that, they’ve got Jimmy trapped. I hate to say it, but the Gunns are a dangerous team when they get rolling.
Jimmy eats a clothesline, gets dragged back to the corner, and the Gunns go for a top-rope Demolition-style double team—but Jimmy wriggles free and shoves Colten into Austin!
Kevin Kelly: Tag made! Here comes Main Event Jey Uso!
Jey flies in like a heat-seeking missile. Superkick to Colten! Uppercut to Austin! Spinning heel kick drops Colten again and Jey is on fire!
Colten rolls to the floor, but Jey hits the ropes and launches himself out with a massive running flip dive!
Arn Anderson: Now, that’s how you turn the tide!
Kevin Kelly: The Usos have so much experience, together as twins and together inside the ring. Sure, the Gunns are brothers, but you can’t replicate the bond twins share.
Back inside, Jimmy returns and they set up Austin—Doomsday Device tease—but Austin slips out and kicks Jey in the gut. Austin goes for the Fameasser—
Arn Anderson: I think there was a tag made! Not sure the Gunns saw it.
Superkick from Jimmy!!!
Jimmy tags Jey back in, and they wait for Colten to crawl into the ring, only to hit him with a double superkick!
Jimmy scoops Austin up, slamming him next to Colten. The Usos go to opposite corners and launch a tandem Usos Splash! They cover the champs…
1…
2…
3!!!
Winners: The Usos
Match Time: 12:18
Kevin Kelly: The Usos are back and they just silenced the champs!
Arn Anderson: What a return. What a statement. And I think the Gunns just found out the hard way—there is a team in AEW worthy of those belts.
Kevin Kelly: Folks, don’t go anywhere! Up next is our main event!
SEGMENT FOUR
Back at ringside, Anderson notes that during the break, Splinter informed commentary of a huge main event next week. In a preview of their Exodus bouts, The Phenomenal AJ Styles and the Aerial Assassin Will Ospreay will team together for the first time ever as they take on Hangman Adam Page and Dragon Lee!
Match #4 | If Lesnar wins, he replaces Lee in the Exodus main event; if Lee wins, Lesnar is entered into the Draft
Brock Lesnar vs. The Forgotten Brandon Lee w/ Paul Heyman
Kevin Kelly: Brandon Lee has seen an unprecedented career resurgence in 2025. That epic rise back to the top was solidified two weeks ago at Genesis, when Brock Lesnar’s longtime advocate Paul Heyman betrayed him, helping Lee secure a shot at the AEW World Heavyweight Championship at Exodus. However, last week, Splinter announced this match that could reshape both the title picture at Exodus as well as the 2025 Draft!
Arn Anderson: I’ve been a fan of Lee’s comeback, but his decision to align himself with Heyman may backfire. Lesnar is dangerous enough on a normal day, but when he’s pissed off? Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be Lee right now.
As soon as the bell rings, Lee launches at Lesnar with a roundhouse kick. Lesnar catches his leg and fires back with a right hand to his temple.
Lesnar grabs Lee, release German Suplex. Brandon flips mid-air and crashes hard. Heyman’s mouth is agape at ringside — his two projects, past and present, colliding violently.
German Suplex number two. Lee bounces off the mat and instinctively crawls to the corner. Lesnar stalks. Belly-to-belly overhead suplex sends Brandon flipping into the turnbuckles.
Kevin Kelly: We’re just minutes into this thing and it’s already getting hard to watch.
Arn Anderson: Brock’s like an animal toying with his food.
Lesnar stomps Lee, laughing. “I can do this all night long!” Two more belly-to-belly suplexes ragdoll The Forgotten across the ring. Brandon rolls to the floor — but there’s no escape. Lesnar charges and whips him into the barricade.
Lesnar doesn’t let up. He scoops Lee up and slams him spine-first into the barricade, tossing him back into the ring like a pile of garbage. He points at Heyman and says he’s coming for him, and Heyman looks like he may shit his pants.
Back in the ring, Lesnar locks on a monstrous bearhug, squeezing the life out of Lee, who is screaming in agony. He drives him into the post, not releasing. He transitions the bearhug into another overhead belly to belly throw, sending Lee flying!
Lesnar scoops Lee up and drills him with an F-5 that’s right on the money! He covers with one foot.
1…
2…
Lee kicks out! Lesnar laughs, before going to pick him up. However, Lee finally mounts some offense, kicking upwards and catching Brock in the eye. He gets up as Heyman jumps onto the apron, momentarily distracting senior official Michael McMahon.
The distraction is enough time for Lee to fire off a kick to Lesnar’s balls, doubling him over. Heyman grins, satisfied, and jumps back down. Lesnar stumbles to his knees, only for Lee to connect with a superkick!
Lee covers, but Lesnar pushes him off instantly. Lesnar gets back to his feet and catches Lee as he goes for a crossbody, reversing it into a powerslam. Lesnar unloads with a series of brutal stomps, as Heyman again starts freaking out at ringside.
He scoops Lee up for another suplex/throw, but Lee lands on his feet! He charges Lesnar with a clothesline that sends the Beast toppling to the outside. Lee quickly bounces off the ropes and dives, but Lesnar catches him mid-air and slams him into the steel steps!
The impact separates the steps, and Lesnar picks up the top part of them. He launches them at Lee’s head, but Lee thankfully ducks at the last moment and catches him with a spinning wheel kick!
Arn Anderson: Lesnar just about decapitated Brandon Lee with those steps!
Kevin Kelly: McMahon needs to get control of this thing, because Lesnar just wants to hurt Lee. I don’t think he even cares about the match outcome, he’s just got bloodlust!
Lee scrambles back into the ring, and Lesnar is hot on his trail. Heyman grabs Lesnar by the boot, tripping him up a bit. He turns to deal with Heyman, and Lee catches him in the back of the head with a missile dropkick!
With Lesnar down, Lee hits a moonsault and goes for the cover!
1…
2…
Lesnar kicks out, again with authority!
Lee lifts him up and goes for a double underhook DDT, but Lesnar reverses it into a back body. Lesnar lifts Lee up for the F-5, but Lee slides out of it and locks on a triangle choke!
He wrestles Lesnar to the ground, and Lesnar starts to fade! The crowd is going crazy as Lee looks as if he might choke out Lesnar. However, Lesnar rolls through, and manages to get the ropes.
Lee follows up with a headscissors take down, and then a superkick! He drags Lesnar to the corner and they go up to the top. He goes for the Spin to the End, but Lesnar counters it into a super F-5!
Heyman, sensing the danger that Lee is in, grabs ahold of the ref’s leg and breaks the pin attempt just before three! Lensar is furious, and he jumps up, targeting Heyman.
He goes to the outside, and Heyman runs a circle around the ring like his life depends on it. Heyman slides in, and Lesnar’s hot on his trail. Lesnar scoops him up and goes for the F-5!
Before he can send Heyman flying, Lee comes from behind with another low blow that McMahon misses! Lee hits three neckbreakers in a row and then goes upstairs with Lesnar.
Spin to the End!!!
He covers Lesnar as Heyman, gasping for air, smiles wildly.
1…
2…
3!!!
Winner: The Forgotten Brandon Lee
Match Time: 16:02
Kevin Kelly: For the first time in years, Brock Lesnar is going into the Draft! And Brandon Lee is going to Exodus, to meet MJF and the AEW World Heavyweight Champion Logan Paul in the Crimson Car Match!
Arn Anderson: Folks, we’re all out of time! Thank you so much for joining us, and we’ll see you next Monday for our final stop before Exodus!
Fluorescent lights buzz as Sami Zayn and the Executioner walk down a sterile, quiet hallway. The silence is unnerving, broken only by the distant sounds of beeping from hospital equipment and the occasional groan of elderly patients from within their rooms.
Sami walks with purpose, but unease tugs at his every step. Executioner walks behind him, silent and unmoved.
Sami Zayn: [quiet, urgent] You don’t have to do this. There’s still time to change your mind.
The Executioner says nothing.
Sami Zayn: Fine, but listen. I didn’t bring you here for blood, I brought you here for closure. Benny’s gone. Not dead, but broken. He’s not who the world remembers, and if you think you’re going to get answers, you’re going to be disappointed.
The Executioner keeps walking ahead, unmoved.
Sami Zayn: Everyone says I took advantage of him. Everyone says I stole BWM, that I used him. But I respected Benny Mouse. I looked up to him. I put him in here because he deserved to be remembered with dignity. Not like this. He deserved better than what the disease did to him.
Executioner seems unmoved by Sami’s final appeal, as they come to a plain white door with a name tag that reads “Mouse.”
Sami Zayn: [low] Do what you feel you’ve gotta do, but I’m telling you… what’s inside, it’s not him anymore.
Executioner: Shell or not, this has to happen.
The door opens and we see into the room. The lights are dimmed. A single hospital bed sits in the corner, the occupant wrapped tightly in a blanket, curled up and facing the cold brick wall.
Sami steps forward, his breath catching in his throat.
Sami Zayn: Benny…?
He gently grabs ahold of the occupant’s shoulder, turning them to face him.
It’s Megan.
Her eyes are wide but unfocused, her face pale and smeared with tears. She stares through Sami, not at him. She doesn’t seem to know where she is—or who he is.
Megan Mouse-Zayn: [whispering, distant] The walls moved again… he said they would. He said if I stayed still, the wolves wouldn’t see me…
Sami stumbles backward, stunned.
Sami Zayn: Megan?! What the—what are you doing here? No, no, no…
Megan Mouse-Zayn: [soft, childlike] You’re not supposed to be here… this isn’t the way… the way is red and gold and glass… [suddenly louder] The time is near. He said the end is always worse than the beginning…
She clutches her head, rocking slightly. The Executioner steps forward, suspicious.
Executioner: This some kind of trick?
Sami Zayn: What? This isn’t a setup. This is Danhausen. He’s doing this. He got to her.
Megan’s head snaps up, her eyes suddenly sharp—but not her own.
Megan Mouse-Zayn: [in Danhausen’s cadence] The house is crooked and the clock ticks backwards… Benny went to find the shadow in the hat, and now the hat is full of teeth… He said I wouldn’t understand until the colors drained… that when the black sun rises, I’d remember the beginning… and forget the middle.
Sami rushes to her side, desperate.
Sami Zayn: Megan, please. It’s me. I’m your husband, I love you. I’ve been trying to find you. I never stopped.
Megan Mouse-Zayn: [panicked, trembling] You’re not Daddy. You’re not him! DADDY!
She thrashes, knocking over a tray. Alarms blare. Footsteps thunder down the hallway.
Sami Zayn: [to Executioner, desperate] Help me. Please, help me get her out of here. We have to go through Danhausen if we want to find Benny.
The Executioner stares at the unraveling scene. Megan kicks, screams, claws at the air.
Megan Mouse-Zayn: The clocks are screaming and the floor is gone! Don’t let them bury me with the hat! I’m not done remembering!
Sami tries to grab her. She resists wildly, sobbing. Nurses burst into the room.
Nurse: Let her go! Step back! Sir, step back!
Sami is forced away as Megan clutches the sheets, crying Benny’s name.
Megan Mouse-Zayn: [through hysterical tears] Daddy… where did you go? You left me in the dark again…
Nurse 2: We’ve got her—get security! Get them out!
The Executioner pulls Sami back as Megan disappears in a tangle of flailing limbs and white uniforms. He puts a hand on Sami’s shoulder.
Executioner: [softly] Come on, Sami. We’ve got to get out of here.
SMASH CUT TO BLACK.
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 